Gorgeous picture by @sassybookchic
Hi FairyLooters!
Welcome to the final day of our Sorcery of Thorns readalong! That went by so fast!
So much has happened and I have no idea how Nathaniel and Elisabeth are going to get out of the bind they are in! I’m so excited to find out though!
What have been your favourite parts of the book so far? Or your favourite quotes? Let me know!
But let’s get into the last few chapters!
Please be warned, the following will include spoilers for Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson . Read only if you’ve finished the book!
-!SPOILERS!-
We join Elisabeth and Nathaniel stuck in cell after Director Hyde didn’t believe they were there to help. Yay Silas is here to save the day.
They make it to the vault but so does Hyde and he gets in their first. There’s a maleficit outside that they must defeat before they can enter the vault. Luckily Silas is able to defeat it!
They follow Hyde down to the vault but it’s weird they’ve gone this far without much trouble or seeing the attacker!
Oh wow! Ashcroft has been possessing the directors of each library to carry out the sabotage for him! That explains why he had a good alibi for each of the attacks!
Ew there’s a beating heart in the vault?
Woah the maleficit only had to touch Hyde to kill him!
Why would it just want Nathaniel to follow it? Because his ancestor wrote the book of the dead?
They make it out of the vault and walk straight into a battle of the wardens trying to destroy the maleficit but with every warden it kills, the maleficit grows and gets stronger.
Since nobody has seen the director or knows about his involvement, they see Nathaniel and immediately blame him!
Oh no! Elisabeth isn’t going to free Silas, is she? Even he said that’s a bad idea but would it be better than the maleficit killing everyone?
Nathaniel has a plan to stop it but of course Elisabeth isn’t going to just stand by and watch which is lucky since the maleficit put Nathaniel into some kind of trance and Elisabeth’s iron coated salt round helps manages to distract it, allowing Nathaniel to strike.
I really thought for a minute that Elisabeth was going to kill Nathaniel but he used Prendergast’s vial to whisk them away and wow beheaded the maleficit at the same time.
Even though it’s beheaded, there might still be enough of it left to complete the summoning so they still need to go stop Ashcroft!
Nathaniel must be so weak after all the magic he’s used but it’s Elisabeth that uses her own kind of magic to get the books to show them the way to Ashcroft!
They instead take them to the restricted section where Elisabeth realises they want to help and begins to release all the grimoires which goes against everything she’s ever been taught!
The grimoires get to work, fighting the demons which gives Nathaniel and Elisabeth time to go and find Ashcroft.
The books start sacrificing themselves to buy them more time to beat Ashcroft. So much knowledge and so many spells, just gone! 🙁 Ashcroft hasn’t completed the summoning as Archon is still in the circle but he’s already using its power.
The circle is broken anyway so Archon can get out and they’ve all basically accepted they’re going to die but I can’t accept that!! There must be something they can do!
Ahh Elisabeth just freed Silas and he stopped Archons light from killing them.
I didn’t know how I felt about Silas but he was freed and could’ve gone on a rampage killing people but instead sacrificed himself to save them 🙁
I’m so happy Elisabeth’s apprenticeship has been reinstated and her and Nathaniel are so happy together!!
Omg has she managed to bring Silas back?!?! What an ending!
And that’s the end of the book! So much just happened! I’m so excited to hear all your thoughts!
Thank you so, so much for reading with us! I Hope these posts added a bit more excitement to the experience! Will you be participating in the next one?
Hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Love,
Amy
The book was gooooooooooooood. I loved it. Even the ending, despite not knowing for certain if he is back. I will be participating in one of the future ones, but it usually depends on my health if I can. So we will see if it’s the next one already or maybe one after that!
I really loved this book!!! It was very hard for me at times to stay on track with the reading schedule. I just wanted to read ahead!
I really liked how Silas’s identity changed and that allowed him to be summoned back. I am wondering if it is going to be Elisabeth that becomes the new sorcerer though because it seems as if she summoned him. I also wonder what type of price Silas would make them pay. I don’t know if he fed after the battle.
I wish that this wasn’t a stand-alone book and was part of a series. I want to know so much more about this world.
This was such a good book, and that ending! I really needed that ending!!
I’m so glad I participated in this readalong! I will definitely be there for the next one. ❤
This book was amazing. Everytime it was so difficult to stop and stay on track with the reading schedule.
When Elisabeth freed Silas I was so mad, because even if he looks like a lovely demon and stuff, he told her to never do this. And then he sacrified himself in its demon self and.. I cried.
I am glad Elisabeth is still allowed to start an apprenticeship for the Great Librairies. And I hope some day, Nathaniel will accept to get another demon. But I guess maybe he won’t have to.
The ENDING!!! Wow. Is it really Silas back or was it just some random wind? I guess we’ll never know.
I am wondering if what Lorelaï said about Silas to Ashcroft when they were “asking” Elisabeth about the attack at Summershall was that he is not well seen in the Otherwolrd because he cares about his masters ??
I will probably participate in the next readalong!
I loved this book so much! I tried to do the readalong but on day 2 I couldn’t wait any longer and finished the book in one day. Oops haha
I’m not ready for this story to be over.
I really fell in love with this book and its world. I love the grimoires, the magic and its rules – so clever. And I love the three characters. Elisabeth and her courage and I like that she is a bit naive in the beginning, it feels believable when she grew up in a library with no contact with the rest of the world. Nathaniel is very sweet and troubled, and its hard not to feel for him and through him we can see and learn more about the magic. And Silas, he is such a wonderful little cat/demon. His loyalty and true friendship that goes against his nature. And of course I want to think that the ending was a sign that he came back. No need for another name than Silas when he’s free …
I loved reading this book!!! I hope one day Margaret writes a series, because her writing style is so good ? When books were dying to help Elizabeth that tugged at my heart. It was intense to read, but I adored every page of this book. Nathaniel is my new emerald loving book boyfriend?
Nicole(@heirofbooksandroses)
I absolutely adored this book, and I’m so sad it’s over. This is definitely one that I’ll pull out to read again at some point.
Everything was perfect – the characters, the magic, the world, the ENDING! Often, book endings let me down in some way, but not this one.
I loved when Silas sacrificed himself to save Nathaniel and Elisabeth. I knew he cared about them, despite all his protestations. Have to say, I did shed a tear – which was embarrassing, as I was in the waiting area of my daughters dance school ?♀️ I swear everyone in there thinks I’m nuts, because then minutes later, I’m grinning all over my face because Elisabeth has figured out how to summon Silas again. Perfect!
Thanks for another great readalong, looking forward to the next one ?
It’s gonna be repetative, but I really loved this book! The world was amazing, I loved the characters and the story was so good… I’m glad I predicted them having to set Silas free to defeat Archon, but I also loved that it wasn’t without consequence. I’m fine with the ending (who am I kidding? I need to know if that was Silas and if the changed identity was right 😀 😀 ). Another thing I loved… disability representation!! It’s something we don’t see enough and as a crutch user myself, I’m happy to welcome Nathaniel in our ranks ;).
I don’t know if I’m going to participate in the next one, I had vacation now, and often it’s a bit too much to read per day when I’m working, but I did have a lot of fun participating this time!
I really enjoyed this book! The whole idea with the magical grimoires and sorcerers that get power through bargains with demons. The fightscenes were really good and I liked Nathaniels humour A LOT!
He and Silas were my heroes in this story, always enjoyed their interactions and little teasings.
I’m really glad that we got this book in the last box ?
I honestly felt bad for Malefict when it’s all locked up ;( wow did not expect him to have used the book of eyes on the directors very clever. I love how much raw power Nathaniel has its totally epic! I love the banter in this whole book the theme of this month was definitely very well done! Every time she talks to books and finds a secret passageway I just want to be her so bad fulfilling my childhood dreams! OMG the library coming alive whaaaaaaa?! The epilogue was lovely, I love how Thorn is recovering but still hot and human, I really just imagine Thorn and Elizabeth ice skating together so cute and sweet ? I throughly enjoyed this book! Tbh sad it’s a stand-alone novel.
I can’t wait for the next read along!
I love this book!
I cried for Silas! But then again he’s alive and I just another moment with the three of them together with Katrien.
Final thoughts;
-I want to live in a Great Library and be part booklouse. Please and thank you!
-I was so heartbreaking when the grimoires sacrificed themselves to help repair the rift to the Otherworld. This was like the purpose they’d waited their whole existences for.
-I am choosing to believe Elisabeth found a way to re-summon Silas. The world definitely needs Silas.
Overall Rating: between 3.5-4.0
Ahh, what a nice read! This book was so, so creative, I loved every second! And as I really, really love reading, a book filled with libraries, magic and the greatness of books was just PERFECT! ❤?
I loved every funny, sarcastic remark, every description of the great libraries and all the beautifully written dialogues between Elisabeth, Silas and Nathaniel! I only wish we could get more of these great dialogues, especially between Elisabeth and Nathaniel, although what we got was amazing as this only was a standalone! ??? (I kinda wish this was a series, this world is just too interesting to leave!!)
I am just happy it seems like the fluffy, white mr. Fluffington is back ???
All in all, there really is a lot to like in this book! (Btw, I can’t get enough of Margaret’s beautiful writing!!!)
And here comes the unpopular opinion…
This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2019 and I thought I’d love the book, but I simply ended up liking it.
Librarians, bookworms, grimoires coming to life and sassy magicians? That’s my cup of tea and you know it! ?
I loved the writing style and the general idea of this book, I absolutely loved the three main characters, and I wish it was a series, because this way it could’ve been executed better, in my personal opinion.
The book started in the most promising way, but halfway through onwards it grew more slow-paced, there were some unnecessary descriptions and rumblings, and it felt as if the actual point of the plot was lost. Or maybe I couldn’t see it anymore, who knows? ??♀️
Towards the end though, it became more intriguing and exciting once again.
And as for the finale… it was hot! 10/10! ?
Things I liked: the magical libraries, the slow-burn romance, Silas ❤️
Things I didn’t like: the indifferent villain, the pacing, the fact that it was mentioned just once that there’s a bisexual character and it didn’t became apparent any other way, the too extravagant names of this fictional 19th century England.
Actual rating: 3.65 stars ✨
I adored this ending. Everything with Elisabeth and how she and Nathaniel are grieving Silas, and Katrien casually exposing Finch’s corruption in the background of the story (as well as finding a new gullible partner).The library fighting back! Silas being free and yet still saving Nathaniel rather than following his instincts as a demon! Elisabeth getting reinstated as an apprentice! Silas possibly coming back!
This book was just very fun to read and I enjoyed the readathon.