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 … 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.
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There’s something to be said for an author who writes stand-alone’s in a world of endless sequels (and reboots). I was absolutely enthralled with Margaret Rogerson’s debut, An Enchantment of Ravens. Rogerson paints with words in ways I haven’t read since L.M. Montgomery, evoking a timeless beauty through a modern fantasy. The moment I saw Rogerson was publishing Sorcery of Thorns, I snatched my pre-order and waited with bated breath for my hardback copy.
While I’ve come to appreciate different genres and forms of storytelling, my favorites remain closer to my first loves. I haven’t enjoyed women-centric fantasy so much since I discovered Robin McKinley at my public school library.
Speaking of libraries…
While I loved the pastel tones Rogerson painted her first novel with, I greedily drank in the dark and dusky landscape she crafted within Sorcery of Thorns. This is a dark, brooding world where sorcery is both reviled and revered, where books come to life, and librarians carry rapiers. A world where magic comes with a very precarious price, the ensorcelment of demonkind.
Elisabeth Scrivener was raised in a library, and has dreamed of nothing else but becoming a Warden. Enter the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn and everything is quickly turned on its head.
I loved every moment of this book, from the witty banter, the language, the quirks, and delicious gothic elements, to the way Rogerson keeps you guessing until the end.
Whomever you suspect to be villain and hero becomes muddled, just as Elisabeth learns good and evil aren’t always separate as they should be. And maybe, just maybe, even demons have souls.
While I loved the stunning cover of this book, I wasn’t sure I would read this book when it first released because another book, I read by her I didn’t care for as much. So, when the rating was fairly good after release, I had to check it out.
I’m so glad I did; I really enjoyed this book. I loved the characters and world building.
When we first meet Elisabeth, she is trained and taught to believe that all Sorcery and Sorcerers are evil. She also always had a feeling of belonging to the Library but also not really at the same time. When she is basically framed and thrown out, she learns quick that not everything she has been taught and believed is true.
I loved Elisabeth, she adepts so fast and learns as she goes along but still makes up her own mind. She struggles a lot but always finds a way. She starts to make her own path. I loved her friendship and her magical facetime sessions with Katrien were the best.
I also enjoyed Nathaniel and Silas a lot. It becomes clear early on that Nathaniel has his own troubles and demons, literally demon. Even with that he was great and I loved his sense of humor and openness about everything, well almost everything.
Silas, the same, I often struggled to figure out who I like more. I loved them both and both on their own way.
I loved how all of them had to learn to work together to stop the madness that was happening. Even though they all been basically been taught from early on the be enemies.
I loved the worldbuilding, we have magical and it had a historical feel to it, but it had a realistic feeling to it, with all the press and mental hospitals as well Physicians.
Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot. There were a few slower parts but for the most part it went pretty fast.
I rate this book 4
I loved every minute of this book, especially the witty banter. There are some darker magical moments, but overall this is a fun book. The author does an excellent job with secondary characters, you’ll love them just as much if not more than the main characters. Really more like 4 and 1/2 stars.
A brave heroine, a witty sorcerer, fighting against corruption, plots to raise demons, whilst at the same time falling in love and learning about their world.
Oh, and a very loveable BEST demon ever!
#bookreview #spoilerwarning .
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Sorcery of Thorns – Margaret Rogerson
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This book has blown my mind, it really is one of my favorite reads this year
Elisabeth is an apprentices in one of the magic libraries after she is abandoned as an baby on the doorstep ..
Nathaniel the sorcerer and his demon Silas…
I loved the way that the world of this book has been built and the way it has been written.
The main characters are fun, the bantering and jokes made me giddy and laugh a lot…
Blurb;
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.
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Stars
Genre; YA, fantasy, shifters .
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The gorgeous sleeve is from @bookgizmo
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LOVED this book!!
This was AMAZING! I was riveted from the beginning. What an incredible and unique take on magic! I loved that the heroine was freakishly tall – I feel like I am always reading about these petite main characters. I also loved that she was a librarian and that books had souls and could communicate. As a book nerd, that was AMAZING to read about. The concept of demons was super cool, too. I loved the romance. Lots of heartstopping, tingly moments. ALL of my expectations were met – love, love, LOVE!
For lovers of fantasy and action this book will be an enticing choice. Of course when you throw in grimoires galore and you’ve got me running to purchase it. Absolutely loved!
This was surprisingly good! It’s been a while since I’ve read a standalone with a decent amount of world-building. But, I’m glad I did! It was a nice break from all the series reads I’ve been doing.
While the magic/world came off as comical at times, it was an original and intriguing take on the typical “librarian” role.
When I read the description of the book I was excited. Magic, libraries, adventure and a hint of romance. While this book did have all of that, was fun in places it was also incredibly slow. I pushed hard to make it to 50% then forced myself not to skim.
My major issue being that a lot happened in this book without anything happening. The main character experienced a lot of adventure, action and danger but it didn’t really further the plot. It was just her being passed around.
There were some great moments, interesting creatures, humor and my favorite character, Silas. I would have liked more action with the books instead of it all being at the end. Also I didn’t particularity care for either main character as they were both bland and boring. The last page was intriguing but not enough to get me to read another in this series.
Middle of the road for me. Had some great aspects but equally no so great.
Loved A Sorcery of Thorns. Great tension and characters. What’s not to love about a library full of magical books that whisper to you. I didn’t want the story to end.
I loved this book so much! The world-building was on point. I love a strong female character.
