"Sorcery of Thorns" by Margaret Rogerson
Publishing Date: June 4th, 2019 | Target: YA & Teens | Pages: 464
"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. 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. 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."
'Sorcery of Thorns' is Margaret Rogerson's 2nd stand alone novel. The environment in her previous novel, "An Enchantment of Ravens" is lush and fantastical. Sorcery of Thorns follows this same idea. Rogerson has a beautiful way of writing in her books. They have both reminded me so much of a Studio Ghibli movie! That alone is the reason why I can't pass up a book by Rogerson (it also helps that the amazing Charlie Bowater does her covers).
Sorcery of Thorns follows Elisabeth, an orphan raised in the grand library. Elisabeth is a brave and yet softhearted girl who has a special connection with the magical grimoires. She dreams of nothing else but to become a warden and protect those special books, for they can evolve into something very dangerous. One night, Elisabeth stumbles across a mysterious and jarring scene that causes her entire world to crumble. Her attempts at saving the Library ends with her arrest. During her trial, she meets a sorcerer, Nathanial and his demon-servant Silas. The two join up with Elisabeth to help her along her journey in face of politics, injustice and more.
As mentioned by the author in GoodReads, this book is first and foremost an epic fantasy. The romance between Nathanial and Elisabeth is a subplot and honestly - I kind of wished that it was removed entirely. I felt as though it was forced and that Elisabeth and Silas had much more of a connection than the Nathanial and her.
Rogerson's books are very imaginative and I know that in time, she will continue to grow in her skills. At this point of time, her novels have left me wishing for something more. But all in all, if you are a library nerd, try this book. It will definitely spark something!
Special thanks to Netgalley, Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, Margaret K. McElderry Books and Margaret Rogerson for the opportunity to read this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
★★★ 2.5/5
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