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readwithrheane's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
• The first few chapters were already action packed and it helped me drawn to the story.
• The pacing was okay. It was fast in the beginning and was toned down a bit in the middle (just enough to not let you feel bored). But it picked up until the end.
• The twists??? I didn't know where it will lead me to but I was on edge all the time. Poor Leander. Our misunderstood King. 😔 But we will get to see more of him in the sequel so I'm excited.
“I’ll remind you,” it said finally. “Rather than expecting you to remember on your own. When you need to eat, when you’re sick or hurt, and whether it’s serious enough to seek help. But you have to promise that you’ll listen to me. Nun?”
I had been quiet, wondering whether having an evil spirit inhabiting my body might turn me into a halfway normal person. I turned my face toward the window, letting the sunlight sting my eyes. “Yes,” I answered. “I promise.”
• I really love the dynamic between the revenant and Artemisia. While Artemisia doesn't like talking and pretty much an introverted person with social anxiety and would rather be with the dead than be with the living, the revenant is the complete opposite.
The revenant loves to talk and doesn't like being around other things that are dead. And while it was known to be a powerful and feared fifth order spirit, most of the time it showed a side that probably its previous vessels hadn't been able to appreciate because they were taught not to listen to it. And I just can't help but fall in love with the revenant especially when it shows signs of concerns towards Artemisia. How it would remind her to eat, to rest, to sleep, and there was even a moment when it was trying to cheer her up by saying a sassy remark.
• The banters were definitely my favorite (and Artemisia is lowkey funny too. She had me laughing a few times).
“This is my human,” the revenant snarled through my mouth, and blazed into a torrent of silver flame.
• *wipes tears* I just really love the bond, trust, and friendship they formed.
• I also love the side characters especially Marguerite. Her character development was beautifully written, from being a bully to a friend/an ally. She was pretty consistent in helping Artemisia until the end. I hope to see more of her and Charles and Jean in the sequel.
• The reason why I gave this 4.5 stars was because the ending was anticlimactic. I expected a huge fight between the two powerful revenants and then *boom* Epilogue. 😂 Nevertheless, the ending still had me sobbing and overall, I still pretty much enjoyed this book. I cannot wait for the sequel!
• and oh! There wasn't any romance or any sexual tension throughout the book which is fine with me because I just feel like the last thing on Artemisia's list would be that (and it's totally okay for a YA book to not have any romance).
• BUT if there are any in the sequel, I think I know who it might be.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder and Self harm
Moderate: Blood, Violence, and War
Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Death of parent, Suicide, and Vomit
“Adding Trauma/PTSD (traumatic experiences in past). One of the abuse or trauma is not sexual in nature. Very brief suicide mention in the epilogue concerning a character from the past who never appears in the book.”betweentheshelves's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of this to review! Margaret Rogerson writes some great fantasy, and I was excited to get to this one. I mean, just look at the cover! It definitely looks absolutely promising.
Unfortunately, I found the book overall difficult to get into. Even though Rogerson is a master at world building, there was something lacking in the character development. The relationship between the revenant and Artemisia was probably the most interesting thing about the book, but it wasn’t enough to fully connect me to the story. I just wanted more overall.
While I appreciate when fantasies don’t have romances, I think this one could have benefited from that. Fleshing out the characters would have helped to get me more engaged in the story. One of the things that I couldn’t necessarily figure out was Artemisia’s motivation for everything. Having that motivation would have helped in making the story more engaging.
Even though I couldn’t connect to the characters, I did appreciate all of the detail that Rogerson put into the world building. There were so many interesting little details that helped in creating this captivating world.
All in all, while this wasn’t quite the book I wanted, fans of Rogerson’s writing will still find something to like.
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I usually love Margaret Rogerson's books, there was just something about this one that didn't click with me. More to come in a review later this week!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, and Self harm
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, and Suicide
Minor: Death of parent
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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