Review: Sorcery & Cecelia

Title: Sorcery & Cecelia OR The Enchanted Chocolate Pot
Author: Patricia C. Wrede & Caroline Stevermer
Published: 2003 by Harcourt Books
Obtained: Bought

A great deal is happening in London this Season.

For starters, there’s the witch who tried to poison Kate at the Royal College of Wizards. She must have mistaken Kate for the Mysterious Marquis (which is curious, since they look nothing alike). And a handsome man seems to be spying on Cecelia, though he’s not doing a very good job of it – so just what are his intentions?

Then there’s the strange spell that has made our friend Dorothea the toast of the town. Could it possibly have something to do with the charm-bag under Oliver’s bed? (Speaking of Oliver, how long can we make excuses for him? Ever since he was turned into a tree, he hasn’t bothered to tell anyone where he is.)

Clearly, magic is a deadly and dangerous business. And we might be in fear for our lives . . . if only we weren’t having so much fun!

First Sentence:”It is dreadfully flat here since you have been gone, and it only makes it worse to imagine all the things I shall be missing.”

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These two lovely women have written a marvelous novel reminiscent of Jane Austen books because of the style of language. It’s so believable in its regency London setting because of the writing style and the plot details. This story is like a Jane Austen novel mixed with Bewitching Season (by Marissa Doyle).

The letter format takes getting used to but once the plot really catches on it’s easy to read. I think that the author’s each wrote for one of the characters, one for Cecelia and one for Kate, which gives the girls more distinctive voices.

Alright, the men in this story. I totally called the romances before they happened but that didn’t make them any less amazing. Both men were completely perfect for the girl they ended up with, and it was just so fun watching that progress. In typical regency-era books the girls are so hindered by social rules and can’t express their thoughts but because they were writing to each other they could speak their mind. They still remained very proper about everything though.

As for the magic element of the story, it worked very well, just like in Bewitching Season. While the girls themselves didn’t have a lot to do with the magic (at least Kate didn’t, Cecelia was a bit magic talented), the main plot surrounds the Marquis and his magic, so there a lot of the climatic moments involve magical forces.

Long story short, I loved this book and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!

Rating: 

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Content Warnings: Kissing, some mild language from the men.