Sorcery of Thorns + Read-Alikes!

When I started this year I sat down and told myself I would read twenty-four books. It was my New Year’s resolution! And for someone who works at a library you would think that wouldn’t be too hard. A good book is always in reach! Alas, as of September 24th I have only read eight books. They were really good and I personally think you should be reading them as well, however, today I’ll just talk about my favourite.

My favourite by far was Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson. Absolutely fantastic. I’ll do my best not to give any spoilers with my review but I think you’ll quickly see why I liked it. First of all, the main character, Elisabeth, has grown up in a library and is training to protect it. I know, I know. We’ve all dreamt of protecting the Library of Alexandria but it gets better! The libraries in this world are known as Great Libraries and house grimoires – magical books that are similar to living breathing creatures.

Elisabeth is thrust into a showdown with a grimoire that’s been damaged and hulked into a monster. Unfortunately, as the only witness, she is now the prime suspect for a series of crimes. Of course, Elisabeth has only seen and heard the bad aspects of magic, so when she meets Nathaniel Thorn, a powerful sorcerer and his servant (who’s not quite what he seems) her world is changed forever. With their help, Elisabeth tries to save herself and unravel the plot that threatens her world.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes magic, libraries, fantasy, and reluctant allies. The book isn’t part of a series, but Rogerson does have another book called An Enchantment of Ravens (apparently it’s about fairies), which I haven’t read yet but it’s checked out and ready to be read so I can finally get to nine books!!! If you’re looking for similar books you should try out Novelist on our website! By searching for authors or titles, you’re able to find books that are similar to those you’ve already read. Some read-a-likes for Sorcery of Thorns are Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte, The Scorpio Races by Maggie Steifvater, Nightblood by Elly Blake, and Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. I haven’t read these yet, so I can’t say what they’re about, but they’re on my list!

If you want to see what new young adult books the library has you can check out www.tbpl.ca/teens which is updated monthly. That link, as well as @tbplteens on Instagram, can keep you up to date on all of the free programs running for teen and tweens and any volunteer opportunities!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, come visit us and don’t be afraid to ask us for suggestions — Some of us love reading young adult books as much as you do!

Nicole – www.tbpl.ca. If you have a comment about today’s column, we would love to hear from you. Please comment below!