The Rebellious Readers discussion

starting the 21st of october. i cannot wait :))

Same! I hope it’s as good as it sounds! :)

ok, so i checked and there are like 36 chapter + an epilogue in this book. should we do like 10 chapters a day?

Yeah, 10 chapters a day sounds good.

So, I’ve read the first 10 chapters now, and I’m finding the book to be quite interesting so far. The magic system, and the grimoires being living books which can transform into monsters is really cool, and I’m liking the story. I felt sorry for Elisabeth when she was falsely accused of the Director’s death, and Finch is so horrible. Somehow Finch reminds me of Filch from Harry Potter, maybe because of their similar names and personalities.

It’s obvious Elisabeth and Nathaniel will develop romantic feelings for each other, so I’m curious to see how their relationship will grow. They both seem like interesting characters, and I really want to learn more about Nathaniel and his past and powers. I feel like Silas is a bit suspicious, maybe he played a role in the Director’s death?? I’m not sure what I think about him at this stage, since he killed Nathaniel’s father, and Nathaniel’s bargaining away his own life to gain his magic. But I really want to know who really killed the Director, and what will happen to Elisabeth next. How are you going with the book?

i haven't finished the chapters yet, since i'm still at school (well online school), but i'll start as soon as i can :)

Ok, cool! :)

i am in the middle of chapter 5 at the moment and i simply wanna strangle finch. he really thinks elisabeth could have killed the director?! the director has seen her grown, and she was like a mother figure to elisabeth. it was obvious that elisabeth cared for the director. is finch really such an idiot?! or maybe could he be involved in the director's death? he does seem a little bit suspicious, not even wanting to hear elisabeth explain and blaming it all on her.

as of now i am a little bit confused baout how the magic system works. but since this is a fantasy book i know that i'll most likely figure it out along the way as i usually do.

i finished the first 10 chapters. and now i am less confused about the magic. and at the moment i am really enjoying the book. i haven't read the synopsys before starting the book so i had no idea what it was about, but i know that it involved magic libraries so that's what sold me. i like elisabeth and nathaniel. and i am curious to learn more about them. i wonder if elisabeth could have some magic herself. like we don't know anything about her parents. she was just left at great library.

btw are sorcerers only men or also women?

Lucy Tonks wrote: "i am in the middle of chapter 5 at the moment and i simply wanna strangle finch. he really thinks elisabeth could have killed the director?! the director has seen her grown, and she was like a moth..."

Yeah, Finch really annoyed me too, it seems like he was just jealous of the attention Elisabeth was getting. I don’t think he killed the Director since he was apparently in love with her, and he’s not powerful enough to do that, but it does seem so suspicious at how he won’t even listen to what Elisabeth has to say.

Lucy Tonks wrote: "i finished the first 10 chapters. and now i am less confused about the magic. and at the moment i am really enjoying the book. i haven't read the synopsys before starting the book so i had no idea ..."

Yeah, the aspect of magic libraries and living books which can talk is really cool, and I’m liking the fantasy aspects of the book so far. I’m also curious to know if Elisabeth has magic, like she was the only one who woke up when the Director was killed and everyone was put to sleep. So maybe she has powers, or someone just wanted to frame her.

Lucy Tonks wrote: "btw are sorcerers only men or also women?"

I’m not sure. I don’t remember it being mentioned that only men can be sorcerers, but we haven’t heard about any female sorcerers either. I don’t see a reason why women wouldn’t be allowed to be sorcerers though, and since there’s different levels of magic, maybe they can still perform basic feats.

