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.

I was so scared of updating this book to express how much I loved this in case things changed, but I'm pleased to say this is my first high-rated novel (that wasn't a re-read) in the past few months.

I read the authors debut: An Enchantment of Ravens, and while I enjoyed it, I knew this author could pull out with something truly special, and I honestly think this could be just the beginning. This author is on her way to becoming a favourite of mine with her writing style, creativity, and characters.


World

The magic in the world was what in part made it truly special. Magical books that whisper to the main character and transform into monsters? Yes. Sorcerers who got their power from shape-shifting demons? Yes.
While this looks good on page, the author handles these ideas and makes this book something special. Masterfully balancing the light Hogwarts-library vibe with dark demonic elements that left this being right up my street.


Characters

There is a small cast in this book, and all of them, bar one (the villain), really stood out for me as something special.

Elisabeth: I often struggle to connect with main characters, finding them too similar to one another with not a lot of personality- but I loved Elisabeth. She was bright-eyed and hopeful without being naive, brave without being angry about it, and felt like a real person. Even the small detail of making her very tall fleshed her out, and the fact that it was a part of her that made her strong, and she was never shy about it, was super refreshing.

Nathaniel: While Nathaniel could've been the usual snarky-but-with-a-dark-past love interest, Rogerson's writing really makes him something special. I laughed so many times at his teasing and drama. He honestly reminded me of Howl from Howl's Moving Castle and I loved that vibe. I've not enjoyed a love interest in a fantasy novel as I enjoyed reading about him in a long time. He's also bi (or at least makes comment that he likes men and woman).

Romance: Without spoiling anything, the romance didn't take over the story, and has a slow progression throughout, but even the pair interacting as friends was so engaging I didn't need romance for them to be interesting together (but also loved them as a couple too).

Katrien: She was Elisabeth's best friend. She's not in the novel a lot, but I took to her instantly. Her friendship with Elisabeth felt like one forged from childhood, their personalities weaving together without feeling like the same person. She was a delight every time she was on the page. There's also passing comment that implies she's asexual/aromantic.

Silas: I can't begin to describe how much I loved Silas, if you loved Black Butler back in the day, Silas is a little like that but all white and shorter (mixed with a dash of Calsifer from Howl, and the monster from Girl on the Other Side- both characters I love). He was the perfect mix of them in this story, and his character development was a delight.


Plot

The plot itself was fairly predictable, but that didn't matter because the ride was so much fun. Plus, this didn't have the same plot of war or rebellion that I'm bored of reading. This felt fresh and lead to interesting character interactions I adored. (can you tell I'm a character-based reader).


Overall

This book made my heart sing and mouth laugh. If you liked Howl's Moving Castle (the movie) you have to pick this up. This had the perfect fluffy yet dark vibe I'm always searching for, with characters I easily got invested in, with a creative world and story complete in this novel. I loved it.

I loved this book, i could not put it down. It gripped me from the very beginning. Elizabeth (the main character) is brave and open minded. In a world of sorcery, she is brought up in a great library where grimoires are kept, dangerous artefacts, kept and monitored. To stop any sorcerer gaining to much power from dangerous texts. Elizabeth believes that sorcery and demons are evil. That is until her library is attacked and she is sent to the capital as a suspect. This is where all her beliefs are contradicted and she learns there is more to sorcery and demons. When she learns of a plot to raid all the library’s to steal more grimoires, she fights to stop it with the help of a sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn.

This is an amazing book and i will be telling everyone to read it!

Sorcery of Thorns is a fun, action packed and heart swooning story that follows the headstrong Elisabeth - a apprentice in one of the handful of Great Libraries across the land - who finds herself being accused of a grave crime. Elisabeth stumbles upon a plot that promises to ruin the world as she knows it, and she makes it her mission to stop it in its' tracks. Along the way she realises all she has been taught about good and evil may not be as clear cut as she once thought. All her life she has been told sorcerers are evil, yet she can't help falling for one.

I cannot tell you how much I loved this book! I am still swooning now! I just want to read it again!
Margaret Rogerson's writing is beautiful, you can instantly tell that she picks each word with care and in doing so creates such a fantastic and whimsical feel to her story.

