One of my favourite elements of Sorcery of Thorns is the way magic works in this world. It's fascinating the connection between demon and the sorcerer, the selling of the life force. The mark that the sorcery wears to show the deal. I would love to find out who it all started. 

Both Elizabeth and Nathaniel are interesting, funny, smart and determined characters, I liked them both straight away. Even though Nathaniel is a sorcerer and they don't have the best reputation. Another one of my favourite element of the book is the interaction between Elizabeth, Nathaniel and Silas Nathaniel Demon. 

The conspiracy that Elizabeth gets herself wrapped in, makes for an engrossing story. The way in which Margaret has built the story means we get an interesting case with fun romance. 

I am hoping that this isn't the last time I get to read about Elizabeth and Nathaniel, I am completely and utterly invested in them. I would take any form of a story. 

Finally please can someone create fan art of Elizabeth and Nathaniel hugging Silas. 

My rating for Sorcery of Thorns is 5 out of 5.

The last time I enjoyed reading a young adult fantasy novel as much as this was probably when I first read the Alanna books by Tamora Pierce. The magical books and libraries also reminded me slightly of aspects of one of my other favourites, Naomi Novik's 'Uprooted'. Full of wonderful characters, magic, tension, a little romance and plenty of action - I can see myself rereading this at some point, and I'd definitely love to read further novels set in this world.

(ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley)

Thank you to Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I kept hearing such great things about this book and when I heard that the main character is a librarian and there are talking books I knew I just had to read it! Also the cover is gorgeous! Although I did end up enjoying it but sadly I didn’t love it.

I have mixed feelings about this book. While I did enjoy the story and I loved seeing the libraries and the grimoires and that there were books so powerful that they could be dangerous, I didn’t fall in love with any aspect of the book enough for me to love this book.

Elisabeth has grown up in the library, surrounded by books and raised with certain teachings and beliefs. She has never really been outside the walls of the library enough to see what it is truly like. So she believes everything that she has been taught, this made her a little naïve but she is smart so she does learn quickly. Her beliefs are challenged as the story progresses and she doesn’t know what to believe any more and this leads her to discovering herself more outside of being a foundling. Despite all this I didn’t find her character to be very memorable so I couldn’t really feel invested in her story.

Nathanial is a handsome, socially awkward sorcerer who tries to act indifferent towards Elisabeth but ends up caring deeply for her. He regularly insults her and tells her that he won’t help her and is generally quite broody. Although he does help her in the end I just felt their romance was a little unnecessary and I fell they would be better as friends. I especially don’t understand Elisabeth’s attraction to him especially as he is so rude to her and regularly calls her an “absolute terror” despite his tragic backstory. I also felt that he also didn’t have much role further than showing Elisabeth that not all sorcerers are evil and being her love interest. I would have loved to see more of his character development.

I did however enjoy the sarcastic and sassy banter between Elisabeth and Nathanial and how they bounced off each other when they were working together.

My favourite character was Silas, he was so intriguing and mysterious and I just wanted to know more about him. We don’t learn very much about him or what he thinks past what we learn from Elisabeth and Nathanial and honestly, I just want more Silas! I would love to see his point of view and what he was thinking throughout everything that happened in the book. I want to know his motivation and reasoning for doing what he did and all we know is what he tells them, but is that the truth?

Overall I did enjoy aspects of the book but I felt the story was pretty predictable and I because I didn’t love the characters I ended up not loving the story.

"Night fell as death rode into the Great Library of Summershall"

* * *
3 / 5

I love books. So it stands to reason that I would enjoy a book about books, right? And I do! I loved all the aspects in Sorcery of Thorns that were to do with books: sword-wielding librarians, grimoires that turn into monsters, books that whisper secrets to you, a child raised in a library who dreams of becoming a Warden. Unfortunately, the book didn't manage to wow me. 

"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."

Elisabeth Scrivener was raised an orphan in one of the six of Austemeer's Great Libraries, and she dreams of becoming a Warden. What does a Warden do? I would've loved to actually know! It's something to do with guarding dangerous books, books with sorcerous knowledge and the potential to turn into maleficts, monsters that attack people. Elisabeth is on the verge of being old enough to pursue her dream when a high-class grimoire becomes a malefict and goes on the rampage. Unjustly accused, Elisabeth is taken to the capital by a sorcerer to be tried.

