Sorcery & Cecelia: The Perfect Blend of Regency and Fantasy

Sorcery & Cecelia, or the Enchanted Chocolate Pot is written by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer. It was published in 2003 by Harcourt.

There is a great deal happening in London this season. For starters, there’s the witch who tried to poison Kate at the Royal College of Wizards. (Since when does hot chocolate burn a hole straight through one’s dress!?) Then there’s the strange spell that’s made Dorothea the toast of the town. (Could it possibly have something to do with the charm-bag under Oliver’s bed?) And speaking of Oliver, just how long can Cecelia and Kate make excuses for him? Ever since he was turned into a tree he hasn’t bothered to tell anyone where he is! Clearly, magic is a deadly and dangerous business. And the girls might be in fear for their lives…if only they weren’t having so much fun!

I had a big fat grin on my face the whole time I was reading this book. Sorcery & Cecelia is pretty much Jane Austen plus magic, which means it’s awesome. I love Regency-era period pieces, and the wonderful thing is that magic just fits so well in that setting for some reason. The inclusion of magic didn’t seem awkward at all, and I absolutely loved how the first two pages read like a normal Edwardian England setting, and then that mention of “The Royal College of Wizards” was just casually slipped in. Just lovely.

It’s pretty obvious who Kate and Cecelia end up with, but the best part, for me, was watching those relationships progress as the book went along. I go into pretty much rhapsodic bliss with these sorts of romances, and like I mentioned before, I could not stop grinning throughout the entire book. There may have been some giggling, too, both at the romances and because this book is quite funny overall.

This book gave me a ton of Pride & Prejudice vibes, which is probably why I loved it so much. Honestly, the best part of the whole thing was finishing this book and then realizing that there was another one. Onward to the further adventures of Kate, Cecelia, and their significant others!

Rating: 5/5

Recommended Age Range: 14+

Warnings: None.

Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Young Adult

Cecy, I do think it is unfair. People in novels are fainting all the time, and I never can, no matter how badly I need to. Instead, I stared at him for what seemed like years, with the stupidest expression on my face, I’m sure, because I felt stupid. For I couldn’t imagine why he should say such an extraordinary thing. Finally I realized he was waiting for me to say something.
I said, “I can’t imagine why you should say such an extraordinary thing.”

Overall Review:

Gosh, I loved this book. I giggled and grinned my way through it and had a blast the whole time. I love Jane Austen and I love fantasy, and this book was the perfect mix of both.

You can buy this here: Sorcery and Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot