A fantasy novel with my favorite kind of worldbuilding -- where you are set down in the middle of the characters' lives and gather the information you need from the story without unnecessary exposition. Rogerson does that so well and sets up a unique world around her main character, Artemisia, a young woman in training to become a Gray Sister, one of the nuns who prepare the bodies of the dead so their souls will pass on properly to the afterlife. When her convent is attacked by soldiers possessed by the dead, Artemisia accidentally awakens the spirit bound to an ancient saint's relic and gains its magical powers. Untrained in how to control such a spirit, now bound to her mind, Artemisia is vulnerable to possession herself -- but instead starts conversing with the spirit, eventually befriending it while on the run from priests and clergy who think her possessed. Artemisia and the revenant, as the spirit calls itself, are well developed characters and their conversations are a delight. Artemisia's social anxiety/agoraphobia/? is well portrayed without being explicitly described or used as cliche. As Artemisia learns more and more about the history of magic, spirits, and saints, readers will be excited to follow along with the smooth expansion of the world. The ending leaves me hoping for a sequel.

I recommend this. It's a new good book in this world to read. Vespertine should be read by everyone who needs a good fantasy read.

Vespertine was one of those books that I find hard to put down. The story changes in so many various ways, that it was hard to figure out from one chapter to the next. In one chapter, I thought I knew who the bad guys were, and in the next I flipped to thinking they were other people. There was no true situation in which I knew for sure who I was rooting for and who I wasn’t.

Characters
I loved the writing in this book. It was for sure a fantasy book, and had some really interesting characters. Artemisia was the Main Character, and we read the story through her eyes. At no point did I believe Artemisia was a bad guy, but she had some morally gray points, especially when she was training with the Revenant. She knew that some of what she was doing would be considered “bad” by many around her, but she also knew that in order to do what needed to be done, she was going to make some “bad” decisions. I couldn’t fault her for that.

World Building
I loved the world in Vespertine. I could really see the various settings, because Margaret did such a good job describing them. I traveled with Artemisia, and I fought with her as she trained to be a Vespertine. Her struggles were my struggles, and her victories were mine. This world that Margaret created allowed for all of this imagination, and I will always be grateful to her for that.

Writing
At no point in this book did I feel either overly intelligent, or overly stupid. Margaret’s use of language wasn’t flowerly, but it also didn’t feel stilted. I’ve read some books that used that flowery, descriptive language, but I’m glad Margaret didn’t, because it wouldn’t have fit with Artemisia’s personality. This book was in first person, so when an author is able to show the narrator’s personality through that type of writing, it’s a home-run for me!

Overall Opinion of Vespertine
I absolutely loved Vespertine. The story was amazing, the characters were fun and believable, and the settings were awesome. I had a hard time putting this book down, and had to remind myself to sleep and work. Luckily for me, reading is also part of my job, because otherwise I’d be in trouble.

Margaret Rogerson’s latest offering Vespertine is a fresh departure from standard YA fantasy, with a romance free plot full of ghosts, nuns, and powerful relics. Pitched as Venom meets Joan of Arc, Vespertine captures a bleak, grey toned world that will likely resonate with fans of gritty stories like The Witcher.

Nuns, spirits, and a dangerous alliance
The story follows Artemisia, a young nun in training. She lives in a world where the dead will return as dangerous spirits if they are not properly cleansed before their burial. When a group of possessed soldiers attack her convent, Artemisia ends up awakening a revenant (an incredibly dangerous, ancient spirt bound to a saint’s relic) in order to protect her fellow nuns. The two form a tense bond, with Artemisia struggling to keep the malicious spirit from completely possessing her body.

While Artemesia is taken captive for being possessed by a revenant, she learns that the spirits attacking her convent were not just a freak event.

Something is out there, dark and dangerous, stirring the spirits to action.

However, only a vespertine (a priestess who has been trained to wield a high relic) has any hope of stopping such a strong force of evil. But with all knowledge of vespertines being long lost history, Artemisia’s only hope of keeping the kingdom safe is in the revenant itself, if it doesn’t consume her first.

The good: quality writing and snarky venom
Fans of Margaret Rogerson will notice that this book is quite different form her normal fair of lush, romantic fantasy. There is no love interest here. And some readers may be put off by that. I definitely was at first. However, the quality is of the same calibre. We have a detailed world that Rogerson knows how to describe without exposition dumping, and memorable leads that stand out for the heaping pile of YA Fantasy protagonists.

The world is a highly religious one, ruled by a clerisy, rather than say a standard monarchy. Its dark grey overtones, dreary buildings, and spirit filled lands remind me of the The Witcher or even Dark Souls.

However, the best part of the story is hands down the relationship between Artemisia and the revenant. Its quick wit and utter disdain for its weak human vessel is what kept me turning the pages. It made me crave stories with this kind of dynamic. I loved the closeness between the two, and watching that closeness come from a need of mutual survival, instead of friendship.

The not as good: a closed off nun
With that said, it’s not all rainbows and butterflies for this story.

Artemisia was a difficult protagonist for me to get behind. She is closed off, and prefers animals and the dead to real people. While I can understand the feeling as a fellow introvert, her personality makes her come off as cold to the reader. It feels like I shouldn’t be enjoying this story with her, and I’m intruding on her space. A weird sensation to be sure.

The stakes for this story also feel a little low. With Artemisia becoming basically invincible through the power of the revenant, I became less interested in the actual plot and what was going on. I ended up just staying for the witty commentary from the revenant.

Of course, I understand this story is largely inspired by Joan of Arc, a fascinating heroine of history. I did enjoy seeing Artemisia go from a nobody to basically a saint that the people praised. It was interesting to watch her struggle with the sudden spotlight, like watching children play and pretend that they’re her, fighting an army of spirits.

A good story that might not be for everyone
In the end, Vespertine might not be everyone’s cup of tea. It is not a romance in the slightest, and relies heavily on the plot to carry the story. It is different from Rogerson’s normal work, which of course means there is a chance for disappointment. But, I recommend that fans of her previous novels give it a read. You may be surprised.

I am interested to see where Vespertine #2 takes Artemisia and the revenant next.

Margaret Rogerson has done it again! I didn't think anything could top Sorcery of Thorns, but then here comes Vespertine to claim that title. The spooky vibes of this book really sold it for me. I cannot wait for the next one!!

<b><i> “Sometimes, if you want to save other people, you need to remember to save yourself first.”</i></b>

<b><u>Summary</u></b>
Artemisia is a novice training to be a nun that takes cares of the dead so that their spirits don’t raise and haunt the living. She is quiet, letting the other novices whisper about her troubled past and scarred hands. When a possessed army attacks Artemisia’s convent, she wakes up an ancient saint’s relic. In order to fight the forces that work against them, she must become a vespertine, a nun that wields a powerful spirit known as a revenant bound within a relic. The only thing is that the way to wield these high relics has been lost to time, and the only person that can help Artemisia is the revenant itself.

<b><u>Review</u></b>
I will start off this review by saying that Margaret Rogerson is one of my favorite authors, and I adored this new addition to her published works immensely. Artemisia is someone who is haunted by her troubled past, and doesn’t let others close because of it. I loved seeing the bond between her and revenant grow as she learns to open up and start to trust others. I thought Rogerson did a good job showcasing how paralyzing PTSD can be, as well as a thoughtful portrayal of social anxiety.

The world building was an aspect of this story that was done extremely well. The system of nuns and priests is definitely based on the Catholic Church, but I loved the twist of these orders being created to fight off the kingdom’s ghost problem. The hierarchy and creation of the spirits was also really well done, and I loved discovering new things about this world.

The pacing was well developed and I loved watching this conflict develop. I was enchanted the whole time reading this book. As usual, Rogerson has absolutely beautiful prose. At the heart of it, this is a book about the power of friendship and believe in ourselves. I absolutely loved the message and all of the heartwarming moments. <i>Vespertine</i> is definitely a new favorite of mine!

Vespertine was my first Margaret Rogerson read, and I’m looking forward to reading more from her in the future. To sum up this review in one sentence, I loved this book, the premise, and the characters, and I can’t wait to see what’s next in this fictional world.

