Reviews with content warning for Vomit - Vespertine

I did not have very high hopes for this book. The cover made me think of a Dark and Edgy YA fantasy from the 2000s, and the protagonist’s name seemed to fit the stereotype. And I have read so many books about warrior nuns. I was a little intrigued by the idea of learning how to deal with a revenant from the revenant, though, and I was in the middle of a string of DNF books so I figured one more couldn’t hurt.

And then it actually turned out to be good.

So the nuns here aren’t full-on warrior nuns. They’re trained with holy daggers and censers of holy incense because their job isn’t to fight people, it’s to fight the spirits of the dead, who tend to possess people. They also take care of the dead because properly buried people don’t tend to become malicious spirits. Artemisia is quite talented, but she doesn’t get people at all and is always misunderstanding what they want and would be perfectly happy living in the abbey and caring for corpses her whole life. I absolutely headcanon her as autistic. The book implies nothing of the sort and it could very easily be read as a result of the same childhood trauma that gives her limited use of her hands, but her struggles with understanding people and societal rules and what seemed like sensory overload were very relatable.

This book is also full of delightful tropes, such as:

I reluctantly agreed to have an obnoxious presence share my head to deal with an even worse situation and I can’t get them out but we’re starting to get along
The church says that’s evil but turns out they’re lying (including bonus: person discovering this is dedicated to the church and has to grapple with the fact that they lied)
No one expects the protagonist to be absurdly powerful
Oops! I accidentally became a folk hero (including bonus trope: the church is Big Mad about it)

The plot itself also holds a few surprises. It’s dark and full of the rampaging dead, but it also seems fairly straightforward until the end when you discover it is not at all what you thought. There are several unexpected allies, a very nice horse, the complexities of trying to keep your identity secret from the authorities when the masses know you as a hero, death-defying escapes, fantastic displays of magic, creeping around in crypts, and important choices. Artemisia learns that just because people don’t make sense to her doesn’t mean she can’t have friends, the dynamic between her and the revenant is great, and there’s plenty of magic and adventure. I also appreciated the religion aspect, which struck me as Catholicism if Catholics were more concerned with making the dead stay dead than going somewhere in particular after death.

I know it wasn’t perfect and I’m liking it more in this review than when I actually read it – I think my opinion is enhanced by the fact that I didn’t expect to like it very much – but it was a highly enjoyable read. The characters were good, the plot was solid with some interesting twists, I love seeing disabled protagonists, and I’m always down for the Protagonist Is Absurdly Powerful and Reluctant Allies With The Voice In My Head tropes. I was pleasantly surprised when how enjoyable Vespertine actually is.

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lillythebluepaladin's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective tense 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? No

5.0

THIS WAS A BEAUTIFUL READ! I never thought that I would ever say that the thought of getting possessed by a sassy and snarky yet protective spirit would be pleasant, but this book changed my mind.

I loooved the world setting, the plot and the CHARACTERS!
I was told that this was gonna be a Venom by Marvel for teenage girls, and yeah it kinda is, but it is so much more!
My traumatised ass cried to this a few times, because I could relate a lot to what our main character Artemisia and our reverent has experienced, and this book genuinely felt like a long overdue hug.

MARGARET ROGERSON, WITH MADELINE MILLER AND TAMORA PIERCE, ARE THE QUEENS OF FEMALE FANTASY

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siannas_second_library's review

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adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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yvonne_cl's review

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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readwithrheane's review

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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.

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