Blog Tour: Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

Good morning and happy Monday, book fans! I'm dusting off my blog to share my love for Sorcery of Thorns, Margaret Rogerson's latest novel with Simon & Schuster. I adored this book and hope you all will too!

About the Book:

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Publication Date: June 4, 2019

Rating: 5 stars

Source: ARC provided by the publisher

Official Summary:

From the New York Times bestselling 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 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.

What I Liked:

Sorcery of Thorns is one of those books that has just as beautiful a story as its cover. I remember seeing the cover reveal post and thinking, wow, I'm entranced already. I loved Rogerson's debut novel, a standalone called An Enchantment of Ravens, so I had high expectations for this new standalone. I'm so happy to say that I loved this book!

The story follows Elisabeth, an orphan raised in one of the many Great Libraries, surrounded by grimoires and librarians. She has always known that she wanted to be among books for the rest of her life. But a curious and deadly set of events leads to her being thrown out of the Library and running for her life. She finds herself working together with a sorcerer, Nathaniel Thorn, in order to expose a powerful sorcerer who is behind the sabotage, the destruction of grimoires, and impending end of the human world. 

One of the strongest aspects of this book is the writing style. I love Rogerson's writing. She has amazing prose and lovely descriptions, but she also sets the scene beautifully. She has a way of wrapping the story and the world-building around the reader, so you're immersed without consciously realizing it. I hadn't picked up a book in months, and wasn't quite in the mood for reading, but when I started reading this one, I didn't realize just how drawn in I was. I couldn't stop reading.

And of course, that's also attributed to the story itself. This book is about 500 pages but it doesn't feel like that, because the story is so intriguing. Once events start rolling, the action never stops. Get past the first two or three chapters and you'll be hooked (if you weren't already, from page one). 

Elisabeth is an easy character to love. She's quiet and inquisitive, but also fiery and decisive. She is an intelligent and has good instincts. Her foil is Nathaniel, who is charming and good-natured, with a sense of humor that hide great pain. I loved Nathaniel, for her charm, his selflessness, and his strength. And then there's Silas, a demon that has served Nathaniel and his family for years. Silas is a an interesting character; he is the family's demon, but he is Nathaniel's friend nonetheless. He is loyal and as kind as a demon could possibly be. I liked Silas and honestly could not see the story without him in it.

There's a little romance! No love triangle. Nathaniel and Elisabeth are an adorable pair that have a hard-earned, slow-burn romance. I am a fan!

This is a lovely fantasy standalone novel that I will definitely be reading again. It is one of the few books I've read this year, and it makes sense why it captured my attention. It's so well-written and a joy to read. There are high stakes but there are fun times, great characters, and a wonderful ending.

What I Did Not Like:

I can't think of anything specific that I didn't like. I really enjoyed this book!

Would I Recommend It:

If you love fantasy, and/or if you love standalone novels, this is one you should try. I am a huge fan of standalone novels because of the low commitment and less waiting (I'm terrible with series), so I will recommend standalones nine times out of ten. This is a really good one - and there's a HEA!

Rating: 

5 stars. I loved Sorcery of Thorns! I can't wait to see what Margaret Rogerson comes up with next. Hopefully another beautiful fantasy standalone with a gorgeous illustrated cover. I will freely admit that illustrated covers are an easy way to my heart!

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Was this review helpful? Please let me know in the comments section!

About the Author:

Margaret Rogerson is the author of the New York Times bestseller An Enchantment of Ravens and Sorcery of Thorns. She has a bachelor’s degree in cultural anthropology from Miami University. When not reading or writing she enjoys sketching, gaming, making pudding, and watching more documentaries than is socially acceptable (according to some). She lives near Cincinnati, Ohio, beside a garden full of hummingbirds and roses. Visit her at MargaretRogerson.com.

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram

Mood Board:

Blog Tour Schedule:

Monday, May 27 – Alexa Loves Books

Tuesday, May 28 – The Novel Knight

Wednesday, May 29 – Adventures of a Book Junkie

Thursday, May 30 – Awkwordly Emma

Friday, May 31 – Mel to the Any

Monday, June 3 – The Fox’s Hideaway

Tuesday, June 4 – The Starry-Eyed Revue

Wednesday, June 5 – The Bookish Beagle

Thursday, June 6 – Super Space Chick

Friday, June 7 – Flying Paperbacks

Monday, June 10 – Bookshelves & Paperbacks

Tuesday, June 11 – Nightly Reading

Wednesday, June 12 – Novel Heartbeat

Thursday, June 13 – Hammock of Books

Friday, June 14 – The Everlasting Library

Monday, June 17 – The Eater of Books!

Tuesday, June 18 – Beware of the Reader

Wednesday, June 19 – This Dark Material

Thursday, June 20 – That Artsy Reader Girl

Friday, June 21 – SimplyAlly Tea

Waiting on Wednesday (#312): Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, I'm featuring:

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Publication Date: June 4, 2019

Summary (from Goodreads):

From the New York Times bestselling 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 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.

Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Ivy Bookshop

This sounds fantastic! I loved Rogerson's debut and can't wait to read this new standalone.

Swoon Thursday (#285): An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

- From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering

- Try to make the swoon excerpt 140 characters (or less), if you are going to tweet about it. Use the hashtag #YABOUND when tweeting

This week, my swoon is from An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson!

I became conscious of the fact that his chest felt very solid, and I was straddling his slim waist. Our uneven breathing rocked us against each other slightly. Molten heat pooled in me again, ebbing lower.

I didn't use iron on him.

Instead, I leaned down and kissed him.

[...]

I lost myself in the hypnotizing press of give and take, the odd but intoxicating feeling of joining my mouth with his. Soon I felt Rook's palm slide down my back, and in one graceful, powerful movement he swept me up in his hands. I automatically tightened my legs around his waist and hooked my arms around his neck, boggling at how high off the ground he'd lifted me.

- eARC, 42%

Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Ivy Bookshop

I read this book last year and surprisingly loved it! I'm rereading it and enjoying it even more the second time around. =)

Review: An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Publication Date: September 26, 2017

Rating: 4 stars

Source: eARC from NetGalley

Summary (from Goodreads):

Isobel is a prodigy portrait artist with a dangerous set of clients: the sinister fair folk, immortal creatures who cannot bake bread, weave cloth, or put a pen to paper without crumbling to dust. They crave human Craft with a terrible thirst, and Isobel’s paintings are highly prized among them. But when she receives her first royal patron—Rook, the autumn prince—she makes a terrible mistake. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes – a weakness that could cost him his life.

Furious and devastated, Rook spirits her away to the autumnlands to stand trial for her crime. Waylaid by the Wild Hunt’s ghostly hounds, the tainted influence of the Alder King, and hideous monsters risen from barrow mounds, Isobel and Rook depend on one another for survival. Their alliance blossoms into trust, then love, violating the fair folks’ ruthless Good Law. There's only one way to save both their lives, Isobel must drink from the Green Well, whose water will transform her into a fair one—at the cost of her Craft, for immortality is as stagnant as it is timeless.

Isobel has a choice: she can sacrifice her art for a future, or arm herself with paint and canvas against the ancient power of the fairy courts. Because secretly, her Craft represents a threat the fair folk have never faced in all the millennia of their unchanging lives: for the first time, her portraits have the power to make them feel. 

What I Liked:

This book is every bit as captivating and enchanting as you might hear. I've seen people discussing it for months now, sharing excitement and desperation for it. I personally had no intentions of reading the book, because I'd seen people compare it to Sarah J. Maas's ACOTAR, and I had way too many issues with ACOTAR to want to read something similar. But this fae book was incredibly different and not at all anything like ACOTAR. I hate SJM's books but I highly recommend this one, either way. Don't let comparisons fool you! They work for some, but not for others. This book needed no comparison, and can stand on its own without needing SJM or anyone else as a crutch.

Isobel is an extremely talented artist, and does portraits of the fair folk. Her Craft of painting portraits is incredibly well-known, and fair folk flock to have their portrait done. One day, the autumn prince returns after hundreds of years of being away from Whimsy. When Isobel draws his portrait with sorrow in his eyes, she doesn't realize that this is a grave error - to draw human emotion on a fair folk. This is a weakness that the autumn prince does not need. So he spirits her away to take her to the autumnlands to stand trial for her crime. But they are chased by the Hounds of the Great Hunt, sent by the Alder King. What's more, Rook and Isobel fall in love, which breaks to Good Law that humans and fair folk are forbidden to fall in love. Isobel must sacrifice her life or Rook's, or they both must die. 

The author's writing is so lovely! It was a pleasure to read this book. There are some books in which you don't really notice anything special about the writing, or you definitely notice the flowery writing, or the clunky, choppy writing. I took note of the smooth, whimsical writing of this book. There is a lush quality to the writing, which I didn't necessarily expect. At the same time, the writing wasn't distracting or too overdone. I got swept into the story and I was hooked.

