Patricia C. Wrede & Caroline Stevermer
Completed 1/16/2014, Reviewed 1/16/2014
4 stars
Like the first book, Sorcery and Cecelia, The Grand Tour is
a delightful young adult fantasy novel told from the perspective of Kate and
Cecelia. Instead of being epistolary in
form, the narrations are drawn from Kate’s diary and Cecelia’s official account
written for investigating authorities.
It’s a quick read full of magic and 19th century British
manners. When I began the book, it had
been nearly a month since finishing the first book. Settling in with the first few pages, I was
immediately transported to the funny, warm place that is the world of Kate and
Cecelia.
In the second book of the series, the cousins are now
married and embarking on their joint honeymoon with their husbands Thomas and
James. In the tradition of the time,
they are taking The Grand Tour, a trip through some of the loveliest cities on
continental Europe . Along they way, they uncover a mystery of
ancient magic and artifacts that may alter the fate of the whole
continent.
As with many sequels, a little of the charm of the first
part is missing. One of the greatest
parts of “Sorcery and Cecelia” was two young Victorian ladies discovering a
world of magic and intrigue they had never encountered before. In this book, the focus is on the plot. The characters are already established and
growing in their and relationships to each other and to magic. The book is still wonderful in its own right. I wasn’t let down in any way. I was happy to return to the world created by
authors.
I really enjoyed the development of the mystery. I have a fondness for Europe
and its antiquities, which provide the clues to solving the mystery. It is not complex, but it is a fun,
fast-paced ride. And as with many books
of this genre, there is always some dastardly wizard trying to do great
evil. What’s most fun about this series
is that it’s primarily two proper young ladies trying to foil the grand scheme.
This book and the series in general are simple and
enjoyable. There’s nothing profound
here. I found it a little tough to write this review
because I usually comment on the depth of the characters and their
relationships. Instead, I just want to keep
repeating what a wonderful experience of escapism this book provides. As I did with the first book, and as I
probably will with the third in the series, I will overuse these three
adjectives: fun, delightful, and
fast-paced. That said (or maybe over-said),
I highly recommend this book and give it four stars.
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