Star Cursed (The Cahill Witch Chronicles)
Gr 7 Up—New England in the 1890s is a perilous place to be female in this alternate history tale of witchcraft and romance. In this sequel to Born Wicked (Putnam, 2012), the Brotherhood cracks down further, forbidding women to work outside the home, and decreeing that girls will no longer be taught to read. The Cahill sisters-Cate, Maura, and Tess-talented witches reunited under the protection of the Sisterhood, are caught up in a power struggle that threatens them all. The smoldering rivalry between Cate and Maura ignites into divisive confrontations even as the Brotherhood's repression of girls and women increases: there is talk of bringing back the burnings. Eldest sibling Cate plays a dangerous game, happily reuniting with her betrothed, Finn, even while the Sisterhood endangers him by setting him to spy on the Brotherhood. This sequel doesn't have quite the drive of its predecessor; the opening is a little slow, and tension is diffused through repetitive confrontation that does not move the story forward. Still, there are enough stolen kisses to hold those with romance on their minds, and enough chase and escape to hold others. Cate spends a lot of time considering consequences, which, after a few hundred pages, seems an awful lot like fretting. The world-building creaks a little as Spotswood expands its borders but the center still holds. Characterization takes a backseat to plot. There are a number of undeveloped new characters, and already introduced characters show little growth, with Maura's development particularly one-note. Happily for fans of the first book, the big reveal at the conclusion is a genuine shocker, and readers will be anxious to discover if the final betrayal will move Cate to action.—Janice M. Del Negro, GSLIS Dominican University, River Forest, IL