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Sorcery and Society #3
Calling
After discovering and rescuing a group of magical Changelings just like herself, Sarah Smith must now figure out what to do with the unruly children – and how to keep them and the rest of the magical world safe!
Having left the structure of Miss Castwell’s Institute for the Magic Instruction of Young Ladies behind, Sarah and her two best friends, Alicia and Ivy, hide out with the Changeling children in the countryside while they try to formulate a plan. They have no weapons, no guidance, and the Mother Book is gone. They only have each other and the creeping threat of Miss Morton’s revenant army on the horizon…
New alliances must be forged, and old friends provide what support they can, but the trio wonders who they can truly trust. They are searching for the mysterious artifact that may prove to be the undoing of the undead, after all! As the rest of magical society prepares for what they think is the highlight of Lightbourne’s endless party season, Sarah, Alicia, and Ivy throw themselves headlong into planning for the night that holds their last chance to protect the safety of the entire magical world!
Join the ladies of Miss Castwell’s in this adventurous tale of magic, mystery and, occasionally, young romance!
Having left the structure of Miss Castwell’s Institute for the Magic Instruction of Young Ladies behind, Sarah and her two best friends, Alicia and Ivy, hide out with the Changeling children in the countryside while they try to formulate a plan. They have no weapons, no guidance, and the Mother Book is gone. They only have each other and the creeping threat of Miss Morton’s revenant army on the horizon…
New alliances must be forged, and old friends provide what support they can, but the trio wonders who they can truly trust. They are searching for the mysterious artifact that may prove to be the undoing of the undead, after all! As the rest of magical society prepares for what they think is the highlight of Lightbourne’s endless party season, Sarah, Alicia, and Ivy throw themselves headlong into planning for the night that holds their last chance to protect the safety of the entire magical world!
Join the ladies of Miss Castwell’s in this adventurous tale of magic, mystery and, occasionally, young romance!
236 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 8, 2022
83 people are currently reading
907 people want to read
About the author
Molly Harper
61 books8,139 followersMolly Harper is the author of more than 40 romance titles including the Half-Moon Hollow series, the Mystic Bayou, the Starfall Point series, and her first murder mystery, A PROPOSAL TO DIE FOR. She lives in Michigan with her family. For more information, go to www.mollyharper.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews
March 19, 2022
Yer a wizard Harry...
So yeah, it's somewhat derivative. It owes more than just a little to Harry Potter, but it's entertaining and the characters are likeable. And as always the audiobook narration by Amanda Ronconi is superb.
An extra star because her narration really does lift the book.
So yeah, it's somewhat derivative. It owes more than just a little to Harry Potter, but it's entertaining and the characters are likeable. And as always the audiobook narration by Amanda Ronconi is superb.
An extra star because her narration really does lift the book.
March 10, 2022
This is a series written for a younger YA audience. I enjoyed this book but not as much as the previous two in the series. Everything was wrapped up nicely but it didn’t feel like the author put as much into the story as she did with the previous books. It felt like she just wanted to finish up the series so that she could call it done. Of course I can’t know the mind of the author, but it just didn’t feel like the story was as fleshed out. At any rate I did enjoy the series and there wasn’t anything wrong with the conclusion, I had just hoped for more based on the previous two books.
January 24, 2023
3.5 stars
I believe this finishes this short series of light reading à la fluffy YA fantasy. It lacks the originality and pacing of the first two, but it’s not a bad wrap up to the story.
I believe this finishes this short series of light reading à la fluffy YA fantasy. It lacks the originality and pacing of the first two, but it’s not a bad wrap up to the story.
March 13, 2022
This is the finale of a really cute series involving a new and different world that contained a magical society with strict rules and protocols. From the very beginning, we have been following Sarah on her journey (she was "mistakenly" born WITH magic from a very "non-magical" family). She has since learned that she was a "changeling" and her abilities had the potential to knock all of societies prior assumptions on its head.
This is NOT a stand alone book. If you have not read books 1 and 2, you need to stop and go back and start there. Because by this time, lots and lots of things have already happened. At this point, we are at the very end. Sarah and her friends have "rescued" the changeling children and are trying to figure out how to fight the very powerful (and evil) Ms. Morton. Honestly, they are about 50/50 with success at this point.
