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kbairbooks's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I could not, and didn’t want to, put this book down. It swept me up with masterful storytelling, intriguing well fleshed out characters, adventure, fight scenes, intrigue, and so much more. This was such a fun read and I’m sad there isn’t more yet!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, War, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Murder, Religious bigotry, and Violence
alexalily's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
tense
fast-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Violence, War, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Confinement, Death, and Suicide
booksthatburn's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
VESPERTINE is a bloody tale of revenants, reluctant saints, and unlikely allies in a world where the dead walk.
I like the banter between Artemisia and the revenant. This is one place where the audiobook narrator's performance really shines, as it enhanced an already excellent story by making the revenant's voice pitch perfect for its characterization. Their conversations sometimes feel like banter while staying generally appropriate to the seriousness of each new situation. I was worried that Trouble (the bird) would be a gimmicky animal sidekick, but his appearances are brief and important. He has enough of a presence to keep his few contributions from coming out of nowhere, and his relatively few appearances keep the narrative from feeling like a comedic trio of possessed, possessor, and animal friend.
The worldbuilding is filled in gradually, starting with Artemisia’s incomplete understanding of the history of her home and the forces at play, then gradually filling in as she learns from the revenant and tries to stay alive.
The way this handles trauma, mental illness, and disability in the narrative is pretty great. It's a world where magic is real and very present, but while magic completely dispels some ailments it's not treated as a cure-all. Artemisia has burn scars on her hands which affect her daily existence. The way her hands healed affects her motor skills and ability to sense things like temperature. She still has panic attacks and various levels of mental distress when triggering events occur. There's a minor character who is deeply traumatized by an unrelated experience with possession, and even the revenant has a phobia borne of trauma. It's a world filled with undead, death, and violence, and the way that all the characters are either explicitly or implicitly traumatized accordingly helps it feel cohesive in a way I hadn't expected but very much appreciate.
The plot builds slowly, focusing more on Artemisia's efforts not to get caught once she has the revenant, then gradually she ends up in a position to do more with the information which became available to her. It has great "accidental hero (saint)" vibes with a plot that backs that up.
I like the banter between Artemisia and the revenant. This is one place where the audiobook narrator's performance really shines, as it enhanced an already excellent story by making the revenant's voice pitch perfect for its characterization. Their conversations sometimes feel like banter while staying generally appropriate to the seriousness of each new situation. I was worried that Trouble (the bird) would be a gimmicky animal sidekick, but his appearances are brief and important. He has enough of a presence to keep his few contributions from coming out of nowhere, and his relatively few appearances keep the narrative from feeling like a comedic trio of possessed, possessor, and animal friend.
The worldbuilding is filled in gradually, starting with Artemisia’s incomplete understanding of the history of her home and the forces at play, then gradually filling in as she learns from the revenant and tries to stay alive.
The way this handles trauma, mental illness, and disability in the narrative is pretty great. It's a world where magic is real and very present, but while magic completely dispels some ailments it's not treated as a cure-all. Artemisia has burn scars on her hands which affect her daily existence. The way her hands healed affects her motor skills and ability to sense things like temperature. She still has panic attacks and various levels of mental distress when triggering events occur. There's a minor character who is deeply traumatized by an unrelated experience with possession, and even the revenant has a phobia borne of trauma. It's a world filled with undead, death, and violence, and the way that all the characters are either explicitly or implicitly traumatized accordingly helps it feel cohesive in a way I hadn't expected but very much appreciate.
The plot builds slowly, focusing more on Artemisia's efforts not to get caught once she has the revenant, then gradually she ends up in a position to do more with the information which became available to her. It has great "accidental hero (saint)" vibes with a plot that backs that up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Death, Violence, Self harm, and Vomit
Moderate: Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Ableism, Excrement, Kidnapping, and Slavery
Minor: Child abuse and Suicide
wurblywombat's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
I loved this book even more than Sorcery of Thorns. Margaret truly has a gift for writing loveable and interesting characters. The side characters are fantastic but in a way that doesn't diminish the main character. There was no love interest or romance and I think the book was better for it as we could focus on the great friendships, development and plot. Through this book Margaret has become an instant buy!!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Violence
Minor: Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, and Suicidal thoughts
episkey's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Self harm, and Death
Minor: Suicide, Eating disorder, War, Vomit, Self harm, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief
headinthepages's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Medical content, Murder, Torture, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Confinement, Death, Medical trauma, Self harm, Mental illness, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Violence, and Vomit
reading_ani's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.75
Absolutely loved this book, even though it took me an entire month to finish. The ending could suggest a sequel and I would be all for it! But even if it stays a stand-alone, I absolutely enjoyed reading the story and I’ve definitely lost my heart a tiny bit to Artemisia’s revnant❤️❤️
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
paper_elytra's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
4.0
Great world, well revealed. Would love more exploration of this world! Characters were Fierce and yet vulnerable, the fighting was swift.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Self harm, and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse
flyfarther79's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Confinement, and Death
Minor: Kidnapping, Murder, Violence, Abandonment, and Panic attacks/disorders
jessicaludden's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
“The revenant might be a monster, but it was my monster.”
This was an interesting read. I loved the magic system and the whole concept of spirits, nuns, and relics, but I think the world building is lacking. The world in this story feels bigger than one book to me. There were many times while reading that I found myself confused on the logistics of the world and the possibilities of the magic. There were also many times I wished for more detail and backstory. For example, I would’ve loved more time learning about the origins of the revenants and the Old Magic that is constantly referenced throughout the book. It just didn’t feel like the way things happen in this world was explained very clearly at the beginning.
I think the central issue of the story and the big bad was underwhelming. I liked the plot twist that Leander actually had no idea about Sarathiel and it was actually the Divine who was helping him, but I think Sarathiel’s overall purpose got lost in translation between the soldier spirits, him killing the Divine, and the rituals that Artemisia needed to do to save the world (at least I think that’s what she was trying to do). The stakes never felt very high to me and I think it’s due to the lack of detail I had with the world building.
I also think the side characters fell a little flat. The seeds of character complexity were there, but it felt like something was missing in their connection to Artemisia. I think their friendships could’ve been used a lot better and been more important in her story.
What I loved about this story was the dynamic between Artemisia and the revenant. They had really good banter and were both very blunt with each other. The revenant was hilarious, but I also loved seeing it’s softer side as the story progressed. I loved seeing their relationship build and the trust get developed. I especially loved the ending where Artemisia realized Rathanael had decided to sacrifice himself in order to save her and destroy Sarathiel. Their connection was the best part of this book and it’s what occurred for most of the story, which makes sense because she was literally a vessel for it. Overall, I enjoyed reading this. It could’ve been better in terms of the world building, but Artemisia and the revenant’s relationship made it enjoyable.
Favorite Quotes:
“‘You miss feeling things. You like being in a human body.’
‘That doesn’t mean I want to be in yours!’”
“‘Have you ever considered that your body carries you?’”
“‘No, and I don’t see why it matters. Humans are so tedious. Oh, you have dangly bits. Congratulations, you’re going to put on armor and swing a sword about. Oh, you’ve ended up with the other kind. Too bad—time to either have babies or become a nun.’”
“‘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.’”
“…the longing I had felt that day and many days since was homesickness. Homesickness for a place I had never been, for the answers to questions I carried in my heart but for which I had no words. I hadn’t recognized it then, because I hadn’t understood what it felt like to have a home.”
“‘I’ll have you know that I’m very good-looking by undead standards…’”
“‘You are the worst vessel I’ve ever had…’”
“If power we’re a measure of worth, Charles wouldn’t have needed me at all.”
“I glanced around at her, Charles, Jean. The people in the hall. I felt the revenant, bristling with impatience. And I realized she was mistaken—I hadn’t been alone, not for some time.”
“Perhaps this was how history treated saints. It didn’t matter what was real, what had truly happened. Even as they lived, their lives passes into legend.”
“…I found myself crouched in an alley with my heart hammering, feeling like an idiot as the revenant flitted through my body searching for injuries, finding nothing.
‘What happened?’ it demanded for the fourth or fifth time. ‘What’s wrong with you?’”
“‘I’m not going to let anyone hurt you again.’”
“I knew then that we really were going to be all right, because I had survived it before, and I would survive it again.”
“The world was radiant. My thoughts were silver fire.”
“‘I don’t want to do it, which in my experience is the surest sign that I need to.’”
“‘Stop drying,’ I told him. A faint smile touched his lips. ‘Is that all?’”
This was an interesting read. I loved the magic system and the whole concept of spirits, nuns, and relics, but I think the world building is lacking. The world in this story feels bigger than one book to me. There were many times while reading that I found myself confused on the logistics of the world and the possibilities of the magic. There were also many times I wished for more detail and backstory. For example, I would’ve loved more time learning about the origins of the revenants and the Old Magic that is constantly referenced throughout the book. It just didn’t feel like the way things happen in this world was explained very clearly at the beginning.
I think the central issue of the story and the big bad was underwhelming. I liked the plot twist that Leander actually had no idea about Sarathiel and it was actually the Divine who was helping him, but I think Sarathiel’s overall purpose got lost in translation between the soldier spirits, him killing the Divine, and the rituals that Artemisia needed to do to save the world (at least I think that’s what she was trying to do). The stakes never felt very high to me and I think it’s due to the lack of detail I had with the world building.
I also think the side characters fell a little flat. The seeds of character complexity were there, but it felt like something was missing in their connection to Artemisia. I think their friendships could’ve been used a lot better and been more important in her story.
What I loved about this story was the dynamic between Artemisia and the revenant. They had really good banter and were both very blunt with each other. The revenant was hilarious, but I also loved seeing it’s softer side as the story progressed. I loved seeing their relationship build and the trust get developed. I especially loved the ending where Artemisia realized Rathanael had decided to sacrifice himself in order to save her and destroy Sarathiel. Their connection was the best part of this book and it’s what occurred for most of the story, which makes sense because she was literally a vessel for it. Overall, I enjoyed reading this. It could’ve been better in terms of the world building, but Artemisia and the revenant’s relationship made it enjoyable.
Favorite Quotes:
“‘You miss feeling things. You like being in a human body.’
‘That doesn’t mean I want to be in yours!’”
“‘Have you ever considered that your body carries you?’”
“‘No, and I don’t see why it matters. Humans are so tedious. Oh, you have dangly bits. Congratulations, you’re going to put on armor and swing a sword about. Oh, you’ve ended up with the other kind. Too bad—time to either have babies or become a nun.’”
“‘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.’”
“…the longing I had felt that day and many days since was homesickness. Homesickness for a place I had never been, for the answers to questions I carried in my heart but for which I had no words. I hadn’t recognized it then, because I hadn’t understood what it felt like to have a home.”
“‘I’ll have you know that I’m very good-looking by undead standards…’”
“‘You are the worst vessel I’ve ever had…’”
“If power we’re a measure of worth, Charles wouldn’t have needed me at all.”
“I glanced around at her, Charles, