Sorcery & Cecelia: or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot (Cecelia and Kate, #1)

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Sorcery & Cecelia: or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot (Cecelia and Kate #1)

by Patricia C. Wrede, Caroline Stevermer

4.03 of 5 stars 4.03 · rating details · 8,018 ratings · 1,023 reviews

Two girls contend with sorcery in England’s Regency ageSince they were children, cousins Kate and Cecelia have been inseparable. But in 1817, as they approach adulthood, their families force them to spend a summer apart. As Cecelia fights boredom in her small country town, Kate visits London to mingle with the brightest lights of English society.At the initiation of a powe...more

ebook, 350 pages

Published May 22nd 2012 by Open Road Young Readers (first published April 15th 1988)

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Feb 08, 2009 Ann rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: katie-and-annie-bookclub, character-stories, fantasy, mysteries, young-adult

I quite enjoyed this book! It's a little bit mystery, a little bit fantasy, there's a little magic and a little romance, all set in the early 1800's England.

The story takes place around cousins Cecelia and Kate, one goes to London for the summer, the other remains in the country. Their correspondence begins ordinarily enough (what tea party had been attended, or the trouble with hand-me-down dresses), but you get a sense very early on that Cecelia and Kate are kindred spirits and that there's mo...more

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Feb 09, 2009 Kathryn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: annie-and-katie-bookclub

When Cecy is forced to stay behind in the countryside when her cousin (and dearest friend) Kate goes to London for all the parties and social connections of the season, a correspondence ensues to keep one another informed of all the delicious goings-on of friends and family members, fashion trends and the like. However, they are also intelligent young women and soon the plot begins to thicken as two seemingly unrelated "suspicious incidents" involving maddening-yet-charming young men and bouts o...more When Cecy is forced to stay behind in the countryside when her cousin (and dearest friend) Kate goes to London for all the parties and social connections of the season, a correspondence ensues to keep one another informed of all the delicious goings-on of friends and family members, fashion trends and the like. However, they are also intelligent young women and soon the plot begins to thicken as two seemingly unrelated "suspicious incidents" involving maddening-yet-charming young men and bouts of sorcery begin to take place around the girls. Before they know it, the girls are embroiled in helping their new-found friends (and, in truest Austen-esque sense, potential lovers...???) avoid the dastardly schemes of two noted bright-lights of society (who also happen to be well-versed in the most evil uses of magic!)

I didn't find this quite the "Jane Austen meets Harry Potter" that it's been touted as (no doubt as a marketing device in light of the resurgence of popularity for JA in recent years, and the blockbuster that is HP--this book was originally written in the mid 1980s, though!) but I didn't find it up to the standards of either. While I was definitely amused, it certainly wasn't as witty or deep as Austen, but I really don't think it was trying to be. Also, this is NOT that "magical"--one can learn to be a wizard and magic is certainly used, but it's not like HP in that the world is very much Regency England with a small smattering of magic worked in, rather than being a whole world created around magic. That is not to say, though, that it wasn't a delightful romp through Regency England complete with wizardry! :-> I give it four stars because the first 1/3 of the book was a bit slow-moving for me and I found some of it to be a bit sloppily written and confusing (I read this with my sister and she agreed, so it wasn't just me!) Perhaps this stemmed from the fact it was originally written as a letter game between the authors, so I'm not sure how well plotted-out the story was to begin with, though one would have hoped later editing would have cleared that up. Nevertheless, just don't expect TOO much from this and you should be pleasantly pleased if you like the premise.

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Aug 06, 2008 Emma rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer first published Sorcery and Cecelia under that that title in 1988. In recent years, thanks to reprints with shiny new cover art by Scott M. Fischer in the case of the edition I read as well as two new sequels, this book has regained popularity and visibility. Aside from that, one of the most important things to know about this book is its alternate title: The Enchanted Chocolate Pot: Being the Correspondence of Two Young Ladies of Quality Regarding Variou...more Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer first published Sorcery and Cecelia under that that title in 1988. In recent years, thanks to reprints with shiny new cover art by Scott M. Fischer in the case of the edition I read as well as two new sequels, this book has regained popularity and visibility. Aside from that, one of the most important things to know about this book is its alternate title: The Enchanted Chocolate Pot: Being the Correspondence of Two Young Ladies of Quality Regarding Various Magical Scandals in London and the Country.

Wrede and Stevermer wrote this book as a writing exercise of sorts called the Letter Game. Patricia C. Wrede wrote as Cecelia while Caroline Stevermer responded with Kate's letters. They did not plan the plot before they began writing.

Almost every review I have found online describes Sorcery and Cecelia as a cross between the books of Jane Austen and those of J. K. Rowling. The comparison does make sense, but I might venture to say I liked this book better than any of the Harry Potter series.

The year is 1817 in an England where magic is as much a part of life as letter writing. The latter is of particular importance to Kate and Cecelia as the cousins spend the novel in separate parts of England. While Kate and her more glamorous sister Georgina are in London enjoying a proper Season, Cecelia, much to her consternation, is left to languish in the country with her brother Oliver for company (at least until he's turned into a tree).

Problems begin for both cousins when Kate accidentally intercepts a rather nasty pot of chocolate in a London garden that was, apparently, meant for the eccentric Marquis of Schofield. If only he would explain exactly why.

Meanwhile, in the country, Cecelia finds herself following a shady figure spying on Cecy's new (and surprisingly popular!) friend Dorothea. When Cecelia repeatedly catches him in the act of spying, James Tarleton repeatedly refuses to offer any information.

As the girls learn more about these mysterious men, and the mysterious events, it becomes clear that something big is happening--big enough that evidence of the plan can be seen in both London and the country. The only question is what, exactly, is going on and if Kate and Cecelia can stop it in time.

Being an homage to Jane Austen, this novel has not one but two romances. Which couple is better has been a hot topic since the book came out. The librarian who recommended the book to me feels very strongly that the Mysterious Marquis and Kate are a more enjoyable match to observe. For my part, I preferred Cecelia and James.

This novel avoids all of the traps that can make an epistolary novel awful. There is no repetition, there is dialogue, the narrative reads like a, for lack of a better word, normal book in that the narrative flows in a fairly traditional way. There is neither too much information nor too little. And, most importantly, the novel is filled with suspense, action, humor and romance that shines through both Cecelia's and Kate's letters.

But then from two talented and well-known fantasy writers, what else can a reader expect but perfection?

Sorcery and Cecelia is the first in a series of books featuring Kate and Cecelia. Their stories continue in The Grand Tour (2004) and The Mislaid Magician of Ten Years After (2006).
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Sep 29, 2012 Wanda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, ebooks

Because Hayes said it best, "I need something FUN to read!"

In an alternate Regency-era England where magic is real, the adventure was fun and so was the reading. I plan to read the remaining books in the series.

Fun, fun, fun.

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May 26, 2009 Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romantical, fiction, fantasy-and-scifi, regency, owned, epistolary

A perfectly charming little epistolary tale with a number of problems. This is the story of Kate and Cecelia (does this spelling of the name bother anyone else? I had to type that name three times before I got it right, it seem so unnatural!) two cousins who are seperated for a few months while one experiences the London Season, and the other stays on their country estate, and write letters back and forth to each other. Kate falls into the path of an evil magician, Cecelia trips over related mag...more A perfectly charming little epistolary tale with a number of problems. This is the story of Kate and Cecelia (does this spelling of the name bother anyone else? I had to type that name three times before I got it right, it seem so unnatural!) two cousins who are seperated for a few months while one experiences the London Season, and the other stays on their country estate, and write letters back and forth to each other. Kate falls into the path of an evil magician, Cecelia trips over related magical problems of her own- plotting and hijinx to follow. Appropriate males are found to counterpart them, and we're off!

The good bits: The wannabe Jane Austen voice was fairly good, there were several witty one liners that were laugh out loud worthy, there were some truly excellent capers, and I appreciated the spirit of both the young ladies. Also, it really does captivate you and for the most part sweep you away. I finished this book in a matter of a few hours. If you shut your brain off and enjoy it as a light, fluffy, delicious bon bon, its wonderful.

The problems: The authors wrote this by doing "The Letter Game"- in which the participants write letters to each other in character. You're not allowed to discuss the plot at all, it just has to unfold organically. In this particular case, the authors began to coordinate the plot towards the end so as to bring it to a satisfactory conclusion, but other than that, it is obvious that this was not planned very well as a book. The plot doesn't fit very well together, at least one of the romances is ridiculous, and there's a good deal of world building that is left out- understandable since the book is in epistolary form, between members of the same family (though its never made clear how they are related) and the authors wouldn't see the need to do a bunch of exposition. I do feel that some compromise between reader enjoyment and realism could have been made, though.

Another thing that bothered me- it seemed like the authors did all of their research out of Georgette Heyer and a basic reference guide to the times and grabbed random bits. And they were wincingly, pompously, and embarrassingly proud of dropping clunky bits of historical slang, information, and characters into the text. These two-bit, apparently rather low on the social register characters go to intimate parties at the Countess de Lieven's? and Lady Jersey makes it a point to talk to them (and of course they use her nickname, because they are such close, personal friends)? Both male characters totally know the Duke of Wellington! Its kind of like people writing out a Star Wars roleplay, and insisting that their characters are just like the ones from the movies and they're best buddies, and going around saying, "Oh, so Luke and I were hanging out the other day..." and expecting this to impress everyone. It was simplistic and unrealistic.

Oh and speaking of unrealistic- the tones that these girls wrote their letters in. They're supposed to both be adolescent females, and they both have the voices of thirty-something year old women with 20 years of world-weary experience behind them- except when they need to be adorable and naive for our male characters, or enthuse over clothes. One of them actually refers to her sister, one year younger than her, as "the poor child."

Having said all that though- I did order the next two books in the series as soon as I finished this one. So no matter how cranky the above stated problems made me... must've not bothered me that much!

