Customer Reviews
first-rate characters in a first-rate sequel 
2008-10-13
Originally published in 1988, I first read Sorcery and Cecelia after its re-release in 2004. Happily, that meant I didn't have quite as long a wait for a sequel as Kate and Cecy's original fans. Released in 2006, The Grand Tour or The Purloined Coronation Regalia picks up shortly after the end of Sorcery and Cecelia with both cousins newly married and beginning their honeymoons with an English tradition known aptly as the grand tour during which they plan to travel through the great cities of Europe. Like its prequel, this novel also has an extended title to offer further enlightenment as to what the story will actually relate. That title is: Being a Revelation of Matters of High Confidentiality and Greatest Importance, Including Extracts from the Intimate Diary of a Noblewoman and the Sworn Testimony of a Lady of Quality.
While the plot of this novel does stand alone, I don't recommend reading this book before the first in the series because it just isn't as fun that way. Part of the great thing about these books is watching the girls grow and tracing the relationships between the characters--things that are harder to do without reading the books in order.
(That said, a quick recap: The happily married couples are Kate and Thomas Schofield, Cecy and James Tarleton. My favorite couple is Cecelia and James. Thomas is a wizard, and Cecy is just realizing that she also has a magical aptitude. These novels are written with a variation of the Letter Game. Patricia C. Wrede is Cecelia and Caroline Stevermer is Kate.)
Instead of being written in alternating letters, this volume alternates between excerpts from Cecelia's deposition to the Joint Representatives of the British Ministry of Magic, the War Office, and the Foreign office; and excerpts from Kate's . Joining the couples on part of their wedding(s) journey is Lady Sylvia, another wizard of note in England (and Thomas' mother).
Expecting a leisurely honeymoon, and the chance to purchase proper bride clothes and secure the services of maids, both Cecelia and Kate are dismayed when their quiet grand tour turns into nothing less than a race to prevent an international conspiracy of Napoleanic proportions. As the couples tour Europe's great antiquities--and meet their fair share of unique tourists--the young women, and their husbands, begin to piece together a plot the likes of which no one could have previously imagined.
Like Sorcery and Cecelia this novel once again serves as a lovely homage to Jane Austen. The pacing and tone of The Grand Tour is again reminiscent of Austen's work (or George Eliot's for that matter). Nonetheless, some of the plot did seem more difficult to follow than, say, the first book in this series though the problem was remedied with back-reading. I love these characters unconditionally, in a way I rarely love book characters. Artless, charming, and profoundly entertaining, both Cecelia and Kate are first-rate characters in a first-rate fantasy series.
Another 4 1/2 for this fun sequel 
2008-04-13
"The Grand Tour" is a sequel. But wait! Before you fall back hopelessly upset and disappointed, read on. Because "The Grand Tour" is just as fun as its predecessor. It's still witty, charming, and enjoyable. But in a slightly different way.
Unlike "Sorcery and Cecelia", "The Grand Tour" has one complete story. It is not the casually fun back-and-forth between our two now-beloved cousins, but rather two separate accounts of the same trip, the grand tour of Europe. Rather than the somewhat predictable yet adorable previous book, here we've got a mysterious setting and another grand adventure. But of an entirely different sort.
"The Grand Tour" has much more mystery/intrigue/history than magic (though fear not - there are still wacky and oddball spells to wonder at). It's got a charming mix of history and magic, as well as a fun road-trip feel. At times the descriptions of dreary carriage rides through mud may seem like a bit much, but on the whole, they're just so much fun.
Because once again, Wrede and Stevermer have created a fun and charming novel that will delight readers. It is clearly a sequel (one MUST have read the previous book to understand this - I'd also recommend rereading the charming original to refresh your memory before delving into this one), but not a failed one. Perhaps it won't lure quite as many people as "Sorcery and Cecelia" did, with its flair and charm. But "The Grand Tour" is still a grand read - fun, exciting, and delightful all the way along. Less predictable, but still a sequel.