This book was a great finale. There was non stop action and we got to see everybody come together to attempt to be part of the solution. Does that mean that everyone got along all of a sudden? Of course not, but enough people were able to put aside their preconceived notions and try to look at the bigger picture to get rid of the "big bad".
Without going into spoilers, I enjoyed this book. I thought there was just enough action, drama, surprises and even a betrayal or two. More than anything, I think this series showcased relationships. It showed that the classes of magical society that everyone had been born into and were rigidly kept, didn't really matter when it came to the friendships that developed when things got scary. The three girls were a great example of that. Heck, the adults even got into the act and we had bitter rivals learning how to get along (even though they sometimes did it kicking and screaming).
The epilogue did a great job with stepping a little bit into the future to show us a game plan on what was in store for the future. It made it apparent that everything that happened was truly worth it. Easy, no. But definitely worth it.
While I am not as big of a fan of this series as I am of the Mystic Bayou series, there really isn't anything that Molly Harper writes that I do not like. That, to me, is quite the compliment.
This is NOT a stand alone book. If you have not read books 1 and 2, you need to stop and go back and start there. Because by this time, lots and lots of things have already happened. At this point, we are at the very end. Sarah and her friends have "rescued" the changeling children and are trying to figure out how to fight the very powerful (and evil) Ms. Morton. Honestly, they are about 50/50 with success at this point.
This book was a great finale. There was non stop action and we got to see everybody come together to attempt to be part of the solution. Does that mean that everyone got along all of a sudden? Of course not, but enough people were able to put aside their preconceived notions and try to look at the bigger picture to get rid of the "big bad".
Without going into spoilers, I enjoyed this book. I thought there was just enough action, drama, surprises and even a betrayal or two. More than anything, I think this series showcased relationships. It showed that the classes of magical society that everyone had been born into and were rigidly kept, didn't really matter when it came to the friendships that developed when things got scary. The three girls were a great example of that. Heck, the adults even got into the act and we had bitter rivals learning how to get along (even though they sometimes did it kicking and screaming).
The epilogue did a great job with stepping a little bit into the future to show us a game plan on what was in store for the future. It made it apparent that everything that happened was truly worth it. Easy, no. But definitely worth it.
While I am not as big of a fan of this series as I am of the Mystic Bayou series, there really isn't anything that Molly Harper writes that I do not like. That, to me, is quite the compliment.
March 21, 2022
The final instalment of the ‘Sorcery and Society’ series lacked a little of the sparkle of the first two novels. I feel that the vast number of characters involved at the end rendered the flavour and personalities of all participants in the conclusion a slightly diluted. It was, however, overall a good, appropriate, and satisfying conclusion to the series.
Once again, pacing was excellent and my favourite characters, Owen and Mrs Winter took starring roles, which I especially enjoyed. I really liked this series and am planning to purchase it in hard copy, as I’m sure I will wish to reread it again sometime soon. It is also a lovely and accessible read for competent preteen readers, as well as an engaging read suitable for young people and adults alike, as it uses the Victorian times in which it is set to determine language and manners, meaning that it is entirely without unsuitable content for the young and those who prefer to avoid books with mature (explicit) romantic scenes, and offensive language.
There is a ripple of snarky, sarcastic humour runs throughout a story that celebrates the meaning of friendship and also explores issues of racism (analogised) and neoliberalism as themes, in an accessible format. I listened to the series on Audible audiobook and the narrator, Amanda Ronconi, does an excellent job with the voice acting throughout the series.
Once again, pacing was excellent and my favourite characters, Owen and Mrs Winter took starring roles, which I especially enjoyed. I really liked this series and am planning to purchase it in hard copy, as I’m sure I will wish to reread it again sometime soon. It is also a lovely and accessible read for competent preteen readers, as well as an engaging read suitable for young people and adults alike, as it uses the Victorian times in which it is set to determine language and manners, meaning that it is entirely without unsuitable content for the young and those who prefer to avoid books with mature (explicit) romantic scenes, and offensive language.
There is a ripple of snarky, sarcastic humour runs throughout a story that celebrates the meaning of friendship and also explores issues of racism (analogised) and neoliberalism as themes, in an accessible format. I listened to the series on Audible audiobook and the narrator, Amanda Ronconi, does an excellent job with the voice acting throughout the series.
November 8, 2022
3.5 stars rounded up. I was glad to see this story come to its conclusion, but I was not as connected to the storyline or the characters as I was with the first two books in the series. I think there was just too much time that had past between the 2nd book and this one to feel that plot momentum and the same excitement. It was still enjoyable though.
July 23, 2023
Eh
I loved tbt first book in the series and the second one was also good but this was mediocre at best. I struggled to get through it and found myself bored often. I’m glad I closed out this series but this is definitely my least fave.
I loved tbt first book in the series and the second one was also good but this was mediocre at best. I struggled to get through it and found myself bored often. I’m glad I closed out this series but this is definitely my least fave.
April 13, 2022
I loved this story. It's absolutely YA, I think that my 8 and 10 year old would enjoy it.
April 10, 2023
Ronconi is a fab narrator & this is a fun YA series ;)
December 11, 2023
Just a lovely book and series! I loved the ending. I enjoyed this series because of the underlying story of segregation and oppression. And, how change is possible.
July 20, 2025
A good end to the trilogy, a bit more serious than the two parts before but still lighthearted and hopeful.
March 27, 2022
3.5/5⭐️
April 7, 2022
I really loved this conclusion of Sorcery and Society. Amanda Ronconi is still a rock star combination with Molly Harper's works and this was a delightful wrap of a trilogy that felt like a blend of Harry Potter and Gail Carriger's works.
Want to read
January 27, 20221.27.22:
YAY YAY YAY YAY!! I've been anxiously awaiting the continuation of this series and it's finally almost time!
YAY YAY YAY YAY!! I've been anxiously awaiting the continuation of this series and it's finally almost time!
September 20, 2024
3.5 stars
Sept 2024: I listened to the series back-to-back-to-back and probably should've taken a break between the books because I was zoning out by the last one. It was good but felt repetitive, and I think that was mostly my fault.
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March 2022: Setting this aside for now. I don't remember enough of the 2nd book to jump into this one. I think I'll re-read the series before getting into it.
Sept 2024: I listened to the series back-to-back-to-back and probably should've taken a break between the books because I was zoning out by the last one. It was good but felt repetitive, and I think that was mostly my fault.
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March 2022: Setting this aside for now. I don't remember enough of the 2nd book to jump into this one. I think I'll re-read the series before getting into it.
March 9, 2022
Despite the serious subject matter I found several occasions to laugh out loud. There is action and adventure, struggles and opportunities and a whole lot of growing and changing. This book reminds you that the future is in the hands of our young and we are better for it.
June 25, 2023
Calling is the third book in the Sorcery and Society series by Molly Harper, her young adult paranormal series. While I still think the series is cute, this final novel is almost not worth reading.
There are two reasons for my lukewarm enthusiasm for Calling. One is that Ms. Harper excels at modern snark and ideas. Her dialogue is snappy, and you can all but see the sparks fly between characters. She fills her novels with subtle jokes meant for the modern reader. These little gems enhance your reading experience.
Calling occurs in a steampunk Victorian era. The characters are young, not yet eighteen, and most of the stories are set in the upper echelons of society, complete with its strict code of behavior. The setting doesn't work with Ms. Harper's strengths. The dialogue does not have that spark the rest of her novels have. Her characters conform to proper Victorian etiquette, dulling the action and stiltifying conversations.
The other reason I struggle to embrace Calling is that very little happens. Unlike in the previous two stories, the characters know who their enemy is, what they need to do about said enemy, and have adult support for their efforts. As such, the story becomes one long message about how humankind is always stronger when working together to accomplish a goal. It's a good message, but not when you spend the rest of the story using your characters to prove your point.
I usually rave about Amanda Ronconi narrating Ms. Harper's novels. Their ongoing collaboration always amuses and delights. It is as if Ms. Ronconi is inside Ms. Harper's head and knows how to narrate to make the audio version as entertaining as possible. Calling is a rare miss by Ms. Ronconi, which is another reason for my less-than-enthusiastic review.
Ms. Ronconi can do Southern drawls, Western twangs, New England stuffiness, and the Midwest elongation. She cannot do foreign accents, and Calling occurs in England. Throughout the story, she must adopt a British upper-crust accent, a Scottish burr, an Irish lilt, and several lower-class accents heard throughout England. I admire her attempts but fail to appreciate her execution. They sound like what they are - someone from the US attempting to sound like the British but not succeeding.
Calling will not be my last time reading a novel by Ms. Harper. I stand by her adult stories as some of the best brain candy - mindless fun filled with snarky dialogue and sassy characters. I will think twice, however, if she decides to tackle another young adult story, especially if she sets it in the past or in another country.
There are two reasons for my lukewarm enthusiasm for Calling. One is that Ms. Harper excels at modern snark and ideas. Her dialogue is snappy, and you can all but see the sparks fly between characters. She fills her novels with subtle jokes meant for the modern reader. These little gems enhance your reading experience.
Calling occurs in a steampunk Victorian era. The characters are young, not yet eighteen, and most of the stories are set in the upper echelons of society, complete with its strict code of behavior. The setting doesn't work with Ms. Harper's strengths. The dialogue does not have that spark the rest of her novels have. Her characters conform to proper Victorian etiquette, dulling the action and stiltifying conversations.
The other reason I struggle to embrace Calling is that very little happens. Unlike in the previous two stories, the characters know who their enemy is, what they need to do about said enemy, and have adult support for their efforts. As such, the story becomes one long message about how humankind is always stronger when working together to accomplish a goal. It's a good message, but not when you spend the rest of the story using your characters to prove your point.
I usually rave about Amanda Ronconi narrating Ms. Harper's novels. Their ongoing collaboration always amuses and delights. It is as if Ms. Ronconi is inside Ms. Harper's head and knows how to narrate to make the audio version as entertaining as possible. Calling is a rare miss by Ms. Ronconi, which is another reason for my less-than-enthusiastic review.
Ms. Ronconi can do Southern drawls, Western twangs, New England stuffiness, and the Midwest elongation. She cannot do foreign accents, and Calling occurs in England. Throughout the story, she must adopt a British upper-crust accent, a Scottish burr, an Irish lilt, and several lower-class accents heard throughout England. I admire her attempts but fail to appreciate her execution. They sound like what they are - someone from the US attempting to sound like the British but not succeeding.
Calling will not be my last time reading a novel by Ms. Harper. I stand by her adult stories as some of the best brain candy - mindless fun filled with snarky dialogue and sassy characters. I will think twice, however, if she decides to tackle another young adult story, especially if she sets it in the past or in another country.
June 9, 2022
Reader thoughts: I thought I was prepared to be disappointed. I wasn't.
Too much was said, not shown. Too much was given, not earned. Example, in one of the fights, the MC suddenly sees a gap in the bad lady's defenses and uses a spell to attack and knock her down. Just "suddenly," not that she was looking for a gap in her defenses nor that her allies created this gap. Nope. This gap just appeared, and the MC took advantage of it.
The magic system is too soft to allow for cleverness. So, that's the first point against the book. Other books, however, manage to still pull together an interesting story with interesting characters. This one didn't.
There was no trial and error. There were few try-fail cycles. Sure, they failed to make the mother book a couple of times, but this failure didn't have any bad consequences.
When things finally did work, it wasn't effort but "instinct" and "the magic wants it." This is not just a byproduct of having a soft magic system. This was lazy plot writing. How do Sarah and the others finally make the mother book? By feeling what magic was right. How do Sarah and the others know which spells to use together and use against the bad necromancer lady? By just picking a spell by instinct. This is as bad as using deus ex machina to solve problems.
Oh, and the romance was advanced without reason and time. Her love interest didn't seem to have any personality. He was only in maybe 2 scenes.
Also, I couldn't figure out how old the "kids" were. They acted like 4-6 year olds (throwing jam on the ceiling?) but they were expected to follow a routine and do school (so, 6-9 years old?). But then they perform a successful rescue mission against some adults. Also, how many kids are there? 4, or 12? I was thinking about 7 of them, but the book didn't have much specific information.
Writer thoughts: Not satisfying. Authors, you have to have characters win through effort and clever strategies that are foreshadowed, not win through happenstance. Coincidences to get characters into trouble make great plot devices. Coincidences that get characters OUT of trouble make terrible plot devices.
Too much was said, not shown. Too much was given, not earned. Example, in one of the fights, the MC suddenly sees a gap in the bad lady's defenses and uses a spell to attack and knock her down. Just "suddenly," not that she was looking for a gap in her defenses nor that her allies created this gap. Nope. This gap just appeared, and the MC took advantage of it.
