Sorcery of Thorns
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Beschreibung
Beiträge
Ich hatte mäßig hohe Erwartungen, aber ungefähr ab der Mitte hat mich die Geschichte überhaupt nicht mehr interessiert. Hab mich auch oft gefragt, was gerade überhaupt passiert… Schade eigentlich..
Wenn das Buch nicht seit einiger Zeit auf meinem Stapel der Schande gewesen wäre hätte ich es abgebrochen💀
After finishing this book I could not decide on how to rate it. On the one hand, there are quite a few details I didn’t like, but at the same time I found myself surrounded by new and intriguing characters. This is difficult for me, yet I‘m gonna try to put all my thoughts in this short review. Firstly, I am not entirely happy with the main characters. While I love Silas and like Nathaniel, I don’t know what to make of Elisabeth. She has such a gentle name and at first she also appears that way - gentle and naive. This changes FAST. One day she just sits at her table and reads and the next day she is perfect with a sword and cuts down several enemies. Mhhhh... I like her better that way, but this quick change out of nowhere doesn’t seem logical. By far the best character is Silas - a demon. How I love those dark and pretty creatures. Or not so dark at all? He is one of the most interesting characters I‘ve had the pleasure to „meet“ in a while. Nathanial could talk more. When he does, he is cunning, funny and charming all at once. Unfortunately, most of his time he spends brooding. Grimoires play a very big role in this story. They are books that can talk and have magic and feelings. As an enthusiastic booknerd, how can I not love that fact? Apart from that, most of the storyline is rather unimpressive. It’s not boring but also doesn’t leave you with the want to know more. However, the end was dramatic, a little sad and overall perfect.
Das ist auf jeden Fall eines meiner Jahreshighlights. Einer der besten Einzelbände die ich jemals gelesen habe.
Loved it!
I read many good reviews of this book and still it managed to surprise me. It had me in its chokehold till the very beautiful and absolutely perfect ending.
The protagonist of "Sorcery of Thorns" is Elisabeth, a teenage orphan who has been raised in a library full of animate grimoires. The story starts off with her being the only surviving witness of sabotage, which causes the new library director to accuse her of the sabotage and send her to the capital for trial. Her escort to the trial are a sorcerer (which Elisabeth has been told are evil) and his demon familiar (which are the source of a sorcerer's power and therefore the source of their evil). Innocent as she is, Elisabeth has to prove her innocence and find out who and why sabotaged the library in reality, all the while finding out who she can trust and who she can't. I really fell in love with the worldbuilding, the story behind the grimoires, and the way Elisabeth interacted with them. The way sorcery worked in this book was also interesting and fascinating, but even more fascinating was the character of Silas. I really loved his complexities. The beginning of the story feels like high fantasy in a world very different from our own, so I was a little surprised and confused when I realised the book is more of a historical fantasy, set in a parallel version of our own 13th century, but once I accepted that, I found it worked very well. Finally, the main plot concerning the sabotage and the saboteur as a villain kept me interested during the whole book, and I devoured the book, always needing to know what happened next. I really recommend it for fans of fantasy.
4.5/5 A good and easy fantasy with magical books and demonic powers at play to try and stop a plan made centuries ago … would read again, purely for my demonic baby boy Silas. The romance was a bit meh (also because they are legit 16 and 18) but cute. The magic was interesting and well written and the world sucks you in lika a portal to the Otherworld ;) The ending tho, why Margaret, why give us hope in the last damn sentence. Now I wish this was not a stand-alone and I am omw to the bookstore to get the novella.
The book started super strong with a very interesting plot and magic system, but didn’t catch me completely. I could feel the female rage, which was kinda my fav part. The writing was lyrical (just how I like it), so it was a nice read overall.
A good and easy fantasy with magical books and demonic powers at play to try and stop a plan made centuries ago … would read again, purely for my demonic baby boy Silas. The romance was a bit meh (also because they are legit 16 and 18) but cute. The magic was interesting and well written and the world sucks you in lika a portal to the Otherworld ;) The ending tho, why Margaret, why give us hope in the last damn sentence. Now I wish this was not a stand-alone and I am omw to the bookstore to get the novella.
Pleasantly surprised by this one. It's a great read!
This is the first book I started and actually finished in ... I don't even know how long. It's been too long since I read anything and I missed it so much. Honestly, I didn't think I would be so incredibly excited about it. But ... I was hooked right from the beginning. The world, the surroundings, the plot, the characters itself and all the mysteries and secrets Elisabeth had to unravel instantly pulled me into it and made me want MORE. The main characters are awesome and interesting each in their own way and I JUST LOVED THEM ALL SO MUCH. ♥ The general atmosphere of the book, the whole idea and everything with the grimoires were fascinating! I wanted to know more about the Libraries and all the different books - seriously, give me a book JUST about all the grimoires - I'm sure I'd love that! So overall I enjoyed this one so, so, so much! Definitely recommend reading it yourself!
Loved it ❤️
This book is a magical journey with magic, demons and a lot more bit it also is about the value of friendship ✨️
I actually loved it. Is is easy to follow the actions and its never getting boring while reading. Elisabeth and Scrivener and Nathaniel Thorn are having an really amazing relationship which is developing throughout the book. Theory reason for my 4.5 stars was the fact that it sometimes felt like too much action. There wasn't really a pause to catch your breach but the tensioning created was great. I totally recommend reading this if you like magical, slow-burn books with lots of action going on. 😋
Am Anfang habe ich eine Weile gebraucht um rein zu kommen, aber nach ein paar Kapiteln hat es mich richtig mitgerissen und ich konnte es nicht mehr aus der Hand legen. Es passierten einige unerwartete Dinge und obwohl das Ende für mich schon relativ früh abzusehen war, behielt das Buch durchgehend seine Spannung. Elisabeth ist ein sehr starker Charakter, aber trotzdem nicht perfekt und gerade dadurch fand ich es leicht, mit ihr und Nathaniel mitzufühlen.
Ahhhh this was so amazing!! I had this on my TBR for months and always hoped I would find it in a bookstore somewhere and when it finally happened I was SO HAPPY! Aaaand it did not disappoint. I loved the world Margaret Rogerson built, especially the libraries and books. I want to have a book as a pet now :( Something harmless, like the book Katrien gave Elisabeth in the beginning. The details about how the libraries are organized, how the books work and also the informations on sorcery and the demonic realm we got were so interesting!! The only thing I didn't like was that it was very predictable who was going to be the villain from the moment they entered the story. Maybe it was because I had read a book with a very similar "Plot-twist" right before this one (I use that word lightly because it was hardly a plot-twist at all in this book) but it felt obvious and a little boring to me. Despite the boring villain, the protagonists and supporting characters were wonderful! I loved Elisabeth, Nathanial, Silas and Katrien; and the nuances of being friends with a demon ;) 5 out of 5, would DEFINITELY recommend!
