Cecelia and Kate

Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevermer have written a series of books about two cousins by using what they call the "Letter Game." The way it works is that each writer chooses a character/persona and writes (as the character) to the other author. The finished books are then a series of letters (called epistolary novels) or other writings.

The first book Sorcery and Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot introduces readers to cousins Kate and Cecelia who live in Regency England. Unlike 'our' England, however, magic is commonplace, causing the cousins to have ordinary as well as arcane adventures. Kate has been taken to London by her Aunt Charlotte so that she and her younger sister Georgina can come Out and have their Season. Meanwhile, Cecelia is stuck in their country home with their Aunt Elizabeth. The trouble starts when Kate unwittingly stumbles onto a magical trap meant for someone else and gets embroiled in a magical battle for power. Cecilia, on the other hand, decides to teach herself about magic and starts to wonder about some of the neighbors. Although they're far apart, the cousins quickly manage to get themselves squarely in the midst of

In the second book, The Grand Tour, Cecelia, Kate, and their husbands leave for the Continent on a wedding trip, only to discover that there are just as many adventures in Europe. A series of thefts throughout the continent along with unrest about Napoleon have everyone wondering what could happen next. As they travel, all four begin to investigate and unravel the mystery behind it all to find out what the magicians are planning and what chance they have of stopping it.

The Mislaid Magician or Ten Years Later takes place (as the title suggests) ten years after The Grand Tour. James has gotten orders from Lord Wellington to investigate the disappearance of a magician who was surveying the new railroad. Thomas and Kate take temporary custody of the children (a total of six) which wreaks all sorts of havoc (magical and otherwise) on the household during the months that they stay at Skeynes. Meanwhile, James and Cece discover that the situation with the railroad is far more complicated and dangerous than they imagined.

These books are really fun - the stories are intriguing and the epistolary style makes them easy to read, but also adds a sort of familiarity with the characters. Each of these books is slightly different - the first is purely letters written by Cecy and Kate; in the second, since all of them were traveling together, the book is a collection of journal entries and reads a little differently; the third book is also letters, although they are written by all four adults. The downside to these books is that the format makes the books a little slower since readers have more connection to the characters, but less connection to the things that happen to them. Particularly by the last book, it seemed a little tedious, even though the stories were really interesting. Overall, however, I would definitely recommend these books to fantasy fans, especially readers who have enjoyed other books by the authors or who like stories about magic in the 'real world.'

• If these books sound interesting, consider these: The Elemental Masters series, The Harper Hall Trilogy, Dark Lord of Derkholm, or Now You See It

Lady in Gil by Rebecca Bradley

Tigrallef isn't supposed to be a hero - his brother has that job. But then an accident means that he is next in line to reclaim his homeland. Years ago, an ancestor of Tig's family brought peace and prosperity to Gil that lasted more than 900 years. Then came the Sherkin invasion that destroyed their ways of life and sent the royal family into exile; only a member of the royal family has the power to restore Gil to its former glory, but so far, many have failed. No one expects Tig to succeed - he's a memorian who spends all his time in the archives, not a knight in shining armor. But when Tig arrives in Gil, he discovers that while many things are worse than he expected, an underground group called the Web has been established inside Gil and just might give him the keys to save the country after all.

Overall, this was a decent book. Everything seemed very realistic - I liked that the characters were all very human and the situations in Gil were described rather graphically. I don't think I would count this amongst my favorite books, but it was pretty good. The plot was definitely not predictable which made it an interesting read, but it was not a fluffy book - it's about a lot of the negative aspects of humanity with explicit descriptions of poverty and life under hostile rule. I would, however, recommend this to fantasy readers who are looking for something serious and a little different.

Note: There are at least two sequels: Scion's Lady and Lady Pain, although I have not read those yet. I'll be sure to comment on them if I do.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Fly By Night, Poison Study, Keys to the Kingdom, or Annals of the Western Shore

Flora Segunda: Being the Magickal Mishaps of a Girl of Spirit, Her Glass-Gazing Sidekick, Two Ominous Butlers (One Blue), a House with Eleven Thousand Rooms, and a Red Dog by Ysabeau S. Wilce

Flora Nemain Fyrdraaca ov Fyrdraaca finds being (almost) fourteen a difficult age. Her birthday is in only a few days, when she'll reach her majority and be expected to follow the the family tradition of soldiering, even though it isn't what she wants to do. In fact, she has to do a lot of things she doesn't like. Her mother (the General) and her sister (another soldier) are often away leaving Flora to fend for herself and watch Poppy, her father who has been mourning for years and tends to drown his misery drinking. Ever since her mother banished the magical Butler from their house (Crackpot Hall) only a handful of the eleven thousand rooms are accessible and the house has a tendency to change unexpectedly without the Butler to keep it in line. So when a shortcut unwittingly leads Flora to the missing Butler, she embarks on a quest to free him and suddenly has more to worry about than turning fourteen.

Flora Segunda takes place in the Republic of Califa - a world steeped in bits of Aztec mythology and magic. This is a YA book, although the slight twists on the language (which add to the setting) tend to make it sound a little more childish, I think. The characters are very realistic - the General is military-esque, but also human, and the other main characters all have distinct personalities. I also really enjoyed the story - it's original and unpredictable. Overall, I thought this was an interesting, but also a fairly easy read. I definitely recommend it to fans of fantasy - particularly if you're looking for something a little out of the ordinary.

For those who are interested, the author has a website, although it seemed a little confusing.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: The Keys to the Kingdom, Howl's Moving Castle, Fly By Night, or Dark Lord of Derkholm