Happy Monday Friends,
It's another segment of The Ninja Writer's Library and this time we're diving into the Cecelia and Kate Series by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer. So came along as we dive into these magical reads.
Sorcery & Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot
Here we find two regency women, cousins Kate and Cecilia, the former in London the latter stuck in Essex. We follow their adventures as they try to deal with magic and aggravating men done in the form of correspondences the two have with each other during the Season.
Reading this defiantly reminded me of Jane Austin. Older women constantly reminding the younger of proper behavior, or trying to get their daughters or nieces to marry well. Yep definitely a Austin like atmosphere, if Austin had magic. I thought it was fun the story was told through letters. I did find myself getting mixed up on who was who on occasion, trying to recall who was where, but it wasn't often.
I also liked learning at the end that this book was a game of letters between the two authors that they did with each other. That I thought was cool and fun.
The Grand Tour or The Purloined Coronation Regalia
In book two of this series we find the cousins and their new spouses going on their honeymoon travel and finding themselves in a magical mystery.
This book was Austin meets magic meets murder mystery. We learn magicians don't do well near water, which I think this is folklore I might have heard before. We visit a post Napoleon France and Italy in this book where our characters deal with a mystical mystery that fell in their laps not long after stepping on the French shores. It was a great whodunit tale.
I seriously would not want to be a well to do person in this time period. Society protocol having you call on people or have them call on you and you'd have oblige them so you didn't step on people's toes. Was this just a thing with the wealthy people of the time, or did lower class do this too? I'd just want alone time once in a while. I'm in a new place, just married, not that I know what that's like, I think I'd want some time for us and to check out the city you know.
The Mislaid Magician or Ten Years After
It's been ten years since the last book. Now our friends are dealing with parenthood, the railroad, and a missing magician.
Now in these correspondences we are seeing the husbands point of view of things as well as the wives. So it's good to hear from the husbands. There are children now with their parents knack for mischief. Plus some of them have magical talents so that adds to the fun. There is also alot of talk of ley lines lots of ley lines
As with any book that takes place so far after the other books it's bitter sweet for me. I don't know why I guess seeing time pass for me triggers the depression and anxiety in me.
Again I shudder at things that was expected of well bred woman of the time. We got aunts who still descend upon on nieces who are grown and married to set them straight if they were to screw up the family name... Glad I have aunts who I'm sure love me, but aren't all sticking their nose in my business.
What have you guys been reading? Let me know in the comments!
I hope you guys have a good week, read lots, and God bless you!
Ninja <[0000]---------------[0000]> Writer