Bargain Ebook: Sorcery & Cecelia: or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot (Book One) by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer

I have a few--well more than a few--of books on my ebook wishlist, books I adore and want in any format I choose to read, ones I don't mind the price even if I already own a paper copy because having it available on my Kindle, phone, computer, anywhere I fancy is a comfort and joy. One of those books I just discovered was released in ebook format in May. And I think from looking at the date that the last time I checked for it was just a few weeks prior and I have again personal proof how crazy my summer (year!) has been that it took me a few months to discover it.

Anyway, it's no new revelation to many readers here, but the even better news is that today and for a short while it is marked down to $2.99! The book is Sorcery & Cecelia: or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot (Book One) by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer.

Back when I sponsored a book club, this is the ONLY book which almost everyone in the group actually read from beginning to end and then enjoyed discussing. I don't know about your book clubs, but my experience is that almost all of them spend ten minutes on the book, another 15 choosing the next title and then the rest discussing jobs, family, etc. instead of the book because no one really enjoyed the book or "had the time" to finish it. And that group was not a heavy fantasy or historical fiction reading group which are the genres this book most comfortably fits within.

It's one of the books I searched high and low for back in the day before it was reprinted since it had reached epic recommendation levels and battered paperback editions sold for $75. I was blessed with my first copy by a SurLaLune reader (early, early days of SurLaLune) sending me her used paperback and then I bought the hardcover when it was rereleased a few years later.

There are sequels, too, which I enjoy. I have them all. But the first is the best, of course. And it makes perfect light summer reading, too. Combined with the story of how the book came to be written--the ebook includes new extras that cover that--this is a great choice to read or reread this month.

Not everyone loves it since it is lighter reading than they want, but most people thoroughly enjoy it for what it is. I hope you do, too. Here's the two sequels while we're here, but they are regular priced $7.99 for now.

 

Book description for Sorcery and Cecelia:

Two girls contend with sorcery in England’s Regency age

Since they were children, cousins Kate and Cecelia have been inseparable. But in 1817, as they approach adulthood, their families force them to spend a summer apart. As Cecelia fights boredom in her small country town, Kate visits London to mingle with the brightest lights of English society.

At the initiation of a powerful magician into the Royal College of Wizards, Kate finds herself alone with a mysterious witch who offers her a sip from a chocolate pot. When Kate refuses the drink, the chocolate burns through her dress and the witch disappears. It seems that strange forces are convening to destroy a beloved wizard, and only Kate and Cecelia can stop the plot. But for two girls who have to contend with the pressures of choosing dresses and beaux for their debuts, deadly magic is only one of their concerns.

This ebook features illustrated biographies of Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer including rare photos and never-before-seen documents from the authors’ personal collections.