I loved this premise. Grimoires that talk, and spit ink and "wiggle suggestively"! It was everything that I didn't realise I needed in my life. The magic system was so amazing, and I really loved the struggle we got to see with Elisabeth - in her journey not only to save her world but also to know who she is, and who she wants to be. The vulnerability in these characters truly made their acts of bravery that more epic.

The romance was just so swoon-worthy that I'm at a loss as to how to talk about it! Nathaniel is so funny, and sweet and complex. I adore him! Several of his lines had me chuckling, and even as I write this I am grinning just thinking about his humor. Elisabeth is strong, vulnerable, and headstrong and has a beautiful knack for getting into trouble (something I could totally relate to). I was rooting for them the entire time.

I love Silas and how questionable he is as a character, and despite how questionable he is I cant help adore the ̶h̶e̶c̶k̶ ̶ 'Otherworld' out of him!

Now let's just talk about that ending...What? I said What??! I need another book in this world...I need to know what happens. It was such a good book I'm honestly in need of a sequel asap. All I can say is Margaret Rogerson you are cruel to leave me hanging like this, and count me in for anything else you write in this world because I am now official your fangirl!

I really wasn't expecting to like this as much as I did. I loved it! The plot and writing were really good but it was the characters that made it 5 stars to me.

Elisabeth is a great main character. She's smart, resourceful and brave. She never stops to worry about herself when she sees someone in trouble, she just jumps in and helps them. There were times I think things happened a little bit too conveniently for her but most of the time she wasn't just a passive heroine that situations happened to her without her trying to save herself. I loved her friendship with Katrien, they really cared about each other, definitely no girl hate going on.

Nathaniel had to be my favourite, his sharp sense of humour and vulnerability are two of my favourite traits in a character. There were so many places I bookmarked because he had said something that made me laugh. His deadpan comments on how he was a evil sorcerer when they don't know each other well were hilarious to me. His and Elisabeth's relationship was pretty great too and I don't normally care for a lot of YA relationships. It was mostly because of the banter between them and I felt that they became friends first, definitely not insta-love.

Silas is one of the best demons I've ever read about (he's up there with Sebastian). If he was my demon servant I'd be constantly demanding he changed to his cat form so we could snuggle. His relationship with Nathaniel was so heart warming that I nearly cried a couple of times. Nathaniel relies on him so much and Silas obviously cares for him a great deal (their sweet moments were also bookmarked). I would love a novella about Nathaniel and Silas' relationship before this happened, I'd probably end up bookmarking it all.

The three main characters relationship is so great, they all care about each other so much. Each one of them brings something important to the friendship. If they all fell in love with each other it would totally work. Can it be squad goals with just three people?

The other thing I really enjoyed about this book was the books! I loved how they were sentient beings with their own personalities. Even with the danger I dream of working in one of the great libraries.

I wish this was part of a series, I didn't want to leave the world and characters when it ended. Highly recommend!

I adored this book. Three chapters in to the eARC, I went into town and bought my own copy. This has easily become one of my favourite fantasies I've read this year, the writing sinking its teeth into me from page one. It's so vivid, so descriptive, painting the world in lush colours. Not to mention the constant thrum of tension right from page one as the story launches right into the action.

The world is so magical, centred around libraries and grimoires - books as magical as we readers know they are. I wanted to simply stay in the library, surrounded by the books murmuring and rattling on the shelves. Secret passages twisting behind the maze of shelves and locked gates. Of course, staying probably wouldn't be a good idea, seeing how the books can change into demons and go on a killing spree. And the slightly creepy fact that they're made of human remains.

Beyond the libraries, we have the grand halls of the Nathaniel's house, as well as faerie-filled woods and city streets. This is epic fantasy arrayed in full force, with a vast world dripping with history.

The dynamic between the characters - Elizabeth, Nathaniel and Silas - was great. Elizabeth and Nathaniel had a tension, but also an easy companionship. Their relationship didn't feel forced, but more a slow flower unfurling from bud. Silas was a best friend and big brother rolled into one, as well as the most efficient butler-cum-every-servant ever. The light teasing banter between them was so much fun, all the references between Silas and Nathaniel to their past hinting at an incredible history.

It was also so nice to see Katrien throughout the book, so Elizabeth has a female friend to play off. After about chapter five, I didn't think she'd turn up again, but I loved that she was woven in.

I was never sure  where Silas stood, how much to trust him. No matter what he said, his actions said the opposite - which made certain scenes heart-wrenching. And then that ending. Why tease us with that final line? What does it mean?

Even though I doubt it, I really hope this book gets a sequel. I'd love to return to the world of the Great Libraries, and have more adventures with Elizabeth et al.

E-ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I definitely recommend it, especially the audiobook which was fantastic.
I wish there was more to the story, it ended too soon. Definitely, something to get lost in and lose track of time.
Beautifully written, but a little hard to follow at times though.
I really hope that the author decides to transform this into a series instead. What a wonderful world she did build. Definitely a huge step forward after An Enchantment of Ravens!

Plot: 4/5
Characters: 10/5
Writing: 5/5
Overall: 4.5/5

Sorcery of Thorns was an utterly enchanting read and I feel miserable now that it’s over- especially because it’s a standalone. The thought that I will never read about these characters again makes me want to cry.

Elisabeth was an orphan who grew up in a Great Library. It was not an ordinary library full of ordinary books but one full of grimoires– books of sorcery with a mind and life of their own. As she grew up among the rustle of pages and the scent of magic, she developed an affinity for grimoires, a deep understanding of their being. The library was her home. However, damaged grimoires morph into grotesque beasts called Maleficts and when powerful Maleficts started to escape from all of the Great Libraries and Elisabeth was wrongfully labelled as a traitor, she was thrust out into the world and her adventure of sorcery and courage began.

Elisabeth was one of the most hilarious, genuine and kind characters I have ever read about. Her tendency to charge into dangerous situations, whilst waving around a sword, to try and help or save others often got her into terrifying predicaments but her sheer ferocity always got her out of them. She was very endearing but when times got tough she had bucket loads of valour and my favourite thing about her was that she was always herself and she was proud of it. She never tried to be someone she was not or allow other people to pressure her into doing certain things or behaving in certain ways. Basically, she’s the type of person I wish could be my best friend.

Nathaniel was a well-known sorcerer and he accompanied Elisabeth in her quest to deliver justice. On one hand, he was incredibly funny , very sarcastic and generally amazing, but on the other hand, he was afraid of the destruction his sorcery was capable of bringing about and was weighed down by many years of guilt and grief. The relationship between Elizabeth and Nathaniel was adorable and I felt like their personalities complemented each other in every way. They’re both slightly insane and that’s probably why they were so in love.

Sorcerers obtained their power by bargaining away several years of their lives to a demon and Silas was Nathaniel’s demon. Although I’ve already rambled about how much I love Elisabeth and Nathaniel, Silas most certainly stole the show for me. He was always trying to convince everyone that he was a horrifying demon that can’t be trusted when in reality he was very prim and proper and very caring. Demons were supposed to be callous and indifferent by nature but Silas broke free of that mould and learnt the meaning of love. I’m really struggling to explain this in coherent words but in a nutshell: Silas is such a legend and the best character in existence.

The only reason that I knocked off half a star is because the character’s opinions surrounding sorcery were quite contradictory. The people who worked in the libraries hated it and seemed to think it was something to be contained but at the same time sorcerers were prominent and respected in society and they were allowed to access and use the grimoires however they wanted, to an extent. I found this very confusing and I wish it was explained better.

In essence, Sorcery of Thorns was a book about books. If you like hilariously lovable characters, sorcery, sword-waving and foiling intricate plots to dominate the world, then this book is for you!

Thank you to Simon and Schuster and Margaret Rogerson for proving me with an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

**4.5 stars**

Sorcery of Thorns is a story that I’ve been wanting to get my hands on for at least two months and it didn’t disappoint me. At all. It combines magic, books (magical books, people!), potential romance and a lot of action, so I was properly hooked.
As part of the journey, I especially enjoyed some of the interactions between the main characters, the witty comebacks of a certain character (please insert a wink here) and the growth to overcome prejudices and perceptions. It was sometimes a roller coaster and even when a couple of details felt a bit off (small elements felt contemporary for the environment), I would definitely recommend.

*ARC copy of the book provided for free in exchange of honest review (but for the record, I was planning to buy it). Thank you, Netgalley.

