Written by Natany Pacheco
The Cahill Witch Chronicles features all of that good old Downton Abbey charm and elegance over the course of the series, even though the story begins with a bit of a cliché as they are sisters living in a big house and have lost one parent. However, the story reveals itself to be a rich and intriguing tale full of details which will keep you hooked up until the very last page, and not to mention, a universe that involves witches, mystery and cruelty in the middle of the 19th century.
In the wake of their mother’s death, the series follows the story of a trio of sisters, Cate, Maura and Jessica Cahill, whom are also witches. In Cate’s world, the Brotherhood controls all aspects of life, and for them, magic is a big no. The Brotherhood are quite totalitarian, and they are known for throwing women into asylums under accusations of sins or witchcraft.
Born Wicked sees sixteen-year-old Cate with just a few months to decide her destiny. In their society, before turning 17, each girl must formally declare her life and marriage intentions by also announcing the husband to be, or they can join the Sisterhood who are the female counterpart of the Brotherhood. And to add a little pressure in her life, when her mother died, Cate made a vow to protect the younger sisters from the Brothers and the rest of world.
It is a difficult choice and she struggles with keeping her sisters and their secret safe while also deciding her fate. The options for marrying are rare, you see, so she decides to seclude herself and the girls from society to avoid being exposed and end up in the asylum.
The middle sister, Maura, is a gorgeous rebel with dreams to live far away from home and because of the wild personality, she always finds trouble. The same can be said about the youngest sister, Tess, and even though she is only 12, she is already proving to have immense powers. Their whole world changes when their not-so-present father hires a new governess to help them become ladies of society. With the new governess joining them, they must also ensure she never finds out they are witches.
In the middle of all these changes Cate finds out about a prophecy that involves her and the sisters, and that can only mean that their lives are in even more danger.
Within the second book, Star Cursed, their adventures continue, but they struggle after Cate makes her choice. A lot has changed for the sisters and for Maura, she has shown a different side of her personality, which is not so charming if you ask me. Tess also keeps building her powers and as they grow, she becomes a greater threat to all witches.
Cate tries her hardest to protect them from all the dangers in their lives from the Brotherhood, the other witches, themselves, and the rest of the world. This volume made me cry like a baby in the end, so you’ve been warned.
Not a lot can be said about the third book, Sister’s Fate, without giving spoilers but let me just say, it is amazing. The end was criticised by some readers, saying that such a heated and involving series deserved a breathtaking end. In a sense it was, but I understand why the author chose to go resolve it smoothly since the whole series was so intense and full on that this one needed to be a little calmer. She ties up all the storylines and it ends up being quite beautiful.
The author, Jessica Spotswood, can be a little cruel sometimes just like George R. R. Martin or Cassandra Clare by going on a killing spree and you find yourself losing the characters you love most, or even worse than killing… But if one thing is for sure, she focused on giving depth to the story and made you feel as though you were there in New London to being afraid of the Brotherhood and also longing to end their reign of totalitarianism, and that is absolutely brilliant making it an exceptional read!
Have you read the series? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
