Fledging, Molly Harper

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my review in any way and the thoughts expressed are my own.

The idea of a Changeling attending a girl’s finishing school sounded intriguing (I was envisioning a shapeshifter and friends who get up to mischief and adventure while being frustrated with the etiquette and rules). I know making assumptions is bad, but I can’t help it, this idea sounded fun. However, this is definitely not what I received.

In this world, the magic people had lived in secret, separate from the human world until the World War. When they realize the danger the entire planet faced, they came out to the public and took control, while mortal humans, dubbed Snipes, served under them (usually a Snipe family was assigned to a magical family as servants). This history was interesting and made a great source of struggle for the humans and you couldn’t help but pity them.

Cassandra Reed and friends followed the rules of this Victorian-era world down to the letter, spending plenty of time memorising the etiquette and social does and don’ts. I really, really find this story style very dull; I couldn’t care less about etiquette and Victorian-era. While Cassandra did turn out to be good in a fight, she still fit the ‘good Victorian young lady’ persona too much for my liking.

On top of this the Changeling wasn’t what I’d call a Changeling, but rather simply a regular human with the ability to use magic. This confusion of terms made me more disappointed.

Overall, this could be a good book if you like novels focused on Victorian-style etiquette and social structure, but this is not for me. It was decently written, though, so I give it 3/5.

Two books into this series, this remains a delightful (if conceptually a little too familiar) reading experience.

It’s Harry Potter meets finishing school, and though I wish Harper didn’t borrow so blatantly from Rowling, the series is still a joy to read.

Much like the early Harry Potter books, Harper has kept it fairly light so far, with minimal violence and creepiness and few lasting consequences for characters’ actions. Though I appreciate that in the sense that it makes these books a comfortable offering for younger readers, I’d love to see more weight and less frivolity going forward.

Since we all know this is a bit of a Potter knockoff, the author would do well to follow Rowling’s format of increasing the seriousness of the plot and keeping the jokes and absurdity reserved for when the reader needs something to lighten the mood.

I don’t love where the plot is going at the end of book two, but I do appreciate that it moves Sarah into a role with less protection and greater consequences for her actions, and more autonomy in how she chooses to use her magic.

The magic/boarding school premise will likely keep me reading these as long as Harper is writing them, but I’d love to see a little more meat to the story in the future.

Finally, a huge thank you to the publisher for getting a copy of this to me after advance reader copies were technically no longer available. Much appreciated!

I started reading this not realising it's part of a series. It was a bit confusing at first but Molly Harper gives enough hints and background to help a daft reader out and I was soon up to speed.
It's an interesting concept and while I've seen lots of comparisons with Harry Potter/but with girls, I felt it resonated much more closely with Garth Nix's Abhorsen series - the characters draw marks/sigils in the air to throw spells and sound/music/tempo is really important.

It's a bit of fun and I'll probably read the others too - I'm definitely recommending this to a couple of magick loving Regency-phile friends of mine!

NUMBER OF HEARTS: 4
Fledgling pickups up shortly after the events of Changeling (I would highly suggest reading this series in order). Sarah (aka Cassandra), Alicia and Ivy back at school and dealing with their actions. But when Sarah is summons to the counsel to answer questions about the Mother book. She has to think fast on her feet and is able to hold off the counsel for the time being. But Sarah has a more important mission in mind. She must find the other Changelings. But what will she do if she actually finds any.

Another grand adventure with Sarah , Alicia and Ivy. I can’t wait to see what is next for these three. I do hope the Gavin and Owen and will be joining them too.

As always the amazing Amanda Ronconi lends her talented voice to bring life to Molly’s characters. I really enjoy listening to Amanda narrate a book. She really gets into character and doesn’t just read. Amanda is also really good at getting the correct level of snark that is needed in a Molly Harper story.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley &INscribe Digital
in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

I am an avid reader of all Molly Harper books and even thought this is a different genre to my usual, I can't wait for the next book in this series. The antics of the Sarah and her friends keep you entertained.

Not having read the first book in this series, but being a serious fan of Harper’s writing and characters, I was excited to see where this story would lead. And I was not disappointed in the least. Sometime in an alternate universe – there was a schism between the magical and non-magical, and the magical are ‘in charge’ of it all. Which leads us to our character Sarah Smith, a changeling now going by the name of Cassandra, protected as a distant relation to the influential Winter family. Of course, the fact that the Mother Book can speak to Sarah gives her a certain cache that is beneficial to those who know her secret. Being without magical mentors, her first year at Miss Castwell’s Institute for the Magical Instruction of Young Ladies was not without difficulty, or trauma, but she also made two best friends that know of her actual secrets and accept and love her nonetheless.

Year two for Cassandra is starting out fairly well, she’s got an ‘interest’ in her friend Alicia’s brother, and while Alicia’s health and derring do are gaining strength, her ‘cousin’ is showing interest in her friend Ivy – not that Ivy believes it in the least. Cassandra is, however, worried that her agreement with the Winters to find other changeling children is being ignored, and there is certainly something wrong . Oh what an adventure as Cassandra discovers that her maid is communicating with the book that has stopped speaking to her: one of the senators is pushing for some more ‘translations’ from the book that only Cassandra can provide, and there is definitely unease in the air regarding the political situation.

Adventure, laughs, characters to enjoy and a solid story that has Cassandra leaving the school, finding some missing changelings, battling once again with a powerful witch determined to undermine society as they know it, and recognizing her own powers and strength that comes from within and with the solid support of her friends the story was easy to follow, engaging and clever – with more to come as Cassandra completely accepts and shows herself as Sarah, and helps to keep the bad guys from winning. I’m excited to see the next in the series – and need to dive into the first to get more from Sarah/Cassandra, a bit like a young Jane Jameson (for those who like Harper’s books) without the heavy literary / trivia knowledge.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-avy /”> <a> I am, Indeed </a>

Hi! Welcome to my review for Fledgling by Molly Harper!

The Spoiler-Free Review:
In Fledgling, we follow Sarah, a Snipe (a non-magical person) who had discovered her own magic by accident, as she tries to get through her year at Miss Castwell’s Institute for the Magical Instruction of Young Ladies. She tries to find more Snipes-turned-magical like her and get good marks at the same time, which proves difficult.
Sarah sees a vision that shows her home in ruins and decides to intensify her search for more people like her and we follow her and her two best friends as they find out that all is not well and evil lurks around the corner.
I’m not going to deny it: this book is startlingly similiar to Harry Potter. From the main character being the chosen one to the way they practice magic.
But I’m going to tell you something else:
I don’t really care.
This book is so well-written and the wit is so funny that I just couldn’t resist this book’s charm. It’s got heart, it’s got magic, and it’s got a villain lurking around the corner.
Who could ask for more? (Just kidding, or am I?)
The writing is smooth and the characters are adorable. The world is alluring and the way of this society is just so interesting.
If you loved Harry Potter and don’t mind a few similiarities, this is the book for you!


The review full of spoilers:
You have been warned.


Good underlying themes/ messages:
-No one deserves to be treated differently just because society doesn’t view them as special.
-A little bit of kindness can go a long way.
-Using your power or position unfairly is never right.

There are many more themes but these were the clearest.
A whole star for this catagory!


Realistic characters and growth:
The characters are all realistic and adorable in their own way but it feels like there wasn’t much character growth. It is hard to have characters arcs in such a short book (this book is less than 300 pages) and I respect that, but I still wish there had been more.
There is one scene where Sarah realizes that she needs to get a move on with finding the Snipes with magic but it doesn’t feel like much to me. Or when Owen suddenly became friendlier when he met Ivy. It’s a character change but it’s so sudden and we aren’t really given a lot of reasons for why he likes her.

0, 25 stars?


Interesting story:
I loved the story in this book but I wish that it had been longer.
As it was, there is little that happens in the beginning and that’s probably why started off reading so slowly.
But other than that, the hollowhorn, the Snipes being kept in some kind of military camp, and Jenny betraying Sarah? It makes for a decent story.
If only it had been longer!

0,75 stars.


