Sorcery Of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

*Spoiler free*

All sorcerers are evil. Elisabeth has known that as long as she has known anything. Raised as a foundling in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, Elisabeth has grown up among the tools of sorcery—magical grimoires that whisper on shelves and rattle beneath iron chains. If provoked, they transform into grotesque monsters of ink and leather. She hopes to become a warden, charged with protecting the kingdom from their power. Then an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire. Elisabeth’s desperate intervention implicates her in the crime, and she is torn from her home to face justice in the capital. With no one to turn to but her sworn enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, and his mysterious demonic servant, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy. Not only could the Great Libraries go up in flames, but the world along with them. As her alliance with Nathaniel grows stronger, Elisabeth starts to question everything she’s been taught—about sorcerers, about the libraries she loves, even about herself. For Elisabeth has a power she has never guessed, and a future she could never have imagined.

While An Enchantment Of Ravens wasn’t my favorite, I knew I wanted to give this one a try.  This one has monster books. Books that can turn into beasts and books that are alive and that sounded awesome. Plus, it had Uprooted vibes with evil sorcerers that might not be evil. And a demon that turns into a cat.

I wasn’t expecting this book to be as quiet as it was. The plot didn’t explode and it took it’s time moving forward. It is still really good, it just wasn’t what I was expecting so it took some getting used to. Though, the twists were really good. I definitely wasn’t expecting a major reveal but it so smart and so well done.

The characters were a highlight to me. Pretty much every single one of them was so incredibly well done. All of them, even the side characters, had their own story, their own development, and their own awesomeness. Elisabeth was really badass. I loved her mind, her actions, and the things she yearns for. Nathaniel was freaking adorable. He likes to think he’s this tough guy, but once you get to know him, he’s the cutest ever. And Silas is the evil demon who can turn into a cat and I love him. He is evil and he has no qualms of telling you exactly what he can do and who he is. I wouldn’t say he’s inherently good, but there is something about him that is irresistible.

I also really loved the setting. While I would have loved to spend more time in one of the libraries, the time that was spent there was enough to make me fall in love with them. They are SO COOL! The books have personalities and can move and can talk and I would love to work there. This world was put together really well and it felt really solid and really steady. Everything has it’s own place and all the pieces fit together really well.

One thing I wasn’t a huge fan of was the writing. I’m not quite sure how to explain it, but it just felt kind off to me. I felt like somethings were too drawn out and some things happened too quickly. There were also times where things happened that felt really convenient and like they were dropped into place just for the plot.  I dunno, it just wasn’t for me.

Elisabeth faints a lot. A lot of the chapters end with her passing out from exhaustion/fainting. Looking back, I find it kind of funny, but it got repetitive pretty fast and I wasn’t the biggest fan. It’s minor, but I felt like mentioning it haha.

Ah, I just love the grimoires and the libraries so much. The books felt like characters within themselves. I love the scenes with them, even when their turning into evil monsters. They add another layer to the story, the message they show is incredible, and I just love them a lot.

Nathaniel is bi an has anxiety, panic attacks, and PTSD (I think). Elisabeth has anxiety and panic attacks. Katrein is an a-spec character! She is minor, but she’s super awesome. I know some of these things have been talked about, but I was still surprised by a few of them and I wanted to make sure more people knew about the rep in this book!

Overall, I really loved this book. There might have been a few things I wasn’t a fan of, but everything else helped me enjoy so much. I would love to read a companion novel for more of this world and more of the libraries!

Sorcery Of Thorns comes out June 4th, 2019! You can add it on GoodReads and pre-order a copy in the meantime!

Thank you for reading!