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ldermer's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
bluejayreads's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-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? It's complicated
4.5
After being surprised by how much I enjoyed Vespertine, I added a couple more of Margaret Rogerson’s books to my reading list. I didn’t have high hopes for this one – the back cover made me think there would be way more romance than I enjoy – but as happened last time, I was wrong. This book is very good.
This book covers a lot of similar tropes to Vespertine. Even though there’s no actual church in this book, the Great Library system acts just enough like one to get that “I grew up believing wholeheartedly believing everything the church says but now that I’ve experienced the real world everything’s much more complicated than I thought and maybe this thing they said was evil actually isn’t” vibe. If that isn’t a relatable deconversion mood, I don’t know what is.
Elisabeth is a perfectly serviceable character. She’s not a great force of personality, but she is a great force of will and stubbornness and determination to do the right thing, even if it turns out the right thing is the thing she’s been told is evil her whole life. Her power is in how much she cares about protecting others and doing the right thing. Well, that and sword fighting, a skill that never really gets explained but I guess I can chalk up to library training. (The “power she never guessed” reveal from the back cover is never built up, an anticlimactic reveal, and completely irrelevant to anything, so I’m not factoring that in.)
I was a little concerned about an enemies-to-lovers romance angle popping up. It did happen (I don’t think it’s a spoiler because if you’re at all familiar with YA fantasy you would know it’s coming), but it was a side plot to all the main plot stop-the-people-attacking-the-libraries happenings. Nathaniel also got to be a character in his own right before he became a love interest, and vintage, I’m happy with him as a character and the romance overall.
Also, Nathaniel’s demonic servant almost felt like a color-swapped Sebastian from Black Butler – which was a major bonus for me, since Black Butler is my favorite anime of all time.
As far as plots go, it was pretty straightforward. Elisabeth figures out the culprit pretty early, and most of the story is focused on figuring out the why and how so she and Nathaniel can stop him. The why is a big reveal, but only the “how” would count as a twist. But even without a complex plot, it’s quite enjoyable. There’s mystery elements, a heist, semi-sentient books, plenty of magic, and bloody fights (sword- and otherwise) with demonic creatures. It’s not what I would call action-packed, but there’s plenty of action around other engaging and magical stuff.
Sorcery of Thorns is just a little too straightforward to make my Top Favorites list, but it was a great read. It’s magical enough to hold my interest, the motives of the antagonist are difficult to discover without being frustrating, and it has some relatable feelings about the institution you grew up in being wrong, the complex shades of gray between “right” and “wrong,” and how awesome libraries are. Overall, a very good book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Mental illness
bookishflower's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement
Minor: Child death
basket_of_fruit's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Forced institutionalization, and Blood
Moderate: Child death, Death, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Alcohol
sarah_cameron's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
Really solid read! Compelling characters and an intriguing plot. Predictable in some parts but overall a satisfying story
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Death, Misogyny, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
kinsportch's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Grief
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, and Death of parent
dlrosebyh's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Grief
Moderate: Confinement, Misogyny, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Child death, Mental illness, Sexual assault, and Vomit
thecourtofreading's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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? Yes
5.0
"when terrible things have happened to you, sometimes the promise of something good can be just as frightening."
this right here is a comfort read of mine. everything about this book, i quite literally love so much. i reread this recently in 2022 because i wanted to tab it with all of the colours i have, and it was a great decision, because i loved reading this again. this book feels like home.
margaret rogerson's writing is phenomenal. she writes so fluidly and amazingly that i can't help getting swept up in the world she has created and the characters she has crafted. every bit of description is literally exquisite. and the characters? i'm bisexual with a lean towards women, but nathaniel? oh to be elisabeth right now.
nathaniel thorn was by far by favourite. his lines literally made me laugh out loud sometimes. i use orange to tab funny/lol moments, so naturally most of those ended up on his lines. elisabeth is also rooted for - i liked seeing her opinions on what she'd been taught change throughout the novel, how she grew. and silas. don't even get me started. i heard there's a novella coming out about nathaniel and silas and i WILL be purchasing it. rogerson has made her way onto my auto-buy list, because her books are nothing short of perfection.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Grief
Moderate: Confinement, Misogyny, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Child death and Vomit
caseythereader's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
- I'll be honest, I was not sure I would like this book. Reader, I loved it. It's a great mystery and slow burn romance, but at its heart it's a love letter to libraries.
- Elisabeth reminded me of Lyra from the HIS DARK MATERIALS books, not only because she was a foundling raised in an academic setting, but for her fierceness and sharp mind.
- The world isn't super fleshed out, but I thought it was a clever magic system and I loved what I did see of the wider world beyond the library.
- There's also surprise low key bisexual and ace/aro rep, which was such a treat.
- And Silas, what can I say about Silas. I loved the little demon, I did.
- Elisabeth reminded me of Lyra from the HIS DARK MATERIALS books, not only because she was a foundling raised in an academic setting, but for her fierceness and sharp mind.