An epic swords and sorcery saga, Sorcery of Thorns is Book 2 in the fantasy series by Margaret Rogerson, that’s much more than just an homage to Game of Thrones or Harry Potter. Elisabeth Scrivener is an orphan, abandoned on the doorstep of perhaps the world’s best library, the Austermeer’s Great Library, where she learns to guard the precious volumes within and dreams of becoming a Protector or Warden once her fight training, as well as her mental challenges at Summershall are complete. She’s rather naive, due to her studious well-protected lifestyle, but all is about to change in her world. Her contemporary Nathaniel Thorne likewise has a tragic past, fulfilling his ambitions to be rich and powerful, an ideal suitor for Elisabeth – or is he? Nate has rather a forbidding, cold-seeming personality, but is it just a projected facade formed for self-protection? Can there ever be an HEA for the flawed duo?
Among the treasured volumes Elisabeth protects, are magical ones known as grimoires, that can turn nasty – literally attacking any whom they consider enemies and sometimes bite the hand that protects them too – even becoming dangerous ‘maleficts’ if damaged.
Margaret Rogerson builds a vibrant fantasy world with strong and varied characters, including such as Silas,who’s a shape-shifting demon and Katrien Quillworthy, one of the other Wardens at the Library, in a fast-paced narrative with plenty of action to satisfy readers of many kinds.
Why not try it for yourself – you’ll be spellbound!
Well color me impressed..
Sorcery of Thorns was the type of read that didn’t necessarily grip me for at least 1/4 of the book. I internally complained about how slow and ‘boring’ it was until it just.. wasn’t. I couldn’t tell you when the exact moment was that it finally grabbed my full, undivided attention. One moment it felt like I was yawning, while the next I was giggling and holding my breath. This story featured everything I love in a book: subtle humor, plenty of ‘awe’ moments, and action that had me biting my finger nails.
My favorites were the grimoires. They were filled with personality. Some had sass, while some were goofy and utterly hilarious. I mean, who doesn’t love books that talk and turn into crazy, homicidal monsters?
Other than that, the world building was spot on, so I applaud you, author! It was truly magnificent. And the characters… They were well developed and entirely lovable. ESPECIALLY SILAS. I loved that guy. Even being a demon, he was the most caring character in the book. I just wanted to jump through the pages and hug him myself. And honestly… I kind of shipped him and Elisabeth instead of her and Nathaniel (DON’T SHOOT ME!).
Sincerely,
Silas’s demon wife
“Ink and parchment flowed through her veins. The magic of the Great Libraries lived in her very bones. They were a part of her, and she a part of them.”
Rogerson’s prose is once again lush and descriptive.
I can’t even say that this was a straight up “fantasy” book. It was so much more than that.
It was a mystery/thriller/heist/epic plot story set in a fantasy world. And it was so exciting.
More than anything it was a story about watching the character Elisabeth grow. One of the best character development stories I’ve ever read.
It was a very different story than An Enchantment of Ravens was. In both tone and plot. Not in a bad way at all of course. It was thrilling to see Rogerson write two entirely different books.
Elisabeth is a sheltered teenager raised in a library full of magical books. Her dream is to become a library warden to keep and protect the magical books from sorcerers. When the library is attacked, Elisabeth must work with a sorcerer to clear her name and find the reason for the attack. The story has great world building and some romance. It is a good fantasy read.
4.5
This book was amazing, it’s a great read about an extraordinary girl named Elizabeth that aspires to be a warden in a library, since in this world the books are magical and knowledge is power.
Elizabeth discovers that a powerful man is planning to do something really bad and he’s killing people in order to achieve his goals, so she must join forces with her nemesis aka Nathaniel and his mysterious servant Silas.
This book is amazing, there’s action, magic, romance….
This was one ginormous adventure!! It’s a pulse pounding novel that will leave you gripping it intently as you race through its pages! Be prepared to enter a world unlike any other, where the books are living entities and the library really does come to life!! This plot was uniquely magical and so very entertaining! Elisabeth was a character that you instantly fell for. She’s loyal, adventurous, intelligent, mischievous and hilarious! She stays upon her path no matter the danger or consequences. I didn’t always properly guess as to which conclusion or action she’d next embark upon and that made this thrilling!! Nathaniel was witty and brash and I loved him!!! My heart hurt for him and for all that shaped his character. I could not have dreamed up a better couple to save the day!! They both absolutely were created to exist together and build their own family. I’m wishing for that very thing in future books! Silas was both frightening and intriguing! I so wanted him to prove that he was loyal to Nathaniel. He had a heart despite himself and his history with Nathaniel was endearing to say the least. I loved this from start to finish and was severely upset once this ended!! I have to have more and I’m so excited, because that ending leads us to believe that their story is not yet finished. I could never heap enough praise upon this ah-mazing authoress!!! She’s phenomenal and I can most definitely state that I believe her to be in a class all unto herself!! I cannot think of any author to compare her to! I am beyond excited to read more from her in the future and to once again visit these unforgettable characters that I just know are going to stay with me forever.
Inside Sorcery of Thorns was a mesmerizing world of magic, demons and books. In this unique world librarians are also guardians and warriors, sworn to protect their libraries and the grimoires they contain at all costs. But doing so is not as easy as it sounds as the grimoires are alive and someone is trying to release the most dangerous ones as they leave a trail of bodies in their wake. Rogerson weaves a story of grief, heartbreak and self-discovery where all is not as it seems. This was truly a book that I couldn’t put down and I loved every page of it.
To me this book had a Harry Potter feel to it but much easier to follow along and understand in my opinion. It’s a book about magic and books, books that are alive and have feelings. It also is about a young girl who lives and breathes books in every which way! I feel the author wrote in detail very well allowing us readers to picture the setting, the characters and all the magic going on in the book as if we were actually there. Great book!