2.5 - 3 Sterne. Eigentlich wollte ich noch eine ausführliche Rezension zum Buch schreiben, aber mir sind mittlerweile so viele andere Bücher dazwischen gekommen, dass ich viele Details zum Buch bereits wieder vergessen habe. Die Grundidee hat mir gut gefallen, aber es gab einige Ungereimtheiten im Plot (vor allem was den Schauplatzwechsel angeht), die mich enttäuscht haben. Ansonsten ist mir relativ wenig in Erinnerung geblieben, was nicht unbedingt für das Buch spricht ;D
Grandiose Idee mit leider nur halb so guter Umsetzung
Man taucht direkt ab dem ersten Kapitel in die Welt der Hauptprotagonistin Elisabeth ein. Durch die lebendige Beschreibung der Autorin kann man sich direkt in das Setting der Bibliothek mit seinen lebenden Büchern einfühlen. Die Charaktere waren vielschichtig und realistisch. Besonders gut gefallen hat mir Silas, ein sehr komplexer Charakter. Dessen Beschreibung und Ausarbeitung mich wirklich begeistert hat. Die Handlung fand ich spannend, es gab immer wieder Momente an denen ich dachte, dass die Geschichte sich jetzt etwas in die Länge ziehen wird, aber das war nie der Fall. Das Tempo war angenehm und für mich gab es keine unnötigen Längen im Buch. Für mich definitiv ein Buch was ich eventuell nochmal auf Deutsch lesen will, obwohl es auf Englisch auch gut verständlich war. Ich glaube jedoch, dass einem beim ersten Mal lesen nicht alle Details auffallen. Einen halben Punkt ziehe ich ab, da die Handlung gerade zum Schluss hin manchmal etwas vorhersehbar war. Fazit: definitiv ein Buch für jeden der „dark academia“, Hogwarts-Bibliothek-vibes, Schwerte, Magie und auch eine kleine Liebesgeschichte mag die aber nicht im Vordergrund steht. Große Leseempfehlung von mir! 🖤
Dieses Buch war definitiv eine Überraschung. Ich habe es zufällig als leichtes Fantasy-Hörbuch für die täglichen U-Bahn-Fahrten begonnen und am Anfang war es auch genau das. Ich hab nur nicht damit gerechnet, dass es mich tatsächlich so in die Geschichte hinein zieht, dass die Charaktere ausgefeilter waren als gefacht und vor allem: Die Welt, die Magie mit ihren Dämonen und Magistern hat mich bis zum Ende vollends überzeugt. Ich fand die Idee mit den Bibliotheken nett, aber dachte nie, dass ich am Ende so begeiste wäre von Elizabeth, Nathanial, Silas und den "Grimoiren". Kann ich nur wärmstens empfehlen.
A great story! Elizabeth and Nathaniel have a great dynamic and the concept of magic in the world is gorgeous! Margaret Rogerson has a beautiful writing style that pulls you right in.
I loved Nathaniel so much, and I really did like the story overall. The one thing that didn't convince me as much was the ending. It felt a bit rushed, and just overly convenient, which annoyed me a bit, but I'd definitely recommend this book! The fact that it's a fantasy standalone even makes it better!
The first 100 to 150ish pages were quite good, the last half of the very last chapter and epilogue was nice.Everything in between was alright. A lot of words and what felt like little action. Though it’s not like nothing happened but it just felt like it wasn’t necessary enough to justify the amount of space it took up in the book.However, I will say that this was way better in regards to the pacing and the story itself than Enchantment of Ravens. The writing was nice too!
Eine tolle Story, spannend und leidenschaftlich mit leichten Längen.
actual rating: 4.75 ⭐️
4.5☆ Hold me accountable, i am gonna write a review of this book :)
3.5 ⭐️ The world and characters where great. Especially the first half of the book is really intriguing but the heroine makes some weird decisions/plans I just couldn’t understand. I would have loved to have the story more take place in the library setting. Really liked the epilogue so I might give the next book in the series a chance!
I loved this book. I got it free with my Fairyloot subscription and I thought it was exactly what I would read as soon as I saw the blurb on the back. It had me hooked from page one. A brilliant story, great YA fantasy and amazing writing. I loved it!
Dieses Buch hat mich sofort in seinen Bann gezogen!
ausführliche Rezension bei Instagram @ember.books 🫶🏻
4,5 Sterne für ein magisches Abenteuer inmitten von großen Büchereien, lebenden Büchern, böser Zauberei, Dämonenbeschwörungen und einer süßen Lovestory. Die Protagonistin (Elizabeth, Nathaniel und Silas) waren für mich von Anfang an sympathisch und sind mir sehr schnell ans Herz gewachsen. Ab und zu waren mir die actionreichen, detailliert beschriebenen Szenen (oder Kampfszenen) zu lang, aber vielleicht liegt das auch daran, dass ich das je nach Laune auch mal stärker überfliege. Die Story an sich empfand ich durchaus aus originell. Vom Gefühl her hatte ich durch einzelne Situationen, Elemente oder Charaktere ab und zu Erinnerungen an andere Geschichten wie Stalking Jack the Ripper, Scythe, Die Schöne und das Biest, Evenfall oder auch Acotar. Aber nicht so, dass es kopiert wirkte. Mehr etwas, das mir im positiven Sinne gefallen hat und vielleicht daher die Assoziation zu anderen Lieblingsbüchern geweckt hat. Die ersten 50 Seiten hatte ich noch leichte Anlaufschwierigkeiten, weil ich erst einmal das Konzept der Fantasy und ihren magischen Elementen verstehen musste, aber danach habe ich das Buch fast in einem Zug verschlungen. Ich hoffe sehr, dass vielleicht doch noch ein Sequel kommen wird!!!
Spannend, voller Action und mit starker Protagonistin. Absolute Empfehlung!
Really enjoyed the story, I however wished the author would have dived in a little more into the relationship between Elisabeth and Nathaniel because to me it always seemed like her and Silas had more potential for an actual relationship than her and Nathaniel - in my opinion at least. And that cliffhanger… I mean seriously?! Why though I just want to know why because that part… I mean I just wanna know so that my brain will stop thinking about it… but putting that aside, it‘s a really good story and it captured me from the beginning till the end:)
4,75 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reading this was the equivalent to watching a Harry potter Movie. This was just perfection.
„Sorcery of Thorns“ war mein erstes Fairy-Loot-Buch und kam in einer wirklich hübschen Sonderausgabe mit einem Interview und einem unveröffentlichten Kapitel (das ich nich nicht gelesen habe). Ich hatte keine besonders hohen Erwartungen an die Geschichten, wiederholsen sich im YA-Bereich doch so viele Plots. Doch ich wurde positiv überrascht. Elisabeth begegnet uns zunächst als ehrgeizige, aber sehr angepasste und zurückhaltende junge Bibliothekarin. Sie saugt die Lehren ihrer Vorbilder in sich auf, ohne sie zu hinterfragen und lebt in ihrer eigenen kleinen Blase der Welt. Bis diese eines Tages in ihren Grundfesten erschüttert wird. Die Entwicklung, die dieser Charakter nun durchlebt, hat mich positiv überrascht. Elisabeth wächst weit über sich hinaus, geht über ihre Grenzen und zeigt sehr viel Leidenschaft und Mut. Als die ersten „starken Männercharaktere“ ins Spiel kamen, befürchtete ich eine typische Prinz-rettet-schwaches-Mädchen-Erzählung, doch ich wurde eines Besseren belehrt. Ja, es gibt eine kleine Lovestory, aber sie bleibt Nebensache. Im Mittelpunkt steht bis zum Schluss das Mädchen, das zu einer furchtlosen jungen Frau wird und ihre Vorurteile überwindet. „Sorcery of Thorns“ ist ein tolles Buch für introvertierte Teenagermädels, die sich unsicher fühlen und Angst davor haben, eigene Wege zu gehen. Es ist eine mutmachende Geschichte, die zeigt, dass Frauen nicht nur „nette Deko“, sondern echte Kämpferinnen sind, die die Welt retten können.
Endlich nach 7Monaten ist es geschafft, dazwischen habe ich viel anderes gelesen und ich weiß gar nicht warum. Immer wenn ich weiter lesen wollte oder habe, dachte ich: Mmh, lieber was anderes... Aber: Die Geschichte ist gut. Die Charaktere sind toll. Silas ist so ein toller Charakter. Das Ende war richtig gut. Das Buch hat alle Elemente, um es zu lieben, aber ich fand es, oft etwas langatmig und war beim Lesen gelangweilt, wobei ich nicht sagen kann, warum. Alles scheint zu stimmen. Ob es der Erzählstil ist oder ob die Geschichte einfach nicht meins ist. Vielleicht muss man das Buch einfach auch am Stück lesen, wer weiß. Ich bin froh es zu ende gelesen zu haben, denn es hat sich gelohnt.
4.5 stars
Oh. My. Freaking. God. I absolutely love this book. I love Elisabeth, I love Nathaniel, I love Silas. I love the story building and the world everything is setting in. Hello? Magic, sorcerers, secrets, libraries, books, grimoires, ... what more do i need to list out? Did I yet say books? They reminded me of Harry Potter and the alive books they studied at Hogwarts and i loved Elisabeth‘s superpowers that were not really super powers yet made quite a difference to everything going on. I need to let everything sink in and write a proper review. I got so much more to say about this amazing book of which I’m so hoping there will be a sequel at some point. Go, read this book!!!