- The world isn't super fleshed out, but I thought it was a clever magic system and I loved what I did see of the wider world beyond the library.
- There's also surprise low key bisexual and ace/aro rep, which was such a treat.
- And Silas, what can I say about Silas. I loved the little demon, I did.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Self harm, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
lilifane's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I had my doubts about this book. I only knew it takes place in a library and has to do with solving a mystery. Which is kind of correct but then again it's not really what you expect when you hear this.
So I was a little disappointed in the beginning but soon got used to the actualy story and from then on had the time of my life reading it. So let me gush a little bit.
I loooooved the characters and was surprised by the represantation in this book. The main character, Elisabeth, is a tall girl. A really tall girl, bigger than most of the boys/men around her and that was SO cool to read. She's been growing up in a library for magical books and has some mysterious abilities that others don't have. At the beginning of the book she witnesses an attack on her library and tries to uncover the truth behind it. What bothered me the most about her for a long time was how ignorant and prejudiced she is at the beginning, especially for someone living in a library and spending her whole life reading books. I thought that was only a way to give her some room for character development, but in the end it actually made a lot of sense. I also feared this would turn into a damsel in distress situation where Elisabeth had to be rescued all the time, because she tends to get in trouble often... but luckily she is quite capable of rescuing herself thank you very much.
Then there are side characters that are bi, aromantic, disabled (there is a blind librarian and braille is hinted at). Most of this is only mentioned as side notes though, just to show that it's all a regular part of this world. And I liked that.
Another thing I really liked was the fast pace of the story (you can hardly take a breath because one thing happens after another and another and another and another). It's so action packed, so much is happening, but there are also some quiet moments that let you bond with the characters and fall in love with them. My heart was stolen by a demon called Silas, he's the most precious character of all.
I enjoyed the humor, especially Nathaniel's comments towards Elisabeth... which leads to the romance plot that I also enjoyed a lot. It was actually quite refreshing. There was no artificial drama, no miscomunication, no cheesy lovey dovey stuff, just straight forward friendly banter turned into fun flirting with a bit of doom from an approaching apocalypse sprinkled into it.
I loved everything that had to do with the library contents, the investigation, the mystery, but there was a little bit too much fighting for my taste. Soooo many fight scenes. The last quarter of a book feels like one long fight which was a little exhausting.
One last thing I should mention: This book is 100% predictable. If you have a feeling, you know how the story will proceed or how a problem will be resolved, you can be sure that's exactly what will happen. Really no surprises whatsoever. Oh, and you never have the feeling that a situation is hopeless or drags on for too long. There is always a way. And I also enjoyed this a lot, because everything that happens is prepared beforehand and it doesn't feel like information is being withheld just to surprise you or a situation unnecessary prologed just to annoy you.
So I was a little disappointed in the beginning but soon got used to the actualy story and from then on had the time of my life reading it. So let me gush a little bit.
I loooooved the characters and was surprised by the represantation in this book. The main character, Elisabeth, is a tall girl. A really tall girl, bigger than most of the boys/men around her and that was SO cool to read. She's been growing up in a library for magical books and has some mysterious abilities that others don't have. At the beginning of the book she witnesses an attack on her library and tries to uncover the truth behind it. What bothered me the most about her for a long time was how ignorant and prejudiced she is at the beginning, especially for someone living in a library and spending her whole life reading books. I thought that was only a way to give her some room for character development, but in the end it actually made a lot of sense. I also feared this would turn into a damsel in distress situation where Elisabeth had to be rescued all the time, because she tends to get in trouble often... but luckily she is quite capable of rescuing herself thank you very much.
Then there are side characters that are bi, aromantic, disabled (there is a blind librarian and braille is hinted at). Most of this is only mentioned as side notes though, just to show that it's all a regular part of this world. And I liked that.
Another thing I really liked was the fast pace of the story (you can hardly take a breath because one thing happens after another and another and another and another). It's so action packed, so much is happening, but there are also some quiet moments that let you bond with the characters and fall in love with them. My heart was stolen by a demon called Silas, he's the most precious character of all.
I enjoyed the humor, especially Nathaniel's comments towards Elisabeth... which leads to the romance plot that I also enjoyed a lot. It was actually quite refreshing. There was no artificial drama, no miscomunication, no cheesy lovey dovey stuff, just straight forward friendly banter turned into fun flirting with a bit of doom from an approaching apocalypse sprinkled into it.
I loved everything that had to do with the library contents, the investigation, the mystery, but there was a little bit too much fighting for my taste. Soooo many fight scenes. The last quarter of a book feels like one long fight which was a little exhausting.
One last thing I should mention: This book is 100% predictable. If you have a feeling, you know how the story will proceed or how a problem will be resolved, you can be sure that's exactly what will happen. Really no surprises whatsoever. Oh, and you never have the feeling that a situation is hopeless or drags on for too long. There is always a way. And I also enjoyed this a lot, because everything that happens is prepared beforehand and it doesn't feel like information is being withheld just to surprise you or a situation unnecessary prologed just to annoy you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Child death, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, and Death of parent
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