The premise of this book was amazing and had me hooked through out. I could really visualize every aspect of the libraries to the point of what they must smell like. Likewise the characters were great, their banter amusing and the romance slow burn. If I could change one thing it would be that the ending was a little less haphazard. It dragged a bit and could of been tidied up to give it more of a grand climax. I cant wait to read what this author does next because with each book so far she has gone from strength to strength so I can only imagine how much I will adore her next release.

I’m really not sure how to go about reviewing this; not because I particularly loved or hated the book, altogether my feelings are pretty middle ground. I loved the cast of characters, the romantic subplot and the world building, but the plot was a major letdown in my eyes. It felt very disjointed, with moments of great action interspaced with a lot of dull, uninteresting and mundane plot that I feel could have been picked up during editing. The reveal of the villain so early in the novel also made it lose a lot of tension.
I’d say I was more disappointed with this book in the end, rather than disliking or hating it, as there were aspects I really enjoyed but feel the novel as a whole could have been so much better. I liked it, just not as much as I would have hoped to.

Such a treat for book fiends who daydream of being library rats.  With it's unique magic system, lovable cast of rogues and more dreamy libraries than you can poke a stick at, it is a must-read for all bibliophiles! Actually, probably best you don't poke any of these books, they bite back.  Sure you can nitpick some of the plot inconsistencies and convenient coincidences, but it is just sooo much fun.

Intro:
I wasn't so sure on this story when I first started the book, it seemed like it would be too predictable, and the introduction just didn't stand out for me. Elisabeth was an okay protagonist, though seemingly a little useless and flat at times, though what did intrigue me was the grimoires. And I particularly liked the way the library felt so alive, it's almost a book lover's dream; though maybe without the monsters.
Nathaniel was supposed to be the mysterious and intriguing character but having read so many YA books recently, I knew which way that was going to go. Though admittedly I was pleasantly surprised with where his story ended up.
One of the real positives about this book is that the reader is thrown into the action very early on, and the pace of this storyline is maintained throughout.
Middle:
I'm glad this book moved on quickly from the introduction, I think partly due to the fact I wasn't entirely captivated by Elisabeth or Nathaniel, I preferred when the other storylines began to weave their way in.
I particularly liked the backstory between Silas and Nathaniel; this made for some fantastic scenes later in the book and only furthered my intrigue to know more about the magic in this world. It became much darker than I thought it would too - bonus point!
Half the disappointment was that Elisabeth herself didn't poses magic and so our insight into this side of thing was limited to her conversations and interactions with Nathaniel. But overall the world in Sorcery of Thorns is beautiful and contains a love-hate relationship with magic that gave it the edge over other YA fantasies. 
Ending:
The ending of this book has a fantastic twist, and really brings out the internal conflicts of many characters. Silas in particular - who was a favourite of mine throughout most of the story - has a fantastic arc which is concluded towards the end of the book in expert fashion.
Characters:
Elisabeth: An overall likeable character and I had to admire her heart and fearlessness, to me she just wasn't a stand-out protagonist. It wasn't a negative point in terms of the overall story, I just wasn't entirely connected with her.
Nathaniel: A character who had a little bit of a predictable storyline; not unlike Elisabeth. Though I liked their interaction and felt that they complemented one another well. He's a bit of a cinnamon roll kind of person.
Silas: Well this guy is great. He has a fantastic storyline throughout Sorcery of Thorns and provides a level of intrigue separate to that of the main plot. 
Narrative:
This is an easy read, and flows well. The descriptions of both character and scenery have a good balance with action throughout the story though it is work noting here how beautiful those scenery descriptions are particularly of libraries - calm down fellow bookworms.
Rating and General Comments:
This book was a pleasant surprise, throughout the first few chapters I wasn't completely blown away and I expected it to be relatively predictable. In some ways it was, but I liked the darker turn it began to take, and I loved the captivating storyline (once it got started). There was a good cast, and their development both as individuals, and as a group was really excellent.
Overall I'm awarding this book 4.5/5 - I loved the world and the magic and I think the only thing I would've preferred is more of an insight into the world of sorcerers. Though the idea of the grimoires was insanely satisfying as a storyline anyway.

