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Fantasy.
Historical Fiction.
Young Adult Fiction.
HTML:
Two young ladies contend with the Royal College of Wizards in Regency London: First in the series filled with "magical twists and turns" (San Diego Union-Tribune).
Since they were children, cousins Kate and Cecelia have been inseparable. But in 1817, as they approach adulthood, their families force them to spend a summer apart. As Cecelia fights boredom in her small country town, Kate visits London to mingle with the brightest lights of English society.
At the initiation of a powerful magician into the Royal College of Wizards, Kate finds herself alone with a mysterious witch who offers her a sip from a chocolate pot. When Kate refuses the drink, the chocolate burns through her dress and the witch disappears. It seems that strange forces are convening to destroy a beloved wizard, and only Kate and Cecelia can stop the plot. But for two girls who have to contend with the pressures of choosing dresses and beaux for their debuts, deadly magic is only one of their concerns.
This ebook features illustrated biographies of Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer including rare photos and never-before-seen documents from the authors' personal collections.
fyrefly98: Both have the same "Jane-Austen-meets-Harry-Potter" vibe to them; "Jonathan Strange" is denser and more grown-up, while "Sorcery & Cecelia" is funnier and more of a romp.
keristars: These are somewhat similar - a Regency-era girl discovers that she has magic ability by accident and then gets into a bit of an adventure as a result. S&C is more of a mystery/romance/adventure while Kat is a do-gooder Emma type. In my biased opinion, the Burgis book is far and away the better of the two, but if you liked one, you're likely to enjoy the other.… (more)
rarm: Sorcery and Cecelia was the first Regency-set fantasy I read, and still my favorite. Of the ones I've read since then, Newt's Emerald resembles it most, perhaps because they both draw on Heyer as much as Austen.
Heather39: Another light young adult fantasy rendition of a Regency romance. Thoroughly delightful and fun.
allisongryski: Let me preface this recommendation by acknowledging that Arabella does not have the fantasy element of Sorcery & Cecilia. However, I think many readers of S & C will enjoy this excellently written Regency story, following the impetuous, charming Arabella when she goes to London for the Season. There is some light romance, similar in tone to that in S & C, but the story is more focused on the characters and the humour in their interactions and misadventures.… (more)
Caramellunacy: A similar fun historical fantasy feel. Bewitching Season has twins Persephone & Penelope Leland using their (secret) magical skills to protect the teenaged princess Victoria from a dastardly magical plot.
Bit of a slog at the beginning, which is likely due to my own problems with the story structure. It begins as exchanged letters between two teenage girls, seemingly Victorian era. I can see how this would be attractive to collaborating authors, and fans of letter writing everywhere, but I always have trouble wrapping my head around that kind of narrative. Once it gets going, it gets a little better. The authors do a decent jobs of within-letter asides that help explain things, but it's clearly best if one already knows something about Victorian society, structure and constraints. In the afterword, the authors explained how they didn't communicate directly about the plot until three or four letters within the ending of the novel, which is amazing given the relative coherence of the book.
Being generous, I rounded upward; I think this is a 2 and a half star book for me, but if you like the narrative structure, undoubtedly it will rate higher. ( )
7/10 Regency romance is not my thing, and it took a while for the fantasy elements to really blossom after the initial exposure in the garden when Kate is almost poisoned. I found the epistolary style interesting—mail service was pretty fast in Regency England! Neither Kate’s nor Cecy’s “voice” was particularly unique, so I sometimes found myself confusing them, as well as the aunts and various gentlemen of interest. And the rapid development from romantic interest to marriage was surprising.
Still, it was a quick read, fun and pretty light. I will likely read the others in the Kate & Cecelia series. ( )
This book is absolute delightful. It's light, funny, and original. It consists of letters between the two protagonists, an idea that is very well carried out. ( )
The authors wish to dedicate this book to Jane Austen, Georgette Heyer, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Ellen Kushner, all of whom, in their several ways, inspired us to create it.
First words
Dearest Kate, 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.
Quotations
Last words
In fact, I'm looking forward to it very much. (Not the canal, though.)
Fantasy.
Historical Fiction.
Young Adult Fiction.
HTML:
Two young ladies contend with the Royal College of Wizards in Regency London: First in the series filled with "magical twists and turns" (San Diego Union-Tribune).
Since they were children, cousins Kate and Cecelia have been inseparable. But in 1817, as they approach adulthood, their families force them to spend a summer apart. As Cecelia fights boredom in her small country town, Kate visits London to mingle with the brightest lights of English society.
At the initiation of a powerful magician into the Royal College of Wizards, Kate finds herself alone with a mysterious witch who offers her a sip from a chocolate pot. When Kate refuses the drink, the chocolate burns through her dress and the witch disappears. It seems that strange forces are convening to destroy a beloved wizard, and only Kate and Cecelia can stop the plot. But for two girls who have to contend with the pressures of choosing dresses and beaux for their debuts, deadly magic is only one of their concerns.
This ebook features illustrated biographies of Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer including rare photos and never-before-seen documents from the authors' personal collections.
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Book description
In 1817, in England, two cousins, Cecelia living in the country and Kate in London, write letters to keep each other informed of their exploits, which take a sinister turn when they find themselves confronted by evil wizards. [Library of Congress summary]
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Being generous, I rounded upward; I think this is a 2 and a half star book for me, but if you like the narrative structure, undoubtedly it will rate higher. (