Sorcery of Thorns Review

I have seen this book everywhere since it came out this year and there has been a lot of hype surrounding it so I thought why not give it a try. For some reason I had a feeling that I wasn’t going to like it and I was a little hesitant going into it. I think I’m like that with all super hyped books but once I actually started reading I was pleasantly surprised!

Elisabeth was orphaned and has grown up in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries. Her dream is become a warden of the library who protects the magical grimoires that are housed there and stops them from transforming into grotesque monsters of ink and leather.

I loved Elisabeth’s character. I thought she was very driven, inquisitive and unable to accept the narrative she has been given after the incident that drove her out of the library. She is absolutely loyal to the libraries and her relationship she has with the books was really respectful and loving. She is a true daughter of the library and I like that ultimately that relationship was a integral in saving the day.

Nathaniel I wasn’t sure about at the start. I didn’t know where his loyalties lie and sometime the things he said were a little cringey to be honest. But he really grew on me over the course of the story. Once we really got into his family history and the relationship between him and Silas and how they are connected was really unique and interesting and I started to develop a connection to him.

I actually think I liked Silas the most of all the characters. He has always reinforced the fact that he isn’t a good person and if he was released he won’t help/save them and the only reason he sacrificed himself was to negotiate a better contract. The fact that he remained constant throughout the story and exhibited moments of good even though me maintains he’s not was intriguing to me. I knew based on how much we learn about him and his connection to the Thorn family that he would play an integral role in the plot and I was correct.

The whole premise and concept of the book was really refreshing and original to me. I liked the build up of mystery and the many twists and turns the plot goes through. I world was rich with culture and I just loved that it’s based around these great libraries. The magical element I thought was nicely defined and there were limitations to what certain families were capable of because of the demons that they were tied to.

All in all I thought this was a solid, interesting, fantastical tale based around magical books and sorcery. The pacing was pretty good, there a section in the middle that I found a little slow and then I felt the last 100 or so pages were a little rushed but overall I highly enjoyed my read.

⭐️4/5 stars fantastical, adventurous, demonic!