Sorcery of Thorns
Elisabeth knows two things: all sorcerers are evil and one day she will be a warden in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, protecting the kingdom from magical grimoires, the source of sorcerers’ power. But in Sorcery of Thorns, when an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire, Elisabeth is forced to intervene and unwittingly becomes intertwined in a centuries-old conspiracy that has her forced to partner with her enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn and his demon servant.
Margaret Rogerson’s latest Young Adult fantasy novel was a true delight. I had high expectations after finishing An Enchantment of Ravens and she did not disappoint. Once again, Rogerson created a uniquely magical world, this one full of demons and fantastical creatures, including enchanted books called grimoires. These beings were especially interesting. To turn libraries into places where dangerous magic is kept was something I never considered and it worked really well in this setting.
One of the things Rogerson does well in her work is creating complex relationships. In Sorcery, I was struck by the multifaceted relationship between the sorcerer Nathaniel and his demon servant Sillas, who, upon closer inspection, is more of a friend than a servant. Sillas has served Nathaniel’s family for centuries and he has raised Nathaniel from the age of twelve when Nathaniel lost his family. Although Nathaniel sacrificed twenty years of his life to keep Sillas at his side, there was never a sense of compulsion or reluctance on the part of Sillas. Nathaniel didn’t treat him as lesser than, although he certainly took advantage of his serving skills. The two were written as friends, perhaps brothers even, especially when Nathaniel suffered from night terrors and Sillas comforted him.
Throughout the book, Elisabeth disagreed whenever Sillas insisted he was merely just performing his duty as bound by the contract with Nathaniel. She was the one to point out that Sillas loved Nathaniel. Sillas’ ultimate sacrifice not only Nathaniel but for the kingdom of Austermeer proved that he was more than a demon bound by duty. Rogerson did an amazing job writing this relationship; it was one of my favourite parts of this book.
As always, Rogerson writes a good romance. Elisabeth and Nathaniel are wonderful together. I especially enjoyed reading their first meeting – a collapsing bookshelf is one way to make a first impression! Although she doesn’t exactly know where her life is going to take her at the end of Sorcery, I suspect she and Nathaniel will have many more adventures together.
In June, I heard Rogerson speak on a panel at BookCon and she dropped a hint that her next book may involve ghosts. No matter what it includes, I can’t wait to read it.
Sorcery of Thorns Rating: ★★★★
Margaret Rogerson’s latest Young Adult fantasy novel was a true delight. I had high expectations after finishing An Enchantment of Ravens and she did not disappoint. Once again, Rogerson created a uniquely magical world, this one full of demons and fantastical creatures, including enchanted books called grimoires. These beings were especially interesting. To turn libraries into places where dangerous magic is kept was something I never considered and it worked really well in this setting.
One of the things Rogerson does well in her work is creating complex relationships. In Sorcery, I was struck by the multifaceted relationship between the sorcerer Nathaniel and his demon servant Sillas, who, upon closer inspection, is more of a friend than a servant. Sillas has served Nathaniel’s family for centuries and he has raised Nathaniel from the age of twelve when Nathaniel lost his family. Although Nathaniel sacrificed twenty years of his life to keep Sillas at his side, there was never a sense of compulsion or reluctance on the part of Sillas. Nathaniel didn’t treat him as lesser than, although he certainly took advantage of his serving skills. The two were written as friends, perhaps brothers even, especially when Nathaniel suffered from night terrors and Sillas comforted him.
Throughout the book, Elisabeth disagreed whenever Sillas insisted he was merely just performing his duty as bound by the contract with Nathaniel. She was the one to point out that Sillas loved Nathaniel. Sillas’ ultimate sacrifice not only Nathaniel but for the kingdom of Austermeer proved that he was more than a demon bound by duty. Rogerson did an amazing job writing this relationship; it was one of my favourite parts of this book.
As always, Rogerson writes a good romance. Elisabeth and Nathaniel are wonderful together. I especially enjoyed reading their first meeting – a collapsing bookshelf is one way to make a first impression! Although she doesn’t exactly know where her life is going to take her at the end of Sorcery, I suspect she and Nathaniel will have many more adventures together.
In June, I heard Rogerson speak on a panel at BookCon and she dropped a hint that her next book may involve ghosts. No matter what it includes, I can’t wait to read it.
Sorcery of Thorns Rating: ★★★★