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Elizabeth knows all sorcerers are evil. Ever since she was little — an orphan growing up in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries — she’s heard the stories. She’s grown up around the magical grimoires — dangerous books crafted by the sorcerers themselves — and heard them rattle beneath their iron chains and whisper to her from their shelves. If provoked, they transform into grotesque monsters of ink and leather, and always, they seem to make general trouble for the library wardens.
Elizabeth hopes to become a warden too and live an honorable life protecting the kingdom from the power the grimoires conceal, but when an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire, Elizabeth’s intervention implicates her in the crime. And while she’s facing justice in the capital, she uncovers a centuries-old conspiracy that could destroy much more than her future career and the library she once called home.
The only person Elizabeth can turn to is her sworn enemy, a sorcerer named Nathaniel Thorn, and his mysterious demon companion, but as their alliance grows stronger, Elizabeth starts to question everything she’s been taught about sorcerers, demons, and the magical libraries. Magic could destroy their world … or keep it from tearing apart.
From the first pages, I was immediately immersed in the fascinating world of Sorcery of Thorns. Libraries with magical books? Sign me up as a warden! The book was also steeped with a gothic, Victorian-era feel that, while unfamiliar to me, felt new and exciting. However, the story isn’t just about magical books and majestic libraries. Demons and pentagrams play a large role in the story, which made me a little uncomfortable. In the end, though, I still found it to be a unique, worthwhile read that touches on strong themes of friendship, choice, and sacrifice.
Rated: Mild, for a few uses of mild language. Throughout the story, there is a lot of magical violence. It isn’t detailed for the most part, but there is one instance where a character is seriously injured and a lot of blood is mentioned. Sexual content includes a few kisses (one kiss almost turns into something more). There is also a brief hint that horrible things are done to patients at a mental hospital, including potential rape paid for by rich “benefactors.”
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