Before starting Sorcery of Thorns, I knew it was a book that took place in libraries and had magical books. That sounded very interesting and I have to say in that aspect this book didn't disappoint. From the start I was sucked into this magical world and it took off running! It's clear our main character Elisabeth had a passion for her work and the books. She grew up in this place and can't imagine doing anything else.

Sorcery of Thorns is one big roller coaster ride. The libraries are being attacked and whoever is doing this is trying to release the most dangerous grimoire! I loved that this book was filled with twists and turns. It took me awhile to figure out how this would all play out and the magic that held everything together. I really don't think I've read anything like this.

It was interesting to see that even when books come alive, magic is still seen as something evil. The socerers are painted as bad and they need to keep the grimoires away from them. This was an interesting aspect of the story and I liked the journey Elisabeth takes in this part of the book. I don't want to give away too much, because this is a story you need to experience for yourself.

Even though I flew through this book, there were a few things that bugged me at times. A lot of plot points went really fast and were resolved really easy. At a certain point it even felt like the story could've ended and I still had about a third to go. Also, some of the characters definitely deserved more time and development.

Elisabeth is an interesting main character! At first she's set in her own world and believes everything she's been told and learned. She grows a lot in this book and in a really good way. I loved how she really let herself be open to things she didn't know and to fight for what she believed in. Even if no one would stand behind her. For her time she was very independent and definitely won't take no for an answer. I don't know if I would've been as strong as she was in the same situation.

Silas is my favorite character of them all! He's a demon and Nathaniel's servant and I loved him to pieces. He's sarcastic, evil and more caring and loving than any demon should be. He was so much more than I expected and the author brought him to life in a way I wouldn't want any different! I would've loved to have read a few chapters from his POV!

Nathaniel is a mysterious one and I honestly needed more. It's clear that he's trying to live with everything his father started, but he's not really sure how to deal. He knows it's his job to continue on, but it's not easy on him at all. I think he could've been such an interesting character, but I felt that we didn't see enough of him. Maybe just a bit too mysterious?!?

Sorcery of Thorns is a dark fantasy and I loved getting this in YA! The villain was so evil and felt really realitic. I loved her take on this story and how she gave us a villain we just want to hate. That definitely helps a story just a bit more. And last, but not least, I would've loved to have more of Elisabeth's friend Katrien. She ends up helping a lot, but it felt like the author just forgot her at times. That's a shame, because she could've been an amazing aspect in this story.

A book about a magical library? You know I'm interested! This was actually all I knew about the story before I started. I'd seen some good reviews and heard something about demon books. And I guess that's all I really needed to know. It took me a while to get to this eARC and buy then the audiobook was on Storytel so I ended up listening to the audiobook.

The book starts with a suspenseful action scene and sucked me right in. I really enjoyed the pacing of the book in general. We get quite some action which got me through the story super quick. You get thrown into this world filled with magical libraries and evil sorcerers. Along the way you learn more about the world and the rules of magic.

I especially loved the library and could've used an extra 100 pages just set in the library haha. The books play such an important part in this story and I think that's pretty unique. I'm absolutely putting all the books with magical libraries or anything similar on my wishlist right away. It would've been nice if this was a duology though. While this standalone did a good job at creating an interesting contained story while still giving us a developed world, some plot points went by really fast. Especially the ending felt a bit rushed. It might be because of the adult fantasies I've been reading recently but I would've liked to see everything developed a bit more and I think splitting the story up in two book would've given the opportunity for that.

There weren't that many characters present in this story. Elisabeth is our main character and I think there are about 4 or 5 truly important characters beside her. I really enjoyed reading about Elisabeth. She grew up in the library and loves books like nothing else. At first she seems a bit naive but she quickly shows that she can think for her own and won't back down no matter what anyone else says. While I also enjoyed the romance she finds, I did think that went a bit fast. It's another part I would've liked to see developed a bit more.

Silas was my favorite character! He is sarcastic, funny and so caring, while still being an evil demonic servant. His scenes were wonderful and I laughed out loud at his comments. I would love to read another book just about him. There are some other demon servant we get to see, but not nearly enough in my opinion. They were one of my favorite parts of the story.

Nathaniel is Silas's master and our 'evil' sorcerer. We quickly learn that not everything is exactly as Elisabeth is always told. And not all sorcerers are evil. I did like Nathaniel although we didn't fully get to know him. He had an interesting backstory and I really felt for him. Nathaniel is another part of the story that could've used a bit more developing. The same goes for Elisabeth's best friend Katrien. I really liked her but she kind of disappeared for a while in the story. This is something we see in so many YA books, a best friend that is forgotten as soon as the story truly begins. While Katrien did have some important scenes, I would've liked to see even more of her.

In the end I really enjoyed this story and this world. We got to read about some interesting and lovable characters even though I would've loved to see some more. Especially after that ending ;)

Maybe 4.5 stars but whaTEVER I loved it so much??

This review is so many months late so I'm going to keep things extremely short.

The story was very intriguing and I couldn't stop reading. It's a book about magical libraries and different kinds of magic and sorcery, and there are demons and it's just as cool as it sounds.

What really shone for me were the characters, and as always I have a non-MC favorite: Silas!!! I really couldn't get enough of him and he's always one of the first things I remember when I think about this book. Of course I also loved Elisabeth and Nathaniel, and I was immediately interested in their romance.

But speaking of this point, I now realize that the main reason I was ready to like the romance right away was the fact that I had already seen from earlier reviews that Nathaniel is bisexual (or pansexual, labels aren't used and he only says he likes girls and boys). His being queer is not something you immediately know when you start reading and there is not a big "plot twist" around it, it's just very naturally shown. I personally really liked this because it was seamless and pretty much how it would happen in an ideal world where making your queerness known is no more than a sentence, a neutral statement.

However, I came to it having known since the beginning and I know it made me enjoy the story much more. Should the book maybe have made it clear earlier? I don't know, but I'm making sure I write it here because I know I personally (probably) wouldn't have been interested into this book if I hadn't known before (kudos to early reviewers).

So yeah, I recommend this if you're interested in casually queer fantasy YA with great characters and an interesting worldbuilding.

4.5 stars

Orphaned at a young age, Elisabeth was brought up in one of the Great Libraries of Austermeer. The libraries are filled with magical grimoires that are used by sorcerers, who are evil. These grimoires contain different spells and can change into terrible creatures when they are damaged. Elisabeth dreams of becoming a warden, someone that defends against the grimoires.
But when a dangerous grimoire is set free from Elisabeth's library and she is implicated, Elisabeth's dream lies in tatters.
To make things worse, Elisabeth finds herself involved with sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, whose servant is a demon.
Can Elisabeth trust Nathaniel?
Together can they save the Great Libraries?

Sorcery of Thorns is a book that I'd seen a lot of love for, so, naturally, I was worried that I wouldn't like it. But I did! Thank goodness!
I loved all the main characters in this - Elisabeth was likeable and relatable and I envied that she'd grown up in a library. How cool would that be?! Elisabeth's best friend, Katrien, was so funny and I would love to find out/read more about her. Nathaniel had the best dialogue and I really liked him. I especially enjoyed reading his interactions with both Elisabeth and Silas, who was an intriguing character. The relationship between Nathaniel was very interesting and I liked finding out more about them both as the book went on.
The setting and concepts in this book were interesting and intriguing. I loved the idea of Great Libraries filled with grimoires that would spit wads of ink at people as they walked past. Some of the grimoires were actually pretty scary and I wouldn't want to annoy them! I also liked how for someone to be a sorcerer and have magic, they had to make a deal with a demon who would serve them.
The romance was just right for me - it didn't overshadow other aspects of the plot and it didn't feel forced. It was the slow-burn kind of romance that I love.
The plot was intriguing and had me hooked straight away. For the most part, I had no idea what was going to happen next, but I did see a couple of things coming.
The writing style was engaging and held my attention.
I found myself smiling several times while reading this - usually at something Nathaniel said.
Sorcery of Thorns contains lots of my favourite things and I would definitely recommend it.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable read that I would recommend.

