Cover Image: Mysteries of Thorn Manor

Mysteries of Thorn Manor

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Member Reviews

This was an absolutely glorious slice of time and I think I could read this group forever.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

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Elisabeth Scrivener and Nathaniel Thorn are trying to settle into normal life after defeating an evil sorcerer. They, along with their demon companion, Silas, and new maid, Mercy, have taken to shutting out the world (not to mention the annoying reporters), but they can't help noticing something strange is going on with Thorn Manor. The wards meant to keep the estate safe are acting up, leaving the inhabitants trapped inside. It's only a coincidence that this started happening once Elisabeth and Nathaniel grew closer, right? It becomes clear that the house requires a price to keep it in line, and Elisabeth and Nathaniel set off to appease it. But with the Midwinter Ball, which they're supposed to host, looming closer, will they be able to settle the house in time?

I adore Sorcery of Thorns, so I was very excited to learn there would be a follow-up. While I usually find novellas a bit unnecessary, I enjoyed this one. Mostly, that had to do with the characters. I love Elisabeth, Nathaniel, and Silas so much. The dynamic between the three is my favorite, and I was happy to be back in this world with them. The plot was also amusing. I love the idea that the house is cursed by one of Nathaniel's prudish ancestors, who gets upset whenever Elisabeth and Nathaniel show affection. It lead to so many funny moments (like fighting against enchanted bloomers), and there were quite a few times when I was chuckling to myself. I don't think you need to reread the first book before picking this up, but it does help. It may not have added much to the story, but it was fluffy and cute and kept me entertained.

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Summary:
This novella is the sequel to Sorcery of Thorns. Elisabeth, Nathaniel and Silas find themselves trapped with Thorn Manor. With the estate’s wards failing a series of chaos unfolds. Together they must find a solution within the manor’s secret history before hosting the Midwinter Ball. Are they brave enough to confront what awaits them?

What I Liked:
- Nathaniel’s character is incredibly animated. A role that Johnny Depp would be perfect for. Silas is a mysterious character. The reader can’t help but be drawn to him.
- The plot was simple yet intriguing, fast paced.
- The spirited, all-knowing grimoires have a distinctive quality that adds curiosity to the story.

What Could Have Been Improved:
- More details and focus on Silas’ story.
- The relationship between Elisabeth and Nathaniel seemed a bit forced or rushed.
- The ending was a bit confusing with Silas. More dialogue would have solved this.

Final Thoughts:
This was a fantastic read that I recommend to anyone who loves magic and mystery. I love Silas‘s character and hope to dive in deeper into his mind. He steals your heart while also keeping you on guard. I’m already excited for the next instalment.

Thank you @simonandschuster @margaret_rogerson @netgalley for the eARC.

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This is the perfect cozy winter read.

Elisabeth and Nathaniel are trapped in Thorn Manor by its own wards with no idea why. But perhaps it has something to do with the fact that they slept in the same bed for the first time?

Antics ensue, including murderous wardrobes, floods of blackberry jam, and enchanted suits of armor. All to try to break the spell over the manor in time for the ball Nathaniel failed to mention he was hosting.

The ending was perfect, with frilly gowns and a magical ball. Not to mention a final chapter from Silas's POV that may hint at more tales to come...

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This was a cute story and a shorter sequel to a previous book. I did not re-read the previous book before this one, so needless to say I would recommend doing that before.

This continues the love story of Elisabeth and Nathaniel, but now with new trials and tribulations. It was sweet and fast moving, and I’ll be curious what the true sequel does to incorporate the information in this book.

Thanks NetGalley for the Arc!

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Synopsis:
In this delightful sequel novella to the New York Times bestselling Sorcery of Thorns, Elisabeth, Nathaniel, and Silas must unravel the magical trap keeping them inside Thorn Manor in time for their Midwinter Ball!

Elisabeth Scrivener is finally settling into her new life with sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn. Now that their demon companion Silas has returned, so has scrutiny from nosy reporters hungry for gossip about the city’s most powerful sorcerer and the librarian who stole his heart. But something strange is afoot at Thorn Manor: the estate’s wards, which are meant to keep their home safe, are acting up and forcibly trapping the Manor'’ occupants inside. Surely it must be a coincidence that this happened just as Nathaniel and Elisabeth started getting closer to one another…

With no access to the outside world, Elisabeth, Nathaniel, and Silas—along with their new maid Mercy—will have to work together to discover the source of the magic behind the malfunctioning wards before they’re due to host the city’s Midwinter Ball. Not an easy task when the house is filled with unexpected secrets, and all Elisabeth can think about is kissing Nathaniel in peace. But when it becomes clear that the house, influenced by the magic of Nathaniel’s ancestors, requires a price for its obedience, Elisabeth and Nathaniel will have to lean on their connection like never before to set things right.

Review:
I don't want to give anything away since this is such a quick read, but I will say it was interesting and fun and intriguing. I did feel like I was missing some information since it's been so long since I read Sorcery of Thorns. No matter what, I love Rogerson's writing. It is beautiful and her world building is unique and fun!

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Wonderfully odd and whimsical, Mysteries of Thorn Manor by Margaret Rogerson is the perfect novella to read this winter season. Following the events of Sorcery of Thorns the residents of Thorn Manor find themselves trapped within the home by the very wards which should be protecting them. In a race against time to host the Midwinter Ball, Elisabeth and Nathaniel alongside Mercy and everyone's favorite demon, Silas, must find a way to break the spell.

This novella was just plain, old-fashioned fun. It's short, the events happen quickly and I never wanted it to end. Everything that is happening is so chaotic yet hilarious at the same time. The romance between Elisabeth and Nathaniel also had been swooning!

