Sorcery and Cecelia: Or the Enchanted Chocolate Pot (Cecelia and Kate Novels, #1)

by Patricia C Wrede and Caroline Stevermer

A great deal is happening in London and the country this season.

For starters, there's the witch who tried to poison Kate at the Royal College of Wizards. There's also the man who seems to be spying on Cecelia. (Though he's not doing a very good job of it--so just what are his intentions?) And then there's Oliver. 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 the girls might be in fear for their lives . . . if only they weren't having so much fun!

• ISBN10: 015205300X
• ISBN13: 9780152053000
• Publish Date: 1 September 2004
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Clarion Books
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 326
• Language: English

Reviews

[violetpeanut]

Overall this was an enjoyable read. I didn't quite know what to expect from the cover and the title gave me the impression that this was more of a juvenile book. That was a very incorrect assumption. This book should be firmly placed in the YA category and would be especially enjoyable for older teenage girls or even adult women. The story is told in letters between Cecelia (Cecy) and her cousin, Kate. The interplay between the two is charming. They are both smart and witty among a slew of vapid women out to marry as well as possible. The element of magic is woven pretty seamlessly into early 1800's society. It's a main point to the plot but the author doesn't bash you over the head with big showy magic tricks.

The plot is entertaining, but not surprising. I enjoyed it while reading but when I put it down I didn't feel like I had to immediately pick it back up. Perhaps that's because I had a pretty good idea what was going to happen next. The plot was predictable. Everything is tied up neatly at the end and it is satisfying although not unexpected. If there were some kind of twist or anything at all out of the ordinary I would have given an extra star.

The real strength of this book is in it's dialogue. It is witty and funny and it's what I really liked best about the book.

[angelarenea9]

I liked this book, but it was really hard to get into at the beginning. It may have had something to do with the fact that I'm not a fan of reading letters. Also I hate when books keep describing clothes in detail every time there is a change of clothes. It bugs me. But this was a cute little book.

[ladygrey]

This is a delightful book full of intrigue, magic and a tinge of danger.
The story moves along at a brisk and entertaining pace. The characters are all well developed and the Jane Austen-esque setting is so well formed and thoroughly appealing if you like that sort of thing.

I particularily liked what smart and capable and brave girls Kate and Cecelia both were. They quite innocently become embroiled in a conspiracy over power and revenge and find they're perfectly suited for it. It was fun to hear about their summer through letters to one another.