YA Weekend: Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books (June 4, 2019)
Length: 456 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
It’s always great to see an author who is trying to push their own boundaries and reach new heights. Needless to say, I was very impressed with what Margaret Rogerson has done with Sorcery of Thorns and the fact it was such a huge step up from her debut. Not that I didn’t enjoy An Enchantment of Ravens, but it didn’t have near the same amount of attraction or that special kind of magic to make it all that memorable. In contrast, however, I believe Sorcery of Thorns has what it takes to set itself apart from a sea of fantasy YA.
We begin the story at the Great Library of Summershall, which has been a home to our protagonist Elisabeth Scrivener for as long as she can remember. Abandoned on its doorstep as a baby, she was raised among its shelves of magical tomes to be an acolyte by the librarians who work there. As a result, she grew up with a natural thirst for knowledge that frequently got her into trouble with her caretakers, who quickly became used to her way of being too curious for her own good. But one day, during her explorations of the library, Elisabeth stumbles upon a troubling discovery that points to a possible act of sabotage. An enchanted grimoire has been corrupted, turning it into a monster. However, with no other witnesses to the incident, Elisabeth herself is blamed for the crime and is consequently sent away to the city to face trial.
Enter Nathaniel Thorn, the sorcerer tasked to escort her to the capital. Of course, while he’s heard of Elisabeth and her history with mischief, nothing could have prepared Nathaniel for the challenges to come. For her part, Elisabeth is mistrustful of Nathaniel and his demonic familiar Silas at first, raised as she was to view anything and anyone to do with magic as inherently evil. But with every new obstacle they face together, the two of them gradually warm to each other and learn how to cooperate. As they try to uncover the conspiracy threatening the Great Library, Elisabeth and Nathaniel are drawn into a dangerous web of lies and deceit—just two more players in a game of power more immense and complicated than either of them could have possibly imagined.
Since one of my favorite tropes in fantasy is “books about books”, that was immediately a point in this novel’s favor. The world-building was also enticing and well developed, and I especially enjoyed the descriptions of the grimoires at the Great Library and how they almost take on a life of their own and are categorized into classes depending on how dangerous they are. They are a good illustration of how magic is perceived in this world—a powerful tool that can be helpful to society in many ways, though extremely dangerous if used irresponsibly or by the wrong people. Growing up the way she did, Elisabeth was taught to be wary of anything related to sorcery, but it took getting out into the real world for her to truly understand magic’s significance and meaning.
Speaking of which, I was pleased with the way the story developed, beginning with a rather convention premise which gradually snowballed into something much bigger and more complex as Elisabeth’s worldview expanded. I also loved the action mixed in with the magical elements, like the swashbuckling battles and swordfights against fantastical foes like demons and other creatures. At the same time, all this frenetic activity stops just short of being too overwhelming, offering just the right amount to keep the momentum going between sections that focused more on the mystery and speculation behind the conspiracy. The pacing is both comfortable and engaging, providing constant motivation to turn the next page.
And then there were the protagonists. To be honest, neither Elisabeth nor Nathaniel really dazzled, but for all that they were standard characters, I liked the easy way Rogerson got us to relate to them, and ultimately, that’s all that matters. Individually, they felt like genuine people to me, with realistic personalities that reflected their life experiences and personal backgrounds. But together, they were even better. Elisabeth and Nathaniel had fascinating chemistry and I liked watching their relationship evolve. Their romance was honest and sweet, resounding with a passionate underlying intensity, and as you know, I always appreciate a romance arc that doesn’t distract and completely take over the story.
Overall, Sorcery of Thorns is a YA fantasy I can wholeheartedly recommend. Full of magic and intrigue, this standalone novel features great characters, fantastic world-building and a spellbinding storyline. All in all, an entertaining and satisfying adventure.
The BiblioSanctum 
This one already caught my attention, since like you I’m attracted by stories dealing with books (and here the books are special indeed…), but you truly sold me on this novel, and I will add it to my “next” list. Thanks for sharing!!! 🙂
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Hehe, books about books are my big weakness 🙂
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I’m glad you enjoyed it!💕 I’ve heard so many good things about this book that although I haven’t enjoyed the author’s previous book that much, I still want to try this one 😍
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Her debut didn’t wow me either, but I thought this was so much better! 😀
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Oh yes, I loved this – it completely had me under its spell. A book about books, a sweet romance that is neither rushed or plot stealing, a great character in Silas and an ending that gives me hope for more.
Lynn 😀
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The sweet romance was definitely a highlight 🙂
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Ok, I might try this one too. I like books about books as well, and the library and its books in this one sound interesting.
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Oh yes, I loved the worldbuilding! I hope you get to check this one out!
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I have heard good things about this book too. A book about books will indeed be magical. Although I’m not a fan of YA books, I’ll surely give this one a try. Thanks for the recommendation, Mogsy. 🙂
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To be honest, I’m very wary about YA these days, I’ve been burned too many times by hyped books so I am very picky about which to read. I have to say though, this one lived up to all expectations! 😀
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That’s good to know.
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This sounds nice. 🙂
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It really was! 😀
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I’m so glad to hear you loved this. I liked her first book, but it felt like a debut to me. I love when authors grow so much between their first and second books, I can’t wait to read this!
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Her first book definitely had that debut smell, lol! I was so happy this one felt like a huge step up 🙂
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Maybe this is what I should have read, I feel very disillusioned by ya fantasy
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You know me, I feel the same way most days. This one would probably be awesome in audio though!
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I don’t swoon too often at romances, but this one…*swoons* This just hit all the right buttons for me, it’s definitely a favorite read of the year.
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Haha, I’m the same way, few YA romances impress me, but I liked this one!
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I’ve recently become interested in reading Margaret Rogerson’s works! I’d similarly heard she features very genuine and likable characters with sweet/healthy romances, which I think is strangely difficult to find in YA nowadays. Not to mention, more “books about books” will always be welcome in my library. 😉 Glad you enjoyed this! Excellent review!
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Yup, as soon as I found out this was a “book about books”, I was all over it, lol! And I totally agree, the difficulty in finding healthy romances in YA these days is a disturbing trend
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Books about books is one of my favourite things, too 🙂 Will look out for this one, thanks!
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Yep, “books about books” is one of those buzz terms that get me every time! Definitely a favorite trope 😀
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I’ve seen this around so often but I could never tell if it was loved by all or not. Glad to hear you enjoyed this a lot. The characters really sound genuine and fantastic in this one. Great review as always, Mogsy! 😀
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I’ve seen mostly positive reviews for this one, which helped me decide to take a chance on it. Now that I’ve read it, I’m so glad I picked it up! Thank you for your kind words 😀
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Really glad you enjoyed this one, I had a lot of fun with it. I have heard similar things about her debut not being as strong as this one, but I think I’ll probably still check that one out at some point. Great review!
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