Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

Sorcery of Thorns

by Margaret Rogerson

A New York Times bestseller!

“A bewitching gem...I absolutely loved every moment of this story.” —Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Caraval series
“If you loved the Hogwarts Library…you’ll be right at home at Summershall.” —Katherine Arden, New York Times bestselling author of The Bear and the Nightingale

From the New York Times bestselling author of An Enchantment of Ravens comes an “enthralling adventure” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) about an apprentice at a magical library who must battle a powerful sorcerer to save her kingdom.

All sorcerers are evil. Elisabeth has known that as long as she has known anything. Raised as a foundling in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, Elisabeth has grown up among the tools of sorcery—magical grimoires that whisper on shelves and rattle beneath iron chains. If provoked, they transform into grotesque monsters of ink and leather.

Then an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire, and Elisabeth is implicated in the crime. With no one to turn to but her sworn enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, and his mysterious demonic servant, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy. Not only could the Great Libraries go up in flames, but the world along with them.

As her alliance with Nathaniel grows stronger, Elisabeth starts to question everything she’s been taught—about sorcerers, about the libraries she loves, even about herself. For Elisabeth has a power she has never guessed, and a future she could never have imagined.

Reviewed by HekArtemis on

5 of 5 stars

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Books! Books that are alive and can turn into scary dangerous murderous monsters. What's not to love? And thankfully the concept is well executed. We aren't inside the library all the time, but even when outside the libraries we still have a very good focus on the books and bookishness - so yay! It's annoying when a synopsis draws you in with books and libraries and then puts the books to the side - not this story though, they are right there all the way through. With their own minds and personalities too. BOOKS! Also was this kind of a gaslamp fantasy? Unexpected.

I was a little concerned we were dealing with a Born Sexy Yesterday kind of trope, the MC, Elisabeth, is so naive and innocent and gullible. But I don't think her love interest was ever interested in that side of her, but was instead struck by her strength and bravery and curiosity - in fact he seemed to not realise just how naive and innocent she truly was until it was too late. He also isn't the one to really teach her any truths, so we bypass the trope and he doesn't train his future love to be exactly what he wants. The world teaches her what's what, and it's a quick harsh lesson. While she retains some of her innocence she actually does learn from her experiences and loses a lot of her gullibility, becoming much more discerning about how much she can trust people.

And her love interest, Mr brooding-push-everyone-away-can-never-get-close-to-anyone-stay-away-from-me-I-don't-care-about-you-or-anyone-because-I-am-traumatised-and-dangerous. At least he wasn't abusive about it though, he is distant and pushes everyone away but at least he isn't screaming at her all the time or physically pushing her around and slamming her into things or striving to terrorise and torture her into hating him. How annoying that the lack of abusiveness is refreshing, says something about a lot of books that include such a character, doesn't it? Instead he was darkly amusing and self-deprecating.

The two main side characters were a lot of fun too, how good it was to have Katrien in the background pulling off amazing things that we only learn about in passing, while she was also helping the MC with her problems. And she is fun and snarky and just a trouble maker, I love her. And Silas, what can be said? Lovable demons who are still evil demons but are still lovable but still evil but... and a little white cat.

This was a good fun novel, I like that it was stand alone, wrapping up nearly everything but leaving us with an old fashioned, "and maybe this happened, but you will never know mwahahaha" - okay so maybe not mwahaha but still, it was an interesting thing I haven't seen in many newer books. I liked it, I think it is reread-worthy and it was a perfect palate cleanser after reading Lovecraft.

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