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In nineteenth-century Angland, magic is reserved for gentlemen while ladies attend to the more practical business of politics. But Cassandra Harwood has never followed the rules...Four months ago, Cassandra Harwood was the first woman magician in Angland, and she was betrothed to the brilliant, intense love of her life.
Now Cassandra is trapped in a snowbound house party deep in the elven dales, surrounded by bickering gentleman magicians, manipulative lady politicians, her own interfering show more family members, and, worst of all, her infuriatingly stubborn ex-fiancé, who refuses to understand that she's given him up for his own good.
But the greatest danger of all lies outside the manor in the falling snow, where a powerful and malevolent elf-lord lurks...and Cassandra lost all of her own magic four months ago.
To save herself, Cassandra will have to discover exactly what inner powers she still possesses – and risk everything to win a new kind of happiness.
A witty and sparkling romantic fantasy novella that opens a brand-new series for adults from the author of Kat, Incorrigible, Masks and Shadows and Congress of Secrets.
"With its unique twist on the Regency Era, SNOWSPELLED is clever, romantic, and filled with magic. Stephanie Burgis is a fresh new voice and I can't wait to see what she does next. Bring on the sequel!"
– Ilona Andrews, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of the Kate Daniels series and the Hidden Legacy series
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anonymous user Both light fantasy comedies-of-manners, combining Heyer-world with magical colleges
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{First of prequel +3 Harwood Spellbook series; fantasy, YA}
In a parallel universe where women are the politicians who rule Angland and magic is the preserve of gentlemen Cassandra Harwood has fought hard to forego following in her mother’s brilliant political footsteps and be accepted instead to the Great Library to study magic.
The story opens four months after, having graduated at the top of her class, she has made a tragic mistake that cost her all her magic and caused her to break off her engagement with Lord Wrexham. She finds herself talked into attending a house party with her brother and sister-in-law for the winter solstice even though she knows Wrexham will be attending too.
They arrive in the teeth of a snowstorm which the weather wizards had predicted wouldn’t start for several days, which is unusual even for such an imprecise art. And then Cassandra finds herself trapped by a rash promise which makes her realise she has even more to lose than she thought she had lost already if she doesn’t fulfill it by the solstice.
I liked the obvious affection between Cassandra and her brother and her sister-in-law and the romance was sweet and believable rather than spur-of-the-moment. Her romantic interest was tall, dark, handsome - and sensitive; that was one reason I enjoyed the story since Regency rakes usually lack that last quality. Burgis also turns the accepted norms of traditional Regency romances (of gender, race and so on) on their heads in the course of the first six chapters without rubbing your nose in it.
Enjoyed this one. Fun, light and sweet. Well crafted; but I did get impatient waiting to find out what exactly Cassandra had done to lose her magic.
4.5 stars ***** show less
In a parallel universe where women are the politicians who rule Angland and magic is the preserve of gentlemen Cassandra Harwood has fought hard to forego following in her mother’s brilliant political footsteps and be accepted instead to the Great Library to study magic.
The story opens four months after, having graduated at the top of her class, she has made a tragic mistake that cost her all her magic and caused her to break off her engagement with Lord Wrexham. She finds herself talked into attending a house party with her brother and sister-in-law for the winter solstice even though she knows Wrexham will be attending too.
“I should think,” she said now, as if idly,show more
“that you would wish to show everyone how little notice you take of any gossip. After all, if we refuse this invitation, you know everyone will say it was because you were too afraid to see Wrexham again.”
My teeth ground together. “I am not afraid of seeing Wrexham.”
“Well, I know that,” Amy said, looking as smug as a cat licking up fresh cream. “But does he?”
Well. It isn’t that I don’t know when I’m being managed. But there are some possibilities that cannot be borne. And the thought of my ex-fiancé’s dark eyebrows rising in his most fiendishly supercilious look at the news of my cowardly refusal…
I drummed my fingers against the table, searching for a way out.
Behind my brother’s outspread newspaper, an apparently disembodied voice spoke. “Better leave early,” my brother said. “It’s meant to snow next week, according to the weather wizards.”
They arrive in the teeth of a snowstorm which the weather wizards had predicted wouldn’t start for several days, which is unusual even for such an imprecise art. And then Cassandra finds herself trapped by a rash promise which makes her realise she has even more to lose than she thought she had lost already if she doesn’t fulfill it by the solstice.
