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Magic Below Stairs
Young Frederick is plucked from an orphanage to be a footboy for a wizard named Lord Schofield in Victorian England. Is his uncanny ability to tie perfect knots and render boots spotless a sign of his own magical talent, or the work of Billy Bly, the brownie who has been secretly watching over him since he was little? No matter, for the wizard has banished all magical creatures from his holdings. But Billy Bly isn't going anywhere, and when he discovers a curse upon the manor house, it's up to Frederick and Billy Bly to keep the lord's new baby safe and rid the Schofield family of the curse forever.
199 pages, Hardcover
First published June 10, 2010
12 people are currently reading
1273 people want to read
About the author
Caroline Stevermer
25 books287 followers(from website)
Caroline Stevermer grew up miles from anywhere on a dairy farm in southeastern Minnesota. She has a sister and two brothers. After high school, she attended Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania, where she earned a B.A. degree in the history of art. She knew she wanted to be a writer when she was eight years old. She began by writing stories in her school notebooks. (They were not good. Many were not even finished. She persisted.)
By the time she graduated from college, she knew she would need to earn money in other ways, but she kept on writing. Her first professional sale was published by Ace in 1980. In the years since, she has had a variety of jobs and kept on writing. She likes libraries and museums. Her favorite painter is Nicholas Hilliard. Her favorite writer is Mark Twain. She lives in Minnesota.
Caroline Stevermer grew up miles from anywhere on a dairy farm in southeastern Minnesota. She has a sister and two brothers. After high school, she attended Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania, where she earned a B.A. degree in the history of art. She knew she wanted to be a writer when she was eight years old. She began by writing stories in her school notebooks. (They were not good. Many were not even finished. She persisted.)
By the time she graduated from college, she knew she would need to earn money in other ways, but she kept on writing. Her first professional sale was published by Ace in 1980. In the years since, she has had a variety of jobs and kept on writing. She likes libraries and museums. Her favorite painter is Nicholas Hilliard. Her favorite writer is Mark Twain. She lives in Minnesota.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 149 reviews
October 23, 2020
I mostly read this because it's related to Cecilia's and Kate's series, so it was nice to get more time with them. I do wish it had been listed as part of the series because they are very prominent. It takes place a bit after The Grand Tour.
TW/CW:
poverty, some violence, mentions of miscarriages.
TW/CW:
poverty, some violence, mentions of miscarriages.
October 20, 2010
Good but brief, this novella about an orphan hired as a servant in a sorcerer's house is set in the alternate-England of Sorcery and Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot but intended for younger readers. I quite liked the protagonist and the plot ideas, but the book as a whole felt a little undeveloped.
September 20, 2021
Cute tie-in to the Sorcery and Cecilia trilogy. I liked it fine, and it was interesting to see Thomas and Kate through the eyes of their servants. This felt more like a middle grade book, which threw me off a little at first, since S &C are YA. It didn’t add a ton to the main series, but it was fun to see some familiar faces again.
October 11, 2011
by Caroline Stevermer
Opening line--"The first time he met Billy Bly, Frederick thought he must be dreaming. Billy Bly looked like a little old man dressed all in green, and came just to Frederick's knee."
This is a hard book for me to review. Essentially the problem is that I'm too old for it (*tear*) and I've read the other Kate and Cecy books. Because of that I felt impatient with the Frederick person, who kept hogging up the space and keeping Kate and Thomas away. The writing, while definitely suitable for the target age group, was a little too simple to keep my attention, or impress me with its elegance.
I don't want to make it sound like this is a bad book. It's not at all! Frederick is an engaging hero and his relationship with Bess is nice, in that it felt realistic without seeming unduly romantic. Because how old are they? Too young to be canoodling. (I say, while I waggle my stick and mutter about kids these days.) Basically, it felt like a relationship that could develop somewhere in the future, but hadn't yet.
So, I'm sure that for kids in the right age group and with the right temperament, this would be a fun book. For me, it was a bit of a disappointment, because what I wanted was another Kate and Cecy book and I didn't get it.
Book source: public library
Book information: Dial Books, 2010
My other Caroline Stevermer reviews:
Sorcery and Cecelia (with Patricia C. Wrede)
A College of Magics and A Scholar of Magics
Opening line--"The first time he met Billy Bly, Frederick thought he must be dreaming. Billy Bly looked like a little old man dressed all in green, and came just to Frederick's knee."