First off, this is a fantastic read. Very neat style of writing, absolutely catching, keeping you hooked.
The things which keep nagging at me after finishing this book are the reasons why I can't give it a flatout 5 star. First of all, Elisabeth has a certain power which allows her to travel to certain places no one else can. At first glance, this seems awesome and I read along... and read along.. and there NEVER came an explanation as for why she can do this. Someone just told her: "Oi, you're a thaumaturge" and Elisabeth is just FINE with that. She doesn't even discuss this on page with Nathaniel, which strikes me as weird. Additionally, Ashcroft finally gets to Prendergast as well, but we never get to know how he did it. If he used someone else to do it, then Elisabeth isn't as unique as initially proposed. This left me with a bit of a question mark. Secondly: the love subplot was too sudden. One chapter Elisabeth describes her relationship to Nathaniel as distant acceptance, where she and him just live next to each other, not really interacting or even being interested in each other. But then, suddenly, she's flushing and wishing he'd be hers. It's a bit too quick - or just not worked out enough for me. Third: My, such an ending! I want more now 😩 I seriously hope that there will be a sequel.
perfect book to start off autumn season. made me want to summon my own demon so we can have tea parties and go on the occasional quest to bring down the forces of hell together.
leider sehr enttäuschend
ich fand die grundidee gar nicht so schlecht, aber die umsetzung mäßig. charaktere waren flat und der arc irgendwie langweilig. jemand hatte das als slow burn bezeichnet, aber das sehe ich nicht so, da elisabeth und nathaniel nicht nur 0 chemistry haben, sie haben auch kaum interaktionen, die ihre beziehung aufbaut. ich hätte mir da mehr gewünscht. romantically ist hier leider nichts zu holen. silas als charakter fand ich allerdings genial - um mal was positives zu sagen. ich habe ihn geliebt und er war rich und interesting. das ende fand ich auch ganz ok, habe allerdings viel überflogen, weil ich es einfach durch haben wollte. die kämpfe waren fad und irgendwie fehlte da einfach der pepp. so richtig sinn gemacht hat das ganze zudem ja auch nicht. es war frustrierend dass niemand ihr/den beiden glauben wollte, aber das war auch zu repetitive, als dass es gut sein konnte. manchmal kann frustration ja auch was positives sein, hier war ich aber bloß genervt und es wurde dadurch langweilig. ich finde auch dass es nicht wirklich sinn gemacht hat, dass elisabeth als 16 jährige plötzlich mit dem schwert loszieht. so richtig erklärt wurde nicht, ob das vielleicht teil in ihrer ausbildung war ? ihre entwicklung wirkte sehr sprunghaft und unnatürlich. nathaniel hatte für mich keine wirkliche personality. er war ganz cute wenn er so unsicher wurde, aber dann ließ er immer den "ich seh so gut aus" bachelor raushängen, was aber auch nicht tief genug ging, um ihn repelling zu machen oder interesting. auch, dass er plötzlich bi ist, fand ich sehr unnatürlich - der junge hat seit 6 jahren albträume, kapselt sich ab und will mir gleichzeitig weismachen, er habe ein liebesleben mit beiden geschlechtern - ich glaube eher nicht. außerdem war es so komisch, dass er das plötzlich so raushaut, weil er sonst auch nicht wirklich privates erzählt, aber klar mal eben zu sagen, dass man mal auf den prinz stand, macht natürlich sinn. hat dem plot nichts gegeben. wäre dann schon cooler gewesen, wenn das sein ex gewesen wäre und da wäre vielleicht ein bisschen eifersucht geflossen oder so. irgendwie nicht ganz zu ende gedacht, wie aber vieles in diesem buch. ich mochte aber die welt an sich, das magische haus, die dämonen und sprechenden bücher, das war schon gut beschrieben.
4.5 ✨ Firstly: I could not believe that I waited so long to read this book. Sorcery of Thorns is all over Bookstagram and YouTube as a recommendation, even though its release was in 2019. From the first page, I had no issues at all welcoming the world and soaking in the storyline. Elisabeth was an interesting heroine, but I find that her characterization needed to be more fleshed out. She understands magic, grimoires, libraries, and her role in them. There's an edge to Elisabeth that I liked too, a keenness of anger and determination, and it's what anchors a very moving journey of self-realization. As I read along, it felt like it was intertwined with elements from Howl’s Moving Castle and had some Victorian England vibes. Nathaniel and his witty humor and sass were the highlights of this book for me. His banter with his unsettling close-mouthed Silas, his tormented nightmares, the secrets we glimpse only quickly through the corridors of his mansion... all of these things kept me glued to the page. Like Elisabeth, I wanted to shatter the cold mask of stone that Nathaniel seemed to slip down over himself in her presence. And Silas... I have no words for him. He was interesting and stirred my curiosity about his true intentions. Even though he is close-mouthed, he has a charm on him and as Elizabeth, I fell for him and have him close to my heart. However, I did find a couple of things the book lacked, like world-building. I don't know anything about this world, beyond the fact that we have six libraries in it. I wished there was more elaboration on that. As I read along, there is so much happening, that in the first third, the villain is already faced. I really needed to double-check, how much I still need to read: and there were like 200 pages left? And there was already the showdown? I feared the worst. As familiar as the novel’s story is, Rogerson’s success lies in the way she infuses exhilarating new life into it through tenderly compelling characters, writing, and premise. BUT there were several times throughout the book when I found myself dragging to get through the unnecessarily long story and felt bogged down by it. If there’s a failing in Sorcery of Thorns, it’s that the ending feels rushed in the novel’s last few chapters, and too easy to believe (the narrative might have handed the characters a few too many gifts). Minor quibble notwithstanding, Sorcery of Thorns is an enjoyable read and I kind of hope the author writes more in this world. And this is why I will give it "only" 4,5 Stars. I beg Margaret for another book (not a novel!) because the characters and world are just *mwah*.
(My first review ever, I hope it’s not too bad, but I loved this book so much I just had to write about it) I started reading this book knowing only two things: A girl grew up and lives in a library, and there are magical books. That sounded intriguing enough, and I ended up loving every single page of it. Elisabeth Scrivener grew up in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, among magical books called grimoires, which can turn into monsters called Maleficts if provoked. Its her dream to become a warden, a protector of the Great Library. But when an act of sabotage sets free a Malefict and Elisabeth is the only one there to fight and defeat it, she becomes a suspect. Drawn into a conflict even bigger than she could’ve imagined, she is confronted with Sorcerers and demons, and is forced to question everything she’s been told all her life, especially that all sorcery is evil. This book is simply magical. The atmosphere, the world building, the characters, all of it is so well written. I liked that the villain’s intention behind his acts was never clear until the final part of the book, and it took me by surprise, which is always a good element of a book. I was fascinated by the magic system and the character development was plausible and well written. I also liked the humor in it, it was not too much, but really refreshing now and then and it actually made me laugh out loud. I usually don’t care much about romance in books, but I really liked how it was handled in this book, not being the main plot, but a slowly developing subplot. The friendship between Elisabeth and Katrien is so beautiful and I love that it plays an important part throughout the story, sending me the message that not only romantic relationships, but friendships are important as well to succeed and to be able to face everything life throws at you. Elisabeth Scrivener: She’s one of those characters I want desperately as a friend. She’s courageous, loyal, clever, strong and most importantly – she loves books. Nathaniel Thorn: I just want to collect all the happiness in the world and throw it at him. He’s awesome and I want to live in his house! And finally, I can’t write this without mentioning it – can we please talk about how awesome Silas is? He’s easily the best character, I grew to love him with all my heart. I liked the concept of him being a pure evil being, but with the ability to grow and develop something beyond the boundaries of his “race”. (I’m sorry, English is not my first language and I can’t think of a better word right now, if you have a suggestion, please let me know, I’m always eager to learn). I love this book with all my heart, I already got the audio book so I can listen to it throughout my daily tasks because I don’t want to/can’t let this story go. And please – I really need to know what happened with the strawberry jam!!!! And I would love to read more of the world, the characters etc. Give me more books of it and I cry. I WANT MORE!!!!
3.5
Ich mag die Bücher von Margaret Rogerson einfach. Die ersten 2/3 waren sehr langsam und nicht überragend, aber das letzte Drittel hat’s echt rausgeholt. War insgesamt dann doch super spannend und Sweet und ich fand die Idee mit den Grimoures mega gut! Der einzige einzige Minuspunkt ist, dass das Buch mit einem Cliffhanger endet, jedenfalls empfinde ich es so. Und das ist für einen Einzelband echt mies…
"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." i really wanted to love this and was sure to five star this after the first pages but oh well! i adored the beginning of this book, but i must admit the later parts kind of lost me. so 3.5 stars from me first off, the setting and the world-building is amazing. i loved her writing and the prose was gorgeous. her beautiful descriptions (especially of the great libraries and the books there) made me feel all the magic. the world with all its intricacies made me smile throughout the whole book, and really captivated me. but the characters. ugh. while i loved nathaniel and silas, elisabeth was really bordering on unlikeable sometimes. her naivety was so annoying, like you're really trying to tell me a 16 year old does not have any common sense or logical thinking capabilities? i get that she grew up sheltered but at times i genuinely felt like i was reading about a 10 year old. then there's the villain that felt like such a cookie cutter villain and wasn't interesting the least. also i really liked the plot up until the later storylines which i did not care much about so i skimmed a lot of it. the pacing was alright for the most part but the "action" scenes were so slow and drawn out, completely failed to engage me. the book had such a strong start but the end fell very flat for me. as i really love the world she created, i will definitely be picking up the sequel novella though. it has so much potential, especially since elisabeth surely matured after the events so they can't have her acting like a 10 y/o, right? right?? "Ink and parchment flowed through her veins. The magic of the Great Libraries lived in her very bones. They were a part of her, and she a part of them." gimme me more of this world
Guys I don’t care what anyone says this book is 5/5 stars.I love the plot and every single character.especially Nathaniel he could end me and I would be glad.(I’m down bad for this man😭)
Meinung Der Schreibstil von Margaret Rogerson hat mich bereits auf der ersten Seite gefesselt und mich durch das gesamte Buch hinweg nicht mehr losgelassen. Von all den Dingen, die dafür gesorgt haben, dass ich mich in die Geschichte verliebt habe, waren die Beschreibungen und Details definitiv diejenigen, die das Buch zu etwas absolut besonderen machen. Ich liebe die Idee hinter den Grimoires und die Art & Weise, wie die Autorin mich mit jedem Satz mehr verzaubern konnte. Jede Seite sprüht für mich Magie aus und ich möchte am liebsten wieder in diese Welt eintauchen. Elisabeth war mir von der ersten Seite an sympathisch. Ich mochte ihre forsche und dennoch irgendwie zurückhaltende Art ~ ihr Humor hat darüber hinaus für einige Lacher gesorgt und ihr einen schönen Tiefgang verliehen. Was mir an ihr am besten gefallen hat, war ihre charakterliche Stärke und die Entwicklung, die sie durch das Buch hinweg durchmacht. Nathaniel als Gegenpart hat mich absolut in seinen Bann ziehen können. Er ist ein absolut liebenswürdiger Charakter und hat unglaublich viele Facetten, wobei mir jede einzelne von ihnen gefallen hat. Bei ihm ging es mir, wie bei Elisabeth ~ ich mochte seine Entwicklung und die Stärke, die er ausgestrahlt hat. Beide haben das ein oder andere Mal dafür gesorgt, dass ich Tränen in den Augen hatte und sie in den Arm nehmen wollte. Die Beziehung von Elisabeth und Nathaniel konnte mich ebenfalls absolut überzeugen. Ich mochte das langsame Herantasten und den Aufbau sehr gerne. Ihre ganze Art, miteinander umzugehen hat jedes Mal dafür gesorgt, dass mein Herz einen freudigen Satz gemacht hat. Ich habe mich mit den beiden zusammen verliebt und könnte noch unendlich viele Bücher über sie lesen, zudem haben sie mich auch sehr oft zum Lachen gebracht und im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes verzaubert. Die Nebencharaktere haben mich ebenfalls sehr überzeugen können. Ich fand es sehr schön, dass sie alle ihren eigenen Willen hatten und man gemerkt hat, dass sie durch spezifische Dinge angetrieben wurden. Vor allem Silas, der für mich eigentlich kein Nebencharakter mehr ist, hat mein Herz absolut für sich gewinnen können. Die Handlung an sich, war durchgehend unheimlich spannend. Es gab Wendungen, mit denen ich nicht gerechnet habe, Situationen, in denen ich die Luft angehalten und mitgefiebert habe. Margaret Rogerson schafft eine wunderbare Kombination von Spannung, Humor und Liebe in diesem Buch, die wirklich an Magie grenzt. Das Ende hat mir auf der einen Seite das Herz gebrochen und auf der anderen Seite ganz viel Hoffnung gegeben. Ich hätte mir nichts Besseres vorstellen und mir nicht mehr für die Charaktere wünschen können. Mein Herz hüpft noch jetzt in meiner Brust, wenn ich daran zurückdenke. Fazit Somit komme ich 5 von 5 Sterne. Das Buch hat sich zu einem Jahres-Highlight entwickelt und wenn ich könnte, dann würde ich es jedem in die Hand drücken. Es sprüht nur so vor Magie und der Liebe zu Büchern ~ Nathaniel, Elisabeth, Silas und die unzähligen Grimoires haben einen ganz besondern Platz in meinem Herzen. Ihr solltet euch dieses Buch wirklich nicht entgehen lassen.
3 ⭐️ scarse. Tre stelle scarse perché ci sono oggettivamente dei problemi, ma comunque la storia in se, non è male. Anzi! Si percepisce l'inesperienza dell'autrice, essendo questo il suo secondo libro, e, forse, sta ricercando ancora il proprio stile. Il vero problema sta nella messa nel testo delle sue idee, soprattutto nei dialoghi, che nella prima parte del romanzo mi sono ritrovata a odiare per quanto superficiali e, a volte, senza un senso logico. La trama non è originale, vista e rivista, ma comunque mi ha intrattenuto al punto che alla mattina ero al 20% del libro e dopo 12h l'ho finto. Il romanzo non ricade in molti clichè YA che si possono ritrovare in questo genere di libri. L'autrice non racconta il worldbilding e molte cose vengono dette ma non spiegate: un esempio proprio riferito alla protagonista che a quanto pare non è la prescelta di turno (metto subito in chiaro questa cosa, che ho assai gradito) ma non viene più spiegato cosa lei è effettivamente per il mondo dopo la metà libro (non voglio aggiungere altro per non fare eccessivi spoiler). Anche il protagonista non è la solita pera cotta che deve salvare l'intrepida donzella protagonista, è un supporto concreto, è presente una dinamica odio-amore tra i due però diciamo che non si avvicina troppo al "colpo di fulmine" (come sempre in molti altri YA). Il nemico di turno è una figura di spicco nel pletora di nemici del mondo YA, ma penso che questa pecca sia da attribuire all'inesperienza dell'autrice. Come ho detto il libro ha oggettivamente delle pecche (per alcuni potrebbero essere troppo semplicistiche e sbrigativi per risolvere alcune situazioni presenti) ma secondo me funzionano nella storia. Per questo ho dato 3 stelle, ci sono le potenzialità che questa autrice, con molta pratica e tempo, riesca a portare qualcosa di oggettivamente molto interessante e bello. N.B. A prenscindere dal libro non capisco il rating datogli: secondo me è eccessivamente troppo alto.
4.5-5⭐
Im Endeffekt gab es zu viele tolle Stellen um für meine kleinen Kritikpunkte einen Stern abzuziehen. Kann ich nur wärmstens empfehlen, besonders geeignet für Buddy Reading!
Beschreibung
Beiträge
Ich hatte mäßig hohe Erwartungen, aber ungefähr ab der Mitte hat mich die Geschichte überhaupt nicht mehr interessiert. Hab mich auch oft gefragt, was gerade überhaupt passiert… Schade eigentlich..
Wenn das Buch nicht seit einiger Zeit auf meinem Stapel der Schande gewesen wäre hätte ich es abgebrochen💀
After finishing this book I could not decide on how to rate it. On the one hand, there are quite a few details I didn’t like, but at the same time I found myself surrounded by new and intriguing characters. This is difficult for me, yet I‘m gonna try to put all my thoughts in this short review. Firstly, I am not entirely happy with the main characters. While I love Silas and like Nathaniel, I don’t know what to make of Elisabeth. She has such a gentle name and at first she also appears that way - gentle and naive. This changes FAST. One day she just sits at her table and reads and the next day she is perfect with a sword and cuts down several enemies. Mhhhh... I like her better that way, but this quick change out of nowhere doesn’t seem logical. By far the best character is Silas - a demon. How I love those dark and pretty creatures. Or not so dark at all? He is one of the most interesting characters I‘ve had the pleasure to „meet“ in a while. Nathanial could talk more. When he does, he is cunning, funny and charming all at once. Unfortunately, most of his time he spends brooding. Grimoires play a very big role in this story. They are books that can talk and have magic and feelings. As an enthusiastic booknerd, how can I not love that fact? Apart from that, most of the storyline is rather unimpressive. It’s not boring but also doesn’t leave you with the want to know more. However, the end was dramatic, a little sad and overall perfect.
Das ist auf jeden Fall eines meiner Jahreshighlights. Einer der besten Einzelbände die ich jemals gelesen habe.
Loved it!
I read many good reviews of this book and still it managed to surprise me. It had me in its chokehold till the very beautiful and absolutely perfect ending.
The protagonist of "Sorcery of Thorns" is Elisabeth, a teenage orphan who has been raised in a library full of animate grimoires. The story starts off with her being the only surviving witness of sabotage, which causes the new library director to accuse her of the sabotage and send her to the capital for trial. Her escort to the trial are a sorcerer (which Elisabeth has been told are evil) and his demon familiar (which are the source of a sorcerer's power and therefore the source of their evil). Innocent as she is, Elisabeth has to prove her innocence and find out who and why sabotaged the library in reality, all the while finding out who she can trust and who she can't. I really fell in love with the worldbuilding, the story behind the grimoires, and the way Elisabeth interacted with them. The way sorcery worked in this book was also interesting and fascinating, but even more fascinating was the character of Silas. I really loved his complexities. The beginning of the story feels like high fantasy in a world very different from our own, so I was a little surprised and confused when I realised the book is more of a historical fantasy, set in a parallel version of our own 13th century, but once I accepted that, I found it worked very well. Finally, the main plot concerning the sabotage and the saboteur as a villain kept me interested during the whole book, and I devoured the book, always needing to know what happened next. I really recommend it for fans of fantasy.
4.5/5 A good and easy fantasy with magical books and demonic powers at play to try and stop a plan made centuries ago … would read again, purely for my demonic baby boy Silas. The romance was a bit meh (also because they are legit 16 and 18) but cute. The magic was interesting and well written and the world sucks you in lika a portal to the Otherworld ;) The ending tho, why Margaret, why give us hope in the last damn sentence. Now I wish this was not a stand-alone and I am omw to the bookstore to get the novella.
The book started super strong with a very interesting plot and magic system, but didn’t catch me completely. I could feel the female rage, which was kinda my fav part. The writing was lyrical (just how I like it), so it was a nice read overall.
A good and easy fantasy with magical books and demonic powers at play to try and stop a plan made centuries ago … would read again, purely for my demonic baby boy Silas. The romance was a bit meh (also because they are legit 16 and 18) but cute. The magic was interesting and well written and the world sucks you in lika a portal to the Otherworld ;) The ending tho, why Margaret, why give us hope in the last damn sentence. Now I wish this was not a stand-alone and I am omw to the bookstore to get the novella.
Pleasantly surprised by this one. It's a great read!
This is the first book I started and actually finished in ... I don't even know how long. It's been too long since I read anything and I missed it so much. Honestly, I didn't think I would be so incredibly excited about it. But ... I was hooked right from the beginning. The world, the surroundings, the plot, the characters itself and all the mysteries and secrets Elisabeth had to unravel instantly pulled me into it and made me want MORE. The main characters are awesome and interesting each in their own way and I JUST LOVED THEM ALL SO MUCH. ♥ The general atmosphere of the book, the whole idea and everything with the grimoires were fascinating! I wanted to know more about the Libraries and all the different books - seriously, give me a book JUST about all the grimoires - I'm sure I'd love that! So overall I enjoyed this one so, so, so much! Definitely recommend reading it yourself!
Loved it ❤️
This book is a magical journey with magic, demons and a lot more bit it also is about the value of friendship ✨️
I actually loved it. Is is easy to follow the actions and its never getting boring while reading. Elisabeth and Scrivener and Nathaniel Thorn are having an really amazing relationship which is developing throughout the book. Theory reason for my 4.5 stars was the fact that it sometimes felt like too much action. There wasn't really a pause to catch your breach but the tensioning created was great. I totally recommend reading this if you like magical, slow-burn books with lots of action going on. 😋
Am Anfang habe ich eine Weile gebraucht um rein zu kommen, aber nach ein paar Kapiteln hat es mich richtig mitgerissen und ich konnte es nicht mehr aus der Hand legen. Es passierten einige unerwartete Dinge und obwohl das Ende für mich schon relativ früh abzusehen war, behielt das Buch durchgehend seine Spannung. Elisabeth ist ein sehr starker Charakter, aber trotzdem nicht perfekt und gerade dadurch fand ich es leicht, mit ihr und Nathaniel mitzufühlen.
Ahhhh this was so amazing!! I had this on my TBR for months and always hoped I would find it in a bookstore somewhere and when it finally happened I was SO HAPPY! Aaaand it did not disappoint. I loved the world Margaret Rogerson built, especially the libraries and books. I want to have a book as a pet now :( Something harmless, like the book Katrien gave Elisabeth in the beginning. The details about how the libraries are organized, how the books work and also the informations on sorcery and the demonic realm we got were so interesting!! The only thing I didn't like was that it was very predictable who was going to be the villain from the moment they entered the story. Maybe it was because I had read a book with a very similar "Plot-twist" right before this one (I use that word lightly because it was hardly a plot-twist at all in this book) but it felt obvious and a little boring to me. Despite the boring villain, the protagonists and supporting characters were wonderful! I loved Elisabeth, Nathanial, Silas and Katrien; and the nuances of being friends with a demon ;) 5 out of 5, would DEFINITELY recommend!
2.5 - 3 Sterne. Eigentlich wollte ich noch eine ausführliche Rezension zum Buch schreiben, aber mir sind mittlerweile so viele andere Bücher dazwischen gekommen, dass ich viele Details zum Buch bereits wieder vergessen habe. Die Grundidee hat mir gut gefallen, aber es gab einige Ungereimtheiten im Plot (vor allem was den Schauplatzwechsel angeht), die mich enttäuscht haben. Ansonsten ist mir relativ wenig in Erinnerung geblieben, was nicht unbedingt für das Buch spricht ;D
Grandiose Idee mit leider nur halb so guter Umsetzung
Man taucht direkt ab dem ersten Kapitel in die Welt der Hauptprotagonistin Elisabeth ein. Durch die lebendige Beschreibung der Autorin kann man sich direkt in das Setting der Bibliothek mit seinen lebenden Büchern einfühlen. Die Charaktere waren vielschichtig und realistisch. Besonders gut gefallen hat mir Silas, ein sehr komplexer Charakter. Dessen Beschreibung und Ausarbeitung mich wirklich begeistert hat. Die Handlung fand ich spannend, es gab immer wieder Momente an denen ich dachte, dass die Geschichte sich jetzt etwas in die Länge ziehen wird, aber das war nie der Fall. Das Tempo war angenehm und für mich gab es keine unnötigen Längen im Buch. Für mich definitiv ein Buch was ich eventuell nochmal auf Deutsch lesen will, obwohl es auf Englisch auch gut verständlich war. Ich glaube jedoch, dass einem beim ersten Mal lesen nicht alle Details auffallen. Einen halben Punkt ziehe ich ab, da die Handlung gerade zum Schluss hin manchmal etwas vorhersehbar war. Fazit: definitiv ein Buch für jeden der „dark academia“, Hogwarts-Bibliothek-vibes, Schwerte, Magie und auch eine kleine Liebesgeschichte mag die aber nicht im Vordergrund steht. Große Leseempfehlung von mir! 🖤
Dieses Buch war definitiv eine Überraschung. Ich habe es zufällig als leichtes Fantasy-Hörbuch für die täglichen U-Bahn-Fahrten begonnen und am Anfang war es auch genau das. Ich hab nur nicht damit gerechnet, dass es mich tatsächlich so in die Geschichte hinein zieht, dass die Charaktere ausgefeilter waren als gefacht und vor allem: Die Welt, die Magie mit ihren Dämonen und Magistern hat mich bis zum Ende vollends überzeugt. Ich fand die Idee mit den Bibliotheken nett, aber dachte nie, dass ich am Ende so begeiste wäre von Elizabeth, Nathanial, Silas und den "Grimoiren". Kann ich nur wärmstens empfehlen.
A great story! Elizabeth and Nathaniel have a great dynamic and the concept of magic in the world is gorgeous! Margaret Rogerson has a beautiful writing style that pulls you right in.
I loved Nathaniel so much, and I really did like the story overall. The one thing that didn't convince me as much was the ending. It felt a bit rushed, and just overly convenient, which annoyed me a bit, but I'd definitely recommend this book! The fact that it's a fantasy standalone even makes it better!
The first 100 to 150ish pages were quite good, the last half of the very last chapter and epilogue was nice.Everything in between was alright. A lot of words and what felt like little action. Though it’s not like nothing happened but it just felt like it wasn’t necessary enough to justify the amount of space it took up in the book.However, I will say that this was way better in regards to the pacing and the story itself than Enchantment of Ravens. The writing was nice too!
Eine tolle Story, spannend und leidenschaftlich mit leichten Längen.
actual rating: 4.75 ⭐️
4.5☆ Hold me accountable, i am gonna write a review of this book :)
3.5 ⭐️ The world and characters where great. Especially the first half of the book is really intriguing but the heroine makes some weird decisions/plans I just couldn’t understand. I would have loved to have the story more take place in the library setting. Really liked the epilogue so I might give the next book in the series a chance!
I loved this book. I got it free with my Fairyloot subscription and I thought it was exactly what I would read as soon as I saw the blurb on the back. It had me hooked from page one. A brilliant story, great YA fantasy and amazing writing. I loved it!
Dieses Buch hat mich sofort in seinen Bann gezogen!
ausführliche Rezension bei Instagram @ember.books 🫶🏻
4,5 Sterne für ein magisches Abenteuer inmitten von großen Büchereien, lebenden Büchern, böser Zauberei, Dämonenbeschwörungen und einer süßen Lovestory. Die Protagonistin (Elizabeth, Nathaniel und Silas) waren für mich von Anfang an sympathisch und sind mir sehr schnell ans Herz gewachsen. Ab und zu waren mir die actionreichen, detailliert beschriebenen Szenen (oder Kampfszenen) zu lang, aber vielleicht liegt das auch daran, dass ich das je nach Laune auch mal stärker überfliege. Die Story an sich empfand ich durchaus aus originell. Vom Gefühl her hatte ich durch einzelne Situationen, Elemente oder Charaktere ab und zu Erinnerungen an andere Geschichten wie Stalking Jack the Ripper, Scythe, Die Schöne und das Biest, Evenfall oder auch Acotar. Aber nicht so, dass es kopiert wirkte. Mehr etwas, das mir im positiven Sinne gefallen hat und vielleicht daher die Assoziation zu anderen Lieblingsbüchern geweckt hat. Die ersten 50 Seiten hatte ich noch leichte Anlaufschwierigkeiten, weil ich erst einmal das Konzept der Fantasy und ihren magischen Elementen verstehen musste, aber danach habe ich das Buch fast in einem Zug verschlungen. Ich hoffe sehr, dass vielleicht doch noch ein Sequel kommen wird!!!
Spannend, voller Action und mit starker Protagonistin. Absolute Empfehlung!
Really enjoyed the story, I however wished the author would have dived in a little more into the relationship between Elisabeth and Nathaniel because to me it always seemed like her and Silas had more potential for an actual relationship than her and Nathaniel - in my opinion at least. And that cliffhanger… I mean seriously?! Why though I just want to know why because that part… I mean I just wanna know so that my brain will stop thinking about it… but putting that aside, it‘s a really good story and it captured me from the beginning till the end:)
4,75 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reading this was the equivalent to watching a Harry potter Movie. This was just perfection.
„Sorcery of Thorns“ war mein erstes Fairy-Loot-Buch und kam in einer wirklich hübschen Sonderausgabe mit einem Interview und einem unveröffentlichten Kapitel (das ich nich nicht gelesen habe). Ich hatte keine besonders hohen Erwartungen an die Geschichten, wiederholsen sich im YA-Bereich doch so viele Plots. Doch ich wurde positiv überrascht. Elisabeth begegnet uns zunächst als ehrgeizige, aber sehr angepasste und zurückhaltende junge Bibliothekarin. Sie saugt die Lehren ihrer Vorbilder in sich auf, ohne sie zu hinterfragen und lebt in ihrer eigenen kleinen Blase der Welt. Bis diese eines Tages in ihren Grundfesten erschüttert wird. Die Entwicklung, die dieser Charakter nun durchlebt, hat mich positiv überrascht. Elisabeth wächst weit über sich hinaus, geht über ihre Grenzen und zeigt sehr viel Leidenschaft und Mut. Als die ersten „starken Männercharaktere“ ins Spiel kamen, befürchtete ich eine typische Prinz-rettet-schwaches-Mädchen-Erzählung, doch ich wurde eines Besseren belehrt. Ja, es gibt eine kleine Lovestory, aber sie bleibt Nebensache. Im Mittelpunkt steht bis zum Schluss das Mädchen, das zu einer furchtlosen jungen Frau wird und ihre Vorurteile überwindet. „Sorcery of Thorns“ ist ein tolles Buch für introvertierte Teenagermädels, die sich unsicher fühlen und Angst davor haben, eigene Wege zu gehen. Es ist eine mutmachende Geschichte, die zeigt, dass Frauen nicht nur „nette Deko“, sondern echte Kämpferinnen sind, die die Welt retten können.
Endlich nach 7Monaten ist es geschafft, dazwischen habe ich viel anderes gelesen und ich weiß gar nicht warum. Immer wenn ich weiter lesen wollte oder habe, dachte ich: Mmh, lieber was anderes... Aber: Die Geschichte ist gut. Die Charaktere sind toll. Silas ist so ein toller Charakter. Das Ende war richtig gut. Das Buch hat alle Elemente, um es zu lieben, aber ich fand es, oft etwas langatmig und war beim Lesen gelangweilt, wobei ich nicht sagen kann, warum. Alles scheint zu stimmen. Ob es der Erzählstil ist oder ob die Geschichte einfach nicht meins ist. Vielleicht muss man das Buch einfach auch am Stück lesen, wer weiß. Ich bin froh es zu ende gelesen zu haben, denn es hat sich gelohnt.
4.5 stars
Oh. My. Freaking. God. I absolutely love this book. I love Elisabeth, I love Nathaniel, I love Silas. I love the story building and the world everything is setting in. Hello? Magic, sorcerers, secrets, libraries, books, grimoires, ... what more do i need to list out? Did I yet say books? They reminded me of Harry Potter and the alive books they studied at Hogwarts and i loved Elisabeth‘s superpowers that were not really super powers yet made quite a difference to everything going on. I need to let everything sink in and write a proper review. I got so much more to say about this amazing book of which I’m so hoping there will be a sequel at some point. Go, read this book!!!
First off, this is a fantastic read. Very neat style of writing, absolutely catching, keeping you hooked.
The things which keep nagging at me after finishing this book are the reasons why I can't give it a flatout 5 star. First of all, Elisabeth has a certain power which allows her to travel to certain places no one else can. At first glance, this seems awesome and I read along... and read along.. and there NEVER came an explanation as for why she can do this. Someone just told her: "Oi, you're a thaumaturge" and Elisabeth is just FINE with that. She doesn't even discuss this on page with Nathaniel, which strikes me as weird. Additionally, Ashcroft finally gets to Prendergast as well, but we never get to know how he did it. If he used someone else to do it, then Elisabeth isn't as unique as initially proposed. This left me with a bit of a question mark. Secondly: the love subplot was too sudden. One chapter Elisabeth describes her relationship to Nathaniel as distant acceptance, where she and him just live next to each other, not really interacting or even being interested in each other. But then, suddenly, she's flushing and wishing he'd be hers. It's a bit too quick - or just not worked out enough for me. Third: My, such an ending! I want more now 😩 I seriously hope that there will be a sequel.
perfect book to start off autumn season. made me want to summon my own demon so we can have tea parties and go on the occasional quest to bring down the forces of hell together.
leider sehr enttäuschend
ich fand die grundidee gar nicht so schlecht, aber die umsetzung mäßig. charaktere waren flat und der arc irgendwie langweilig. jemand hatte das als slow burn bezeichnet, aber das sehe ich nicht so, da elisabeth und nathaniel nicht nur 0 chemistry haben, sie haben auch kaum interaktionen, die ihre beziehung aufbaut. ich hätte mir da mehr gewünscht. romantically ist hier leider nichts zu holen. silas als charakter fand ich allerdings genial - um mal was positives zu sagen. ich habe ihn geliebt und er war rich und interesting. das ende fand ich auch ganz ok, habe allerdings viel überflogen, weil ich es einfach durch haben wollte. die kämpfe waren fad und irgendwie fehlte da einfach der pepp. so richtig sinn gemacht hat das ganze zudem ja auch nicht. es war frustrierend dass niemand ihr/den beiden glauben wollte, aber das war auch zu repetitive, als dass es gut sein konnte. manchmal kann frustration ja auch was positives sein, hier war ich aber bloß genervt und es wurde dadurch langweilig. ich finde auch dass es nicht wirklich sinn gemacht hat, dass elisabeth als 16 jährige plötzlich mit dem schwert loszieht. so richtig erklärt wurde nicht, ob das vielleicht teil in ihrer ausbildung war ? ihre entwicklung wirkte sehr sprunghaft und unnatürlich. nathaniel hatte für mich keine wirkliche personality. er war ganz cute wenn er so unsicher wurde, aber dann ließ er immer den "ich seh so gut aus" bachelor raushängen, was aber auch nicht tief genug ging, um ihn repelling zu machen oder interesting. auch, dass er plötzlich bi ist, fand ich sehr unnatürlich - der junge hat seit 6 jahren albträume, kapselt sich ab und will mir gleichzeitig weismachen, er habe ein liebesleben mit beiden geschlechtern - ich glaube eher nicht. außerdem war es so komisch, dass er das plötzlich so raushaut, weil er sonst auch nicht wirklich privates erzählt, aber klar mal eben zu sagen, dass man mal auf den prinz stand, macht natürlich sinn. hat dem plot nichts gegeben. wäre dann schon cooler gewesen, wenn das sein ex gewesen wäre und da wäre vielleicht ein bisschen eifersucht geflossen oder so. irgendwie nicht ganz zu ende gedacht, wie aber vieles in diesem buch. ich mochte aber die welt an sich, das magische haus, die dämonen und sprechenden bücher, das war schon gut beschrieben.
4.5 ✨ Firstly: I could not believe that I waited so long to read this book. Sorcery of Thorns is all over Bookstagram and YouTube as a recommendation, even though its release was in 2019. From the first page, I had no issues at all welcoming the world and soaking in the storyline. Elisabeth was an interesting heroine, but I find that her characterization needed to be more fleshed out. She understands magic, grimoires, libraries, and her role in them. There's an edge to Elisabeth that I liked too, a keenness of anger and determination, and it's what anchors a very moving journey of self-realization. As I read along, it felt like it was intertwined with elements from Howl’s Moving Castle and had some Victorian England vibes. Nathaniel and his witty humor and sass were the highlights of this book for me. His banter with his unsettling close-mouthed Silas, his tormented nightmares, the secrets we glimpse only quickly through the corridors of his mansion... all of these things kept me glued to the page. Like Elisabeth, I wanted to shatter the cold mask of stone that Nathaniel seemed to slip down over himself in her presence. And Silas... I have no words for him. He was interesting and stirred my curiosity about his true intentions. Even though he is close-mouthed, he has a charm on him and as Elizabeth, I fell for him and have him close to my heart. However, I did find a couple of things the book lacked, like world-building. I don't know anything about this world, beyond the fact that we have six libraries in it. I wished there was more elaboration on that. As I read along, there is so much happening, that in the first third, the villain is already faced. I really needed to double-check, how much I still need to read: and there were like 200 pages left? And there was already the showdown? I feared the worst. As familiar as the novel’s story is, Rogerson’s success lies in the way she infuses exhilarating new life into it through tenderly compelling characters, writing, and premise. BUT there were several times throughout the book when I found myself dragging to get through the unnecessarily long story and felt bogged down by it. If there’s a failing in Sorcery of Thorns, it’s that the ending feels rushed in the novel’s last few chapters, and too easy to believe (the narrative might have handed the characters a few too many gifts). Minor quibble notwithstanding, Sorcery of Thorns is an enjoyable read and I kind of hope the author writes more in this world. And this is why I will give it "only" 4,5 Stars. I beg Margaret for another book (not a novel!) because the characters and world are just *mwah*.
(My first review ever, I hope it’s not too bad, but I loved this book so much I just had to write about it) I started reading this book knowing only two things: A girl grew up and lives in a library, and there are magical books. That sounded intriguing enough, and I ended up loving every single page of it. Elisabeth Scrivener grew up in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, among magical books called grimoires, which can turn into monsters called Maleficts if provoked. Its her dream to become a warden, a protector of the Great Library. But when an act of sabotage sets free a Malefict and Elisabeth is the only one there to fight and defeat it, she becomes a suspect. Drawn into a conflict even bigger than she could’ve imagined, she is confronted with Sorcerers and demons, and is forced to question everything she’s been told all her life, especially that all sorcery is evil. This book is simply magical. The atmosphere, the world building, the characters, all of it is so well written. I liked that the villain’s intention behind his acts was never clear until the final part of the book, and it took me by surprise, which is always a good element of a book. I was fascinated by the magic system and the character development was plausible and well written. I also liked the humor in it, it was not too much, but really refreshing now and then and it actually made me laugh out loud. I usually don’t care much about romance in books, but I really liked how it was handled in this book, not being the main plot, but a slowly developing subplot. The friendship between Elisabeth and Katrien is so beautiful and I love that it plays an important part throughout the story, sending me the message that not only romantic relationships, but friendships are important as well to succeed and to be able to face everything life throws at you. Elisabeth Scrivener: She’s one of those characters I want desperately as a friend. She’s courageous, loyal, clever, strong and most importantly – she loves books. Nathaniel Thorn: I just want to collect all the happiness in the world and throw it at him. He’s awesome and I want to live in his house! And finally, I can’t write this without mentioning it – can we please talk about how awesome Silas is? He’s easily the best character, I grew to love him with all my heart. I liked the concept of him being a pure evil being, but with the ability to grow and develop something beyond the boundaries of his “race”. (I’m sorry, English is not my first language and I can’t think of a better word right now, if you have a suggestion, please let me know, I’m always eager to learn). I love this book with all my heart, I already got the audio book so I can listen to it throughout my daily tasks because I don’t want to/can’t let this story go. And please – I really need to know what happened with the strawberry jam!!!! And I would love to read more of the world, the characters etc. Give me more books of it and I cry. I WANT MORE!!!!
