While on my quest for that elusive element in fantasy fiction–the strong female protagonist (or girls who do things)–I was introduced to Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer’s Sorcery & Cecilia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot a magical romance set in Regency era England. Caught up in the magical machinations of their country neighbor, Sir Hilary, and his sometime co-conspirator, the power-hungry Miranda, cousins Kate and Cecilia find that their entry into society is about to become a lot more interesting.
Forced to stay home in Rushton Manor while Kate has her first Season in London, Cecilia begins a correspondence, keeping Kate abreast of all the happenings in Essex–like the arrival of Miss Dorothea and the appearance of the rude Mr. Tarleton. Meanwhile, Kate finds that there is more to London than balls and dancing when she runs into the vengeful Miranda, who mistakes her for someone named Thomas, and her enchanted chocolate pot. Finding themselves in the middle of an intrigue, Kate and Cecilia learn that sometimes the rules of decorum must be broken… especially if one does not wish to be turned into a tree.
As someone who loves Regency, I found Sorcery & Cecilia to be a delightful read, it’s fun and quirky and makes the idea of sorcery seem entirely plausible. The epistolary form allows for two very distinct voices to come through as Kate and Cecilia recount their adventures (Wrede and Stevermer wrote the novel as a Letter Game that turned into something more), making the novel seem like a real glimpse of the past.
The novel is followed by two sequels, The Grand Tour and The Mislaid Magician, also co-authored by Wrede and Stevermer.
Tags: books, fantasy, female protagonists, historical fantasy, regency fiction, YA novels
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