Nathaniel Thorn is a rakish, handsome sorcerer with a demon, Silas, for a servant. As a child of the library, Elisabeth has been raised to view sorcery as primitive, backwards, and dangerous. This didn't make much sense to me. The libraries fear sorcery because it is powerful, and if Elisabeth has anything to do with sorcery she becomes ineligible to train at the Collegium. But on the flipside, sorcerers are prominent, powerful, respected members of society who use the Great Libraries all the time and are treated like royalty. 

"I assure you, no good will come of a passionate affair between us. You, a small-town country librarian, me, the kingdom's most eligible bachelor."

What did I like? I liked Elisabeth. She is curious, intelligent, and a bit skittish. Despite being an orphan, she doesn't care all that much about her biological parents, which was refreshing. She is exceedingly happy with being a child of the library. I also loved all the cool scenes with the books, especially when the fight. That was epic. Nathaniel and Silas are also great characters (even if Nathaniel is a bit cliche broody guy with tragic father issues), and I dug the Victorian vibe.

Sorcery of Thorns was my second shot at a book by Margaret Rogerson, after An Enchantment of Ravens which I didn't finish. I love her ideas, but I'm not a huge fan of the execution. Whilst enjoyable, Sorcery of Thorns didn't end up being the kind of book that makes a big impression on me. 

My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of Sorcery of Thorns.

This was absolutely brilliant!

Going into ”Sorcery of Thorns“, I had very high expectations. This book sounded almost too good to be true - magical libraries, sorcerers, and a conspiracy? How bloody fantastic!
And to my delight, I wasn’t disappointed at all.

The main characters were great.
Elizabeth was a badass heroine, Nathaniel was sarcastic and hilarious, and Silas the demon butler stole my heart.

The plot itself was fast paced and unique, and the whole books-turning-into-monsters thing was exactly my cup of tea.

I also appreciate that ”Sorcery of Thorns“ is a standalone. Don’t get me wrong - I’d love a spin-off. Maybe about Silas, because he was perfect.
But to be completely honest, there are so many fantasy series out there and almost no standalones, and that really has to change. Some people are just too busy to read a complete series, but still want to read a good fantasy book, okay? And by some people, I mean myself.

“Sorcery of Thorns“ was a fast paced and action packed bundle of perfection that I loved even more than I had anticipated and I’m looking forward to future books by this author.

This was how YA fantasy is supposed to be. I'm actually a bit sad writing this review, because I know that this would have been a 5star read for me when I was around 16 and just started out reading Young Adult Literature. As an adult (ehem, or the closest thing I am to that) who has read a good deal of fantasy at this point, there were just some moments in this book where the serious moments felt too forced and the light moments felt unnecessary in order to bring the plot back on track.
Despite these minor issues, this was a beautiful story. We follow Elizabeth, a future Warden who gets caught up in a load of trouble and somehow founds her inner strength while being cast out from the world she always thought she would inhabit and change forever. And she does - just not in the way she thought she would.
The romance in this book was light but entertaining, and my heart goes out to my new favorite demon Silas - he was just so intriguing and I would have read a trilogy just about him, just saying.
All in all, a beautiful fantasy that is perfect for younger readers or people just starting out with YA. Enchanting, immersive and something that will every booklover's heart beat stronger.

Three words to describe Sorcery of Thorns: magical, spellbinding and enchanting.
Margaret Rogerson’s first book, An Enchantment of Ravens, was one of the books I really loved reading last year. Full of fae and magic, I was really excited to see what she would do with a library-set fantasy story.
Yet again, with Sorcery of Thorns Margaret set up a whole new and fascinating world. Straight away we’re thrown in to an action-filled introduction where we meet Elisabeth, the main character, along with a magical book. The books have pretty harrowing origins, being made from human sacrifices by sorcerers. This helps set you up with understanding why most (including Elisabeth) aren’t the biggest fans of sorcerers. Elisabeth wants nothing more than to stay in the library, surrounded by the books whilst gaining the position of Warden.
She meets Nathaniel prior to everything going really really bad, whilst he’s visiting the library she lives in. If you’re a fan of sarcastic characters like I am then you’ll love him, and Rogerson gives him and Elisabeth great chemistry from the very beginning. Nathaniel is such a great character, it’s worth noting as well that the book has bi representation with Nathaniel too and also some aromantic representation with another character. Nathaniel himself though is sarcastic and broody and just… I love him.
Glossing over the details (because spoilers) Elisabeth finds herself being accused of something terrible and taken away from her home by the very sorcerer she’d previously had a run in. This is also when she meets his demon, Silas.
I LOVE SILAS.
He can transform into a cat as well as a human and he is honestly my favourite character from the story. He’s pretty mysterious at first but it’s clear he cares a lot for Nathaniel and, eventually, Elisabeth also. Plus whenever he’s a cat he has just as much attitude and he’s just too adorable not to like. (I really like cats, so that may be swaying my opinion, but still.)
As with An Enchantment of Ravens, the words and general writing within Sorcery of Thorns are just beautiful! I can’t describe it to a point that fully justifies how enchanting it is but it’s done so well that we move around places quickly and yet everything is fully fleshed out so the book doesn’t confuse you.
I don’t feel like I’ve given Elisabeth enough justice either, but I loved her character too. She’s a book-loving heroine and constantly showing how brave she is both with heroic actions and also with how she develops. At the beginning she’s almost indoctrinated to believe that magic and sorcerers are bad but she starts to question things and grow as a person which is great to read!
Overall, I’m just super sad that there won’t be more from this world! But I know that whatever Rogerson next writes will absolutely be another auto-buy for me.