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May 07, 2008 Karene rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoyed this book. It's light and entertaining enough to be worth reading despite a few major flaws. To anyone who picks up this book, I would suggest first reading the "Afterword" at the end of the book (it really should have been a "Foreword"). It explains how the book came to be, doesn't contain any plot spoilers, and I think had I read the book with that knowledge I might have enjoyed it even more. My main complaints were, first, that the language in the book is a little too contrived. The...more

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Jul 16, 2008 Becky rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Becky by: Heather

Elisabeth Bennet meets Harry Potter. Well, sort of. I loved, loved, loved this Jane Austen-esque novel that follows the format of letters written between two cousins. Actually, that is how the book was originally written. The two authors adopted the personas and wrote letters to each other, creating the story.

Being Jane Austen-esque, it is of course a romance with much attention paid to social etiquettes and proprieties (and improprieties). However, the magic is largely the intrigue that is thro...more

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Dec 15, 2008 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I stumbled across this book on the bookmobile and absolutely loved it. The entire book is written in letters. there are actually two writers and they each took a character and built the book by reacting to what the other wrote. I think it started as a game.

It's period piece (the content of the letters made me think of Jane Austin with the balls and social gatherings) set in an alternative England where magic is a common part of society. One of the girls, Kate, goes to town for the season and wr...more

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Jun 11, 2007 Res rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sff

The one where the madcap cousins stumble upon sorcerous plots in Austen times, which they describe to one another in letters.

This was charming -- I devoured it in two days and looked around for more -- and yet it must be said that throughout the entire book, I never did manage to tell Kate and Cecy apart without checking the salutation on the letter; their voices, their flaws, their virtues, were so similar that they didn't really register as different people.

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Aug 22, 2012 Lady Jaye rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Lady Jaye by: Dear Author commenters

Shelves: read-in-2012, stars-4, autobuy, awesome-heroines, fantasy, first-in-series, magic, owned-kindle, part-of-a-series, people-gentry, people-magic-users, really-liked-it, regency, romantic-elements, young-adult

I have loved all 5(?) of Patricia C. Wrede's books that I have read, so when this deal was posted on Dear Author, and when the commenters had such effusive praise for the book, I absolutely had to get it. It was well worth the getting.

Set in regency London, in a world where magic exists alongside the church and all the trappings of English society that we know of, the story unfolds in letters two cousins, Cecelia and Kate send to each other about their lives, since they are separated for the su...more

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Aug 31, 2008 Rebecca rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: british, light-reading, adult-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Hmn. How did I feel about this book?

If critique previous to my reading would have been negative, I would probably be contrary and say "Nonsense, it was charming."

However, I had several reservations with this book.

1. It started out slow and confusing. It took me until around page 100 to really like the story line. I had a very difficult time sorting out Kate and Cecelia... there was very little to distinguish them one from another (the awful portraits of them on my cover didn't help!). Top that w...more Hmn. How did I feel about this book?

If critique previous to my reading would have been negative, I would probably be contrary and say "Nonsense, it was charming."

However, I had several reservations with this book.

1. It started out slow and confusing. It took me until around page 100 to really like the story line. I had a very difficult time sorting out Kate and Cecelia... there was very little to distinguish them one from another (the awful portraits of them on my cover didn't help!). Top that with mirror-image characters surrounding each of them divided between London and Essex. Thomas vs. James. Aunt Charlotte vs. Aunt Elizabeth. Georgina vs. Dorothea. It didn't matter which young lady was writing... to me they and their party were the same. For me this was so obvious that I would be surprised to hear that the authors didn't plan this (or at least notice). The only fairly well developed character was Sir Hilary.

2. It really irked me that the letters morphed into narration two or three paragraphs in. Each letter starts as a first-person description of events, but quickly becomes an unidentified omniscient narrator with quoted dialogue. No one writes a letter like this. Perhaps the authors were trying to make it feel like a movie where the letter-writer begins the narration that flashes back into the actual story. I didn't buy it.

3. I find it highly implausible that a young lady who has just been abducted by enchantment will start off her letter calmly reciting what color dress she wore to the party. (First she would declare, "You won't believe what happened!" Then she would drop in lines about her dress as she is describing the events leading up to her abduction... duh!) The tone of each letter was discordant with what had happened.

4. The anachronistic ways in which Kate and Cecy pushed aside all Victorian guidelines of propriety were also hard for me to believe. Elizabeth Bennett herself wouldn't have thought to be so impertinent and impulsive.

5. The ending was too convenient and contrived. ("Oh? You mean there's a homing beacon on my locket? How fortunate!")

6. This is just being finicky, but I really thought the title was cool before I read the book... Obviously "Sorcery & Cecelia" just rolls off your tongue, but what about Kate? What is this book without Cecelia AND Kate? I tried to come up with a better title, but I couldn't make it work. I think I would have just stuck with The Enchanted Chocolate Pot... but that would make sequels more difficult.