So, I’ve read the next 10 chapters now! (view spoiler)[ Chancellor Ashcroft is so horrible, I’m mad at him for murdering the Director, and treating Elisabeth so horribly when he turned everyone against her, and convinced them that she’s mentally ill. I wonder how she was able to resist his magic, and how on earth she’ll reveal his crimes to everyone. I’m curious to learn what Ashcroft’s true intentions are though, and what information he’s trying to find from the libraries. I also hope Nathaniel will choose to help out Elisabeth, since I want them to interact more. I wonder if there’s more to his bargain with Silas, and if he’s running out of years. I hope he’ll be okay. Silas doesn’t seem so bad for a demon, and I’m also finding his character to be quite interesting. The situation at hand seems hopeless right now, but hopefully the book will pick up and we’ll see some more action, since these last few chapters dragged on a bit (for me). (hide spoiler)]

ok i've read a bit of chapter 11, and god elisabeth can be so naive, how did i not see this yesterday?!

update: just finished chapter 11 and i don't like chancellor ashcroft. idk there's just something about him that i don't like.

also i feel like chancellor ashcroft lied when he said that nathaniel didn't tell elisabeth about how he wanted to escort her from summerhall. i feel like there's soemthing more to it

ok, so i just finished the 10 chapters. and i agree chancellor ashcroft is so horrible! ugh, i hate him so much. he was so horrible towards elisabeth! but i did kinda suspected that he murdered the director tho. i didn't like him from the second he was introduced.

i am a little bit troubled by silas. he is ok for a demon, but we keep being reminded every second that he is in fact a demon and should not be trusted. the discussion that he has at the end of chapter 20 with elisabeth, i foind it kinda troubling and i really don't know what to think of silas...

these 10 chapters i found a little bit boring, and the pacing a little slow. still a lot happened, but i didn't find myself as excited as i was when i read the first 10 chapters of the book yesterday.

Yeah, Chancellor Ashcroft was dodgy from the start, he seemed way too relaxed when dealing with Elisabeth considering she’s a (falsely accused) criminal. I’m not sure what to think of Silas either, he’s dangerous and threatening, yet he seems to have some good intentions like when he looks out for Nathaniel. These last chapters did feel like they dragged on. I was expecting more action considering we got lots of action in the first chapters, and nothing much happened except Elisabeth was trapped in one mansion and escaped to another. Hopefully the book will pick up, and I’m curious to find out how everything will be resolved.

I’ve read the next 10 chapters, and things are getting more interesting now!

(view spoiler)[It’s cool how Elisabeth’s exposure to the grimoires throughout her life is what’s made her resistant to magic and stronger, though I didn’t find this particularly surprising. I’m glad Nathaniel agreed to help Elisabeth, and that they succeeded in revealing Ashcroft‘s intentions to the public.

We got to see Silas for the demon he is, and even though I knew he couldn’t be trusted, I was still surprised when his sacrifice was revealed to be his way of getting more years from Nathaniel, and when Elisabeth offered up 10 years of her life. Even though he does have a darker side and can’t be trusted, I still like Silas’ character, and deep down he does seem to care for Nathaniel and Elisabeth to some extent. I’m glad Nathaniel and Elisabeth have grown closer, but I feel like there could have been more development in their relationship, since it was a bit of a leap from not talking to each other.

But now we know Ashcroft’s true intentions, and how he’s been using the Great Libraries as a summoning circle to summon the demon king. Hopefully Nathaniel and Elisabeth will be able to stop him, and that both of them as well as Silas will be okay. But I’m curious to find out how everything will be resolved in the next chapters! (hide spoiler)]

still at school so i haven't had the time to read the chapters yet, but i hope to finish the book tonight. we'll see how that goes lol :))

Ok, cool! I’m going to bed soon, so I’ll finish the last few chapters tomorrow! :)

i just finished the 10 chapters. i didn't manage to finish the book sadly.

i like how the twist about why elisabeth is resistant to magic. i found it interesting and something different from the (way too common) look she has magic she didn't know about troupe.

tbh the moment when they summoned silas i realised why he let himself get killed. i was so sure that he will ask for more years from nathaniel. also a scene like this should have been inevitable from the beginning since we kept being told not to trust demons, so it was more a matter of when instead of if. i still like his character too, like he cares for nathaniel and elisabeth in his way. i do find it strange that he sometimes can be so cruel then the next moment he takes care of nathaniel or elisabeth.

i really like the relationship between nathaniel and elisabeth. i agree that there could have been more development to it, but i still like it. at the beginning of the book i was afraid it will be insta love, but i am so happy that was not the case.

i hate ashcroft so much. he is such a horrible and cruel character. hopefully he will just rot in hell, by the end of the book.

