"One by one, she pulled the jagged edges of her memories together. The spell Ashcroft had used on her should have destroyed her mind, leaving her an empty shell - but it had not succeeded. She was still herself. Even the pain only served to remind her that she was alive, and had a purpose."
It has been a blustery day of wind and rain, with the first breath of autumn whispering through the air, so as it was the perfect kind of reading weather, I have been tucked away reading Sorcery of Thorns. This is a fantasy novel, set in it's own world of Austermeer.
It is about a librarian called Elizabeth, who works in one of the six Great Libraries of the Realm. But these are not the ordinary libraries that you or I might visit - these libraries house collections of spell-books - powerful grimoires that are alive with magic. As such they must be protected from falling into the wrong hands. At the same time, the most powerful of these grimoires have the ability to morph into monsters, so they must be kept under lock and key in order to protect the non-magical public.
The Great Libraries are sacred places and in this world, librarians are powerful guardians of the books they keep. Their stacks reach up to the ceilings, with shelf after shelf of grimoires, all whispering to each other and trying to influence the librarians, who are specially trained to resist the magic of the books. It's the perfect novel for a magical bookworm like me!
Set in the 1820's, the world building is strong and authentic, with a touch of Dickensian atmosphere about it. It is a world of ball gowns, jewels and romance; of carriages and corsets; of magic, enchantment and sorcery, where gargoyles spring to life to defend the lord of the manor and demons are a part of everyday life. There is a handsome love interest, battling with his own demons of ancestral obligation, and a loyal demonic servant who is by turns lovable and terrible.
The characterization is strong, but I have to say that for me, the books are the main characters, because the author has completely summarized how I relate to them. Books are more than just a collection of stories or information. They are more than ink and paper. They harbor within their pages, some part of the soul of the creator and that's why they speak to us, that's why they call out to us and leave an indelible imprint on our minds. Books have the power to change us and to change how we see the world around us, so of course they are powerful artifacts. It takes a lot of hard work and effort to write a book, even more to get it published and released out into the world for people to enjoy - this novel honors that achievement in an enchanting and fantastical way.
At over 400 pages Sorcery of Thorns will keep you engrossed for a little while and how could any bookworm possibly resist a novel wherein "The library wants to fight back." ? I will never look at my personal library in quite the same way again! Enjoy.
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