Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow

Hello everyone.  I hope you are well.  I am still struggling with this creeping crud of a cough I picked up at Christmas. Such a nice present, wish I'd read the gift tag before I opened it! Hubby, who has had a worse version, seems to be doing much better. I am grateful for his improvement! Because of feeling so lousy we haven't begun to take down the holiday decorations. Okay, let me be honest, we wouldn't have begun anyway...I am a strict believer of Christmas decorations down by St. Patrick's Day! Well, maybe not that extreme, but I'm not in any hurry. I keep thinking I'll come up with some excellent new way of organizing all that "stuff" that will make it much easier later this year to put it all back up, but alas, I always get fed up with it all and start shoving stuff in boxes willy nilly. You know, I have heard of people that design closets in their homes that they push their holiday trees in...whole...and just pull them back out the following year. I'm starting to think they have the right idea that all these decorations are kind of like dusting, you just have to repeat over and over. Not that I'm not happy to be able to put up holiday decorations, we all know plenty of people in this world are not able for many reasons, so I guess I'll learn to enjoy the process. I refuse to enjoy dusting though, just for the record.

While downing my zillionth cup of hot tea and cough drop this week I finished the book Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow, by Jessica Townsend. This is the second of what I hope is going to be a long running series. The first book, Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow, I loved. While not a big fantasy reader, I am totally into this story line. I always seem to like books that it doesn't take time to "get into", probably why I like thrillers so much because of their pacing. It seems like fantasy would take longer because you have to describe the location and characters so much. Don't get me wrong, I love the description in something like Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath....heck I'm still thinking about that turtle on the road. (Read it if you haven't it is a classic, though somewhat depressing, still a classic). Then there is the description in a book like Maguire's Wicked about the Wicked Witch of the West in the Wizard of Oz story. I adore Elphaba and all her glorious green-ness, but the description of the world, Geez! I was reading that book out loud to hubby one time in the car on a long trip and the words the author made up gave me a tongue cramp! (settle down all you perverts) Anyway, I'm not a huge fan of wasting valuable story time in so much description, I want to get to the plot. Wundersmith, like Nevermoor, spends only necessary amounts of time on description and has a strong plot. It has been likened to Harry Potter. I honestly thought it was just because of the fantasy, its popularity, and being written for an audience a bit younger than myself (no comments necessary). However, I've started noticing more and more similarities, is the villain a little Voldemortish? Do any of the building descriptions remind you of the Weasley's house. I don't know, I might be reading things that aren't there. Once thing is for sure, this is a classic good against evil. Wundersmith is every bit as good as Nevermoor, frankly, I cannot wait for more. Its almost 550 pages fly by way too quickly!

By the way, in my review of Nevermoor I told you about my fabulous artist niece. I saw her a Christmas and she took Nevermoor back to art school with her. So happy this will be something else we can share. I might even be willing to stand in line at midnight, ala Harry Potter, to get her another Morrigan Crow installment.

Nevermoor The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

Hello everyone.  You may not believe me, but I know why you come here. You want to read about a book you are interested in and see me yap on about how cleaning the toilet is such a crappy job (ahem, yes, I saw it and yes, it is a bad job I dislike, you probably do too). However, like last time I have to tell you a story that relates to today's book.

I have a niece. She is in her early twenties. My niece was the first "kid" in our family so in an effort to be her favorite aunt I did some things I now don't know whether to be ashamed of or proud of.  Given how many thrillers I read perhaps I should pause here for effect, letting your mind wander. No, these things do not involve shovels, drives to the barren woods, or missing people. Possibly worse. I watched Ren and Stimpy. Think that is bad? Hold on to your chair...I learned all the songs from Blues Clues. Oh, yes, shutter you should! I know the mailbox song, complete with flag arm movement. You want to know about Mr. Salt and Mrs. Pepper, I'm your girl! I know, it is shocking.

When my niece was a teen, I read the Twilight series with her, despite her completely bailing after the first book. I have whole series-itis and had to read all of them. Then there is Harry Potter, we read the whole series together. It was bliss. Sometimes she'd get the book on her own, or it would "magically" appear from Amazon. One time, hubby and I braved the dreaded line at midnight at Walmart. I remember her calling me, saying she had been reading late at night, hidden in the bathroom so as not to bother her family, in tears. She was reading about Dumbledore dying. It was a bond, shared over books that I am so grateful for. No matter how old she gets or where she goes, those shared moments will always be with me and I hope with her.

Now my niece is in a famous design school, either destined for Disney or game design. She can draw, paint, sculpt anything from characters to realistic, from landscape to the intricacies of the human body. Sadly, I don't think she realizes how amazing she is, and she definitely is amazing. My niece is stunningly beautiful both inside and out, not only super creative but absolutely brilliant at math and science. She is funny and sweet, kind and thoughtful. She is the bravest person I know, in so many ways. Despite her young age, she is possibly the most inspiring woman I've ever met and I am in CONSTANT awe.

When I talked to my niece a while ago, we were talking about book genres and she was saying how much she liked fantasy. Given her chosen profession, this is not a surprise. Fantasy is not my favorite. To me it just takes longer to get into a book if I have to go through all that "world building" too.  However, as you've seen in the past sometimes the "buzz" on a book gets the better of me and I have to read it. Such is the case with the kids fantasy book, Nevermoor The Trials of Morrigan Crow, described as being the new Harry Potter.

I loved this book. Thankfully, you are immersed in the story and world easily and quickly. The reader instantly likes and has empathy for the little Morrigan Crow and a chuckle or two for her quick wit and sarcasm. The story progressed quickly, describing just enough of the setting for your brain to take over without over doing it and slowing the plot. Obstacles and tasks are handled efficiently with neither too little nor too much time spent on each one. The pacing is perfection. Needless to say, despite it's 461 pages, I didn't want it to end. And it is a fantasy...I didn't want to end....461 pages...with lots to do at the holidays...461 pages...didn't want to end.  You get the point.

So, Thanksgiving is next week with Christmas close behind. I have cooking galore, cleaning and decorating to do. Something is going to have to go undone. The Nevermoor sequel, Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow was released this week. After finishing Nevermoor I had to immediately order it with it's 545 pages. Thankfully, my niece is also great in the kitchen, think I'll leave the cookie baking undone and get her help, she'll understand...maybe I can trade her a book for her help. I know just the one!