Another solid 4 1/2 recommendation.
Kate & Cecy take on Europe and treachery 2007-09-14
This is a direct sequel to the authors' Sorcery and Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot, told alternately through Cecy Tarleton's "deposition to the joint representatives of the British Ministry of Magic" and entries in Kate Schofield's "commonplace book," or journal. The two cousins have just married their gentlemen and are setting off on the Grand Tour of Europe. Before they've done more than land in France, a mysterious "Lady in Blue" bestows on them a small vial of unknown provenance--and someone immediately attempts to steal it. Gradually the two couples learn that various items of traditional coronation regalia from countries all over Europe have been disappearing without a trace, and that their vial is one of them. And their old foe Sir Hilary Bedrick has turned up dead in Paris. Ultimately they discover that an Italian magician, in an effort to forestall Bonaparte several years earlier, has created a spell to apply "modern theories of magic" to the ancient traditional coronation rituals and legitimize a pan-European ruler. Unfortunately unscrupulous people have found out about it and are taking steps to crown a puppet ruler--a young Englishman who has no idea what's in store for him. The quest of the Tarletons and Schofields to forestall them leads from Paris to Venice and across the Alps to Nemi, with intrigue, narrow escapes, and magic aplenty; in fact, this volume in the series begins to explicate more clearly the way in which magic works in this alternate Universe, and although longer than its predecessor is at least as quick-moving and, in my opinion, more exciting and suspenseful, while retaining the wry humor of the first book. And, since the quartet are already safely married, there's less of the romantic entanglements that characterized the latter. For those who enjoy light fantasy with a strong leaven of political suspense, "The Grand Tour" should make a perfect read.
Change in style and mystery... 
2007-08-26
Sorcery and Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot told the story via letters exchanged between Cecy and Kate. In The Grad Tour the story is told by entries in Kate's (now Lady Schofield) commonplace book and Cecy's (now Mrs. James Tarleton) deposition to the Joint Representatives of the British Ministry of Magic, the War Office, and the Foreign Office. Cecy and Kate are on their honeymoon with their husbands (Cecy's James and Kate's Thomas), Lady Sylvia, and assorted servants. Of course Lady Sylvia will be staying in Paris where she makes her home. But as soon as they land in France, they are involved in mysterious events: the delivery of a strange bottle of scent, a robbery, a servant who is missing, and the news from the British representative that coronation regalia is being stolen throughout Europe and that two couples on their Grand Tour are just the ones to solve the case.
The story is cleverly written in diary entries and depositions. Cecy and Kate are very independent women of their times. They know the rules and follow them but within that they stand their own ground and their husbands have come to understand that there is no way to protect them when they decide to act.
If you enjoy the period following the Napoleonic Wars and comedies of manners, you'll enjoy these books. The characters are well drawn and the mystery is convoluted and in some ways simple. You think you have it all figured out quite handily and then in the end it takes a weird but logical turn. The characters are all so of their times that only the addition of magic takes it from being a historical to a fantasy mystery.
Who's up for round two? 2007-06-06
I was shocked to find this book on my weekly bookstore wanderings. I had no idea these imaginitive writers planned on another adventure and I immediately snatched it to see what Kate and Cecy were up to now. I confess this book was not as good as the first, but well worth the time to read. The first book interested me to the point that I could not put it down however, the second seemed to lag on a bit. Despite its minor flaws, I loved it. The character development and the Grand Tour in general was magical. After reading Grand Tour I did not expect a third, but there was one. I could not help myself. It is like going to a highschool reunion every time I see another of Wrede and Stevermer's books on the shelves.
What an AWSOME book! 2007-04-20
Kate and Cecy and their new husbands, Thomas and James, are off on a Grand Tour. Their plans? To leisurely travel about the Continent, take in a few antiquities, and--of course--purchase fabulous Parisian wardrobes.
