Common Sense Media Review
By Jan Carr
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Charming fantasy of misfit girl casts a magical spell.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 2 parent reviews
Based on 14 kid reviews
Kids say this installment is a fantastic sequel with well-developed characters and strong themes of friendship, making it a captivating read for all ages. Many reviewers praise the rich world-building and relatable struggles of the protagonist, which echo their own experiences, drawing parallels to beloved fantasy works like Harry Potter.
- great characters
- engaging story
- strong themes
- relatable struggles
- suitable for all ages
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In WUNDERSMITH: THE CALLING OF MORRIGAN CROW, Morrigan has been admitted to the elite Wundrous Society, and starts school with the other inductees. But because the Elders know she's a rare "Wundersmith," they view her as dangerous, and restrict her education. While the others in her unit are off learning thrilling subjects like dragon riding, Morrigan's stuck with a tedious professor and author of a dusty history of Wundersmiths, who drills her on their evil ways. Morrigan is demoralized, and some of the students shun her. The plot thickens when Morrigan begins to develop her Wundersmith magic and to experience powers that feel confusing but thrilling. But who's trying to blackmail her Unit and expose her Wundersmith identity? Who's abducting people and "unimals" to sell at the Ghastly Market? Can Morrigan learn to harness her power? And if she does, can she choose to use it for good, or are Wundersmiths inherently evil?
Is It Any Good?
Move over, Harry Potter. Morrigan Crow's come to town, and she and her Wundrous world cast an irresistible magical spell. Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow has it all: a well-defined and enchanting fantasy world, page-turning suspense, hairpin story turns, a strong female lead, real emotional resonance, and fresh humor complete with quick, quippy dialogue. And to top it all off, it's gorgeously written.
Author Townsend never overwhelms the story with too many fantastic details, ensuring that the reader doesn't have to slog through a bog of invented lore. The fantasy that's included is choice -- for instance, a map class featuring a dollhouse-like facsimile of the city that comes to life, and a secret portal that delivers the students to their own train station and Hometrain to school. This sequel brings back many of the characters readers will remember from the first book but also introduces some fun new ones, particularly teachers, since the kids are now in school. Who wouldn't want to curl up with this book and get lost in its world?
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the magical world in Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow. How is it similar to other magical worlds in other books you've read? How is it different? What are your favorite elements?
Do you ever feel different or excluded? Does your envy ever feel like Morrigan's, "a hungry wolf she couldn't control ... howling, deep in her heart?" What helps you when you feel this way?
Why do you think the author makes Morrigan's powers arise unexpectedly when she's angry? When you're angry, do you ever feel that your anger has a frightening power, or life of its own?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : November 13, 2018
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 9 - 12
- Number of pages : 544
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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