Three reviews

Three short reviews from me today. If I can remember how to do short. ;-) These were all quick, enjoyable reads from the last week or so. Sometimes that's all you want - quick, enjoyable, undemanding.

A poor picture - annoyingly I couldn't find a better one of my copy of Sorcery and Cecilia by Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevermer. Whatever, the story concerns two cousins, Cecilia and Kate, who have been separated temporarily, the latter to enjoy a season in Regency London and the former forced to stay at home. The two corresspond and each get embroiled in various magical shenanigans with wizards both male and female. It soon becomes clear that both are involved in the same adventure.

I first heard about this book from Deslily and am very pleased I managed to find it in a charity shop for 50p! It's a fun Regency romp, written in letter form, apparently as a result of a Letter Game the two authors played one year. There are two sequels and I'm pretty certain I'll be reading both at some stage.

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The third and final book in the YA Hollow Kingdom trilogy, In the Coils of the Snake by Clare B. Dunkle. Marak the Goblin King who featured mainly in the first book is at the end of his life. He has nurtured and mentored a human girl, Miranda, to be the next wife of a Goblin king, his son, and brought her to live in his underground kingdom. After Marak's death Miranda becomes the fiance of the new king, Marak Catspaw, but a new Elf lord, Nir, suddenly appears offering the king an elf bride. He has no choice but to agree and the elf-bride takes Miranda's place. Devastated, Miranda leaves the kingdom only to find herself kidnapped by Nir and taken to live with the elves.

The plot of this one is convoluted but, as with the other two books, great fun and unputdownable. I don't know why Clare Dunkle is not better known than she is. Until recently she didn't even have an entry on Fantastic Fiction, an oversight which has now been remedied I notice. Anyway, sad to have finished this trilogy but there you go, I'm sure I'll be rereading at some stage.

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Joe and Kerry are shipped off to stay with their great-aunt in deepest Wales in The Weather Witch by Paul Stewart. They live in London and their mother is afraid they'll get into all kinds of trouble if left alone in the city over the summer holidays. Great Aunt Eleanor is a bit of a character and regales them with the story of the Elizabethan village that disappeared overnight, four hundred years ago. The children explore Eleanor's huge house and have a haunting experience and then they discover the lake which is when things *really* start to happen.

Another fun read... aimed at children aged about 12 to 15 I'd say. It's pacey and creepy, with unusual ideas and a nice sense of history as well. Paul Stewart is co-author of the well known 'Edge' Chronicles for younger children but this is one his forays into fiction for older children. I liked it.