This was soooooo good!

4 Stars! I love Margaret Roberson and have thoroughly enjoyed her previous books An Enchantment of Ravens and Sorcery of Thorns so when I saw this I knew I had to grab it.

Unlike her previous novels, Vespertine appears to be a part of a series which definitely is exciting and given the ending seems to indicate a continuation should happen.

Vespertine follows Artemisia as she learns truths, fights spirits and contends with magic. I loved Artemisia as a character, I felt like her wanting to be normal and not necessarily do more than she currently was because it was outside of her comfort was super relatable but we also know as the main character she is going to have an adventure.

I felt like the world building was interesting and the magic was cool- although confusing at times- I also found the spirit orders confusing but I think that as the book goes on it makes more sense.

Very creative and fun. Definitely the best YA Fantasy that I have read this year.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review!

This was a great book. It's about Cooper and his young daughter, Finch, who are isolated in a cabin with no one knowing where they are. Except Jake, the person who brings their food, stops showing up and a stranger wandered into the woods which gets Finch's attention so know Cooper must decide if they should keep hiding or if he should face his sins. I really enjoyed the author's writing style in this book which was remarkable. I was hooked right away in the beginning with the way the author got my attention. The story plotline was well structured but I have to say that towards the end, the pacing was slow. The setting was well done as it was kind of like a winter themed novel as it was in the woods. I loved all the conflicts that were thrown into the book that Cooper had to face. It was kind of a thrilling ride that you wouldn't expect.

This book is in Cooper's pov. I enjoyed his story as he was such a mysterious character with why he was living in the woods with a young girl. I enjoyed seeing his development even though the things he has done weren't good. The main side character in this book is Finch but there are some other minor side characters in the book. I enjoyed how the other minor side characters played in the book as they also helped bring the story alive. There was potential romance in this book but the theme is mostly the father-daughter relationship and survival.

The ending was okay and not what I was expecting. I enjoyed reading this book which was also a short read. I think it was less than 300 pages so I finished it quick. I had some minor problems like the pacing and ending but other then that, it was a great book. I totally recommend checking out this book as it's a great read which I hope Netflix picks up because it would be a great movie.

Vespertine was a perfect new release for the fall season. It had that creepy cozy feel that we all love around Halloween. It took me a while to read this one though. I’m finding out I’m very much a romance reader and when I found out there was none in this book it became a struggle. But I appreciated Artemisia’s story and found myself very drawn in.

I really enjoyed this! It is perfect for October, all the spooky vibes you can want! I primarily read this at night to be in the mood. It just made for the setting.

It definitely set me up in the world of Sorcery of Thorns and I really enjoyed that book. It had the same action and vibe that it did in that book for me but in all new characters and a whole new plot! I'm excited to see where this heads because it was definitely left open for more (please let there be more)!

I'm struggling to think of the appropriate
words to adequately convey just how big
of a disappointment Vespertine is for me.
I would have DNF'd, but I was
determined to ride it out and see if it got
better. which resulted in me doing a lot
of skimming and get more and more
bored with every page. The beginning was
so exciting and held so much potential.
But things got really bogged down and
completely lost me after that.

I enjoyed the last half of this book was very much. But I struggled through the first half. Not sure if it was the world building, or magic system, or maybe the main character but I struggled to maintain interest until the plot really got moving in the last half. Loved the audiobook! Enjoyed listening to this more than reading it.

Starting off I really thought I was going to love this one. The premise sounded interesting and I was intrigued by a nun cleansing bodies for their souls to pass. But the world building at the beginning was very slow and I could not engage with the story. It was just too much and not enough to keep me wanting to read. This was almost a DNF. I’m really disappointed it just fell really flat for me.

I was so excited to see that Margaret Rogerson would be writing a fantasy series. After finishing Sorcery of Thorns and realizing it was a stand-alone, I ended up feeling like the story was missing something. Vespertine felt similar, but it sets the stage for a spectacular series with alluring characters and an intense plot. I am looking forward to the next installment!

Margaret Rogerson has become a must-read author for me! I am so happy I got this ARC! I loved every moment, and I am so looking forward to having a physical copy on my shelves to show off!

Ugh this is going to be a little hard to write. It started out SO GOOD! I really enjoyed the first couple chapters. I wanted the rest of the book to be like that. And as it turns out, it kind of was. A little too much……

Artemisia is training to be a Gray Sister, but while doing so, she has to protect her convent from possessed soldiers. She then awakens a spirit that was bound to a saint’s relic, thus awakening a revenant. Using the revenant could kill her, but she knows she has to do what she can to solve the mystery that arises as her bond with the revenant grows.

The main thing I didn’t care for with this was the repetitiveness in the plot. It was basically the same thing over and over . This made me upset because I wanted so bad to love this. The synopsis makes it sound so good, but after the first few chapters I was just not into it. It seemed like it would be good for me, but the execution just wasn’t there for me.

Now don’t get me wrong, there is a shit ton of action in here. But that’s the point I think. There was action, but I never really got into it at all? Add that on to the fact that this is a fantasy novel. I usually won’t listen to fantasy books on audio because I sometimes miss the world building or the way the magic system works or whatever. But I wanted to read this one so bad I didn’t care. As it turns out, I should have. I had to write down some of the magical things to keep them straight and it was a pain. (I listen to my audios on 1.5) It just took some of my enjoyment away.

Now Caitlin Davies is hella talented. Definitely the reason I gave this 3 stars. She has also done some other audios of which are my favorite, so I was excited to see her name on this one. And she did not leave me disappointed. I was happy with her different voices, especially the revenant. I would love to know what she did to prep for the sound and if her throat hurt after it lol

I hate that this didn’t work for me because I really liked the first few chapters. I wished the action pulled me in like it did so many others, but I just couldn’t get into it. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that there is no romance in it? lol Idk. But whatever the case may be, this one just wasn’t for me. I know many other readers will enjoy it though!

I can now say that every one of Margaret Rogerson's books have been Five Star Reads for me! So unique and with excellent world-building. Rogerson is so consistent with her books - you will not be disappointed!

I really enjoyed this book. I thought the world building was interesting and intricate without info dumps. I adored how relatable the main character was. She was socially awkward and snarky and I loved being in her head. I liked the theme of opening up to those around you and trusting others. I was also surprised that there wasn't any romance. I come to just expect it in YA fantasy now, but it was a nice breather to see a MC come into her own first. I would recommend this!

Vespertine is a wonderfully atmospheric historical fantasy, inspired by the history (or mythology) of Joan of Arc--but the story is unique and fresh. I really appreciated Ms. Rogerson's layered depiction of Artemisia, as well as the nongendered revenants. The story is well-crafted, as usual, pulling Artemisia and the reader deeper and deeper into the story, until you can't wait to find out where Artemisia will go next in Book Two. Besides all the riveting draws of spooky atmosphere and thrilling story, I simply loved Ms. Rogerson's nuanced depictions of character in this book. The revenant is one of my favorites, of course, but I also just love Artemisia. How reserved and unusual she is does cause problems for her--the world doesn't want much to do with her, and she doesn't know how to respond to it. But she doesn't lash out at the world for misunderstanding, nor does the narrative try to "fix" her. She is beautiful and strong, so she doesn't need fixing. And it's so great to see her find true friendships in her own way. Nestled into the compelling story is such a wonderful message of discovering what self-love looks like, and that touched my heart like nothing else. Highly recommend!
(I received an ARC from #NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.)

Yes! Yes! Yes! This book has everything a YA fantasy needs: a relatable main character, an interesting and well developed world, complex villains, surprising allies, and complex moral dilemmas. And on top of all of that, this book has ghosts (and no romance)!

I really enjoyed this story. Our reluctant heroine, Artemisia, is one of the rare people in her world who have the sight, or the ability to see spirits. When the convent where she lives is attacked by soldiers possessed by spirits, she takes up a powerful weapon, a spirit bound to a saint's relic, in order to save her fellow nuns. This unlikely attack is not the only one of it's kind, and the People in Charge don't like that Artemisia has the relic and the ability to wield it. Thus begins Artemisia's journey to save her world while on the run.

Overall, Vespertine is fast paced, immersive, and very fun. I recommend it to teens or adults looking for a new fantasy series.

Rogerson is an autobuy author for me, and this book is a *very* good example of why. I actually think *Vespertine* is significantly different from her first two books, but it still holds that spark that made me fall in love with her writing. I don't think this one quite surpasses *Sorcery of Thorns* but I still really enjoyed it and I have a lot to say so let's get into the full review.

I love intricate religions in fantasy, it's truly one of my favourite pieces of potential world-builing in any book and I think it's done super well here. I especially liked the way the book's protagonist was actually quite devote even as she was being pushed to question the church as a whole. In my experience it's super common for characters to only have a pefunctory relationship with the religion in their world at best, so I thought this felt fresh.

Artemisia in generally felt like a unique fantasy protagonist to me. Her lack of ambition, when such is often used as short hand for Powerful Female Characters, was particularly interesting to me and it made her later circumstances even more heartbreaking. She just wanted a simple life and she had that opportunity taken from her. I also felt that her inability to handle people was done really well and had ramifications throughout the book that made the world feel more lived in.

Speaking of Artemisia (and remember this is simply my opinion), she read very neurodivergent to me. She struggled with a lot of things that I also struggle with, like large crowds and looking people in the eye, as well as other things that are harder to explain. I can't tell you if this was on purpose or not but I definitely think she is autistic.

One thing I've always loved about Rogerson's books is that I always love all of the characters, and *Vespertine* is no different on that front. I loved the dynamic between Artemisia and the revenant and just the revenant in it's entirety as a character. Have you ever wondered what it would ACTUALLY be like to have a little devil on your shoulder? How about inside your head? And what would you do when said little devil starts demanding you take care of yourself even when you don't want to? Read *Vespertine* to find out.

This might be a slightly controversial opinion, but I would die for Leander. I love me a fastidious loner with potential ulterior motives. Throw in rumors about nefarious activies and I am absolutely hooked.

I am almost 500 words into this review and I haven't even discussed the plot yet. If you've read any of Rogerson's other books you probably know that she's great at weaving intricate plots together. This book has a lot of twists that you probably won't see coming, there's quite a few that I missed myself. I personally enjoyed that the ending was entirely twist after twist either, I felt it lent more gravity to the situation.

Technically this book does not include necromancers, but the magic system, if you want to call it that, does have necromancy vibes. A large part of this world is based around the spirits of the dead and the main characters job is quite literally to make sure that they limit the amount of spirits in the world.

My only complaint about this book is that it is supposed to start a series, but there weren't really any plot ties left open to lead into said series. It felt entirely like a standalone with a nice little wrapped up ending. Both of Rogerson's other books were standalones, so that might be why, but I am definitely interested in seeing where book two goes.

Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson is the atmospheric and action-packed fantasy novel I didn’t know I needed this spooky season. I’m a big fan of Rogerson’s earlier novels, An Enchantment of Ravens and A Sorcery of Thorns because I love the strong heroines she creates as well as her exquisite worldbuilding so I was thrilled as soon as I dove into Vespertine and discovered that we have another fabulous heroine to root for.

Vespertine follows Artemisia, a young nun-in-training who prefers to live a solitary life and stay in the background attending to the dead, but who finds herself thrust unexpectedly into the role of heroine when her convent is threatened and she stands up to defend it. She does so by wielding a weapon, an ancient relic, that few are able to wield and in doing so, becomes possessed by a revenant. This becomes a life-changing moment for Artemisia as she not only has to contend with this spirit basically riding shotgun in her mind and with people trying to elevate her to sainthood, but she also somehow finds herself tasked with solving a complex mystery that features old magic, nuns, spirits, saints, as well as secrets and trickery.

While the plot itself is action-packed and guaranteed to keep you turning the pages, and the world and magic system Rogerson has created here is sure to enthrall, my favorite part of the story were the characters. As an introvert myself, I found Artemisia immensely relatable and cringed right alongside her when she found herself unable to escape the spotlight. I also found her to be an incredibly sympathetic character because she comes from a troubled background, including a downright abusive childhood. The more we learn about her, the more I can understand why she is such an awkward and retreating figure.

All of that said, however, my second favorite character is the Revenant who possesses Artemisia. It is unclear whether the spirit is male or female, young or old, but what is clear is that whatever it is, it has the most hilariously snarky personality. The Revenant reminded me of a grumpy old man, and I lived for its banter with Artemisia, especially because it brought out her equally snarky side. The story itself has a very dark atmosphere and Artemisia’s overall journey is pretty dark, but you can always count on the unexpectedly funny banter between these two to keep things entertaining. I was also fascinated by the bond that formed between them even though Artemisia never knew if she could trust the spirit not to consume her completely. I wouldn’t say they become friends but there’s a very interesting dynamic between them that I became very invested in.

The last thing I want to mention is the lack of a romance and the fact that I liked it this way. Vespertine is very much all about Artemisia and her journey and I think a romance would have just been in the way. If you prefer your fantasies with a bit of romance, Vespertine may not be your cup of tea, but if you’re all about stories where underdogs learn they are stronger than they ever thought they could be, then Vespertine is the book for you.

This was an interesting and convoluted story, with a basis in an undefined and somewhat unidentifiable religious hierarchy, apparently based on some version of Christianity, as it includes saints, archangels, and various positions in the church.

Artemisia, a novice nun, spends her days preparing corpses for burial, completing rituals that are intended to release the souls of the dead before they become able to possess the living. There are ranks among the dead; most are largely harmless, but others have more power, up to the power to cause mass destruction. Some such souls are bound to relics, which can be used to control them. Follow Artemisia as she discovers just what a revenant - the strongest bound being - can do, and how to stop one.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley. (Thank you Simon & Schuster Canada). All thoughts and opinions are my own.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.5 / ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I loved Margaret Rogerson’s A Sorcery of Thorns and liked An Enchantment of Ravens, so I was very excited for this release!

This book is perfect for the Spooky Season. However, it was not my favorite of

My introverted self relates to Artemisia in her solitary and socially awkwardness. Happy to do things on her own, that is until she has to stand up and fight for her convent.

I really enjoyed Artemisia and her revenants relationship! Give me some sass, quick wit and banter and I will love it.

I really loved the world building. All Rogerson’s books are beautifully written and it feels like you’re really there.

Most of Rogerson’s books are stand-alone (I do live series) so I was expecting the same, but I don’t believe that’s the case. I wanted a more definite ending with maybe a little “openness”, but I could be persuaded to continue the series.

TRIGGER WARNINGS:
Self-harm, anxiety, abuse (past), trauma, and child neglect.

Margaret Rogerson does it again with her latest installment into her book catalog with VESPERTINE, an original and overall superb fantasy about a nun who teams up with a demon to find where she truly belongs.

My favorite part of the book was the lack of romance. Artemisia has got no time for it. There is no love lost between the revenant and the nun as they learn the truth behind their powers and even their existence. Artemisia's rise to a living legend doesn't come easy, but that one scene where she runs into battle and is just so epic it gave me Braveheart vibes with maybe some GoT thrown in for good measure. She's not fearless, but she knows how to be brave despite her fear. It benefits this book to mention that I adore the underdog finding her true power; it's probably one of my favorite tropes besides enemies to lovers.

The world-building gave me French vibes, and I just loved the lore surrounding the demons and the Gray Sisters.

I think Rogerson's writing gets better and better with each book. I liked Enchantment of Ravens but fell in love with Sorcery of Thorns. I have become infatuated with Vespertine and I'm terrified that her book is going to throw me into total toxic stalker mode. Her career is climbing and with the trajectory, she's on, I think we're going to have some stunning and imaginative books for a long time to come.

Thank you Margaret K. McElderry Books and Netgalley for the arc.

This one was great! After loving An Enchantment of Ravens but hating Sorcery of Thorns, I was slightly wary of starting this one. I'm so happy I picked it up though, because it was right down my alley!

My favorite thing about this was definitely our revenant. He was adorable in the most horrible way, and even though he was "evil" I loved him. His interactions with Artemisia were amazing, they were so funny without seemingly corny. I didn't want to leave him behind when I closed the book, I loved him that much.

I also really loved the development of the magic system in this one. It slowly builds on itself, until it's something beautiful and intricate. The spirits were so interesting, and so fun to picture. They were tragic, yet delightfully creepy.

There's so many more things i could rave about, but I don't think there's a need. This was amazing, and I can't wait to reread it!

Thanks to Turn the Page Tours for providing a free copy!