Born Wicked

Gr 7 Up—New England in the 1890s is a perilous place to be female in this tale of witchcraft and romance. The three Cahill sisters-Cate, Maura, and Tess—have inherited their powers from their deceased mother, but if their abilities are discovered, the girls will be in deadly danger from the ruling Brotherhood. A trio of sisters is key to a prophecy predicting the downfall of the Brotherhood, and the crushing misogyny of the Brothers is terrifying. Cate, the eldest, is desperate to protect her siblings, but the Sisterhood (a female community subsumed under the Brotherhood) has its own agenda, and the Cahill girls are trapped within it. Spotswood is spot-on not only in her vision of this nightmarish alternate society, but also in her smooth melding of historical and (slightly) gothic romance with the strong spice of suspense. Natural dialogue, perceptive primary and secondary characterizations, and a palpable sense of place contribute to an involving plot and move the action rapidly forward. Whiffs of humor and a sly wit reminiscent of the best Regency romances accompany a potent love triangle that will charm readers. When handsome Finn Belastra reveals his heroic side, Cate thinks: "If he was handsome before, now he's doubly so. Still, I can't go falling in love with the gardener." While three witch sisters and a prophecy may echo television's Charmed Ones, there the similarity ends in this original, smoothly written adventure. This first title in the series is more than promising; readers will be swooning for the next one.—Janice M. Del Negro, GSLIS Dominican University, River Forest, IL