By: Cait Marie
Blurb
In this sequel novella to 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’s 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 was so excited to hear a sequel novella to Sorcery of Thorns was releasing! I absolutely loved that first book, and it was amazing getting to revisit this world with Elisabeth, Nathaniel, and Silas.
It is a fairly quick read (I think just under 200 pages). I’m not generally a fan of short stories because I always want more, but this one didn’t feel too short. It is meant to be a fun, bonus story and reads like an extended epilogue, which I loved. I really liked that it only takes place a month after the other book, as opposed to years later. I’m one of those readers who always wants a longer ending to books; I want to know what happens after the villains are defeated and see how the characters go back to their daily lives. This was exactly that, and it made me so happy.
The manor is conspiring against Elisabeth and Nathaniel, it seems, which led to a little mystery and adventure as they try to figure out what is going on. The house is magical, so it’s basically just amusing chaos. Except, they start to suspect the house isn’t trying to keep them apart, rather it wants them to fully admit their love.
Overall, the novella was entertaining and cute. I loved seeing Elisabeth and Nathaniel growing closer together, but I also really appreciated seeing the role Silas still holds in their lives since everything happened in the other book. That being said, I feel like the ending was rushed. I know it’s a short story that is essentially fluff, but there was a lot of great build up throughout the book, and then it was just kind of done. The mystery and such was paced well, and that resolution was perfect. I mean just the very end, which is spoilery, so I won’t go into details.
I still really loved the book, and I highly recommend it for those who enjoyed Sorcery of Thorns. It’s a great follow up! I could read about their adventures forever.
Functionally Fictional 