Sisters' Fate

Sisters' Fate (The Cahill Witch Chronicles #3) by Jessica Spotswood (2014)

Finally, the third and final volume of this series has arrived! When we left the Cahill sisters, the witches had just caused a mutiny at Harwood Asylum and rescued a large group of women who had been committed unjustly and horribly mistreated. But the witches were divided, and Maura was so angry at her sister Cate, she did the worst thing she could think of - she erased Finn's memory so he didn't remember her. I didn’t know how Jessica Spotswood was going to write us out of this horrible situation. Of course I shouldn’t have worried, and I wasn’t disappointed with the wrap-up of this series.

Now, not only are the witches still in danger, but a fever is sweeping New London and the Brotherhood is trying to keep it a secret. The witches want to prevent further spread of the disease without revealing themselves, but as Sister Inez gains more power the Sisterhood's internal rifts only increase.

Since the first book of the trilogy, we’ve known about the prophecy the Cahill sisters are meant to fulfill. One family of three witches, all with the ability to use mind magic: one sister will be an oracle, and one sister will kill another.  I wondered if that last part of the prophecy would come true at all, or whether fate would somehow be thwarted. Tensions increased between all three Cahill sisters as Tess's visions became more and more terrible and real, convincing her she was going mad, and Cate remained furious with Maura for erasing Finn's memory. The conclusion was both exhilarating and satisfying.

I love the world that Spotswood has created for this story. In this alternate New England, witches have been persecuted so heavily that all women are punished, and greatly oppressed by the powerful Brotherhood. The paranoia and secrecy remind me a bit of the Soviet Union or North Korea, though of course old New England has a very different feel from those places.

Although there is romance, the best relationships in the series are those between the sisters and among their friends. We learn a lot about their friends and their friends' families compared to other teen books, but it doesn't get too complicated. It was just enough to make their friends seem real and interesting, and I think it helps remind us that this is their story too, and not just that of the Cahill sisters. There is an awful lot at stake here.

Sisters' Fate is a strong finish to a series that deserves more attention than it has gotten. I realize there's a lot of competition, but not many trilogies are so consistently good from start to finish. But I do what I can as a good librarian and recommend the first volume, Born Wicked, at every opportunity. (Because librarianship is all about making people read the books you love most, right?)

I hate to place undue pressure of authors to keep producing - and I do think it's enough of an accomplishment to write three really good books (or even one) - but I do hope Jessica Spotswood has more in store for us.

Star Cursed

Star Cursed (The Cahill Witch Chronicles #2) by Jessica Spotswood (2013)

Young witch Cate Cahill is now a member of the Sisterhood, learning more about magic in an environment where her powers don't need to be kept secret, yet still heartbroken over the choice to break her engagement with Finn. The Brotherhood have increased their persecution of witches and the Sisterhood are becoming desperate to put a stop to it, but they are divided into two camps. A struggle for leadership of the Sisterhood is brewing as well, because the current leader is ill and Cate has still not come into the powers predicted by the Prophecy.

Even though this book came out in June, I was determined to wait for the audio version to appear because I so enjoyed the audio of Born Wicked. I waited SO LONG. Finally, in desperation, I messaged the lovely and friendly Jessica Spotswood on Goodreads only to learn that there will be no audio. So ultimately I read the print version, while imagining Nicole Sudhaus reading it to me.

Audio or no, I am continuing to enjoy this series a great deal. I already wrote in my review of Born Wicked how much I like the alternate history Spotswood has created, but I didn't mention the strength and bravery of the women and girls in the books. Their situation in this society is complicated, and there aren't any simple solutions. Frequently in YA there is a clear right and wrong and, therefore, good and bad characters. Not so here - it is realistically nuanced as it would be in real life. It is easy see why Sister Inez and her followers feel like action needs to be taken soon, and why they are willing to make sacrifices. Although Cate disagrees, she frequently doubts herself because just as in real life, there is no clear right and wrong. But she makes her decision and sticks to it. Although there are men who are on their side, ultimately it is the women who must take responsibility and take action, and they do it with courage.

Somehow I omitted discussing Cate's romance with Finn in my review of the first book, though I enjoyed it a great deal. It came to what seemed a heartbreaking end but I was happy that Star Cursed brought new hope to that relationship. In this alternate world of 1800s New England same-sex relationships were sometimes a surprise, but not shocking or especially disapproved of. I very much like Spotswoods treatment of the romance between girls and women in her books. It is similar to present-day Massachusetts, where it is generally accepted but not the norm.

There is just so much I liked about this book, basically everything except the title (and I don't have a better idea, so there you go.) It was a very strong second in the series, which will be continued with the more appealingly-titled Sisters' Fate in August. August! After the shocking ending - which was even more upsetting than that of Born Wicked - I do not know how I'll wait until then. I also don't know how the author will resolve the horrible situation she created at the end, but I have faith that she will bring it to a satisfying conclusion. She hasn't disappointed me yet.

Born Wicked

Born Wicked (The Cahill Witch Chronicles #1) by Jessica Spotswood, narrated by Nicole Sudhaus (2012)

Ever since their mother died, Cate has felt a responsibility to take care of her sisters. This proves especially difficult because they are ruled over by the Brotherhood, an oppressive group who seek out and persecute women for the least offense. Cate and her sisters are in great danger if anyone finds out about them because all three of them are witches. Tension mounts when Cate finds her mother's diary and learns of an ominous prophecy. On top of that she is nearing her birthday and will soon have to choose the path of her life, either marriage or joining the Sisterhood. A decision which at first seemed so clear, is becoming more and more difficult to make.

I always feel like it's easier to talk about why I dislike a certain book than why I like it, but in this case I absolutely understand why I loved this book.

As is probably clear to anyone who reads this blog or has ever talked to me about books, I have a soft spot for historical fiction. If it takes place in New England, all the better. But this isn't the New England with which we are familiar, nor is it the world we know. The Western US is colonized by Indo-China, the South under Spanish rule. When Cate and her peers talk about freedom they long for Dubai where women can vote and wear trousers. It's historical AND a dystopia!

I think what makes this book a better pick for me than some paranormals, like The Gathering Storm, is that although it includes paranormal elements they aren't the focus of the story. Obviously, there wouldn't be a story if Cate and her sisters weren't witches, but not many spells are cast during the novel - it's more about the way witches (and all women, when you really get down to it) are persecuted in this society.

Another thing I loved about this book was that Cate didn't exhibit those annoying qualities that plague so many young protagonists. For instance, she wasn't artificially stupid or naive to further the plot, and though there were times when I felt she should tell her sisters secrets she was hiding for seemingly no reason, she didn't hold out for long. Just when I thought she was beginning to act a little bone-headed, she would come through for me.

The narrator on the audio version had a great reading voice and added emotion without melodrama. Combined with the relative simplicity of the writing, this was a good audio pick!

Since this is the first in a series, things didn't wrap up tidily the way I wanted them to, which is why I'm not a writer. (I'm telling you, my books would be SO boring because I wouldn't let the villains be horrible enough nor would I keep the love interests apart for long.) I am only upset that I read this when it was so new. Honestly, I had no idea I'd like it this much and want to read the next books in the series. Now I have to wait until February for the (unfortunately titled) sequel, Star Cursed.