Sorcery and Cecelia, or, The Enchanted Chocolate Pot (1988) (edit title/settings)

• Rated 5 stars

“Brilliant blend of regency England and fantasy, letters written between the two best friends tells of each of their fantastic adventures as one stays at home and the other is on her first London season. ”

• Rated 4 stars

“My first impression of the book was that the authors are just trying to show off how much they know about the Regency Period, throwing out details that don't necessarily add anything to the story. And the dialogue sounds like Americans who have learned a few British words. I haven't read very many Austen themed works, so I really have nothing to compare this to. So far I keep thinking the original is better and I am wasting my time.. Seeing as a friend suggested I read it, I tried to give it a fair chance and tried not judge the book too quickly. ...It took me a while to get into it, but in the end I enjoyed the book. It is about two cousins, corresponding through letters, find themselves in the middle of some dangerous wizards' schemes. They have to learn magic quick if they hope to survive. There isn't a lot of depth to it, but it was an entertaining read.
I find it fascinating that the two authors wrote the story by writing letters back and forth to each other in the voice of the characters. The story wasn't preplanned, the plot and characters developed organically as they went along, each building on the previous letters. ”

• Rated 3 stars

“Book club choice for April”

• Rated 3 stars

“Overall this was an enjoyable read. I didn't quite know what to expect from the cover and the title gave me the impression that this was more of a juvenile book. That was a very incorrect assumption. This book should be firmly placed in the YA category and would be especially enjoyable for older teenage girls or even adult women. The story is told in letters between Cecelia (Cecy) and her cousin, Kate. The interplay between the two is charming. They are both smart and witty among a slew of vapid women out to marry as well as possible. The element of magic is woven pretty seamlessly into early 1800's society. It's a main point to the plot but the author doesn't bash you over the head with big showy magic tricks.

The plot is entertaining, but not surprising. I enjoyed it while reading but when I put it down I didn't feel like I had to immediately pick it back up. Perhaps that's because I had a pretty good idea what was going to happen next. The plot was predictable. Everything is tied up neatly at the end and it is satisfying although not unexpected. If there were some kind of twist or anything at all out of the ordinary I would have given an extra star.

The real strength of this book is in it's dialogue. It is witty and funny and it's what I really liked best about the book. ”

• Rated 4 stars

“Really fun historical fiction novel that feels like a combination of Jane Austen and Harry Potter. Written as letters between Cecilia and her cousin Kate, the plot unfolds as Kate is sent into London for her debut season. Things take a turn with the appearance of several strange characters and bizarre occurrences that involve magic.

Great for students who appreciate historical fiction, but also want a little action and romance. Ages 11-15.”

• Rated 3 stars

“A nice enough little pastiche: imagine Jane Austen's world with working magic.”

• Rated 4 stars

“For fans of Jane Austen and fantasy novels, this story alternates between the correspondence of two cousins in an alternate magical Regency England. ”

• Rated 3 stars

“Although I like the time period, this book just didn't have me riveted... Not sure if it's again because I read it in the evenings when I was tired, but I just wasn't engaged at all. ”

• Rated 5 stars

“This is a great and very interesting book! I can't wait to read the next in the series.”

• Rated 0 stars

“Very fun!”