Note: Unfortunately I read the ARC super late and therefore I am posting this review a month after the release of Sorcery of Thorns, published June 4th. Whoops!

~~~

There are times when you come across a book that feels like it has been written just for you. Margaret Rogerson’s Sorcery of Thorns was definitely one of those books for me. It took me too long to pick up my ARC copy due to reading a trilogy beforehand, however it’s almost a gift that I waited to read it. In some ways, I wish I hadn’t yet so I could immerse myself in the magic of this story and its characters for the first time.

Sorcery of Thorns opens with us meeting Elisabeth, an orphan girl raised in the Great Libraries of Austermeer, surrounded by grimoires, magical books that can transform into the monsters trapped within when provoked. Like all servants of the Library, Elisabeth believes all sorcerers are evil, as that is simply what she has been told. When she becomes associated with sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn in the light of a sabotage of the most powerful grimoires in her library, Elisabeth’s world opens up to the unexpected and the unimaginable.

Now, I really don’t want to say much more about the plot of this book because I think it’s better if you plan to read it that you, like me, go into the book knowing very little. Personally, all I really needed to know entice me to read Sorcery of Thorns was that it involved books and magic, a strong female lead and a mysterious sorcerer. That’s it. I went into this book expecting to be thoroughly entertained and I most certainly was.

The characters, two of which I have already mentioned and two in which I will leave as mysteries, were perfect and so lovable. I enjoyed following them throughout the story and if there were to be more books about them in the future, I would snatch them up with delight. I don’t think I’ve quite loved characters in recent reads as much as I do these. They are honestly perfect. And there are very well-written villains and side characters that I have to mention as a great element of the book as well!

The writing is breathtaking, meandering and full of colour. I was immersed for the whole read, eagerly flipping to the next page to find out what would happen next and all the while admiring the style of prose and the way the characters leapt off the page. While at the beginning of the book, I would have liked a little more exposition on Elisabeth’s childhood/background information, I was quickly swept away by the story and delved into the world, so clever and enticing with its dark and light tones.

I am now simply just wishing for more. What else can I say, really? But to say, go and pick up a copy and read this enchanting book. I will be buying a copy myself asap!

I loved this book, loved it, loved it, loved it. Do what you have to do to get hold of a copy – buy it, borrow it from a friend, go to your local library, download it to your kindle. If you love fantasy and books you need to read this.

Elisabeth was a wonderful main character, strong, compassionate, open and true to herself. I loved how she never gave up, but never seemed unrealistic.

The magic system created in this novel is superb. Magical books (grimoires) that literally have a life of their own and need to be held in Great Libraries so they can be protected. A damaged grimoire can become an evil Malefict that goes on a killing spree. The libraries are so dangerous they employ and train orphans to work in then. It is in one such library that Elisabeth grows up, unusual even among library apprentices for having been there all her life rather that starting at 13 as the other apprentices do.

Sorcery is fascinating in this universe as well, every sorcerer having a bound demon who they draw power from. Power that is gained at the price of the sorcerers own life force. I love a balanced magic system that has consequences ad this one is so well thought out.

I hope we get to re-visit this world again I adored it. Having worked in libraries for many years I really wish I could have a greatkey and go work in the Great Libraries as well. Easily one of favourite reads of the year.

What a story ! I didn't expect to like this much but this book was super good. I loved the world building and strong female lead. The story was rich and fast paced. I really liked it.

A fantasy book featuring magical libraries was pretty much all I knew about this book going in - because, honestly, that sounded good enough for me. And, as it turned out, it wasn't just good enough - it was great.
If, like me, you love Garth Nix's Old Kingdom series, Jonathan Stroud's Bartimaeus trilogy, Diana Wynne Jones and even Full Metal Alchemist - this is the book for you!
There are some fantastic characters-inc: a kind & caring library warden who beats demonic ass with sword (or a iron pipe - if necessary), a sharp-tongued, slightly brooding, sorcerer (who may or may not drink orphan's blood on a Wednesday), and a sharply-dressed demon manservant/best friend/ general caregiver and occasional cat. As well as interesting and developed supporting characters.
The plot is fast-paced but doesn't feel rushed, the world-building is well done and really drew me in and left me wishing I could visit some of the locations.
All-in-all this was a really fun romp through a spell-binding magical world with great creatures and characters. I think there's room for further stories in this world and I hope that we will get to see these characters again.

4 stars!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review!

The premise of Sorcery of Thorns pulled me in from the get go; librarians with swords? Count me in! And having read and enjoyed Margret Rogerson’s previous book I was eager to get my hands on this one. This was a definite step up from her first novel, but kept the elements of her writing that I enjoyed from her previous work.

The library’s themselves were the highlight of the novel feeling being a delight to read about and visit whilst reading the pages of the book. Then left you feeling bereft that they didn’t actually exist. It absolutely felt like a love letter to library’s and books.