This is a hard book for me to review. Essentially the problem is that I'm too old for it (*tear*) and I've read the other Kate and Cecy books. Because of that I felt impatient with the Frederick person, who kept hogging up the space and keeping Kate and Thomas away. The writing, while definitely suitable for the target age group, was a little too simple to keep my attention, or impress me with its elegance.
I don't want to make it sound like this is a bad book. It's not at all! Frederick is an engaging hero and his relationship with Bess is nice, in that it felt realistic without seeming unduly romantic. Because how old are they? Too young to be canoodling. (I say, while I waggle my stick and mutter about kids these days.) Basically, it felt like a relationship that could develop somewhere in the future, but hadn't yet.
So, I'm sure that for kids in the right age group and with the right temperament, this would be a fun book. For me, it was a bit of a disappointment, because what I wanted was another Kate and Cecy book and I didn't get it.
Book source: public library
Book information: Dial Books, 2010
My other Caroline Stevermer reviews:
Sorcery and Cecelia (with Patricia C. Wrede)
A College of Magics and A Scholar of Magics
April 20, 2021
Nice story about an orphan who ends up working as assistant valet to a wizard. The house class system, along with all the duties entailed by the below stairs people was well described and I've watched enough Masterpiece Theatre in my days to see that nothing here sounded out of place!
The characters were well-thought out - well, except for the wizard's wife, I thought, and that added to the enjoyment of the story.
One quibble, it felt like some of the dialogue between the wizard and his wife was filler. The discussion seemed to go nowhere and didn't add anything to the story.
All in all a pleasant read. Oh, and I wouldn't mind a Billy Bly in my house ;)
The characters were well-thought out - well, except for the wizard's wife, I thought, and that added to the enjoyment of the story.
One quibble, it felt like some of the dialogue between the wizard and his wife was filler. The discussion seemed to go nowhere and didn't add anything to the story.
All in all a pleasant read. Oh, and I wouldn't mind a Billy Bly in my house ;)
August 3, 2017
for more books set in this world. I need more Thomas and Kate. 😍
August 15, 2012
Set in the world that Patrica C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer created for their Sorcery and Cecilia books. This book is about Frederick working for Thomas Schofield, training to be a footman. Love Thomas! Anyway, there is a lingering curse set on the Schofield house and Frederick and the brownie, Billy Bly, must save the Schofield family before it's too late. Events in this book take place after "The Grand Tour" but before "The Mislaid Magician." Lovely short book expanding on the Sorcery and Cecilia books and the awesomeness that is the Schofield family!
December 7, 2019
2019 bk 397. I picked this up because Stevermer was one of the authors of Sorcery & Cecelia and at the time I was looking for fantasy for my middle grades guys that had a male character and wasn't a quest. Surprise, this is set in the same universe, and after the first couple of chapter, in the home of Kate and Thomas of Sorcery & Cecelia. Young Frederick is an orphan, but an orphan who has been taken under the care of a brownie. Through a series of incidents, Frederick is taken into the Scholfield's household as a liveried footman, er boy. He learns many things, including the trick of ironing and then putting on a cravat. This ability brings him to the attention of Thomas (along with some magical happenings), and he rises to under or assistant valet. A world of possibilities open up to Frederick as he seeks to protect Thomas and Kate from malicious magic. A very satisfying story and I do hope that he shows up again.
September 3, 2023
A short novel, set in the same world as the Cecelia & Kate series. Charming and fun, and a nice quick read. I’d be happy to read another dozen just like it.
February 6, 2021
This is a nice easy read. It pulls you in quickly and I actually cared about Frederick, making it easy to turn the page to see where his next adventure would be. And watching his emotions as situations changed made him feel like a real person, not just a character in a book.
October 31, 2011
this book takes place in the same universe as the three books that caroline wrote with patricia wrede that begin with Sorcery and Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot but is pitched towards a younger audience. having read those three books, i can't gauge how much extra delight i brought to this book once i realized that we were in that world and were going to spend some time with those characters. but they are not the focus. as the title implies, we spend most of this book with the servants in the household of thomas and kate.
frederick is an orphan who lives in a horror of an orphanage. he gets on the wrong side of the man who runs the orphanage, but the good side of the cook there, and the good side of a brownie named billy bly. one day he is selected to be the new footboy at the elegant house of a local wizard and off he goes. i don't think it's a criticism to say that you will probably see where this is headed, soon enough--the delight is in how you get there and all the adventures on the way. there is a lot of detail about the duties of lower domestics in a large household and how a staff like this runs. frederick is a fun character who runs into other interesting people, and of course it's lovely to spend time with thomas and kate again. actually, i'd love to spend more time with frederick, if we're to learn about his further studies.
