Now, I’m the sort of person to approach a series with trepidation … Sometimes I LOVE the first book SO MUCH, I don’t want to ruin it by reading a substandard follow-on. (Who’s with me?)

But then, there are series that are totally ace at being a series. Where the whole premise just gets better and better with each new book. I’m thinking Harry Potter, Lintang, Chronicles of Prydain, The Old Kingdom …

When authors get it right, I’m eagerly awaiting every new book.

Thankfully (because – mate – I really enjoyed ‘Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow’ and there was no way I wanted to mess with that level of love) the Nevermoor series by Jessica Townsend only got more awesome with the second book, ‘Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow’.

Like, if awesome went out kayaking and then had a lemon and lime tart and some hot chocolate in a comfy armchair by the fire to celebrate how awesome the day was. That kind of extra awesome.

The paperback cover is so perfectly matched to book 1. Love it. Love looking at the two of them together.

I also love the depth of the relationships and the roundness of the characters in ‘Wundersmith’. Take Jupiter. I love how he develops as a father-figure. Absolute highlight for me was how Townsend shows how much stronger the relationship between Jupiter and Morrigan has grown. That scene (maybe you know it, might involve ears, I won’t spoil anything) … so powerful.

I love the worldbuilding. Nevermoor continues to rock. I’d like a hometrain of my own, please.

I love that Morrigan gets antsy (who wouldn’t!) but right when I’m expecting her to keep on ranting, out comes a bit of beautiful balance and she focuses on the bright things in her life. Townsend continues to surprise me – by doing the unexpected, the brilliant and the quirky.

I love the excitement, the trepidation, and the laugh-out-loud funnies.

‘If that is the Stealth, you’re not going anywhere near them,’ the Magnificat growled. ‘When Jupiter wants you to know what’s going on, he’ll tell you. Now, off you go – it must be past your bedtime.’

‘I don’t have a bedtime,’ said Morrigan, frowning.

‘Now you do.’

‘You can’t—’

‘Just did.’

‘But—’

‘BED.’

p.199

Yep. So glad I read it. When’s the third book, please?

It’s been a while since I’ve reviewed because I haven’t really been reading all that much. My head has been fully into my current WIP, or getting ‘The Lost Stone of SkyCity’ ready for release day on the 1st October. And then I decided to change my website around so the blog wasn’t the homepage anymore.

(Quite proud I managed to figure out how!)

(Thinking of which, I hope this post publishes in the right spot!!)

Keep reading, people …