Okay, but I said it was charming. I know it is meant for a young adult audience and the method of passing letters back and forth between the two authors without sharing a plot was meant merely for fun. I really liked the overall premise. I just thought there was much more potential that wasn't reached.

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Jun 10, 2007 Punk rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, fantasy

YA Fiction. I had a lot of trouble getting past the first three pages of this -- it was exposition heavy and did not grab my attention -- but once I gave it another shot, I found it utterly charming. Cousins Cecelia and Kate write each other letters during the summer of 1817, while Kate is in London for the Season and Cecelia is stuck at home in the country. This is another of those Englands that just has magic lying around to spare, no big thing, it's just there, good for fighting off Napoleon...more

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Mar 18, 2009 Featherheart rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was very well-written and had some excellent quotes. Thankfully the two girl's situations were different enough that I could tell them apart, but they did not 'talk' differently enough for me to believe they were separate people. The romance was also predictable. But it was very good and funny and had a very interesting plot. It sounds like a lot of fun to write, too.

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Jun 04, 2007 thefourthvine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: childrens-teen, sff

This book was pretty much made for me. I love epistolary novels (and had played the letter game before reading this), I love light-hearted, humorous stories, I love SF/F, and I love the Regency period.

There are problems with the book, of course - the letter game doesn't make for a perfect novel structure, though I was stunned at how well the two authors here managed to pull it off. And the plot is definitely a bit light. But the voices are delightful and top-notch, and the book is a just a real...more

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Dec 28, 2010 Simeonberesford rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: epistolic, fantasy, romance, young, adult, fun, ya, group

An enjoyably epistolic fantasy the writer started with no plot or background just writing each other a letter in character. the a setting a Regency romance with with added magic, When a plot emerged and so they cleaned it up and published it.[return]This was obviously a lot of fun for the participants they continually strive to outdo themselves on regency language mores and background. while doing their best to help each others respective plot lines along. rather than trampling them. It does not...more

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Mar 25, 2009 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-adventure, victorian-romance, magic

Sorcery and Cecelia was a fun fast-paced book. Obviously written for a young adult audience, yet still captivating enough to make me read the other books in the trilogy.

This is the first book in the series in which Kate and Cecelia are seperated by distance in England and must coorespond through letters. There were times that I began to tire of the letters, but it was fun to continually view the story from two different perspectives. Kate and Cecelia find themselves caught up in a world where m...more

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Mar 16, 2009 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Delightful! This was a great find! Having enjoyed the writing of Patricia C. Wrede in a previous outing ("Book of Enchantments")I had no doubt that I would enjoy this one. The only question in my mind was how much of Ms. Wrede's writing would appear since this book is a collaboration with Caroline Stevermer who I was totally unfamiliar with. This combination of writing talent worked extremely well together. This book emerged from a "device" called the Letter Game (aka Persona Letters and Ghost L...more

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Mar 01, 2009 Cassie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bookwyrm_chrysalis_reviews

Two romances, two mysteries, and two captivating heroines all in one book. Written as a letter game between Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer, these two excellent young adult fantasy writers created a captivating Regency England where magic is a part of life and a misunderstood science.

Kate Talgarth and Cecelia Rushton are two Young Ladies of Quality who are cousins and were inseparable until this London Season. Split apart by their aunts, who fear for the safety of London if the two girl...more Two romances, two mysteries, and two captivating heroines all in one book. Written as a letter game between Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer, these two excellent young adult fantasy writers created a captivating Regency England where magic is a part of life and a misunderstood science.

Kate Talgarth and Cecelia Rushton are two Young Ladies of Quality who are cousins and were inseparable until this London Season. Split apart by their aunts, who fear for the safety of London if the two girls were unleashed on society at the same time, Kate goes off to London with her sister, while Cecy is left in the Country. The two correspond via letters as their stories unfold. In Town, Kate is nearly poisoned by a mysterious woman, while back in the Country, Cecy finds a charm bag under her brother’s bed and a new young lady becomes suspiciously popular in local society. When it seems like the new girl’s feared step-mother and Kate’s poisoner are the same woman, the cousins begin to piece together their oddly connected mysteries. Between London and the Country, the odd coincidences build up as the two girls are drawn into a deadly power play.

Cute, quick, and clever, the reader will enjoy this book until the last word. The use of language and description draws us into the time period. My only concern with the book is that the characters tend to blend together.

I must say, I don’t really like the cover. Or, more specifically, I don’t like the art of Kate and Cecy on the cover. The faces look odd, with a very nineties American comic art styling that seems out of place. Otherwise, the use of black and white, along with the blue chocolate pot, entices the reader. Another thing I do like about the cover is the fact that the spine looks like a fantasy book, incorporating gold and black, along with the chocolate pot. To me, that’s an important element, because at large book stores the most you get to see on the shelf is the spine. Unless the spine makes me want to pull the book out and take a look, I might accidentally walk by a really great book with an ordinary title.

Read the rest of this review and more at Bookwyrm Chrysalis (less)

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Jan 06, 2009 Eileen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-romance, ya-fantasy

Sorcery & Cecelia, a combined romance and fantasy novel, was a fun read. Kate and her sister Georgina are in London for the Season, staying with their Aunt Charlotte. Georgina is charming and beautiful and sought after by wonderful male suitors. Kate is just as charming, not quite as attractive and wonderfully curious. The book chronicles the correspondence between Kate and her cousin, Cecy. Cecy remains behind in Rushton Manor with her Aunt Elizabeth. A wonderful adventure/romance ensues fo...more Sorcery & Cecelia, a combined romance and fantasy novel, was a fun read. Kate and her sister Georgina are in London for the Season, staying with their Aunt Charlotte. Georgina is charming and beautiful and sought after by wonderful male suitors. Kate is just as charming, not quite as attractive and wonderfully curious. The book chronicles the correspondence between Kate and her cousin, Cecy. Cecy remains behind in Rushton Manor with her Aunt Elizabeth. A wonderful adventure/romance ensues for both girls involving magic, charms and spells.

Definitely reminiscent of Jane Austen, particularly Pride and Prejudice (that double wedding at the end), I kept thinking of Elizabeth Bennet. In Sorcery & Cecelia, Thomas makes a half hearted proposal to Kate, similar to Darcy’s first proposal to Elizabeth. Though, I think both Cecy and Kate have the spunk of Elizabeth. My favorite aspect of Sorcery & Cecelia is the strength of the female characters. The men in the story at times seem downright helpless. The blue chocolate pot is the source of major problems for Thomas. James Tarleton seems to have no plan to help Thomas. Cecy realizes something must be done now and takes action, by “accidentally” smashing the chocolate pot. That took quite a bit of courage!

The book does a great job of portraying life for young ladies in the early 19th century. Waiting for the next ball, dressing in fancy gowns and hoping to get married may seem of the utmost importance for some. Not so for Kate and Cecy. Kate and Cecy realize the inherent absurdity in the role of the passive female and express these thoughts quite wittily in their letters. Mr. Wrexton explains to Cecy that the book about epicyclical elaborations of sorcery is off limits. Cecy writes “It seems, Kate, that even in wizardry there are things it is Not Proper to speak of before Young Ladies.” In describing her encounter with Mr. Strangle after he insults her, Kate writes “There are so many things a properly brought up young lady is expected to be shocked at, it is very odd that this is the first thing that genuinely did shock me.” (p.187). That is perhaps my favorite line in the book. Aunt Charlotte spends so much time worrying about the “proper” behavior for young ladies, she completely miss the boat when it comes to the alluring Georgina, who has a serious gambling problem.
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Mar 08, 2013 Dexter/Persy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, magic, history, fantasy, own

Note: the below is an excerpt from the blog my friend and I do (http://persyandarty.blogspot.com), where we review books every week. Please check it out.

Being the Correspondence of Two Young Ladies of Quality Regarding Various Magical Scandals in London and the Country.

Historical fiction set in an alternate England, told in the form of letters written by two cousins to each other. Please tell me I'm not the only one this appeals to.

Katherine Talgarth, or Kate, is taken to London with her younger...more

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Jan 13, 2013 Jill Furedy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'd been meaning to read something by Patricia Wrede, so when I saw Gail Carriger recommend this one, it gave me reason enough to pick it up at the library. I admit to having a few moments of frustration wondering why Cece and Kate hadn't figured certain things out yet. Because it's an exchange of letters, the pace is slower and we're hearing everything well after the fact which belies some of the suspense, but then again, because it's in letters, we only have to read through the highlights of e...more I'd been meaning to read something by Patricia Wrede, so when I saw Gail Carriger recommend this one, it gave me reason enough to pick it up at the library. I admit to having a few moments of frustration wondering why Cece and Kate hadn't figured certain things out yet. Because it's an exchange of letters, the pace is slower and we're hearing everything well after the fact which belies some of the suspense, but then again, because it's in letters, we only have to read through the highlights of each week so the filler is limited.
The voices were not particularly distinctive, I had to check a few times to see whether I was reading about London or Essex, whether the difficult man is a wizard or not, or whether he is a marquis or not, whether the aunt lecturing on manners is well, Charlotte or Elizabeth. Not much set them apart other than location til near the end if the story. I suppose part of my confusion on the men is that they are called alternately by first name, last name and title rather than by anything consistent. Then there are all the minor characters coming and going. Miranda stood out, as the villian should, but Sir Hilary never quite jumped off the page. He allowed himself to be too restrained by manners. Robert is in and out of the story, is a nice guy, then easily dismissed, Oliver is mentioned as a concern but is also mostly dismissed. Papa was missing most of the time so that when mentioned, I was confused about where he came from. Fredrick Hollydean seemed entirely unneccesary. Dorothea and Georgy never do develop much personality. All this by way of saying that I didn't connect particularly with any of the characters, but I was still interested in seeing how the story was resolved.
I think the fact that the authors wrote this as part of a "letter game" is part of the charm of the book. I thought that added to my appreciation of of it. Though I'm hard pressed to say what exactly I enjoyed...the characters didn't entirely win me, the plot was adequate, the settings and descriptions relatively straight forward. Nothing grabbed me, and yet I got through it quickly and checked for the sequel at the library (oddly, they can request book 3 but the second one is unavailable). I guess I liked the premise and the set up and that carried me through. Not sure it will stick with me long, but if I can get my hands on book two, I'll give it a try. (less)