Sorcery of Thorns is a standalone fantasy. You may know Margaret Rogerson from her other book, An Enchantment of Ravens which is about fae.
Nevertheless, This story is set in the land of Austermeer. Magicians and great libraries exist in this world and the libraries hold some of the most powerful books in the land, which are kept there for safekeeping. Enter our protagonist, Elisabeth. Elisabeth knows that sorcerers are evil and was raised as a foundling of Austermeer’s great libraries. She has grown up around the magical grimoires that are kept under lock and key but one day when somebody releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire, all bets are off. She is flung into the situation but it implicates her in the crime, so with the help of sorcerer Nathaniel they find themselves in a conspiracy and must help Austermeer and the world to unravel the mysteries and the lies.

Unfortunately for me, whilst I read this, there was a lot going on in my life and I fell into a reading slump whilst reading this. Whilst I can say that the writing and narrative was enjoyable, I just wasn’t in the right mind space to read it at the time. As such, that has kind of clouded my judgement on this book. Maybe one day, I will read this book again but for now I can only give it 3 out of 5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK Books for allowing me to read an eARC copy of Sorcery of Thorns. All views and opinions discussed here are my own.

I swapped between the ebook and audiobook of this one which probably wasn't the wisest of decisions because it made this feel a lot longer than it actually was... despite that though I did really enjoy this book.

I think the whole world is really well done and the magic system is clearly explained and defined and it doesn't take the whole book to come together. I really liked the Great Libraries and the grimoires and honestly I just wanted to fall into this book and explore these glorious libraries for myself. How can I not love a book that is essentially wholly about books, books, and more books. Even though there were some evil books I loved them all. It really is a bookworms dream and I can't imagine a bookworm reading this book and not wanting to be an apprentice or a warden in the Great Libraries.

I would say that some of the reveals in this book; Silas being a demon, Ashcroft being evil, and Ashcroft knowing they were onto him and taking Silas, all did seem a bit obvious to me? I'm not sure if that was the intention or i've just read that many YA fantasy books now but I was never really shocked when any of these twists occurred. I enjoyed them, but I wasn't surprised.

Now in terms of the characters, I have to be honest I didn't warm to Elisabeth straight away; I found her quite dense at times and a little bit annoying BUT she has been raised since birth, to hate sorcerers and demons and has been told these awful tales consistently - they're the monsters hiding the cupboard or under the bed, so I do appreciate that she's going to be very apprehensive at first of anything to do with magic it makes sense. And she does learn as the book goes on; not everything as as black and white as the world makes it out to be and Elisabeth sees that clearly for herself. I liked her relationship with Katrien as this almost humanises Elisabeth and makes it clear that she is a teenage girl and not some mystical figure; it helps that Katrien is hilarious and always out for a bit of trouble.

Nathaniel is a good character; I like that from the off he was witty and sarcastic and didn't really have any time for nonsense. Although we learn a lot about his backstory, I would say he's probably the least developed in the book? As the book is from Elisabeth's perspective the whole way through we never really get to explore how he processes what is happening and he did seem to spend a lot of the book injured (nice change from it always being the female character).

The relationship between Elisabeth and Nathaniel was obviously going to happen and I didn't hate it, but I was quite indifferent to it really? It doesn't really impact the book in anyway or change where the plot is going - it would have been the same had they just been friends. Which honestly makes me happy because this book wasn't about the romance, yes they build their relationship in the book but it's never the central point of the book.

<i>"i think i was a bit dead already, before you came along"</i>

Silas Silas Silas. He was by far the best character. It took me a little bit of time to warm to him but as soon as I did I loved him. He is such an interesting and complex person; he clearly isn't as heartless as he likes to make out but I also believe that if left without that love and support of Nathaniel, that he would go on a rampage that would destroy the world. The first time we lost him I was upset, the second time I was devastated. The ending of the book leaves me very very hopeful that he is going to come back to the world and live in happiness with Nathaniel and Elisabeth for the rest of their lives, however long they may be.