<b>“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.” 

CW's: Violence/Blood</b>

<i>Thank you to Margaret K. McElderry Books and Netgalley for providing me with a digital Arc in exchange for an honest Review! All quotes featured are from the Arc and therefore subject to changes.</i>

💖 <strong>Nefelibata (noun) One who lives in the clouds of their own imagination; An unconventional person</strong> 💖

<strong>My first love with this book were the characters</strong>. I loved them all, because they were all complex, flawed and yet so understandable. Even the secondary characters basically leaped from the page and had a distinctive personality that made some of them (but especially Katrien) a scene stealer.

<strong>Elisabeth</strong> 💖 A <strong>young librarian</strong> who grew up an orphan in the library and has not known anything else her entire life. She's a bit more wild and 'feral', but I prefer to call her untamed. She has a passion for books deep inside her and a great bravery that comes out several times in the book. Even with everything crushed to pieces she fights on so no one else gets hurt. I also liked how the book explored some of the grief and trauma she faces and how to calls out young women being demeaned and disbelieved by powerful men. <strong>Elisabeth is a strong person, but she also struggles with where she belongs as the path, she was fighting for the most is suddenly banned</strong>. Where do you belong if suddenly everything you know turns upside down? The book does a great job of answering that question and showing someone wondering about their dreams.

<strong>Nathaniel</strong> 💖 Sorcerer from an old magical family, that has gotten a bad representation. He is very isolated, having no surviving family and only a demon to rely on, so he tends to distance himself from anyone showing that they care. <strong>Nathaniel has secrets and some deep scars from his past, but never uses that as an excuse to be cruel to Elisabeth or anyone else</strong>. However, he does want to escape close relationships and try not to care, even if it doesn't always work this way. Keeping people from his dark corners works until someone tries to tear down these walls, he built around himself. But on the surface Nathaniel is witty, cocky and the master of flirty banter. You cannot help but love him and laugh along with his amusing attitude. He displays confidence without coming across superior and instantly stole my heart, because deep down he is a loyal person who would do anything for those that manage to earn his trust.

<strong>Silas</strong> 💖 A demon bound to Nathaniel and his friend. <strong>Silas is such a fantastic morally grey character that was written with such nuance</strong>. He never downplays that he is dangerous and kills people if they threaten his master, he doesn't pretend to be a good person or even close to human nature. In general, he is a very controlled person, not often letting his emotions show, even though he is closer to humans than any other demon we see in the book. He genuinely cares for Nathaniel, even though he also stays because his master owns him 20 years of his life that he craves and feeds off. It's not black and white with Silas. He does care, but he is also selfish and well ... a demon, especially in his true form without any humanity left. Silas could technically annihilate you, but he chooses to fight for his humans.

<strong>Katrien</strong> 💖 Elisabeth's best friend and fellow librarian, who does everything to bring down their unfair new superior and support her friend when she is wronged. Katrien is more of a minor character and doesn't appear that often, but I loved her so much that I needed to talk about her! I need a companion book about her life, PLEASE I'm begging you, someone make it happen! Katrien is such a positive force and instantly made me melt by being such a carefree and accepting person. <strong>She isn't put off by Elisabeth when they meet as young girls, even with all the rumors about her being odd. Instead she reacts totally chill and wins Elisabeth's friendship</strong>. Katrien is not to be underestimated either, because she would do anything for her friend and will not let injustice stand. It is also mentioned that she doesn't experience romantic attraction, another reason I want to have a book about her, we need more aromantic lead characters!

