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baroo92's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Super interesting worldbuilding! I was fascinated with the hierarchy of ghosts and their abilities. It definitely was a bit more tense and dark than I was expecting, coming straight from SoT- but a very cool narrative overall.
I really liked the explanation of the MC’s traumas and how they effected her- I personally read her as autistic coded, but that may be just me. The relationship with the revenant had similar tones to the relationship with Silas in SoT- a creature both terrifyingly deadly, and begrudgingly affectionate. It’s always a nice dynamic to see a traumatized kid befriend a centuries-old eldritch being!
I really liked the explanation of the MC’s traumas and how they effected her- I personally read her as autistic coded, but that may be just me. The relationship with the revenant had similar tones to the relationship with Silas in SoT- a creature both terrifyingly deadly, and begrudgingly affectionate. It’s always a nice dynamic to see a traumatized kid befriend a centuries-old eldritch being!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
nxpe's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
17 September 2024: 4.5 stars
I still fully stand by my review below. I did lower my rating a little bit, because last time I think I was just a bit caught up in the Margaret Rogerson excitement. This one is still a favourite, and by no means is me lowering the review reflective of me liking it any less. I just feel that a 4.5 more accurate portrays my feeling for the book.
I once again loved the friendship portrayed in this book. I really love that Artemisia is quite socially anxious (it was represented really well). And both her friendship developments betweenMarguerite and the Revenant was very cute. Especially the latter. I'm once again happy that there is no romance arc for this story, because it truly isn't needed.
I really enjoyed the Revenant's character (once again). He is just so funny, and kind of reminds me of The Nightmare from One Dark Window. Which I love! And I'm going to be so honest, I teared up whenthe Revenant yelled "This is my human!" on page 332... Oh. My. God. It's just so sweet, I feel like I might combust even thinking about it.
I do have to say, I felt this last time as well, and that is the pacing is a bit odd during the first 30-40%. Not in a poorly written way, just in a "I need to get used to this" way. So that part was a bit tough but did not ruin the story for me in the slighest.
I did originally think the ending could lead to a potential sequel, and I would love to see a return of these characters. However, I like the openness of the ending in general. Like... there could be a sequel, but it doesn't need one either. It feels like a very realistic ending for the characters and the world, which I really appreciated.
I'm very happy I reread this, because it was so good. I can't wait to reread her other books as well.
22 December 2022: 5 stars
Margaret Rogerson does not write a bad book- I am convinced. This book was so amazing, and I enjoyed it so much!
I was not expecting the extreme plot twists nearing the end, but they were very welcomed. I was convinced the priest had some sinister, horrendously evil plan... So, it being the Divine was a shock to me (I didn't mind though, she annoyed me a little bit).
I love the friendship development between Artemesia and Marguerite. I was worried because of the lack of romance in the book, but genuinely it wasn't needed. The friendship development between them and between Artemesia/revenant was beautiful. Also, I love the revenant! It was so funny, clever, and I love that it cared for it's vessels.
I still fully stand by my review below. I did lower my rating a little bit, because last time I think I was just a bit caught up in the Margaret Rogerson excitement. This one is still a favourite, and by no means is me lowering the review reflective of me liking it any less. I just feel that a 4.5 more accurate portrays my feeling for the book.
I once again loved the friendship portrayed in this book. I really love that Artemisia is quite socially anxious (it was represented really well). And both her friendship developments between
I really enjoyed the Revenant's character (once again). He is just so funny, and kind of reminds me of The Nightmare from One Dark Window. Which I love! And I'm going to be so honest, I teared up when
I do have to say, I felt this last time as well, and that is the pacing is a bit odd during the first 30-40%. Not in a poorly written way, just in a "I need to get used to this" way. So that part was a bit tough but did not ruin the story for me in the slighest.
I did originally think the ending could lead to a potential sequel, and I would love to see a return of these characters. However, I like the openness of the ending in general. Like... there could be a sequel, but it doesn't need one either. It feels like a very realistic ending for the characters and the world, which I really appreciated.
I'm very happy I reread this, because it was so good. I can't wait to reread her other books as well.
22 December 2022: 5 stars
Margaret Rogerson does not write a bad book- I am convinced. This book was so amazing, and I enjoyed it so much!
I love the friendship development between Artemesia and Marguerite. I was worried because of the lack of romance in the book, but genuinely it wasn't needed. The friendship development between them and between Artemesia/revenant was beautiful. Also, I love the revenant! It was so funny, clever, and I love that it cared for it's vessels.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Self harm, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Child abuse and Blood
Minor: Suicide and Vomit
caidyn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
What an enjoyable read! It reminded me a lot of Sorcery of Thorns -- inanimate objects being able to talk and do other things -- but also different. Religious and with things we'd call demons. I really enjoyed this book and loved the characters, especially the revenant. Overall a fantastic read and I hope that this does get another book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Fire/Fire injury, and War
stacyaj's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Suicide
yaoipaddle's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I really like this book!
I like the world that it takes place in and I like all of the characters. There was enough mystery and intrigue to keep me interested but not so much that it felt like I had to stop and remember everything going on.
I really like the side characters as well. I think their interactions are really fun. I like learning more and more about the world and characters as the story goes on too. I also like how the story was not bogged down by any romance!
Sometimes I feel like certain characterization of Artemesia and the revenant is too rushed. I feel as though I would have wanted more struggle between them but so much of it feels skipped over. Also I dislike how most of the time Artemesia just passes out so the author can avoid writing the rest of the scene. But these are the only negatives of the book for me. I excuse it because it's YA but I hope the pacing is fixed in future books (I think it is a series.)
I like the world that it takes place in and I like all of the characters. There was enough mystery and intrigue to keep me interested but not so much that it felt like I had to stop and remember everything going on.
I really like the side characters as well. I think their interactions are really fun. I like learning more and more about the world and characters as the story goes on too. I also like how the story was not bogged down by any romance!
Sometimes I feel like certain characterization of Artemesia and the revenant is too rushed. I feel as though I would have wanted more struggle between them but so much of it feels skipped over. Also I dislike how most of the time Artemesia just passes out so the author can avoid writing the rest of the scene. But these are the only negatives of the book for me. I excuse it because it's YA but I hope the pacing is fixed in future books (I think it is a series.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Child abuse and Blood
Minor: Death, Self harm, and Suicide
chamaeleontis's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, and War
r_a_bell's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The writing in this is so beautiful. The way the main character slowly develops relationships with the other characters makes you invested. And the plot and system of magic is really interesting and clearly well thought out.
The way of depicts the effects of trauma and discusses it feels very real and doesn’t smack you in the face. It feels natural to the story, not forced.
I also really liked that there wasn’t a big romance or love interest. Not every story needs to revolve around one and it actually makes it more engaging. There is a romance between side characters which is cute and endearing, and helps bring a certain lightheartedness.
This is a really great book for someone who feels like they’ve outgrown YA in some ways, but can’t seem to get into adult fiction and how detached it often feels.
The way of depicts the effects of trauma and discusses it feels very real and doesn’t smack you in the face. It feels natural to the story, not forced.
I also really liked that there wasn’t a big romance or love interest. Not every story needs to revolve around one and it actually makes it more engaging. There is a romance between side characters which is cute and endearing, and helps bring a certain lightheartedness.
This is a really great book for someone who feels like they’ve outgrown YA in some ways, but can’t seem to get into adult fiction and how detached it often feels.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Eating disorder, Gore, Self harm, Torture, Grief, and Murder
Trigger warning for animal abuse is for the most minor of mentions, it’s something I’m extremely sensitive about, so I really mean minor. Nothing is actually described it’s just mentioned to explain the behavior of an animal (who is then treated very nicely and heals from the trauma). Eating disorder isn’t really for an eating disorder, but more for disordered eating, if that makes sense. It’s not an eating disorder that’s described, but the way a character’s eating behaviors are described could be triggering for some peoplekbairbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I could not, and didn’t want to, put this book down. It swept me up with masterful storytelling, intriguing well fleshed out characters, adventure, fight scenes, intrigue, and so much more. This was such a fun read and I’m sad there isn’t more yet!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Death, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
alexalily's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Suicide, Violence, Blood, War, and Injury/Injury detail
booksthatburn's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
VESPERTINE is a bloody tale of revenants, reluctant saints, and unlikely allies in a world where the dead walk.
I like the banter between Artemisia and the revenant. This is one place where the audiobook narrator's performance really shines, as it enhanced an already excellent story by making the revenant's voice pitch perfect for its characterization. Their conversations sometimes feel like banter while staying generally appropriate to the seriousness of each new situation. I was worried that Trouble (the bird) would be a gimmicky animal sidekick, but his appearances are brief and important. He has enough of a presence to keep his few contributions from coming out of nowhere, and his relatively few appearances keep the narrative from feeling like a comedic trio of possessed, possessor, and animal friend.
The worldbuilding is filled in gradually, starting with Artemisia’s incomplete understanding of the history of her home and the forces at play, then gradually filling in as she learns from the revenant and tries to stay alive.
The way this handles trauma, mental illness, and disability in the narrative is pretty great. It's a world where magic is real and very present, but while magic completely dispels some ailments it's not treated as a cure-all. Artemisia has burn scars on her hands which affect her daily existence. The way her hands healed affects her motor skills and ability to sense things like temperature. She still has panic attacks and various levels of mental distress when triggering events occur. There's a minor character who is deeply traumatized by an unrelated experience with possession, and even the revenant has a phobia borne of trauma. It's a world filled with undead, death, and violence, and the way that all the characters are either explicitly or implicitly traumatized accordingly helps it feel cohesive in a way I hadn't expected but very much appreciate.
The plot builds slowly, focusing more on Artemisia's efforts not to get caught once she has the revenant, then gradually she ends up in a position to do more with the information which became available to her. It has great "accidental hero (saint)" vibes with a plot that backs that up.
I like the banter between Artemisia and the revenant. This is one place where the audiobook narrator's performance really shines, as it enhanced an already excellent story by making the revenant's voice pitch perfect for its characterization. Their conversations sometimes feel like banter while staying generally appropriate to the seriousness of each new situation. I was worried that Trouble (the bird) would be a gimmicky animal sidekick, but his appearances are brief and important. He has enough of a presence to keep his few contributions from coming out of nowhere, and his relatively few appearances keep the narrative from feeling like a comedic trio of possessed, possessor, and animal friend.
The worldbuilding is filled in gradually, starting with Artemisia’s incomplete understanding of the history of her home and the forces at play, then gradually filling in as she learns from the revenant and tries to stay alive.
The way this handles trauma, mental illness, and disability in the narrative is pretty great. It's a world where magic is real and very present, but while magic completely dispels some ailments it's not treated as a cure-all. Artemisia has burn scars on her hands which affect her daily existence. The way her hands healed affects her motor skills and ability to sense things like temperature. She still has panic attacks and various levels of mental distress when triggering events occur. There's a minor character who is deeply traumatized by an unrelated experience with possession, and even the revenant has a phobia borne of trauma. It's a world filled with undead, death, and violence, and the way that all the characters are either explicitly or implicitly traumatized accordingly helps it feel cohesive in a way I hadn't expected but very much appreciate.
The plot builds slowly, focusing more on Artemisia's efforts not to get caught once she has the revenant, then gradually she ends up in a position to do more with the information which became available to her. It has great "accidental hero (saint)" vibes with a plot that backs that up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Vomit, and Murder
Moderate: Ableism, Confinement, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Terminal illness, Excrement, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse and Suicide