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celestehurst's review against another edition
5.0
Patricia Wrede does an amazing job of developing the characters of these books, and I refuse to believe that they aren't real people. The characters make me want to laugh and cry with them, especially Mairelon and Kim, and Wrede does an excellent job of weaving an intense plot while still allowing for hilarious moments. The writing flows, and the dialogue feels real. Anyone who wants to read a book about magic should definitely read this.
quietjenn's review
3.0
Magical fantasy + mystery + Regency romance alt. history. Mostly I enjoyed it, but points off for rushing the ending and another bit of the ending events that is spoilery (and I can't mark it as such w/this app).
lberestecki's review
4.0
3.5 stars. I loved Wrede's Enchanted Forest series and her Cecelia and Kate series, so I was a bit let down by this book. The romance aspect seemed kind of unnecessary and underdeveloped, and the plots were interesting but nothing special. I did really like the characters, especially some of the side characters like Renee, and Mairelon's mother and aunt. I think this book would be more enjoyable for someone younger - it falls somewhere between middle grade fiction and YA fiction.
raidingbookshelves's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
nononanette's review
4.0
A fun mystery set in 19th century England with wizards. Mix of georgette heyer and Jkk Rowling.
angelbabe_cj's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
ephemerily's review
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I kept trying to describe this book as a read it. I've settled on My Fair Lady meets Sherlock Holmes, with magic. It was a fun and easy read, where nothing too traumatizing happened, which is what I need lately. The first book mostly focused on the mystery they were solving, while the second book expanded more into Kim coming into her own, which I enjoyed more—I enjoyed the very subtle romance that develops, and I especially liked Mrs. Lowe's role in the story.
jjerrit's review
4.0
Re-read in October 2015. These books were just as awesome as I remember them being as a kid, and now that I've read Georgette Heyer I feel like I appreciate the references so much more. I love how so many of my favorite authors in totally different genres have drawn inspiration from Heyer.
melissa2's review
5.0
I really enjoyed this one (particularly the second book, which was originally published as "Magician's Ward" ). It's a part regency romance, part fantasy, part mystery. Nothing too deep, but a lot of fun.