<strong>✨ Vagary (noun) A whimsical, wild, or unusual idea</strong> ✨

Sorcery of Thorns truly does worldbuilding right. Once again Margaret Rogerson shows that she can <strong>create a truly magnificent new world within the span of a standalone fantasy book</strong>. Like always I want MORE, her books could make  for such fantastic duologies, because she has so many fantastic ideas that could fill whole Series, please someone make that happen. For real, the magic system and world was so lovely and vivid, I was immediately immersed. I LOVED<strong> all the book appreciation that was conveyed by Elisabeth's love for books and the central role of librarians in this world</strong>. They are not only the guardians of books (and strictly forbidden from interacting with sorcery), but can become wardens, who resemble warriors and are tasked with handling more difficult grimoires. In general, I loved the grimoires and how they are actually ALIVE in this book. There's nothing better than living books, that each have their own quirks and abilities. In this world books are classified from 1 to 10 in order of how dangerous they are, 10 being the deadliest. The more dangerous books usually contain dark spells or knowledge and can turn 'evil' aka destructive if not properly handled. I did like the less dangerous books too, because I would love to befriend one of them and talk to books all day. However,<strong> as then title suggests there is also sorcery and I like that here it's not really hereditary, as you gain magical powers by bargaining part of your life to a demon from the Otherworld</strong>. The 'magical' families still exist as they usually all make deals with the same demon and hand down magic that way. However, demons are dangerous as they are bound to their Master and would like to find a way to be free. All in all, this book was a masterpiece of engaging and interesting worldbuilding.

<strong>💕 Serendipity (noun) Finding something good without looking for it 💕</strong>

What truly impressed me about this book were the <strong> close, flawed relationships between the characters, romantic and platonic in nature</strong>. Of course, I was awed by the slow burn romance between <strong>Nathaniel and Elisabeth</strong>, I'm always drawn to couples with lots of chemistry and banter. They delivered on that end and were such a realistic couple, that came naturally, and every person still had their own struggles and character Arc. I love that we got to see their bond deepened, but that it never overtook the story. It just naturally got integrated into the flow of the plot. [In slightly less coherent words: AHHH I loved these two so much, they were very cute and flirty and funny, my favorite type of couple! 😍💖💕] The platonic dynamics stole my heart as well. We didn't see that much of <strong>Elisabeth and Katrien</strong>, but I loved them as best friends who never abandoned each other and were always partners in crime. Katrien didn't mind that Elisabeth was a bit odd and accepted her for all her flaws, that's true friendship. In addition, I <strong>liked how Silas was a demon</strong> - and therefore dangerous in nature - <strong>developed such close relationships to humans</strong>. He is like a family member for Nathaniel and truly cares about him, even though he made a deal for him, that will take 20 years of his life. When he had no one else, Silas cared for him like he was his child. Then, he doesn't know Elisabeth that long, but immediately sticks up for her when he sees that she's a good person. I liked how they became friends against all odds!

Sorcery is evil. Books have distinct personalities. Elisabeth was raised inside of a library. These three elements are combined to make an adventurous story-line which bore its genesis with Beauty and the Beast but became something entirely all of its own.

Elements of this I absolutely adored. The discussions concerning books who need their spines stroked, snore at night, and mutter to their owners, could not fail to appeal to any bibliophile. All that surrounded this, however, didn't gel with me in quite the same way and I found myself continuously longing to return to the library and the solace I found there.

I was captivated by the cover of Rogerson’s debut, An Enchantment of Ravens, but was ultimately lukewarm on the book itself. Despite this, I perked up when I heard about the release of Sorcery of Thorns. Not only does Sorcery have a great cover as well, it sounded like my exact cup of tea where Enchantment did not -- who doesn’t love sword-weilding librarians, sentient grimoires, and sassy magicians? I’m so pleased to say that I really, really enjoyed Sorcery of Thorns and am so happy I gave her writing another chance.

