This book is full of the amazing world building and plot lines that Margaret Rogerson excels at. I had so much fun reading it and definitely recommend

Vespertine is a great read for spooky season! You get possession, magical fighting nuns, spirits and a girls trying to save them all. Margaret Rogerson did not fail to keep me intrigued through most of the story.

The plot was very focused on Artemisia, her relationship with her revenant and her path to fighting the demonic soldiers that have popped up. If you are coming for romance, this may not be the book for you. If you are coming for some banter between a girl and the spirit that possesses her, then this is the perfect read for you. Artemisia, a grey sister, is responsible for purifying and preparing of the dead. One night, after finding a new grey sister in a near death experience and fighting off a spirit, Artemisia worlds takes a shift and she is now on the frontline of a big spiritual battle.

Artemisia is an interesting character. We start off seeing Artemisia as a lone girl; always keeping to herself. As the story grows, so does Artemisia’s will to open up more. We see this most through her many interactions with the revenant that lives within her. Those interactions open Artemisia up to new conversations and we are introduced to supporting characters that just as interesting as our protagonist. Artemisia continues to shine in the story as a fair, logical and powerful leader who will do what she can to save those around her.

In regards to the worldbuilding, it was pretty simple but it worked for the storyline. The attention was put more of the characters creating a well written character driven plot. The plot overall was pretty consistent, although there were certain points of the story where the dialogue dragged longer than I expected. However, once we got to the action, the scenes were executed well and still kept to the overall tone and consistency of the plot.

Vespertine has dark magic, nuns fighting the supernatural, great dialogue and an overall spooky feel to it all.

I adore Margaret Rogerson's fantasy, and this newest book (the start of a series!) is no exception. A young nun becomes friends with the ancient spirit possessing her when a army of possessed soldiers and a plot involving ancient, dark magic threatens the peace. Everyone who realizes she is possessed believes she's either a lost cause or a saint. I love how antisocial & awkward Artemesia is and how she and the revenant possessing her become friends. A real gem, and I can hardly wait to get my hands on the sequel!

I greatly enjoyed this book!

The relationships, the characters, the strength that they showed together makes me impatient for the next book in this duology.

I do like romance in my books, but sometimes it wasn't needed and this is one of the cases. The friendship that was created is one of my favorite things about this book!

I'm not sure why I wasn't super into this book, because it's got a lot to love and I will read the sequel. It had a slow start and for most of it, I wasn't invested in the characters or their relationships. I only got truly intrigued by the story past the halfway point, and even then, only because I was listening via audio.

I loved the worldbuilding the most, the concept of magic Catholicism and a socially awkward nun sharing her body with a murderous spirit. Rogerson really is great at crafting immersive atmosphere; I wanted to stay in the world even after I had finished. I loved the nuns tending to corpses, the cathedrals and catacombs, the saints and relics, soldiers and devotees... I loved her approach to the in universe religion; it was so much better crafted than other YA fantasies like the Grishaverse or Wicked Saints... You could tell she knew what she was talking about, and yet maintained the Rule of Cool and wasn't overwhelming.

Plot-wise it was fun, although slow to start. This series has no romance (the author mentioned the heroine is aro-ace), so if you don't care for Artemisia's blooming friendships then you might struggle with this book. I sense my favorite character will return in the sequel, and while I know romance is impossible, I honestly shipped them with the MC lol. Anyway, a girl can dream.

So yeah, this is a promising Book 1, but feels like a set-up in a lot of ways. If you want a gothic YA fantasy that plays with religion and has no romance, then give this a shot.

This was definitely more dialogue heavy than her other books, but I didn’t mind at all! I really enjoyed reading this. Interested to see where the sequel goes

Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson is another book that is going to be added to my favorite bookshelf in my little apartment. The writing, the characters, and the plot was all designed to lure you into the story and keep you there. I read this book slowly so I could truly savor it, and I am so glad that I did! This is one book you will not want to put down once you get started reading it.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rogerson does it again!
The world of Vespertine was a delight to read about. The Saints relics, the nuns, the revenants, the different levels of spirits…it was intricate and absolutely phenomenal!
It took a few chapter to really drag me in, but when it did - IT DID.
I really loved the Revenants snarkiness and the bond formed between it and Artemisia.
Artemisia and the Revenant really emotionally grow in each other’s company; towards each other and those around them.
I cannot wait for Vespertine 2!!

It was a good and interesting read. The definitely writes some good books. Thank you netgalley and publishers 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. The pacing of this book made it a little too slow for me at times, but I really liked the main character, so I think that made up for it.
Also, Margaret Rodgerson's writing blew me away again. I adored An Enchantment Of Ravens and Sorcery of Thorns so much that I knew loving this w=book was a given.
Warning though: There was basically no romance, which was a nice change for me. I know that might turn some readers off from this book, so be warned. I always look forward to what this author will come out with next.

I started this book, but I quickly realized it was not a book for me. I abandoned it, but I see that it is really popular on Goodreads, so if this sounds like something you like, I recommend you give it a try!

Artemisia is a Gray Sister, or a nun who is in training to take care of the dead in order to peacefully pass their spirts on. When someone is dies, if their soul and body is not properly cared for they become vicious spirits who attack other humans and possess them. Artemisia is a loner and after a tumultuous childhood, finds refuge in taking care of the dead and being a nun.

The convent is attacked by possessed soldiers and Artemisia awakes a really powerful spirit who helps her protect her home. This spirit is a Revenant who hold massive power and would wreck havoc upon the human world. After the attack, Artemisia is drained and now held prisoner for using the Revenant. As she tries to sort through what is happening, the Revenant helps her escape and together they promise to get to the bottom of who caused the attack on her convent.

This world is so interesting and the relationships are built in ways which you typically do not see in a fantasy novel. There is not your normal romance, but relationships of friendships as Artemisia works with the Revenant, other soldiers, and another nun in training, Marguerite. There is a lot of refreshing commentary on taking care of yourself and how important relationships with others are. The ending is left in a way that is open for more additions to the story of Artemisia and the Revenant, but the ending is also satisfying.

While I enjoyed this book and the prose, I found myself reading it slowly. I think it is a great addition to young adult books, but in some ways I wanted more. Maybe its the lack of romance or how Artemisia is very cold, (which were also great things!), but I look forward to more growth in future additions.

Vespertine is a thrilling story about ghosts and battles and religion, but also about bravery and friendship. The entirety of their character dynamic is fabulous. Don’t even get me started on how rich and descriptive the side characters are! The book is also about what we have to be when we don’t want to and when the world isn’t sure if it’s ready. I am so excited to see where Artemisia’s story goes!
Full review to come on YouTube.

Thoroughly enjoyed this! Had an interesting world and magic system and an engaging plot. Definitely going to read the next one

While Sorcery of Thorns was more up my alley, Vespertine is an interesting and engaging read. The MC is a young girl who has been scarred, mentally and physically, after being possessed as a child. She was rescued by the nuns and placed into service because she has the sight. Despite being socially awkward and mostly ridiculed by her peers, she is content where she is until they try to send her away for training. When they’re attacked she is possessed by a powerful revenant and this is where the fun begins. The best part of the book is her dialogue with the revenant. I enjoyed the growth of the MC and the uniqueness of the magic so to speak.

What a unique concept. This book caught my eye because I love Margaret’s previous work and I am obsessed. I’m so excited we finally get a series!!

This book follows Artemisia who is working to become a Gray Sister, a nun who cleanse bodies of souls that cannot pass on. When the test comes to determine her future, Artemisia tries to fail in order to stay at the convent. But during an invasion she becomes possessed and has to share her head space with a witty spirit. Together they must unravel the mysteries of the world around them.

This was a fabulous first book to the series. I am excited to see what happens next! The concept was interesting and unique that it will keep the readers entertained. This was a great fall release and this cover is very on trend.

I love this author. I will read anything she writes, from a novel to a shopping list. She's amazing.

Vespertine has the same creepy kind of atmosphere that An Enchantment of Ravens does and characters that are just as strong and realistic as those in Sorcery of Thorns. You'll fall in love with Artemesia and the side characters.

As an Episcopal priest, I really enjoyed the vaguely Catholic feel of the world and events. I get giddy at the mention of a thurible, so that's probably an eccentricity that some readers won't appreciate. Still, you don't have to know anything about religion or religious vestments and paraphernalia to appreciate the descriptions and understand the events.

The characters in this series have all endured some major trauma and all is far from sunshine and daisies. Artemesia is strong, but she does wear more than physical scars. She was possessed by an ashgrim demon for several years when she was a child and now, she's sharing head space with a fifth order spirit, a revenant. It doesn't help her situation that she's being chased by a confessor, Leander, who has secrets she can only guess at.

I loved the relationship between Artemesia and the revenant as well as her relationship with Leander. It's all so complex. There's never anything one-dimensional about Rogerson's writing and I can't get enough. I'll be reading the next book on release day.

This book is a great crossover for fans of historical fiction and fantasy. I myself don't usually go for historical fiction, but I love the Medieval period very much, and that part of history fits in so well with most fantasy stories. This has a lot of religious elements as well, and Rogerson does an excellent job of blending these elements. The characters in this book are especially notable. They're strong, dynamic, and at times unexpected. This story also has a fair amount of humor that had me laughing out loud (which I rarely do when reading). I loved the relationship between the main character and the revenant, as well as between the main character and the unlikely group of friends she finds herself with. I eagerly await the sequel!

I bought a copy for the library and two for myself so to say I liked to would be an understatement. This book is fabulous! It is exciting, original, and have such beautiful world building! For fantasy readers looking for something fresh!

The story of a nun in training who becomes bound to a relic, but that relic isn't just a vague bundle of feelings, it's an entity that can communicate directly with our nun, and it does. The writing was clean, the story was compelling, and the world building was solid. The character development was very good, form Artemisia, to Leander, and the relic. This was one of the few books this year that really captured me and kept me wanting to turn pages. I'm looking forward to the next book.