Review: Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

Sorcery of Thorns

Margaret Rogerson

Publication Date: June 4, 2019

Hardcover, 453 pages, Margaret K. McElderry

Genres: YA, Fantasy

Goodreads

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.

My Review

If you love books about books and characters similar to Cassandra Clare’s Infernal Devices trilogy, then this story is definitely for you. It has magic and demons and cats and romance. It has everything a booklover could want.

I adored Sorcery of Thorns. I actually tabbed lines (which I rarely, if ever do) because it has so many beautiful sentences and paragraphs about books. Rogerson’s quotes are great for readers. They just make reading so much more magical. The quotes combined with the Victorian-esque fantasy world really lend to the Clockwork Angel feel.

Like I mentioned, the characters of the book are super similar to Tessa and Will, not in species, but in demeanor. Elisabeth is totally Tessa Gray. She’s strong, brave, and loves reading. I very much enjoyed her. And Nathaniel is a cinnamon roll more so than Will was, but he’s still pretty similar in his tragic backstory—just no fear of ducks. Plus, Nathaniel is bi! Though we don’t really get anything more than a brief mention of it. Boo…

The only character I didn’t really care for in this story was the villain. He wasn’t super villainy. Actually, he was kind of predictable, and he needed more substance, especially towards the end. Speaking of the end, the chapters before the final chapters were somewhat hard to follow at times. Maybe it was just me, but it was difficult to picture what Elisabeth was doing when everything was going to hell. Despite this, the actual true ending hurt me. It was very dramatic, in a good way. And the books! The library! Not gonna lie, they made me cry. Books are such a generous creation.

All in all, Sorcery of Thorns destroyed me. It made me cry. It made me laugh. And it ripped me to pieces. What else should I have expected from a book about books? I loved it.

*Note: I purchased a copy of this book myself. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

Stacking the Shelves: The May FairyLoot Edition

 "Stacking the Shelves" is a weekly haul meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews and Reading Reality. It allows book buyers to share their accumulation of books with the online book-loving community.

More books! But the best thing is, I only bought one of them! Or at least, I only bought one of them this week. The others were all online orders I made earlier this month, including the May FairyLoot box. (Warning: There will be SPOILERS for the May box in this post.)

Aurora Rising by Kaufman & Kristoff

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown

The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller

The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winters

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin and The Rage of Dragons are both from an order I made a couple of weeks ago to support Semicolon Bookstore. Aurora Rising and The Shadows Between Us were purchased by my mother. She went to a Barnes & Noble and asked if I wanted anything. I gave her a list and told her to surprise me. These are the ones she picked.

I also downloaded an ebook of White Fragility. I don’t know when I’ll get to this one. I know it’s an important book, but it might be something I read a chapter at a time. Seems like it’ll need to be digested in chunks versus speed-reading through.

And finally, my first FairyLoot box. I was super excited for the Desert Dreams theme, but overall, the box items were just kind of mediocre. I told myself not to get too excited for the first few months’ boxes, simply because it might be a while before I get a box that really wows me, but I’m still a little bummed. I’m kind of nit-picky when it comes to bookish items. It’s one reason why I haven’t subscribed to other book boxes before now. (Minus my first and last Owlcrate box years ago.)

The book for the month isn’t one I know a lot about, but the character artwork is pretty. The cover is kind of boring. Like, really boring. Especially the font. As for the items, I don’t really like any of them. Candles and bath salts are waaaay over done, while the spoon is just impractical. It’s too pretty to use, and it’s too weird to display. The tin and towel are fine items, but I was kind of hoping for more, especially since I love the Daevabad series so much. I guess that’s just how subscription boxes work, though. You win some, you lose some.

What books have you bought/received lately?

My Thoughts on Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

I thought I’d share my thoughts and feels about the Maleficent: Mistress of Evil film. In case you haven’t seen it, I’ve posted the trailer below:

So I wasn’t the biggest fan of the first film. It wasn’t bad, but, at the time, I just wasn’t super into Disney villains. I also have never really loved Angelina Jolie. She’s had her moments, but her acting is kind of stiff to me. That didn’t change for this film. Jolie was still stiff and awkward, but the storyline was A+.

My favorite part of this film was the aesthetic. The dark fey are awesome. Dark and magical in appearance and demeanor. There are so many different types of wings and appearances. For someone who had no idea these characters were being added, I was super invested in their culture and lifestyle to the point where I would love a TV series just about the dark fey. I especially loved Connall and Borra. Unfortunately, those are the only two dark fey we really get to know, but I still enjoyed them immensely. (I am going to give a SPOILER here that this film uses the typical overdone and awful trope of killing off the black guy. I was upset.)

Two other parts of the film I loved aesthetic-wise were Michelle Pfiefer’s portrayal of Queen Ingrith and the Moors. Of course, the Moors and the fairies there were in the first film, but I guess I didn’t appreciate the pretty, bright colors when I watched it. The animal-sidekick hedgehog creature wasn’t as cute as I think it was supposed to be, though. I actually thought the mushroom was cuter. But Warwick Davis was in this movie, and that’s always a plus. I wish we could’ve seen more of his character. He was kind of underutilized. As for Queen Ingrith, she’s the stereotypical evil queen, but her outfits were on point. Plus, she’s played by Michelle Pfiefer.

For this installment, Prince Phillip, Queen Ingrith’s son, was recast. I think the new actor did a decent job; however, I don’t really remember the first actor’s portrayal, so that isn’t saying much. Now sadly, Aurora and Maleficent were both kind of meh for me. BUT, their ending scenes were beautiful. Their relationship is something that isn’t seen much in Disney films, and I’m glad their bond exists for younger kids to experience and possibly relate to.

All in all, this film has its ups and downs. The aesthetic is magical and amazing, but sometimes, the acting isn’t quite up to par. The storyline was lyrical and lovely, with some exceptions, but the ending was a little too convenient. (Again, it’s a Disney movie.) Though, it does do a good job showing the consequences of violence.

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Fable by Adrienne Young

 "Can’t-Wait Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted over at Wishful Endings, that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, what's really got my pages in a twist is...

Fable

Adrienne Young

(Fable #1)

Publication Date: September 1, 2020

Hardcover, 368 pages, Wednesday Books

Genres: YA, Fantasy

Goodreads

Welcome to a world made dangerous by the sea and by those who wish to profit from it. Where a young girl must find her place and her family while trying to survive in a world built for men.

As the daughter of the most powerful trader in the Narrows, the sea is the only home seventeen-year-old Fable has ever known. It’s been four years since the night she watched her mother drown during an unforgiving storm. The next day her father abandoned her on a legendary island filled with thieves and little food. To survive she must keep to herself, learn to trust no one and rely on the unique skills her mother taught her. The only thing that keeps her going is the goal of getting off the island, finding her father and demanding her rightful place beside him and his crew. To do so Fable enlists the help of a young trader named West to get her off the island and across the Narrows to her father.

But her father’s rivalries and the dangers of his trading enterprise have only multiplied since she last saw him and Fable soon finds that West isn't who he seems. Together, they will have to survive more than the treacherous storms that haunt the Narrows if they're going to stay alive.

My Thoughts

I loved Adrienne Young’s Sky in the Deep, so I’m super excited to see she has an actual series coming out. I think it’s only a duology, but it still sounds good. I have mixed feelings on this cover, though. It’s pretty, but it doesn’t give me a fantasy vibe, more of a contemporary feel. The only fantasy aspect I can see on the cover is what might be the reflection of a ship in her eye.

What book are you waiting for this Wednesday?

The Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag: 2020 Edition

It’s almost July, which means there are only six months left in 2020. Thank god. It also means it’s time for the Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag.

This tag was created years ago by someone in the book community to basically wrap up the first half of your reading year. Thankfully, I’ve had a pretty good reading experience so far, mostly because, like the rest of the world, I’ve been stuck inside a lot with nothing else to do but get through my TBR. Unfortunately, I’ve also taken this time to purchase too many new books online. Whoops. At least it balances itself out, right...?

As of June 20, 2020, I’ve read 26 books. Considering my goal for the entirety of 2020 is to reach 30, this is great! I’m not going to change my Goodreads goal, but I might try to reach 50 books by the end of the year. That’ll get me back to the reading rate I was in back before the Great Reading Slump of 2019.

BEST BOOK YOU’VE READ SO FAR IN 2020

This was tough. I’ve had a fairly decent reading year so far, though I’m still picky about giving out five stars. All of the books I thought about answering this question with are 4.5 stars. I hope to get a full 5-star book in before the end of 2020.