You know what I haven’t done in awhile? Read a book that’s just pure fun. That’s what Sorcery gave me -- pure fun. I read the majority of this book while I was stuck at home with a cold and it’s the perfect read for a sick day. It reminded me in many ways of The Princess Bride -- the ultimate sick day film -- with it’s swaggering hero and delightful banter. Although it has some dark moments -- it does, after all, feature a necromancy and conspiracy -- I found this book to be an absolute delight. If you’re a little burned out on super grim fantasy books, I couldn’t recommend this one more highly.

The characters are at the heart of what makes this book so fun. I absolutely loved their relationships and the connections they forge as the story progresses. I will admit that Elizabeth was probably my least favourite of our three main characters though. It took me awhile to warm up to her and she initially came across as, ahem, not the brightest bulb in the chandelier. I understand that she grew up in isolation and didn’t have a lot of worldly experience, however I still had trouble connecting with her until the second half of the book. Although I'm not often a huge fan of YA heroes, I found Nathaniel totally charming and delightful.

However, one character stole the show for me, and that was Silas. The demonic servant who takes on the form of an adorable fluffy white cat (a reference to Mogget from Sabriel, perhaps?)? The quiet, non-human caretaker who looks after our bumbling humans from the shadows? Of course he was my favourite character. I would love a novella that takes place before Sorcery of Thorns that just follows Silas. Actually, I’d love a whole spin-off series about Silas. More Silas is required.

I was so surprised and impressed by Sorcery of Thorns. If you didn’t enjoy An Enchantment of Ravens but like the sound of this book, I’d highly encourage you to pick it up. Sorcery of Thorns is the perfect book to read in a single sitting -- you’ll tumble into the pages and lose yourself in the story.

First off, I want this to be known: This book broke me. It broke me in lots of wonderful, poignant, emotional, gut-wrenching, shattering ways. After the very last line, I was consumed by All. The. Feels. It was that good. 

Sorcery of Thorns is a fast, magical read which keeps the action moving throughout. Rogerson has a beautiful writing style, lyrical and flowing, and the world of Austermeer is well constructed and beautifully presented. I loved the idea of the Great Libraries scattered throughout the kingdom. Great Libraries, designed to hold books who have thoughts,  feeling, and personalities of their own. These are sentient grimoires, books of magic both dark and light, and range in both power and threat.  

The protagonist, Elisabeth, is an orphan who has grown up in the Great Library of Summershall. Her one desire is to become a warden of the Great Libraries — librarian-warriors, sworn to protect the books at all cost: a “duty unto death”. The downside is that trouble naturally seems to find Elisabeth, usually alongside her fellow apprentice librarian and friend, Katrien. 

One night, Elisabeth is the only member of the Great Library who is unaffected by a sleep-spell designed to hide a heinous crime. In her efforts to thwart this act, she unwittingly becomes ensnared in a web of deceit, lies, political machinations, and terrifying magic. Whisked under guard from Summershall to Brassbridge, Elisabeth doesn’t know who — or what — to trust, especially when faced with demons and magisters (sorcerers) who challenge all her views and beliefs about the world. As she uncovers more of the mystery around the crime at Summershall, Elisabeth must grow out of her views and dreams and discover more about who she is — and who she could be. 

I found Elisabeth to be a well-rounded character who had flaws of her own, and her willingness to reconsider her abilities and assumptions about the world was refreshing. She was all at once strong but scared, determined yet uneasy, knowledgeable yet naïve. I particularly liked the way she changed her viewpoint based on her experiences and what would be best for the kingdom, because it showed a rare maturity and presence of mind. And her reactions to being thrown into “high society” were valid and real. 

In terms of the other characters, I loved Nathaniel. He is easily my favourite character — droll, dry-witted, quick with comebacks and ideas, and quirky. He was so well drawn and I appreciated that. His ever-present nonchalance is shaken by Elisabeth’s troublemaking and bright personality, and his assumption of his place in society — so sure for most of his life — is tossed on its head through the actions of Elisabeth and the Chancellor. Nathaniel’s comfort and (almost) glee in keeping society guessing about his sexuality was brilliant. 