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Dec 16, 2012 Jane Stewart rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult-regency-romance

Liked the plot. Liked the characters and their capers. But I had a problem with the epistolary method. This could have been a really neat novel if written in the traditional way. As it was, I wanted it to be over.

WRITING METHOD:
The entire book consists of letters between Cecy and Kate - an epistolary novel. Therefore most things are “told” not shown, but that is the nature of letters. Each letter has a chatty or gossipy feel talking about clothes, family, friends, and neighbors. The letters also...more Liked the plot. Liked the characters and their capers. But I had a problem with the epistolary method. This could have been a really neat novel if written in the traditional way. As it was, I wanted it to be over.

WRITING METHOD:
The entire book consists of letters between Cecy and Kate - an epistolary novel. Therefore most things are “told” not shown, but that is the nature of letters. Each letter has a chatty or gossipy feel talking about clothes, family, friends, and neighbors. The letters also have a diary feel (Aunt wouldn’t let me do something, Mr moved back to town, I went on a picnic with friends and this happened while on the picnic, ...) I was bored during the first 100 pages. It felt like party chit chat. After that, it became more interesting, but my mind frequently wandered. It was hard to stay focused. For most of the book, I was not there - not feeling what was going on. This was probably because of the “tell not show” and maybe due to lack of plot planning. See next paragraph.

In the Afterward, the two authors describe how they wrote letters to each other to create the book. Neither one knew the other’s plot until it was done. Then they went back and edited for plot consistency.

There was some dialogue in the letters which helped, for example Kate describes her conversation with someone. But other times I wanted more dialogue. For example, when a couple decides to marry she wanted to hear him say I love you. Instead of dialogue we get the following “by the time we were finished kissing, he had said it himself, with considerable feeling. I admit I, too, repeated the words several times. And we agreed that we should, indeed, deal extremely.” Ok, that’s too cerebral for me. I wanted feelings which dialogue might have provided.

There were romantic happy endings, but there was no growing of romantic feelings during the book.

PLOT:
I liked the events. I liked the ordinary world in which some humans had magic abilities. I liked how one character stole/borrowed magic books to study and then secretly put them back later. I liked how the magic worked.

CHARACTERS:
I liked reading about several characters. I liked watching magic being used in different ways. One character used magic to make her daughter irresistible to all men. Another character used charms to protect her men friends from falling for the daughter.

DATA:
Narrative mode: 1st person Cecy and Kate. Story length: 316 pages. Swearing language: none. Sexual content: none. Setting: 1817 England. Copyright: 1988. Genre: young adult regency romance.(less)

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Nov 26, 2012 Janet rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nanolomo

The full title is Sorcery and Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot: Being the Correspondence of Two Young Ladies of Quality Regarding Various Magical Scandals in London and the Country. GoodReads seems to be listing this as written by Patricia Wrede. It was actually a collaboration between Wrede and Caroline Stevermer. I read that it started out as a game, with them taking turns writing chapters, and dropping them off at each other's house, and then they realized it could come together into a...more

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Sep 24, 2012 Kerry rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2004, 7, fantasy, ya

In a slightly alternative England just after the Napoleonic Wars, where magic and wizardry are real, two cousins start exchanging letters. Kate Talgarth has gone to London for the Season with her beautiful sister Georgina. Her cousin, Cecelia Rushton, remains at home in the country. Mysterious things soon start happening to both of them, starting with a strange woman trying to poison Kate with hot chocolate under the belief she is a man named Thomas - and they soon find themselves caught up in a...more In a slightly alternative England just after the Napoleonic Wars, where magic and wizardry are real, two cousins start exchanging letters. Kate Talgarth has gone to London for the Season with her beautiful sister Georgina. Her cousin, Cecelia Rushton, remains at home in the country. Mysterious things soon start happening to both of them, starting with a strange woman trying to poison Kate with hot chocolate under the belief she is a man named Thomas - and they soon find themselves caught up in a series of strange, dangerous and magical events.

That's not much of a description compared to the other books I've reviewed, but this one is different. It grew from the authors playing the "letter game" and since the plot only developed between Wrede and Stevermer as the letters were exchanged, it does the same for the reader.

I really wasn't sure what I was going to think of this book when I started it. I had heard about it before and how it had grown out of "the letter game", where each author had taken one of the principal characters (Wrede is Cecelia and Stevermer is Kate) and written the letters in persona. Their one rule was that each writer must not reveal her idea of where the plot was going to the other. To a certain degree, this sounds like a brilliant idea. But it also reminded me of online fanfic round robins which I know from experience can go strange and dangerous places, developing terrible plot and logic holes as they go. These authors didn't even have an established universe they were playing in.