I’ve finished the book now!! I really enjoyed it! My only criticisms are the lack of development in Elisabeth and Nathaniel’s relationship, and the fact that the pacing felt a bit slow at times! But otherwise, it was a great fantasy standalone, which I’d give 4/5 stars!

(view spoiler)[Ashcroft was horrible and way too power-hungry for his own good. He wouldn’t even care about the destruction the world would face if he had succeeded. And it was horrible how he used Irena ad Hyde as blood sacrifices for his own purposes. I can’t believe how stupid he was in believing that summoning the demon king and using its power would improve mankind.

But that part where Elisabeth rallied the grimoires against the demons was epic. Her magical connection to the library is really cool, and I agree that it’s good that it’s something different than having magic powers. I loved how the grimoires were living creatures with proper emotions, and this magical element was one of my favourite aspects of the book. I felt sorry for the grimoires for being locked up, and this has inspired me to try harder in taking care of my books 😂 .

I love this quote so much:

“For these were not ordinary books the libraries kept. They were knowledge, given life. Wisdom, given voice. They sang when starlight streamed through the library’s windows. They felt pain and suffered heartbreak. Sometimes they were sinister, grotesque—but so was the world outside. And that made the world no less worth fighting for, because wherever there was darkness, there was also so much light.” (hide spoiler)]

(view spoiler)[And the prejudice against sorcerers and their demonic magic really made me mad, especially when Nathaniel and Elisabeth were treated so badly, and the stories Elisabeth were taught were mostly untrue. The situation was so hypocritical considering the Great Libraries were built from demonic magic. But even though not everybody supports Elisabeth and Nathaniel, I’m glad they still got some recognition for their actions and I have faith they’ll succeed in changing things for the better.

Silas’ sacrifice to end the ritual, and force the Archon back to the Otherworld was so touching. I felt so sad for him when he sacrificed himself. Silas actually overcame and fought his demonic nature, and proved that he really does care for Nathaniel and Elisabeth. And yet nobody else knew about him 😭. But did he come back at the end?? I don’t want to believe he’s dead, and that open ending could imply that he did return.

I’m glad Elisabeth has the option to return to the library if she chooses to, and that she and Nathaniel are officially together. Their relationship is sweet, though I do wish there was more development leading up to their romance. I’m also glad Finch was caught for illegal smuggling, and that Katrien and Mercy also found their own happy ending, with Katrien becoming an apprentice, and Mercy becoming a servant at the house. (hide spoiler)]

i just finished the book and i actually liked this book more than i expected. i went into it with lower expectations since i've seen a lot of mixed reviews, but i really liked this book. i ended up giving it 4 out 5 stars too.

i really liked the end and how the library decided to help elisabeth defeat ashcroft. i have never read a book that has the magic library troupe, but i am excited to read more books with this troupe in the future.

i was so sad about silas! during the whole book i was not sure if i should trust him or not, but even with my whole uncertainty, i still trusted him. he cared so much about nathaniel and elisabeth that he managed to fight his demonic nature and help them.

i was kinda annoyed about how the book ended. i don't really like when standalones end and i still have a few questions. like is silas alive or not? i guess he is from the way it ended, but it is really confirmed, if you know what i mean.

also i am still confused about how the deal with silas worked. like do they live their lives, and then they die 20 years earlier than they should have? or how does this work, i am so confused.

i, too, wish there was a little bit more development in nathaniel and elisabeth's relationship. i liked it, but it felt a little abrupt and rush sicne the other focused more on the action plot, than the romance. i am glad that in the end they are happy and together and the other characters like katrien and mercy are doing well too :) and god finch got what he deserved lol!