Elisabeth Scrivener, unlike all other orphans who became apprentice librarians, was raised in the Great Library with the magical tomes and enchanted grimoires. with booklice and numerous cats welcomed by the librarians to aid with rats and other smaller rodents. Taught by the librarians from an early age, she, like many others, despised and feared magic. Completely unaware of the big role that sorcery will play in her life.

Many reviewers described Sorcery of Thorns as a “love letter to magical libraries”, and as accurate as this phrase describes the feeling of the book, I have to add that it’s not just a love letter to magical libraries, it’s the incarnation of readers’ dreams! There are pages filled with grimoires, secret passages and everyday tasks of librarians, whose most important job is to protect the outside world from the Maleficts (books turned evil) but also to protect the books from perishing and destruction inflicted by people.

This book is not without its flaws, but for the magical setting Margaret Rogerson created I was happy to give this book 4 stars and sing it well-deserved praises.

The magic in this world wasn’t explained in detail (and I wish there would be more magic and less smooching!), but the ideas of magic that we saw were very captivating. The grimoires were divided into ten categories according to how dangerous there were or what information they possessed, with grimoires of level four and higher being able to communicate with the readers. I also loved how some books were given certain personality traits, some were capricious, some impatient.

But the most interesting aspect was the sorcerers and their demons. The sorcerers were believed to be evil, especially by the librarians, who tried to distance themselves from the outside world. The sorcerer’s power was linked to their demons, who they could summon from another dimension. Silas, the demon of the Thorn family, was by far the most intricate and elaborate character. Yes, I liked Elisabeth, but she was naive and very often silly. Yes, I liked Nathaniel Thorn, whose wittiness seemed to know no boundaries. But Silas was the true star of the book! He simultaneously possessed the good traits that I loved him for, and the bad traits that sometimes I couldn’t fit in his image, couldn’t or didn’t want to believe him worse than he appeared to be. And that constant battle within me of “do I like him? should I not like him?” made me very attached to the story and its characters.

Why is this book a Standalone? like why? because honestly, I need so much more of this story, I need more of this epic fantasy which has libraries filled with magical books, who have a life of their own. I need more of the bad-ass female sword-wielding protagonist, who brought so much joy to my heart, I need more of the cocky sorcerer, who has a torturous past but a heart of pure gold and I need so much more of the misunderstood demon from another realm, who keeps to himself but cares so much about his master. Like, I said, I just need so much more...

Elisabeth Scrievner is a child of a library, left as a child on the doorstep of the Great Library in Summershall, Elisabeth grew among the Grimoires, talking to them and making them her friends. But not all Grimoires are safe and friendly, the libraries also contain many of these dangerous books, which if provoked, transforms into manifests hell bent on destroying everything that crosses their path. And Elisabeth wants nothing more than to become a warden of the library one day and stand guard protecting the knowledge of these Grimoires. Things go haywire for Elisabeth when she is accused of a malicious attack on the library resulting in the death of the director and destruction of a very precious Grimoire.

Forced to travel to the Capital in the company of the young sorcerer, Nathaniel Thorn, and his demonic servant, Silas to face judgement, Elisabeth slowly begins to realize that not all sorcerers are evil. Her life is once again, turned upside down though when she comes across a century-old conspiracy threatening to destroy not only Elisabeth's beloved libraries but also the very existence of mankind. In the world full of untrustworthy acquaintances, Elisabeth must now team up with Nathaniel and Silas, the only two she truly trusts, to protect what she holds most dear.

This is my first book by Margaret Rogerson and boy! did I love her writing style, it's absolutely gorgeous, quaint and lyrical. I can't stress enough, but I was so engrossed with the plot of this book, which is extremely whimsical, exquisite and compelling as well as tight-knit, action-packed filled with mysteries and conspiracies. The world-building is so subtle, easy to understand and kind of gives something of a Victorian England vibe, which was really interesting as well as captivating to read.

However, the star of the book truly is the three main characters. I don't know where should I even begin with because Elisabeth, Nathaniel, and Silas are so precious. Elisabeth is so brave, strong-willed and willing to go to any lengths for what she believes is the right thing to do. And Nathaniel truly did sorcery on my heart because his character is so, so resilient and endearing. Nathaniel hides so much pain behind his rugged charm but he cares so much, he loves so fiercely and I want nothing but happiness for this tortured boy.

As for Silas, he is a demon, bound by servitude and isn't suppose to feel like a normal human being but his devotion to Nathaniel and Elisabeth are truly goals. His character is so complex and enigmatic but he is also can be really funny at times and honestly, he delivers some of the best one-liners of the book. However, to Elisabeth and Nathaniel, Silas was basically a very fussy and fuzzy mom figure and I loved this trio to bits and pieces. I can't express how much that ending broke my heart and then healed it because of what happened in the very last page of the book.

Also, the romance in this book is so bewitching. It's a slow burn and even though it's a sub-plot, I was rooting so hard for Elisabeth and Nathaniel from their very first meeting. Together they felt so natural, the relationship progression was so alluring and the banter between the two made my heart soar with happiness. I loved how much they were willing to sacrifice for each other and just be there for each other even if it means dying together. Honestly, I can't literally point out one thing that I felt off about this book. It was truly a magnificent and fantastical journey and I can't wait to read it as a physical copy because this is a story, which I will keep on visiting again and again.

Go check out Sorcery of Thorns if you are looking for YA fantasy with an amazing plot, super-precious characters, and an equally swoon-worthy romance.

What I would like to say about this book?

Well, I enjoyed it a long way in. I loved the world that got shown to me and how the female main character makes her way out of her castle, in this case a great library into the world and starts to discover who she is there.

She is thrown into a maelstrom of events, but she keeps on going, and she maintains her focus that includes all the people of her country.

Towards the end I felt there were issues with the pacing and some of the detours taken in order to bring the story to a conclusion made me wince at times. At some point there is an older woman mentioned in a derogatory way, and I just do not appreciate. This is bad representation for a book that otherwise tries so hard to have a heroine that, well, she does not stand on her own, or does she?

Talking about the relationship of the three main characters, well, how to say anything without spoiling? That's possibly where for me the female main character broke apart, because, the decisions she makes after having been raised in this library, far away from any kind of mingling in society in relation to her love concerns should not be put onto the shoulder of a sexually inexperienced 16 year old young woman who experiences the thralls of love for the first time.

All in all I would say, I enjoyed the underlying plot and the imagination that went into the world. The execution in this book as well as its main characters and their development had for me quite a few hiccups that I felt very sad about, because the main plot idea is really good.

The end? Never go back to what was, it won't be the same and you will regret it.

I received this book as en eARC from the publisher Simon and Schusters here in the UK in return for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley, Simon & Schuster and Margaret Rogerson for my arc of Sorcery of Thorns in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: Elisabeth has grown up in one of the Great Libraries, her whole life has been spent amongst the magical grimoires that the library protects. Since the reforms the grimoires are classified and Elisabeth knows this is important to protect the world from the evil of sorcery. Her biggest wish is to be made a warden of the library, someone who can protect the world if any of the grimoires turn into evil maleficts gross monsters made of ink and leather. But when an act of sabotage turns one of the most dangerous grimoires into a malefict Elisabeth is implicated in the crime and sent away to trial with the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn. But everything is not as it seems, as Elisabeth and Nathaniel uncover a dangerous conspiracy that dates back centuries and could bring the Libraries and the world to its knees.

This book was like Harry Potter meets Sabriel. I loved the world of the libraries and the wonderful grimoires, Elisabeth was a great character full of determination and spirit, Nathaniel that perfect snarky attitude boy that fans of Jace and Will from Cassandra Clare's Shadowhunter novels will love. I loved the relationship between Elisabeth, Nathaniel and Silas.

This was a wonderful standalone with a perfect storyline and fantastic characters!

It can’t be missed that the blurb is a fantasy bookworms dream! An MC that is brought up in a magical library filled with dangerous Grimoires that chatter from their shelves in attempts to lure the misguided into trouble. Give me a book about buildings filled with books and add magic into the mix and I am sold.

The blurb doesn’t disappoint. The world captivated me from the first page. There was an amazingly dark atmosphere that really captured the danger of the grimoires and the reasons for requirement for battle hardy iron sword wielding librarians to look after them. This continues throughout the book expanding into various areas such as the glimmering gaudy aspects of court to the darker elements of sorcery. I adored the world building. There was so much lore that developed over the whole book. This is combined with an established magic system that allowed for some very interesting relationships to be explored throughout the tale.