But once they arrive in France, mysterious things start to happen. Cecy receives a package containing a lost coronation treasure, Thomas's valet is assaulted, and Kate loses a glove. Soon it becomes clear that they have stumbled upon a dastardly, magical plot to take over Europe.
Now the four newlyweds must embark on a daring chase to thwart the evil conspiracy. And there's no telling the trouble they'll get into along the way. For when you mix Kate and Cecy and magic, you never know what's going to happen next!
The Grand Conspiracy 2007-03-31
The Grand Tour (2003) is the second Historical Fantasy in the Cecy & Kate Series, following Sorcery and Cecelia. In the previous volume, Miranda found her full age catching up with her and Kate told a bouncer to the Prince of Wales. Then Sir Hilary captured Cecy and James, but Aunt Elizabeth and Mr. Wrexton showed up unexpectedly. While Sir Hilary was fighting off the intruders, James clouted him with a chair.
After Kate told off Aunt Charlotte (and infuriated Georgy), she found enough time to discuss marriage and love with Thomas. Cecy also coaxed a proposal out of James. Then Mr. Wrexton proposed to Aunt Elizabeth. The three couples were married within three weeks after some hasty posting of banns. Since Kate's father had died five years before, Arthur Rushton gave away both his own daughter and his niece. However, Aunt Elizabeth apparently gave herself away to Mr. Wrexton.
In this novel, in the fall of 1817, Lady Sylvia is returning to Paris after the weddings. Kate and Thomas are planning on traveling with her and then extending their honeymoon excursion to other cities on the continent. They invite the Tarleton couple to travel with them. As usual, James is initially reluctant, but Cecy convinces him to accept the offer. Still, James insists on discussing the trip in more detail with Thomas over drinks at the club.
Lady Sylvia is eager to return to Paris and the party travels straight to Dover. Since the winds are against them, the party spends the night in a local inn and catches the packet boat first thing in the morning. Cecy is dismayed to find herself very seasick. Lady Sylvia explained that mal de mer is common to partially trained mages, but the problem should cease after she learns the orisons and invocations. Also, creating a focus for herself should help.
At Calais, the packet ship had to anchor offshore since quays had not yet been built to accommodate the influx of travellers. The party is taken ashore in small boats and then carried through the surf by teams of brawny men. They reached dry land with barely a sprinkle of spray drops on their clothes; except for Kate, of course, who manages to wet the whole front of her skirt.
Since Cecy was still weak from the voyage, they decide to spend a few days in Calais before continuing on their journey. They receive an alabaster flask of oil from a middle-aged woman who only refers to herself as the "Lady in Blue". Then they have dinner with Beau Brummel and ceiling plaster falls onto their table. The dinner is resumed outside -- minus the fish course -- and the conversation continues. Before leaving, Brummel advises Thomas to create a new focus as soon as may be.
After the dinner with Brummel, Lady Sylvia retires to her chambers, but is wakened by an intruder. The person leaves so precipitously that a slipper is left behind. Later, the slipper is traced to Lord William Montjoy, who reports both slippers and a dressing gown stolen from his rooms. This incident causes Lady Sylvia to hastily depart the inn and travel on to Amiens.
In this story, the party encounters both old and new enemies, including Harry Strangle, who is now the tutor of Theodore Daventer. On the road to Paris, they are stopped by road agents and forced to give up their valuables, including the alabaster flask. In Paris, Sir Hilary Bedrick is found dead in a room in the Parisian slums.
Kate and Cecy finally acquire maids for the rest of their travels. Kate hires an English woman who is related to one of Lady Sylvia's operatives, but Cecy interviews many candidates without finding anyone who meets her standards. When James and Thomas interrogate a French woman who had married an Englishman, Cecy suddenly decides that she is the perfect one for the position and hires Madame Walker. To the men's astonishment, Walker is an excellent addition to the party.
