ABOUT
Title: Sorcery of Thorns
Author: Margaret Rogerson
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.
I received an advance copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion whatsoever nor was I compensated in any way.
AHHH THIS IS SO SUPER LATE. BUT ALSO I LOVE THIS BOOK AND BETTER LATE THAN NEVER??
This book couldn't be more different from An Enchantment of Ravens, but just like her debut work, Margaret Rogerson has woven a magical and beautiful tale.
I really don't know how she does it. I often complain about fantasy standalones because they often are unable to craft a world and make it compelling enough in the one book and also deliver a compelling storyline. However, Margaret Rogerson manages to spin a story full of great characters, a beautiful world and a heart wrenching story every time. She's 2/2 people.
Sorcery of Thorns follows Elisabeth Scrivener, a girl who's grown up in one of the Great Libraries, which houses the magical and dangerous grimoires. Some are so dangerous that when provoked, a monster of ink and leather will leak from the pages. The job of a warden of the library is to protect the grimoires and to prevent the Malefictums from harming people. This is who Elisabeth has wanted to be since she was a child. When she's implicated in sabotaging the library she's grown up in and unleashing a grimoire, she is taken to the capital to face her alleged crimes only to find that she is at the center of a conspiracy. She must team up reluctantly with a sorcerer, Nathaniel Thorn, and his demonic servant, Silas, in order to get to the heart of the conspiracy and save the kingdom from ruin.
This world is goshdarn magical. Elisabeth works in a magical library full of sentient magical books (of course with the caveat that there are huge booklouse *shudders*). There are demons and magic and sorcery. This is the kind of world that I almost wished I lived in if I didn't think that I'd probably die. I love all the world building and how the reveals and the plot are so intricately tied into the history of the world that Rogerson has built. I'm a huge fan of stories that involve conspiracies and great world building and an established sense of history.
The characterizations are always on point too. Elisabeth is strong willed and dedicated to doing the right thing. She realizes that people don't believe her when she says that she didn't do the thing and yet she soldiers on to get people to realize it anyway. Nathaniel is frickin sassy and I love him. He has a tragic past and has a quiet strength to him as well. He's also bisexual and has a hilarious bit where he talks about how he was attracted to the prince until he grew a weasel for a mustache on his lip. Margaret Rogerson managed to get me to empathize with a demon (not like that's hard) but I love Silas too and he's an entire ass mood. Elisabeth's friend Katrien is hilarious as well. She's a great friend and always seems to be getting into mischief herself.
Please refer to Mith's amazing tweet thread characterizing each of them as bird memes.
Elisabeth pic.twitter.com/i2k8in6Z2T— mith but tired 🍂 (@guyliners) November 2, 2018
— mith but tired 🍂 (@guyliners) November 2, 2018
{redacted} pic.twitter.com/dypnrW0R31— mith but tired 🍂 (@guyliners) November 2, 2018
They are so freaking accurate and hilarious.
Another thing that I really loved about this book is that for a fantasy novel, it really has nothing to do with royalty at all. Sure Nathaniel is from a House that has history and he's kind of an aristocrat, but there's only really a brief mention of a prince. This book is more about Elisabeth and the libraries and also partially about Nathaniel and demons.
Some of the problems that I felt with An Enchantment of Ravens, where I felt that there were hints at the world that weren't explored, I didn't feel in this book. I felt really sufficiently satisfied by all the world building in this book. And while I didn't mind the claim of "no plot" in An Enchantment of Ravens, there was most definitely a lot of plot and action in this book. In a way, while both books are very similar in the beautiful writing and world and characters that Rogerson's created, An Enchantment of Ravens is a lush dessert and Sorcery of Thorns is a satisfying and fulfilling main course.
This book was so magical and beautiful and devastating. I love all the characters dearly and this world is stellar and I love this book a lot. Definitely one of my favourite things that I've read this year and of all time. I'm excited for whatever else Margaret Rogerson has brewing in her head because at this point it's guaranteed to be magical and beautiful and highkey likely to ruin me.
Happy Reading!
You've been kindly shouting your love of this book, one day SOON I will finally read it!
ReplyDeleteLOL. i love that. "kindly shouting" and ahhh!!! i hope you enjoyed it as much as i do! <3
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