Elisabeth herself was an interesting protagonist her parental relationship with the director of her library a particular highlight of her arc and was surprisingly emotional given that we didn’t see too much of it on page, which is a testament to Rogerson’s writing.

The romance itself though not the best part of the novel was sweet, and Nathanial was a interesting love interest whose wit was absolutely entertaining to read. Silas, Nathanial’s demon was one of my favourite parts of the novel and a fascinating character.

I’m absolutely looking forward to the next novel this author writes, hopefully she write more about the “otherworld” she keeps mentioning. I have a feeling it ties to her first novel. Either way I thoroughly enjoyed Sorcery of Thorns and look forward to her next novel!

Great story and array of characters. Three main characters in this one. Elisabeth the feral library child, Nathanial the sorcerer and Silas. Not exactly a damsel in distress either. Most memorable part from this book was the crowbar. Fast paced, fun, easy to read and hard to put down, leading to one very late night. One of my favourite books this year.

https://lynns-books.com/2019/06/27/sorcery-of-thorns-by-margaret-rogerson/
Sorcery of Thorns is one of those books that felt like it was written just for me. I had such a good time with this book and couldn’t put it down. It’s this wonderful combination of spirited MC, plenty of action, witty dialogue with laugh out loud moments and well – just everything. I loved it and it put me on a book reading high. Plus I wanted to speed to the end but also didn’t want to ever reach that point. I could literally read this again, right now.

The thing is, this doesn’t include a magical library so much as magical books. They have feelings, some of them are grumpy, some of them are evil and they all communicate with our main character. We book lovers have a way of talking about our books as though they really are characters don’t we? We discuss our TBRs and how the books on there ‘wait patiently for us to pick them up and crack open the pages’. Well, here is a story where the character not only talks to the books but feels their emotions. It’s like a dream come true to be honest – although I think some of my books would have long since given up talking to me, they’d be sulking too furiously or probably trying to throw themselves at my head in a desperate attempt to garner some love and affection.

Listen to the hype about this book people. It’s real.

We start off by making the acquaintance of Elisabeth as she’s about to undergo something of a scary task – the delivery of a grimoire to the Great Library where she lives and is apprenticed to become a warden. Elisabeth has lived in the library for as long as she can remember. Left on the doorstep as a youngster she was accepted into its folds by the Director who took a shine to her because of the way her face lit up when she saw the books. She now endeavours to become a Warden at the library although her mischievous nature doesn’t always win hearts.

A bit of background. Austermeer is a place where sorcery exists but is regulated. Grimoires are kept locked away in the five great libraries and are only broken out of their chains upon special request. Grimoires are precious but also dangerous, they can, with the slightest damage, easily transform into havoc wreaking monsters known as Malefics and this is, in fact, exactly what happens one evening when Elisabeth is awoken in the dark of night and finds a Malefic on the loose. Acting quickly to prevent bloodshed Elizabeth stops the terror in its tracks but then finds herself accused of instigating the crime and taken to the City to be investigated. Nathaniel, a sorcerer himself, and his butler, are set the task of bringing Elizabeth back for questioning. Now, Elizabeth has been brought up in a very small, self contained environment, led to believe that sorcery is the root of all evil and so she thinks that Nathaniel will take this opportunity to kill her in some sort of ‘accident’ but Nathaniel is the least of her worries. The politics, treachery and polished society of Austermeer are far more of a threat and it soon becomes evident that a much bigger plot is afoot.

I couldn’t even begin to count the ways in which this worked for me but here’s a snapshot.

Firstly the characters. Elisabeth is like a breath of fresh air, a bit gangling and clumsy even, not refined in particular but she’s just good fun, a bit plucky and not always worrying about her appearance or thinking about how she fits in. She’s clever too and quite capable of getting herself out of a spot plus she’s not afraid to say what’s on her mind. Then there’s Nathaniel. The sorcerer who, yes, does become the romantic interest but, let me be clear, the romance isn’t the main focus of the story, although the chemistry on the page was so compelling that I probably wouldn’t have complained even if it had, and Nathaniel is not only great mind candy but his way of speech is downright entertaining, I found myself laughing at his dialogue all the time. But, the absolute show stealer is Silas. A demon no less. OMG – I loved Silas. He’s a demon with impeccable manners and fashion sense. I just couldn’t get enough of this character. He is wicked and and makes no bones about telling people not to trust him but I just loved him and want more.

Then there’s the dynamics of the relationships. Firstly there’s the pop and sizzle between Elisabeth and Nathaniel which really was just lovely to read. Elisabeth starts out with lots of prejudices, she comes across as the country mouse to Nathaniel’s sophisticated city mouse and although it takes a little while she eventually starts to see that she’s been living in something of a bubble. Many things have been misrepresented to her and so what starts out with a pride and prejudice feel on her part finally comes down with a bump when Elisabeth begins to understand that she’s not been told the complete truth. Then there’s the Batman/Alfred the Butler feel, or more appropriate maybe Howl and Calcifer feel, to Nathaniel and Silas’s relationship So, so good. Did I already mention that – well, one more time couldn’t hurt. These two have known each other forever and they have that easy feel of being there for each other, second guessing what’s needed, and ignoring each other quite willfully.