Duke Wellington has a discussion with the Tarletons at a party and asks that they and the Schofields investigate some thefts of coronation regalia in various countries in Europe. By this time, Lady Sylvia and the honeymooners are beginning to suspect some of their acquaintances of wrong doings and willingly agree to undertake the investigation for the Duke. Lady Sylvia stays in Paris, but the honeymooners continue on toward Milan.
Unlike the first volume, this novel dwells much more on the ancient peoples and places of Europe. Cecy's Papa provides the honeymooners with a detailed list of ancient places to visit and later adds the names of some of his peers to consult on such antiquities. Naturally, these few almost illegible pages become central to the plot.
Highly recommended for Wrede & Stevermer fans and for anyone else who enjoy tales of international conspiracy, hazardous journeys, and high magic.
-Arthur W. Jordin
"Someone is Up to Something...It's a Different Sort of Battlefield..." 2007-02-26
We last saw the cousins Cecelia and Kate at the conclusion of "Sorcery and Cecelia/The Enchanted Chocolate Pot", in which they had foiled a devious plot and found true love with their new husbands, Thomas Schofield and James Tartleton. The story was unique because it was told in the format of letters between the two cousins, each one telling the other about their separate adventures; and as they did with their previous collaboration, the authors Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevermer each take a character (Wrede is Cecelia; Stevermer is Kate) and write to one another, each one adding aspects to the story till they join up at its conclusion. Things are a little different this time around considering the authors write in the format of a journal and a testimony, instead of letters.
The Kate and Cecelia stories (so far there have been three) are set in a parallel dimension; a magically inclined 18th century world where Leonardo da Vinci is known as a great wizard as well as a great inventor, Napoleon invaded Europe with the help of magicians, and there are constant references to a Royal College of Wizards. Inspired by Jane Austen's delicate style and wit, Wrede and Stevermer must be commended for their world-building technique. The world that they've created is completely realistic, as well as highly enjoyable to explore within the context of the story.
The two couples are setting off for their honeymoon on the Continent, visiting the famous sights of Rome, Milan, Paris and everything in between. However, when a mysterious woman delivers an equally mysterious package, Kate, Cecelia, Thomas and James find themselves caught up in another international plot, this one including old foes, new foes, stolen royal regalia, ancient artifacts, magic spells, and a fiendish plan to seize control of Europe. The plan that the couples uncover is successfully conceived and plotted throughout the course of the story, and turns out to be rather ingenious. Several of the villains are motivated for different reasons, and naturally there is a mastermind behind it all that is playing a game all their own.
Attempting to negotiate their social commitments with their investigations, as well as the minor inconveniences of travel (where *do* Kate's gloves keep disappearing to?) the two young women are eventually caught up in a chase across the Continent. Stevermer and Wrede fill their book with interesting examples of how magic is worked, such as game-cards that - when shuffled - tune out the noise of the party around the players, the creation of `focuses', seemingly ordinary objects that serve as the source of magician's powers, and charmed earrings that can never be lost.
As other reviewers have mentioned, "The Grant Tour" is more Kate's book than Cecelia, considering that we are reading Kate's private journal and Cecelia's official statement. As such, Kate is free to divulge in more personal detail, particularly in her loving relationship with her husband Thomas, whereas Cecelia is writing an official document and simply stating the facts of her experience. However, there is a definite human element to the story that is very touching, particularly in the love between the four main characters. Thomas and Kate share a romantic marriage, whilst Cecelia and James have a more tempestuous one, and the friendship between the four of them is beautifully portrayed (I especially liked the big brother/little sister bond between Thomas and Cecelia). This of course leads to the wonderful wit that is strewn throughout the tale; wry little comments and amusing in-jokes that fit the characters perfectly - readers of the first book will understand Kate's reaction to an endangered goat!
