December 17, 2012

Book Review: A Tangle of Magicks by Stephanie Burgis

Warning, this review contains mild spoilers about Kat, Incorrigible (US)/A Most Improper Magick (UK)
UK Edition
Also, A Tangle of Magicks is the UK version of Renegade Magic

At First Sight: For a moment there, it seemed like things would finally take a turn for the better for Kat Stephenson and her family, as her oldest sister Elissa is about to marry her love, Mr. Collingwood; and her middle sister Angeline, has her Mr. Frederick Carlyle.

But everything goes wrong on the day of Elissa and Mr. C's wedding, when the ceremony is interrupted by an irate Mrs. Carlyle, Frederick's mother, who isn't so keen on her son's showing interest in Angeline, and drags him away leaving scandal and a heart-broken Angeline behind.

To top it all off, Kat has finally met the head of the Order of the Guardians, and he's none too impressed with with Kat, and that has put her admittance to the order in serious jeopardy. And that's before her stepmother drags them all to Bath, so Angeline can find a new suitor.

Second Glance: I was so looking forward to reading A Tangle of Magicks/Renegade Magic since I loved Kat during her previous story. And for the most part I really did like book 2 but I also struggled a lot to make my way through.

US Edition
I liked it while I was reading it but it was too easy for me to put it down; and I found some things that really irritated me, namely, Kat's family. They were nice for the most part but Angeline comes of as mean more often than not, and Charles as a bit useless and clueless, same with Mr. Stephenson who really seemed to be completely disconnected from what went on in his family.

Mrs. Stephenson was awful as usual, but at least she was trying, in a misguided way, to do something for her family. It's with her relatives - Mrs. Wingate and her daughters - that the Stephensons stay with at Bath, and some of them were just as horrid as her, though I did like Lucy, the youngest daughter of Mrs. Wingate for the most part.

Bottom Line: In the end I liked A Tangle of Magicks/Renegade Magic, but it didn't have the same spark that Kat, Incorrigible had. Maybe I just missed the balance that Elissa brought in the circle of sisters. I don't know. But it still was a lovely middle grade book with a magic bent; and I'm looking forward to the next book. 
starstarstar2/3
Alex

Full Cover Image! Isn't it cute?

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