Fantastic Worldbuilding:
Um, YES?
Now, keep in mind that I haven’t read the first book in this series and I still understood everything that went on!
We find out how the society works, how marriage isn’t for love but rather for political connections, what everyone wears, how carriages symbolize a family’s status and so much more!
We find out all these little things but in the end, it’s the little things that count!
A whole star for this catagory!


Writing Style Is Beautiful/ Easy To Read:
Not only is it easy to read and there are awesome, relatable little quotes thrown in here and there, this book is funny.
I love British books; they have this trademark type of wit in them and I can’t get enough of it!
Fledgling is no exception!
I giggled every few pages and I loved it!
A whole star for this catagory!


Overall:
4 stars out of 5!
Wow! I really enjoyed this book!
Have you read Fledgling? What did you think?

“These men were not the masters of my fate, and I was rather tired of behaving as if they were.“

Molly Harper's Fledgling is the second book in a YA series set in a wizarding world...err...school of magic arts where our protagonist, a young woman with a less-than-desirable pedigree posing in an upper-class family who is helping the youth hide her magic from the senate, is studying. A

There are a lot of parallels to be drawn to Harry Potter. In fact, it was at times uncomfortably close. That said, I see it more as an homage to that series than as a "Harry Potter but with a girl!" knock off. Also, Harper's writing was very fluid and witty. I found myself immersed very early on and was finished before I knew it.

Is it weird that I read the entire book with an English accent in my head?

Thank you to Molly Harper, INscribe digital, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital copy to review. As always, all opinions are my own.

The second book in The Sorcery and Society series makes us revisit the wonderful magic world of Sarah Smith (a.k.a Cassandra Reed) and her friends, brought to us by Molly Harper.
If you haven't read the first book of the series, it is probably better to go back and start from the beginning. But do not be afraid, the author eases you in into this fascinating world, reminiscent of the Regency Era (if you're a fan of Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte, you'll find yourself quite at home).
The book takes us straight into one of the classes at Miss Castwell's school, where Sarah/Cassandra shows a great presence of mind in fighting an evil kind of unicorn, summoned by the girls' appaling lack of grace in ritual dancing and regrettable use of wrong tempo...
Molly Harper's wit and amazing ease at creating a spellbinding story was what attracted me to the book in the first place and I was not disappointed. Great worldbuilding, sense of humour that permeates every scene and well-developed characters- everything I like in a fantasy book. I enjoyed reading about Ivy and Alicia, Sarah's loyal friends and their witty banter as well as other more secondary characters: Owen Winter, Gavin, Wallace, the girls from Cassie's remedial study group.
It was clear that the book is going to be continued and I will be looking forward to reading the next instalment to find out if Sarah and her friends manage to overhaul the unjust system their society is based on and defeat their powerful and resourceful enemy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

Sarah Smith is finally getting the hang of posing as an upper-class, Guardian born girl named Cassandra Reed. Attending Miss Castwell’s Institute for the Magical Instruction of Young Ladies, she’s expanding her circle of friends, defeating carnivorous unicorns, and continuing her courtship with her best friend, Alicia’s, brother, Gavin. Unfortunately, other parts of her life aren’t going so well. The Mother Book has stopped revealing itself to her, and the Senate is pressing her for more spells. Not only that, she has a chilling vision involving other Changeling children.

She and her friends Alicia and Ivy decide to work together to find the missing children. There are rumors of a school for Changeling children in the Weeping Mountains. Luckily, Alicia’s family has a holiday home there and invites the other girls to come along. But her overbearing mother makes it difficult to find time to search for the children. And what can they do if they find them?

I didn’t realize this was the second book in a series when I requested it on NetGalley. Luckily, the author does a good job setting up the world and explaining important events from the first book, so I wasn’t too lost. In fact, I enjoyed this book so much, I plan to go back and read the first one as soon as possible.

I really liked Sarah a lot. She’s smart and funny and cares deeply about the people around her. I liked how the first part of the book focused on her building community with her classmates. She also discovers a secret about her maid and reacts with caring and concern. I love the relationship with her and her friends. They felt very real and natural.

