Fiction Friday (139)

 

Being the nerd that I am, I'd been waiting anxiously for Hollowpox (the third Nevermoor book) to come out. I'd been waiting since I finished the second book over two years ago. Then, when it finally did come out last October, life got in the way as life will do. I bought the book a few months ago, but had a lot of reading obligations. Also, this was the series that really inspired me to pursue the middle grade novel that I've been working on for two years and I wanted to wait until I was far enough into the manuscript that it wouldn't influence me. Oh, the complications of the reading life of a writer!

Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

(Little Brown, 2020)

Morrigan Crow has just finished her first year at the Wundrous Society and is finally beginning to feel at home, but being the only Wundersmith in a hundred years, things are bound to get complicated. Her instructors have finally agreed to instruct her the Wundrous Arts, using lessons from the past that have been frozen in time using "ghostly hours." For once, Morrigan believes she just might learn to be a true Wundersmith after all...then a mysterious sickness begins to disrupt life in the Free State of Nevermoor. 

As more and more Wunimals are infected, turning them into regular animals, the city is on the verge of panic. Morrigan soon discovers that she is the only one who can fix it...but she will need the help of the villainous Ezra Squall to do it. 

As with the previous two novels, there is such a careful build-up with scenes that engross the reader in Morrigan's world that you secretly hope the story never ends. It is clear why this book was postponed so often, it was because Townsend was busy weaving together a brilliant tale, while also building the bigger story so perfectly. The expectations for this book were through the roof and she rose to the challenge. Bravo!

Fiction Friday (79)

I always approach sequels with a mixture of anticipation and nervousness, especially a sequel to a book I absolutely loved. When I finished Nevermoor a few weeks ago, I quickly requested this book from the library and couldn't wait to start it and find out what happened next. I was also worried that the first book, the author's debut novel, had taken years to write, but this one came out a year later and was another 500+ page book. Was the first book a fluke? I'm happy to report that it wasn't. Jessica Townsend has proven herself to be a storyteller at the absolute top of her game.

Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow
by Jessica Townsend
(Lothian, 2018)

In the follow-up to Nevermoor, the young Wundersmith (a powerful person with the terrifying ability to manipulate the very particles that make up life) is ready to embark on her new life as one of the newest members of the Wundrous Society. On the first day of school at the academy, Morrigan is hopeful that she has finally found a place where she fits in.

Her hopes are quickly dashed as she learns that the Society views her as something to be feared and that her so-called brothers and sisters eye her with suspicion. It doesn't help that her patron, and adoptive father figure, Jupiter North, is caught up in a growing mystery of disappearing Society members and spends most of his time away from the magical hotel they call home. 

Things in the city of Nevermoor continue to get stranger as the year goes on. Unsettling events seem to take place at an alarming rate, leaving Morrigan to wonder if her new life is any different from her "cursed" childhood. Is she to blame for everything is going wrong? Is she really the horrible creature her instructors claim? The truth turns out to be far more complicated. 

A masterpiece of storytelling, this expansive tangle of elements is woven together with amazing care to reveal a bigger picture in page turning excitement and overwhelmingly satisfying in its conclusion. Easily one of the best stories I've ever encountered.

Fiction Friday (77)

My goal to read more is still a goal that I'm working hard on trying to accomplish, which isn't always easy. One thing that has helped has been my re-discovery of the library several years ago, which has allowed me to broaden my scope beyond the piles of unread books in my office. A few weeks, when browsing with my daughter, I came across this book whose cover caught my eye, and whose description kept my attention. The result was an absolute delight.

Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow
by Jessica Townsend
(Little Brown, 2017)

In the capital city of an imaginary world, young Morrigan Crow is a cursed child, as are all children born on Eventide and doomed to die on Eventide. As a result, Morrigan's life is a rather miserable one. She is blamed for everything that goes wrong, and forced to write apology letters to those who feel their misfortunes are due to her. Her father, a prominent politician, is forced to make reparations all parties believed to be harmed by the cursed child, so needless to say, he and his new family, are looking forward to the next Eventide when they will be free of Morrigan and her crow.

As it turns out, Morrigan's life doesn't end on her 11th birthday, but rather, is just beginning. When a strange man sponsors her education and whisks her away, outracing the Hunt of Smoke and Shadow who have come to take her away, until they reach the magical city of Nevermoor where she is given the chance to join the prestigious Wundrous Society. Before she can join, she must pass four difficult trails, conquer her own self-doubts, and discover the greatness that lies inside her.

There is no doubt that this award-winning novel was inspired by Harry Potter. The story contains similar plot development and story trajectory, but certainly isn't a rip-off or a cheap duplication. This a fully imagined world, one that is very different than Hogwarts, but just as magical, adventurous, and dangerous. I actually connected to this book more than to Harry Potter, just because the imaginative elements synced with my imagination a little more precisely. 

Taking a brief intermission, and then starting to read the second book right away.