You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-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
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Really liked the world building in this YA fantasy. The concept of fighting nuns was cool, the main character had good growth, the pacing was good and the action was fun. The story was heartwarming but still felt high stakes. This is part of a series and there were a few plot threads left open for the next book but the story felt contained and concluded in a satisfying way.
The main character was somewhat sickly and there were a few too many times when she fainted because she forgot to eat / drink water / was weak and had to recover and rest in bed / etc. for my taste, especially in the middle section.
Also, I was hoping for a little more interaction between the main character and her priest counterpart. A lot of their scenes were brief and didn't leave room for conversation or working together, which felt like a slightly missed opportunity because his was probably the most fleshed out character besides the main character.
The main character was somewhat sickly and there were a few too many times when she fainted because she forgot to eat / drink water / was weak and had to recover and rest in bed / etc. for my taste, especially in the middle section.
Also, I was hoping for a little more interaction between the main character and her priest counterpart. A lot of their scenes were brief and didn't leave room for conversation or working together, which felt like a slightly missed opportunity because his was probably the most fleshed out character besides the main character.
adventurous
medium-paced
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
adventurous
dark
inspiring
mysterious
tense
slow-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
This book is so amazing and no one talks about it?? Wow. Just wow. The magic system is so fun, the characters, though few, are interesting and complex and all of this was done in a standalone. 400 pages and it felt complete and not rushed.
Most of this book is sneaking around and secret conversations, and even though it meant not as much action as I usually prefer, I didn’t mind. Instead, I found myself so engaged. And Caitlin Davies narrates it so you KNOW it's top tier.
Might by my favorite read of 2025 so far.
"Sometimes if you want to save other people, you need to remember to save yourself first"
(one of many lines that were absolute bars)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse
Minor: Torture
sometimes a family is a traumatized nun and the demon ghost possessing her
adventurous
dark
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson – This is on kindle unlimited. I could have told you that this book was torn out of a writer during Covid even if it wasn’t in the acknowledgements at the end. As someone who worked in healthcare during that time, Artemisia's fears and hopes resonated with me. BUT I will warn you that this not a happy, fluffy book! It took me some time to be in a good enough place to finish it, but I am so pleased I did! Happy Reading!