A Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson follows Elisabeth, an orphan who has been raised in one of the Great Libraries, which are full of magical grimoires, books that whisper on the shelves and which, if provoked, can transform into deadly monsters made of leather and ink. Elisabeth is an apprentice, hoping to become a warden, who protects the kingdom from the dangerous grimoires. Elisabeth has known her entire life that all sorcerers are evil, however when someone releases the library’s most powerful grimoire, Elisabeth intervenes, is implicated in the crime, and is torn from everything she’s ever known. Kicked out of her home, the only person she can turn to is Nathaniel Thorn, a sorcerer and her sworn enemy, and his demonic servant. Caught up in centuries-old conspiracies, not only the Great Libraries are in danger but the entire world. As she spends more time with Nathaniel and learns more about him, Elisabeth is forced to confront everything she has been taught, about sorcerers, about the libraries, and even about herself, what she thinks is right. This is more important now than ever for her, as she is beginning to discover that she has a power she never before thought possible.

In this book, Margaret Rogerson transports the reader to a magical, developed world in only a few hundred pages. The way Rogerson manages to create an entire world, an interesting magic system and plot, and a heartwarming romance in such a small amount of time astounds me. This book is a fantastic place to start if you want a fantasy that isn’t a big commitment but still fulfills everything a completed series would. The characters in the book are funny, real, and impossible not to love. Do yourself a favor and go pick up a copy of A Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson.