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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 show more 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. show less

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{first of 2 in Sorcery of Thorns duology; fantasy, adventure, magic}

Fantasy set in a library where the books are alive - what's not to love?
And on the shelves, winding around and around, reachable only by ladders ...
Elisabeth lit up. "Grimoires," she breathed, even more delighted than before.
Nathaniel's expression grew odd. "You like this place?"
"Of course I do. It has books in it."
He just stood there, not trying to stop her, so Elisabeth clambered up the nearest ladder. She had spotted a familiar title on the shelf, winking its gilt for attention. When she reached for it, it squirmed free of its neighbors and dropped eagerly into her hand.
"I knew you had to be here somewhere!" she said to the Lexicon. She hadn't seen it since the ride
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into Brassbridge. "I can't believe he stole you."
The grimoire gave a guilty rustle. She looked over her shoulder at the marvelous, sparkling chaos of the study.
Elisabeth has grown up in one of the Great Libraries of Austermeer, having been left on the doorstep of Summershall library as a baby, and spent her life exploring its secret passageways, absorbing the atmosphere of parchment and ink and listening to the snoring of the dozing grimoires.

Elisabeth demonstrated to the steward that she would be an ideal candidate by lifting up one end of a cabinet in his office, uncovering a booklouse underneath and stomping on it, much to the delight of a young apprentice who happened to be passing by. She then sat down opposite the steward's desk and answered a number of job-related questions such as how quickly she could run, and whether she strongly valued keeping all ten of her fingers. The steward seemed impress that she found all of his questions perfectly reasonable. Most people, he explained, walked straight out the door.
"But this is a library," she replied in surprise. "What do they expect - that the books
won't try to bite off their fingers?"
The Libraries hold the grimoires safely contained for the sorcerers of Austermeer to come and refer to but librarians consider sorcerers to be evil and corrupted by the demons from whom they get their magical powers. Now, at nearly seventeen, Elisabeth is an apprentice librarian sharing a room with her best friend Katrien and her dearest wish is to become a fully fledged warden like her mentor, Director Irena. But one night one of the grimoires that Summershall library guards transforms into a Malefict and goes on a rampage, threatening the civilians of the nearby town so Elisabeth has no choice but to destroy it, losing forever the spells contained inside.

Instead of being hailed as a hero she is treated as a villain and taken to the capital, Brassbridge, to face the Magesterium (the council of sorcerers) by the forbidding Magister Thorn - who is curiously young and somewhat discombobulated by Elisabeth's forthright behaviour (such as grabbing his hair to investigate the rumour that sorcerers have pointed ears (he did not)). But then, alone in the capital, she discovers a plot that could threaten the very fabric of the world but no one believes her and Nathaniel Thorn - and his demon familiar Silas - are the only ones she can turn to to help her save Austermeer and the world.
"What are you writing?" Among the physician's scribbled notes, she had made out the word "delusions."
He snapped the notebook shut. "I know all of this must be very frightening for you, but try not to agitate yourself. Excitement will only worsen the inflammation."
She stared. "The - what?"
"The inflammation of your brain, Miss Scrivener," he explained patiently. "It is quite common among women who read novels."
Before Elisabeth could think of a reply to this baffling remark, he called Hannah back into the room, who looked pinched with worry. "Please tell the Chancellor that I prescribe a strict period of bed rest for the patient," he said to her. "It is clear that this is a classic case of hysteria. Miss Scrivener should exert herself as little as possible. Once the swelling in her brain subsides, her mind may return to normal."
(Ladies, take note.)

This was a lot of fun and a bit irreverent even though the fate of the world was at stake. I liked the ending - the epilogue tied things up neatly - but I'm glad I have the novella which continues Elisabeth's story. There is a bit of romance and even an almost-bedroom scene but I'd say it's still YA-rated. Silas was nicely written, between his fastidious valet persona and the glimpses we got of him as a terrifyingly inhuman demon.
Silas's gaze disengaged from Nathaniel, slowly, as though he found it difficult to look away, and fixed upon her instead. Her breath caught at the emptiness in his night-dark eyes, but she didn't waver.
Elisabeth is a feisty, commonsensical heroine whose first reaction is usually to draw her sword in defence and I loved Nathaniel’s almost non-sequitur comments
"How old are you?"she asked.
"Eighteen."
She sat back in surprise. "Truly?"
"I haven't sacrifced virgins tor my pertect cheekbones, if that's what you mean. Virgins, in general, have fewer magical properties than people tend to assume."
Elisabeth tried not to look too relieved by that information.
and Katrien’s irrepressible curiosity. And, of course, the Libraries and the sentient books!

Recommended.

March 2025
4 stars
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You had me at magical libraries with magical books and honestly this just kept me reading when I started it. It's almost like it's a book written for me. Elizabeth grew up in the one of Austermere's Great Libraries she is used to it's unusual properties. Some books on the shelves whisper but some are powerful and transform into ravening monsters of ink and paper. An act of sabotage releases one of the most powerful books which goes rogue and Elizabeth is blamed. In the custody of the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn and his demonic servant Silas she finds herself embroiled in politics that's completely new to her. And feelings that she doesn't really recognise. The investigation takes them in directions they didn't expect and builds an show more interesting relationship between the three of them.
One paragraph really haunts me with it's beauty:
"The library no more belonged to Ashcroft and his plot than Elizabeth belonged to the unknown parents who had brought her into this world. It possessed a life of its own, had become something greater than Cornelius had ever intended. For these were not ordinary books the libraries kept. They were knowledge, given life. Wisdom, given voice. They sang when starlight streamed through the library's windows. THey felt pain and suffered heartbreak. Sometimes they were sinister, grotesque - but so was the world outside. And that made the world no less worth fighting for, because wherever there was darkness, there was also so much light."
This book made me want more, more from the author and more from this world.
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The Publisher Says: 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 show more 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.

I CHECKED THIS BOOK OUT OF THE LIBRARY. USE THOSE LIBRARIES, THEY NEED US!

My Review
: I was absolutely ready, in my loving fandom for [[Genevieve Cogman]]'s Invisible Library series, to gobble this book down with ecstatic slurps and croons of rapture. I was given so much good stuff about books, the love thereof:
It was always wise to be polite to books, whether or not they could hear you.
–and–
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.
–and–
“You like this place?"

"Of course I do. It has books in it.”
–and–
"I knew you talked to books. I didn't realize they listened."

I was so on board! And then! Then!
“I like girls too, Scrivener.” Amusement danced in Nathaniel’s eyes. “I like both. If you’re going to fantasize about my love life, I insist you do so accurately.”
–and–
Nathaniel nodded. “If you can believe it, I used to fancy him. Then he went and grew that mustache. Or he murdered a gerbil and attached it to his face. For the life of me, I can't tell which.”

Unremarkably, given the necromantic nature of the being speaking, Elisabeth Scrivener is presented with casual, unrepentant male bisexuality. This being a creature rarer than a toothy hen, I was ever so ready to love this book. That it is from a professèdly wicked male being...well.

That's sort of where I got myself into the downs. The fact is that it's a YA novel and I'm extra-sensitive to the YA Twee Syndrome. Banter is fun, I like banter, but there's got to be something substantial in the soufflé to make it fix its claws in me. And that is where I just wasn't getting the underpinnings I needed for my edifice of pleasure. I'm sure as sure can be that a bookish young person wouldn't have my sliding-closer-to-seventy-daily old man's sense of wanting something more. The story rests on good foundation: Enemies to lovers, accepting Otherness in self and companions, defending Right and Truth against prejudice and ignorance. It just does as little with them as is practicable.

Fine for YA and not enough for old-man me.
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A book about libraries that house magical grimoires that have a tendency to turn into demonic beasts and the librarians who care for them? Sign me up!! Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson is a fun YA adventure story where an apprentice librarian faces down a threat to the Great Libraries.

Found as an orphan, Elisabeth Scriviner has lived her whole life in the Great Library of Summershall. Currently an apprentice librarian Elisabeth dreams of becoming a Warden, a type of librarian trained to battle grimoires that have turned into Maleficts and protect the kingdom against sorcery. An act of sabotage releases the Library's most dangerous grimoire. Finding the library's Director dead and the Malefict heading to a nearby village, show more Elisabeth tracks down and faces the monster. Yet her one act of bravery ends up implicating her in the crime instead of bringing her praise. Suddenly Elisabeth finds herself in the middle of a centuries-old conspiracy and her only ally is... the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn.

The story is told entirely from Elisabeth's point of view. She is a likeable heroine who stumbles a bit in the beginning and grows into to being fairly capable with the help of her friends. Having grown up in the Library she's rather naive and has been taught to be prejudiced against sorcery and, by extension, sorcerers. Naturally this sets up the relationship with Nathanial to be in the vein of Beauty and the Beast as they learn about each other and Elisabeth realizes just how wrong many of the things she was taught are. On the flip side, Nathaniel is And yes there is a romance, though it is a very slow burn sub-plot.

Easily my favorite thing about the book is the world. I absolutely love the idea of libraries as dangerous places that house living books. Each book had its own personality and is rated on a scale for how dangerous the spells are it contains. What else is interesting is that the sorcery in the world isn't natural, as in a person isn't born with it. It is granted by summoning and making a deal with a demon, typically at a fairly high cost. The demon then remains as a servant to the sorcerer, though don't let that fool you. Each demon will turn on their master given the opportunity.

Which brings us to Nathanial and his demon Silas. Nathaniel is an incredibly talented sorcerer from a very old family of necromancers. He serves as a fun foil to Elisabeth and I enjoyed their bantering dialog. That said, Silas completely stole the show for me. Talk about an interesting character! Morally ambiguous and doesn't pretend to be anything other than he is. He constantly warns Elisabeth about his nature, which she continuously chose to ignore, though in the end he seemingly performs a selfless act. I think I could use a whole story with Silas as the main character.

It took about half the book before I was fully hooked. Then it was a rush to the end to see how everything would turn out. Even though there are many common YA fantasy tropes, I quite enjoyed it. It's a standalone novel with an easy hook should the author wish to write more in this world some day.
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Considering how most of the YA fantasy that’s published these days is overly romantic, and under-developed drivel, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Rogerson has created a new and innovative pseudo-Victorian(ish) world, which centres around the study of magic through living grimoires, and she leads us on a fantastic journey of adventure and discovery alongside the character of Elisabeth Scrivener. Elisabeth has been raised in one of the kingdom’s Great Libraries, surrounded by magical grimoires and the people who keep them safe for the country’s sorcerers to study, but all goes awry as she stumbles upon a plot to destabilize the kingdom when her Library is attacked by a powerful grimoire transformed into show more a living Malefict. Elisabeth defeats the Malefict, but this is only the beginning of her journey to discover her own powers, who is behind the plot, and some major truths about sorcery and demons. While reading this book, I was often struck by how reminiscent it was of Jonathan Stroud’s Bartimaeus trilogy (demons/djinn are not always what they seem), Garth Nix’s Abhorsen books (for the wonderfully constructed magical world), and Tamora Pierce’s anything (powerful and determined female leads), but overall the book is truly its own beast. This novel may be a standalone, but I am very much looking forward to reading Rogerson’s other book and keeping an eye on her future work. show less
"But there is always more than one way to see the world. Those who claim otherwise would have you dwell forever in the dark."




This was completely delightful - and thrilling, and spooky, and I'm a huge mushball because it was totally inspiring.

It's gonna be one of those reviews where I just fall apart into ramblings, so here:

first the characters because holy moly:

"Tempting as the prospect is," Nathaniel said, "we are not attempting world domination. It sounds fun in theory, but in reality it's a logistical nightmare. All those assassinations and so forth." At her blank look, he explained, "Silas used to tell me bedtime stories."


I'm honestly heart-broken this is a standalone because I want to spend the rest of my wasting days with these show more three. Honestly, just give me a stupid day-in-the-life novella. Their wit was charming, their dynamic...well, dynamic, and their optimism totally infectious. I really bought into all the love between the three of them.

Elisabeth was so full of heart and so ridiculously reckless; I want to protect her forever. It's practically written in my DNA that I'd like Nathaniel: the lackadaisical, charming recluse sorcerer with all his weaknesses.

And Silas. oh my god silas. Right from the start he was fascinating, and I think he so clearly shows the book's mastery of weaving character and world: even when the most strange thing about him was that Elisabeth couldn't remember the colour of his eyes, I was hooked. and when he turned into a cranky fluffy cat i was GONE, FOLKS, DEAD AND GONE

"What are you?" he stammered.

"That is a difficult question to answer," the whispering voice replied. "I am an ancient thing, you see. I have brought about the fall of empires and attended the deathbeds of kings. Nations now lost to time once fought wars over the secret of my true name." He sighed. "But presently, I am inconvenienced. My day's plans didn't includes traipsing down a squalid alleyway to dispatch a handful of second-rate criminals. Not in a clean suit, and certainly not in a new pair of shoes."


the world was also a fantastic surprise: I mainly think it was the book's plotting that won me over. Grimoires - books that talk and bite - and sorcerers with their bound demons at their sides... The plot wasted no opportunity to celebrate and twist anything it built. It was expansive and dark at times, but also charming. One of those words I'd want to live in.

It was seriously non-stop action - it was fantastically cinematic, with everything from the comedic timing to the huge flashy battles. I'll just sing praises about everything. The mystery! The action! The tension! There was so much that happened, so many settings and setpieces, and all I wanted from all of them is more and more (and to take endless notes). And there's no doubt Rogerson is a serious wordsmith - amongst all that, it was also beautiful with its imagery.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" he inquired.

"You used a demonic incantation to pack my stockings!"

He raised an eyebrow. "You're right, that doesn't sound like something a proper evil sorcerer would do. Next time, I won't fold them."


How am I gonna shorten this review for Netgalley. How am I gonna survive until June when I can throw this at everyone. i don't know. i'm going to lay down for a while.
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The fact that this is a standalone is a travesty.

Yes there’s a novella and I DO plan to read it, but this world was so refreshing that I don’t want to leave it.

It truly felt like a new unique magic system, one dependent on bargaining with demons and trading a bit of your life for magical abilities. The majority of this book was set in libraries that are hundreds of years old. These libraries are where grimoires are stored and guarded. Yes, you read that right the books need to be guarded because these grimoires are sentient and have personalities, mood swings and ill intentions. To top it off, if a grimoire is damaged it turns into a large, hostile creature set on destruction.

The whole book is enchanting, magical and has the show more academia vibes we all love. Full of dusty old libraries, gothic homes, a murder mystery and a budding romance that keeps you invested in the story.

The banter between the 3 primary characters was amazing. Nathaniel is the king of witty comebacks and Silas is so serious and unassuming, you would never guess he’s as funny as he is. Elizabeth was a wonderful FMC and such a likable heroine. I would love to live in her head and honestly would really enjoy a cozy book with her working the library and dealing with everyday grimoire shenanigans.

I do wish the end had been drawn out more (that may just be me being selfish but the ending felt a little incomplete)

I truly enjoyed this story and cannot wait to read the novella and other books my Margaret Rogerson
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½

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Author Information

Picture of author.
5 Works 7,050 Members

Some Editions

Bowater, Charlie (Cover artist)
Kivimäki, Mika (Translator)

Awards and Honors

Series

Common Knowledge

Canonical title
Sorcery of Thorns
Original publication date
2019-06-04
People/Characters
Elisabeth Scrivener; Nathaniel Thorn; Silas
Dedication
For all the girls who founds themselves in books.
First words
Night fell as death rode into the Great Library of Summershall.
Last words
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)And all five candles snuffed out at once.
Blurbers
Garber, Stephanie; Arden, Katherine; Cluess, Jessica; Dao, Julie C.
Original language
English

Classifications

Genres
Teen, Young Adult, Fiction and Literature
DDC/MDS
813.6Literature & rhetoricAmerican literature in EnglishAmerican fiction in English2000-
LCC
PZ7.1 .R6635 .SLanguage and LiteratureFiction and juvenile belles lettresFiction and juvenile belles lettresJuvenile belles lettres
BISAC

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ISBNs
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