Courtship and Curses

July 1, 2012
Though it bucks the fan-fiction trend of making Jane Austen a character (often of the undead variety), this cheery Regency fantasy qualifies as major homage. The polio that killed her magic-working mother and sister left Lady Sophie nervous and self-conscious about her withered leg. At least she's smartly clad for her first London season, thanks to a family friend's intervention. (Sophie's ditzy aunts have dreadful views on attire.) At her first ball, Sophie draws the attentions of handsome Peregrine, Lord Woodbridge, who rescues her father from a falling statue. Though her own magic's been unreliable since her illness, Sophie recognizes its use--this was no accident. At ball after ball, befriended by Peregrine's impetuous cousin Parthenope, Sophie witnesses "accidents" to War Office leaders tasked with defeating Napoleon, recently escaped from Elba. Overall, the tone is beach-read light. Prejudice upsets Sophie, but status and wealth shield her from disability's harsher consequences. Peregrine's rather dull, an amalgam of Austen heroes (Darcy with a dash of Captain Wentworth). Doyle's gift, on display in earlier historical fantasies (Bewitching Season, 2008, etc.), lies in creating vivid female characters and the bonds between them. It's considerably more aristocratic and less nuanced than Austen's middle-class world, but Austenites--especially those whose favorite scenes involve shopping and balls--won't mind. (author's note) (Historical fantasy romance. 12 & up)

COPYRIGHT(2012) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2012

Gr 7 Up-Set in England and Brussels just before the Battle of Waterloo, this supernatural romance features 18-year-old Sophie, a determined young lady who ventures to London to have her formal coming out into society. Polio has left her with a limp and her magical talents compromised. Sophie's idiosyncratic aunts-stern, humorless Isabel and flighty Molly-are as different from each other as they are concerned for Sophie's well being and are watching over her as she makes her debut. Romance blooms for the young witch after a terrible accident at a ball where she meets Lord Peregrine Woodbridge. Their first encounter is not auspicious, but, predictably, their love grows despite rough patches. Lady Parthenope, Lord Woodbridge's cousin, becomes her ally and confidante. The excitement of romance and fancy parties is dulled for Sophie because her own powers have alerted her to the fact that someone is using magic to try to harm her father and other leaders of the British War Office. Sophie hopes to make her abilities stronger so she can save everyone. With vividly descriptive prose and lively characterization, Doyle balances the strands of this novel. Hints and suspicions are raised along the way about the villain's identity, but in the final chapters Sophie comes to believe in herself enough to save the day. All the loose threads are tied together as Doyle leads readers to a neatly worked out solution.-Renee Steinberg, formerly at Fieldstone Middle School, Montvale, NJ

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2012
Grades 8-12 As she did in Bewitching Season (2008) and Betraying Season (2009), Doyle brings romance to British society and adds a dollop of magic. Sophie is making her debut, but she has several things going against her: the illness that killed her mother has left her lame, and she seems to have lost her ability as a witch. But at her first ball, life brightens when she meets the handsome Lord Woolbridge and his irrepressible cousin, Parthenope, who takes Sophie under her wing. Britain's continuing problem with Napoleon is the backdrop for the romantic goings-onand the reason that magic comes to the fore when members of the British war cabinet meet with magical accidents. Can Sophie find out who is also skilled in sorcery? Can they be stopped? Similar in style and substance to her previous books, Doyle again provides a read that's entertaining but also informative (the author's note discusses European life in 181415). Especially crisp is the whodunit story line and the climactic scene of dueling spells, in which Sophie gets her groove back. A nice history and mystery mingle.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)