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fayesavanne's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Child abuse, Vomit, and Sexual harassment
bexi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I was excited to read it every night. I didn't want it to end and I'm low-key sad that I finished it. There's a companion novella and yes, I am going out to the nearest bookstore tonight to purchase it.
Shoutout to booktubers for putting this book on my radar. And for comparing it to Howl's Moving Castle - that was the selling point for me. If you enjoyed HMC (book or movie), pick this up because I agree with the comparison.
Now somebody please adapt this into a miniseries for television because I wants ittt ðŸ˜
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, and Gaslighting
booksthatburn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Silas is enjoyable as a character whose present form is unassuming but could absolutely fuck someone up if a different version of himself is let loose (Think Mogget from The Old Kingdom books by Garth Nix, but if he liked working).
I thought the first half was just fine (except for the worldbuilding, which was excellent) and then I loved the ending. I didn't enjoy the matrons speculating about Nathaniel's sexuality, and while the resolution of his identity came though his own telling, it felt a bit off.
The audiobook performance (particularly for Silas) perfectly fits each character and really enhanced the story. The plot noticeably had distinct stages (not in a bad way). It's a long enough book to have several points of tension and rest, with the danger escalating in a way that felt appropriate to the world and to what the characters had already faced. There were a couple of points in the latter half where things had been so dramatic that I thought maybe it was about to pull a cliffhanger, but the ending is very satisfying and comes at an appropriate point in the pacing.
I enjoyed this and am very excited for a sequel if one materializes. It's listed as a series so I'm hopeful.
Graphic: Confinement, Misogyny, Sexism, and Blood
Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual content, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Mental illness
theespressoedition's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
The story is very quick to suck you in. It's not necessarily fast-paced so much as it's just not slow. There's always something happening to further the plot and I'm grateful that I read a physical copy rather than listening to it, only because I think I would've missed important elements if I had utilized an audiobook. The chapters are a bit longer than is my typical taste, but truthfully, I didn't realize how long they were because I often forgot that I was even reading! It's definitely an atmospheric escape book.
There's not a particularly large cast of characters. Only four are of utmost importance with a handful of secondary characters that provide excellent support to the main cast and help to further the story. While some may categorize this novel as "enemies-to-lovers," I wouldn't be so quick to slap that label on it. The protagonists may not mesh well at the beginning, but they aren't truly enemies. They're more like misunderstood colleagues. This will make much more sense if you read the book!
I'm sure I'm not the first to state that Silas is the stand-out character in this book. He's absolutely fascinating and I would absolutely love an entire book (or spin-off series) just about his story. I'm hoping that the sequel will include a lot more information about him and how the demon-and-sorcerer relationships came to be.
There are a lot of really beautiful quotes throughout this action-packed book. Two that stood out to me were:
You belonged in the library, as much as any book.
and also..
I think--I think I was a bit dead already, before you came along... You've reminded me to live. That's worth having something to lose.
Really, Sorcery of Thorns is a beautiful book with so much great adventure, fantastic characters, and a story that will keep you hooked from beginning to end. It is absolutely winding up on my favorites list for 2022!
Graphic: Death, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Death of parent
Moderate: Child abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, and Forced institutionalization