Review: Mysteries of Thorn Manor (Sorcery of Thorns #1.5) by Margaret Rogerson

*I received an advance reader's copy of this book from Simon and Schuster Canada in exchange for an honest review.

Mysteries of Thorn Manor

(Sorcery of Thorns #1.5)

by Margaret Rogerson

January 17, 2023

Goodreads Summary:

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'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 never thought I'd get to be back in the Sorcery of Thorns world so Mysteries of Thorn Manor is such a treat! This short peek into the "after" was funny and sweet.

I highly recommend (re)reading Sorcery of Thorns before picking up Mysteries of Thorn Manor since this novella makes references to previous events. I didn't reread so I definitely had a bit of a hard time following some parts. Nevertheless, I've missed how snarky Nathaniel can be! Or how lovely Elisabeth is~

Mysteries of Thorn Manor divulged more details from Nathaniel's past. It's one that's sadly full of pain. Good thing that in addition to Silas, he now has Elisabeth by his side. Her caring nature is just what he needs. They shared some seriously romantic moments~

I really enjoyed how the house kept our beloved characters on their toes. The challenges were super entertaining. I looked forward to every discovery Nathaniel and Elisabeth made and all the solutions they came up with. Silas is a sneaky one ;)

I had so much fun seeing the Sorcery of Thorns crew again. Mysteries of Thorn Manor was a sarcastic yet heartwarming sequel novella. It's perfect.

*I received an advance reader's copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not affected in any way. Any quotes included in my review were taken from the ARC I received.