i would say that the age group aimed at with this book is the level below young adult (i'm sure there's an official name for that level) but that if you like reading books for younger readers, and especially if you liked the three books for older readers, you'll enjoy this one. also if you happen to have a younger reader at home, it looks as though it would lend itself to reading aloud.
frederick is an orphan who lives in a horror of an orphanage. he gets on the wrong side of the man who runs the orphanage, but the good side of the cook there, and the good side of a brownie named billy bly. one day he is selected to be the new footboy at the elegant house of a local wizard and off he goes. i don't think it's a criticism to say that you will probably see where this is headed, soon enough--the delight is in how you get there and all the adventures on the way. there is a lot of detail about the duties of lower domestics in a large household and how a staff like this runs. frederick is a fun character who runs into other interesting people, and of course it's lovely to spend time with thomas and kate again. actually, i'd love to spend more time with frederick, if we're to learn about his further studies.
i would say that the age group aimed at with this book is the level below young adult (i'm sure there's an official name for that level) but that if you like reading books for younger readers, and especially if you liked the three books for older readers, you'll enjoy this one. also if you happen to have a younger reader at home, it looks as though it would lend itself to reading aloud.
September 22, 2010
As a bridge between The Grand Tour and The Mislaid Magician, I liked this book quite a bit. It partly answered a question I wondered about, i.e. why Kate has fewer children than Cecy. (I now have a theory about it. My old New Testament history prof would probably say that that it's eisegetical. But anyway.)
Anyway, as itself, it is an interesting book too. But it reads like it might be the start of a series. I suspect it depends on the cooperation of the publisher, which will depend on the sales figures. So — if you liked the Wrede/Stevermer collaborations which were also set in this time period, or if you enjoy Regency or near-Regency fiction, what are you waiting for? Be like me, and go buy it! :)
Anyway, as itself, it is an interesting book too. But it reads like it might be the start of a series. I suspect it depends on the cooperation of the publisher, which will depend on the sales figures. So — if you liked the Wrede/Stevermer collaborations which were also set in this time period, or if you enjoy Regency or near-Regency fiction, what are you waiting for? Be like me, and go buy it! :)
June 14, 2011
I loved this - such a lovely blend of fairy tale magic (and even structure, in many ways) with a beautifully-done Regency-era setting. (And a different kind of Regency setting than the norm, since this one is really about the servants rather than the masters!) As a huge fan of Caroline Stevermer and Patricia Wrede's Sorcery & Cecilia series, it was a fun added touch for me to recognize a few side characters, but that part certainly wasn't essential to the book - anyone could pick this one up and enjoy it perfectly well without having ever read her earlier books.
My only regret was that I'd bought this one on my Kindle. Now I have to buy a second, paper version so that my son can enjoy it for himself when he's old enough!
My only regret was that I'd bought this one on my Kindle. Now I have to buy a second, paper version so that my son can enjoy it for himself when he's old enough!
February 17, 2010
Another book I really wanted to love, since I adored 'Sorcery and Cecilia.' I tried to figure out why I didn't love this book, which is the story of a young orphan who ends up working for the Schofields, and finally decided it was due to lack of focus. I was never really sure where the author was going, and after a while I wasn't sure if she'd gotten there. The protagonist's motivation waffled a lot, and his relationships with the other characters seemed sort of stiff--they didn't really develop, and the relationships didn't really develop. I guess things just didn't seem to tie together, which is ironic since the protagonist is an excellent knot-tier. Anyway, disappointing.
August 14, 2010
I had no idea Caroline S. was writing more about the Schofield family and this book was a very nice summer treat. It focuses on young Frederick and his fellow servants, rather than Kate and Thomas, but they play a large role as well. For newcomers who have not read all of Caroline Stevermer's previous works set in this alternate 19th century England, the world is easy to enter into and the characters accessible without any need of the prior knowledge gleaned from the other books.
The plot was simple and the story short, more suited for middle grade readers than the YA audience of her other books. Loved Billy Bly's character and I hope that she writes more set in this world.
The plot was simple and the story short, more suited for middle grade readers than the YA audience of her other books. Loved Billy Bly's character and I hope that she writes more set in this world.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 2, 2018
A cute and quick story about an orphan who becomes a servant who ends up having magical abilities.
There's really nothing more to it than what's on the tin, and it's only loosely a part of the "Cecelia and Kate stories". Definitely written for younger stories, and I did find Frederick and Billy Bly sweet and charming, and Bess was a fun character. I would've liked to see a bit more development to Lord Schofield, though I suppose that happens more in the other books - though I can't say I recall the characters from the original trilogy particularly well, to be honest.
Anyway - short, sweet book and I think younger children, especially, would like it.
There's really nothing more to it than what's on the tin, and it's only loosely a part of the "Cecelia and Kate stories". Definitely written for younger stories, and I did find Frederick and Billy Bly sweet and charming, and Bess was a fun character. I would've liked to see a bit more development to Lord Schofield, though I suppose that happens more in the other books - though I can't say I recall the characters from the original trilogy particularly well, to be honest.
Anyway - short, sweet book and I think younger children, especially, would like it.
February 10, 2015
Thoroughly charming.
February 14, 2021
I feel that it is an incomplete book. Definitely needs a second part. I mean there is so much that I expected from it. If I knew it had a second part I would definitely give it 5 stars.
It needed to have a bigger solid reason when Billy Bly was in the locked room with Lord Schofield and Frederick wasn't allowed to enter.
I wanted to know more about Lord Schofield's boy and how Billy Bly spent those years serving him.
I wanted Frederick to gain his compainionship with Billy Bly.
I wanted Lord Schofield to apologize Frederick for being so selfish.
I wanted Lord Schofield to have a stronger relationship with Frederick and Frederick being a better wizard than him.
I wanted (lady) Kate to be better than what her current stage was. She should have been a stroger character intead of just being a wife to Thomas or a Lady of her place and so is with Thomas.
I wanted in the next part for Thomas and Kate to have serious sensible talks about the curse and all that.
I wanted the curse to continue in the family and Frederick should have been the one to finish it. Frederick should have been knighted or given a very big honour, bigger than Thomas's and most importantly as mentioned before there should have been a second part for all this!
It needed to have a bigger solid reason when Billy Bly was in the locked room with Lord Schofield and Frederick wasn't allowed to enter.
I wanted to know more about Lord Schofield's boy and how Billy Bly spent those years serving him.
I wanted Frederick to gain his compainionship with Billy Bly.
I wanted Lord Schofield to apologize Frederick for being so selfish.
I wanted Lord Schofield to have a stronger relationship with Frederick and Frederick being a better wizard than him.
I wanted (lady) Kate to be better than what her current stage was. She should have been a stroger character intead of just being a wife to Thomas or a Lady of her place and so is with Thomas.
I wanted in the next part for Thomas and Kate to have serious sensible talks about the curse and all that.
I wanted the curse to continue in the family and Frederick should have been the one to finish it. Frederick should have been knighted or given a very big honour, bigger than Thomas's and most importantly as mentioned before there should have been a second part for all this!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2019
Magic Below Stairs is a charming young adult novel, with a protagonist that is easy to like, even if he is not particularly distinctive or unusual. This is Victorian England (plus magic) at its most romanticized, with jovial lords whose bark is worse than their bite, wise mentors, evil orphanages, and of course, servants happy with their station in life.
In a more adult novel I would be more inclined to cavil at this, but at the age range it is written, the broad strokes and glorification of a more romantic age feels genuine and wholesome. And if the hero well, it’s a type of story I enjoy even if it’s not particularly realistic.
But who is worried about realism in a novel about an alternate Victorian English where magic is commonplace, if not everyday? Stevermer has written a delightful story and I can’t help but want to read more in this universe.
In a more adult novel I would be more inclined to cavil at this, but at the age range it is written, the broad strokes and glorification of a more romantic age feels genuine and wholesome. And if the hero well, it’s a type of story I enjoy even if it’s not particularly realistic.
But who is worried about realism in a novel about an alternate Victorian English where magic is commonplace, if not everyday? Stevermer has written a delightful story and I can’t help but want to read more in this universe.
April 28, 2020
Frederick grew up in an orphanage, until he's sent to be a footboy for a wizard. His dedication and kindness bring unexpected benefits that catch the eye of Lord Schofield. Brownies, family curses and shoe polish have a potent mix.