At first I was afraid my fears were being realised as I had trouble figuring out who was who and how all the characters were connected to each other. Whatever was going on also seemed rather confusing. However, the book soon took off as more pieces were revealed. I did find it a little frustrating that the two male leads - James and Thomas - were so darned secretive and unable to give any proper explanations. However, since those desired explanations hadn't been invented before the book began, it was inevitable that each author would be dropping hints for the other to pick up on. When the explanations did start coming, they all worked and the story concluded itself very nicely. I did see in the authors' note that they got together once they had decided to submit the book for publication and tidied up any few loose and/or shaky ends.

Kate and Cecy are fun characters, and the reader gets to know them better as the story progresses. However, I felt all the other character were sketched rather than drawn. I suppose part of that could be because we only see as much of them as the girls put in their letters. In the same way, the romances seemed a little forced. Both women found their man "odious" a long way through the book and then they were in love and getting married. It was there, but the progression wasn't as smooth as it might have been.

My grumble done, I still recommend the book. If, like me, you feel a little confused at first, stick with it. The story unfolds neatly and by half way I was reading every moment I could to find out how everything turned out. I will certainly be reading the sequel, which my friendly librarian has reserved for me. (Aren't I lucky, having a friendly bookstore owner and a friendly librarian, even if the former takes a lot of my money!)

[Copied across from Library Thing; 25 September 2012](less)

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Aug 01, 2012 Gavin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I’m usually not a fan of epistolary novels. I enjoy epistolary content when it’s supplemental to the book (like the chapter headers in Tad Williams’ Otherland series, which I shamelessly copied in Better Days) but it’s usually a bit gimmicky for me. But a book that was written organically as a fictional correspondence between two authors? I had no idea what to think! On the one hand, it’s still a letter-novel, and one without a preplanned structure at that. On the other hand, it’s more or less a...more I’m usually not a fan of epistolary novels. I enjoy epistolary content when it’s supplemental to the book (like the chapter headers in Tad Williams’ Otherland series, which I shamelessly copied in Better Days) but it’s usually a bit gimmicky for me. But a book that was written organically as a fictional correspondence between two authors? I had no idea what to think! On the one hand, it’s still a letter-novel, and one without a preplanned structure at that. On the other hand, it’s more or less analogous to a freeform RP session, and those can sometimes turn out very interesting, complex stories. On the third hand (apparently I’m a Vortigaunt today) those RP stories can also be horridly disjointed and maddeningly inane.

I was very pleased to find out that Wrede and Stevermer know what they’re doing. The format of the book, as well as the way it was written, give the novel a very charming air and provides a lot of insight into the main characters. The alternating first person viewpoint can be a bit disorienting, however.

The worldbuilding was nicely subtle — the magic here is not quite as unobtrusive as Kowal’s glamour (and you have no idea how hard it is to refrain from constantly making Shades of Milk and Honey references here… curse the lack of Regency fantasies out there) but not powerful enough to warp the plot.

The main characters are both brilliant, charming, funny young ladies, and one of the best things about the book is how freaking genre-savvy they are. I think this is a factor of how the book was written: you’re a lot less likely to write an idiot plot when you’re motivated to keep up with the other author! Kate and Cecy hide nothing from one another, and they pick up on the foreshadowing in a refreshingly intelligent matter. That means that the tension in the book is real, actual tension, not “why didn’t the idiot main character see that obvious clue?”

The guys are… eh. Thomas and James are a bit typical as far as romance novel love interests go. Dark, mysterious, snarky, broody… in other words, Darcy clones. Thomas is more of a brood, James is more of a wit, but otherwise there’s not too much difference between them.

I’ve only got one serious complaint about the plot, and that’s the ending. I can see why the authors went for parallel endings for the plots, but they had to rely on deus ex machina in both cases instead of letting the characters escape their predicaments on their own. That kind of thing can be covered up when you’re only doing it once in a story, but done twice in succession it becomes a jarring. Still, I’m invested enough in the characters to pick up the sequel and learn about their honeymoon trip (and also see if Thomas and James develop individual personalities.

