Book Review : Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

Genre : Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance
Page : 453 pages
Published : 4th June 2019

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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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“It was always wise to be polite to books, whether or not they could hear you.”

Alright.

Honestly? I have mixed reviews regarding this book.

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Elisabeth grow up reading magical books- grimoires that whisper. Until all hell broke loose when one of the most dangerous grimoires escaped and Elisabeth was blame for the crime. There she goes, embarking into the new world she has never seen to faced her justice. However, behind the loose grimoires, there are far more greater harm ready to threaten the kingdom.

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My Favourite

1. The Whispering Grimoires

I adore this aspect on the book! Imagine yourself passing bookshelves after bookshelves and heard all those books came to live and whisper to you! I LOVE how the book goes alive and are actually living.

2. Elizabeth

I have to admit, Elizabeth possessed a unique personality trait! She’s badass but not that tough and rough, she’s sweet but not feminine, she’s loyal, brave and a risk taker. Moreover, she’s in love with books! I can really relate about her tremendous blissful feelings to books!

3. Nathaniel and Silas

The sorcery– Nathaniel and Nathaniel’s demonic servant– Silas. Both are incomplete without one another and their chemistry is just gold. At first, I love Nathaniel mysterious aura. Then, I come to love his sorcery skills and later, I expect his witty remarks whenever he’s in the scene. Meanwhile, Silas is very dependable.

4. Katrien and Stefan

Elizabeth’s best friend- Katrien and Katrien’s scheming ally– Stefan. Katrien is a minor character in this book but I adore her! Stefan is even worse- I could count by fingers how many times Stefan’s name show up in the book. But I love how he just goes along with whatever Katrien suggest to try.

5. The Sorcery

I am in love with the sorcery. It could be threatening at times, but it could also be very beautiful. The way this book depict the sorcery awed me and made me want to possessed such skills myself!

→ As conclusion, Sorcery of Thorns is  r e a l l y  g o o d  in building chemistry between characters. I do not know how, but this book has a charming way in making me adore the characters. I barely know them but I am attracted to the characters and ended up loving them more than I expect to.

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Um.. Critics?

1. The Flow

I love the plot of this book. It was all unique, from the characters to the story like no other. However, there are some parts that I think it’s dragging and because of this, another vital parts of the ongoing issues are left forgotten.

2. The Finishing Chapters

I fall in love with the starting chapters and ready for the action-packed adventure that’ll follow. However, this book is heavy on the story-telling rather than action. Moreover, it has strong starting chapters but somehow turns to be quite predictable as the story goes on.

3. The Connection

Sometimes, this book just seems… off. For me. Like how I could lost myself in the book in one minute but the next minute, I might find it hard to actually follow the story.

4. The Explanation

Like any other books out there, there are several side-plot going on in the story before the actual climax and the ending. You know- troubles after troubles or maybe, trauma after trauma. The side-plot is being written very well and is exceptionally delivered because this added my curiosity level to read, read and read to find out “Why?” However. There are no solid evidence and explanation enough to answer my “Why?” questions which made this book to be quite bland.

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More Positive Review

◊ Fantasy First, Romance later ◊

As someone who are not a fan of romance, surprisingly, I adore fantasy romance. I have read a lot of fantasy series that is not only heavy on the fantasy, but also romance. But there are not much books that “actually” stays in fantasy genre and possessed heavier side on the fantasy rather than romance. Sorcery of Thorns is one of those books, who really made fantasy as the main genre without focusing too much on romance.

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Truthfully, I do not hope for much when I choose this as my next reads. Then, the opening chapters hooked me and I started to think “Well, maybe I was wrong and this book truly deserved the hype.”

As the story goes, the air round the book suddenly changed. What I read before as a fast-paced read, suddenly halt and slowed. Much more later, they transform to such a lengthy descriptive narratives that I found beautiful but also, unnecessary at certain part. I love the world building for this book, take the example of the whispering grimoire. How creative and unique is that?

True, I missed the strong opening every time I made reading progress. But I know, that Sorcery of Thorn is the book that needed to be read slowly, to be savour and to be understand just so that readers could be able to imagine the beautiful world-building and the characters that come with it.

This is an enjoyable read for me, to be able to experience the marvel of the sorcery world. However, it turns out to be quite predictable and bland. More like, lacking.. emotions? But I am not regretting my choice in reading this book. Now, I can’t chase away the whispering grimoires from my thoughts! Would love it if it come true someday!

“When terrible things have happened to you, sometimes the promise of something good can be just as frightening.”

Author: Celine