Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

4 stars! This review will be spoiler free!

Synopsis:

Elisabeth was raised in a magical Great Library. Elisabeth grew up hearing the whispers of grimoires and learning the swordplay necessary to defeat them when transform into monsters made of ink and leather. She also grew up knowing that all sorcerers are evil. That begins to change when she’s framed for the destruction of a transformed rare grimoire and has to entrust her life to sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn in order to clear her name. Little does Elisabeth know that the longer she remains in the Capital among sorcerers, a deeper more complicated conspiracy will begin to unravel.

Thoughts:

I enjoyed this book for the most part. The only reason I took off 1 star was because the beginning was slow, but once it started to pick up at around 35% (which is a long ways in, in my opinion), I was hooked.

Meeting Elisabeth, I immediately liked her. She’s different from the other foundlings of the Library. She’s not the type of girl to sit down and play nice, she will stand up for herself and do what she has to on her own (aka, the “I don’t need no man” type).

I also really love Nathaniel. He’s “the most eligible bachelor” type of guy, that has a playful personality, yet he’s too tortured to be loved because of his family’s horrid history. The demonic caretaker of his, Silas, is super powerful and yet has a way of showing that he’s super caring and ever-watching, plus his animal form is a sassy fluffy white cat.

The romance between Elisabeth and Nathaniel didn’t feel rushed or insta-lovey. It was quite adorable actually, which made the ending all the more satisfying.

The world was built well and the magic system was easy to understand, I felt like there were a lot of Beauty and the Beast + a little Summoner series (by Taran Matharu) + a dash of Shadowhunter (by Cassie Clare) vibes.

The conspiracy that the entire plot was going off of was riveting, full of twists and turns, some of which I truly didn’t see coming. I loved all the action scenes and the magical battles, especially the final battle!

Lastly the ending, which can be “left up to interpretation” but I’m going to be glass half full and say what Elisabeth did worked. Which makes me SO HAPPY. I love endings that you have to work for, that aren’t all sunshine and daisies, but are still satisfying. This was one of those.

Overall:

Would recommend, you just have to get through that slow beginning. If you can make it, I think it’s worth it. A thoroughly lovely world and lovely characters that make you feel like you’re in a fairytale.