Speaking of the Chancellor, I loved how creepy and suave he was. Again, someone very sure of his station and very set in his worldview and plans. And again, someone disrupted by the sheer tenacity of the protagonist. The Chancellor, his magic, and his minions brought about lots of conflict and had my brain whirring for a while. Though I did predict a few things about the plot as the book progressed, these were revealed in ways that I did not expect and this kept it fresh and alive. 

Silas — what can I say about Silas? He was a ghostly presence throughout and yet was one of the most substantial characters. He had a way of getting under people’s skin — both in terms of the other characters and the reader themselves. I loved how he was portrayed and his formalities, yet the affection between Silas and Nathaniel (and, later, Elisabeth) was so real and touching that it had me in honest tears at various points. 

I liked and appreciated how the other women in the book were portrayed. Even Mercy, who initially I thought would be a rather throwaway character, had her place in the end. It was a delight to return to Katrien throughout the novel. My only complaint in terms of characters was that Stefan was never seen or fleshed out, and we didn’t see enough of Parsifal. 

I loved the big reveal towards the end and it again brought tears to my eyes. I was thoroughly invested in the outcome and how it all played out — the discovery of who Elisabeth is and what she could do was powerful and the final battle was heartbreaking. The aftermath was bittersweet and delicately handled. 

The romance was also poignant and had its issues to overcome — a slow burn to begin with, and then challenged by expectations and assumptions on all sides. Ultimately satisfying and very realistic. 

There are few books which reduce me to tears with their last lines. Assassin’s Fate by Robin Hobb is one of them. This, Sorcery of Thorns, is another. It completely undid me and I was so grateful to have spent some time in Austermeer — a place to which I will return gladly again and again. Highly, highly recommended. 

I received an e-ARC from the publisher, Simon and Schuster, through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a book that is all about the magic of books. You can’t really get any better than that.
I loved the imagination at work in this. These magical books- or grimoires- have a life of their own, can turn into horrendous monsters if let loose, and can only be handled by the most skilled librarians. This is a world I want to live in. Our heroine, Elisabeth Scrivener, wants to become one of the people tasked with protecting the library. Instead she stumbles on a dark plot that threatens them and is whisked away into a world of betrayal and magic by sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn. Elisabeth is a stubborn, determined heroine that you can’t help but root for, and if the villains seem a trifle obvious (anybody with red eyes is definitely a villain) and the love interest falls just on the wrong side of clichéd, wise-cracking rogue, it’s still a rollicking adventure about the magic of the written word.

A novel steeped in magical world-building, atmospheric plot development and an intricate, complex collection of unsuspecting heroes, anthropomorphised grimoires and labyrinthine villains. Whilst early reviewers will correctly inform you of a novel somewhat tarnished by ostensibly rushing through to the final scene with little explanation, what remains more than makes up for this eventual flaw. 

Elisabeth has been raised within the walls of one of Austermeer's Great Libraries, surrounded by books of spells and invocations she has become more familiar with the yellowed tomes rattling beneath the iron chains contrived to contain them. Elisabeth is charged with being a future warden of the library, protecting the kingdom from their monstrous secrets, but her future is sabotaged when the libraries most dangerous grimoire is released and the libraries director is murdered as part of the act. Whilst Elisabeth is simply a poorly informed witness to the crime, her presence implicates her as a potential culprit and she is escorted to the capital to be trialled for her crimes. In actuality, that's not at all what happens and so unfolds a tangled web of cat and mouse as Elisabeth tries to discover who truly committed the crime, but more importantly why they wanted a grimoire as nightmarish and wicked as that one to be set loose. 