The story introduces us to the concept of Grey Sisters, nuns who are responsible for cleansing the bodies of the dead so that their souls can leave the physical world. If the Grey Sisters don’t do their jobs, the souls will return as spirits that go on to haunt the living.

We meet Artemisia, a Grey Sister in training who wants nothing more than to be left alone to work with the dead and ignore her traumatic past. When her convent is attacked by possessed soldiers, Artemisia wakes an ancient sprit from the relic (a less than benevolent spirit) that helps her to defeat the soldiers but threatens to possess. When it becomes impossible to get answers, Artemisia turns to the revenant attached to the relic for answers, and the bond between them grows and changes. Only time will tell whether Artemisia can save the land or whether the revenant will take over and possess her first.

I loved the premise of this story and the concept of Vespertines, the lucky few that can wield the power of a high relic. I was interested to see how the relationship between Artemisia and the revenant would play out over the course of the story, and it quickly became one of my favorite parts. The banter between them and the way the relationship develops over the course of the story was a highlight. I loved the worldbuilding and found the story immersive from the first pages, and I’m very excited to learn what happens in the next book.

Warning: This book discusses some sensitive topics that may be triggering for some readers including self-harm, anxiety, eating disorders, child abuse, PTSD, and trauma.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Big thanks to the publisher for sending this my way! Artemisia is training to be a Gray Sister, someone who cleanses the bodies of the dead so their souls can pass - she has no desire to ascend higher in the convent. However, when the convent is attacked, Artemisia finds herself connected/possessed by a revenant in order to save her world.

This book is full of dark magic, banter, and betrayal! Rogerson created a world that felt completely unique and was action packed from the get go. The relationship between the MC and the revenant is not about romance and honestly I didn't miss it. Artemisia is ace confirmed by the author and I think we need more books like this! There are content warnings such as possession, child abuse, death, violence, mental illness, and murder, though they aren't so graphic that it made me feel uneasy. In my opinion it was balanced and gave me gothic horror type feelings as I was reading!

I'll definitely be reading the next book as it is confirmed to be a series! YAY!

This story is filled with adventure, action, and a creepy/mystical experience. I didn’t enjoy this book, but not because the story itself was bad, but the combination of the plot, setting, and characters were not to my taste.

Before I explain how my taste didn’t align, let me point out why it would be worth it to pick up this book. First of all, it’s a world that uses spiritual aspects that results in a variety of tenses scenes and magical rituals. If that’s world you’re ready to immerse yourself into, than be excited for the detailed scenes that help you delve into the Vespertine world.

Now, the main issue of this story for me was the plot. I know that sounds bad, but it’s more an issue with taste. The spiritual magic of this world was interesting but not quite captivating and this led me to never really connect with the main character, Artemisia. The first word that comes to mind when reading this book is Halloween, and I have never been the biggest fan of Halloween, but for fans of fiction, a touch of fantasy, and Halloween I think this would be a fun journey to read about!

I honestly love Rogerson’s writing, so although this may not have been the book for me, I can’t wait to see what other stories Rogerson will create.

It took me a long time to get through this one, mainly due to the heavy-handed religious aspect of the plot and how much darker it was compared to Rogerson's other books that I enjoyed more. I went in knowing that this book was not a romance, and I had thought it would be refreshing, but it turns out the romance is what I liked most in Rogerson's other works. I had enjoyed the dark atmospheric tone of Sorcery of Thorns, but the magic felt a little more fantastical and whimsical. Vespertine's magic system is very much on the side of creepy and dark, which just wasn't for me. This book also dragged tremendously, and it took multiple efforts to get past the first few chapters. Overall, this just wasn't what I was expecting, but those looking for a darker fantasy may enjoy this more.

This is perhaps Rogerson's most evocative work yet--brutally honest and unflinching in narrative, Vespertine also manages to be funny and heartfelt. I can't wait for Book 2!

I really wish this had pulled me in right away. Unfortunately, I think I started this book at the wrong time. Instead of being utterly immersed (which always happens to me with Rogerson's novels), I found myself a little confused, and not following the story. As a result, I put it down, and intend on picking it up when I'm in a better/more proper headspace for the book.