From start to finish, I was in no danger of setting this book aside. I couldn't wait to see what Rook and Isobel would do next, what they would bicker about next, what Rook would misunderstood next (a lot of human mannerisms went straight over his head). And of course I wanted to see where the story was going - because the conflict switches several times, in order to get to the big picture (which isn't revealed until the very end). In any case, the author kept the story incredibly interesting and engaging, even if the subject matter was slightly dark and not happy-go-lucky.

I love how seamless the world-building is - how I immediately accepted the way things were. Everything from Craft to the fair folks' strange ways to the weird rules about human Craft... once you get a few pages in, all of these things seem commonplace, meaning I didn't question any of it. Humans living among fair folk? Sure thing. A brilliant painter commissioned to paint fair folks' portraits in exchange for enchantments of her choice? Makes sense. Rogerson does a superb job with crafting the world-building. Not for a second did I question the world-building, or fail to see or understand something. More than once, I was vividly imagining this or that - whether it was the rotten fruit, or the oak trees, or the honeysuckles.

Isobel is a character that I connected with very quickly. She is dedicated to her Craft and she is a diligent and determined hard worker. Everything she does is for her family, as well as she loves losing herself in a new portrait. Working with the fair folk is very taxing, but her Craft is who she is. I loved how feisty Isobel was, underneath her polite exterior. She has impeccable manners when it comes to the fair folk, but it is Rook that makes her forget her courtesies.

Ahh, Rook. Rook is an enigma, and yet he is so clearly defined. He is the mysterious autumn prince who stopped coming to Whimsy hundreds of years ago, and now he is returning for some reason (the reason is given in the story eventually, don't worry!). Rook is unusually kind and understanding for a fair one, but he is also charming and ill-tempered too. Isobel thinks of him as arrogant and a little self-centered at first, but he is also selfless when it comes to her safety. He is very powerful and not to be trifled with, especially as a prince. Rook is my favorite type of male lead - powerful, a little arrogant, very concerned with the female protagonist's safety and comfort, somewhat alpha-y but not in a d**chebag way. He has hints of danger and seductiveness that makes you fall for him easily.

This book takes place over the course of many weeks (especially in the beginning, as Isobel paints Rook's portrait), and so a lot of time passes, and the couple fall in love. Isobel has always felt something for Rook, but Rook was never trying to fall for her. They realize they love each other later on in the story and this isn't good, because it breaks the Good Law. Watching these two fall for each other was so cute and swoony, in subtle ways. There aren't many kisses or even physical interactions (arms brushing, holding each other, etc.), but this book is still very romantic. Neither one of them really wanted to fall for the other, but in the end, it was inevitable. They are a beautiful match - especially with all of the bickering and how they still stick with each other. Both of them have many choices to leave the other and go back to their business, but they always find that they simply cannot do so (especially Isobel, who in all rights should have left Rook as soon as possible, to go back to her family).

The climax is exciting and nail-biting - I wasn't at all sure how the book would end. I was so scared that there would be a heartbreaking, soul-crushing ending. BUT. I will say that the climax is extremely eventful, so don't skip to the end at any point. The ending is so lovely, so perfect for the story. Finally, a story involving fae that ends well (in my opinion).

Bottom line? This book is definitely worth reading. It exceeded my expectations! And the ending is so, so good.

What I Did Not Like:

I wanted more kissing, and potential steamy scenes between Rook and Isobel in general! I'm not saying ACOTAR-level stuff, but I definitely expected at least a little more kissing. I think my romance-related expectations were very high, and physical chemistry was high on my expectations list too. Especially with the mentions of a specific nightgown (seriously, all of the details were described very carefully - what did you expect me to think?).

Would I Recommend It:

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves sweeping, romantic fantasy. I don't usually enjoy fae-related books and I definitely didn't enjoy SJM's ACOTAR, so I was initially turned off by the idea of this book. I almost didn't even read this book. But I'm glad I did, because it was swoony and romantic and heart-pounding and put me on a roller coaster of feels. Did I mention that there is no love triangle or anything else to the romance, besides Rook and Isobel? Linear romance for the win!

Rating:

4.5 stars. I'm still deciding if I should up or down, so I'm rounding down for now. I see why this book made it on the New York Times Bestseller's List. It deserves the spot and I hope it hangs out on the List for a while. I'm glad this book is a standalone (though I definitely wouldn't mind more Rook/Isobel goodness). I can't wait to read what is next by this author!

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Was this review helpful? Please let me know in the comments section!