Title: Sorcery of Thorns
Author: Margaret Rogerson
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Release Date: June 4, 2019
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Source: Purchased signed copy at Joseph Beth Booksellers
Rating: ★★★★
Synopsis:
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.
Well, well, well, it looks like Margaret Rogerson has done it again. GAHHHH! And this time, Rogerson created a world that every Ravenclaw dreams of—a world filled with enchanted books. The whole book is dedicated to loving books, protecting books, and enjoying books. As a novel filled with my favorite Bs: books, banter, and a brooding boy, Sorcery of Thorns had me grasping to every page . . . tightly holding on to the magic of the words and the unforgettable characters.
Filled with grimoires, demon-infused magic, and a dash of enchanting scenes of frost and snow (I love winter, so these wintry scenes stuck to me like binding glue), Rogerson writes the most beautiful story about love, friendships, and sacrifice. I adored the chemistry and relationships Rogerson scribbles into the pages between her main characters, Elisabeth, Nathaniel, and Silas. As a devoted book-lover, Elisabeth has a special connection with books. Like any bibliophile, Elisabeth enjoys the musty, sweet custardy scent of books, and she communicates with them on a level of respect and enjoyment. Oh, and the brooding sorcerer, Nathaniel, definitely had my “Byronic” meter ticking–I fell in love with his stubbornness and moodiness so much. And, last, Silas: Nathaniel’s demon, provided great comic relief and witticisms throughout the pages; I adored him so much.
Along with the well-developed characters, the world-building and magic system were also wonderfully written and descriptively in-depth. It was not hard to fall deeply entranced by Sorcery of Thorns, because it reads and unfolds vividly like a live-action movie. If there is one fantasy book that you should get to this year, I highly recommend picking up Sorcery of Thorns as soon as possible.
Note: I bought this book with my own funds. I was not provided a copy of this book by the author or the publisher in an exchange for a review; I reviewed it at my own discretion. All statements and opinions in this review are mine.
rants and raves of a bibliophile 