Sorcery of Thorns is heartfelt and fearless. The character of Elisabeth shines as beacon of hope and change, while the plot is a smooth balance of exploration and action.

As a resident and apprentice in one of the Great Libraries, Elisabeth Scrivener has spent her whole life in the presence of magic. When a dangerous book becomes a more dangerous monster, Elisabeth finds herself accused of sabotage. In order to prove her innocence, Elisabeth must trust a sorcerer and his demon servant -- can the beliefs she was raised with be wrong?

This book was received as an ARC from Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing - Margaret K. McElderry Books in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

Wow, what a great find and a great read. I absolutely loved the concept of this book and the fact that a LIBRARY was dependent on the major climax of the story just made me even happier. The execution of the concept was brilliantly done and it made every chapter, page, word, and context all the more exciting. The characters were very unique to the story especially Elisabeth just from the spelling of her name. This book is filled with magic and fantasy that will immediately transport you into their world and you'll feel like you are not only rooting for the characters but actually part of the story. I know for a fact that this book will be very popular not just with our YA readers but with our Adult readers as well.

We will consider adding this title to our YFantasy collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

Margaret Rogerson delivers a thrilling and whimsical sophomore novel for fans of Holly Black, about a heroine who loves books and the books who love her back. This Regency-inspired YA fantasy is set in a world with living grimoires and the librarians (called “wardens”) whose mission is to guard them inside the six Great Libraries. Our heroine Elisabeth was left on the doorstep of a Great Library as a baby and raised by the wardens to believe that the sorcerers who visit the library are evil. To access magic a sorcerer must make a bargain with a demon, thus tying the demon to the sorcerer’s service. When the Great Library is attacked by its most dangerous grimoire, Elisabeth’s attempt to save the library results in her being arrested and shipped off to trial. She finds herself with nowhere else to turn but the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn: our bisexual love interest with a soft heart and a demon named Silas. Thrown into Austermeer high society, Elisabeth navigates both politics and the press as she discovers a centuries old conspiracy tied to the very founding of Austermeer itself. Since Elisabeth never hesitates to question her own assumptions, her naiveté starts a well-crafted character arc rather than impairing the plot. Rogerson’s lyrical writing lends itself to tight pacing and clever worldbuilding, while the sharp dialogue and well-developed relationships give the story a strong emotional payoff. Characters are assumed white.