Review: Sister's Fate

Info: 

Title: Sister's Fate
Author: Jessica Spotswood
Series: The Cahill Witch Chronicls #3
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Publication Date: August 14, 2014
Source: Purchased.

Synopsis:
CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR STAR CURSED!!

A fever ravages New London, but with the Brotherhood sending suspected witches straight to the gallows, the Sisters are powerless against the disease. They can’t help without revealing their powers—as Cate learns when a potent display of magic turns her into the most wanted witch in all of New England. 

To make matters worse, Cate has been erased from the memory of her beloved Finn. While she’s torn between protecting him from further attacks and encouraging him to fall for her all over again, she’s certain she can never forgive Maura’s betrayal. And now that Tess’s visions have taken a deadly turn, the prophecy that one Cahill sister will murder another looms ever closer to its fulfillment.

Review:
I'm going to miss this series so bad! After the huge ending of Star Curses, I could not wait for this book and it delivered everything I was hoping for.

I really loved Cate throughout the series, imperfections and all. I appreciated how much she did care about her sisters, despite everything that was going on. I also loved Tess. I really felt for her, with everything going on with the prophecy, but also with the more mundane struggle of growing up, especially with a big sister as protective as Cate. Maura drove me bit up the wall. I know she was opinionated and her opinions differed from Cate's, but she really was painfully stubborn and I have so much trouble forgiving her for the end of Star Cursed.

It was a bit tough to watch Cate and Finn, after the ending of Star Cursed. But I did enjoy the development there and I don't really want to say too much more for the sake of spoilers.

There is a ton of action in this one, which was to be expected in the final book of a trilogy. I loved seeing a bit of all of Cate's friends in the finale. I really loved Mei and Rilla, so I was glad they had parts in this story.

Overall, I'm sad to see this series end and I can't wait to see what Jessica Spotswood does next!

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WoW: Sister's Fate

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pick:

Sister's Fate by Jessica Spotswood

WARNING: Blurb contains major spoilers of previous books.

A fever ravages New London, but with the Brotherhood sending suspected witches straight to the gallows, the Sisters are powerless against the disease. They can’t help without revealing their powers—as Cate learns when a potent display of magic turns her into the most wanted witch in all of New England. 

To make matters worse, Cate has been erased from the memory of her beloved Finn. While she’s torn between protecting him from further attacks and encouraging him to fall for her all over again, she’s certain she can never forgive Maura’s betrayal. And now that Tess’s visions have taken a deadly turn, the prophecy that one Cahill sister will murder another looms ever closer to its fulfillment.


This is a book I am so excited to read! I love this series so much and it will be bittersweet to see it end this summer. I miss the old cover style though. :(

Review: Star Cursed

Info:
Title: Star Cursed
Author: Jessica Spotswood
Series: The Cahill Witch Chronicles #2
Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons
Publication Date: June 18, 20143
Source: Purchased

Synopsis:

With the Brotherhood persecuting witches like never before, a divided Sisterhood desperately needs Cate to come into her Prophesied powers. And after Cate's friend Sachi is arrested for using magic, a war-thirsty Sister offers to help her find answers—if Cate is willing to endanger everyone she loves.

Cate doesn't want to be a weapon, and she doesn't want to involve her friends and Finn in the Sisterhood's schemes. But when Maura and Tess join the Sisterhood, Maura makes it clear that she'll do whatever it takes to lead the witches to victory. Even if it means sacrifices. Even if it means overthrowing Cate. Even if it means all-out war.

In the highly anticipated sequel to Born Wicked, the Cahill Witch Chronicles continue Cate, Maura and Tess's quest to find love, protect family, and explore their magic against all odds in an alternate history of New England.


Review:
Jessica Spotswood sure knows how to stab me right in the feels. I am so angry right now! But those are the best sort of books in my opinion, the ones that make you irrationally hurt and angry about events that never even happened.

This series is honestly magical (pardon the pun)! I am so invested in the characters and the plot events and enraged by the world Spotswood has created. Somehow, she has managed to combine three of my favourite stories into one amazing story: dystopian, Victorian and magic.

I love Cate as a heroine. She's not perfect, but she cares so much about the people she loves and she doubts herself, which is something I know I would do in her position. I also appreciate her sisters, Maura and Tess. I feel like their relationships are so realistic, as sibling rivalries and competitions can certain exist. I also loved getting to meet the other girls in the Sisterhood, Rilla and Mei especially.

The world-building in this series is amazing. I felt a current of anger every time I read about the Brotherhood and how horrid they were. I honestly can't wait to see how things play out in New England.

And the ending! I'm still reeling! I'll admit that I threw a little tantrum at the end, slamming down my book and clenching my hands into fists of anger. If you thought the ending of the last book was bad... But I'm a little crazy and actually love endings like this.

I am crazy about this series and I think I can safely classify it as one of my all-time favourites. It combines so many of my favourite things and I love Cate and I am dying to know what happens next!

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Review: Born Wicked

Info:

Title: Born Wicked
Author: Jessica Spotswood
Series: The Cahill Witch Chronicles #1
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Publication Date: February 7, 2012
Source: Purchased.

Synopsis:

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they’re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave.

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word... especially after she finds her mother’s diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family’s destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.

If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren’t safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other.

Review:

I fell in love with Born Wicked from the very start and that love never once faltered until the last page. Born Wicked is a well thought out combination of Victorian/Edwardian society and a dystopian society, both of which are settings I love. Not to mention the addition of magic and witch-hunts.

I think the world-building is what really make me fall in love with this story. I felt like I was right in Cate's world with her, frustrated and helpless in the face of both the Brotherhood and the Sisterhood. There were so many times I just wanted to shout and hit people and generally throw a tantrum about the situation Cate and her sisters were put into. I love the combination of old-fashioned manners and societal rules merged with a dystopian type government and the presence of magic.

I really enjoyed Cate as a character. She was definitely flawed, but there were so many good qualities in her that I admired. Honestly, she reminded me a lot of Katniss; she was so committed to doing what was best for her family, no matter what. Don't get me wrong, there were times I wanted to shake Cate, but there were at least as many times that I wanted to give her a big hug. There was so much pressure on her and she was forced to shoulder it alone.

I also enjoyed the other characters, especially Cate's sisters, Maura and Tess. Maura was high-spirited and strong-willed and her and Cate naturally butted heads in a way that felt like such a genuine sister rivalry. And little Tess was absolutely adorable and was probably my favourite character. If Cate was Katniss, then Tess would be Prim. There were also a few boys involved in Cate's life. I had a personal favourite, but I don't want to give away too much.

Not all of the characters were loveable, however. The Brothers made me feel ill and angry and violent. Elena rubbed me the wrong way from the start. But the character that made me the most angry never actually appeared in the book: Cate's decreased mother. I feel bad being so angry with someone who's dead, but she left such a burden for Cate and kept them so sheltered and ignorant.

Overall, I absolutely loved Born Wicked. The ending hit me square in the feels and I actually shed a few tears (something I haven't done in a while). I can't wait to get my hands on Star Cursed!

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