The focus of the novel is the relationship between Elizabeth and Nathaniel, and even Thorn Manor wants to know more about their feelings for each other! Nathaniel’s humor and charm are everything, and his devotion to and love for Elizabeth is so sweet. Elisabeth describes falling in love so well, and I love all the ways they both profess their love for each other without actually saying the words. Plus, their banter is top-notch. And the final scenes are beautifully romantic and magical for Elisabeth and Nathaniel. Sometimes it was painful just to look at him; his beauty slipped a knife between her ribs in a thrust of hopeless yearning.” Mysteries of Thorn Manor is a sequel novella to Sorcery of Thorns written by Margaret Rogerson. This story takes place about two months after the epilogue of Sorcery of Thorns and is a lighthearted, romantic comfort-read mystery that reveals previously untold secrets about the world and characters. It's ten chapters and about 34k words long. [1]

This was quite literally one of the softest short stories I have ever read. I fell so hard for Elisabeth and Nathaniel in Sorcery of Thorns, and this little companion story only confirms why that was so incredibly right of me. They're happy, they're courting, they're finally ice skating... and they're so domesticated that I may need a few moments to restart my heart from all the soft. Sorcery of Thorns' is one of my all-time favourite fantasies, and so when I saw this announced, I knew it was something I had to read, even though it's been a little while now since I read the original book. She took one of the pillows and placed it firmly between them, which made Nathaniel laugh. He snapped his fingers, and the hangings slid free from their ties to close with a quiet swish around the bed, shutting them out from the world. The new addition to the Thorn household, Mercy, didn’t feel like she was intruding at all. She’s not as close to any of them as they are with each other, but Elisabeth is firmly happy to have her around and she fits into the group seamlessly. Silas’ interactions with or about her were also highly entertaining. He makes no secret of how he’d prefer to work alone, but he simply has no say in the matter.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 gave him a skeptical look. “Most of the time when you say that, it turns out that actually—” Also Elisabeth seems to carry Demonslayer around with her almost everywhere she goes, and I simply think that more characters should have emotional support swords like she does. Truly iconic of her. You can’t leave it this way forever,” Elisabeth pointed out. “It’s trapping us inside, too. We’ll starve. Also, that looks like it came off the roof.”

Elisabeth paused, remembering what the reporter had started to say earlier, and then rounded on him. “What is the Midwinter Ball?” Even though she knew this was a ridiculous thing to think, she felt as though kissing were something they had discovered—a marvelous secret that only they knew, and were inventing as they went along. Point taken. But I didn’t have another nightmare last night, did I? You certainly would have noticed.”

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I honestly think Margaret Rogerson can do now wrong when it comes to telling a story. This novella was just as whimsy and witty as the full novel Sorcery of Thorns, and I loved every second of it. She couldn’t make out his face, but she got the impression he was trying his best not to look at the layer of ash coating the foyer’s tiles—or, for that matter, notice the dustbin juddering its way determinedly toward the parlor. He continued softly, “It is a yearly tradition among sorcerers, meant to uphold the relations between houses. Every winter, a different magister is chosen to host the ball.” All quotes come from an advance copy and may not match the final release. Thank you to the author and publisher for the review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.