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