Scan barcode
A review by jasperdotpdf
Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.25
At first I was a little unsure of whether or not I'd like Sorcery of Thorns. I had a little trouble connecting to Elisabeth as a main character, especially because her dislike for Nathaniel and Sorcery in general felt very juvenile. However, the more I read the more I grew to love this book and I am so glad I stuck with it.
Elisabeth's sheltered and black and white outlook on the world was quickly challenged, which I enjoyed a lot. And although her and Nathaniel's relationship is definitely exagerrated when the blurb describes them as "sworn enemies", them slowly coming to trust and eventually love each other really pulled at my heartstrings.
Margaret Rogerson is truly excellent at writing characters that are loveable through and through. Everone and everything in this book, from Nathaniel and Silas who absolutely stole my heart to Mercy and even the grimoires and their at times hilarious personalities were delightful to read. Even the antagonists were, although unlikeable, very well written in my humble opinion.
I will say that the more high-stakes aspects of the plot, especially the climax of the novel weren't my favourite parts of the story. While the origin of magic is explained, the rules and limitations for it don't really get expanded upon in the book. This makes for, like most soft-magic settings, a very whimsical reading experience, but also lead to me sometimes being unclear on what would be possible for the characters to do and finding the final action sequence a bit hard to follow.
Despite this, I never found myself distracted or put off enough to put this book down, as it had me absolutely hooked. I never felt like I struggled with reading through this, which says a lot, because I have a tendency to lose focus easily when reading.
The magical world - magical both in the atmospheric and literal sense - as well as the characters are the beating heart of this story and more than make up for the smaller shortcomings it has. Rogerson's writing truly shines when it comes to the emotional payoff of intercharacter relationships and had me tearing up multiple times throughout the book.
Sorcery of Thorns is filled with delightful characters, moments that made me laugh, some that made me cry and such a wonderfully vibrant setting. Please read this if you get the chance.
Elisabeth's sheltered and black and white outlook on the world was quickly challenged, which I enjoyed a lot. And although her and Nathaniel's relationship is definitely exagerrated when the blurb describes them as "sworn enemies", them slowly coming to trust and eventually love each other really pulled at my heartstrings.
Margaret Rogerson is truly excellent at writing characters that are loveable through and through. Everone and everything in this book, from Nathaniel and Silas who absolutely stole my heart to Mercy and even the grimoires and their at times hilarious personalities were delightful to read. Even the antagonists were, although unlikeable, very well written in my humble opinion.
I will say that the more high-stakes aspects of the plot, especially the climax of the novel weren't my favourite parts of the story. While the origin of magic is explained, the rules and limitations for it don't really get expanded upon in the book. This makes for, like most soft-magic settings, a very whimsical reading experience, but also lead to me sometimes being unclear on what would be possible for the characters to do and finding the final action sequence a bit hard to follow.
Despite this, I never found myself distracted or put off enough to put this book down, as it had me absolutely hooked. I never felt like I struggled with reading through this, which says a lot, because I have a tendency to lose focus easily when reading.
The magical world - magical both in the atmospheric and literal sense - as well as the characters are the beating heart of this story and more than make up for the smaller shortcomings it has. Rogerson's writing truly shines when it comes to the emotional payoff of intercharacter relationships and had me tearing up multiple times throughout the book.
Sorcery of Thorns is filled with delightful characters, moments that made me laugh, some that made me cry and such a wonderfully vibrant setting. Please read this if you get the chance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Death
Moderate: Misogyny, Death of parent, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders