Where to Start Reading Caroline Stevermer
If you are new to Caroline Stevermer's works, you have two primary, equally delightful entry points depending on your taste in fantasy. If you love witty, Jane Austen-style comedies of manners with a healthy dose of magic and historical intrigue, start with Sorcery & Cecelia, or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot (1988), co-authored with Patricia C. Wrede. It is a lighthearted, fast-paced, and thoroughly charming introduction to her style. On the other hand, if you prefer rich, atmospheric academic settings, Ruritanian romance, and a slightly darker, more complex magic system, start with her solo masterpiece, A College of Magics (1994). Both paths show Stevermer at her absolute best, blending historical detail with a sparkling sense of wonder.
The Cecelia and Kate Universe
Set in an alternate Regency England where magic is regulated by the Ministry of Hurdle and Society, the Cecelia and Kate books are beloved by fans of historical fantasy. The creation of the first book is a famous piece of fantasy trivia: Caroline Stevermer and Patricia C. Wrede wrote the entire book as a collaborative improvisation called 'The Letter Game.' Stevermer wrote the letters from the perspective of Kate Talgarth, navigating a magical London social season, while Wrede wrote as Cecelia Rushton, reporting on strange happenings in the country. They wrote with no outline and did not discuss the plot in advance, letting the mystery unfold naturally.
For the core series, the recommended reading order is the publication order:
- Sorcery & Cecelia, or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot (1988) – The story that started it all. Kate and Cecelia exchange letters detailing magical plots, sinister chocolate pots, and society scandals.
- The Grand Tour (2004) – Set during Kate and Cecelia's joint honeymoon trip across Europe, where they become entangled in a conspiracy involving the purloined coronation regalia of the Emperor.
- The Mislaid Magician (2006) – Set ten years after the events of the first book, during the early decade of the 19th century, following the cousins as they search for a missing wizard in the English countryside.
The Victorian Spin-Off
Years after completing the main trilogy, Stevermer returned to this universe solo with the companion novel Magic Below Stairs (2010). Set in Victorian England (decades after the original trilogy), it follows a young orphan named Frederick who becomes a footboy in the household of Lord Schofield (the very same Thomas Schofield who married Cecelia in the first book). Complete with a mischievous brownie named Billy Bly and a family curse, it is a perfect cozy addition to the universe that can be read either after the main trilogy or entirely as a standalone.
The Scholarly Magic (College of Magics) Series
Stevermer's solo series, often referred to as the Scholarly Magic or Galazon series, takes place in an alternate Europe during the early 20th century, where magic is an ancient, academic, and highly regulated discipline. The series has a unique structure, containing a core duology and a distant historical prequel.
Publication vs. Chronological Order
While the internal chronology suggests reading the prequel first, we strongly advise reading in publication order. The prequel, When the King Comes Home, has only a loose, oblique connection to the other two books, sharing the same world but none of the main characters.
1. A College of Magics (1994): The essential starting point for this series. It follows Faris Nallaneen, the young duchess of the northern domain of Galazon, who is sent to Greenwalls—a prestigious girls' finishing school of magic in France—by her scheming uncle. It is filled with romance, assassination plots, and the slow realization of Faris's immense magical destiny.
2. When the King Comes Home (2000): A medieval prequel set centuries earlier in the same world. It follows a young artist's apprentice named Julian who is caught up in the miraculous resurrection of a legendary king. It is a standalone story that provides historical depth to the magic system but is not necessary to understand the main plot.
3. A Scholar of Magics (2004): A loose sequel to the first book, set in an alternate 1915 England at Glasscastle, a prestigious men's college of magic. The story focuses on Samuel Lambert, an American Wild West sharpshooter hired to help test a new magical weapon, and Jane Brailsford, a witch from Greenwalls on a secret mission. Faris Nallaneen does not appear directly but is referenced as a key political figure.
Early Works: The Nicholas Coffin / Alchemist Mysteries
Before finding her signature historical fantasy voice, Stevermer began her career writing historical mysteries under the pen name C. J. Stevermer. These books focus on Nicholas Coffin, an English alchemist living in Rome during the dangerous era of the Borgias. While they are out of print and can be difficult to track down, they are fascinating historical curiosities for completionists:
- The Alchemist: Death of a Borgia (1980) – The first novel, introducing Nicholas Coffin as he investigates a murder in the heart of Renaissance Italy.
- The Duke and the Veil (1981) – The second installment, continuing Nicholas's adventures in courtly intrigue.
The Standalone Novels
Outside of her primary series, Stevermer has written several highly original standalone novels that showcase her range as a writer:
- The Serpent's Egg (1988) – A courtly fantasy of manners set in the fictional kingdom of Staunton, dealing with political treason, a royal scholar, and a legendary, clairvoyant artifact known as the serpent's egg.
- River Rats (1992) – A complete departure in tone, this post-apocalyptic YA novel is set on a toxic, post-nuclear Mississippi River. It follows a group of orphans who run a steam-powered paddleboat, perform rock concerts, and break their strict 'no passengers' rule to rescue a mysterious stranger.
- The Glass Magician (2020) – Set in a glamorous, reimagined Gilded Age New York City where the wealthy elite are secretly shape-shifters. Stage magician Thalia Cutler accidentally triggers her own shape-shifting ability during a performance and must navigate a dangerous world of high-society magic.