Reviews with content warning for Panic attacks/disorders - Sorcery of Thorns

This is a book that I've wanted to read for ages, especially after loving Margaret Rogerson's first book so much, but I've been putting it off because I feared I wouldn't like it as much as her debut novel or that it wouldn't live up the hype surrounding it. But I am glad that I did read because I loved it.
It's such a good book.
It has magical books, sorcery, demons and a girl that wields a sword. For me that's a perfect mix of things I love to see in a story. Oh, and with a sprinkling of romance on top.
Great book. Highly recommend.

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onthesamepage's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I've been on the fence about trying this author for a very long time. The covers for her books always catch my eye because I adore the artwork, but then every time I'd consider picking them up, I'd see mixed reviews and hesitate. I don't always have the best track record with YA fantasy, and I've become more careful about which books I try from that specific category. What really pushed me over the edge and made me pick up the book are the following:
1) Alienor mentioned that she really enjoyed it. This is important because we have similar taste in a lot of books.
2) A Clockwork Reader compared it to Ghibli's Howl's Moving Castle. I'm a simple person, you comp something to a Ghibli movie I love, I will be immediately convinced I need it in my life.

The comparison to Howl's Moving Castle isn't super accurate, but I understand where it comes from. The dynamic between the main trio in the book is reminiscent of the way Sophie, Howl, and Calcifer interact. The strength of this story is definitely in the characters and the relationships. The romance between Elisabeth and Nathanial is really sweet, but the found family aspect is even stronger.

For Nathanial and Silas specifically, I think Black Butler is a good comparison, so if you enjoyed that, you might also have a good time with this book.

I was invested and engrossed in the story, but I did find it relatively easy to guess who the villain was. However, that didn't detract from my enjoyment, because I had no idea what their overall plan was and how everything would pan out. Plus the setting really appealed to me—magical libraries and books that can turn into monsters, what's not to love?

If I had written this review shortly after finishing the book, I'd probably be able to go into more details, but alas, the past me decided this would be a problem for future me, and this is all I'm currently capable of. Maybe I'll add to this on reread, because I do think this is one I'll pick up again eventually.

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mayas's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

I really loved/enjoyed this book, especially the majority of it. It was really fun and exciting and tense. I really couldn’t put this down and it surprised me that I read almost all of it in 5 days, which is a lot for me for a book this size.

And the characters were really cool and I enjoyed there interactions, personalities, and banter. I would have loved to explore more about Katrien and even Silas.

I found the ending a little confusing. I didn’t really understand what specifically Silas did/how he did it. And there were some things I questioned regarding the last act and stuff. I also took a little longer getting through the last 10-20% but I don’t think that really was the book - maybe just personal circumstances.

And because of this little loss in momentum, I struggle to rate this book. But it’s more than 5 stars. But less than 4.5. When I was reading it (in the momentum bit), I remember thinking it was 4.3. So i suppose 4.25 will be fine :)

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acogna's review against another edition

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adventurous funny inspiring tense medium-paced

4.0

Neat, clever, witty. A champion to the fact that simplicity in a book does not mean a bad thing. With a creative world and smart prose, it was a pretty enjoyable read.

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