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inkandplasma
I received an ARC of Sorcery of Thorns in exchange for a review.
Rating: 5 stars
I think I might be low-key having a meltdown over this book. I absolutely raced through this book today, and moped all afternoon at work waiting to get home so I could finish reading it. As soon as I finished, I immediately opened Amazon and bought [b:An Enchantment of Ravens|30969741|An Enchantment of Ravens|Margaret Rogerson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1486244049l/30969741._SY75_.jpg|51586838] because I was so enchanted by Margaret Rogerson's writing that I needed more.
Sorcery of Thorns is about a spit-fire librarian in a magic, living library who ends up on a reckless and incredibly brave chase across her kingdom to save the books she loves, the man she loves and the whole damn world. I loved every second of it. This is one of the best books I've ever read, definitely pushing the top of my YA list, and everyone should read it. I'm buying the paperback the second I see a copy.
Elisabeth is fierce and powerful, and she never apologises for who she is. Which is a heroooo. I read a lot of YA and I'm so used to placid and irritating female protagonists that I'm so! damn! excited! about! her! I don't want to say too much, because I don't want to spoil a single word for anyone, but she shows so much development across the series, and such an amazing capacity for love and change. If everyone in the world was willing to adjust their perspectives as much as Elisabeth is, the world would be a much nicer place.
Nathaniel is the love of my life. Sorry, not sorry. He's a sarcastic bisexual disaster, and I love him. I'm deeply in love with Nathaniel and Elisabeth, and it's only because they're perfect for each other that I'm not more salty that I can't marry either or both of them. Nathaniel is damaged and scared, and grows so much during this book that I am legitimately proud of him. He's crazily competent with magic, and useless with everything else and I knew he was going to be incredible from the first page he's on.
I can't even talk about Silas. I can't. Read it for yourself and love him.
The worldbuilding in this book is damn near flawless, and I wish I could leave my boring-ass job behind and live in a world of magical libraries, demons and sorcerers. I'm pretty sure I'd instantly get myself murdered by a grimoire, but if I gotta die somewhere, a library is a hell of a place to go.
Everything else I have to say about this book is endlessly gushy, so if anyone needs me, I'm going to be off summoning a demon. I'm pretty sure that's the true moral of this book, right?
Rating: 5 stars
I think I might be low-key having a meltdown over this book. I absolutely raced through this book today, and moped all afternoon at work waiting to get home so I could finish reading it. As soon as I finished, I immediately opened Amazon and bought [b:An Enchantment of Ravens|30969741|An Enchantment of Ravens|Margaret Rogerson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1486244049l/30969741._SY75_.jpg|51586838] because I was so enchanted by Margaret Rogerson's writing that I needed more.
Sorcery of Thorns is about a spit-fire librarian in a magic, living library who ends up on a reckless and incredibly brave chase across her kingdom to save the books she loves, the man she loves and the whole damn world. I loved every second of it. This is one of the best books I've ever read, definitely pushing the top of my YA list, and everyone should read it. I'm buying the paperback the second I see a copy.
Elisabeth is fierce and powerful, and she never apologises for who she is. Which is a heroooo. I read a lot of YA and I'm so used to placid and irritating female protagonists that I'm so! damn! excited! about! her! I don't want to say too much, because I don't want to spoil a single word for anyone, but she shows so much development across the series, and such an amazing capacity for love and change. If everyone in the world was willing to adjust their perspectives as much as Elisabeth is, the world would be a much nicer place.
Nathaniel is the love of my life. Sorry, not sorry. He's a sarcastic bisexual disaster, and I love him. I'm deeply in love with Nathaniel and Elisabeth, and it's only because they're perfect for each other that I'm not more salty that I can't marry either or both of them. Nathaniel is damaged and scared, and grows so much during this book that I am legitimately proud of him. He's crazily competent with magic, and useless with everything else and I knew he was going to be incredible from the first page he's on.
I can't even talk about Silas. I can't. Read it for yourself and love him.
