[Book Review] Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

Wunder is gathering in Nevermoor ...

Morrigan Crow may have defeated her deadly curse, passed the dangerous trials and joined the mystical Wundrous Society, but her journey into Nevermoor and all its secrets has only just begun. And she is fast learning that not all magic is used for good.

Morrigan Crow has been invited to join the prestigious Wundrous Society, a place that promised her friendship, protection and belonging for life. She's hoping for an education full of wunder, imagination and discovery - but all the Society want to teach her is how evil Wundersmiths are. And someone is blackmailing Morrigan's unit, turning her last few loyal friends against her. Has Morrigan escaped from being the cursed child of Wintersea only to become the most hated figure in Nevermoor?

Worst of all, people have started to go missing. The fantastical city of Nevermoor, once a place of magic and safety, is now riddled with fear and suspicion...

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If you saw my review for the first book in this series, Nevermoor, you'll know I enjoyed it so I am happy to discover I liked this one even more! A lot of the small problems I had with the previous book didn't seem to be a problem in this one. Which is always great, and it makes me even more excited for book three. 

Morrigan is a character I previously described as having a lack of a personality. But I think the way she grows and becomes more confident in herself her personality becomes more distinct. It makes it easier to relate to her because I feel like she became less of a stereotype cardboard cutout of the typical middle school heroine and more like a real tangible character. Jupiter is still an amazing character and a great mentor for Morrigan. I loved so many moments in this story and I am so happy Morrigan has such a solid support system after so many years of neglect. 

Hawthorne and Morrigan's friendship is a favorite of mine. He's so loyal and trusting, and never falters or is uncertain about being in a friendship with Morrigan, despite Wundersmith's reputations. I think it's super sweet how solid their friendship is, and it makes me excited to watch them continue building their friendship. Although Cadence and Morrigan do grow a little closer I would have enjoyed them becoming better friends. I hope we continue on the path of them becoming good friends because I am all about strong female friendships, especially in middle grade books because that's around the age girls are often taught to be jealous and petty to each other. Also, there wasn't enough of Fenestra for my liking, but what we did have I, of course, loved. 

I was hoping Unit 919 would become closer as the story went on and become the family/tight knit group they were supposed to be like the other units. But the other members of 919 are in such little of the story they're almost forgettable. Which is a real shame because they not only had really cool knacks but I would have liked for their friendships to all grow. I'm all about the found family trope. I do think that what 919 has been through within this story points to the direction of them becoming a closer group so I am hoping the next installment of the series will explore the Unit 919 members.

Ezra's actions can be terrifying, especially one of the end scenes. I don't want to say too much but it definitely creeped me out. However, for some reason Ezra himself isn't that scary of a villain. When he's talking with Morrigan one on one he seems less intimidating. I am not sure what it is, but I get the feeling often throughout this story that if  Morrigan allowed herself to tap into her power and maybe trained the way she was meant to in school, she could easily defeat him. Which doesn't make a great villain. 

Overall, I highly recommend this series! It gets better (at least so far) as the story progresses and I am genuinely excited for the third installment. If you (or a younger reader) are into middle grade novels, fantasy, or both, this is the one for you. I definitely understand why I see reviewers often saying "if you liked Harry Potter you'll like this" because it has a similar spirit and vibe. If you've read it,  I'd love to talk about it!

Thanks for reading!