***The Starry-Eyed Revue***: June 2019

Title: Sorcery of Thorns
Author: Margaret Rogerson
Series: n/a
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: June 4, 2019
Source: ARC received from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

From the New York Times bestselling author of An Enchantment of Ravens comes an imaginative fantasy about an apprentice at a magical library who must battle a powerful sorcerer to save her kingdom.

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.

I absolutely adored An Enchantment of Ravens when I read it last year -- and then re-read it...and then listened to it again -- so I was beside myself with excitement when I was invited to review Margaret Rogerson's sophomore novel as part of the blog tour. Sorcery of Thorns is a magical tumble into a world full of witchcraft and necromancy and libraries with sentient books, and it was every bit as lovely as her debut.

Though this novel is a bit slower in pacing, there's no lack of action to keep the characters on their toes. It's just a little more understated, a little less obvious, and it felt right for the mystery at hand. The pacing also lends itself to a more atmospheric story; it was not difficult at all to imagine myself in the Great Libraries, to smell the musty old books and the scent of sorcery in the air, to fear losing a finger to those same books.

It was easy to connect with the characters, as well. Elisabeth is strong-willed, though a bit naive, but that's due to her sequestered upbringing. She dreams big and her moral compass will not allow her to sit idly by while the Great Libraries are destroyed. Enter Nathaniel, who sees something in Elisabeth, even if his tragic past makes him wish he didn't. He's the guy who projects confidence and self-deprecating humor while he dies a little inside each day. Literally. Which brings us to Silas: the demonic presence I never knew I needed. How can you not love a demon who turns himself into a white cat and allows himself to be called Sir Fluffington in order to assure your well-being?

Speaking of love, the romance is very slow burning but very worth the wait. The relationship is intense, though, and must overcome some serious obstacles along the way, including the characters themselves. But the banter from before remains, and in my book -- sadly, not a grimoire -- that's #relationshipgoals.

I wouldn't say the ending left something to be desired...but, well, it did. As in, a desire for more. The writing was gorgeous. The characters were enigmatic and engaging. And I could read every magical adventure they have, even if it was only teaching the grimoires to tap dance or some such nonsense. This was such an enchanting novel and I can't wait to read more from this author.

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

Margaret Rogerson is the author of the New York Times bestseller An Enchantment of Ravens and Sorcery of Thorns. She has a bachelor’s degree in cultural anthropology from Miami University. When not reading or writing she enjoys sketching, gaming, making pudding, and watching more documentaries than is socially acceptable (according to some). She lives near Cincinnati, Ohio, beside a garden full of hummingbirds and roses. Visit her at MargaretRogerson.com.

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