I recommend this one if you’re a fan of the Regency, or fantasy, or romance, or smart protagonists, or especially any combination of the four. And now I’m off to read the sequel, partly because I’m interested to see where the series is going, and partly because I need to return these books to my friend before she leaves town again.(less)

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Aug 02, 2012 Patrick rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sorcery & Cecelia is an epistolary novel conveyed by cousins Kate and Cecelia who live in two different regions within England though maintain their association by communicating through mail. The tale is set in front of a good versus evil backdrop; Thomas Schofield and James Tarleton are wronged by Miranda Tanistry and Sir Hilary and, with the meddlesome aid of Kate and Cecilia, are determined to bring the dastardly villains to justice.
The author rightly decided to divulge the story through...more

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Jul 01, 2012 Rhonda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Review:Sorcery & Cecelia by Patricia C. Wrede
4 STARS This is an interesting background to writing a novel. They played a game called a letter game and would write letters back and forth in character and not mention plot. Now days if kids did that it would be short texts. I enjoyed it but would have been better if I read it instead of listening to my kindle. It broke and I could not look at screen if I was lost.(did not handle evacuating very well.) Thier is nothing in hear that is objection...more

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Jun 07, 2012 Kristen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What a fun book! I must admit though, when I first started reading I wasn't as into it as I wanted to be. Especially when there were names like Fitzwilliam, Elizabeth, Charlotte....I was like, hold on here. What is this? Pride and Prejudice the sequel? And it was a little hard to keep track of things. But, after I continued reading for a bit, I was immediately sucked in! I love the idea of these two girls corresponding back and forth through letters; and it's even cooler that each girl is writte...more

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May 23, 2012 My Sister's Bookshelf rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

Kate and Cecilia, affectionately known as Cecy, share an impressive ability to wander into trouble, whether at home or while in London for the Season. We get to experience their shenanigans as they are related to each other through the letters they exchange. They remind me of the emails I swap with my best friend who is living in Ireland for the year, which shows just how relatable they are. The cousins are feisty, just the way I like my heroines :-) . Their time apart starts innocuously enough,...more

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May 20, 2012 Madame X rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was delighted to discover when I finished "Sorcery and Cecilia" that the book had started its life as a game between the two authors, who developed two fictional personae and worked out the whole novel writing letters to one another. I think that the novel benefits and suffers from its source; there is a a spark and liveliness to it that I think (I hope?) comes from the excitement and fun of its making; but it also ultimately lacks the tender flesh and heart of a novel with only one author. It...more

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About Patricia C. Wrede

Patricia Collins Wrede was born in Chicago, Illinois and is the eldest of five children. She started writing in seventh grade. She attended Carleton College in Minnesota, where she majored in Biology and managed to avoid taking any English courses at all. She began work on her first novel, Shadow Magic, just after graduating from college in 1974. She finished it five years later and started her se...more Patricia Collins Wrede was born in Chicago, Illinois and is the eldest of five children. She started writing in seventh grade. She attended Carleton College in Minnesota, where she majored in Biology and managed to avoid taking any English courses at all. She began work on her first novel, Shadow Magic, just after graduating from college in 1974. She finished it five years later and started her second book at once, having become permanently hooked on writing by this time.

Patricia received her M.B.A. from the University of Minnesota in 1977.
She worked for several years as a financial analyst and accountant, first with the Minnesota Hospital Association, then with B. Dalton Booksellers, and finally at the Dayton Hudson Corporation headquarters.

Patricia finished her first novel in late 1978. In January, 1980, Pamela Dean, Emma Bull, Will Shetterly, Steven Brust, Nate Bucklin, and Patricia Wrede -- all, at that point, hopeful but unpublished -- formed the writer's group that later became known as "The Scribblies." In April of 1980, Patricia's first novel sold to Ace Books. It came out at last in 1982, which is the year she met Lillian Stewart Carl (who introduced her to Lois McMaster Bujold by mail).

In 1985, shortly before the publication of her fifth book, she left the world of the gainfully employed to try winging it on her own.

Her interests include sewing, embroidery, desultory attempts at gardening, chocolate, not mowing the lawn, High Tea, and, of course, reading.
She is a vegetarian, and currently lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with her cats, Merlin, Brisen, and Nimue. She has no children, but as of this writing, she does have four nieces and four nephews ranging in age from seven months to twelve years old and in geographical location from Maine to Alabama.
She has published twelve and a half books:
Shadow Magic, Daughter of Witches, The Seven Towers, Talking to Dragons, The Harp of Imach Thyssel, Caught in Crystal, Snow White and Rose Red, Dealing with Dragons, Mairelon the Magician, Searching for Dragons, Calling on Dragons, The Raven Ring, and a collaboration with fellow Minneapolis author Caroline Stevermer, Sorcery and Cecelia, as well as a collection of short stories titled Book of Enchantments. She is also part of the Liavek shared-world anthology. (less)

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Books by Patricia C. Wrede

Dealing with Dragons (Enchanted Forest Chronicles, #1)

Searching for Dragons (Enchanted Forest Chronicles, #2)

Calling on Dragons (Enchanted Forest Chronicles, #3)

Talking to Dragons (Enchanted Forest Chronicles, #4)

The Enchanted Forest Chronicles (The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, #1-4)

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Quotes from Sorcery & Cecelia: or ...

“How dreadful...to be caught up in a game and have no idea of the rules.” — 72 people liked it

“There is nothing that is quite so reassuring in an awkward situation as knowing that one is well turned-out, and while I hope I am not so fainthearted as to require such stratagems, I am not so foolish as to overlook their value.” — 14 people liked it

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Sorcery & Cecelia: or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot (Cecelia and Kate #1)

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