I’m intrigued by the society that Molly Harper has set up in these books. The magic users, or Guardians, are the elite class and the others, Snipes, are their servants and workers. However, sometimes Snipes have powers, which could be the undoing of the repressive system the Guardians have set up. At the same time, the Guardians aren’t all bad. It’s very nuanced and well thought out.

This is a very fun book for fans of the Finishing School series by Gail Carriger and Harry Potter. It’s also a great story for people looking for a large female cast. I look forward to reading more in the series.

I received this ARC via NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review. Ms. Harper does it again! This is the second book in a YA series, set in an alternate 'Victorian-like' era. It can be easily read as a stand-alone but you'll probably enjoy it more if you read the first book and watch the character progressions.

Sarah Smith has magic but she's not supposed to. She's a "Snipe' or a person without hereditary magic and a member of the servant class. In the first book, Sarah discovers that she actually has magic and her parents' employer, Mrs. Winter, enters into the conspiracy to prevent the Senate from finding out. As a result, Sarah transforms into Cassandra Reed and takes her place at Miss Castwell’s Institute for the Magical Instruction of Young Ladies,

This book is the story of her second year at school and the summer which follows. Sarah/Cassandra was selected, out of all the schoolgirls, to be the first Translator of the 'Motherbook'. As the only Translator in over 100 years, she's considered very, very important to the rest of the Society. But events from the first year at school keep cropping up to bedevil her in odd ways and the Motherbook isn't exactly cooperating. She's convinced that part of her job is to find other Snipe children who were born with magic and help them too. Luckily, she has two best friends, Alicia and Ivy, who know her secret and stand by her. After a challenging school year, spending the summer at Alicia's parents home in Scotland isn't, at all, the relaxing vacation that she would expect. I can't wait to see what happens next!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book!

I didn't know this was a sequel until I started reading it, but i was able to follow along pretty well. Cassandra/Sarah is a Snipe that has been chosen by the Mother Book of Magic as Translator. This has never happened before, as usually Guardian families get all the magic, and Snipes are non magical folk. One could say it's a feminine take on Harry Potter, but I didn't really feel that way. If it is influenced by Potter, it's well done, and different enough that I didn't feel as though it was ripped off from the HP series.

In this novel, Cassandra and her friends Ivy and Alicia are determined to discover if there are other Snipe children with the gift of magic. The world around them is changing, and for Cassandra especially, it's dangerous for others to find out who she actually is. Complicating things is the fact that she and Alicia's brother, Gavin, are tiptoeing around Courtship, a formal arrangement to say they are dating. But can you truly give your heart to someone that doesn't know your secrets?

I love Molly Harper books and I loved this one.
It's full of humor, well written and fun to read.
I loved the character development, the setting, the fun and engrossing plot.
I look forward to reading other books in this series.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Thanks to the publishers for sharing this book. It was a fun read. It's a lot like Harry Potter, but with more female characters and the added layer of Victorian society lady stuff. I'm not doing it justice here, but my full review appears on Weekend Notes.

I loved Changeling and was so excited to dive back into the series with Fledgling. It was just as fun, witty, and cute. Yet there was also more depth and substance. It wasn't just a fluffy read. It struck a nice balance.

The heart of this book were the friendships. Old and new. Cassandra, Ivy, and Alicia's friendship was so sweet. They got themselves into quite a few messes, but they're so supportive of one another and were there for each other no matter what. It was refreshing. Their circle of friends grew a lot in this book and I enjoyed getting to know some of the other Castwell girls.

Cassandra made a couple of eye-roll worthy decisions late in the book that had me so frustrated, but for the most part I had a great time reading Fledgling. I'm really curious to see what happens in the next installment.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and comments are my honest opinion.

Fledgling was an excellent continuation of the series. Mixing Cinderella with a little Jonathan Strange and adding some morals, manners and money sense borrowed from Jane Austen, it’s set in a pre-Victorian almost steam punk era with hilariously fun results. Cassandra Read (Sarah Smith) is exactly what you want in a heroine – brave, compassionate, bright and just a little wilful. The friendships were lovely, the romance increased just the right amount, there was plenty of humour and the book wrapped up in a satisfying conclusion. I look forward to the next instalment.

3.5 Stars

I was going back and fourth between three and four stars before settling on 3.5. At first it was a really fun read, just a whip-smart teenage girl at a magic finishing school. I really enjoyed Sarahs voice of reason, as well as the supporting cast in the book. The female friendships was lovely to read and see how they supported each other. But as soon as the story shifted more to finding the other changelings and focusing of establishing for what I assume is future books my interest faltered. The last 50-ish pages just didn't keep up the pace and excitement to me.

4 Stars, best with a cup of tea and a sense of wonder.

Fledgling is the second book in the Changeling series by Molly Harper and tackles Sarah Smith Cassandra Reed’s second year at Miss Castwell’s Institute for the Magical Instruction of Young Ladies in an alternative Victorian England where the magical ruling class, or the Guardians, rule the non-magical servant class, or the Snipes. Although I did not have the chance to read and review the first book in the series, I was nonetheless sucked into this book and it gave me enough background to feel like I could understand the world that Harper built within the confines of the previous story.

Cassandra Reed, known by only her closest confidants for who she really is, Sarah Smith, is back at Miss Castwell’s navigating the society in which she has been thrust. Between her duties as a student, the Translator (the chosen keeper of the Mother Book, a tome that contains all of the history of the magical world), a new member of Guardian society, and what looks like the start of a courtship between her and Gavin McCray, her plate is overflowing and her secret mission to find more Changelings like herself has to take the shelf for the time being–something that the Mother Book itself resents. However, when the girls decide to try a divination spell during their study group, Cassandra is hit with a horrible vision of things to come if she isn’t able to find the other Changelings she is supposed to be looking for. Cassandra and her best friends Ivy and Alicia take it upon themselves to search out the rumored changeling school situated in Scotland where Alicia’s family summers. It’s a secret and dangerous mission, but the girls are running out of time, and if the visions are correct, the very world they know depends on them.

I really enjoyed this book a ton. It reminded me of Harry Potter meets A Great and Terrible Beauty. I love stories that are set in Victorian England and I also love stories involving magic. Although this is for a younger group of readers, it really was a fantastic read for any age and I have every intention of going back and reading the first. It had me from get-go. There is also a classist political element to it that I thought was an interesting take, namely the Snipes vs Guardians and the balance on their relationship, and also how Cassandra wanted to find a way to blur the lines and make life better for both sides.

Fledgling was a great book and I highly recommend you pick up a copy for that preteen in your life.

Delightful and snarky -- a welcome girl-centric addition to the "Harry Potter" genre. Good writing and a well conceived "world" complete with social customs and historical conventions. Good messaging about responsibilities and blame without sermonizing. A fun read.

Fledgling is a fun little read, never taking itself too seriously while giving a good adventure tale. In this second volume, our little changeling Sarah has established herself in society and made good friends at her school. Now that vacation time has arrived, the girls realize they want to help other changeling snipes as well. But things are very different outside of the school and they will have new challenges to overcome.

Story: Sarah (now Cassandra) saved the school from a zombie horde but knows she cannot rest on her laurels. Alicia invites Sarah and Ivy to her family's Summer estate in Scotland so they can follow up on a rumor of changeling children imprisoned in the North. But Alicia's mother dislikes "Cassandra" - especially since her son, Gavin, has taken a particular interest in Sarah. Will the girls be able to find the abducted children, will Gavin's mother manage to find 'obligations' elsewhere for Gavin so he can never meet up with Sarah, and most importantly, are there such things as evil unicorns?

Although much less happens in this second volume, the book has a brisk pace. The girls might be a bit too idealistic as friends and the author tries to give them some foibles to offset the saccharine. But this is a book with a 14 year old lead character so keep in mind that the target audience is one that appreciates and loves stories about bosom buddies (à la Anne of Green Gables) at that age. I know I would have loved this book if I had read it at that age. For adults, enjoy the snark and the fun dialogue between the characters while they foil the adults.

In all, an enjoyable book and I look forward to more in the series. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.