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Cecelia and Kate #1–2
Magicians of Quality
For country-bred cousins Cecelia Rushton and Katherine Talgarth, something extraordinary is afoot besides the constant whirl of Regency balls - something Young Ladies of Quality rarely come in contact with: magic. Oh, not the mere love spells used by country folk, but real sorcery capable of thwarting ambitions and destroying life.
In Sorcery & Cecilia, a great deal is happening in London and the country this season. For starters, there's the witch who tried to poison Kate at the Royal College of Wizards. There's also the man who seems to be spying on Cecelia. (Though he's not doing a very good job of it--so just what are his intentions?) And then there's Oliver. 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!
Cecy and Kate are determined to discover who the stranger with the lethal chocolate is and how to put a stop to the malevolent flow of sorcery before anyone else can be harmed. But there are forces at work that are equally determined to put a stop to them...
In The Grand Tour, Kate and Cecy and their new husbands, Thomas and James, are off on a Grand Tour. Their plans? To leisurely travel about the Continent, take in a few antiquities, and--of course--purchase fabulous Parisian wardrobes.But once they arrive in France, mysterious things start to happen. Cecy receives a package containing a lost coronation treasure, Thomas's valet is assaulted, and Kate loses a glove. Soon it becomes clear that they have stumbled upon a dastardly, magical plot to take over Europe. Now the four newlyweds must embark on a daring chase to thwart the evil conspiracy. And there's no telling the trouble they'll get into along the way. For when you mix Kate and Cecy and magic, you never know what's going to happen next!
In Sorcery & Cecilia, a great deal is happening in London and the country this season. For starters, there's the witch who tried to poison Kate at the Royal College of Wizards. There's also the man who seems to be spying on Cecelia. (Though he's not doing a very good job of it--so just what are his intentions?) And then there's Oliver. 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!
Cecy and Kate are determined to discover who the stranger with the lethal chocolate is and how to put a stop to the malevolent flow of sorcery before anyone else can be harmed. But there are forces at work that are equally determined to put a stop to them...
In The Grand Tour, Kate and Cecy and their new husbands, Thomas and James, are off on a Grand Tour. Their plans? To leisurely travel about the Continent, take in a few antiquities, and--of course--purchase fabulous Parisian wardrobes.But once they arrive in France, mysterious things start to happen. Cecy receives a package containing a lost coronation treasure, Thomas's valet is assaulted, and Kate loses a glove. Soon it becomes clear that they have stumbled upon a dastardly, magical plot to take over Europe. Now the four newlyweds must embark on a daring chase to thwart the evil conspiracy. And there's no telling the trouble they'll get into along the way. For when you mix Kate and Cecy and magic, you never know what's going to happen next!
435 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
3 people are currently reading
428 people want to read
About the author
Patricia C. Wrede
66 books4,002 followersPatricia 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." Several years later, they were joined by Kara Dalkey. 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 cat Karma. She has no children.
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." Several years later, they were joined by Kara Dalkey. 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 cat Karma. She has no children.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 19, 2008
All the other reviews of this series call it "Jane Austen meets Harry Potter"--I think it's more accurate to think of it as Jane Austen + magic. (I LOVE Harry Potter, but just because they use spells and have wizards, that doesn't equate Harry Potter.)
I picked up the first book (Sorcery and Cecilia) because of the lovely cover and after a few pages was in LOVE. The book consists of letters written back and forth between two cousins, Kate and Cecilia. They both discover mysteries and work together to unravel them through their letters, discovering that it's all part of one big evil plot.
The really cool thing about this is that I had no idea until I read the Afterword at the back of the book that this novel started as a "Letter game" between the two authors. (You can look the game up online to find out more about it...it's great fun; I've started one with my sister.) Soon they became so interested in their plot, characters, and letters that the letters between them flew back and forth and before they knew it, they had a novel.
The second book, "The Grand Tour," is really good, too. This one takes place in the from of journal entries (Kate) and a deposition to the English government (Cecilia). I am particularly grateful (and very much enjoyed) the fact that the authors didn't skip several weeks but let us experience the weddings and several months of the honeymoons--lots and lots of fun to read as the characters grow and develop.
These books are great!!
I picked up the first book (Sorcery and Cecilia) because of the lovely cover and after a few pages was in LOVE. The book consists of letters written back and forth between two cousins, Kate and Cecilia. They both discover mysteries and work together to unravel them through their letters, discovering that it's all part of one big evil plot.
The really cool thing about this is that I had no idea until I read the Afterword at the back of the book that this novel started as a "Letter game" between the two authors. (You can look the game up online to find out more about it...it's great fun; I've started one with my sister.) Soon they became so interested in their plot, characters, and letters that the letters between them flew back and forth and before they knew it, they had a novel.
The second book, "The Grand Tour," is really good, too. This one takes place in the from of journal entries (Kate) and a deposition to the English government (Cecilia). I am particularly grateful (and very much enjoyed) the fact that the authors didn't skip several weeks but let us experience the weddings and several months of the honeymoons--lots and lots of fun to read as the characters grow and develop.
These books are great!!
August 30, 2010
This is actually two books in one volume: Sorcery and Cecelia and The Grand Tour. So my rating is actually a compound rating. The first book was five stars. Entirely consisting of letters from one cousin to another, it's utterly charming. Set in an alternate Regency period where magic is real, Kate is having her first Season in London while Cecilia stays home. They both run into magical shenanigans and mysterious men. The great thing about this book is the way the letters shift between plotting against dangerous sorcerers and what to wear to the next ball. The sequel, The Grand Tour is nice to see more of the characters, but the structure isn't as attractive. It was just missing some of the charm of the first book.
March 29, 2008
A lovely reread. The first few letters are confusing and a little dull, but the rest of the first book is wonderful. What an amazing thing to come out of a letter game! [This was not originally written as a book, but rather evolved from a game of Letters between the two authors. To play Letters, two people write letters to one another pretending to be the characters they make up. Nothing is preplanned. The first letter creates the setting, and the second writer responds in turn. The game turned out so well the two authors decided to publish it as a book, with minor cleaning up.] The second book isn't quite as special, but it's still a fun read and gives one a chance to enjoy the characters further. This was only my second time through, so I'd forgotten a lot, making it more enjoyable.
September 11, 2024
So here's the thing: Magicians of Quality is a bind up of both Sorcery & Cecelia and The Grand Tour. I finished Sorcery & Cecelia--amazing, charming, humorous, cute, love it, love it, love it. Has all the nostalgia and charm of the fantasy books from my childhood.
And then...I started The Grand Tour. And it's giving me literally none of the same vibes. The letter writing format is gone, the setting is different, we are missing all of our beloved and well-cultivated side characters, and the charm and whimsy of shenanigans involving an enchanted chocolate pot are replaced with a high stakes plot to destroy Europe and our characters getting held up at gunpoint in a highway robbery? Not only that but the two main characters have kinda blended into one for me because they are basically telling the same story from slightly different perspectives. I am 100 pages in and DNFing. I wish I could forget that TGT existed to preserve my happy memories of S&C (which I finished in a single day--basically unheard of for me)
I'm still marking this bind up as read though, as it has the far superior cover compared to any of the other editions.
Disclaimer: This rating is for Sorcery & Cecelia ONLY 😤 Proceed on in the series at your own risk.
And then...I started The Grand Tour. And it's giving me literally none of the same vibes. The letter writing format is gone, the setting is different, we are missing all of our beloved and well-cultivated side characters, and the charm and whimsy of shenanigans involving an enchanted chocolate pot are replaced with a high stakes plot to destroy Europe and our characters getting held up at gunpoint in a highway robbery? Not only that but the two main characters have kinda blended into one for me because they are basically telling the same story from slightly different perspectives. I am 100 pages in and DNFing. I wish I could forget that TGT existed to preserve my happy memories of S&C (which I finished in a single day--basically unheard of for me)
I'm still marking this bind up as read though, as it has the far superior cover compared to any of the other editions.
Disclaimer: This rating is for Sorcery & Cecelia ONLY 😤 Proceed on in the series at your own risk.
May 19, 2011
I really loved "Sorcery and Cecilia"--the format of letters between close cousins was wonderful, and the friendship between the girls was sweet and believable. The two girls are mischievious but good-hearted, and they learn some interesting and valuable lessons about themselves and life as they learn some hidden truths about their families and neighbors.
I don't actually remember all that much about "The Grand Tour" but I do remember that I had a harder time getting involved in it than I did in "Sorcery." It's possible that that has something to do with the length of time between reading the two books (I first read "Sorcery" when I was in high school; it was many years later that I attempted its sequel.
I don't actually remember all that much about "The Grand Tour" but I do remember that I had a harder time getting involved in it than I did in "Sorcery." It's possible that that has something to do with the length of time between reading the two books (I first read "Sorcery" when I was in high school; it was many years later that I attempted its sequel.
October 22, 2009
I wanted to give 5 stars to the first book (Sorcery & Cecilia), but then I wondered if it was because it was really better than the second (The Grand Tour) or just because it was refreshing and new. I thought they both were charming (and didn't take themselves too seriously, which is a surprising delight for something my library files with the science fiction).
September 7, 2008
I really liked this book, but it is a sequel--if you liked the other two then you'll like this one.
Want to read
May 16, 2010which of these has she read? I realize this is already released but I want to remember to look up this author on fantasticfiction.co.uk .. the search isn't working right now.
April 27, 2011
This series got boring. Read all 3. No more.
December 15, 2012
I have only read the first part of the book, but I love it! Very cute, fun, yet plenty of mystery and interest.
February 20, 2008
Sorcery and Cecilia was my favorite of the two. It's a cute, funny read. Very enjoyable.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews