Literature & Fiction
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Mysteries of Thorn Manor
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.
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.
Readers Top Reviews
ChelseaHope28Chel
I have yet to read it, but I know I'll love it. The issue is the weird size. I just wanted to give others a heads-up. I'm disappointed because I'm one of those people who likes my books to match in size. This one will stick out like a sore thumb next to her other novels. 😭
Five stars for content but the small size of the book is weird and no doubt hard to read for some. It will definitely look odd next to her other works (which are regular size) on my bookshelf. I guess the recession has made it to the book world or maybe Amazon is doing fulfillment from Wish.
@kathreadsya Ch
I missed my favorite dramatic bisexual, and even injured Nathaniel manages to be his colorful self. And Silas!!! We don't have too many questions answered, but I loved to see him again, and get more closure around how the first book ended. This was a charming little story with magic and demons and books!
McKenzi@kathreads
4.5 stars! Sorcery of Thorns is one of my favorite books, so when I saw Mysteries of Thorn Manor was to be a thing, I pre-ordered it immediately. I was very disappointed to see how few pages it was. However, I was not at all let down by the content. I’m only giving it 4.5 stars because of the length. Other than that, it was a wonderful story true to the characters and moods of Sorcery of Thorns!!
Kindle McKenzi@k
This is not a stand alone novella. But a followup or bonus short story. Still it is a lot of fun to read more about the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, the librarian Elisabeth Scrivener, and the very unusual demon Shows. Nathaniel, who is a bit socially awkward, is not following any discernible pattern of wooing his love Elisabeth and his house objects too his behavior. Meanwhile, Elisabeth knows Nathaniel loves her but not if she is his "true love.". It creates some very amusing situations.
Short Excerpt Teaser
Chapter One ONE
"I DIDN'T DO THIS!" Nathaniel insisted, leaning out the manor's front door, gazing helplessly at the vines thrashing up along the thorn hedge, the animated topiaries prowling through the garden, and the threatening magical gale that howled around Thorn Manor, carrying past leaves and branches and loose cobblestones in a whirling cyclone. "I swear upon Baltasar's unholy grave, I didn't do a thing."
Elisabeth gave him a skeptical look. "Most of the time when you say that, it turns out that actually-"
"Yes, yes, I know."
"Like when it started raining teacups on Laurel Avenue-"
"I thought we agreed not to talk about that."
"And the time a lightning strike blew off one of the Magisterium's towers-"
"Point taken. But I didn't have another nightmare last night, did I? You certainly would have noticed."
She felt herself turn pink. "No. You didn't."
He grinned at her, looking unfairly handsome in just his nightshirt, with his sleeves billowing and his dark hair whipped in every direction by the wind. "Anyway, all of this must have something to do with the manor's wards. Look at the street past the gates, it's completely normal."
She squinted through the streaks of swirling debris, and saw that he was right. The rest of Hemlock Park appeared to be enjoying a sunny, peaceful February morning. That failed to ease her mind. Especially because, standing just past the cyclone, a crowd had gathered; and at the very front stood a group of-
"Reporters," Nathaniel said darkly.
"Elisabeth Scrivener!" they called out in excitement, noticing that the front door had opened. "Magister Thorn! Would you care to comment on the situation? Have you lost control of your magic? Is it true that your demon is back?"
Nathaniel only frowned. Then another reporter shouted, "Is this likely to impact your preparations for the Midwinter Ball next w-"
Elisabeth didn't hear the rest, because Nathaniel had hastily drawn her inside and slammed the door behind them.
"You know, I find that I don't mind it a great deal after all," he said later that day, cheerfully watching a shrub sail past the foyer's window. "In fact, I believe the view is growing on me."
"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."
Nathaniel used his cane to slide the curtain open a little wider, watching with interest as a giant chunk of masonry went spinning by. The crowd of spectators screamed and ducked. If anything, Nathaniel only looked more pleased.
"Oh, I'm sure we have enough provisions to last us a few weeks. And if the roof starts leaking, I can simply use magic… Scrivener?" he asked in alarm. "Where are you going?"
She didn't answer, because she had drawn Demonslayer and charged out the door.
A moment later she charged back inside, chased by an army of vines swarming at her heels, their dagger-length thorns clattering angrily across the foyer's tiles. She was wild-eyed, with leaves tangled in her hair.
"Their heads grow back!" she shouted, hacking at the vines.
"Of course they do!" Nathaniel yelled. "They're magical topiaries! I could have told you that, if you hadn't charged outside to fight them in your pajamas!" He summoned a gout of emerald fire that burnt several vines to ashes, filling the room with the potent stink of aetherial combustion. But it didn't seem to help. As soon as the ashes pattered to the floor, another wave of vines swarmed inside to fill the gap.
