Review of Sorcery and Cecelia

Sorcery and Cecelia or the Enchanted Chocolate Pot (1988) (Cecelia and Kate #1) by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer

Bottom line: Delightful

Rating: Strongly Recommended

Blurb:

In 1817 in England, two young cousins, Cecilia 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.

Review:

I try not to use the word “delightful” too much (or any other word that I don’t use in real life), but with this book, I just can’t escape it. It simply is delightful: think Jane Austen with magic, mysteries, and mayhem. The entire book is told in the form of letters written between the two cousins, and the adventures they find themselves in are a fun way to explore the characters.

One of the things I loved the most about this book, apart from the introduction of magic and wizards into a traditional Regency setting, is that it is all about relationships: the girls’ relationship with each other, their siblings, their families, the men in their lives, and how all of those people interact. The plot keeps things moving along, and the humor is a very nice touch. I love Kate, who is clumsy and generally unlucky, despite being an intelligent and capable person. She’s just the sort of person who would manage to accidentally stumble into a not-quite-real garden in the middle of a ceremony and embarrass everyone.

If you like the occasional (clean) Regency romance, but sometimes find them a bit, well, boring, this is definitely a book to check out. I read it with a smile on my face, and was delighted (if I’m going to use it, I may as well over use it) to find that it was the first in a series. 

Confess: do you read Regency romances?

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