I’m going with The City of Brass for my favorite read of 2020 so far. However, Jennifer L. Armentrout’s Storm & Fury, Brave, and Torn and Margaret Rogerson’s Sorcery of Thorns are all really close.

BEST SEQUEL YOU’VE READ SO FAR IN 2020

Hmm… This is a good question. Most of the sequels I’ve read aren’t as good as the first books. However, there is one exception.

Brave and Torn by Jennifer L. Armentrout helped me solidify the end to my 2019 and early 2020 reading slump. They were such quick and easy reads with a great romance and intriguing characters. I loved the whole series.

NEW RELEASE YOU HAVEN’T READ YET, BUT WANT TO

Every single fantasy book. Lol. Just kidding. Kind of.

House of Blood and Earth by Sarah J. Maas is one that I have mixed feelings about reading. If I read it now, that means I have to wait years for the series to end. But, if I just wait to read it until all the books are released, my life will be so much less stressful. But I really, really, really want to read it.

MOST ANTICIPATED RELEASE FOR

THE SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR

There really aren’t a lot of books I’m super excited for in the last half of 2020. There are only three or four that I’ve got my eye on.

The big one is Reign by Cora Carmack. I haven’t read the second book in the trilogy yet, but I’m looking forward to re-reading book one and then binge-reading the entire series.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

I had another answer in mind for this question until a few days ago.

The Star-Touched Queen just wasn’t what I was hoping it would be. I’ll have a review up soon, but yikes. I was so disappointed.

BIGGEST SURPRISE

Since I’ve already answered The City of Brass for my favorite read of the year, I’m going to go with another book for biggest surprise.

Sorcery of Thorns was so beautiful. I loved almost everything about it, and I just never expected to adore it this much.

FAVORITE NEW AUTHOR

This question was surprisingly easy to answer.

S.A. Chakraborty could write a grocery list and I think I’d still read it. Possibly. Gosh, I really hope she has a new book coming out in 2021 now that her Daevabad trilogy has ended. I desperately need more from her.

NEWEST FICTIONAL CRUSH

I don’t think this is a surprise…

Dara from the Daevabad trilogy is amazing! I love him. Though, I have to admit that I haven’t read books two and three yet, so I might not love him as much later on. If that happens, I’ll probably be devastated. (Note: The art is from a Faecrate box.)

NEWEST FAVORITE CHARACTER

Again, not a huge surprise…

Trinity from Storm & Fury and Rage & Ruin. I really like her. I also really like Nathaniel and Elisabeth from Sorcery of Thorns, and Nahri and Ali from The City of Brass.

BOOK THAT MADE YOU CRY

Kind of embarrassing, but…

Sorcery of Thorns made me cry. It was ugly. That scene in the library at the end. Gosh. It hurt me.

BOOK THAT MADE YOU HAPPY

Hmm…

Broken Throne by Victoria Aveyard. Aveyard gave me more Cal scenes. How could that not make me happy?

FAVORITE BOOK-TO-FILM ADAPTATION

YOU SAW THIS YEAR

Like most people, I haven’t seen a lot of movies in theaters this year. I’m actually not sure if I’ve seen any film or television show based on a book in 2020.

I’m going to go with The Witcher, even though I watched it in December of 2019. Close enough, right? I haven’t read the books, but I very much enjoyed the show.

FAVORITE REVIEW YOU’VE WRITTEN THIS YEAR

Gosh. I’m not sure. Probably my review for The City of Brass. It’s the only one I used a gif in. I don’t put gifs in reviews that often.

MOST BEAUTIFUL BOOK YOU’VE

RECEIVED SO FAR THIS YEAR

I’ll try to go with a different answer here than simply repeat books I’ve already mentioned.

House of Dragons by Jessica Cluess has a gorgeous cover. I truly wish the story inside had been a little better to match it. However, it was still a fun read. (I also bought the collector’s editions of Red Queen and Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard, and those are very pretty.)

WHAT BOOKS DO YOU NEED TO READ

BY THE END OF THE YEAR

All of the ones on my TBR. No, but seriously, I have a list:

Endless and Empower by Jessica Shirvington

Starflight and United by Melissa Landers

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

Let the Wind Rise by Shannon Messenger

These are just the ones I’ve made a 2020 goal to finish. I have hundreds on my TBR shelves.

***

Alright, there you have it. My Mid-Year Book Freak Out answers. What would your answers to these questions be? Let me know in the comments below!

Stacking the Shelves: Another Ebook Edition

 "Stacking the Shelves" is a weekly haul meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews and Reading Reality. It allows book buyers to share their accumulation of books with the online book-loving community.

I made an impulse buy. Thankfully, it was pretty cheap.

Bone Crier’s Moon by Kathryn Purdie (ebook)

Bone Crier’s Moon was $2.99 on Kindle the other day, so I bought it. I saw this one all over when it was in April’s subscription boxes, and I’m curious. However, I think I’m going to hold off on purchasing a lot of first books in new series until the entire series is out. Obviously, there will be exceptions, but my physical TBR needs to go way down; thus, more ebooks like this one.

What books have you bought/received lately?

Review: House of Dragons by Jessica Cluess

House of Dragons

Jessica Cluess

(House of Dragons #1)

Publication Date: May 12, 2020

Hardcover, 448 pages, Random House

Genres: YA, Fantasy

B&N | Book Depository | Amazon | Goodreads

Five royal houses will hear the call to compete in the Trial for the dragon throne. A liar, a soldier, a servant, a thief, and a murderer will answer it. Who will win?

When the Emperor dies, the five royal houses of Etrusia attend the Call, where one of their own will be selected to compete for the throne. It is always the oldest child, the one who has been preparing for years to compete in the Trial. But this year is different. This year, these five outcasts will answer the call....

THE LIAR: Emilia must hide her dark magic or be put to death.

THE SOLDIER: Lucian is a warrior who has sworn to never lift a sword again.

THE SERVANT: Vespir is a dragon trainer whose skills alone will keep her in the game.

THE THIEF: Ajax knows that nothing is free--he must take what he wants.

THE MURDERER: Hyperia was born to rule and will stop at nothing to take her throne.

My Review

I have a lot of thoughts about this book. I was so excited for it. House of Dragons seemed like the best book to help ease some of my anger towards the final season of Game of Thrones. However, it didn’t quite live up to my high expectations, though it’s still a good read.

We start the book introducing each character and their dragons. All five contestants for the throne get their own POVs, and, thankfully, each voice is pretty unique. I only forgot which POV I was reading from once or twice during the entire 448 pages. A rare feat. The first character introduced is Emilia, and she has magical powers. Lucian is basically Prince Zuko except his family has blue house colors instead of red. Vespir is a dragon trainer. Ajax is a goofball/trouble-maker with dark origins. And Hyperia is basically a warrior version of Daenerys Targaryen.

Sadly, the dragons in this book are kind of lacking. There simply aren’t enough scenes with the riders interacting with their personal dragons. In fact, only two of the dragons really get a personality at all. One is Dog, Ajax’s lovable dragon, and the other is Hyperia’s dragon who’s mean and cranky. I can’t even remember his name. That’s how little the dragons are seen in the book. Dog, though. Dog is amazing. He’s basically the dragon version of Dug from Disney’s Up. I love him, and he deserves so much better.

As for the humans, I liked a majority of them. Emilia’s powers felt out of place in the story. I think it would have been better without her magic and how it all plays out towards the end. However, she was still interesting a majority of the time. Lucian, aka Zuko, was fascinating because of his pacifist beliefs, and Ajax was a little $hit who made me laugh. And Hyperia, she was glorious. Major Daenerys vibes. But Vespir is the character I didn’t like. She was never explained, and her story was rather boring. Her romantic relationship was the only interesting thing about her.

Throughout the book, these characters are in a competition with each other. It was great to see all five characters at odds with one another. Unfortunately, when they weren’t in trials, it seemed like the five grew a little too close together, relieving tension too quickly and giving away too much backstory. The tension kind of fell apart when the five had a heart-to-heart. The ending, thankfully, made up for it a bit, but I was still disappointed by how lame Lucian’s war story was and how the magical secrets played out. While I was disappointed, I'll still be reading book two for Hyperia, Lucian, and Dog. They're my favorites.

All in all, House of Dragons, while eerily similar to Game of Thrones at times, is not a YA version of it. The author never advertised it that way, but, come on, the title and the cover really give that vibe. So, while I was hoping for more, I still got a fun adventure. I just wish there had been more dragons, a la How to Train Your Dragons. Instead, it was more like a PG Hunger Games with the occasional dragon appearance.

*Note: I purchased a copy of this book myself. This in no way affected my opinion/review.