This book was fantastic. It gave me mash-up vibes of Garth Nix’s Old Kingdom series and Tamsyn Muir’s “Gideon the Ninth” somehow? I loved the whole thing, every second of nuns wielding deadly spirits to fight deadly spirits, questioning if speaking to your bound spirit is heretical, use of Old Magic, creation of relics and saints, the imagery of these different orders of spirits — Fifth Order being super duper wild and melty-faced, skeletal, glowing, dripping, winged, and enormous and horrible. Wow, it was all amazing, and such a fully constructed world that immerses the reader entirely. I will be eagerly awaiting additions to the series.

A very strong start with rich world building and character development. I loved the spooky setting and our heroine/demon relationship. I loved the complexity. The action felt cinematic without being mind-numbing. Plot-wise, I felt disengaged more and more as the novel progressed and was underwhelmed by the end.

~3.5

I absolutely loved Sorcery of Thorns and was thus greatly looking forward to Vespertine, the latest from Margaret Rogerson. It was…ok enough?

Some of this may be a plot preference issue. This book has a lot of heavy religious overtones and leans on the theme of mercy, neither of which is a favorite of mine. The way the nuns wielded magic here just didn’t hold the same appeal for me as in, say, Robin LaFevers’ His Fair Assassin books.

I did think the atmosphere was above average, and there’s enough humor to keep the tone balanced between the gravity of Artemesia’s situation and too many hijinks for a story like this. The book probably needed more action, or at least more dramatic tension, and perhaps a less puppies and rainbows conclusion to what appeared to be a difficult situation to get out of without some semblance of loss.

The characters are fairly standard types and while I felt they satisfied well enough in their roles, I actually liked Marguerite better than Artemesia. Perhaps she can narrate the next book if the series continues?

Thank you so much for an early copy of this book!

This isn't my favorite Margaret Rogerson book, but it was still a good read. I found myself wondering while reading it and having to reread it in multiple places. I never really understood the magic system in this world with the ghosts and what not. Every time that I thought I understood, something would contradict what I was thinking. It might just be because I am at a weird time in my life or something, but this book wasn't for me which is STRANGE since her other two books are five star reads for me. I even got all the special editions for the three standalones.

I really liked the main character and the spirit and their dynamic. Someone told me this character was asexual and I thought that was fantastic. I love to see representation in stories.

While I love her other books, this one was a struggle for me. It was just slow and stilted for me and Rogerson's world building didn't pull me in like it usually does. This cover is really good though and is what initially pulled me in without realizing who wrote it!

As a huge fan of the author's previous books, I had a lot of high expectations for Vespertine and it did not disappoint!

This was the kind of book that immediately had me from the beginning and I could not stop reading it until I was done, having to take breaks for normal life was actually painful because the book was that amazing! I also had the amazing opportunity to listen to the audiobook and that was incredible as well! Margaret Rogerson just always delivers!

Margaret Rogerson is one of my auto-buy authors. And I was so excited when I heard about Vespertine, the summary immediately had me going “Yes please!” Thankfully, Vespertine was a fantastic book, I was totally glued to the pages. Artemisia was a great protagonist and I can’t wait to see what happens in future books. Also, there isn’t a romance, but there are some excellent friendships.

The magic system did remind me of that in Garth Nix’s Abhorsen series, which occasionally threw me off because I’d expect one thing and Rogerson went a totally different direction (which is good!). Overall, she did do a great job of establishing this magic system and building out this world/these cultures.

If you’re looking for a YA fantasy, I would definitely suggest this one! It is quiet dark though, so look up any content warnings if you need them (they’re included in the authors review on Goodreads!)

*Disclaimer: I received an advance digital copy of this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Going in, I had super high expectations: I loved Rogerson’s previous books and heard great things from friends, but I just could not seem to connect with this book. I don’t know if it was the time that I read this, the subject, or the plot, but it just did not seem to click for me personally. That being said, Rogerson’s writing style and characters don’t disappoint, as usual.