The Cecilia & Kate Novels: Sorcery & Cecilia by Wrede & Stevermer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Instead of starting a new series, complaining about starting a new series, and not finishing a new series, I decided to read ALL THREE of the books in this series consecutively. (No applause necessary.)
The conceit of this trilogy is that the entire set of books is written as letters between two cousins, Kate and Cecilia. Very clever, very well done. The authors give you a distinct sense of the personalities of both writers, and their letters are written vividly enough that the plot moves engagingly along and secondary characters are also brought to life.
The world-building is also done cleverly through these letters. The books take place in Georgian England so it is a Regency-ish trilogy with magic. I would describe it as if a Georgette Heyer novel married a W.R. Gingell novel and had a baby. My only complaint is that the magic isn’t always well explained and sometimes oddly integrated, which I think stems from having two authors, but this flaw seldom detracts from the charm of the novels.
The trilogy is light and frothy and fun, and a fast read. If you’re looking to take an escapist break from the world, this is definitely worth reading.



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