Born Wicked (The Cahill Witch Chronicles, #1)

Born Wicked
Jessica Spotswood
330 pages
Publisher: Putnam
Source: purchased
★★★★★

You can read the Goodreads summary here.

Cate Cahill and her sisters have been a bit recluse from society since their mother passed away and it's starting to arouse suspicion.  Now their father, with the help of their nosy neighbor, has determined that they need a governess to help them through this trying time, to help them become proper young ladies and to help them find appropriate husbands.  For Cate time is running out, she must choose a suitor by December or the Brotherhood will choose for her.  Speaking of the Brotherhood, Cate and her sisters have to be careful around them because they're notorious witch hunters and the sisters Cahill happen to be witches who are on the verge of destruction, if their deceased mother's diary is correct...

How can you not want to read a novel with that description?  I was happy to read about these charming young witches at the turn of the twentieth century and everything about this novel was charming to me.  I loved the New England setting and the author did a great job of describing the weather and change of the seasons - it really made me pine for autumn up north, something we don't see much of down here in the south.  In addition, the characters are captivating, particularly that of Cate.  She's an independent spirit and if given the proper venue, I think she would be a great fighter for women's rights.  I think she's definitely a heroine young girls can look up to - independent to the core and thus not dependent on a love interest to help her.

But that doesn't mean there can't be a love interest!  Despite being a bit of a recluse, Cate had two prospects in the novel.  The bit of a love triangle kept me on my toes at first, but by the end of the novel there was a clear winner in my head and I'm still pulling for the two-love birds.  I hope to see more of him in the next book.

Finally, I'll add this: Born Wicked isn't just about witchery.  There are hints of mythology throughout the novel, a theme that I suspect will be elaborated on in future novels.  Witchery and mythology - two things that I wouldn't necessarily think go together, but ended up meshing very well, in fact.

Five stars!  I adored this charming novel from debut author Jessica Spotswood.  I can't wait to continue on with the series and see what happens to Cate and her sisters.

10/12 complete!