I liked the obvious affection between Cassandra and her brother and her sister-in-law and the romance was sweet and believable rather than spur-of-the-moment. Her romantic interest was tall, dark, handsome - and sensitive; that was one reason I enjoyed the story since Regency rakes usually lack that last quality. Burgis also turns the accepted norms of traditional Regency romances (of gender, race and so on) on their heads in the course of the first six chapters without rubbing your nose in it.
Enjoyed this one. Fun, light and sweet. Well crafted; but I did get impatient waiting to find out what exactly Cassandra had done to lose her magic.
4.5 stars ***** show less
Oh, lovely! Regency-like setting (tech and manners), but clearly a very different world - magic, elves, and trolls are the least of it. Women are the political rulers - men (and only men...until recently) do magic. Having a protagonist who until recently has been utterly focused on her own interests and ignored the rest of the world is an _excellent_ way to avoid "As you know, Bob...". It's a mystery, of sorts, and all the clues are handed to the protagonist and thus to the reader - but they're not obviously clues, they're just things she's noticing/discovering/having pointed out to her for the first time (or at least, the first time she's actually paid attention). It's also a romance, of the annoying "I must give you up for your own show more good, my love!" sort - but they get a rush of brains to the head before the climax, rather than waiting until the last minute. Very enjoyable (short, but complete), and another new author to hunt up all her backlist, yay! show less
This was such a frothy, enchanting read with delightful characters and humorous banter. Full of dapper magicians, lady politicians, angry trolls and elf lords, and with a mix of magic and Regency romance, "Snowspelled" had me under its spell from the start.
I loved Cassandra. She was feisty, intelligent and headstrong, and was struggling to work out who she was after losing her magic. Her ex-fiance, Wrexham, was an absolute charmer and their relationship was full of fun and mayhem. They clearly belonged together. I also loved Cassandra's studious brother, Jonathan, and his wife, Amy, who was stubborn, genteel and mischievous. While the characters weren't particularly complex their interactions always made me smile and the various show more relationships between the four of them were perfect. They were so caring and supportive of each other.
"Snowspelled "was an unexpected find which I thoroughly enjoyed and I am looking forward to reading the sequel. show less
I loved Cassandra. She was feisty, intelligent and headstrong, and was struggling to work out who she was after losing her magic. Her ex-fiance, Wrexham, was an absolute charmer and their relationship was full of fun and mayhem. They clearly belonged together. I also loved Cassandra's studious brother, Jonathan, and his wife, Amy, who was stubborn, genteel and mischievous. While the characters weren't particularly complex their interactions always made me smile and the various show more relationships between the four of them were perfect. They were so caring and supportive of each other.
"Snowspelled "was an unexpected find which I thoroughly enjoyed and I am looking forward to reading the sequel. show less
I received this novella from the author, in exchange for an honest review.
The two novels penned by Stephanie Burgis that I previously read – Masks and Shadows and Congress of Secrets – were both delightful finds, creating a very successful mix between historical events and magic-driven fantasy: not only were they enjoyable books, but they compelled me to search for more information on the history of the times chosen as background, so that I was able to learn details that were previously unknown to me, which is always a plus from my point of view.
You can therefore imagine how thrilled I was when Ms. Burgis contacted me to read and review the first of a series of novellas titled The Harwood Spellbook, set in an alternate Regency show more England, one where magic is quite commonplace. This historical period is one I enjoy reading about, since it brings back fond memories of the times I shared Georgette Heyer’s books with my mother, and the premise for Ms. Burgis’ setting sounded quite fascinating, so I did not waste any time in accepting.
England – here named Angland – is a country where humans, elves, trolls and other creatures coexist more or less in peace, mostly through treaties stipulated after the bloody wars of the past. The country is ruled by women through the Boudiccate (so named after Queen Boudicca, who in this alternate history did manage to overcome the Roman invaders), while men are tasked with the exercise of magic, relinquishing every political power to their wives, mothers, sisters and so on. The most amusing aspect of this social background comes from the overturned customs: men seem more inclined to gossip and trivial pursuits, while women deal with the responsibilities of government and the rule of the land.
Cassandra Harwood is a rule-breaker: to the chagrin of her mother, one of the Boudiccate’s more powerful members, she was never interested in politics, preferring to explore her potential for magic and therefore going against every social convention of the country. Her drive brought her to be accepted in the Great Library, the male academy teaching the finer points of magic, where she distinguished herself and where she met Wexham, a magician of equally strong powers and ultimately her fiancé. As the story starts, however, Cassandra is recovering from the effects of a spell she should never have tried alone, and as a consequence she is forbidden to practice any kind of magic: to do so would mean courting death.
Cassandra feels her life is all but over, and hardly tolerates the sympathy of friends and family members, seeing in it a veiled reproach for the unconventional life choices of the past: for this reason she has broken her engagement with Wexham and is not looking forward to meeting him again at the formal reception in the Cosgrave estate, where the pacts with the Elf kingdom will be renewed. Other concerns will however claim Cassandra’s attention – among them an unseasonable and strangely intense snowfall that all but forces the guests to stay indoors – and she will be compelled to fight for her freedom without the help of the magic that until recently was her second nature.
I read the story in one sitting, unable to let go of the charming atmosphere depicted by the author, one where a subtle vein of humor runs throughout the pages thanks to the upside-down social customs of this alternate version of Regency England. The verbal skirmishes, the strict adherence to conventions, the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle…) snubs exercised by the guests, all the details I expected from interactions based on this historical period were there, but artfully shifted to encompass the differences created by the premise. Here are two delightful examples:
It was a truth universally acknowledged that women were the more pragmatic sex; that was why we were expected to run the government, while the men attended to the more mystical and imaginative realm of magic.
The gentlemen, of course, were expected to remain at the table, until a maid was sent to notify them that it was safe for them to join us in the parlor, meaning that the political conversations were officially finished for the night.
Cassandra is a very enjoyable heroine, stubborn enough to want to pursue her own goals in spite of conventions, but still prone to the weaknesses of the heart, whose existence she outwardly denies only to be constantly reminded – with loving humor – by her brother and sister-in-law, two other characters I liked from the very start. And she can also be courageously strong when the time comes to face dangers or the creepy (oh, so creepy!) Elf lord who challenges her.
As a beginning to a new series, Snowspelled is a very promising one and also a departure from what this author’s previous novels led me to expect, a change of pace that I found totally enjoyable: where Masks and Shadows and Congress of Secrets held a darker core to their background, here the tone is lighter, more a divertissment than anything else, the kind of story that can take my mind off more serious concerns and leave me with the definite sense of having breathed some fresh, invigorating air. Something we all sorely need now and then…
I certainly will look forward to more adventures from Cassandra & friends.
Originally posted at SPACE and SORCERY BLOG show less
The two novels penned by Stephanie Burgis that I previously read – Masks and Shadows and Congress of Secrets – were both delightful finds, creating a very successful mix between historical events and magic-driven fantasy: not only were they enjoyable books, but they compelled me to search for more information on the history of the times chosen as background, so that I was able to learn details that were previously unknown to me, which is always a plus from my point of view.
You can therefore imagine how thrilled I was when Ms. Burgis contacted me to read and review the first of a series of novellas titled The Harwood Spellbook, set in an alternate Regency show more England, one where magic is quite commonplace. This historical period is one I enjoy reading about, since it brings back fond memories of the times I shared Georgette Heyer’s books with my mother, and the premise for Ms. Burgis’ setting sounded quite fascinating, so I did not waste any time in accepting.
England – here named Angland – is a country where humans, elves, trolls and other creatures coexist more or less in peace, mostly through treaties stipulated after the bloody wars of the past. The country is ruled by women through the Boudiccate (so named after Queen Boudicca, who in this alternate history did manage to overcome the Roman invaders), while men are tasked with the exercise of magic, relinquishing every political power to their wives, mothers, sisters and so on. The most amusing aspect of this social background comes from the overturned customs: men seem more inclined to gossip and trivial pursuits, while women deal with the responsibilities of government and the rule of the land.
Cassandra Harwood is a rule-breaker: to the chagrin of her mother, one of the Boudiccate’s more powerful members, she was never interested in politics, preferring to explore her potential for magic and therefore going against every social convention of the country. Her drive brought her to be accepted in the Great Library, the male academy teaching the finer points of magic, where she distinguished herself and where she met Wexham, a magician of equally strong powers and ultimately her fiancé. As the story starts, however, Cassandra is recovering from the effects of a spell she should never have tried alone, and as a consequence she is forbidden to practice any kind of magic: to do so would mean courting death.
Cassandra feels her life is all but over, and hardly tolerates the sympathy of friends and family members, seeing in it a veiled reproach for the unconventional life choices of the past: for this reason she has broken her engagement with Wexham and is not looking forward to meeting him again at the formal reception in the Cosgrave estate, where the pacts with the Elf kingdom will be renewed. Other concerns will however claim Cassandra’s attention – among them an unseasonable and strangely intense snowfall that all but forces the guests to stay indoors – and she will be compelled to fight for her freedom without the help of the magic that until recently was her second nature.
