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Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
- Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers < Hachette Book Group
- Genre: Fantasy < Low Fantasy
- Audience: Middle Grade
- Pages: 461 (hardcover)
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.
“The point is—as far as the Society is concerned—if you are not honest, and determined, and brave, then it doesn’t matter how talented you are.“
the trials of morrigan crow
Nevermoor has been compared to Marry Poppins and Harry Potter, among a few other works, and I can definitely see why.
And considering the fact that I love Harry Potter and absolutely abhor Marry Poppins, it’s only natural that my feelings regarding this book be rather complicated…
The plot and the pacing were a bit hit or miss.
A majority of the first 50% of the novel felt overwritten. The pacing was so slow it dragged and I struggled with boredom. The plot didn’t fare any better. It felt like though our character, Morrigan, was getting introduced to this whole new world filled with magic and opportunity, nothing was actually happening. People were talking, people were fighting (with words, mostly), and she was gaping. That was about it until we hit the race trial.
The trial involving a race that consisted of hitting specific targets was where things started to finally progress at a quicker pace.
This, however, still only happened around 60% of the way through the novel. And for a 460 something page novel, 200 pages is a long time to go with virtually nothing happening.
The worldbuilding within The Trials of Morrigan Crow is so barebones it’s practically nonexistent.
There are often little tidbits of information thrown into the mix, but nothing of actual importance or substance. Aside from clever names for magic, or little expositional tales or rumors of who’s who or what’s what, so little information is given about the world that it becomes increasingly difficult to connect with the story and its characters on more than just the surface level.
The most exciting part of the premise of this novel is arguably the trials. After all, the novel is titled The Trials of Morrigan Crow.
With that in mind, any reader would enter into the world and its characters expecting epic challenges. We should expect challenges that make us think, and make us worry for our favorite characters. These challenges should be exciting and unique. However, in the case of this novel, the most, if not all, of the trials were dull and more tedious than exhilarating.
The only trial that was even remotely interesting to me, and the only trial that I actually remember much of at all, is the race. There were, however, a few bits and pieces of the book that sped up and entertained me. And Morrigan’s interactions with her friends and her nemeses were interesting to watch unfold, but other than those few moments, I found this boring.
Unfortunately, despite the synopsis promising exciting, thrilling trials, all I received was a boring, slow paced brick of a book with incredibly slow pacing and trials that were more snooze-inducing than nail-biting. While this wasn’t the book for me and I won’t be continuing on with this series, I do plan to try other middle grade fantasies.
TROPES AND TRIGGER WARNINGS FEATURED
- Single POV, third person
- Trials/competition
- Harry Potter reminiscent
- Chosen One
OFFICIAL rating
The Trials of Morrigan Crow
The Trials of Morrigan Crowsimilar titles to the trials of morrigan crow
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Let’s Chat in the Comments!
What is your opinion on books containing trials or some form of competition? If you like the element, what are some of your favorite books that include it? Are there some books that promised exciting competition and ultimately failed to provide it in a satisfying way?
