Sorcery of Thorns

By: Margaret Rogerson

Narrated by: Emily Ellet

Length: 14 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's Summary

“If you are looking for magic you will find it inside this book. Sorcery of Thorns is a bewitching gem, full of slow burning romance, loyal friendships, and extraordinary world building. I absolutely loved every moment of this story.” (Stephanie Garber, number-one New York Times best-selling author of the Caraval series)

From the New York Times best-selling author of An Enchantment of Ravens comes an imaginative fantasy about an apprentice at a magical library who must battle a powerful sorcerer to save her kingdom.

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 demonic servant, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy. Not only could the Great Libraries go up in flames, but so could 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.

©2019 Margaret Rogerson (P)2019 Simon & Schuster

Boring

I really wanted to like this book, but the story was so surface level. I found myself distracted and not invested in the characters at all. It did nothing for me. I truly didn't care about any of them. They had no development or depth. I only finished it out of spite and yet I'm still annoyed I dedicated 14.5 hrs to it.

Enchanting, confident and thoroughly entertaining!

I haven’t read An Enchantment of Ravens and I don’t usually buy new audiobooks that don’t have customer reviews, but I’m a sucker for good cover art and Charlie Bowater’s 'Elisabeth' captivated me–and I was not disappointed!

I have a love/hate relationship with fantasy tropes and Margaret Rogerson crafted the magical elements of this story with a unique touch and masterful language. I tend to judge a book by how often I find myself rolling my eyes, but there was none of that thanks to good pacing and character development. The character’s voice is relatable and shamelessly hopeful. Elisabeth Scrivener is a heroine fresh out of this modern age of fearless resistance and empathetic judgement.

I’m also a sucker for romances, and I have to say, “that scene” had me tingling all over and simultaneously awed at Rogerson’s skillful description of emotions that–when experienced–are so difficult to put into words. But she did it, and in that moment my respect for the author soared to new heights!

Uneven story moves from predictable to brilliant

I almost put the story down in the beginning. I took a break from it and read “One Hundred Years of Solitude” instead. However, I have pledged to complete every story I purchase on audible and returned to honor my pledge.

I am glad I did, though the convenient twists and turns of the plot left me rolling my eyes at times. Solutions came too easily —or were too dramatic.

Yet, when moments of brilliance came, their imaginative and unique qualities transported me. Books containing souls? I hadn’t thought of this and yet, I was smitten. Paragraphs appeared so deep and quotable, I returned to take them down word for word.

Stories like this one give me hope as a writer. If Roberson can be published, my similar uneven novel has a chance.

Ignore the Whisper Complaints

The story was fascinating and compelling from the start. I had no idea what a book around living grimoires would be like but I wasn't disappointed. It was a magical listen I could barely take breaks from

As for the whisper complaints, yes, the narrator is soft spoken. But it also fits the feel and tone of the story(much of it is spent in and out of libraries after all, shouting would be strange). Simply listen to the book with headphones and you shouldn't have any issues hearing everything. If, however, you are hearing impaired, it's possible you might struggle to hear the few times a grimoire whispers to the main character

Technical sound problem

Very difficult to hear without earphones. This appears to be a combination of a soft voiced reader and being recorded too low. I'm going to return it and check out the book at the library. This is the only time I have ever come across this problem.

Didn’t Di It For Me.

I really wanted to like this book and tried it to the end, but the writing is very juvenile and it takes a bit more imagination than I guess I have to actually appreciate the storyline. It’s not completely awful, but it definitely didn’t make me want to go to book 2.

Irritating

I really wanted to like this story, but between the narrator and the predictable story line, I just couldn't get past the mid point. Very frustrating, as I think there were some interesting story points there.

A must read!

I absolutely loved this book! It was intricate and beautiful - everything I wanted out of a story about a library!

Just Terrible

Second book I've returned in many, many years. All over the place and just plain stupid.

Another great story from Margaret Rogerson!

I was surprised to discover Sorcery of Thorns is a Regency, one of my favorite historical periods, but it's not constrained like a Regency. It has the social mores and customs as well as fashions of a Regency, but hares off into the supernatural, melding gorgeous locales, gothic libraries and nefarious demons into the mix. Highwaymen are aided by hell hounds, the evil doers hide amidst the Bon Ton with servants that are glamoured imps and goblins (and worse) and the sorcerer's books, the grimoires, are sentient, with distinct personalities and attitudes. And there's plenty of fantastic magic too. It's Sense and Sensibility with all kinds of good things added to make it interesting beyond the spiraling attraction of the two main characters and they're deftly drawn, strong willed and extremely likable. It's a meaty, enjoyable story you can sink your teeth into. It kept me intrigued and delighted throughout.