The characters were just as well developed. Elisabeth was a great main character, she was confident when in her area of knowledge and brave but not to the point where she fell into the chosen one troupe of suddenly being good at everything. She is awkward and out of place when outside of libraries. There is just a spark about her that made me happily follow her as she charged into things. I think what really drew me to her is she was willing to question what she had been taught when contrary evidence was presented to her. She always sought out evidence to build her opinions on and a lot of the time she occupied a middle ground of continually questioning.

I have to admit I fell for Nathanial Thorn, the eponymous Sorcerer, almost immediately. I am always a sucker for the sassy talking handsome stranger with the deeply troubled and sensitive soul that is thinly vailed by his suave confidence. This is a very common hate-to-love troupe done well. I feel this was because he was paired with the stoic and quiet Salis. He was by far my favourite character. The fact that he was a demon that transformed into a Cat for its convenience of access to certain areas and all the sarcastic and aloof nature that being a demon/cat conveys probably had a lot to do with that.

The plot had a great pace, flurries of action that then were followed of periods of reflection which would ramp there way up to more action. The ending was furiously paced with an epilogue that allow your heart rate to return to normal with a sting in end that will leave you wishing this was part of a series. It’s strength was in the relationships built between all the characters. Wither these relationships are platonic or romantic they build in such a natural way (the romance is a little insta love but in an attraction rather than full on declaration of love, a trust has to be built). We see the trust between characters build, while light gets shed on pre-existing relationships that forward the story is a very subtle way that is endearing to follow.

The only exception I have is the “lip-service” feel to the diversity. One character mentions they are bisexual in an offhand comment and there are characters that are frequently mentioned in having no sexual attraction but as they are not whole human to count them on the ace spectrum would be misguided. I just wouldn’t class this as having representation.

Overall, I was just here for the story. I was happily swept up in the whimsy of the libraries, the machinations of the evil sorcerers and the relationships, wither plationic, familial or romantic between the various characters. I would happily dive back into this world. i would love to find out more about some of our side characters and dive deeper into the libraries and i can only hope that a companion finds its way onto shelves at some point (though it doesn’t look like any are planned).

Sorcerers, demons and libraries filled with dangerous and sentient grimoires, this young adult fantasy adventure hooks the reader from the very first page. Elisabeth was abandoned as a baby at the doors of one of Austermeer's great Libraries, and has grown up there, dreaming of becoming a librarian. In Austermeer Librarians are tasked with guarding the magical Grimoires and preventing them from entering the hands of evil sorcerers who may seek to use them. Sorcerers gain their magical powers by bargaining with demons, and many have households full of demon servants to do their bidding. When on of the library's most dangerous books is freed by a saboteur , Elisabeth is forced to defend herself and her companions, but when she destroys the book she becomes implicated in the crime and must face an inquiry in the capital. Her escort is the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, along with his demon servant Silas. and despite her initial revulsion, Elisabeth is soon drawn to both master and servant, and the tragic past that binds them. When they unearth a sinister conspiracy that threatens the entire kingdom, Elisabeth will have to face her prejudices and fight alongside those she has always despised.
This is a fun and fast paced adventure story with a really interesting and well crafted world. The idea of having the librarians and sorcerers in opposition to one another works really well, especially as the story unfolds, and the idea that the books can become monsters was an original and clever idea. Elisabeth is a good character. smart , brave and stubborn , but not without flaws which just make her easier to relate to. The development of her friendship and eventual romance with Nathaniel is well paced , they are drawn to each other, but both fight against it for their own reasons, Elisabeth because of her upbringing and Nathaniel because he fears his powers may harm her. The book reads perfectly as a stand alone, and I am not sure if further books in this world or featuring these characters are planned, but if so, I certainly plan to read them.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Oh my goodness.
I'm always wary of ya as a lot seem the same and doesn't seem like much effort goes into some of them but this! Dreamy cover and amazing world building. The characters are fantastic and it's a fast pace so no time to get bored with it. Won't say to much as don't want to spoil it for anyone but I couldn't put it down. Can't wait to read more from this author!