The characters within this story are without question the shining component of this novel. Elisabeth is an intelligent and resourceful protagonist; her curious nature makes her a fun character to follow. However, her companions are far more interesting. She soon couples up with an unlikely pairing with a complex past, one of which is a truly intricate and uniquely complex villain whose motives remain a mystery, open for interpretation. I adored Margaret Rogerson's development of this character throughout the entirety of the book; he fails to ever become predictable, but rather remains unchanged in his acceptance of his abhorrent nature. This is so refreshing from the archetypal villain many novels portray who can only ever be the apparent villain of the story, as opposed to a potential companion to it.

The world building was also excellent - Rogerson weaves her world together so expertly and so completely that not a single detail is missed, whilst still the reader manages to somehow avoid becoming overwhelmed with purple descriptions. The grimoires are no exception to this rule, each with their own personalities and interactions. Initially this can be jarring and perhaps a little too fantastical, causing the more believable style of the narrative to fall into a magical realism set apart from the remainder of the book, however this is a quick adjustment and isn't as "human" as you might imagine it to be (think more along the lines of The Monster Book of Monsters).  

Ultimately this was nothing short of perfection for a reader like me, who loves an nontraditional and complex villain and, moreover, the idea of a magical library enveloped in a well imaged and ornate world.

If ever there was a book specifically designed to appeal to me, this would be it. Set in a magical library where the books come to life? Featuring a heroine who fights off demonic creatures with a crowbar? A witty and charming, but damaged love interest? Yes please, all my catnip.

Perhaps the most delightful thing about this book, however, is the fact that it's a standalone. I get why series are important to publishers and to authors in terms of making money, and don't get me wrong, I love a great series. But it's such an investment of time and energy. To have a book that delivers all the lush world building, sword and sorcery adventures, political intrigue and conspiracy of a series, but wrapped up in one neat, complete package, is a rare and treasured delight.

Sorcery of Thorns isn't just about the magical adventures and the libraries, though. It also examines power and society, with Elisabeth at one point at the mercy of a character who is able to say whatever they like about her and have everyone believe it because of their position in society. It's also about narrow-mindedness, and how damaging it can be to believe absolutely in a narrow world view. Elisabeth's naivety is played for a few laughs, but her journey as a character is an interesting one to watch as her beliefs - taught to her by the wardens in the great libraries - are challenged over and over again by her involvement with Nathaniel and his demonic servant, Silas.

I also love that the demons are properly scary. The grimoires, too - the Book of Eyes with its human eyes bound into the cover, and the book that summons illusions to lure you into traps, they aren't items to be trifled with. The sense of wonderment mixed with peril whenever the characters are in any of the libraries keeps you glued to the story.

Overall, a rich, romantic story set in a world I adored spending time in. Sorcery of Thorns delivers adventure, thrills, romance and world-ending peril, with wonderful characters and magical books. What more could you want?

Elisabeth was raised within the halls of one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, with magical grimoires on every shelf that, if provoked, transform into grotesque monsters of ink and leather. But, when an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire, Elisabeth’s life saving intervention condemns her to the crime and forces her to leave the only home she’s ever known. Alone and in the middle of a world endangering plot, Elisabeth turns to her sworn enemy, sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn and his demonic servant for aid. Entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy, can they stop the culprit before the Great Libraries and the world go up in flames…

This is one of those books that are difficult to review because you aren’t 100% sure what happened. If asked I would not be able to recount anything truly meaningful from this book and despite the allure of magical books and demons the entire of the books falls immensely flat.

From looking at a few reviews I can see I am in the minority in my opinion of this book, but I just don’t see what everyone else has. I found there to be little to no real description to the world (other than the map at the beginning), the characters or setting. I found it difficult to really get a picture in my head for anything, particularly grimoires. I had no idea what to picture when they went all beast-y. This made getting into the book very laborious.

