Book Review: ‘Sorceline’
Mythical beasts, magical mysteries, and a girl who might be more dangerous than the creatures she studies.
What It’s About (In My Own Words)
Sorceline by Sylvia Douyé
Pack your bags and your bravest heart—we’re off to the Island of Vorn, a fog-drenched land where cryptids roam and only the top students are invited to study the unbelievable. Sorceline, bright, curious, and more than a little impulsive, joins a summer apprenticeship with famed cryptozoologist Archibald Balzar, hoping to become an expert in magical creatures.
But studying unicorns and fairies is less “enchanted forest” and more “monster-infested internship.” Sorceline finds herself tangled in competitions, tempers, and terrifying secrets. The catch? Some of the chaos may actually be her fault. And when students start to disappear, the island's mysteries grow darker—and more personal.
Let’s start with the obvious: this book looks amazing. The artwork? A visual treat. From dreamy creature designs to dynamic layouts, it pulls you straight into the enchanted gloom of Vorn. I could happily flip through the pages just for the colours and perspectives alone.
As for the story? Well. It wants to do a lot—rivalries! inner demons! missing students! cryptids galore!—and sometimes it tries to juggle too much at once. There’s a fine line between misdirection and mild confusion, and Sorceline walks it with wobbly boots. Scene transitions feel rushed, character squabbles get repetitive, and emotional moments occasionally fizzle out before they land.
And yet. I read it in under three hours.
That has to count for something, right? The concept is fun, the creatures are fascinating, and Sorceline is exactly the kind of flawed, fiery heroine I can root for—even when I want to shake her a little. The final twist caught me off guard (in a good way), and I’ll definitely be back for the sequel. Hopefully with fewer petty fights and more, you know, dragon taming.
MOM BRAIN FILTER
The idea of training kids to study the impossible while quietly exploring their own inner chaos? Feels familiar. Sorceline’s struggle to understand herself, while accidentally burning bridges, is a story that hits home when you’re raising a tiny human who will one day face her own big feelings. We all need to learn which monsters are worth fighting… and which are just shadows.
READ IF YOU:
Love magical boarding school vibes with cryptid flair
Want science, sorcery, and a little mystery in your graphic novels
Can’t resist a girl who talks to fantastical beasts before she talks to people
Live for lush, animated-style artwork
SKIP IF YOU:
Get frustrated with clunky dialogue or disjointed scene cuts
Want a fully polished plot over an intriguing, messy start
⭐ RULING
A visually enchanting beginning to what could be a standout fantasy series—if it reins in the drama and lets the story (and Sorceline) breathe.
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YOUR TURN
There’s something so nostalgic about stories where kids study magic and monsters—whether it’s Hogwarts, Camp Half-Blood, or a spooky island internship.
What’s your favourite magical school or “training ground” setting?
Would you study cryptozoology if given the chance? (Be honest: which creature would you want as your final project?)
And how do you feel about prickly heroines who talk first, think later?
👇 Let’s chat.
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