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breezer's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I had previously read and loved Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson so I was super excited going into this. It did not disappoint!
Our main character Artemesia is a Gray Sister trainee, cleansing bodies of the dead to allow their souls to pass on peacefully, when her covenant is suddenly attacked. To defend herself she harnesses the power of a powerful ancient spirit (called a revenant) that has been bound to a saint's relic.
The atmosphere and world setting (middle ages, religious France vibes?) was brilliant from the very beginning and the fast paced narrative meant I flew through this! I loved the magic system with the ancient spirits and their respective lores. It reminded me of the Numina trilogy by Charlie N. Holmberg so I would definitely recommend this if you liked that.
I loved Artemesia and she underwent some great character development. In my opinion this also had some great anxiety and PTSD representation as well as ace/aro representation. Artemesia also has a physical disability that was very refreshing to see explored in YA.
My only minor criticism was the limited development of the side characters but other than that! Her relationship with the revenant was one of the highlights of the book and it just kept getting better and better! Very excited for where this series may go next.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced reader's copy.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced reader's copy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, and Self harm
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Kidnapping, and Suicide
juliezantopoulos's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I have loved Rogerson's other novels, but this one fell flat for me. The character development and plot didn't hit the same. The focus on religion (even a made up one) isn't really for me. However, I have heard that there will be changes between the ARC and the finished version of the book. I have it preordered still, but I didn't LOVE it the way I hoped to.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, and Self harm
Minor: Suicide
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