The Wycherleys

When you mix magic and the incredibly popular Regency England there is the potential for some breath-taking plots and some heart stopping romance. This is the story of two magical families who are fated to be enemies, due to a curse made by Heston Nightly affecting his magical ‘tether’ called Mathilde Wycherley; unfortunately, the curse did not stop at that generation but has affected a Wycherley female in each following generation. The central character, Aurelia, is seventeen and has just come into her magic, but gains the curse and is forbidden to link with a ‘tether’; meaning she will lose her magic. Her nemesis, Jules Nightly, is also trying to find a way to prevent magic being lost and this unlikely pair decide to work together to find a solution. Interlinked with this is the fact that multiple witches have died over the past few years and it does not look as if this is accidental. The question is whether Aurelia and Jules can solve all of the questions and how will they cope with their growing attraction for each other?

What a fantastic story, which I really loved and the way that the author mixes the various strands of the plot really keeps you on your toes. There is the slow burn romance between the two characters, not helped by the enmity that the two families share. Adding another layer to the tale is the search for a way to stop untethered witches from losing their magic; this leads on to an even darker and more sinister situation in which witches are dying and their magic is being stolen. All of this comes together to provide an extremely satisfying tale of intrigue, magic and an alternative version of Regency England. A brilliant story for those who enjoy Stephanie Burgis, as well as Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber.