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Dec 13, 2014callmeprincess rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
"My mother say that I must not pass too near the glass: she is afraid that I will see a little witch that looks like me..."-Sarah Morgan Bryan Piatt. I must confess that I have read a good quantity of books about witches over the years, but this book had instantly became one of my favorites. I wasn't expecting that much when I first borrowed the book, but just like magic I fell under its spell. Book 1 in the Cahill Witch Chronicles, "Born wicked", the writer Jessica Spotswood is an enormously talented author whose prose is gorgeous and full and lush and makes me want to live in the world she's created, an alternate history of America in the 1890s with secret underground witches. Beautifully crafted, it not only have delicious romance and breathtaking magic it also touches on family issues and the sacrifices you have to make to protect your loved ones. Cate and her two sisters are witches. In a society ruled by the strict, religious Brotherhood, they strive to keep their secret from them whom they have to display absolute obedience to, despite the Brothers' hatred toward witches and women alike. In a few months until her sixteenth birthday, Cate must either choose a husband or have the Brotherhood choose one for her. Or, of course, the other option is to join the Sisterhood, a religious convent in New England. But how could a witch be part of the Sisterhood? Cate doesn't believe it's safe. Everyone expects her to choose Paul, a childhood friend who has returned from New England to propose to her. But her true feelings lie in Finn, their bookish gardener. Cate must protect her sisters at all costs, and as more secrets from her mother and godmother's past start to unravel, everything is going to change for the worse. The tile is called "Born Wicked", even though the girls weren't "wicked" per say, they were educated by the Brotherhood ever since they were little that sorcery was evil and that witches are wicked. They were born with those powers therefore making them wicked. Our main character is Cate, She is a headstrong girl that has to watch over her younger sisters when their mother died, therefore taking on a motherly role at a young age. The sweet and obedient Tess is the youngest and, even though she barely got her powers, she is the most talented. I liked the relationship between her and Cate – they helped and understood each other and there wasn't anything in the whole world that they wouldn't do to protect the other. Maura is like the troubled child, she is more rebellious, and doesn't like to take orders from Cate. She wants to know more about what she could do with her power and she doesn't want to waste this gift by hiding. I loved the family dynamics, with a bit of sister rivalry and some fights. It showed that even though it wasn't the perfect family, they still loved each other; and even though they didn't always agree with each other, they still tried to protect each other no matter what. I could definitely see why most people would be into the romance portion of the story, but it just wasn't for me. The plot line was delivered flawlessly with enough twists and turns, and the ending was a cliff-hanger which made the readers realize that it's only the beginning for those sisters. This is a series you do not want to miss! Seriously.