The worldbuilding in this book is damn near flawless, and I wish I could leave my boring-ass job behind and live in a world of magical libraries, demons and sorcerers. I'm pretty sure I'd instantly get myself murdered by a grimoire, but if I gotta die somewhere, a library is a hell of a place to go.
Everything else I have to say about this book is endlessly gushy, so if anyone needs me, I'm going to be off summoning a demon. I'm pretty sure that's the true moral of this book, right?
This companion novella is very much an extended epilogue type sequel. It's soft and romance focused and I absolutely loved it. I missed Nathaniel, Elisabeth and Silas so much, and the addition of more Mercy was amazing. I love these idiots so much.
Character - 9
Atmosphere - 9
Writing - 8
Plot - 10
Intrigue - 10
Logic - 9
Enjoyment - 10
Rating: 9.29 / 5 stars
Atmosphere - 9
Writing - 8
Plot - 10
Intrigue - 10
Logic - 9
Enjoyment - 10
Rating: 9.29 / 5 stars
Character - 9
Atmosphere - 9
Writing - 9
Plot - 9
Intrigue - 10
Logic - 9
Enjoyment - 10
Rating: 9.29 / 5 stars
Atmosphere - 9
Writing - 9
Plot - 9
Intrigue - 10
Logic - 9
Enjoyment - 10
Rating: 9.29 / 5 stars
Thanks to Simon & Schuster for the eARC of this book. It has not affected my honest review.
Content Warnings: Self-harm, anxiety, disordered eating (minor), child neglect/abuse (past), trauma/PTSD (traumatic experiences in past). None of the abuse or trauma is sexual in nature. Very brief suicide mention in the epilogue, concerning a character from the past who never appears in the book.
This review has taken me way longer to write than I would have liked, mostly because when I think about this book for too long I go completely feral and forget how to write coherent sentences. I’m going to start by saying that I am a Venom simp. I’ve read pretty much all the Venom comics I can get my hands on, and the 2018 movie is my favourite movie ever (I also loved Let there be Carnage, but maybe that’s a review for another day). So I was already predisposed to love this book when I saw Margaret Rogerson describe it as medieval Venom. Add to that a powerful demon and an undercurrent of religious trauma and I was in heaven.
Artemisia is going on the list of characters that I’m delighted to share a name with. She’s a Grey Sister doing her best to keep her head down as she works alongside nuns at a convent, trying not to draw attention to herself after being possessed as a child and living with the trauma of the things she had to do while under that revenant’s control. But when her convent is invaded by an army of possessed soldiers, she has no choice but to use a powerful saint’s relic and open her body and mind to a reverent far stronger than she has ever met before. Her journey turns her into a Joan of Arc figure, a Vespertine, and while some are trying to stop her from ever coming into her full power, others are shouting and screaming her name as she becomes their hero (I’m on the Saint Artemisia team).
The way that the possession was written was excellently done. There’s always a risk of this kind of thing coming off… icky with the consent dynamics inherent in possession, but I think Margaret Rogerson handled this fantastically. The way that Artemisia’s trauma around possession is handled is delicate and sensitive, and as Artemisia and the revenant grow closer and build rapport, it definitely doesn’t feel like there’s a power imbalance – which is helped by the fact that Artemisia is in control of the revenant’s relic and has the power to destroy him if she so chooses. Speaking of rapport… the relationship between Artemisia and the revenant is perfect. It gives perfect banter and I was absolutely melting as I watched them slowly learn to trust and protect each other. Artemisia is a compassionate and caring character and when I watched that start to rub off on the revenant, it made my heart warm.
I also really enjoyed the way that Margaret Rogerson explored the ideas of legends and saints and the way that she became a Vespertine and passed into legend in the blink of an eye.
Perhaps this was how history treated saints. It didn’t matter what was real, what had truly happened. Even as they lived, their lives passed into legend.
The weight of those kinds of expectations is heavy on Artemisia’s shoulders and watching her struggle to balance the needs of the people, the revenant and herself is incredibly powerful. I think I was just blown away by how much Artemisia felt like a real, whole person and leapt off the page.
The world-building had all of Margaret Rogerson’s usual talent and twists, and I loved the way that the spirits were portrayed. The way that a person dies impacts the type of spirit they become and the power that they will then display and it’s a clever way to create a spirit power hierarchy. I also felt like the myths and legends Artemisia knew were somehow familiar, the way they were fleshed out and threaded through the story made them feel like my own childhood stories and the world felt very full and real as a result. This, combined with Margaret Rogerson’s usual easy to read and beautiful prose, made for a book that I just know I’ll be coming back to again and again.
Content Warnings: Self-harm, anxiety, disordered eating (minor), child neglect/abuse (past), trauma/PTSD (traumatic experiences in past). None of the abuse or trauma is sexual in nature. Very brief suicide mention in the epilogue, concerning a character from the past who never appears in the book.
This review has taken me way longer to write than I would have liked, mostly because when I think about this book for too long I go completely feral and forget how to write coherent sentences. I’m going to start by saying that I am a Venom simp. I’ve read pretty much all the Venom comics I can get my hands on, and the 2018 movie is my favourite movie ever (I also loved Let there be Carnage, but maybe that’s a review for another day). So I was already predisposed to love this book when I saw Margaret Rogerson describe it as medieval Venom. Add to that a powerful demon and an undercurrent of religious trauma and I was in heaven.
Artemisia is going on the list of characters that I’m delighted to share a name with. She’s a Grey Sister doing her best to keep her head down as she works alongside nuns at a convent, trying not to draw attention to herself after being possessed as a child and living with the trauma of the things she had to do while under that revenant’s control. But when her convent is invaded by an army of possessed soldiers, she has no choice but to use a powerful saint’s relic and open her body and mind to a reverent far stronger than she has ever met before. Her journey turns her into a Joan of Arc figure, a Vespertine, and while some are trying to stop her from ever coming into her full power, others are shouting and screaming her name as she becomes their hero (I’m on the Saint Artemisia team).
The way that the possession was written was excellently done. There’s always a risk of this kind of thing coming off… icky with the consent dynamics inherent in possession, but I think Margaret Rogerson handled this fantastically. The way that Artemisia’s trauma around possession is handled is delicate and sensitive, and as Artemisia and the revenant grow closer and build rapport, it definitely doesn’t feel like there’s a power imbalance – which is helped by the fact that Artemisia is in control of the revenant’s relic and has the power to destroy him if she so chooses. Speaking of rapport… the relationship between Artemisia and the revenant is perfect. It gives perfect banter and I was absolutely melting as I watched them slowly learn to trust and protect each other. Artemisia is a compassionate and caring character and when I watched that start to rub off on the revenant, it made my heart warm.
I also really enjoyed the way that Margaret Rogerson explored the ideas of legends and saints and the way that she became a Vespertine and passed into legend in the blink of an eye.
Perhaps this was how history treated saints. It didn’t matter what was real, what had truly happened. Even as they lived, their lives passed into legend.
The weight of those kinds of expectations is heavy on Artemisia’s shoulders and watching her struggle to balance the needs of the people, the revenant and herself is incredibly powerful. I think I was just blown away by how much Artemisia felt like a real, whole person and leapt off the page.
The world-building had all of Margaret Rogerson’s usual talent and twists, and I loved the way that the spirits were portrayed. The way that a person dies impacts the type of spirit they become and the power that they will then display and it’s a clever way to create a spirit power hierarchy. I also felt like the myths and legends Artemisia knew were somehow familiar, the way they were fleshed out and threaded through the story made them feel like my own childhood stories and the world felt very full and real as a result. This, combined with Margaret Rogerson’s usual easy to read and beautiful prose, made for a book that I just know I’ll be coming back to again and again.
Rating: 3 stars
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
I think it's important to say that this book wasn't really for me. It was very well-written, and I did find myself drawn into it enough to finish it, but there were aspects that I personally didn't really like. However, I do think that that is mostly because I'm not suited to chick-lit, rather than any criticisms with the text itself. I found that the wealth in this book was irritating, I know that they live in the suburbs and live rich lives but the disposable wealth shown just made them all seem shallow and vapid. The hammered in message that wives need plastic surgery to keep their husbands interested and the suggestion that every single one of the men in this novel were cheating was extremely frustrating to me personally, and while I enjoyed having a relatable character in Emily because YAY a woman who doesn't want children, she ultimately changes her mind on that too. They're all a little too cookie cutter for my tastes. That's coming from my perspective as someone who's disinterested in marriage and children and a peaceful stay-at-home life, though.
Ultimately, the plot of the book was interesting, and if you like chick-lit and these type of characters you will likely enjoy it a whole lot more than I did. I would recommend it for sure.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
I think it's important to say that this book wasn't really for me. It was very well-written, and I did find myself drawn into it enough to finish it, but there were aspects that I personally didn't really like. However, I do think that that is mostly because I'm not suited to chick-lit, rather than any criticisms with the text itself. I found that the wealth in this book was irritating, I know that they live in the suburbs and live rich lives but the disposable wealth shown just made them all seem shallow and vapid. The hammered in message that wives need plastic surgery to keep their husbands interested and the suggestion that every single one of the men in this novel were cheating was extremely frustrating to me personally, and while I enjoyed having a relatable character in Emily because YAY a woman who doesn't want children, she ultimately changes her mind on that too. They're all a little too cookie cutter for my tastes. That's coming from my perspective as someone who's disinterested in marriage and children and a peaceful stay-at-home life, though.
Ultimately, the plot of the book was interesting, and if you like chick-lit and these type of characters you will likely enjoy it a whole lot more than I did. I would recommend it for sure.
Full collection review live on my blog 25/04/2022: https://inkandplasma.com/2022/04/25/the-trespass-collection/
I liked the framing of this one a lot. It's styled like an academic text, which isn't something I've seen a lot of in fiction. I've seen it even less often in horror, and I think that it worked really well for a horror novella. The detached tone makes it twice as unnerving and I really enjoyed the audiobook experience. The idea of something that children can see and understand but adults can't is extremely creepy and I'd like to read more exploring that idea. Honestly, I'd love to read more about the Bloody Summer in general, but I think the short-form of the novella helped get this book under my skin.
Merged review:
Full collection review live on my blog 25/04/2022: https://inkandplasma.com/2022/04/25/the-trespass-collection/
I liked the framing of this one a lot. It's styled like an academic text, which isn't something I've seen a lot of in fiction. I've seen it even less often in horror, and I think that it worked really well for a horror novella. The detached tone makes it twice as unnerving and I really enjoyed the audiobook experience. The idea of something that children can see and understand but adults can't is extremely creepy and I'd like to read more exploring that idea. Honestly, I'd love to read more about the Bloody Summer in general, but I think the short-form of the novella helped get this book under my skin.
I liked the framing of this one a lot. It's styled like an academic text, which isn't something I've seen a lot of in fiction. I've seen it even less often in horror, and I think that it worked really well for a horror novella. The detached tone makes it twice as unnerving and I really enjoyed the audiobook experience. The idea of something that children can see and understand but adults can't is extremely creepy and I'd like to read more exploring that idea. Honestly, I'd love to read more about the Bloody Summer in general, but I think the short-form of the novella helped get this book under my skin.
Merged review:
Full collection review live on my blog 25/04/2022: https://inkandplasma.com/2022/04/25/the-trespass-collection/
I liked the framing of this one a lot. It's styled like an academic text, which isn't something I've seen a lot of in fiction. I've seen it even less often in horror, and I think that it worked really well for a horror novella. The detached tone makes it twice as unnerving and I really enjoyed the audiobook experience. The idea of something that children can see and understand but adults can't is extremely creepy and I'd like to read more exploring that idea. Honestly, I'd love to read more about the Bloody Summer in general, but I think the short-form of the novella helped get this book under my skin.
Character - 3
Atmosphere - 4
Writing - 6
Plot - 6
Intrigue - 6
Logic - 3
Enjoyment - 4
Rating: 4.57 / 2 stars
Atmosphere - 4
Writing - 6
Plot - 6
Intrigue - 6
Logic - 3
Enjoyment - 4
Rating: 4.57 / 2 stars
