Courtship and Curses
Gr 7 Up-Set in England and Brussels just before the Battle of Waterloo, this supernatural romance features 18-year-old Sophie, a determined young lady who ventures to London to have her formal coming out into society. Polio has left her with a limp and her magical talents compromised. Sophie's idiosyncratic aunts-stern, humorless Isabel and flighty Molly-are as different from each other as they are concerned for Sophie's well being and are watching over her as she makes her debut. Romance blooms for the young witch after a terrible accident at a ball where she meets Lord Peregrine Woodbridge. Their first encounter is not auspicious, but, predictably, their love grows despite rough patches. Lady Parthenope, Lord Woodbridge's cousin, becomes her ally and confidante. The excitement of romance and fancy parties is dulled for Sophie because her own powers have alerted her to the fact that someone is using magic to try to harm her father and other leaders of the British War Office. Sophie hopes to make her abilities stronger so she can save everyone. With vividly descriptive prose and lively characterization, Doyle balances the strands of this novel. Hints and suspicions are raised along the way about the villain's identity, but in the final chapters Sophie comes to believe in herself enough to save the day. All the loose threads are tied together as Doyle leads readers to a neatly worked out solution.-Renee Steinberg, formerly at Fieldstone Middle School, Montvale, NJα(c) Copyright 2011.  Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.  No redistribution permitted.