Putting myself in the minority here, I personally enjoyed "The Grand Tour" more than its predecessor "Sorcery and Cecelia." Because the story isn't switching back and forth between two separate situations of the two heroines, the story is more fluid and organized; as well as much less confusing (it was hard to keep track of events when constantly switching between the two letters). In any case, whatever your preference, all Wrede and Stevermer collaborations are highly recommended. If you enjoy Jane Austen or "Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell", then you'll love these collaborations too (though they are obviously written for a slightly younger audience). Keep your eye out for the third installment which is amusingly hinted at in the conclusion of this book: "We'll just have to wait ten years and see..."
Not as good as the first but still fun 2007-01-06
Even though it has been many years since the first book of this series was published this second book takes place almost directly after the first. Cecy and Kate are going on their wedding tour with their new husbands Thomas and James. The book is broken up into places each place having alternating narrative from either Cecy's commonplace book or Kate's testimony.
Because the cousins are together for this adventure instead of seperately relating different aspects of the same mystery there is often overlap in the narrative--which can get a bit tedious. Something else which I found to drag the story was the authors' need to get into explaining how magic worked in this way and that way etc. What was so great about the first one was how the magic was sort of glossed over except for the necessary details. However they made the details more important into this plot which got a little tiring in my opinion.
Thomas by far is the best characterised of the four, even with the two authors trading off who was writing which character he seems to have the clearest voice. The two new maids and Peirs are nice new characters. I enjoyed how steeped in atmosphere their travels around Europe were.
It is still a very fun book but it falls just slightly short of the first.
Sequels don't always work, unfortunately. 2006-07-26
Having enjoyed myself immensely with Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevermer's first joint novel venture, Sorcery and Cecelia, or the Enchanted Chocolate Pot, I knew that reading their next co-written novel, The Grand Tour.
Starting off with the recently wed Kate and Thomas, along with Cecy and James -- and not to mention the formidable Lady Sylvia -- they are embarking on a Grand Tour of Europe. After all, Europe is now safe now that Napoleon has been defeated at Waterloo, and what woman could resist the allure of Paris and the shopping to be found therein? But our foursome have barely reached Calais before they're pitched headlong into a new set of adventures, when the Lady in Blue gives one of them a mysterious package and flees into the night.
What they find is a greater threat than anything that Napoleon and his armies could raise and they are sent on a quest to stop a plot to create an Emperor of Europe who could use magic to make the nations of the world obey him.
Unlike Sorcery and Cecelia, this one takes the form of a deposition and a journal, each kept by Cecelia and Kate. Sadly, it doesn't work as well as the previous novel, without the immediacy and intimacy that the letters gave. Instead, while the plot is certainly interesting and full of guesswork, I was left with a blah feeling throughout the book. While some parts of the book had plenty of whimsy -- messages being passed through knitted scarves was a terrific touch -- and the knowledge and feel of the Regency period in England and the Continent was well-handled, there were a few problems with the story itself.
One sad point was that two of the villains from the previous novel, Sir Hilary and Mr. Strangle, appear briefly, and then just as quickly, turn up dead and murdered in rather skimpy ways. I know this is a form of tidying up loose ends, but it felt rather contrived in the story, and I think that more of it could have been made by the authors. Even the intriguing new character in this drama, Theodore Daventer, isn't that well fleshed out, and besides his adoring puppy love for Cecy, we really don't get to learn much about him, and how he fell into the clutches of a band of sorcerous kingmakers.
However, it's a quick read, not much more than several hours, and aimed for the young adult market. Those who like magick that sounds like it would actually work -- and where a mistake can mean a horrendous accident -- will enjoy it, and the blend of history and fantasy is very entertaining. Some new minor characters come into the mix besides young Daventer, including a cameo appearance by the Duke of Wellington himself, and the two ladies maids that the heroines acquire in Paris.
Those who have read the previous novel will like this one for the information on what happens after, and if the reader has any knowledge of the classic derring-do novels of Baroness Orczy and Alexander Dumas will have fun picking out the references. Still, I can't honestly give this one more than three stars, and a maybe recommendation for the obvious flaws.
