Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
Length: 456 Pages
Genres: YA Fantasy
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Triggers Warnings for Violence, Gore, and Body Horror
"Books, too, had hearts, though they were not the same as people's, and a book's heart could be broken: she had seen it happen before. Grimoires that refused to open, their voices gone silent, or whose ink faded and bled across the pages like tears."
I'm so happy to have finally gotten around to reading a Margaret Rogerson! My sister and I decided to read this one together, as she had recently read Vespertine by her and knew I'd love her work. And boy was she right! I admit she does know some things 😉.
Elisabeth Scrivener is an orphan, raised amongst the grimoires in the Great Library of Summershall. Her greatest dream is to become a Warden, one of the select few that transport dangerous books and battle Maleficts, horrible creatures made of ink and leather that these very books transform into if harmed. These books are dangerous, alive and breathing and with personalities all their own. Most are used by Sorcerers, who gather their magic by summoning demons. All her life Elisabeth has been taught that Sorcerers and magic are intrinsically evil, but her worldview is challenged when a powerful Magister by the name of Nathaniel Thorn arrives in Summershall. They have a fateful encounter, where he spares her getting in trouble with her superiors, and is very much different than what she expected.
Elisabeth's world comes crashing down, when one night a powerful grimoire turns into a dreaded Malefict, killing the Director, a woman who practically raised her. With only a sword and her wits, Elisabeth kills it, costing the Kingdom a valuable artifact, but sparing their neighboring village. Much to her dismay, Elisabeth is the sole suspect and is whisked away to be tried. The Sorcerer who has come to collect her? None other than Magister Thorn.
In the city, Elisabeth discovers that Sorcerers are regarded much differently, almost like celebrities, along with their demonic companions. And when their arrival at their destination comes along with an attack by a group of dog-like fiends, Elisabeth fears that someone is out to get her, someone who can summon demons and bid them to hunt her down, someone...with magic.
I absolutely adored this book and the world within it. I loved the idea of Sorcerers making pacts with demons, which in this story costs them years of their life in exchange for powers, and thought it was not only original, but made for amazing dynamics, like that of Nathaniel and Silas, who has raised him and taken care of him but still hungers for his soul. Elisabeth was strong and brave, and her growing love for Nathaniel was one of the highlights of Sorcery of Thorns. I would love to see another book in this world by Rogerson, as it has the potential for so many great ideas! Highly recommend, for romance lovers and fantasy experts alike!
