Morrigan Crow is cursed. Having been born on Eventide, the unluckiest day for any child to be born, she’s blamed for all local misfortunes, from hailstorms to heart attacks–and, worst of all, the curse means that Morrigan is doomed to die at midnight on her eleventh birthday.
But as Morrigan awaits her fate, a strange and remarkable man named Jupiter North appears. Chased by black-smoke hounds and shadowy hunters on horseback, he whisks her away into the safety of a secret, magical city called Nevermoor.
It’s then that Morrigan discovers Jupiter has chosen her to contend for a place in the city’s most prestigious organization: the Wundrous Society. In order to join, she must compete in four difficult and dangerous trials against hundreds of other children, each with an extraordinary talent that sets them apart–an extraordinary talent that Morrigan insists she does not have. To stay in the safety of Nevermoor for good, Morrigan will need to find a way to pass the tests–or she’ll have to leave the city to confront her deadly fate.
Amazon Blurb
Now, I’ll admit I was hesitant when I saw the word ‘curse.’ But don’t worry — there’s no black magic in here — and spoiler alert, it’s not even a curse. It’s a combination of local superstition and a plot… but I shan’t say more.
Besides that, this book is funny and lighthearted. Some particularly poignant lines aimed at cat owners made me laugh out loud. Townsend doesn’t seem like a Christian, since in this world angels are just another category of magical beings and there’s no underlying Christian worldview as far as I can tell. There was a scene or two with witches in the second book — pretty much on par with Harry Potter and this changing of being a witch to a good or at least neutral thing. Still, this series was clean and enjoyable, plus highly creative. I’ve read it several times and greatly enjoyed it.
Plus, it’s highly refreshing to have a female heroine who for once isn’t falling in love with every cute boy she meets, and who isn’t going on about how strong she is all the time. Morrigan has a distinct, funny, relatable voice and she isn’t perfect. She can’t do it all by herself; she needs her group of friends and found family. That’s what’s really at the heart of this series — the worldbuilding is fantastic and unique in a fantasy-steampunk way and the plot is intruiging, but I love the characters best of all.
This would be a great read for a middle-grade girl — and maybe boys might enjoy it too, I don’t know. The series is still in progress, but I quite enjoyed the first three books and I’m praying that this doesn’t go the way of many other current series’ and give in to wokeness.
Anyone read this series? Thoughts? Leave a comment below, I’d love to hear from you!
Alright, folks, that’s all for now. See you again next week!
Cheers!
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