This story is a like a holiday special of a TV show. It might not be imperative to the plot of the original tale but it adds a richness to the story and gives readers who craved more after Sorcery of Thorns a wonderful novella to read.

I definitely recommend this novella to all fans of Sorcery of Thorns, it's a perfect winter present! I think there was even something about this short story that had me enjoying it even more than it's source material!

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing for an eARC of this novel. All thoughts and opinions contained within this review are my own.

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A very cute, satisfying addition to the story that I had thought was concluded. Contains all the magic and book parts that I loved from the beginning of the series!

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This was okay, but I felt that the plot was overall rushed and I also didn't really connect with the story or the characters.

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A perfect companion to Sorcery of Thorns and a dip back into the world that many of us fell in love with…plus the potential for another dip at a later time!

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I couldn’t wait to request this book when I saw it on NetGalley! I loved Sorcery of Thorns and was excited to see what the characters were up to.

Here’s what I loved about this book:
• a domestic fantasy
• the romance!
• flying pants
• books have power
• an ornery, magical house

This book was just fun! If you go into it not expecting a complex and layered fantasy, it’s just an enjoyable read. I didn’t love one weird at the end, but other than that I had fun reading this.

★ ★ ★ ★/5
Steam: make outs
TW: blood magic

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This is just wonderful and I'm happy to see Silas again but also very worried about his health. I hope that another book is in the works and this was just the 1..5 that is good but didn't fit in the next novel. Looking forward to reading more.

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I really loved this book! I was sucked in as soon as I started reading it and finished in one day! The author did an amazing job to keep the plot exciting and interesting. I will be recommending this book to all of my friends and family.

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Mysteries of Thorn Manor is a fun novella that gives us a peek into both Thorn Manor and Elisabeth and Nathaniel's "courtship". Of course, more time with Silas is a treat too.
With cursed suits of armor, ladies clothes that attack, and secret doorways, I would recommend this book to any fans of Sorcery of Thorns.

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for an early copy for review.

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This world was such a joy to visit again. "Mysteries of Thorn Manor" is a cozy novella 'sequel' that lets readers experience some more time with Elisabeth, Nathaniel, and Silas.

Honestly, I adored this. It was equal parts cute, charming, funny, and romantic. Elisabeth and Nathaniel have to be two of my favorite characters in YA - they're such agents of chaos. This book had me laughing out loud at their antics at points (Elisabeth devouring Nathaniel's leftover breakfast before charging into a fight legitimately made me snort). It was a very sweet accompaniment to the first book.

I hope to see more of this world and these characters so, so, so bad.

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Margaret Rogerson won me over so quickly with A Sorcery of Thorns. Magic? Check. Badass protagonist? Check. Standoffishly-swoony love interest? Check, check, check.

So yes, I internally jumped for joy when I saw Rogerson had continued Elisabeth, Nathaniel and Silas’ adventures in this novella. Things started off a little slow — or maybe it just felt that way because it’s been too long since I’ve had facetime with these characters and this cleverly crafted world, so it took me a few chapters to fully reacquaint myself.

Once I remembered all of the reasons I adored ASOT in the first place, the rest of the book flew by. (It’s N+E deepening their relationship for me!)

Still trying to figure out Silas’ deal. He’s a demon who spends all of his time warning everyone of how emotionless he is, but then continues to reveal exactly the opposite with his actions? Okay yes, a little conflicting, but what a complex, intriguing character Rogerson has brought to life, which alone deserves applause.

In the end, this book was punchy, engaging and all-together satisfying. My only complaint is that it wasn’t nearly long enough — I do hope Rogerson has more plans in the works for this crew.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

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To absolutely no one’s surprise, I adored this. I missed Nathaniel, Elisabeth, and Silas so much and it was honestly so comforting to read about them again. It was heartwarming and hilarious, Nathaniel’s banter remains top notch and Elisabeth’s moments with Silas were some of my faves. Nathaniel and Elisabeth’s relationship is so endearingly awkward and I loved seeing them get closer - the ice skating scene? Perfection. My only complaint is that it had to end.

Thank you so much to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

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(Big thnak you to Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing and NetGalley for giving us this eARC in exchange for an honest review!)

I need to begin with how much I loved Sorcery of Thorns, it was such an amazing fantasy novel that wasn't incredibly hard to get into and the world building wasn't super heavy for me to understand. I immediately fell in love with Elisabeth and Nathaniel, and especially Silas! I was captivated throughout this novella, I just couldn't stop reading about these characters and I was so excited to see that Margaret Rogerson was going to come out with a novella that's somewhat of a continuation. I don't view this as a sequel per se, it just felt like there were some questions answered from the first book and just felt like a nice story to read about the characters that I adore. It was nice to read more about Elisabeth and Nathaniel's relationship especially after Sorcery of Thorns, I just NEEDED to see how they were doing! This was an amazing story to end off these beloved characters and still a happy one as well. If you absolutely loved Elisabeth and Nathaniel's relationship, then you will absolutely love this novella!

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Margaret Rogerson is one of the best voices working in YA right now and this sequel novella to her masterpiece Sorcery of Thorns only cements that. It was fun, romantic, and touching in all the right ways. I hope this isn't the last we see of these characters!

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Very cute novella about the courtship of Elisabeth and Nathaniel. The Manor "Decides" that it doesn't care for the improprieties going on between the two and locks down. In order to free themselves they realize they must appease the wards set by Aunt Clothide and complete three "impossible tasks" ala fairy tale.
While they are not so much impossible as sweet, this was a very enjoyable read, especially as it managed to feature a fair bit of Silas as well.

Received an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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