Born Wicked

The Cahill Witch Chronicles, Book One

By: Jessica Spotswood

Narrated by: Nicole Sudhaus

Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

Blessed with a gift... cursed with a secret.

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they're witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship - or an early grave.

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word... especially after she finds her mother's diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family's destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.

If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren't safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood - not even from each other.

©2012 Jessica Spotswood (P)2012 Penguin

Critic reviews

"A tale so captivating you don't want it to end." (Andrea Cremer, New York Times best-selling author of the Nightshade series)

"An intriguing story of witchcraft, family responsibility, and unrequited love." (Booklist)

"[T]he fate of the Cahill sisters inspires genuine dread by the time the cliffhanger ending arrives." (Publishers Weekly)

Great start to the series/Good Story

Slow start but worth reading through to the end. It could have used a little more development for some of the characters but the overall story made it ok hoping there will be more in the next book. I also wished there were more detail in certain areas but again can understand it would have been too much to put into one book and will have to wait until the next book to fill in more detail.

I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

The Narrator did a good job with the performance but would have been better if the male voices were more masculine and more distinctive.

One of my fave audios!

What did you like best about this story?

The killer ending!

Any additional comments?

Oh! Crap! Did that ending really just happen? What? Seriously? Now I’m extremely upset that I loaned out my copy of Star Cursed because I really want to read it…like now!

I was a little leery about starting Born Wicked because I’ve heard some pretty mixed opinions about this book. But I’m now extremely happy that I read it! And I’m now thinking that the people who had negative thoughts about this book probably didn’t end up reading the whole book because I loved it! And the ending was absolutely phenomenal! Oh, that crazy, hectic ending for sure has set the tone for the remainder of this series, and I’m thrilled. I’ll have to admit it’s a pretty big cliffhanger, but it still ended perfectly brilliantly.

The characters were all very well developed. While reading Born Wicked, I came to feel really bad for Cate (protagonist) because she was left with the burden of protecting a huge secret and taking care of her sisters at such a young age. In their world, it is very dangerous to have any magical capabilities whatsoever, and Cate and her sisters have serious magical capabilities! They’re all witches! And Cate has to try super hard to keep this fact a secret…even from their very own father!

The world that these girls live in is very disturbing and dark. It, for sure, is not a time era I would envy living in, even if I didn’t have magical capabilities.

There is a little bit of a love triangle in this one but, in my opinion, there really isn’t a competition. So I’d be shocked if Jessica Spotswood played up that love triangle in the following books.

This book was a lot of fun to read. If you like witches in a world of historical fiction, you’ll for sure love this book. And those of you who never finished this book, you need to pick it back up!

Good but incomplete

The rest of the series is not available on Audible...I would have continued the series but unfortunately since it’s not on audio I unfortunately will most likely not complete:(

Where are Books Two and Three?

Any additional comments?

This book was really good, but the story was left hanging... to be continued in Book Two, which is not available on Audible, for some reason.

So good.

I love this book. I listened to it in its entirety in one day. Nicole Sudhaus does a great job reading with emotion and Jessica Spotswood’s writing is phenomenal.

Really enjoyed!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes it had a very good plot that held your interest.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I liked all of the characters.

What does Nicole Sudhaus bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The emphasis on certain parts of the book lent itself to the drama and storyline.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

NO

Descent Book

This book came after a series of crappy books I read so it was kind of a salvation for me.. an answer to my prayers that I would read a descent book this year ( 2015 ) it has a funny story full of witches and all .. I would like to know what happens next

So Good I Went to the Library for the Next Book

This series has a second book that is not yet available in audio, sigh, but I was so addicted to the story I couldn't wait and wait to the library to get the next book. The young narrator gives life to this story and depth to the character's enchanting lives.

To enjoy this book you will need to enjoy stories of enchantment, duplicitous mystery, and a setting back in time. This is an old world tale from when witch hunts, burning, and magic ruled. Well in this story, the order of the brothers ruled with an iron clad fist. This is not a historical tale that will give light to a witches point of view in the 1800s, its fantasy brought to life in a parallel world with a similar feel to that time.

This book drew me in, hooked me, and left me yearning for so much more. You will be surprised by every twist and turn. It's too bad people can't comment on reviews, I would love to hear what everyone else thinks after they get through this amazing story.

-- Addicted both to story and narrator

Part 1

Am I the only reader sick to death of multiple books? Based on the thinnest of idea?

A Good Witch Story

Would you consider the audio edition of Born Wicked to be better than the print version?

I think the audiobook really brought out the best for Born Wicked.

Any additional comments?

Born Wicked is the story of three sisters and how they deal with late 1800s-ish life after their mother, who was a witch, dies. Their mother's passing isn't something new - it happened three years ago but they're not sure how they should act in their town, which is full of witch-hunters and sentences witches to prisons and hard labor. Cate, Maura, and Tess are trying to hide what they all are - witches.

I'm not usually one for witch tales but I really, really enjoyed this book. Cate is 16 years old, the oldest of the three sisters, and while she is bossy at times I can understand her trying to fill the shoes of a motherly-role. Then there's 15 year old Maura, who suffers from the worst case of Middle Child Syndrome EVER. She's rash and bratty and thinks magic is for fun (and doesn't try to hide it). And finally baby Tess who, at only 12 years old, seems to be the strongest of them all. Cate tries her best to protect them from being revealed as witches by keeping them away from the public, but outside forces such as their nosey neighbor and a menacing new governess have different plans.

This book takes place in a time in which young girls were expected to be brought up a certain way. I was okay with the notion of the sisters having a governess who teaches them