Book Rating: ★★★★✰ (4 / 5 stars)
Audio Book Performance: ★★★★✰ (4 / 5 stars)
Since the day Morrigan Crow was born, she has been cursed. Everything always goes wrong, all because she was born on Eventide. With her death predicted on her twelfth birthday, Morrigan has become resigned to the fact that her life will end. That is, until she receives bids on bid day that offer her a chance to avoid the Hunt of Smoke and Shadows…and hence her death. In a spur of the moment, she joking accepts Jupiter North’s bid…and she is whisked away to Nevermoor and entered into the Wundrous Society trials. But Morrigan is convinced that, other then her curse, there is nothing special about her. How could she join the Wundrous Society if there is nothing wonderful about her? Yet the temptation to belong is too great, and Morrigan grows more determined to join…even if she has no clue what she is doing.
The Trials of Morrigan Crow is reminiscent of a handful of different stories: Alice in Wonderland, The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland, The Graveyard Book, and many many more. It takes all these wonderful elements and creates a world that is both believable and unbelievable, with its own unique touch. Each character has their own unique knack, and personally Jupiter’s knack resonated very much with me (although I won’t go into how in case it spoils the surprise). As well, the world is painted with such pristine direction that it makes you feel like you are right there in Nevermoor.
Yet, despite how much I enjoyed Morrigan’s adventure and her plight, the one thing I didn’t like was how much was outside of Morrigan’s control. She was just pushed from one objective to the next, and in the final trial…I was kind of left with “oh…that’s it?” Granted, I had a feeling that what was revealed would be what was so special about her (not every reader or child will pick up on it though), so perhaps that was why it was sort of a let down. I hope that Morrigan will gain more autonomy in the next books…which I have full intention of reading.
The Trials of Morrigan Crow is wonderful story, filled with unique creatures, different magic, and hints of your favorite stories. I think both children and adults alike will enjoy it, and I cannot wait to pick up the sequel.
What’s it about?
A cursed girl escapes death and finds herself in a magical world – but is then tested beyond her wildest imagination
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 boasting 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.
E.S. Barrison 