Why I started this book: Loved this whole series of Sorcery & Cecelia: or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot and was eager for a novella set in the same world.
Why I finished it: Short, fun read and a reminder that talent and skills go to all levels of society. And that kindness has unexpected ripples.
Why I started this book: Loved this whole series of Sorcery & Cecelia: or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot and was eager for a novella set in the same world.
Why I finished it: Short, fun read and a reminder that talent and skills go to all levels of society. And that kindness has unexpected ripples.
August 20, 2019
Regency period magic. Orphan Frederick Lincoln meets a helpful brownie in the kitchen of the orphanage. When a new footboy is wanted from the orphanage, Frederick is chosen because he fits the uniform. He goes to the household of wizard Lord Thomas Schofield, one of the characters in the Cecelia and Kate trilogy of books by Stevermer and Patricia C. Wrede. Eventually Frederick proves himself useful in unexpected ways, especially the ability to tie a cravat for the master, so he is upgraded to assistant valet. When they move to the country house for the restful pregnancy of Thomas's wife Kate, they find that the curse there hasn't been dissipated as they thought.
Kind of fun.
Kind of fun.
Read
September 12, 2021Apparently I've read this before but I have zero memory of it. That's not CS's fault: I had covid last summer and my memory since is pretty dodgy. But it meant that tho I worked out by the end that it was a K&C book, I didn't remember that while reading it, and I clearly benefitted from that.
It's a fun book. I liked watching someone rise within their profession because they are basically good at what they do. I liked the agency of the brownie (side-eyes the author who grew rich on writing a slave society). I also liked that friendship matters. All in all a fun read.
It's a fun book. I liked watching someone rise within their profession because they are basically good at what they do. I liked the agency of the brownie (side-eyes the author who grew rich on writing a slave society). I also liked that friendship matters. All in all a fun read.
June 15, 2020
It's just over too soon
We follow likable young orphan, a Brownie and a wizard/nobleman in an old English setting. The young boy learns and grows. He makes friends & is drawn into a bit of an adventure. The story is never dull. The people are interesting & clearly drawn. I think it was too expensive - but when I can afford it, I'll probably no be able to resist buying the next one.
We follow likable young orphan, a Brownie and a wizard/nobleman in an old English setting. The young boy learns and grows. He makes friends & is drawn into a bit of an adventure. The story is never dull. The people are interesting & clearly drawn. I think it was too expensive - but when I can afford it, I'll probably no be able to resist buying the next one.
November 25, 2018
This is good... this book is really good. It had everything in it that makes a good story, but the climax at the end had me a tad bit disappointed...! I had expected it to be... more, I guess. It was a bit of a let down, and then it just ended. Either way, GREAT story! I'm happy I read it and will probably look at it again, as well as the other books. :)
May 23, 2019
A fun little children's fantasy. This would probably be a better book if it was longer. There would then be time to find out more about Billy Bly and more thoroughly explore the threat which as it stands is dealt with much to quickly in the end. Frederick is a fun and different hero and more time in his world would have been welcome.
September 30, 2023
Familiar yet new
Caroline Stevermer has done it again. In a stand -alone story she writes of young Frederick and of Billy Bly a magical brownie, and how they save the family of Frederick’s employer. The writing is crisp and entertaining. I want more of Frederick and his adventures.
Caroline Stevermer has done it again. In a stand -alone story she writes of young Frederick and of Billy Bly a magical brownie, and how they save the family of Frederick’s employer. The writing is crisp and entertaining. I want more of Frederick and his adventures.
December 5, 2018
This was a pretty quick read and a fun peek at a different side of some characters from the Cecilia & Kate world. Sometimes the dialogue was a little confusing (had to read some passages a couple times to really get what they were saying), but I really enjoyed Frederick and Billy Bly.
October 2, 2019
A perfectly lovely middle grade fiction. I checked this out of the library before I read the Chocolate Teapot series, so it was a happy surprise to be in the company of Wizards Kate & Thomas Scofield again.
November 26, 2020
In an alternate Regency England where magic works, a 10-year-old orphan is chosen as a bootboy for a noble wizarding household. There, with the help of a brownie, he fights off a curse and proves himself to have the ability to become an apprentice magician.
February 14, 2021
This was an easy book to get into and you fall in love with the characters fast. I enjoyed the references to the enchanted chocolate pot but you don’t have to know those books to enjoy this one. This one is for a younger audience.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 149 reviews