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| The Mislaid Magician or Ten Years After | 
 enlarge | Authors: Patricia C. Wrede, Caroline Stevermer
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books
Category: Book
List Price: $17.00
Buy New: $6.86
You Save: $10.14 (60%)
Buy New/Used from $5.11
Avg. Customer Rating:  (10 reviews)
Sales Rank: 321325
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Reading Level: Young Adult
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 336
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.8 x 1.1
ISBN: 0152055487
EAN: 9780152055486
ASIN: 0152055487
Publication Date: November 1, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Ten years have passed since Kate and Cecy married Thomas and James, and England is now being transformed by the first railways. When the Duke of Wellington asks James to look into the sudden disappearance of a German railway engineer, James and Cecy's search reveals a shocking truth: The railway lines are wreaking havoc with ancient underground magic, which could endanger the very unity of England. Meanwhile, Kate has her hands full taking care of all their children, not to mention the mysterious mutegirl they rescued from a kidnapper!
Written in letters between Kate and Cecy--and between their husbands--this installment of the cousins' adventuresis another satisfying blend of magic, mystery, adventure, humor, and romance.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
 Once more with children... October 20, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The Mislaid Magician or Ten Years After is the third book in a series constructed by the authors by writing letters back and forth to each other in character. It is now ten years after Kate and Cecelia found and married Thomas and James. Both couples have settled down to raise their families in peace and quiet. But when the Duke of Wellington asks James to find out what happened to a German engineer who was looking into problems with the new railway lines, there's nothing for it. Duty must be met, and James and Cecy drive off to look into the matter. But what starts out as a simple missing persons case quickly turns into treachery, treason, and an ancient magic that binds and protects all of England.
Much like the first volume, Sorcery and Cecelia or the Enchanted Chocolate Pot, this new story take place in a series of letters written back and forth between the principle characters. Unlike the first novel, however, this one includes the letters of James and Thomas as well, giving the reader more angles from which to view the events. And a confusing series of events it is. It appears that the new steam railway engines and long lengths of iron tracks are interfering the nation's ley lines , and of a more immediate and financial issue, the ley lines are interfering with the trains. And while most modern magicians scoff at the idea of actually making use of ley lines, someone clearly has other ideas. As soon as Herr Schellen, the German Engineer, began taking an interest in the local lines and the stone circles built at the nexuses, he mysteriously vanished. And even more mysteriously, someone went to a lot of trouble to make it look like he just left on his own. But too many clues remain, and James and Cecy are determined to discover the truth.
It was good to be reunited with characters I had enjoyed in the previous books, but even more so to get the chance to meet the children of our heroes. The phrase: "I hope you have children just like you", should give you an idea of why the thought brings a smile to my face even now. While not yet old enough to go forth on adventures, the children do not lack in talent for either magic or mischief. And when not causing inordinate troubles for their parents, the children come up with new viewpoints and evidence that will help unravel the greater mysteries, though frequently the two events are not that separate.
An enjoyable book, like the two that preceded it, filled with memorable characters of wit, humor, and attitude.
 Magic and intrigue in the British countryside September 14, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
It's 1828, 10 years since the eventful honeymoon trip chronicled in The Grand Tour, and James and Cecy Tarleton and Thomas and Kate Schofield have settled down to a quiet and contented life in the country. The Tarletons have four children--twins Arthur and Eleanor, nine; Diana, four; and Alexander, an infant. The Schofields have two sons, Edward, six, and baby Laurence. Then the gentlemen's old commanding officer, the Duke of Wellington, recently created Prime Minister, gets in touch. A German magician/engineer, Herr Schellen, has mysteriously disappeared, and the Duke wants James to find him. Since James has no magical skills at all, Cecy must accompany him, which means that the four young Tarletons have to be parked with their "Aunt" Kate--whose sister, the beautiful and fashionable Georgina (now married to Daniel, the Duke of Waltham), has arrived without warning at the very start of the London Season. Then it turns out that several of the children have inherited the parental gift and are experimenting with magic themselves. While Kate tries to cope with this juvenile precocity and with her sister's moods--plus a mysterious prowler who seems immune to her attempts to bespell him--the Tarletons become entangled with a sinister brother and sister, the fittingly named Webbs, whose ancestral home is a nexus of the mysterious ley lines Herr Schellen was supposed to be investigating in connection with the new railroads now being lain across England. When Edward Schofield is inadvertantly kidnapped by what appears to be a female tinker (she isn't), Kate also finds herself responsible for a little girl who not only has a regal bearing suitable to a queen but refuses to talk to any adult. (If you've read any amount of English history you'll guess well ahead of time who Drina really is.) Comic transformations and a vividly described magical duel are among the high points of the tale, which, like its predecessors, is skilfully paced and wonderfully complex, yet in the end is neatly resolved, and also increases our understanding of the magic of this just-slightly-alternate world. With a copyright date of 2006 and the promise that the children will be put in charge of competent magical tutors, we may well look for yet another volume in the adventures of Kate, Cecy, and their families.