They stretched from the hedge all the way indoors, their numbers inexhaustible. The more Elisabeth hacked at them, and the more Nathaniel scorched them with fireballs, the more they multiplied like the heads of a hydra. The tide of battle finally turned when Mercy emerged from the hall, let out a full-throated battle cry, and whacked the vines with a broom. This seemed to work for a moment, if only due to the element of surprise: the hedge shrank back, appearing rather shocked. Before it could rally, Elisabeth forced her way to the door and shoved it shut with all her strength, slamming it on a single thorny tendril that had enterprisingly snaked back inside. When it refused to retreat, she lopped off the end with her sword.
They all stood watching in silent horror as the vine flopped around on the carpet, still alive. Eventually Mercy had the presence of mind to trap it beneath an overturned dustbin.
"Suppose we're stuck inside, then," she observed as the dustbin hopped and rattled furiously across the carpet.
"So it would appear," said Nathaniel cheerfully. "How terribly inconvenient. It'll take me weeks to sort this out."...
"I DIDN'T DO THIS!" Nathaniel insisted, leaning out the manor's front door, gazing helplessly at the vines thrashing up along the thorn hedge, the animated topiaries prowling through the garden, and the threatening magical gale that howled around Thorn Manor, carrying past leaves and branches and loose cobblestones in a whirling cyclone. "I swear upon Baltasar's unholy grave, I didn't do a thing."
Elisabeth gave him a skeptical look. "Most of the time when you say that, it turns out that actually-"
"Yes, yes, I know."
"Like when it started raining teacups on Laurel Avenue-"
"I thought we agreed not to talk about that."
"And the time a lightning strike blew off one of the Magisterium's towers-"
"Point taken. But I didn't have another nightmare last night, did I? You certainly would have noticed."
She felt herself turn pink. "No. You didn't."
He grinned at her, looking unfairly handsome in just his nightshirt, with his sleeves billowing and his dark hair whipped in every direction by the wind. "Anyway, all of this must have something to do with the manor's wards. Look at the street past the gates, it's completely normal."
She squinted through the streaks of swirling debris, and saw that he was right. The rest of Hemlock Park appeared to be enjoying a sunny, peaceful February morning. That failed to ease her mind. Especially because, standing just past the cyclone, a crowd had gathered; and at the very front stood a group of-
"Reporters," Nathaniel said darkly.
"Elisabeth Scrivener!" they called out in excitement, noticing that the front door had opened. "Magister Thorn! Would you care to comment on the situation? Have you lost control of your magic? Is it true that your demon is back?"
Nathaniel only frowned. Then another reporter shouted, "Is this likely to impact your preparations for the Midwinter Ball next w-"
Elisabeth didn't hear the rest, because Nathaniel had hastily drawn her inside and slammed the door behind them.
"You know, I find that I don't mind it a great deal after all," he said later that day, cheerfully watching a shrub sail past the foyer's window. "In fact, I believe the view is growing on me."
"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."
Nathaniel used his cane to slide the curtain open a little wider, watching with interest as a giant chunk of masonry went spinning by. The crowd of spectators screamed and ducked. If anything, Nathaniel only looked more pleased.
"Oh, I'm sure we have enough provisions to last us a few weeks. And if the roof starts leaking, I can simply use magic… Scrivener?" he asked in alarm. "Where are you going?"
She didn't answer, because she had drawn Demonslayer and charged out the door.
A moment later she charged back inside, chased by an army of vines swarming at her heels, their dagger-length thorns clattering angrily across the foyer's tiles. She was wild-eyed, with leaves tangled in her hair.
"Their heads grow back!" she shouted, hacking at the vines.
"Of course they do!" Nathaniel yelled. "They're magical topiaries! I could have told you that, if you hadn't charged outside to fight them in your pajamas!" He summoned a gout of emerald fire that burnt several vines to ashes, filling the room with the potent stink of aetherial combustion. But it didn't seem to help. As soon as the ashes pattered to the floor, another wave of vines swarmed inside to fill the gap.
They stretched from the hedge all the way indoors, their numbers inexhaustible. The more Elisabeth hacked at them, and the more Nathaniel scorched them with fireballs, the more they multiplied like the heads of a hydra. The tide of battle finally turned when Mercy emerged from the hall, let out a full-throated battle cry, and whacked the vines with a broom. This seemed to work for a moment, if only due to the element of surprise: the hedge shrank back, appearing rather shocked. Before it could rally, Elisabeth forced her way to the door and shoved it shut with all her strength, slamming it on a single thorny tendril that had enterprisingly snaked back inside. When it refused to retreat, she lopped off the end with her sword.
They all stood watching in silent horror as the vine flopped around on the carpet, still alive. Eventually Mercy had the presence of mind to trap it beneath an overturned dustbin.
"Suppose we're stuck inside, then," she observed as the dustbin hopped and rattled furiously across the carpet.
"So it would appear," said Nathaniel cheerfully. "How terribly inconvenient. It'll take me weeks to sort this out."...
