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 Beth C. on

5 of 5 stars

Share
Elisabeth is an orphan, dropped on the steps of one of the Great Libraries as an infant. As such, she was raised around magic books - grimoires - that are kept within the Library, growing up and eventually becoming an Apprentice. That all changed one night, when she is awakened knowing something is wrong - and went to investigate, unwittingly putting herself in the path of a sorcerer's plans.

I admit, it took me FOREVER to get around to reading An Enchantment of Ravens. I *wanted* to read it, but like the dog in "UP" ("SQUIRREL"), there was always another book just around the corner. When I finally sat down with the book, I found myself enthralled with the writing, and the story...and frankly, with the fact that it was just a *really good* stand-alone novel. So when offered the opportunity for an arc of Sorcery of Thorns, I grabbed it and didn't hesitate.

I am so glad I did. Because just like Ravens, this book had an interesting story, and compelling main characters. And yes, I am counting the Great Libraries as characters unto themselves, because don't libraries have a life of their own? More so when the titles are *actually* alive, and with personalities of their own. Elisabeth has grown up surrounded by Wardens, whose job it is to essentially jail the grimoires, and believes that anything to do with magic or sorcery is pure evil. Her first run-in with an ACTUAL sorcerer leaves her confused, but it's not until she's thrust out of the life she has always known that she learns (as do we all) that reality is less...defined. Nathaniel Thorn is that sorcerer, who has cut himself off from living a real life, for fear that he will become his past. He and Elisabeth are excellent foils for each other, and their weaknesses show the others' strength, though it must be said that Elisabeth is a force to be reckoned with on her own.

Rogerson is excellent at creating characters who refuse to be defined by the terms "good" or "evil", but are instead are just...who they are. There is such a character here, as there was in Ravens, and that uncertainty helps to propel the story in unexpected ways.

The story is fast-paced, and will keep even the most "squirrel"-like people coming back for more. It's not overwhelming, and there will be some tugging on the heartstrings (no spoilers!). The romance is definitely slow-burn, but all the sweeter for that. And the ending...oh, that ending. I will not spoil it for anyone, except to say it was the perfect blend of "WAIT, WHAT?!?" and "But wait!" and "THERE'S NO MORE?!". The ending truly was just right for the tale.

Overall, between both of her titles, Rogerson has a new fan, and I'll be keeping a much closer eye on her upcoming titles than before! Because when I say I finished the book "today" in my Goodreads? What that *really* means is I-stayed-up-way-past-my-bedtime-and-finished-it-because-I-needed-to-know-what-happened-and-damn-am-I-tired-at-work "today".

Last modified on

Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 31 March, 2019: Finished reading
  • 31 March, 2019: Reviewed