94 of 95 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Jane Austen meets J.K. Rowling: Intriguing and Fun, May 24, 2003
Okay, here's another book that I snagged off the shelf for its gorgeous cover. I loved the idea of an enchanted chocolate pot and perhaps was even more overjoyed to find that it was written by two of my favorite authors, (Wrede, of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles, and Stevermer, of A College of Magics.) and horrified that I hadn't read it before, as this was simply a republication of the original, published in 1987!
Already holding high expectations from the book, I was suprised when it started out slow. Used to the fast paced Harry Potter or the action-to-the-minute Enchanted Forest Chronicles, it took me a few chapters to really connect with the characters.
Written in letter form between two cousins, Kate and Cecelia, the book takes place in an alternate (magical) universe in England 1817. The two are well-born girls; Kate is off having a Season in London while Cecelia stays at home in the country. Kate feels pushed aside by her beautiful sister Georgina; Cecelia is put out by not being allowed a Season of her own.
But the plot soon picks up as the two girls' stories intertwine. In the country, ordinary Dorothea becomes irresistable to all men. Clever Cecelia befriends her and starts to unwind the mystery behind the weird attraction. Meanwhile, in London, Kate is almost poisoned by an "old" lady in a garden and befriends an "odious" Marquis to whom the retrieval of the the Enchanted Chocolate Pot is quite important.
The language and the magic in the book speak for themselves; I was completely drawn into this unique world. The intrigue and mystery were believable and definitely kept me turning pages. Kate and Cecelia's letters are witty and funny as they dabble in sorcery and try to save the Marquis of Shofield and themselves from the clutches of the estranged sorcerers Lady Miranda and Sir Hilary.
So...I would definitely reccommend this novel. IT WAS FABULOUS! This review really doesn't do the book justice. YOU HAVE TO READ IT! If you have any respect for fantasy novels, you simply must purshase this book. Consider making it a part of your permanent library. (You'll be wanting to read it again, I promise!)
Happy Reading! And watch for a its sequel, The Grand Tour, which might be out this summer!
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72 of 73 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
When you need a Mysterious Marquis...., January 14, 2000
"Sorcery and Cecelia," an epistolary Fantasy Regency Romance (*phew!*), has quickly joined the ranks of my "novels to read when you want to stay up all night and languish all morning." Quite simply, the book is charming. Rarely do collaborative efforts seem to work, but "Sorcery and Cecelia" most assuredly does! Following the adventures of two cousins - the inept Kate in her first season in London, and the headstrong Cecelia as she discovers her sorcerous abilities - the reader is swept into a world of danger, mystery and intrigue (and the never fully explained story of WHAT in the world that adventure with the goat was about) that makes the pages turn of their own accord! The historical research is solid, the content wholesome and exciting, and the romances (Kate's especially) to sigh for. In short, as the others have said before me, this is *fun*.
Unfortunately, good novels seems to be out of vogue today, and you'll have an either difficult or exorbitant time buying it. For those who have read Wrede's other two Fantasy Regencies, "Mairelon the Magician" and "Magician's Ward," "Sorcery and Cecelia" is a must-read. For those with slim purses, interlibrary loan is a beautiful thing.
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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Delightful Regency fantasy!, March 24, 1999
By A Customer
In a world just slightly different than Jane Austen's society, we meet two extraordinary young women, Cecelia and Katherine. Katherine is having her Season in London...and what an exciting one it turns out to be! Meanwhile, back home, Cecelia's having a rather intersting time, too. Cecy and Kate encounter malevolent wizards, an *enchantingly* (if you get my drift) beautiful girl with whom every eligible (or not) young man is falling in love, two singularly odious young men...and a very peculiar chocolate pot. Throw this in with a nice number of parties, spells, and detail to the historical time period, add some witty humor and enjoy! A light, fun book to read. If you like this quasi-historical fiction, also try Wrede's Mairelon the Magician, the sequel, Magician's Ward and Stevermer's The Serpent's Egg and A College of Magics.
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