I read the story in one sitting, unable to let go of the charming atmosphere depicted by the author, one where a subtle vein of humor runs throughout the pages thanks to the upside-down social customs of this alternate version of Regency England. The verbal skirmishes, the strict adherence to conventions, the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle…) snubs exercised by the guests, all the details I expected from interactions based on this historical period were there, but artfully shifted to encompass the differences created by the premise. Here are two delightful examples:
It was a truth universally acknowledged that women were the more pragmatic sex; that was why we were expected to run the government, while the men attended to the more mystical and imaginative realm of magic.
The gentlemen, of course, were expected to remain at the table, until a maid was sent to notify them that it was safe for them to join us in the parlor, meaning that the political conversations were officially finished for the night.
Cassandra is a very enjoyable heroine, stubborn enough to want to pursue her own goals in spite of conventions, but still prone to the weaknesses of the heart, whose existence she outwardly denies only to be constantly reminded – with loving humor – by her brother and sister-in-law, two other characters I liked from the very start. And she can also be courageously strong when the time comes to face dangers or the creepy (oh, so creepy!) Elf lord who challenges her.
As a beginning to a new series, Snowspelled is a very promising one and also a departure from what this author’s previous novels led me to expect, a change of pace that I found totally enjoyable: where Masks and Shadows and Congress of Secrets held a darker core to their background, here the tone is lighter, more a divertissment than anything else, the kind of story that can take my mind off more serious concerns and leave me with the definite sense of having breathed some fresh, invigorating air. Something we all sorely need now and then…
I certainly will look forward to more adventures from Cassandra & friends.
Originally posted at SPACE and SORCERY BLOG show less
In 19th century Angland, Cassandra Harwood has pursued the contrary course of studying magic, despite all resistance from a culture that says that magic is for the more emotional and creative gender--men. Women, being more pragmatic and more stable, are expected, if they are of the upper classes, to pursue politics.
Cassandra has been successful, having gained admittance to the premier school of magic in Angland, the Great Library, graduated top of her class, and becoming betrothed to her only real competition there, Rajaram Wrexham.
Then something happened. It's a while before we learn what, exactly, but it was bad. Cassandra can't perform magic anymore--it will kill her. And two months after that disaster, her betrothal to Wrexham ends, show more by her choice, for reasons she doesn't explain to anyone.
Two months after that, she's at a snowed-in house party, with Wrexham also in attendance, a variety of people who at best pity her for her misfortune, and much of the ruling council of Angland, the Boudiccate, of which Cassandra's mother had been a prominent member. When two other guests get lost in the storm on the way there, Cassandra is one of those who goes out to locate them. In the process, she encounters a troll, and an elf lord. This the beginning of a possible disaster for all of Angland, as Cassandra has promised to stop people bothering the troll, thinking the troll is only complaining about people tramping all over him, thinking he's a hill. That's not it, and the elf lord, who is not at all friendly, has heard her binding promise. She solves the real problem in a week, or the treaty protecting Angland from the elves is broken.
The real problem is that someone has used magic to create this awful snowstorm, and that's bothering the trolls and preventing the elves from their normal solstice-time pursuits.
So Cassandra is juggling her fraught relations with Wrexham, entangled in politics at the highest levels, trying to figure out who is the weather magician making this storm when no human magician is allowed to do that kind of weather magic, or indeed, able to, since the restrictions on weather magic mean that only the least capable magicians study weather magic at all.
I found it a bit slow getting started, but as I continued reading, I got drawn in. Cassandra, her brother Jonathan (who also defied convention by insisting on studying history rather than magic), and Jonathan's wife, Amy, who is a capable and ambitious politician, are a close-knit and devoted family. Wrexham proves to be far more interesting than the first descriptions suggested, and both the women politicians and the male magicians are shown to have real depth and complexity, not, as might have turned out, mainly egos. Even the ones who are possessed of too much ego are individual and interesting about it.
In the end, after a slightly rough start, I really enjoyed this book.
I received this book via BookFunnel, which means, probably as a free offering from the author's newsletter. I'm reviewing it voluntarily. show less
Cassandra has been successful, having gained admittance to the premier school of magic in Angland, the Great Library, graduated top of her class, and becoming betrothed to her only real competition there, Rajaram Wrexham.
Then something happened. It's a while before we learn what, exactly, but it was bad. Cassandra can't perform magic anymore--it will kill her. And two months after that disaster, her betrothal to Wrexham ends, show more by her choice, for reasons she doesn't explain to anyone.