The magic system is too soft to allow for cleverness. So, that's the first point against the book. Other books, however, manage to still pull together an interesting story with interesting characters. This one didn't.
There was no trial and error. There were few try-fail cycles. Sure, they failed to make the mother book a couple of times, but this failure didn't have any bad consequences.
When things finally did work, it wasn't effort but "instinct" and "the magic wants it." This is not just a byproduct of having a soft magic system. This was lazy plot writing. How do Sarah and the others finally make the mother book? By feeling what magic was right. How do Sarah and the others know which spells to use together and use against the bad necromancer lady? By just picking a spell by instinct. This is as bad as using deus ex machina to solve problems.
Oh, and the romance was advanced without reason and time. Her love interest didn't seem to have any personality. He was only in maybe 2 scenes.
Also, I couldn't figure out how old the "kids" were. They acted like 4-6 year olds (throwing jam on the ceiling?) but they were expected to follow a routine and do school (so, 6-9 years old?). But then they perform a successful rescue mission against some adults. Also, how many kids are there? 4, or 12? I was thinking about 7 of them, but the book didn't have much specific information.
Writer thoughts: Not satisfying. Authors, you have to have characters win through effort and clever strategies that are foreshadowed, not win through happenstance. Coincidences to get characters into trouble make great plot devices. Coincidences that get characters OUT of trouble make terrible plot devices.
April 28, 2022
Most of the book felt stagnant but there are pockets of action that didn't quite work. The children, used to running amok on their adventures for the last two books, are suddenly chaperoned and yet continue to lead the efforts to address world-scale problems rather than have adults step in. They instead seem to be patiently waiting in the wings for their moment to step in and comment upon the children's work instead.
The main antagonist devolved into a characature in this story as well. Her previous tretchery as a long-time librarian stealthily working for her own aims is mentioned, but now she's cartoonish instead of subtle. Oh, and the entire plot revolving around the Motherbook is diminished and then basically forgotten despite it's build up in the last two books.
The actiony ending could have been stronger as well. This author is very good at writing character pieces, dialogue, and introspection, but seemed less practiced at large scale action. There should have been a greater sense of tension, beats that pulled the story forward quickly, and descriptions of the daring action. Instead each build-up of threat was immediately balanced by telling us about the counter plans already in motion. Choatic scenes of fighting are interrupted by dialogue without urgency, and the heroic actions are generically referred to without zooming in.
Overall this was a bit of a disappointment after the strength of the first two books.
The main antagonist devolved into a characature in this story as well. Her previous tretchery as a long-time librarian stealthily working for her own aims is mentioned, but now she's cartoonish instead of subtle. Oh, and the entire plot revolving around the Motherbook is diminished and then basically forgotten despite it's build up in the last two books.
The actiony ending could have been stronger as well. This author is very good at writing character pieces, dialogue, and introspection, but seemed less practiced at large scale action. There should have been a greater sense of tension, beats that pulled the story forward quickly, and descriptions of the daring action. Instead each build-up of threat was immediately balanced by telling us about the counter plans already in motion. Choatic scenes of fighting are interrupted by dialogue without urgency, and the heroic actions are generically referred to without zooming in.
Overall this was a bit of a disappointment after the strength of the first two books.
January 26, 2023
I think this is the end of the series, although there's certainly potential for a spin-off on what the young ladies get up to next. I'm not 100% sure whether I'd delve into that series though. I really liked some aspects of this series, particularly in the first book. I enjoyed the characters and the way the relationships amongst the girls grew and changed at the school. I liked the can-do attitude of our heroines and their funny banter.
I like Ronconi as a narrator in general, although I found her voice for Sarah to be a little harsh and maybe a touch pushy and aggressive for the character's personality. I loved her voice for most of the other characters though.
I found the whole romance aspect of this series to be absurd. The protagonists are 14, 15, 16-year-old girls. The fact that they're having discussions about marriage with their suitors seemed ridiculous, and perhaps don't send a great message to younger readers. The attitudes of the mothers also needed a bit of work - they are clearly overbearing when their daughters are evidently perfectly capable of taking care of themselves! These parts of the book wore on me over time and I just wanted the girls to focus on their magic, their learning, their hopes and dreams, and their friendships....not who they are going to marry and mapping out their futures.
