A Reckless Magick - Book Review

A Reckless Magick

Stephanie Burgis

Middle Grade Historical Fantasy

(Book #3 in the Kat Series)

Synopsis:

With just days to go before her sister Angeline’s long-delayed wedding to Frederick Carlyle, the impetuous Kat Stephenson has resigned herself to good behaviour. But Kat’s initiation into the magical Order of the Guardians is fast approaching, and trouble seems to follow her everywhere.

First, Kat must contend with the wretched Mrs. Carlyle’s attempts to humiliate her sister; the arrival of the mysterious Marquise de Valmont, who bears suspicious resemblance to Kat’s late mother; and Frederick’s bewitching cousin Jane, who has Charles Stephenson tripping over his feet. But when a menacing boy with powerful magic starts hunting Kat, a dastardly villain tries to kill Angeline, and the Guardians face a magical robbery that could spell the end of their Order, propriety becomes the least of Kat’s concerns.

Can Kat save her sister’s life, the Order of the Guardians, and England itself before it’s too late?

Review:

This series has been a total blast! Each book has been brilliant and this final volume was no exception. Although I’m secretly hoping that the story may one day continue – for now though I can honestly say that I have loved every minute of Kat’s journey. Truly a pleasure to read.

This story picks up a few weeks after the last book. Newly returned from their holiday in Bath, the Stephenson family are only days away from Angeline’s marriage to Frederick Carlyle. But while everyone else is running around making final wedding preparations, Kat herself is preparing for her greatest test of all – her initiation into the order of the Guardians.

However as usual, nothing ever runs smoothly when Kat is involved. She soon finds herself plagued with mysterious accidents, and ghosted where ever she goes by a strange boy who she is sure, is linked to the disappearance of the Guardians magical portals. Yet when he starts targeting her family, Kat realises she may just be in over her head and time is running out. Can she save her family, secure the future of England and see her sister happily married before it’s too late? Well, you will have to read it yourself and find out…

I’ll say it again. I loved this series. From the very first book I was hooked and Stephanie Burgis has done a marvellous job in creating an original and spunky heroine who girls of all ages will love.

Kat is a young woman of fierce loyalty and has a deep sense of justice. She is smart and headstrong and one of the most marvellous characters that I have ever read. Yet in this final book, we also see Kat begin to mature. She is less brash, biting her tongue to control her temper; she takes responsibility for her actions and begins to make plans before barging into things. It was both enjoyable but bittersweet to see her develop from a young girl into a teenager, but seeing her make this transition really helped to conclude this final book for me.

Yet Kat is not the only character who changes. In this book we see more and more of her family and we get to know each and every one of them very well. We find out about their pasts, their presents, as well as hints of their futures. And for the first time, we get a deeper knowledge of Kats mother – as well as Kats feelings towards her.

The plot is also rich with twists and turns that will keep you guessing. Dangers and intrigues, romance, treason and of course, plenty of humour are all thrown in too. This book has it all, and each of these elements come together and make this into a real page turner that I found impossible to put down.

So overall – simply amazing! This is a book I can wholeheartedly recommend to girls of all ages, particularly those who are tomboys, hooligans and general trouble makers! This is a book for you! If you haven’t already, this is a series that you definitely need to check out. 5 stars!