Thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for this ARC!

This book was a solid 3.5 stars for me. I really enjoyed the magical system and the world building and how Rogerson just drops you right into it. As well as the hierarchy of the clerics and the relics. At times I found it confusing but not to the point of being able to enjoy the story. There is a guide / appendix at the end of the book with the names and ranking of clerics and relics, I just would have appreciated this more at the beginning of the book.

I absolutely loved An Enchantment of Ravens and A Sorcery of Thorns and went into Vespertine thinking it would be another standalone fantasy romance. When in fact there is absolutely no romance at all in this, which is the main reason my rating is what it is.

This was still an enjoyable read and the character growth with Artemisia was amazing! The best parts of the book were her banter with the relic and watching her grow as a person and become more comfortable around people. She went from someone who abhorred interacting and being around others to finding people who made her feel comfortable and come out of her shell. Knowing that she was very socially awkward, anxious, and uncomfortable around people, the lack of romance made sense. There does seem to be potential for some romance in the future book(s).

Though this wasn’t my favorite book of Rogerson’s, I will definitely be reading the next book in the series.

Vespertine, what a ride! This book is amazing. There is no slow build up, it starts right in the middle of the action and takes you on a wild ride. From start to finish, I was hanging onto every word (and it’s been a while since I can honestly say I’ve done that).

The best thing about this book: NO CLIFFHANGER! There was closure to the story. Even though I wanted more… much much more (and there will be a sequel) I’m satisfied with how it all came together in the end.

Trigger Warnings: self-harm, eating disorder, anxiety, ptsd from child neglect/abuse (non-sexual).

Artemisia is training to be a Gray Sister, a nun who cleanses dead bodies so their souls don't rise as spirits. Others find Artemisia strange as she isn't very good at socializing or making friends or smiling, which is probably the result of being possessed as a baby and burning her hands to protect her family. When the convent is attacked by possessed soldiers, Artemisia races for the only weapon that can possibly save them: a revenant bound to a saint's relic. The revenant threatens to possess her if she lets her guard down, but in order to defeat a greater threat Artemisia and the revenant come to an agreement. Will Artemisia be able to retain her sanity and freedom and be able to save her world?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the idea being the different spirits, what the can do, and how they can be used. I loved Artemisia’s strength. The revenant annoyed me at times, but it makes sense that they are that way after so long. I wish there was a little more of their history. I enjoyed the friendship in the book. There was basically no romance, which was a nice change. I always look forward to what this author will come out with next.

I honestly struggled to get going with this book. Thankfully it picked up and I was hooked till the end to find out how the story finished! In particular, I really enjoyed learning about Artemisia's back story. What lead her to coming to the convent, her story of being possessed. I felt a little lost at the beginning of the book, like maybe it took too long to learn any of those details about our main character.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, just as all the other books I've read by Rogerson.

Corpses and spirits and possessions, oh my!

Great opening chapter, it pulled me in right away. I was completely immersed in the story; there were no slow parts, just living and breathing it

I loved the loner nun with her sardonic companion. The dialogue between them was my favorite part.

So many great characters and battles.

Definitely one of my favorite books this year. I am so happy to have received a copy from NetGalley!

After enjoying Margaret Rogerson's other stand alone novels, I was really excited to read her foray into more extensive world-building. Something I've loved about her other novels is the way she always manages to interweave the dark and creepy with what initially appears to be traditional fairy tale romances. And Vespertine takes that to another level! Artemisia lives in a world where the dead walk and constantly threaten to possess and destroy humanity. It is only through the constant vigilance of those with the "Sight" and their powerful relics, that the spirits of the dead can be set to rest. However, when spirits begin waking and mobilizing at a greater scale than ever before, Artemisia finds herself in possession of the only relic powerful enough to stop the spirit war and save her world.

I really liked the premise of this book. Artemisia begins the book as a bit of an anti-heroine. She does not get along with people. She's suffered massive childhood trauma that causes her to have trouble relating to those around her. All she wants is to become a Grey Nun and live out her days in solitude, purifying the dead in her remote convent. She grows through the book, though, to fill out her role as Vespertine, a wielder of the most powerful relic and a bit of a modern day saint. This growth mostly comes from the friendship she develops with the Revenant, the spirit tied to her relic. This relationship is the core of the book, which I found to be very fresh and interesting in the YA genre dominated by romance. Though, I am still a bit skeptical about how the body sharing is going to end well for the two of them in subsequent books...

My biggest problem with the book boils down to pacing. For the first three quarters of the novel, Artemisia kind of wanders around without a real plan. This makes sense because she is basically a cloistered nun suddenly being asked to fight in battles. But, it took me a long time to really understand how the world and the spirits worked and the stakes of conflict. After this slow beginning, the last quarter of the book felt really rushed. A lot of new information was thrown our way that I wished could have been seeded earlier.

I’m just not able to get into this story. Maybe I’m not in the right spot to read this and if I try again later it’ll stick. I’ve heard this is a great book. I’m just struggling to read it and it feels forced right now.

This book is a mysterious little story, and unlike Sorcery of Thorns, which get very self-contained, it feels as though little threads were still running all over the place at the end of the book.

All told, I enjoyed this, but I did feel that it was a bit incomplete. I’m hoping it’s part of a series, so that I can understand how the pieces of her world building fit together.

What I enjoyed: I loved the main character, her back story and trauma, and her relationship with her revenant. Rogerson has a such a fun banter style between enemies turned allies, and that comes out in a fun way in this book. I also really enjoyed the use of saints and relics and the general ideas of the world building.

However, I did find the pacing to be off, and some of the explanations for the magic system didn’t quite make sense the way they were written. I know that this is a draft, so the final copy may have fixed some of these issues.

I also really wanted to like/enjoy the primary antagonist, but we just didn’t see enough of him. If this is part of a series, I think this will make sense.

Overall, I didn’t like it as much as Sorcery of Thorns, but I would be intrigued to read another book set in the same world.

Margaret Rogerson’s third novel tells the story of Artemisia, a nun turned relic-wielder who must save her kingdom from an onslaught of possessed spirits while contending with the revenant who now shares her body.

I am a fan of Rogerson’s work—I have loved her world building and romances in the past. That’s why I was so excited to receive this arc (a thousand thanks!). Rogerson demonstrates impressive versatility, and this book is definitely a departure from her earlier work.

I must say that overall this book missed the mark for me. I found it quite slow and meandering. I’m a medievalist, and I found Rogerson’s interpretation of relics, the cult of saints and her medieval France-ish world to be not hugely creative and also not very compelling. I found the premise of the saints being wielders of evil spirits to be pretty confusing. It feels as if the author has her ideas firmly fixed in her own mind, but the nuts and bolts of the world (which are very important to understanding the story) aren’t totally making it onto the page.

Still, I’ll definitely tune in for Rogerson’s future works! She is a talented fantasy writer.

4.25 stars

"Perhaps the decisions that shaped the course of history weren't made in scenes worthy of stories and tapestries, but in ordinary places like these, driven by desperation and doubt." --Margaret Rogerson

First and foremost, Margaret Rogerson has once again proven herself to be a favorite author of mine. I was (and still am) a huge fan of An Enchanment of Ravens and of Sorcery of Thorns, and Vespertine is already following closely on their heels. Vespertine is a bit different than the other two books by this author, most importantly because it isn't a standalone. It's a mixture of the His Fair Assassins books and Venom and something else that uniquely belongs to this story.

The thing that Margaret Rogerson does best--and continues to do with this book-- is give us strong, complicated, and three-dimensional characters (especially her heroines). Artemisia is no exception. She is strong, she is funny, she is compassionate, she is heroic. She has a complicated past and has trouble with social engagements but never lets that stop her. She grows so much in this book. Her strengths shine as she gets over the things that have made her weak--including her past and her inadequacy at understanding the people around her.

Another thing this book does really well is its side characters. Each one is so much more than they seem, and we get to experience their depths as Artemisia does, as she is constantly surprised by the capabilities of those around her. In this book, the motivations for each character are so much different than they seem and everyone has hidden depths that are slowly and craftily revealed. I loved seeing how Artemisia interacted with the people around her, and how she was constantly surprised by them. This book is such a brilliant study of humanity and how complicated people can be. It explores the depth of what it means to be human, but also what it means to simply exist.

Most especially, I loved the relationship between Artemisia and the revenant. He constantly threatened her and called her "horrid nun" or "wretched nun," but it was more banter-based than an actual insult. Their relationship and pasts come to intertwine in a delightful way. Their conversations also always created moments of levity while the stakes were being raised.

The reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is twofold--for one thing, I had a really hard time getting into the world. For another, the plot took a while to get going. The world itself did not feel as rich as Rogerson's other books, which I think is partly because it seems to be heavily inspired by medieval France. I think we are supposed to rely on this inspiration as opposed to the world being explored more deeply. I do get that the main character has a narrow scope of her own world as well--she is born in a very small town and only leaves there to go to a small convent. She leaves the convent behind at the beginning of the book, but she doesn't know much about the world, and therefore neither do we. She also doesn't focus much on many world-building details except for those pertaining to spirits and the hierarchy of the world. The places she visits in the book seem relatively flat. This also adds to the slowness of the plot. It gains momentum very, very gradually and it isn't until nearly the end of the book that you finally start to grasp what's going on. Again, this is not necessarily a bad thing. The focus is much more on the characters and how they slowly discover what is going on in their world and how to stop it.

This book, I think, may increase its rating when the next book (or books) in the series are released. The world will likely get bigger right along with the plot. The first book, though, has created a very solid foundation and I can't wait to see where Rogerson takes this world next.


*I received a free electronic copy of this book from Netgalley
*Review also posted on Goodreads & The Book Keepers Blog

I have liked Margaret Rogerson’s previous books so I knew I was going to enjoy this but I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly I was hooked.
A spooky read with a snarky demon—-yes, please! I had to pause my reading to preorder a hard copy because I know I will want to reread. There wasn’t a cliffhanger at the end but it still left me wanting more. I am ready for the next book!

I give this book 4.5 stars, but for this rating I will round up to 5

I loved this book!
Artemisia is in training to be a Gray Sister- a nun who cleanses the bodies of the dead so their souls can pass on. As a socially awkward teen who was once possessed by a spirit, dealing mostly with the dead suits her just fine. But when her convent is attacked, she inadvertently uses a powerful relic to defend herself and a Revenant enters her body. Artemisia goes on the run to avoid being exorcised and begins to work with the Revenant to unravel the mystery of saints, old magic, and spirits.
I really enjoyed the relationship between Artemisia and the revenant. The world building was interesting and pretty easy to understand. This was a great read as an adult, but it's also great for younger YA readers- there is no romance and no language.
While the plot does wrap up in this novel, the author has said there will be a second book. I look forward to seeing where the story goes!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC to review.

Loved the concept, the land and the idea of spirits coming back, especially the different levels of spirits. The Revenant was a fanatastic character, hope a second book comes out to develop them further, maybe find out how they were formed and their human life. The pace was perfect and the battle scenes full of tension and fear. I just didn't much like the main character. She was two dimensional and hard to really like.
If you like fantasy and especially fantasy that takes on spirituality and religion, you will enjoy this.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC, this is my honest review.

5 « she did it again » stars

First I want to say a huge thank you to Simon and Shuster for my eGalley or Vespertine! Margaret Rogerson is one of my favorite authors and I wanted to read Vespertine so bad! So yes, thank you!

In her author’s note Margaret Rogerson explained that she struggled to write this book as the world pandemic has affected her mood very hard yet she has delivered a superb story.

It’s true the mood is somber than in Sorcery of Thorns and the banter is darker. But it suits her characters and story perfectly!
I fell into that story from the very first sentence and stayed glued to my Kindle until the very end!

The opening scene happens in a convent’s cemetery where Artemisia finds a censer abandoned at the base of a tombstone. Soon enough, a white raven named Trouble warns her that the young novice who carried the censer is in grave danger.
Artemisia won’t hesitate for one second to rush to her aid and battle a highly ranked spirit.

That’s Artemisia for you: always dedicated to help others, disregarding her own health and safety as unimportant compared to others.

From that first gripping scene we dive head first in a brand-new universe akin to some medieval times. A world where spirits target the sighted to possess their soul and make them their puppets.
A world where the Grey Sisters, Artemisia’s order prepare the dead’s bodies to avoid the birth of dangerous spirits. These sisters are also trained to fight spirits with relics and misericords, these thin blades they wield.
Cathedrals, relics, horses, knights, revenants, nuns, monks…this painted a rich tapestry transporting me in a fantasy medieval universe.

Artemisia has been saved as a child by the Grey Sisters while she was possessed by a spirit. The first year of Artemisia’s life were …horrid. I won’t give details but I cried on her childhood more than once.

Artemisia was a seventeen years old awkward teenager who feels better amidst goats and horses than humans! And yet she’ll always fight for them, bewildered as the story unfold when some people helped her and treated her with kindness. Her appearance had others fear her and she is used to loneliness. And yet, a secret part of her will yearn for some warmth and companionship.

When a great danger and unexpected twist of events will force her to use a relic to defend her convent, a very powerful spirit will enter her body and she will be forced to flee confessor Leander. But if she is running away from him, she will also embark on a journey to save her world.

The battle scenes when Artemisia was ruled by the revenant were elating! Like these painting of saints surrounded by bright light fighting evil.

The revenant will be a reluctant ally and the banter between the grumpy, sarcastic spirit and candid, socially clueless Artemisia was a delight!
The revenant, for all his power and threat he posed reminded me of a gruff man, outwardly harsh and cruel but a softie inside.

This was one of the big lessons in this story. How people’s cruelty is often born of loneliness and fear of being rejected. But once you show them you won’t leave them and that you want to be their friends, it’s like the sun peeking behind the clouds.
This gave us unexpected and heartwarming friendships. Artemisia no longer alone, weird as it might be, and the revenant being accepted and cared for in some strange bonding.

Battles, revenants, possession, secrets, unexpected friendships and devouring ambition, you have everything in Vespertine to make it one of my top five books of 2021 once again.
Margaret Rogerson has proven once more that she does know how to write an enthralling and riveting story!

for starters: i absolutely adore the cover! I was surprised there wasn't more romance because Sorcery of Thorns had a strong romance component but the relationship between Artemisia and revenant mostly made up for that lack. i just happen to prefer fantasy with romance. i did really like Artemisia as a character and she felt wonderfully realistic. the magic system was cool and the world building was super well done. i did get a little confused at times about what was going on but overall a solid fantasy read. i didn't love it the way i loved Sorcery of Thorns.

While I'm fully aware that Margaret Rogerson vowed this book was largely unedited and not in its best form in the ARC version, understand that Vespertine's world building is some of the best she's done, if not the best that's been in a standalone novel in recent years. Very much a Rogerson novel at heart, Artemisia of Naimes accidentally becomes the host for a revenant, a Fifth Order spirit that's considered highly dangerous and are often known to take full possession of their host. However, the one she has the pleasure (high sarcasm there) of intaking seems to have an attitude problem. Not to make light of the death, decay, and otherwise gruesome nature of the book and possessed beings, Vespertine combines all of those things while simultaneously feeling like a buddy cop movie.

