{Blog Tour} Review: Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

Sorcery of Thorns

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Publication Date: June 4th 2019 

Format: Physical

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Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, May 27 – Alexa Loves Books

Tuesday, May 28 – The Novel Knight

Wednesday, May 29 – Adventures of a Book Junkie

Thursday, May 30 – Awkwordly Emma

Friday, May 31 – Mel to the Any

Monday, June 3 – The Fox’s Hideaway

Tuesday, June 4 – The Starry-Eyed Revue

Wednesday, June 5 – The Bookish Beagle

Thursday, June 6 – Super Space Chick

Friday, June 7 – Flying Paperbacks (me!)

Monday, June 10 – Bookshelves & Paperbacks

Tuesday, June 11 – Nightly Reading

Wednesday, June 12 – Novel Heartbeat

Thursday, June 13 – Hammock of Books

Friday, June 14 – The Everlasting Library

Monday, June 17 – The Eater of Books!

Tuesday, June 18 – Beware of the Reader

Wednesday, June 19 – This Dark Material

Thursday, June 20 – That Artsy Reader Girl

Friday, June 21 – SimplyAlly Tea

Goodreads Synopsis

From the New York Times bestselling author of An Enchantment of Ravens comes an imaginative fantasy about an apprentice at a magical library who must battle a powerful sorcerer to save her kingdom.

All sorcerers are evil. Elisabeth has known that as long as she has known anything. Raised as a foundling in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, Elisabeth has grown up among the tools of sorcery—magical grimoires that whisper on shelves and rattle beneath iron chains. If provoked, they transform into grotesque monsters of ink and leather. She hopes to become a warden, charged with protecting the kingdom from their power.

Then an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire. Elisabeth’s desperate intervention implicates her in the crime, and she is torn from her home to face justice in the capital. With no one to turn to but her sworn enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, and his mysterious demonic servant, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy. Not only could the Great Libraries go up in flames, but the world along with them.

As her alliance with Nathaniel grows stronger, Elisabeth starts to question everything she’s been taught—about sorcerers, about the libraries she loves, even about herself. For Elisabeth has a power she has never guessed, and a future she could never have imagined.

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Content Warning

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Anxiety Depiction, Murder, Death, Captivity, Depiction of Forced Institutionalization, Violence

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Soooo…. this was great.

And I won’t lie- when I first heard about this book, I was wary. I didn’t hate Rogerson’s previous book, actually it was pretty okay. But I wasn’t in love with it and that’s kind of sad. But then the hype got to me…. and I have a weak heart and here we are.

Honestly, magical libraries, a whodunnit plot, demon slaying adventures, a slow-burn romance… I was sucked in. And the execution was… it exceeded my expectations, that’s for sure.

It was a bit slow in the beginning when our main character was in the library, but that doesn’t actually last long and once we get out into the world I was really intrigued with the world as a whole. Sorcerers who bind themselves to demons for power, your normal fantasy creatures, sentient books???? Badass librarians with swords?????????????????????

Elisabeth did seem a bit childish in the beginning, but my perception quickly changed when she leaves the library. I realized that it wasn’t childishness- it was naivety? She wasn’t annoying or made dumb decisions and in the end, her development into someone who sees right vs. wrong and learning that the world isn’t just black and white was done really well.

And honestly, this book is a lot funnier than I thought it’d be? The shenanigans that Elisabeth got herself into and mainly Nathaniel who was you’re sarcastic, cynical love interest with a tragic backstory and was bisexual!! made me chuckle out loud multiple times sooooooooooo WIN. 

But those two together had everything that worked for me: cynical vs. optimistic, affectionate names, the friend who’s definitely here for it (and may be my favorite character… what can I say, demon butler type characters who actually really care about their masters and visa versa are my jam) they were just a couple who fit together and yeah, I’m a fan.

I guess my only issue was the end, a lot was happening and it felt I bit smooshed together? And I guess the villain was not only obvious but kind of just… average? I liked them, but he was just fine. However, in honesty it wasn’t too much of an issue.

I mean, do you know how long it’s been since I’ve really felt a Fantasy book? And with the way it ended… I could see a sequel in the mist. So yes, I’m recommending because Ms. Rogerson… has outdone herself with this one.

Margaret Rogerson is the author of the New York Times bestseller An Enchantment of Ravens and Sorcery of Thorns. She has a bachelor’s degree in cultural anthropology from Miami University. When not reading or writing she enjoys sketching, gaming, making pudding, and watching more documentaries than is socially acceptable (according to some). She lives near Cincinnati, Ohio, beside a garden full of hummingbirds and roses. Visit her at MargaretRogerson.com.

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