Lucy Tonks wrote: "i really liked the end and how the library decided to help elisabeth defeat ashcroft. i have never read a book that has the magic library troupe, but i am excited to read more books with this troup..."

I agree! This was something different, and better than I expected, and I loved how the books had emotions and were alive, and the idea of a magic library was just incredible. When the grimoires sacrificed themselves to help Elisabeth, I was so sad, it was like losing important characters in the story.

Yeah, I’m just assuming Silas is alive, because I don’t want him to be dead either. His sacrifice was so touching, and it was so sad how nobody (besides Nathaniel and Elisabeth) actually remembered who Silas was. He was such a great character! I’m pretty sure with the deal, Nathaniel and Elisabeth will lose the number of years they traded away, so it would be subtracted from their life span, since when Elisabeth traded away 10 years of her life, she described feeling the absence of it.

I really liked the way the book was concluded too! And I would have liked more development leading up to Nathaniel and Elisabeth’s romance, but I’m still glad they’re together. Their interactions were so hilarious and entertaining. Also, I found it interesting when Nathaniel mentioned that he was bisexual, like I wasn’t really expecting that.

Who were your favourite characters? I think my favourite would have to be Nathaniel, since I really liked his witty and humorous personality. But Silas was also an amazing character when he overcame his demonic nature, and I also loved Elisabeth’s courage, and her love of books which was super relatable!

But this was pretty good for a standalone, despite that questionable ending! I’ve heard of An Enchantment of Ravens by the same author, which is apparently also a standalone, and I might consider reading it since I enjoyed this book. Have you read it before?

And do you remember when the Director Irena always looked out for Elisabeth and let her stay at the library? At first, I thought she just saw herself in Elisabeth and admired her courage, but maybe she knew about Elisabeth’s connection to the library??

i thought it was interesting when nathaniel revealed that he was bisexual, but at the same time i felt that it was added there so there will at least be a little bit of lgbt rep in the book if that makes sense? it didn't really affect the plot at all. don't get me wrong, it's great that nowadays lgbt characters are more common in books, but i would have liked this to have a bigger plot in this book.

my favourite character was also nathaniel. i really liked his humor (although some of his jokes, didn't feel like something an 18 year old boy would make) and his sarcastic nature. i really liked learning more about his past and his childhood. and his scenes with elisabeth, we're so great. i really liked silas too. he was so interesting. not knowing if you should trust him or not. (although you most likely trust him by the end of the book, even tho you are cautioned not to lol)

yeah, this book is really good for a standalone. and i agree despite the questionable ending.

i haven't read an enchantment of ravens yet, but now that i've read this book it is higher on my tbr. and i am lowkey excited to read it. i have no idea what it is about, but i am still excited. i actually went into this book not knowing anything about the plot lol.

i don't know. the director might have seen herself in elisabeth, but she also said that when she saw elisabeth in the library, she realised that elisabeth beling there as kuch as the books did. so, yeah, i feel like she also saw something about elisabeth's connection with the books.

Yeah, Nathaniel was a great humorous character, but I agree that him being bisexual did feel like something added in the story for the sake of LGBTQ+ representation, since it was just mentioned out of nowhere and pretty much forgotten after that. But it was still an interesting way to add diversity to the story.

Sorcery of Thorns had been on my TBR for a while, so I’m glad I read it. I’ve heard that An Enchantment of Ravens is also a standalone with romance, but instead of the magical element with sorcerers in the story, it includes fae folk instead, which sounds interesting. I might consider reading it sometime, since I really enjoyed this book!

an enchantment of ravens has fae folk?! guess what book is now even higher in my tbr lol.

Hopefully it won’t disappoint then 😂