The Magician Trap March 22, 2007
29 out of 30 found this review helpful
The Mislaid Magician (2006) is the third Fantasy novel of the Cecy and Kate series, following The Grand Tour. In the ten years since the last magical adventure, Cecelia has birthed the nine year old twins, Arthur and Eleanor, four year old Diana and the baby Alexander. Katherine now has six year old Edward and baby Laurence. In 1828, their life seems to revolve around the nursery.
In this novel, James is called to London to meet with the new prime minister, the Duke of Wellington. While he is gone, Arthur detects a prowler on the grounds of Tangleford Hall and Cecy casts a Greater Cessation spell on him. She expects the intruder to be immobilized, but instead he creeps away, gaining more speed with greater distance.
James receives orders to investigate the disappearance of a Prussian railway surveyor-magician. He and Cecy will be leaving soon for Leeds to discover the whereabouts of Herr Magus Franz Wilhelm Schellen. Apparently the duke has not considered the uproar that would ensue with both parents leaving their children behind.
Naturally, Kate agrees to take the children into the Schofield household. She sends Thomas to meet with the Tarletons in London and take the children in hand for the trip back to Skeynes. While at the Bull and Mouth, Arthur sees the prowler in the stables and gives chase, only to lose contact due to an altercation with a stable boy.
After much too long a ride, Thomas finally arrives back home and lets lose the Tarleton children among his own. Since they are returning to a familiar estate, the children soon reestablish old connections. This time Arthur gets Thomas to teach him how to scry with a bowl of ink and the children start using this skill to play a new form of hide and seek.
In Leeds, James soon discovers traces of the surveyor-magician. He also runs into Daniel, the Duke of Waltham and errant husband of Georgy. The duke is staying with Ramsey and Adella Webb, who invite the Tarletons to the house party at Haliwar Tower.
Meanwhile, the Duchess of Waltham has appeared at Skeynes in a very despondent state, shedding tears on the carpets and furniture. Despite Kate's best efforts, Georgy refuses to discuss her problems. Only the children provide some relief from her vaporish mood; indeed, she is quite cheerful with the babies.
Arthur and Eleanor begin detailed mapping the grounds of Skeynes. Edward develops an interest in the household wards. Then another child joins the nursery and Diana becomes her devoted follower.
Like its predecessors, this story is a mystery with magical overtones. Naturally, Thomas is the best trained magician in the group, but Cecy is quite proficient. Kate knows fewer spells -- actually only three -- but she is very competent with those; in fact, she demonstrates great strength with those spells when her children are threatened. Then there are the twins, who develop surprising competency with scrying spells.
Highly recommended for Wrede & Stevermer fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of domestic crises, magical and mundane investigations, and political conspiracies in a historical milieu.
-Arthur W. Jordin
better than book 2 but still searching for the magic January 20, 2007
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
I will assume the reader has read Sorcery And Cecelia. If not, go out and do so right away.
The second book was a letdown in many ways, but this third book does better at capturing the spark that made the first one so fun. Part of this is that, as in the first one, the main characters are separated the entire time. All we see are letters they write to each other.
The problem is that the plot is weak. Very weak. The bad guys are silly and not directly threatening, their motivations are boring, and we never get the sense of mysterious evil that we have in the first book.
Also, the railroad thing was probably something that sounded like a good idea but, in the end, didn't really work. There's no real resolution of it, nor is it really important.
In fact, resolution is a problem all around, because everything gets resolved much to quickly and with not nearly enough direct input from the main characters.
All that being said, the characters feel real and likeable again. This would have been a great second book -- another look at some wonderful characters even though the plot doesn't really hold water. As a third book it's a little more disappointing, because I expect more plot from a third book.
My guess is that if there is a fourth book, it will be about the kids. At least, that's what it should be about!
About on parr with the second book January 13, 2007
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
It might be that I read the second two books in this series more sporadicly than the first and so I didn't fully grasp the plot, on the other hand I didn't read them as quickly because the plot did not fully grab me. If I could I would probably give it a 3.5 because I didn't find it all that memorable. the first book really made an impression which seems to have been fading ever so slightly with each consequential book.
Shifting from how the second book was written this is again in pure letter form, with additional missives from James and Thomas (I agree that they might be a bit excessive and that like in the second where we had more than one person narrating the same set of events it got slightly tedious at times).
Again like the second one Ithought it focused too much WAY WAY toomuch on the mechanics of the magic. Not only were James and Cecy bored to tears with ley lines and locomotives, so was I. Those poor characters their plot only got really interesting towards the very end when every one kept turning into dogs.
This might be the difference in the strengths of the authors, but I found the Kate and Thomas storyline much more interesting, it was rolicking and moving and less stagnent and technical than Cecy and James. (Ironic since Kate and Thomas stay at home while Cecy and James travel the country side)
They have been saddled with the care and keeping of all of Cecy and James' children--alot. In addition they find another child, the almost mute Drina. Thomas is still wonderfully Thomas and writes some of the funniest letters towards the end in regards to a certain dog. Georgy has a plot as well, which I found very amusing (she has a penchant for sappy poetry, how apropos)
Still a fun read but I wouldn't put off reading it too long after the first and second because things might get forgotten in the interim.
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