All in all, good series, although this 3rd book wasn't my favourite.
I like Ronconi as a narrator in general, although I found her voice for Sarah to be a little harsh and maybe a touch pushy and aggressive for the character's personality. I loved her voice for most of the other characters though.
I found the whole romance aspect of this series to be absurd. The protagonists are 14, 15, 16-year-old girls. The fact that they're having discussions about marriage with their suitors seemed ridiculous, and perhaps don't send a great message to younger readers. The attitudes of the mothers also needed a bit of work - they are clearly overbearing when their daughters are evidently perfectly capable of taking care of themselves! These parts of the book wore on me over time and I just wanted the girls to focus on their magic, their learning, their hopes and dreams, and their friendships....not who they are going to marry and mapping out their futures.
All in all, good series, although this 3rd book wasn't my favourite.
March 20, 2023
Sorcery and Society, Book 3
Amanda Ronconi, narrator
The third, and seemingly final book in the YA fantasy/alternate history series with a dash of steampunk.
Sarah and her friends come up against a lot of discouragement and disappointment and near-misses, as they come closer to either changing their world or watching it be destroyed by the evil Miss Morton's nasty revenge plot.
And oh, yeah, zombies show up. Again. Several times.
Fun, with a snarky undertone. (And just how does the narrator hold onto that English accent, with all its variations and keep all the different character voices straight? I have a hard enough time holding onto one or two recurring characters' voices when I narrate! Kudos to her.)
Sarah needs to recreate the Mother Book, which Miss Morton destroyed at the end of the previous book. She needs to get some control over all the Changeling children she and her friends rescued. They need to learn to combine their magic, and find a mysterious, barely mentioned, probably nothing more than legend magical instrument to stop the zombies next time they attack. She especially needs to keep from destroying Mrs. Winter's country home -- starting with getting the jam off the ceiling. And oh, yeah, a reunion with Gavin would be nice.
Do Sarah and her friends prevail? Listen and find out. And schedule large blocks of time, because you really don't want to have to keep stopping and starting again, when life gets in the way.
Amanda Ronconi, narrator
The third, and seemingly final book in the YA fantasy/alternate history series with a dash of steampunk.
Sarah and her friends come up against a lot of discouragement and disappointment and near-misses, as they come closer to either changing their world or watching it be destroyed by the evil Miss Morton's nasty revenge plot.
And oh, yeah, zombies show up. Again. Several times.
Fun, with a snarky undertone. (And just how does the narrator hold onto that English accent, with all its variations and keep all the different character voices straight? I have a hard enough time holding onto one or two recurring characters' voices when I narrate! Kudos to her.)
Sarah needs to recreate the Mother Book, which Miss Morton destroyed at the end of the previous book. She needs to get some control over all the Changeling children she and her friends rescued. They need to learn to combine their magic, and find a mysterious, barely mentioned, probably nothing more than legend magical instrument to stop the zombies next time they attack. She especially needs to keep from destroying Mrs. Winter's country home -- starting with getting the jam off the ceiling. And oh, yeah, a reunion with Gavin would be nice.
Do Sarah and her friends prevail? Listen and find out. And schedule large blocks of time, because you really don't want to have to keep stopping and starting again, when life gets in the way.
August 19, 2024
The series keeps its simplistic approach to society and problems and I'd argue it even worsens the simplicity. It's strange to see that the book of the series that takes the most complex and mature look at society's issues and challenges is the first book, which usually serves as an introduction for a more complex 2nd and 3rd book of the series.
Nevertheless, the characters never encounter a problem that seems too big, which is quite annoying considering it's 15 year olds, and never clash with their allies. Everything is simple, direct with no curve balls and at no point they encounter a problem that they would struggle to solve.
Overall I like the message but the execution was really really poor. It's a shame because the first book was actually really good and a very interesting YA read that tries to speak to a more socially aware audience. But as we go along, this motivation seems to completely disappear and the author just tries to conclude everything in the most convenient way.
The series as a whole feels very disappointing. I'd only recommend it to younger kids who are just now starting with reading more mature content and want to approach it slowly and workout getting overwhelmed.
