Monday, May 26, 2008

Bewitching Season - A Charming Read

I'm really enjoying BEWITCHING SEASON and I thought I'd better stop and write a post now that I'm at the midway point.

This novel is drenched in the history of the times. Doyle's worldbuilding is excellent. As you read, you learn all about how a young woman is introduced to society, about the feathers she wears in her hair, the train of her gown, how to approach the queen and even more important, how to back away from the queen while wearing a gown with a long train.

Percy is the darker twin and it makes her an interesting point-of-view character. Except for occasional jumps to Ally's point of view, we remain locked solidly behind Percy's eyeballs. And Persephone has done something very naughty, indeed. Appropriately enough, her naughty deed is making her miserable.

A couple of new characters have turned up, including the plain and plump Sarah ("Sally") Louder, who made her debut with the twins, and whom Percy befriends, and two more young men, Frederick ("Freddy") Gilly and the Viscount Carharrick, whose first name is not yet given. And we mustn't forget Ally's younger sister, Lorelei ("Lorrie"), who is their own age. Ally's entire family either uses magic, or is familiar with it.

Percy and Pen are hampered in their quest to find Ally by their own position in society. Thanks for a magical spell, they know where Ally is being held, but they cannot go anywhere without an escort. Doyle does a great job showing that such highborn young women enjoy almost no freedom.

And drat it all, but they just cannot seem to be able to find a dependable lady's maid!

8 comments:

Melissa said...

Thanks for the review. I think I will check this one out. After checking out Take Me There, I realized that I absolutely love the whole paranormal/romance genre. It makes the book much more enjoyable to read.

Kimber Li said...

Awesome! Another great YA Fantasy Historical. Or is it Paranormal Romance? I guess it depends on the ages of the heroines, if there's an HEA, and just what that naughty thing that one twin did.

Anonymous said...

This one definitely sounds fun. It makes me think of Jane Austen, too.

Tia Nevitt said...

This is a YA Fantasy Historical. Definitely YA. And yes, it does its homage to Jane Austen. However, this novel takes place decades after her death, when styles have changed and women's freedoms were much more curtailed.

I finished it within a few hours of writing this. Final review forthcoming!

Kimber Li said...

Can't wait! I've never gotten into Paranormal Romance, but I'm really enjoying Fantasy Historicals.

Carole McDonnell said...

I hope the plain and plump Sarah is treated respectfully...and has a happy ending all her own. Plain and plump women are never treated well in romances. Sounds like a fun book. -C

Tia Nevitt said...

Percy befriends Sarah and because of her, Sarah has her own Happily Ever After.

Tabitha said...

This is on my reading list. I keep hearing nothing but great things about it.

Marissa is an active member on the Verla Kay boards. She's very helpful to writers who haven't gotten that book contract yet. :)