Artemisia doesn't want to be famous, or seen, or anything really. She's content living at the convent forever, serving as a Gray Sister and preparing the dead for their rites in order to prevent them from becoming spirits. It isn't until possessed soldiers come to the convent seeking the relic they hold there that she realizes her idea of a perfect future may not be the one the Lady has planned for her. Once she takes in the revenant, she holds firm to herself, refusing to let it take over the way it intends. However, as Artemisia is thrown into situations that require the use of the revenant's power, they strike a tenuous bargain: as long as she doesn't place the revenant back in the relic it came from, it promises not to control her beyond her will. A tangled plot by the Divine's right hand man drives Artemisia to save the people, regardless of how much she wants to be left alone, but even that begins to feel like a future she no longer wants as the bond grows between her and the revenant.

GOODNESS, is this a different but brilliant Rogerson novel. While different than her other two in that romance is not involved, Vespertine makes up for it with the intense world building and introduction of the spirit system. Between the orders of the spirits, the way in which some handle the possession, the use of relics, and the high deity of the Lady, there's a lot that goes into this. I will admit the beginning of the ARC version was slow and it took me a while to get engaged, but I know that once it gets the Rogerson lookover, it'll be brilliantly flawless and engaging. I definitely plan on giving this another read.

If you love Rogerson, Vespertine will bring you joy. And if you've never read a Rogerson, but really enjoy dead things, no romance, and a whole bunch of savageness, I highly recommend this book. And please can Charlie Bowater design every cover?!

Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK children’s for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

5/5 stars

I couldn’t set this book down! This book will be perfect for fall with the spooky aspects(spirits, incense, cathedrals). I was very intrigued by the world and the ranks of the spirits. I also loved the mystery of it and trying to unravel the secrets the revenant was hiding!

I loved that Artemisia struggled with real things and was still scared even though she was a strong heroine. I also really liked that the revenant was all scared of things even though he was a high ranking spirit. I loved their relationship and banter. Even though he didn’t show it you could tell he enjoyed Artemisia.

There was no romance in this book and I think that was best. There was so much going on that there didn’t need to be romance. It was more important to the storyline to not have romance in my opinion. A lot of books can fall flat without romance but I don’t think this book suffered that at all!

The unexpected friendship that blossomed between Marguerite and Artemisia was so pure and wholesome. I was glad Marguerite was there to remind Artemisia that she wasn’t alone. And Marguerite took care of her at the covenant without her even knowing it.

The ending was a little anticlimactic but still fit the story. I would have liked a chapter or 2 before the epilogue. Since you have this big event and then boom epilogue. Made it seem a little rushed.

Overall greatly enjoyed the story and would recommend it if you like fantasy and adventure!

4/5
As always, I love Margaret Rogerson's writing. She pulls you straight into her stories and makes you feel like you are there right along with her characters. Artemisia is much like her characters in her other books in that she's a girl who isn't quite sure of the strength she poses that's deep down inside of her. I liked the relationship that built between her and the spirit but I will let you know that if you're looking for romance like in her other two books, you won't find that here. You will find great world building, a plot that moves right along, some twists and turns, and as always, a fantastic main character.

**I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review via Netgalley.**

5/5 stars rightfully earned! I loved Margaret Rogerson's Sorcery of Thorns and An Enchantment of Ravens as well, but don't remember being so entranced the entire read! Vespertine grabbed my attention from the start with the mysterious and unique character, Artemesia: a solitary girl with the Sight to see spirits but a childhood that shaped her into a strong, yet socially distant nun. Now, don't let the word nun fool you, these are girls and women with the Sight, trained to keep spirits from wreaking havoc on the human world by the power of other spirits locked into relics. Some can heal and some can light fire with a motion. Others, can use their relic and spirit to twist a person into despair and guilt to get what they want. The story paces extremely well, and I found that I wanted to read every line instead of skimming paragraphs. Just when I thought I had everything figured out, the rug was yanked from beneath my feet! I loves this book and will definitely be re-reading in the future!