I did enjoy this book; some of the plot wasn't the best i'd say, specifically Ashcroft's intentions and reasoning on why he was doing what he was doing. Beyond it being a family tradition we didn't really get to find out his personal reasoning behind it and I think it would have benefited from exploring this a bit more, but again this book was more about Elisabeth; I do think i'd have enjoyed it slightly more if we had some other perspectives BUT it is a good book and an easy read and i'm glad that some YA books are actually capable of being stand alones!!

Margaret Rogerson's words are magic. She manages to pack sorcery, whimsy, humour, feminism, and a love of books all into Sorcery of Thorns, making it one of the best fantasy standalones I've read in some time.

The story is in parts splendid and sinister - where books are living breathing creatures that can kill if you aren't too careful. It brought me a kind of nostalgia for the fantasy novels I would read at fifteen - where book-loving girls fight evil men and devouring demons alongside tragic but witty boys - but with an added freshness to the dynamic. There is no love triangle, for one, and queerness is normalised, which is always so refreshing with fantasy. Furthermore, the male lead, whilst being both charming and self-pitying, is never cruel or overly self-absorbed. The sharp-minded Nathaniel plays brilliantly alongside the bright and bookish Elisabeth, and the affection they show for the demon Silas is so tender that it's difficult not to fall in love with all three of them.

There is also a subtle but powerful narrative about the power dynamics of wealth and gender, where Elisabeth realises that "the world wasn't kind to young women, especially when they behaved in ways men didn't like, and spoke truths men weren't ready to hear." This, again, makes the typical fantasy formula of Sorcery of Thorns stand apart from those that have come before it.

Rogerson can break my heart and heal it all in a single page, and I look forward to experiencing the same with her future books.


Diversity Note: Nathaniel is bisexual, Silas is asexual, and Katerine is aromantic

Warnings: blood, violence, gaslighting and deception, death

This was such a good premise for a book, but I found that the execution let it down on occasion. It tells the story of Elisabeth Scrivener who was brought up in the Great Library at Summershall amongst the grimoires. When she is wrongly accused of a crime, she must fight to clear her name with the help of Nathaniel Thorn, a sorcerer and his demon, Silas.

The Positives: The setting is wonderful. Rogerson has created a really fascinating world here and I thought the libraries were fantastic. I loved the characters - particularly Silas, who was by far, the most intriguing, but all of the characters, including the peripheral ones, were really well fleshed out and had their own unique personalities, which was great.

The Negatives: I feel like this would have worked better as part of a series. There is a lot going on in this novel, which feels alternately rushed in places and surprisingly slow in others. The world is so complex and detailed that I think it would have been better explored in more than one book. The magic system too, needed more focus.

Overall, I think that this was a really ambitious novel that I enjoyed in part, but found frustrating at times.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I don’t know where to start to tell you how much I loved this book!

The concept really is a bookworm’s dream! We follow Elisabeth, a girl who dreams of becoming a librarian and protecting the world’s most dangerous grimoires.

My favourite character by far was Silas. His position as a cold ‘heartless’ character who actually does have a heart made him a fascinating character to read.

Elisabeth and Nathaniel were also really great characters and I really enjoyed their interactions with each other. It was obvious early on that this was set up to be a romance plot, but it didn’t really feature enough in the story to be a central point. I think it could have been a great addition if more time had been dedicated to it, but as the book is I don’t think the romance added anything to the book.

This book left me wanting more and I was genuinely upset when I reached the end!

Sorcery of Thorns follows Elisabeth Scrivener, an apprentice who dreams of becoming a librarian, to protect the world’s most powerful and volatile grimoires. However, one night, Elisabeth finds herself in the middle of an awful plot to upend the Great Libraries, and her life is turned upside down. Elisabeth must get to the bottom of who and what is threatening the world as everyone knows it, all the while navigating whether to trust the sorcerers she’s been taught to consider evil all her life.

I’m not going to mess around, this is a good YA standalone fantasy read. The story took me on an adventure that had me wondrous and wanting more.

