Sorcery of Thorns
Author: Margaret Rogerson
Published: June 4, 2019
456 Pages
Reviewed By: Kim
Kim’s Rating: 5 stars
Book Description:
All sorcerers are evil. Elisabeth has known that as long as she has known anything. Raised as a foundling in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, Elisabeth has grown up among the tools of sorcery—magical grimoires that whisper on shelves and rattle beneath iron chains. If provoked, they transform into grotesque monsters of ink and leather. She hopes to become a warden, charged with protecting the kingdom from their power.
Then an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire. Elisabeth’s desperate intervention implicates her in the crime, and she is torn from her home to face justice in the capital. With no one to turn to but her sworn enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, and his mysterious demonic servant, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy. Not only could the Great Libraries go up in flames, but the world along with them.
As her alliance with Nathaniel grows stronger, Elisabeth starts to question everything she’s been taught—about sorcerers, about the libraries she loves, even about herself. For Elisabeth has a power she has never guessed, and a future she could never have imagined.
Kim’s Review:
This is a great story! I get really tired of all the same stories told over and over again, and Sorcery of Thorns is refreshingly unique. The cover is also gorgeous! I love everything about this book. The characters were all larger than life and were still realistic and relatable. I related to Elizabeth really well, especially her sheltered background. The story would have suffered greatly had Silas not been included. He was one of the most complicated characters I’ve seen in a while and I loved him! The setting was beautiful and those libraries; I would totally visit those libraries! One thing that stood out to me was the pacing. Everything was well spaced out and after every calm sequence, action followed. The reading was easy and quick. Overall, an excellent fantasy book for anyone, especially for teens!
Wilder Girls by Rory Power
Author: Rory Power
Published: July 9, 2019
353 Pages
Reviewed By: Kim
Kim’s Rating: 5 stars
Book Description:
It’s been eighteen months since the Raxter School for Girls was put under quarantine. Since the Tox hit and pulled Hetty’s life out from under her.
It started slow. First the teachers died one by one. Then it began to infect the students, turning their bodies strange and foreign. Now, cut off from the rest of the world and left to fend for themselves on their island home, the girls don’t dare wander outside the school’s fence, where the Tox has made the woods wild and dangerous. They wait for the cure they were promised as the Tox seeps into everything.
But when Byatt goes missing, Hetty will do anything to find her, even if it means breaking quarantine and braving the horrors that lie beyond the fence. And when she does, Hetty learns that there’s more to their story, to their life at Raxter, than she could have ever thought true.
Kim’s Review:
This. Cover. I am so in love, I can’t even tell you. And now that I’ve read the book, I love it even more. There’s a girls school on an island; that should be enough for y’all to realize that I was hooked pretty fast. Everything started quickly and the sickness has zombie like qualities, but with a new twist. There was plenty of tension, conspiracy and mystery. I actually hope that there’s a second book coming because I’d love to learn more. My only issue is the hypocrisy of Hetty at the very end. She ends up doing exactly what she accuses others of doing. However, the story itself completely outweighs any problems that arise. This reminds me of a condensed version of The Girl with All the Gifts. It’s actually in my top ten so far for this year. This would be a great one for trying to get teens to read. I absolutely recommend it to most people!
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Short Story Sunday: The Girl in the Plane by Katherine Center
The Girl in the Plane: A Short Story
Author: Katherine Center
Published: July 23, 2019
Audiobook
Reviewed By: Jessica
Date Read: August 21, 2019
Jessica’s Rating: 5 stars
Book Description:
From Katherine Center, New York Times bestselling author of How to Walk Away, comes a short story The Girl in the Plane, featuring Cassie Hanwell, the courageous female firefighter at the heart of Things You Save in a Fire.
This audio edition is read by the author.
Jessica’s Review:
This short story is the bridge between two of Katherine Center’s novels: How to Walk Away and Things You Save in a Fire. If you have read and enjoyed those two novels then you ABSOLUTELY MUST listen to this audio short story, as it enhances both, but more so How to Walk Away for me.
I really enjoyed having both Margaret and Cassie together and a certain other character I won’t name: You’ll just have to read it to find out who it is. Listening to this short story makes me want to read both of these novels again. I really loved both of them. I will definitely be reading more of Center’s books!
I also loved that Center read the audiobook. She did very well reading it and it makes the chapter more personal hearing her actual voice reading her words. It was read in just over 30 minutes.
My review for How to Walk Away is here.
My review for Things You Save in a Fire is here.
You can listen to the audio version of The Girl in the Plane for FREE via Google Play or Apple Books.
[Top]