A Most Improper Magick [Paperback]

Lookout Regency England: Kat Stephenson has landed. We may be in Jane Austen territory, but my guess is that Mr Darcy and co wouldn't last five minutes with the unladylike heroine of A Most Improper Magick. In the midst of polite Regency society, Kat Stephenson is a character who swims against the tide of social-climbing stepmothers, villainous lords and very proper older sisters in empire line dresses. Where the Bennett sisters would swoon, she swaggers. She's easy to relate to: as the youngest of four, she's forever bossed around and treated like a nuisance by the older siblings who foolishly fail to recognise how quite formidable their kid sister really is. She's boisterous, independent and doesn't care for etiquette. And if all that isn't enough to tell you that she's the kind of character who'll turn this polite society upside down, she's also MAGIC. What could be better than that?

Because the most intriguing thing about A Most Improper Magick has to be its take on the supernatural world. There's your regular witchcraft, of course: love spells and enchantments and more sinister dark varieties. And then there's the power of the Guardians: a potent inherited magic possessed by those who belong to the secret Order that Kat stumbles across when her late mother's golden mirror transports her to another dimension. As this is the first book in a series, we're shown just enough of this world to pique our interest, as Kat has her first taste of magic, sorts out her sisters' love lives and makes her own mind up about the mysterious Order of Guardians. It's clear there'll be much to discover in the next instalment, and I can't help wondering whether Kat's family - particularly witchcraft-practising middle-sister Angeline - will be the cause of her troubles next time around.

Amidst all the magic and matchmaking, A Most Improper Magick gives us a proper page-turning adventure story. Kat fearlessly encounters shady aristocratic villains, sneaks around the gothic Grantham Abbey and even throws herself in the path of highwaymen - and all with a cheeky wit and resourcefulness that makes her exactly the kind of heroine a reader can't help rooting for. It's a story that shows a different side to the refined Regency world you read about in other books or see on TV: an unladylike side that's more fun than I ever could have expected to find there.

A Most Improper Magick is a treat of a book. Packed with magic, mischief and peril, it's a good old fashioned yarn with a 21st century style heroine. I'd recommend it to tweens or younger teens looking for a wicked supernatural adventure with added girl power.

It's 1803. 12-year-old Kat Stephenson has chopped off her hair, put on boy's clothing and is running away from home to save her family's fortune. Her eldest sister, Elissa, drags her back before she even gets to the bottom of the garden.

The Stephenson family stands on the verge of ruin. Eldest son, Charles, has gambled away the family's fortune and does little but sit in his room since being sent down from Oxford University for bad behaviour. There is little prospect of Mr Stephenson, a respectable vicar, of restoring the family's position as his own reputation was damaged by the fact that his first wife - Kat's mother - was a notorious and flagrant witch.

Kat's step-mother has a solution - marry Elissa off to Sir Neville Collingwood, one of the wealthiest men in England. Unfortunately Sir Neville is 20 years older than Elissa and has an unsavoury reputation of his own, thanks to the mysterious death of his first wife.

Kat and her middle sister, Angeline, will do anything to stop the wedding from happening and both are prepared to use an inheritance from their mother to do it - magic. As Kat sets about trying to save her family, she learns more about her real mother's magical heritage and in particular an ancient and secretive magical Order that seeks to claim her for her own.

Stephanie Burgis's debut novel is a charming mix of adventure, highwaymen, magic and spirited heroines - a mix of Diana Wynn Jones and Jane Austen. Kat is a wonderful character - smart, spirited, determined and resolute - she wants the best for her family and will do anything to save them. Her growing discovery of her magical powers and the truth about her mother is well depicted while her encounters with certain members of the Order never quite go the way you expect.

Particularly good is the portrayal of Kat's relationship with her sisters. As the youngest, Kat feels excluded from serious conversations and the three of them constantly bicker and squabble, there's a real sense of love and devotion between them all as well as the exasperation. Although Kat's stepmother comes close to cliché, with her sniffy attitude to Kat's real mother, Burgis keeps her believable and fans of Jane Austen will recognise the type.

All in all, it's a sparkling fun read with a great set-up for the sequel, which I will definitely be reading.

Jane Austen references? Magic? A feisty heroine? An adventure? YES PLEASE!
A Most Improper Magick, The Unladylike Adventures of Kat Stephenson is a funny, witty and insanely sweet read. I fell in love with Kat after the first line and I have *loved* the book from beginning to end!

The setting of the book is Regency England and you can really feel that Stephanie Burgis is a fan of Jane Austen. But it is Regency England with one of the most stubborn, incorrigible and adventure-seeking heroine! Kat Stephenson is a girl who has her own ideas on things and will definitely not let anyone convince her otherwise. She is loud, nosy and if there is one foolish thing to do, you can bet your chocolate cupcake that Kat will be the one to do it. Kat is my kind of girl for sure! I love her lively spirit and her personality and I have been laughing out loud at her tricks during the entire book!

Kat's relation with her sisters Angeline and Elissa is so amazingly realistic! They are sisters but are nothing alike and even though they don't exactly get along perfectly, they love each other deeply and would do anything for each other. I love that family feeling to the story and no matter what Kat felt, she really wasn't alone any step of the way. Elissa is the perfect Victorian heroine and I loved how Kat kept telling her to stop reading those ridiculous Gothic novels of hers - how very Jane Austen! The characters in general, from the sisters' Stepmama to Mr Carlyle and Mr Gregson, are all very colourful and I really enjoyed the dynamics between them.

The magic element is *awesome* I love how it is woven in the story and how Kat discovers her powers. The storyline about Kat's mother is very adorable and it was great to see Kat only trusting herself and her sisters and give all those adults the brush-off! The story is told from Kat's point of view - she is such an amazing character to follow! Since she is twelve years old, she has opinions of her age about men (eww) and acting like a lady (so useless when you can go on adventures!).

This book will warm your heart and bring huge smiles. The story is very original and is a great start if you want to bring your kids to get started on Regency novels! You will fall for the feisty Kat Stephenson who should definitely be hailed as a one of a kind heroine!