Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

My name is Morrigan, not Mog like Jupiter keeps calling me, and I was illegally smuggled into the land of Nevermore. I'm thankful for that, since I'd be dead if Jupiter hadn't. However, he's entered me in a four-step trial to become a member of the Wundrous Society. All of the candidates must have a knack, something to make them special, but being cursed is the only thing that makes me unique. Jupiter keeps saying I should trust him, but it's hard. Inspector Flintlock and the Stink officers are on my trail as an illegal, and they're ready to pounce if I'm not chosen as one of the nine winners of the trials. Then there's the Wundersmith. I don't know who/what it is, but everyone is terrified when they hear the name.

This book was the winner of the 2018 Cybils Book Award in Middle Grade Speculative Fiction! The story was creative and quirky and a lot of fun to read. The first couple of chapters were a little confusing, since the prologue notified readers that the main character, Morrigan, had died. She ended up living in the Hotel Deucalion, found in the Free State of Nevermoor. Hotel employees included a giant cat with a surly personality and a vampire dwarf (not a dwarf vampire!), and Morrigan's best friend Hawthorne had a knack for riding dragons. The trials included unusual challenges and a cliquish group of girls who were easy to dislike. Their patron added to their unpleasantness, as he was an obnoxious cheater. The plot included underlying, mysterious issues that added occasional salt to the events. Strange accidents and deaths were mentioned, and the Wundersmith was a terrifying threat from folklore. Much folklore is based on truth, so there's no surprise when the Wundersmith is revealed near the end. However, he drops a figurative bombshell to the events, and it seems Jupiter knew it all along. I'm anxious to read The Calling of Morrigan Crow and already have it reserved at my local library.