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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Vespertine was a really unique and captivating read. The writing was on point, and I especially loved the fact that there wasn't a romance in the book.
Artemisia as a main character is a girl who has lived her entire life in the shadows. She doesn't try to stand out and is resigned to live her entire life in the convent, taking care of books. Things don't go as planned, however, when she gets tangled up with a Revenant, and is now sharing her body with it.
I absolutely loved Artemisia as a main character. While she was self-sacrificing, it didn't feel pathetic or worthless, but rather a great show of character on her part. She was selfless and kind, even when the world wasn't towards her. Artemisia's dynamics with the Revenant have got to be my favorite part of the book because they have such an easy going relationship together. They have to depend on each other to survive, while the Revenant is highly sarcastic and pretty rude. They both complimented each other well as Artemisia on the other hand is just wildly unhinged and doesn't really care about herself much to survive. I feel like they balanced each other out wonderfully.
This story is slow paced at first, while you get immersed in the world, but once you do it's hard to let go. There's a lot of religious imagery in terms of world-building, and it was really well done. I felt like I understood everything quickly.
This book also has what is a "found family" sort of trope, which was wonderful. Artemisia goes on a journey to grow and learn to trust others and others learn to understand her as well.
The plot itself flows nicely, as do all the Margaret Rogerson books I've read.
Finally, I really enjoyed the audiobook of this one. I read it both via ebook and audiobook, and I love what the narrator did with the Revenant's voice.
All in all, I'd say this is a book you shouldn't miss out on. It was really good, slow at first, but rewarding. Things wrapped up pretty nicely, but with the possibility of adding more, so I can't wait to see what else is coming from this series.
Artemisia as a main character is a girl who has lived her entire life in the shadows. She doesn't try to stand out and is resigned to live her entire life in the convent, taking care of books. Things don't go as planned, however, when she gets tangled up with a Revenant, and is now sharing her body with it.
I absolutely loved Artemisia as a main character. While she was self-sacrificing, it didn't feel pathetic or worthless, but rather a great show of character on her part. She was selfless and kind, even when the world wasn't towards her. Artemisia's dynamics with the Revenant have got to be my favorite part of the book because they have such an easy going relationship together. They have to depend on each other to survive, while the Revenant is highly sarcastic and pretty rude. They both complimented each other well as Artemisia on the other hand is just wildly unhinged and doesn't really care about herself much to survive. I feel like they balanced each other out wonderfully.
This story is slow paced at first, while you get immersed in the world, but once you do it's hard to let go. There's a lot of religious imagery in terms of world-building, and it was really well done. I felt like I understood everything quickly.
This book also has what is a "found family" sort of trope, which was wonderful. Artemisia goes on a journey to grow and learn to trust others and others learn to understand her as well.
The plot itself flows nicely, as do all the Margaret Rogerson books I've read.
Finally, I really enjoyed the audiobook of this one. I read it both via ebook and audiobook, and I love what the narrator did with the Revenant's voice.
All in all, I'd say this is a book you shouldn't miss out on. It was really good, slow at first, but rewarding. Things wrapped up pretty nicely, but with the possibility of adding more, so I can't wait to see what else is coming from this series.
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Fun
3.5 stars
This started out interesting. Kinda Venom meets Shadow and Bone (the saint aspect of it) but toward the middle the plot was at a snails pace and I really struggled to continue.
This started out interesting. Kinda Venom meets Shadow and Bone (the saint aspect of it) but toward the middle the plot was at a snails pace and I really struggled to continue.
Yet another great book by Margaret Rogerson - I found this one to be very unique. As much as I enjoyed Sorcery of Thorns, I think I liked Vespertine a tiny bit more. The difference for me lies in the depth of the characters. This book reads a bit slower and contains more dialogue but as a result, I feel we got to know Artemesia more... We definitely got a better glimpse of her thoughts thanks to the nature of her interactions with the Revenant. I was also surprised because there is no romance in this book but honestly, I didn't miss it!
Speaking of side characters - the Revenant was an amazing one. I loved the witty retorts and the banter between Artemesia and the Revenant. If you loved Silas from Sorcery of Thorns, I think you will like the Revenant just as much. The magic behind the existence of the Revenant and other such spirits was intriguing, as are the complexities of owning a relic with a spirit bound to it - I can't wait to see how this plays out in Artemesia's case.
I loved that this story has themes of mental health throughout. I also appreciated how the humour balanced out the heavier aspects of this one. All in all, a great read and I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel!
Rating: 4.25 starts/5
Content warnings: Self-harm, anxiety, minor disordered eating, child neglect/abuse (past), trauma/PTSD.
A huge thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and Netgalley for the ARC for review. All opinions stated here are my own.
Speaking of side characters - the Revenant was an amazing one. I loved the witty retorts and the banter between Artemesia and the Revenant. If you loved Silas from Sorcery of Thorns, I think you will like the Revenant just as much. The magic behind the existence of the Revenant and other such spirits was intriguing, as are the complexities of owning a relic with a spirit bound to it - I can't wait to see how this plays out in Artemesia's case.
I loved that this story has themes of mental health throughout. I also appreciated how the humour balanced out the heavier aspects of this one. All in all, a great read and I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel!
Rating: 4.25 starts/5
Content warnings: Self-harm, anxiety, minor disordered eating, child neglect/abuse (past), trauma/PTSD.
A huge thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and Netgalley for the ARC for review. All opinions stated here are my own.
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I love the way the friendship between Artemisia and the revenant grew, it felt very realistic. I enjoyed that there was no romance whatsoever, the characters all felt real to me. The faith in the Lady being so integral to Artemisia’s character but not in an over the top, obnoxious way was so good. All over, I loved this book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, War
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
tense