Without being too corny, this is a bookworm’s dreamworld. Sorcery of Thorns embodies all this bookish, because Rogerson brings books and libraries to life. The descriptions of libraries, aged and worn books and the personality of books was utterly joyful. I absolutely loved the books (grimoires) being living breathing things; they had different temperaments and talents. They are, in essence, contributing characters to the story. This is an easy pull for any bookworm, and thus makes it all extremely immersive and imaginable. This really is a world made for a bookworm’s appreciation.

“Elisabeth was assigned to care for a Class Two called The Decrees of Bartholomew Trout, which developed a habit of wiggling provocatively every time it saw her coming.”

Elisabeth and Nathaniel are likeable characters, and the author cleverly connects them through their similar upbringings. Elisabeth is that type of character who has prejudicial thoughts early on, and grows as the story progresses, to be more open minded. And Nathaniel Thorn easily sweet talks the reader into adoring him for his humour, old style vocabulary and his tortured soul.

I was caught between the devil and the deep blue sea with the book’s romance. It wasn’t developed enough for me to feel like it was worthwhile, because I think the story would have felt the same if Elisabeth and Nathaniel’s relationship was strictly platonic. This would have been fine (a friendship instead), however, the characters were portrayed as love interests, with one of them being rather swoon worthy. So I couldn’t help but want the romance aspect at the same time, which is the dilemma I had here: it simply wasn’t explored, expanded or emotional enough for me to root for it.

I don’t think I’m alone here, which naturally makes me feel better: Silas was my favourite character and the true star of Sorcery of Thorns. His demeanour - as a heartless but not heartless person - really captured my attention. I desperately want a sequel centred on Silas, or at the very least, another story set in this world, where he features as a main character again.

Some events, for me, were just too much like writing overkill. The need to have Elisabeth in continuous peril was rather over the top with the dramatics. As well, I’d of liked to see more of the villain beyond the reasoning of a family legacy and thirst for power - I like things like this (i.e. the character’s background too) fully explored, perhaps even with a full on villain speech, which Sorcery of Thorns didn’t deliver.

I enjoyed the magic of this world; where warlocks, grimoires and demons were essentially interconnected. Rogerson wrote all of this with an air of magic that I’ve just not encountered recently, and I simply adored it. It’s been one of my favourite story’s with world building that is successfully ensnaring I’ve read this year.

All in all, Sorcery of Thorns was thoroughly enjoyable. I read it in two days, and I’m rating it 4 stars. It’s full of humorous moments that you can’t help but smirk at, or full on chuckle at. The personification of books was my favourite part of this book, and I won’t be forgetting it anytime soon. I definitely recommend this to anybody who wants to read an ode to all things bookish and get lost in a world where your books are a little bit more than what they appear.
Thank you kindly to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an e-ARC, in exchange for this honest review.

I know, I know, I'm so late to the party reading this but I did enjoy it greatly! I decided I couldn't let 2019 pass without having read this. book. It is so delightful, the magic and its system are so much fun to read and the style of writing of Rogerson is absolutely thrilling to read. Silas and Magister Thorn were hands down my favourites but Elisabeth had so much heart and sincerity it was impossible not to care for our protagonist.

The only reason I did not rate this five stars is because, despite how much I absolutely LOVED this book, I just felt like something was missing from Nathaniel and Elisabeth's interactions and relationship in general. I just wanted them to have a more genuine connection than we got. I did feel as if Silas and Elisabeth had better interaction, not romantically, just for a genuine friendship.

As many have asked, why is this a standalone?! I NEED MORE!

I was so excited for this book and I wasn't let down in the slightest! I really really enjoyed An Enchantment of Ravens and when I found out that Margaret Rogerson was bringing out another book I just HAD to request it!

1. It was set in a magical library, I mean COME ON!
2. The fact that it was good AND bad magic.
3. The pacing was just right!
4. It was just so easy to read, sometimes in books things can be a bit wordy, but there were no issues with this what so ever!

I really did enjoy this and I'm glad it lived up to expectations!

Thank you to OwlCrate and also NetGalley for sending me this book! I really enjoyed it!