I wasn’t sold on the characters. Nathaniel was probably the better one if I had to pick one, but that’s mostly due to the occasional witty one-liner. I don’t think any of the characters really had much personality, they were quite plain and one dimensional. As the book went on I found Elisabeth to be rather irksome. I don’t know what it was, she just didn’t do it for me. It feels very special snowflake, but we’re missing the special. It’s like Margaret Rogerson wanted her to be special but didn’t really give her anything to back it up. It is ‘explained’ once and even then it’s more a passing thought and then never really mentioned again.

To be honest that pretty much sums up most of the book; it felt like Rogerson was trying to build something here but there were so many missing pieces and no backbone to support it. That’s all I can say to explain the plot because I didn’t get it at all. The motive for the villain (if he’s really strong enough of a character to be called that) isn’t actually explained until about 80% of the way through and was done in a dialogue heavy scene where it was gone through point to point. By that point I really didn’t care and the way Rogerson did it dragged it out. His motive and plan could have slowly unravelled as the book went on to build suspense and intrigue, but instead was left to the last quarter and monologued.

Overall, Sorcery of Thorns lacked substance. I think Rogerson had a decent idea and good intent but just didn’t do enough to flesh anything out or actually make me care about the characters or world. It’s literally world ending stuff and I genuinely didn’t care. The ending is also poorly done. It’s such a fizzle out. Plus, something that I’m noticing a lot in YA now, is how many MC’s are bookish. I get it, we’re all bookish here, but that doesn’t mean every main character has to be too! Elisabeth’s love for books is literally pushed onto you almost every page and by the end I couldn’t stop rolling my eyes when it was mentioned. It’s too much and unnecessary. She wants to be a warden, she loves books, that’s all you needed. Don’t cross the cringe-worthy line.

Sorry if this review feels like one big bash, but it’s how I felt and it’s my review. It failed to connect with me and I still have no idea what really happened in it.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback

I too am a child of the library. This book felt sentient to me, whispering at me to finish it as quickly as possible. It consumed me. The world building was fantastic and seemed made for me, who doesn’t want sentient libraries and books that can bite your fingers off? Then throw in swords gahhhh brilliant. 
The characters were extremely well done too, I found myself falling for Silas even though I knew I shouldn’t and the inclusivity was there in such a well written way, it was neither in your face intrusive or pushed to the sidelines.. instead it was as it should be: naturally there and accepted. 
Part of me is undeniably upset that it’s over and I finished it in under 24 hours but I just couldn’t help myself I needed to know what would happen ... it was my own personal kryptonite weakening my resolve to get on with other jobs because reading this was my first priority. 
The forward said it was written for me and I am so happy it was I could feel it on every page and I am so grateful it exists.

I loved An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson, so it excited me when I saw she was publishing a new book. Yet again Margaret Rogerson manages to build a world that sucks you in leaving you immursed  in a world of magic and adventure. The notion that books are alive and have souls is pure genius from Rogerson. I couldn't pit this book down once I started, and love the  cliff hanger ending. 

It's not often authors write stand alones anymore but Rogerson manages to write them perfectly with no need for sequels. I am now a big fan of her work and look forward to her future works. 

Honest review in exchange for a kindle arc copy from @netgallery. I have since bought my own copy.

I saw someone on goodreads say that this book is the book for those that were fascinated with the Restricted Section at Hogwarts and holy moly does that ring true!

This was a great read, it was suspenseful and highly interesting but had enough levity in part to lift it. 

If you're a fan of books, fantasy or libraries i highly, highly recommend this!

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.

I really enjoyed sorcery of thorns by Margaret Rogerson and read it within 2 days of starting it, I found it was a book that took my mind of everything going on around me and it was only me and the book.

I seen so much hype and so many great reviews about sorcery of thorns and honestly was a abit worried I might not enjoyed it but it really surprised me and I ended up loving it and wanting more.

I really enjoyed Elizabeth’s character she’s so positive and innocent, Nathaniel’s character I also loved , I really enjoyed his backstory.

Overall I really enjoyed it and will defined be checking more of the authors work.

"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.