Reviews with content warning for Kidnapping - Sorcery of Thorns

This is a book that kept coming up in my recommendations. I recently saw it on the shelf at my local library and vowed to track down the audiobook. It is a nerdy fantasy aimed at teen readers, about a girl who is an orphan raised in a magical library filled with sentient grimoires.

The first part of the story, that introduces us to the idea of dangerous books locked up to keep people safe felt reminiscent of Terry Pratchett's libraries in the Discworld. I had a laugh-out-loud moment when the novice is quizzed by the Director as to the first magical safety precaution one would use when handling a dangerous book and I said out loud "salt!", and the novice exclaims "salt". The way the magic works in this world is not precisely derivative, but enough like other fantasy novels (and Pagan texts) that it seems familiar to the point where at least one of the big reveals is a little predictable. I don't hate it though.

The particular bestiary of this world includes Maleficts which are malevolent monsters that are released when a book is unbound, Book-lice which are oversized arthropods that thrive in magical libraries, altered by the omnipresence of magical energies which make them resistant to magical spells, and Demons which Sorcerers contract with for use of magical powers. I really did hope it would go into the idea of indentured servitude, and power dynamics of demon slaves.. there was a whiff of the idea, but maybe it was too big for a book like this?

I think there is some criticism of this book for being "token LGBT" as one of the main characters is bisexual (and one is asexual now I think of it), but this is only mentioned in passing, and the primary relationships in the book are M/F. Personally I feel like it's respectfully done and I like that I'm feeling represented.. but it has no real queer narrative. I do think it's more important to the plot than some readers perceive. Similar things could be said for the depiction of ethnic diversity. Some characters are brown, but there is no narrative of identity, minority, or oppression, and Class is only vaguely mentioned.

As someone who is not a fan of "battles" I think the tension is held well and the boss fights (always more palatable than army engagements) are tense and exciting. Our main character is a girl who is big and strong and wields a sword.. or a crowbar if that's all she can get.

The story is really more character driven than anything, and it's got some nuance so I'll let it slide on some of the simplicity of plot. Lots of ideas to play with, and I expect it is the sort of world that fan-fiction would spring from.

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wrensreadingroom's review against another edition

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dark funny mysterious medium-paced

5.0

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rorikae's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

'Sorcery of Thorns' by Margaret Rogerson is a fun standalone fantasy full of libraries, magical books, and a dash of romance.
Elizabeth Scrivener grew up in a great library, surrounded by the magic of books. Her life is turned upside down when one of the books escapes, causing chaos that she is blamed for. The one person who can help her is Nathanial Thorn, a sorcerer. But Elizabeth has been taught to never trust sorcerers. As she and Nathanial search for the truth behind the attack on the library, she begins to learn more about him as she starts to question if what she has been taught about sorcery is all wrong.
Sorcery of Thorns is the perfect blend of fantasy, romance, and fun. As someone who loves books set in libraries, the setting and main plot of the novel were perfect. Add in likable characters, a fun if not too complicated plot, and a shapeshifting demon and this adds up to a page turning romp. The audiobook is fun and I would definitely recommend it. I'll be checking out more of Rogerson's books as it's clear from Sorcery of Thorns that she has a way of creating fun and engaging fantasies.

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imbored_soillread's review

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adventurous dark funny mysterious tense 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? Yes

4.0

Beautifully written, I was a little disappointed in the ending, but it wasn’t bad so 4 stars it is.

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hannahbailey's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad 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

3.5

TW: death (of parent, child), blood, violence, grief, injury, body horror, forced institutionalisation, misogyny, murder, confinement, torture, panic attacks

There are lots of strong points to this book, including a well-developed main character. The fantasy setting and magic system were interesting and had potential, but they were never fully explained. Sadly what lost me was I felt the book was being pulled multiple ways between grimoires and libraries and sorcery and power. If the author had gone with one or the other, but kept the plot the same, I think this would be a much stronger novel. That said, the grimoires element was something I'd not seen done before and that was interesting enough to keep me reading. Another book I think would translate really well on screen as a TV series.

The love interest, whilst interesting at first, changed his tune too quickly and became a character used for comic relief throughout the novel. This felt strange and unnecessary to me. Although the book has a dark academia/fantasy vibe, it wasn't dark enough to require so many quips from the guy to lighten the mood. The situations were serious but not depressing, so the humour was unwarranted (and unwanted) for me. The trigger warnings do seem very dark, but the fantasy setting and YA genre disconnects them from reality and they are less horrific in the context of the book. This is still a very strong YA novel and a younger reader may not pull it apart as much as I am prone to do.

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notacartoonyet's review

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adventurous mysterious 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

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