James Nicoll Reviews

2010’s A Most Improper Magick is the first volume in Stephanie Burgis’ middle-grade Kat, Incorrigible historical fantasy series. The 2011 US printing retitled the novel with the series name: Kat, Incorrigible.

Hoping to save her oldest sister Elisse from an unfortunate marriage, fourteen-year-old Kat Stephenson embarks on a bold venture to find her fortune as a boy. She makes it almost to the end of the family garden before being foiled by observant Elisse.

How, then, to save Elisse?

Kat’s brother George ran up massive gambling debts the Stephensons cannot pay. In Regency England, the consequences could be dire. Sir Neville is wealthy and can easily pay off the debts. Sir Neville is also much older than Elisse and rumor has it that he murdered his first wife. Not ideal husband material, but also the only option available.

Kat’s sister Angeline has a daring scheme of her own. The family’s late mother Olivia was a witch. Perhaps magic can save Elisse from Sir Neville. In surprisingly short order, a thoroughly bewitched Frederick Carlyle appears at the Stephenson household, ostensibly to study under Mr. Stephenson, but actually to beg Angeline to marry him. Which Mr. Carlyle does, over and over. Which could lead to suspicions of magic. Hmmm.

More magic ensues. Kat picks up her mother’s magical travel mirror, which recognizes her magical potential. When Kat touches the mirror, it bonds with Kat, then transports her far, far away to the Golden Hall, home of the Guardians.

Kat’s mother Olivia was a witch. She was also a Guardian. Guardians command more powerful magic than do witches. Clearly, Kat is a Guardian like her mother. All she needs now is training in the proper use of her new-found powers. Happily, Olivia’s former tutor Mr. Gregson and Olivia’s bitter rival Lady Fotherington were alerted as soon as Kat travelled to the Golden Hall. They are more than willing to take Kat in hand.

Kat is by nature inclined to find her own way. Additionally, Guardians are charged with punishing witches who misuse magic. Enchanting a rich young man would be an example of magic misused. Lady Fotherington despised Olivia. She may spitefully punish Olivia’s daughter Angeline.

Fortuitously, Kat has no end of zany schemes to save her sisters. If she tries all of them, perhaps Kat will find one that actually works.

~oOo~

Readers may wonder why the UK and US editions have different titles. Presumably, it’s because the US publishers thought the US title would sell better. Perhaps the word ​‘improper’ in the original title might have put off parents and librarians. The covers also look quite different.

Obligatory complaint that if you add magic, the history you get won’t look anything like conventional history + a bit of a magic. I know this doesn’t bug other people nearly as much as it does me. A recent Bluesky conversation suggests there are people who believe very strongly that coherent worldbuilding is an affront. How odd. I am sure if only I explain my point of view at sufficient length, they will realize they agreed with me all along.

If this were a realistic literary novel about the status of women in nineteenth century Britain, it might not be happy. Burgis isn’t interested in writing middle-grade versions of Tess of the d’Urbervilles or The Yellow Wallpaper. It’s not a fictional take on the non-fiction Prosecutorial Passions¹. Thus any worst-case scenarios are possibilities, the characters are aware of worst-case scenarios, and are highly motivated to avoid them. Middle-grade readers won’t be traumatized by this book². This is probably for the best.

The novel delivers exactly what one might expect, the tale of a plucky young woman, faced with an egregiously unjust society³, finding a satisfactory resolution to her family’s problems despite every obstacle society can place in her way. Adult readers may not be terribly surprised by this, but of course they are not the intended audience.

A Most Improper Magick is available under various titles here (Amazon US), here (Amazon Canada), here (Amazon UK), here (Apple Books), here (Barnes & Noble), here (Chapters-Indigo), and here (Words Worth Books).

1: Which deals with the history of Petty Treason in England. The last woman burned for petty treason was burned in 1790. Bewitching a husband probably qualifies as petty treason.

2: Parents of insufficiently traumatized middle-grade children will be delighted to know that Netflix now offers Grave of the Fireflies, which is to joyous childhood as Threads is to marital bliss.

3: All things considered, gambler brother George gets off pretty easy. I hope this is addressed in later books.