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margaret_k30's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Confinement, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, and Death of parent
Moderate: Vomit, Physical abuse, Murder, Self harm, Violence, Torture, Panic attacks/disorders, and Kidnapping
Minor: Classism, Gore, Grief, Blood, Body shaming, and Medical trauma
kaelynn_'s review against another edition
3.5
half star for silas!! this book had a few confusing plotholes and a dynamic between the main characters that was trying a little too hard to be sophie and howl, which would be likable enough if the main character had more distinguishing features. she lacks sophie’s rage and complexity, which was what made the sophie/howl dynamic entertaining, and she reads like a lot of other YA fem mcs .. was mostly only able to enjoy the book because of silas :)
Content Warnings
Minor: Self harm
nat_kiverse's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Misogyny, Grief, Body horror, Self harm, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Panic attacks/disorders, Classism, Gaslighting, Death, Murder, Emotional abuse, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
caelinsullivan's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
fast-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Forced institutionalization
wrensreadingroom's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual harassment, Medical content, Sexism, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Police brutality, Cursing, Alcohol, Blood, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Abandonment, and Body horror
queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition
adventurous
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? No
4.0
4 ⭐ CW: violence, self-harm, death
Sorcery of Thorns is my first Margaret Rogerson book, and has been on tbr for so long I forgot what it was about and why I got it. Present me thanks past me for bringing this book home. We get big important libraries, sentient magical books with varying sassy personalities, long suffering demons, and a library heist. Not to mention our chaotically bisexual male love interest.
We follow Elisabeth Scrivener, an apprentice in The Great Library who was raised there as a baby. She hopes to become a warden (a warrior librarian) someday. She even seems to have a special relationship with the books. One night she awakens to find everyone in the library spelled asleep, and a high level grimoire turned Malefict is on the loose. Without thinking, Elisabeth grabs a sword and slays the beast, saving everyone, only to be accused of being the saboteur. Then the plot gets wild. She works together with Nathaniel Thorn, a sorcerer she met once in the Great Library, and together with the help of his demon Silas, they try to stop the saboteur from completing their end goal.
This world was so cool! I love the Great Libraries! Obviously we would all want to live there. The magic system was interesting, because it involves the forces servitude of a highborn demon in exchange for years of life. Silas kind of reminds me of a character like Spock who isn't supposed to feel or show emotion, but that eyebrow lift says it all. I actually didn't mind the romance between Elisabeth and Nathaniel. It wasn't too fast, but didn't drag it out either. I found their relationship endearing.
I also loved that Elisabeth is a tall, strong woman who isn't afraid to be all brawn (or a menace if you ask Nathaniel). It was also nice to have an MC who was pretty sheltered, and therefore isn't entrenched in the inequalities women face or the art of social graces. Really this book is about connection. Elisabeth and Nathaniel's connection, Silas and Nathaniel, and Silas and Elisabeth. Imma need some poly fanart of Elisabeth, Nathaniel, and Silas. I will definitely be reading more of this author.
Sorcery of Thorns is my first Margaret Rogerson book, and has been on tbr for so long I forgot what it was about and why I got it. Present me thanks past me for bringing this book home. We get big important libraries, sentient magical books with varying sassy personalities, long suffering demons, and a library heist. Not to mention our chaotically bisexual male love interest.
We follow Elisabeth Scrivener, an apprentice in The Great Library who was raised there as a baby. She hopes to become a warden (a warrior librarian) someday. She even seems to have a special relationship with the books. One night she awakens to find everyone in the library spelled asleep, and a high level grimoire turned Malefict is on the loose. Without thinking, Elisabeth grabs a sword and slays the beast, saving everyone, only to be accused of being the saboteur. Then the plot gets wild. She works together with Nathaniel Thorn, a sorcerer she met once in the Great Library, and together with the help of his demon Silas, they try to stop the saboteur from completing their end goal.
This world was so cool! I love the Great Libraries! Obviously we would all want to live there. The magic system was interesting, because it involves the forces servitude of a highborn demon in exchange for years of life. Silas kind of reminds me of a character like Spock who isn't supposed to feel or show emotion, but that eyebrow lift says it all. I actually didn't mind the romance between Elisabeth and Nathaniel. It wasn't too fast, but didn't drag it out either. I found their relationship endearing.
I also loved that Elisabeth is a tall, strong woman who isn't afraid to be all brawn (or a menace if you ask Nathaniel). It was also nice to have an MC who was pretty sheltered, and therefore isn't entrenched in the inequalities women face or the art of social graces. Really this book is about connection. Elisabeth and Nathaniel's connection, Silas and Nathaniel, and Silas and Elisabeth. Imma need some poly fanart of Elisabeth, Nathaniel, and Silas. I will definitely be reading more of this author.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Death
Minor: Self harm
booksthatburn's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I like how much of the early worldbuilding revolves around the grimoires and the propaganda Elisabeth was taught about sorcerers. The way Nathaniel leans into her negative assumptions without actually doing anything to hurt Elisabeth or anyone else means that she learns a lot about the kind of person he is by how he reacts to being misunderstood. It's a wonderful bit of worldbuilding-as-characterization and I love how it works out. He lets her think awful things without trying to defend himself, then when she realizes those assumptions don't match how he's actually behaving it gives her an opportunity to realize she was wrong about him. It's a dynamic that repeats itself throughout the book, gradually receding as they learn to trust each other and communicate more forthrightly. One of my other favorite things in the worldbuilding is how the narration assumes the reader has a starting point in that world, specifically of a person growing up in one of the Great Libraries. Once she leaves, Elisabeth learns some of the outside world's differences in a way that enhances the worldbuilding and teaches about her as a character. If she's startled that the world was one way then it implies that her experience of the Library was different in a specific manner. Immersive worldbuilding is a favorite of mine, and this perfectly fit the kind I like.
Silas is enjoyable as a character whose present form is unassuming but could absolutely fuck someone up if a different version of himself is let loose (Think Mogget from The Old Kingdom books by Garth Nix, but if he liked working).
I thought the first half was just fine (except for the worldbuilding, which was excellent) and then I loved the ending. I didn't enjoy the matrons speculating about Nathaniel's sexuality, and while the resolution of his identity came though his own telling, it felt a bit off.Nathaniel doesn't want to be treated as a stud for his bloodline (completely understandable) so he turns away hordes of eligible women. Their mothers are upset and speculate that he might be gay (because obviously it must be he doesn't want a woman at all, not that he doesn't want any of their daughters). It made the reveal that he likes men and women feel a bit like Elisabeth is the exception that proves the rule. On the one hand, I'm excited for a bi character getting a m/f relationship because his queerness isn't dependent on his partner's identity. On the other hand, it made it feel like he's bi so that the narrative can tease his dynamic with Silas. There's no jealousy from Elisabeth on their intimacy, which I appreciated, but altogether it left me unable to enjoy Elisabeth and Nathaniel as much as I wanted.
The audiobook performance (particularly for Silas) perfectly fits each character and really enhanced the story. The plot noticeably had distinct stages (not in a bad way). It's a long enough book to have several points of tension and rest, with the danger escalating in a way that felt appropriate to the world and to what the characters had already faced. There were a couple of points in the latter half where things had been so dramatic that I thought maybe it was about to pull a cliffhanger, but the ending is very satisfying and comes at an appropriate point in the pacing.
I enjoyed this and am very excited for a sequel if one materializes. It's listed as a series so I'm hopeful.
Silas is enjoyable as a character whose present form is unassuming but could absolutely fuck someone up if a different version of himself is let loose (Think Mogget from The Old Kingdom books by Garth Nix, but if he liked working).
I thought the first half was just fine (except for the worldbuilding, which was excellent) and then I loved the ending. I didn't enjoy the matrons speculating about Nathaniel's sexuality, and while the resolution of his identity came though his own telling, it felt a bit off.
The audiobook performance (particularly for Silas) perfectly fits each character and really enhanced the story. The plot noticeably had distinct stages (not in a bad way). It's a long enough book to have several points of tension and rest, with the danger escalating in a way that felt appropriate to the world and to what the characters had already faced. There were a couple of points in the latter half where things had been so dramatic that I thought maybe it was about to pull a cliffhanger, but the ending is very satisfying and comes at an appropriate point in the pacing.
I enjoyed this and am very excited for a sequel if one materializes. It's listed as a series so I'm hopeful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Blood, Misogyny, and Sexism
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Gaslighting, Violence, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Gore, Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, and Death
Minor: Mental illness
sarah_cameron's review
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: Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Death, Child death, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, and Misogyny
hazelsnoot's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Violence
Moderate: Child death, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gore, and Grief
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Forced institutionalization, and Self harm
caseythereader's review
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: Blood, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, Self harm, and Violence
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