The writing is really persuasive. It’s easy to visualise. The libraries are beautifully described. The characters all stand on their own two feet and the dialogue is great to read. The pacing was also really good, I maybe had one slight lull after the dramatic start but I think that might have been driven more by my own impatience to get to the meat of the story.

And, the action is highly entertaining. There are coach chases (this being set in what feels akin to the Regency period), all sorts of drama involving breaking into libraries, necromancy, sorcery and a jaw dropping finale in the Grand Library that I’m not going to tell you more about – because of spoilers obviously – but that I loved – it was brilliant. And that ending. What? No. Give me more. NOW. Ahem, I’m shouting now so it’s probably time to leave this alone.

Basically, in case I came across as a little shy with my feelings – this book was just brilliant. I adored it and in fact, even with that tiny little lull this book gets the full 5 star treatment.

So, the burning question I suppose is do I now need to rush out and grab a copy of An Enchantment of Ravens??

My thanks to the publisher for granting me a copy through Netgalley. The above is my own opinion.

I’m massively into YA magical fantasy and Sorcery of Thorns sounded like it would be right up my street. While it started well, and I was interested to see where it would go, I found my interest waning. The writing is great, the characters are well drawn, but I think it was a case of it’s not the book, it’s me. I wanted to love it, but sadly I just couldn’t get into it.

I love it when you read a book that isn't tagged as LGBTQ+ but it turns out that it is! (Especially when it's representing your own identity!)

It wasn't much, just a fleeting mention, but it sort of changes the way you connect with a book and it's characters when you see part of yourself reflected back at you.

I was completely intrigued by the bio of this book (and the cover because let's be honest, it's gorgeous and looks a lot like an A Court of Thorns and Roses novel) and when I started reading I instantly fell under its spell.

The main draw for me at first was the books, which are fantastic and such a great concept - it reminded me so much of The Pagemaster (if you haven't seen this gem, just go and watch it, you won't be disappointed!) and I felt so nostalgic! I love how the books are such an integral part of this story from start to finish, how they change and the secrets they hold, it's all fantastic!

What's also amazing (and unusual) about this book is that I loved each and every one of the characters. Elisabeth is so relatable and if you love books, you're going to love her and see a lot of yourself in her. She's fierce, courageous, loyal and true. Her bravery in the face of insurmountable odds is stunning and she makes a fantastic heroine.

Nathaniel's expression grew odd. "You like this place?"
"Of course I do. It has books in it."

See? Relatable!

Then we have Nathaniel, who is just delightful and now one of my favourite male characters. He's a tortured soul (because this is a YA and he has to be dammit!) with a dark secret (see last bracketed note), but he's so sweet and just adorable. I love how his and Elisabeth's relationship grows, their chemistry is so sweet. The fact that he continually calls her 'menace' and 'terror' is too adorable and their story has a real Pride and Prejudice vibe to it (but with magic and swords!)

"Of course you can stay, you menace. It isn't as though I could stop you even if I wanted to."

Then we come to my absolute favourite character in this whole book - SILAS!

Silas is amazing, he starts the book as such a sinister, menacing character and by the end, you just want to put him in your pocket and protect him from the world. He's such an incredible character with a level of sass that's off the charts. At one point he basically bitch slaps another character and it's glorious!

He looked aggrieved. "I have hardly been absent for twenty-four hours, and already the world has descended into ruin."

Through Elisabeth, the author weaves a fantastic feminist tale, putting into sharp focus the hardships faced by women at the hands of men, and the struggles women have to stand up and be heard when opposing a man. I particularly love the juxtapositions between certain real-life events.

To think that the world could fall to ruin due to the decisions of a single small-minded man in charge - that was all it took to doom everyone-

The ending of this book almost had me in tears, and truly, I'm so glad that this book is a standalone because, whilst I would love to revisit these characters, this book is fantastic as it is because of that stunning ending.

So, if you're looking for a feminist fantasy with a Pride and Prejudice style romance, magic, demons, swords and more books than you could hope for, go read Sorcery of Thorns.

I think this book is a book lover's fantasy, it's a perfect combination very well done. I really really wish there were more fantasies like this. Imagine a lead character (Elisabeth),  living in a library surrounded by magical or dangerous books, going on adventures with a sorcerer & demon. I mean, really, it was impossible not to read this. And the fact that it lived up to its very enchanting blurb, and cover is just amazing.

Rogerson's writing is lyrical, very well constructed, whimsical. I loved the voice she gave to her characters. Not only Elisabeth, but the other main characters Nathanial and Silas were very interesting and vivid. The story was exciting from beginning to end. The pace was really good. There wasn't a moment when I thought the energy was low. It was very balanced. It was a very original and entertaining plot. The magic, sorcery aspect, libraries, books, everything was a part of a very nicely built world. Even the romance was well integrated. It completely stole my heart.

I really wish there were more fantasies like this. I LOVED it, and will definitely pick up any book Rogerson writes. Totally recommended if you're looking for an entertaining fantasy. If you're into library tales, sorceries, magic and all, don't miss this book!

‘Sorcery of Thorns’- it took me no time to get into the story because the world building is bits and pieces of popular fantasy stories we have read time and again. Elizabeth Scrivener, an orphan who has grown amidst books (which, on their good days are 5-year-old kids with a temper tantrum or on their worse days, can turn into monsters and kill everyone) finds herself in trouble when the Director of the library of Summershall is brutally murdered by a Grimoire.

Seen as the primary suspect, she awaits trial. In the meantime, she meets Nathaniel Thorn, a powerful sorcerer/necromancer who is charming and quirky with a troubled childhood. Together they fight demons and fiends. Their third wheel is Silas, a handsome and brooding demon who is basically Nathaniel’s servant and had impeccable timing. It’s only because of him that the plot moves forward.

Elizabeth is naive and stubborn, Nathaniel is hopelessly in love and Silas’s dream of world domination is on hold. Together they have to defeat a much more powerful sorcerer who is equal parts cunning and delusional.

‘Sorcery of Thorns’ fails to redeem itself time and again. Bejeweled with cheesy dialogues, poorly written battle sequences and a plot that moves forward more by convenience than logic, this is a rough ride. The plot isn’t a total flop because there are scenes where there’s tension (not sexual) and drama and a whole lot of danger.

Oh. My. Gosh. I loved this book!

I wasn't 100% sure about Rogerson's first book, An Enchantment of Ravens, so I was a little hesitant but I fell completely and utterly in love within the first page.

Rogerson's writing beautiful -- stunning -- the type of writing that makes you want to cry. She had me hooked from the opening line: "Night fell as death rode into the Great Library of Summerhall. It arrived within a carriage." Beautiful writing is all well and good, but Sorcery of Thorns completely delivered on every other aspect too.

* The plot is full of action and intrigue. The world-building and magic system are interesting but not overworked or laborious to get to grips with. The overall atmosphere has a dark, Gothic bend to it, alongside the fantasy.

* The characters will steal your heart and soul. Elisabeth, Nathaniel and Silas are all wonderful and I fell in love with each of them. The relationships between each of these three characters are so well-written. Each relationship is unique and has its own quirks. The romantic relationship really worked for me too. I thought the romance in An Enchantment of Ravens was far too quick, but this is a nice slow-burn, without being to dragged out.

I don't have much more to say about Sorcery of Thorns. Isn't that always the way with the books you love? I'll just say that this is one of the very best books I've read this year and you absolutely have to pick it up.

READ IT! READ IT! READ IT! READ IT! READ IT!

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this novel!

Title: Sorcery of Thorns
Author: Margaret Rogerson
Rating: 4 stars
Rep: bisexual love interest. Aro/ace-spec side characters? (Katrien & Silas. Just my impression, nothing explicitly stated)
Trigger warnings: violence, gore, anxiety attacks, PTSD, grief, loss.

"Sorcery of Thorns" has been on my most anticipated 2019 book releases list ever since I first heard about it. I absolutely adored "An Enchantment of Ravens" which was the author's debut book, so I was over the moon when I was granted a review copy!

I was even more excited when I found out that this book features bisexual representation. As someone that actively seeks out bi rep in books, and realising that there is definitely a shortage of LGBTQ+ YA fantasy especially, this just made the whole reading experience that little bit more great for me.

The world Rogerson created was so unique, entrancing and special. The premise and idea were so original. While the world building was confusing at times, overall I loved it a lot. The writing style was so gripping, but sometimes there was a lot of "telling no showing" and the book would skip passages of time a lot.

The storyline was so gripping and engaging, this book kept me up all night! I was reading well into the early hours of the morning and I really didn't want it to end.


Characters:

-Elisabeth: Our main character. I thought Elisabeth was one strong cookie. After everything she had to go through and the things she had to witness, she was a very resilient character. She was soft, quiet and caring, but also strongwilled and badass. I did feel a sort of, disconnect from her the whole book though. Not quite sure why, but I couldn't really connect to her character and she did frustrate me at times.

-Nathaniel: love interest. By far my favourite character from the whole book. He was sarcastic, hilarious and so comically dark, and while he had his moments, overall I really loved his character. A YA love interest that doesn't try to suffocate and control our main character. The romance was so amazing, I loved it a lot. For most of the book, they were a team, who protected and cared for each other.

-Silas: Such an intriguing and mysterious character, I couldn't help but love Silas! He was someone that hid from the world, who put up a mask, but you could tell how much he truly cared for Nathaniel and it was so heartbreaking.


Overall, while it did take me a little while to get into it, this turned out to be a pretty amazing read! Highly recommend to anyone who likes YA, fantasy and original plots.