3.5
Ich mag die Bücher von Margaret Rogerson einfach. Die ersten 2/3 waren sehr langsam und nicht überragend, aber das letzte Drittel hat’s echt rausgeholt. War insgesamt dann doch super spannend und Sweet und ich fand die Idee mit den Grimoures mega gut! Der einzige einzige Minuspunkt ist, dass das Buch mit einem Cliffhanger endet, jedenfalls empfinde ich es so. Und das ist für einen Einzelband echt mies…
"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." i really wanted to love this and was sure to five star this after the first pages but oh well! i adored the beginning of this book, but i must admit the later parts kind of lost me. so 3.5 stars from me first off, the setting and the world-building is amazing. i loved her writing and the prose was gorgeous. her beautiful descriptions (especially of the great libraries and the books there) made me feel all the magic. the world with all its intricacies made me smile throughout the whole book, and really captivated me. but the characters. ugh. while i loved nathaniel and silas, elisabeth was really bordering on unlikeable sometimes. her naivety was so annoying, like you're really trying to tell me a 16 year old does not have any common sense or logical thinking capabilities? i get that she grew up sheltered but at times i genuinely felt like i was reading about a 10 year old. then there's the villain that felt like such a cookie cutter villain and wasn't interesting the least. also i really liked the plot up until the later storylines which i did not care much about so i skimmed a lot of it. the pacing was alright for the most part but the "action" scenes were so slow and drawn out, completely failed to engage me. the book had such a strong start but the end fell very flat for me. as i really love the world she created, i will definitely be picking up the sequel novella though. it has so much potential, especially since elisabeth surely matured after the events so they can't have her acting like a 10 y/o, right? right?? "Ink and parchment flowed through her veins. The magic of the Great Libraries lived in her very bones. They were a part of her, and she a part of them." gimme me more of this world
Guys I don’t care what anyone says this book is 5/5 stars.I love the plot and every single character.especially Nathaniel he could end me and I would be glad.(I’m down bad for this man😭)
Meinung Der Schreibstil von Margaret Rogerson hat mich bereits auf der ersten Seite gefesselt und mich durch das gesamte Buch hinweg nicht mehr losgelassen. Von all den Dingen, die dafür gesorgt haben, dass ich mich in die Geschichte verliebt habe, waren die Beschreibungen und Details definitiv diejenigen, die das Buch zu etwas absolut besonderen machen. Ich liebe die Idee hinter den Grimoires und die Art & Weise, wie die Autorin mich mit jedem Satz mehr verzaubern konnte. Jede Seite sprüht für mich Magie aus und ich möchte am liebsten wieder in diese Welt eintauchen. Elisabeth war mir von der ersten Seite an sympathisch. Ich mochte ihre forsche und dennoch irgendwie zurückhaltende Art ~ ihr Humor hat darüber hinaus für einige Lacher gesorgt und ihr einen schönen Tiefgang verliehen. Was mir an ihr am besten gefallen hat, war ihre charakterliche Stärke und die Entwicklung, die sie durch das Buch hinweg durchmacht. Nathaniel als Gegenpart hat mich absolut in seinen Bann ziehen können. Er ist ein absolut liebenswürdiger Charakter und hat unglaublich viele Facetten, wobei mir jede einzelne von ihnen gefallen hat. Bei ihm ging es mir, wie bei Elisabeth ~ ich mochte seine Entwicklung und die Stärke, die er ausgestrahlt hat. Beide haben das ein oder andere Mal dafür gesorgt, dass ich Tränen in den Augen hatte und sie in den Arm nehmen wollte. Die Beziehung von Elisabeth und Nathaniel konnte mich ebenfalls absolut überzeugen. Ich mochte das langsame Herantasten und den Aufbau sehr gerne. Ihre ganze Art, miteinander umzugehen hat jedes Mal dafür gesorgt, dass mein Herz einen freudigen Satz gemacht hat. Ich habe mich mit den beiden zusammen verliebt und könnte noch unendlich viele Bücher über sie lesen, zudem haben sie mich auch sehr oft zum Lachen gebracht und im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes verzaubert. Die Nebencharaktere haben mich ebenfalls sehr überzeugen können. Ich fand es sehr schön, dass sie alle ihren eigenen Willen hatten und man gemerkt hat, dass sie durch spezifische Dinge angetrieben wurden. Vor allem Silas, der für mich eigentlich kein Nebencharakter mehr ist, hat mein Herz absolut für sich gewinnen können. Die Handlung an sich, war durchgehend unheimlich spannend. Es gab Wendungen, mit denen ich nicht gerechnet habe, Situationen, in denen ich die Luft angehalten und mitgefiebert habe. Margaret Rogerson schafft eine wunderbare Kombination von Spannung, Humor und Liebe in diesem Buch, die wirklich an Magie grenzt. Das Ende hat mir auf der einen Seite das Herz gebrochen und auf der anderen Seite ganz viel Hoffnung gegeben. Ich hätte mir nichts Besseres vorstellen und mir nicht mehr für die Charaktere wünschen können. Mein Herz hüpft noch jetzt in meiner Brust, wenn ich daran zurückdenke. Fazit Somit komme ich 5 von 5 Sterne. Das Buch hat sich zu einem Jahres-Highlight entwickelt und wenn ich könnte, dann würde ich es jedem in die Hand drücken. Es sprüht nur so vor Magie und der Liebe zu Büchern ~ Nathaniel, Elisabeth, Silas und die unzähligen Grimoires haben einen ganz besondern Platz in meinem Herzen. Ihr solltet euch dieses Buch wirklich nicht entgehen lassen.
3 ⭐️ scarse. Tre stelle scarse perché ci sono oggettivamente dei problemi, ma comunque la storia in se, non è male. Anzi! Si percepisce l'inesperienza dell'autrice, essendo questo il suo secondo libro, e, forse, sta ricercando ancora il proprio stile. Il vero problema sta nella messa nel testo delle sue idee, soprattutto nei dialoghi, che nella prima parte del romanzo mi sono ritrovata a odiare per quanto superficiali e, a volte, senza un senso logico. La trama non è originale, vista e rivista, ma comunque mi ha intrattenuto al punto che alla mattina ero al 20% del libro e dopo 12h l'ho finto. Il romanzo non ricade in molti clichè YA che si possono ritrovare in questo genere di libri. L'autrice non racconta il worldbilding e molte cose vengono dette ma non spiegate: un esempio proprio riferito alla protagonista che a quanto pare non è la prescelta di turno (metto subito in chiaro questa cosa, che ho assai gradito) ma non viene più spiegato cosa lei è effettivamente per il mondo dopo la metà libro (non voglio aggiungere altro per non fare eccessivi spoiler). Anche il protagonista non è la solita pera cotta che deve salvare l'intrepida donzella protagonista, è un supporto concreto, è presente una dinamica odio-amore tra i due però diciamo che non si avvicina troppo al "colpo di fulmine" (come sempre in molti altri YA). Il nemico di turno è una figura di spicco nel pletora di nemici del mondo YA, ma penso che questa pecca sia da attribuire all'inesperienza dell'autrice. Come ho detto il libro ha oggettivamente delle pecche (per alcuni potrebbero essere troppo semplicistiche e sbrigativi per risolvere alcune situazioni presenti) ma secondo me funzionano nella storia. Per questo ho dato 3 stelle, ci sono le potenzialità che questa autrice, con molta pratica e tempo, riesca a portare qualcosa di oggettivamente molto interessante e bello. N.B. A prenscindere dal libro non capisco il rating datogli: secondo me è eccessivamente troppo alto.
4.5-5⭐
Im Endeffekt gab es zu viele tolle Stellen um für meine kleinen Kritikpunkte einen Stern abzuziehen. Kann ich nur wärmstens empfehlen, besonders geeignet für Buddy Reading!