Sorcery of Thorns
Margaret Rogerson
★★★★★
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. She hopes to become a warden, charged with protecting the kingdom from their power.
Then an act of sabotage releases the library's most dangerous grimoire. Elisabeth's desperate intervention implicates her in the crime, and she is torn from her home to face justice in the capital. 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.
I knew from the second I read the dedication that I was going to love this book.
For all the girls who found themselves in books.
This was so so sooo good. Much better than I expected. What I don't understand is this: why is this not more hyped up? It deserves all the hype.
This book is so atmospheric. It has sort of gothic vibes. The Great libraries and all the descriptions of magic grimoires and books having souls and all that, it just reflects my love of reading. In a way, Sorcery of Thorns is an ode to all the readers out there. I felt so at home reading this and it's perfect for book lovers with a bit of magic added in.
Characters & Romance
I love Elizabeth Scrivener!! First of all, I'm pretty sure her last name is that writing software that authors use to draft their books lol😅 I could relate to Elizabeth on a personal level on her love for books and how she always feels at home around them. I love her personality! It meshes so well with Nathaniel's charm and wry humour and... hotness. 🥰 They just complement each other SO well!
Nathaniel looked at her sidelong. "Scrivener, I know I cut a devilishly handsome figure lying here on the floor all covered in blood—which I hear some girls find quite appealing, strangely enough, and if you're one of them I'm not going to judge—but please stop crying. It's only a flesh wound. I'll be back to fighting evil any moment now," She sniffed loudly. "I'm not crying. My eyes are watering. You smell awful." "What? I never smell awful. I smell like sandalwood and masculine allure." He lifted his head to smell himsef, and gagged. "Never mind."
Nathaniel and Elizabeth's enemies to lovers was sooo good. It was totally a side plot in the book, not the spotlight but I still really enjoyed it!! Any description of Nathaniel or his elegant attire was marked in pink. I think I definitely went a little tab crazy with this book. I was in love the second I read this description of his fingers...
His fingers were long and slender, like a musician's.
Now for Silas. He is an extremely attractive high demon servant. I love him so much!! And the ending omg...
Plot & Pacing
The plot was just a whirlwind!! I think I did a good job keeping up but there were a couple times where I had to reread a paragraph or two because I wasn't processing the words. It was super engaging for the most part though, and of course I loved it because it was about amazing magical libraries and magic books. The pacing gradually sped up throughout the book. It started off a bit slow but not boring, just leisurely. Then it sped up as the stakes got higher and it culminated with a bang.
Writing
Omgg finally, the part I was excited to talk about!! The writing in Sorcery of Thorns is just... absolutely breathtaking. It's so beautiful. The descriptions and just the way everything ✨flowed✨ was so perfect. Margaret Rogerson's writing is the quality of writer I aspire to become someday. Her amazing writing not only elevated everything, but made me able to imagine everything so vividly. Love love love.
I want to read her other book Enchantment of Ravens now. This was just so so good. I think something that Margaret Rogerson understood and did so well is how she made such an enrapturing STANDALONE fantasy. It's not often you get such a well-written, encompassing standalone in the fantasy genre. It's so perfect, and the ending leaves me satisfied. Obviously I want more, but it was a perfect standalone.
Thanks for reading my review!! Happy reading 📚😊
