Star Cursed by Jessica Spotswood Review and Giveaway

Star Cursed by Jessica Spotswood

ARC received from Penguin

On Shelves Now

Reviewed by:  Middle Sis Jenn

The Sisters Say:  Beautiful, Infuriating, and Chilling

With the Brotherhood persecuting witches like never before, a divided Sisterhood desperately needs Cate to come into her Prophesied powers. And after Cate's friend Sachi is arrested for using magic, a war-thirsty Sister offers to help her find answers—if Cate is willing to endanger everyone she loves.

Cate doesn't want to be a weapon, and she doesn't want to involve her friends and Finn in the Sisterhood's schemes. But when Maura and Tess join the Sisterhood, Maura makes it clear that she'll do whatever it takes to lead the witches to victory. Even if it means sacrifices. Even if it means overthrowing Cate. Even if it means all-out war.

In the highly anticipated sequel to Born Wicked, the Cahill Witch Chronicles continue Cate, Maura and Tess's quest to find love, protect family, and explore their magic against all odds in an alternate history of New England.

This is by far my favorite series that centers around witches.  I love how Jessica weaves magic into a world full of prejudice and fear—a world rife to explode at any moment.  Fans of Born Wicked will find themselves on the edge of their seats—watching and waiting for the oracle to come forth, for love to be discovered, and for a war to begin.

My favorite aspect of this series is the setting.  I love the picturesque setting of quaint towns on the brink of a new century coupled with the tension and paranoia that bubbles through those very streets.  I’ve always been fascinated with historical tragedies such as the witch trials and Salem, and Jessica does very well in showing how a small spark of fear can catch hold and become an inferno.  The terror and suspicion is evident in every action, every word, and every character. 

I still love Cate as a main character, and what I love even more is that Jessica doesn’t hold true to the ya stereotype that the main character is the most important one.  It makes it so that the story is told from a different point of view in a sense.  I thought this made Cate even stronger character because everyone has been looking to her for guidance, so she knows the pressure of what is expected.  SPOILER:  We get a very strong hint as to who the prophesied witch is at the end of Born Wicked, and I got frustrated that the beginning of this book acted like the final scene in BW never happened.  It was like everyone (including Cate) didn’t have any clue as to who the prophesied witch actually was.  It kind of made me feel like Cate was a bit daft in the head.

Maura was just as infuriating as ever, which is a good and bad thing.  It was great because you know an author has written a character well if you wish that you could grab the girl’s hair and pull as hard as you can just so she can get a small glimpse of the pain she causes.  But, then it’s a bad thing because I truly loathe her.  She’s nieve, obnoxious, reckless, prideful, and just plain mean.  One might say she suffers from the “quintessential middle child syndrome” but I think that’s a bunch of quackery because I’m a middle child and I’m not a crazy, hateful (insert bad word).

Finn was just as delightful as ever, and I found myself disappointed that he wasn’t in more scenes—especially since his scenes are so yummy!  I loved the protective side of Finn; and on more than one occasion I just wanted Cate to run away with him and forget about the rest of the world.  But of course Finn is too honorable for that (I keep wanting to say Flynn because my son is watching Tangled!). 

The pacing of the book was up and down for me.  I felt like everyone was constantly on the edge of a cliff, teetering and almost falling over.  The problem was they were there for the entire book, and it got to the point where I just wanted something big to happen to start the impending war.  Something big does happen, but it’s not until the last 3 pages.  I wanted more action, more magic.

Overall, this was a great sequel, even though it did, at times, fall into the 2^nd book slump.  But the bang of an ending makes up for it, and I am so ready for their world to implode.  Allegiances have been declared, deceit has been unmasked, and the war has started.

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Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood
Published by Putnam
On Shelves NOW!!!!
The Sisters Say:  Bewitching, Beguiling, Beautiful

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they’re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave.

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. Bu...moreEverybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they’re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave.

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word... especially after she finds her mother’s diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family’s destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.

If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren’t safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other.

 

It’s 1896 in a world reminiscent of Salem, a world where witches are hunted, imprisoned, enslaved—or they just disappear.  And right in the middle of it all—the Cahill sisters, Cate, Maura, and Tess. 

The fate of the world rests on these three Witches and one clandestine prophecy. 

This is the first paranormal romance I’ve read that is set in the past, and at first, I didn’t know if I would enjoy it or not.  The first few chapters were very slow, and while it was interesting to see how life was during this time (the petticoats, tea time, misogynistic attitudes toward women), I didn’t know if it was going to keep me interested enough to finish; however, once I passed the first four chapters, I was hooked.  The mystery reeled me in, and I rushed through because I absolutely had to see how it was going to end.

I loved the idea that there is a trio of sister witches.  I mean, I grew up with 2 sisters, who, like me, wished they had magical powers.  I won’t give anything away, either, but I found that the sister’s personalities echoed our own.  Cate, like Amy, is the bossy one—sorry Amy.  Maura, like me, is the troublesome one.  And Tess, like Britt, is the know-it-all.  This made their relationships seems very real to me.

I really enjoyed getting to know Cate, the oldest of the three sisters and the pov from which the book is written.  As her mother was dying, she pleaded to Cate to watch over her sisters, to protect them.  As a result, Cate had to push back her desire to just be a teenager and become the woman of the house.  All is well until Cate turns 17, when she has to announce who she will marry or join the Sisterhood convent.  With this date looming very near in the future, Cate starts to panic not only about which to choose, but how to keep her sisters safe.  This is the part of Cate I loved—seeing her struggle made me connect with her, and I found myself wishing I was a witch in her world so I could help!

But, of course, my favorite part was the boys.  There are two again, and I adore me a good love triangle!  If there are two hot guys in a book, I break out into my happy dance.

First, there’s Paul—the childhood friend turned gentlemen who comes home from New London to court Cate.  He’s charming, rugged, and rich.  Cate has adored Paul since she was a child, and she knows that he would be the perfect man for her to marry.  Only, she struggles to choose because there is another man who has also caught her attention.

 Finn.  Oh, Finn, I absolutely love him.  He’s the gardener (who knows nothing about gardening) and he and his mother own the bookshop in town (which is the subject of scrutiny from the Brotherhood—the religious sect hunting witches).  Cate feels connected to Finn on a deep level, and you will love to see how the romance unfolds!

I loved the romance and the mystery in Born Wicked.  There are many twists and turns that I didn’t see coming, and the prophecy is a doozy!  I keep going over and over again in my mind how I think the prophecy will play out—especially after the cliffhanger ending!  In fact, I’m troubled (more than troubled, let’s say outright in turmoil) that I have to wait a full year for book 2 to come out! 

With the history of The Crucible, the magic of Harry Potter, and the love story of The Mortal Instruments, this is a must read for fans of paranormal romance!!!!  And it’s so original because there aren’t that many books out there that focus completely on witches! 

So—go buy this book, and let me know what you think!!!!! (I think you’ll daydream about Finn, too!)