Two months after that, she's at a snowed-in house party, with Wrexham also in attendance, a variety of people who at best pity her for her misfortune, and much of the ruling council of Angland, the Boudiccate, of which Cassandra's mother had been a prominent member. When two other guests get lost in the storm on the way there, Cassandra is one of those who goes out to locate them. In the process, she encounters a troll, and an elf lord. This the beginning of a possible disaster for all of Angland, as Cassandra has promised to stop people bothering the troll, thinking the troll is only complaining about people tramping all over him, thinking he's a hill. That's not it, and the elf lord, who is not at all friendly, has heard her binding promise. She solves the real problem in a week, or the treaty protecting Angland from the elves is broken.
The real problem is that someone has used magic to create this awful snowstorm, and that's bothering the trolls and preventing the elves from their normal solstice-time pursuits.
So Cassandra is juggling her fraught relations with Wrexham, entangled in politics at the highest levels, trying to figure out who is the weather magician making this storm when no human magician is allowed to do that kind of weather magic, or indeed, able to, since the restrictions on weather magic mean that only the least capable magicians study weather magic at all.
I found it a bit slow getting started, but as I continued reading, I got drawn in. Cassandra, her brother Jonathan (who also defied convention by insisting on studying history rather than magic), and Jonathan's wife, Amy, who is a capable and ambitious politician, are a close-knit and devoted family. Wrexham proves to be far more interesting than the first descriptions suggested, and both the women politicians and the male magicians are shown to have real depth and complexity, not, as might have turned out, mainly egos. Even the ones who are possessed of too much ego are individual and interesting about it.
In the end, after a slightly rough start, I really enjoyed this book.
I received this book via BookFunnel, which means, probably as a free offering from the author's newsletter. I'm reviewing it voluntarily. show less
I was attracted to this one because of the reversed roles of men and women in an alternative Regency England, but it turned out the characters and magic appealed to me more. I liked Cassandra’s first person narration as a strong but flawed woman, dealing with loss caused pretty much entirely by her own pride. She’s paying dearly for a terrible mistake in judgment, and I like how she comes to terms with the fallout.
In the first Burgis book I read, I thought the plot was better than the characterization. In this one, I thought the characters, especially Cassandra, were the strongest part of the book. I enjoyed the magic too, especially how it was used during the unnatural winter storm. I was pleased all Cassandra’s problems show more weren’t solved and tied up with a ribbon at the end, and that she found a way forward to a different version of a happy, fulfilling life.
The role reversal thing wasn’t convincing to me. Even though the men aren’t the governmental power, and they’re the ones who need to be on their guard for compromising situations, they still held a great deal of power where magic was concerned, and one the central conflicts was still women trying to break into a vocation accepted by society as one for men. So that wasn’t as fun or as much of a revelation as I thought it would be.
I did really like where things were going concerning Cassandra and the magic school by the end of the book, and I’m very curious about the side characters’ stories, so I am probably destined to buy the whole series. show less
In the first Burgis book I read, I thought the plot was better than the characterization. In this one, I thought the characters, especially Cassandra, were the strongest part of the book. I enjoyed the magic too, especially how it was used during the unnatural winter storm. I was pleased all Cassandra’s problems show more weren’t solved and tied up with a ribbon at the end, and that she found a way forward to a different version of a happy, fulfilling life.
The role reversal thing wasn’t convincing to me. Even though the men aren’t the governmental power, and they’re the ones who need to be on their guard for compromising situations, they still held a great deal of power where magic was concerned, and one the central conflicts was still women trying to break into a vocation accepted by society as one for men. So that wasn’t as fun or as much of a revelation as I thought it would be.
I did really like where things were going concerning Cassandra and the magic school by the end of the book, and I’m very curious about the side characters’ stories, so I am probably destined to buy the whole series. show less
Oh, I like this world, and I like that the book was short and sweet. Some romantic angst, but not too much. Deeply entertained by how the men are not the political powers, but pleased that the message is about how stupid restricting people into roles because of their gender is. Glad to see some LGBTQ characters in the mix, too. Little bit of cleverness and a whole lot of fiery, stubborn characters who care about each other. Nice.
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- Canonical title
- Snowspelled
- Original publication date
- 2017
- People/Characters
- Cassandra Harwood; Jonathan Harwood; Amy Harwood
- Dedication
- For Vickie Ruggiero: Sister of the Fork, fellow breakfast adventurer, Skype Book Club partner, and more. Here’s to the next 28 years of friendship!
- First words
- Of course, a sensible woman would never have accepted the invitation in the first place.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)For the first time in months, I couldn’t wait to see what the future would bring me.
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- English
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- Reviews
- 23
- Rating
- (3.77)
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- English
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- ISBNs
- 5
- ASINs
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