Elisabeth works in a library where books hold varying degrees of dangerous or good magic. Her job is to protect them and make sure they don’t get lost into the wrong hands. However, one night the most dangerous book in her library comes to life and she is framed for the damage it has caused. Trying to fight for her cause, she and Nathanial have to fight against a powerful patriarchal sorcerer who is determined to shut her up and put her in an asylum. Will truth prevail?

I loved this book, the premise and the direction it took. It was a great read and I couldn’t put it down in all honesty. However there was something about it that didn’t draw me in. This book just kind of felt really random to me. Like the storyline is great, but yeah. So random. And for that reason I couldn’t give it the full 5 stars that I want to.

Saying that though, I will recommend it to any who love fantasy and sarah j maas books especially.

I've been wanting to read a Margaret Rogerson book for so long and this one did not disappoint! It was so fast paced, action packed and I just loved the writing style so much.

Elisabeth was born to be a warden of books. Raised amongst the Great Libraries, she has an affinity for the dark and dangerous grimoires that whisper their secrets at night, and trick unwary librarians to their death. So when one such grimoire escapes, leaving a path of destruction in its wake, it falls on Elisabeth and the reluctant sorcerer Nathanial Thorn to get to the bottom of who is behind the deed.

The setting for this was absolutely perfect. Mysterious libraries and dangerous books are a combination made in heaven for any bookworm like me, and the friendship and love that Elisabeth has for the books is wonderful to see unfold. My favourite scenes were definitely those centred around the various libraries of the kingdom, as well as seeing the grimoires interact with each other and Elisabeth. They each have their own distinct personalities and temperaments, some are friendly while others are malevolent and evil - luring the unsuspecting to their death. This relationship Elisabeth has with them is distinctly unique, and one that is explored well throughout the story.

I also really enjoyed Elisabeth as a character. She’s clumsy, with her head stuck in then clouds, but also determinedly stubborn and strong willed with a good moral compass. Several times she has the chance to give up and forget her quest to bring down the villain who is destroying her beloved libraries, but she never does. She never falters from her path, rather drawing people into her plight with her shining personality and love for the downtrodden. Her relationships with both Nathanial and Silas are well done too, with a romance that never steps fully into the forefront of the story - which greatly appreciated. It’s slow burn and a little tension filled and oh so good. The morally grey Silas, with the hints of danger and ability to turn into a fluffy white cat, reminded me of Mogget from Sabriel, and helps to add an additional dimension to the characters.

In terms of the story itself, I do think that it’s reasonably well paced given its long length for YA, however a lot of the ‘secrets’ and twists are revealed a little too early on for my liking. We discover who is behind the library attacks very early on, leaving little to the imagination and no build up of mystery or tension. At times I found myself alternating between being really invested in the storyline, and other times being a bit bored. This is especially true of the middle section, where Elisabeth is house bound with little action or development going on other than waiting for something to happen, and we see very little of our villain - weakening the overall menacing effect slightly. I would have preferred a slower unfeeling of these mysteries.

That said, this is an enjoyable YA fantasy with a unique concept. My absolute love of the grimoires pushed my rating higher.

Highlight
the books
the book magic
the humour

Overall
I didn't realise this was a 14-15-year-old protagonist. The adults were very villainous in the true form of the YA range, but the grimoires and the idea of living books were very detailed and fascinating. I loved the library and the life of the books and all that magic.

I struggled to put the book down and laughed out loud on several occasions (which is rare to me).

The Story
The story starts straight in and shifts Elisabeth's (the protagonist) way of life and her comfort, as most YA does. This is such a typical YA trait and it never really fails. The book had several typical elements of a YA book, but it was fine to me. It had the villainous adults, the quick shift in their life situation at the start of the book, the handsome boy/man with the dark past, and good sidekicks.

But overall I enjoyed the story a lot.

The World-building
lots of details concerning the books etc, but not too heavy and not that wide. it only briefly mentions other libraries etc, and the nearby village and another town, but that's it. Then as the story runs through it slowly adds information. You never really feel like its world-building as its all a part of the story. Is quite well one. I didn't notice the world-building after the first few chapters.

The magic/science
The books have magic and their own life through the sacrifices of humans and demons as their binding is made by them, but the humans have magic based on the summoning and control of high court demons. The summoning spell is inherited and on-one outside the magic families knows this information.