Nevertheless, the characters never encounter a problem that seems too big, which is quite annoying considering it's 15 year olds, and never clash with their allies. Everything is simple, direct with no curve balls and at no point they encounter a problem that they would struggle to solve.
Overall I like the message but the execution was really really poor. It's a shame because the first book was actually really good and a very interesting YA read that tries to speak to a more socially aware audience. But as we go along, this motivation seems to completely disappear and the author just tries to conclude everything in the most convenient way.
The series as a whole feels very disappointing. I'd only recommend it to younger kids who are just now starting with reading more mature content and want to approach it slowly and workout getting overwhelmed.
October 27, 2023
4.5 stars
For the most part, I really loved this book. I just struggled some with the ending. The final "battle" was not anti-climactic, but it was also a bit -- shorter? -- than I was expecting. When it ended, I wasn't sure that it was really over. Actually, I was glad about that. While there certainly was a degree of things going wrong leading up to the battle, it didn't feel overly melodramatic.
Honestly, parts of her ending were probably more realistic than not (which is kind of a funny thing to say about a book that involves magic), and perhaps a bit more "realistic" than I would have liked.
There were just a couple of things I found a little disappointing and I had some unanswered questions that I would have liked to see get resolved.
The biggest reason I rounded up is because I really am sad to have this series done. I feel a bit bereft. It was a true trilogy, and I would have like to see just a little more.
Similar to Harry Potter, but enough differences to be its own thing. I can see me rereading these books sometime in the future.
For the most part, I really loved this book. I just struggled some with the ending. The final "battle" was not anti-climactic, but it was also a bit -- shorter? -- than I was expecting. When it ended, I wasn't sure that it was really over. Actually, I was glad about that. While there certainly was a degree of things going wrong leading up to the battle, it didn't feel overly melodramatic.
Honestly, parts of her ending were probably more realistic than not (which is kind of a funny thing to say about a book that involves magic), and perhaps a bit more "realistic" than I would have liked.
There were just a couple of things I found a little disappointing and I had some unanswered questions that I would have liked to see get resolved.
The biggest reason I rounded up is because I really am sad to have this series done. I feel a bit bereft. It was a true trilogy, and I would have like to see just a little more.
Similar to Harry Potter, but enough differences to be its own thing. I can see me rereading these books sometime in the future.
May 27, 2022
A great end to the series
This is the final book in the trilogy and was wrapped up well with an exciting conclusion. The story picks up where the last book ended. Sarah, Ivy and Alicia are still hiding with the children they rescued from the Crenshaw School. They are still trying to figure out how to resurrect the Mother Book and defeat the evil Ms Morton. The story includes what you’d expect from this genre - fighting, dangerous situations, magic, evil masterminds, henchmen, loyal friends and family, tragic back stories, mystical coincidences, snark, and laughs. The characters are portrayed realistically as teenagers who are kind of bumbling along with the best intentions. They are real, relatable people who have flaws, but are really trying to just do their best as messy humans in difficult situations. The story included witty dialogue, characters with depth who grow, and an engaging storyline.
This is the final book in the trilogy and was wrapped up well with an exciting conclusion. The story picks up where the last book ended. Sarah, Ivy and Alicia are still hiding with the children they rescued from the Crenshaw School. They are still trying to figure out how to resurrect the Mother Book and defeat the evil Ms Morton. The story includes what you’d expect from this genre - fighting, dangerous situations, magic, evil masterminds, henchmen, loyal friends and family, tragic back stories, mystical coincidences, snark, and laughs. The characters are portrayed realistically as teenagers who are kind of bumbling along with the best intentions. They are real, relatable people who have flaws, but are really trying to just do their best as messy humans in difficult situations. The story included witty dialogue, characters with depth who grow, and an engaging storyline.
October 18, 2022
The finale of the Sorcery and Society trilogy has Sarah and her confederates trying to triumph over the evil Miss Morton and save their magical society.
The girls search for a magical weapon that can be used against Miss Morton and go through great difficulties to find it. They have to battle a manticore among other things.
When they come to the final battle, they have to put together everything they have learned in these three books in order to work together to defeat their great enemy. And once defeated, they all have to deal with the new world that has been created.
This was an engaging story which was filled with interesting characters who grow and mature through the course of the books. Sarah is greatly changed from a sickly servant girl to a young woman who is ready to build a new world.