I really loved the book magic and the personalities they seemed to have.

The characters
Elisabeth is around the age of 14-15 (at the beginning at least) and is the main characters who seem to always get into trouble. Well, trouble seems to find her, she just wants to do the right thing.

I also liked both Nathaniel and Silas. I laughed out loud by some of Nathaniel's comeback on several occasions. And me laughing out loud from a book is rare!

LGBT+?
In the background and not frowned upon :)

The Writing
It's got easy writing as expected from a YA book. It was well written in the way I didn't notice the world-building and the smoothness of the story. I also enjoyed it so much I had issues putting it down.

It's very funny at times and I laughed out loud which is uncommon for me.

Summary
I loved it. I'm definitely picking up An Enchantment of Ravens, which is Margaret Rogerson's first book.

I loved this book so much.

I connected with Elisabeth from the beginning and while her background isn't explored much, I felt like she was such a well-rounded character. What I really liked was that despite her reservations about sorcerers and the world in general, she's open to learning and understanding and acknowledging that what she has been told might not be the truth.

The relastionship between her and Nathaniel was such a pleasant one, I liked how it developed slowly and that both characters sort of fight it until they finally admit it and then they're honest with each other. The lack of romatic conflict made so much more room for the FASCINATING magic system.

The grimoires were horrific, but so well done and I liked that they had personalities and were able to act. Sorcery of Thorns is the kind of book for book lovers but with an interesting magical plot and although the bad guy wasn't very interesting or surprising, I liked how he believed in his mission and how it played out.

My favourite character was Silas. He was quite the interesting persona and added a lot to the story.

Sorcery of Thorns was magical, and I loved how much of the world we got to see and understand before the big climatic end. It was well written and balanced and I'm looking forward to more stories from the author.

It has been an incredibly long time since a book has sucked me into its world like this book does. While the magic and stories are nothing alike, I often felt myself comparing to being sucked into the world of Harry Potter. That's how good this book is.

Sorcery of Thorns immerses you into a world where magic exists, librarians are the absolute bomb-ass people, and books being monsters is pretty normal. Elisabeth is an apprentice librarian in a Great Library - one of six institutions which house and take care of grimoires. In this world, grimoires aren't just books full of spells. Graded by how dangerous they potentially are, these books can communicate to readers and come to life in various ways depending on the book's creator and the nature of its contents.

“It was always wise to be polite to books, whether or not they could hear you.”


But when the director of Elisabeth's library is killed, in a string of attacks that is releasing grimoires as their monster forms across the Great Libraries, she is accused of being behind the crime. From here Elisabeth is swept along a story of magical corruption in an attempt to save the Great Libraries, the grimoires, and herself.

I feel like I should acknowledge that book carries A LOT of tropes. There is the "one-of-a-kind MC", the dark and brooding male character, there is the whole save the world story line. But Rogerson has managed to weave the story in a way that it doesn't feel like these plots have been done before. The world-building and the lore are so intricate and gorgeous, that the entire book is an engaging from start to finish. This book was much slower than I typically enjoy, but because of these components I didn't even mind.

“...there is always more than one way to see the world. Those who claim otherwise would have you dwell forever in the dark.”


There is so much more that I could say about this book, but I am not one for long reviews. I just want you to know that it is truly a fantastic experience and I absolutely recommend you pick this up if it catches your interest!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for a honest review.
To me this book was a very fun read, and was a perfect read to just sit under a blanket and read the day away, I read this book in one sitting as I was so captivated by it. There is a lot of amazing banter in this book and this made the reading experience for me, I love a book with a bit of good banter in it.
I feel the best part of this book was the characters, they just made it so much more!, from their relationships to their connections with one another. The writing in the book was also very enjoyable. I highly recommend this book, and I have recommended it to some of my friends who have similar tastes to me and they loved it too.

In theory this book should have been a 5 Star read. In reality sadly not so much. I liked the idea and the library setting. The banter was also really entertaining but sadly the protagonist was really naive and the story had a lack of consequences. The writing style was not for me and really repetetive.