The girls search for a magical weapon that can be used against Miss Morton and go through great difficulties to find it. They have to battle a manticore among other things.
When they come to the final battle, they have to put together everything they have learned in these three books in order to work together to defeat their great enemy. And once defeated, they all have to deal with the new world that has been created.
This was an engaging story which was filled with interesting characters who grow and mature through the course of the books. Sarah is greatly changed from a sickly servant girl to a young woman who is ready to build a new world.
January 11, 2024
This did wrap up the trilogy and I do recommend the trilogy as a whole, but this is the weakest of the 3 books. It seemed like the author lost interest in the series but had to finish it, it just lacked the sparkle and pizzazz and life that the first 2 books had.
Pros:
*I love the MC and the trio she has with her 2 best friends
*I like all the supporting characters and that they feel 3 dimensional
*The previous 2 books did a great job at all the world building
*Mrs. Winter and Owen remain strong favorites
Cons:
*Action sequences are not Molly Harper’s forte and the final battle wasn’t a strong aspect of the book. I could excuse the short confrontations in the previous book but this is supposed to be the big battle.
*Everything was wrapped up too neatly actually. It’s just not remotely realistic to how society would react.
Pros:
*I love the MC and the trio she has with her 2 best friends
*I like all the supporting characters and that they feel 3 dimensional
*The previous 2 books did a great job at all the world building
*Mrs. Winter and Owen remain strong favorites
Cons:
*Action sequences are not Molly Harper’s forte and the final battle wasn’t a strong aspect of the book. I could excuse the short confrontations in the previous book but this is supposed to be the big battle.
*Everything was wrapped up too neatly actually. It’s just not remotely realistic to how society would react.
November 7, 2022
My unquestionable favorite part of this book is the friendships. I love how this series showcased positive, strong friendships amongst teens, children, and adults (including some unlikely friendships!). Sarah has so many strong, positive connections amongst many of the other characters in this book and it made it so easy to be invested in the characters and plot!
The action in the novel wrapped up fairly quickly at the end - the solution was decisive and swifter than I’d expected, though I did still enjoy it! I felt the book ended with the romantic relationships in a realistic place, with regard to the ages of the respective main characters.
Overall an enjoyable read and I will be looking for more of Molly Harper’s work!
The action in the novel wrapped up fairly quickly at the end - the solution was decisive and swifter than I’d expected, though I did still enjoy it! I felt the book ended with the romantic relationships in a realistic place, with regard to the ages of the respective main characters.
Overall an enjoyable read and I will be looking for more of Molly Harper’s work!
May 13, 2023
First two books were good. Finale was more lackluster. The plot felt contrived and could have been summarized in fewer chapters as not much really happens.
Further, I don't remember the language and actions of the characters being so at odds with the time period in previous books but the sarcasm and other humor beats just felt to modern and took me out of the story a little. The ending also felt rushed, I feel like the exposition could have been shortened and the final battle more high risk. I couldn't belive when the big boss battle came around how little of the book was left (about half an hour on audio). I was convinced there was another book!
Further, I don't remember the language and actions of the characters being so at odds with the time period in previous books but the sarcasm and other humor beats just felt to modern and took me out of the story a little. The ending also felt rushed, I feel like the exposition could have been shortened and the final battle more high risk. I couldn't belive when the big boss battle came around how little of the book was left (about half an hour on audio). I was convinced there was another book!
June 13, 2023
Intensity-wise I think the ending went a little soft, but I'm also in a really distracted state so it could just be a me thing. It was a fun series. I really loved how Harper handled the different relationships. So much of the time you only see maybe a few best friends and then the love interests with little parent or mentor influence. In this series, the boys were important, but the relationships with their mentors and parental figures actually got a lot more time. Plus the main character actually pointedly made friends outside of her besties and put time into maintaining those relationships. That was lovely to see.
February 26, 2024
I've read this series twice because book 3 wasn't out yet when I started it several years ago. I've thoroughly enjoyed it both times and can't help but picture the Headmistress exactly like Professor McGonagall from Harry Potter and I love it! (I try my best not to compare characters from other books to each other but that woman is a force of nature and I love her! 💜) Character development is everything in this series and the ending is very satisfying. I highly recommend it if you're looking for a cozy fantasy series with humor, found family, strong friendships, and adventure. Happy reading! 📚
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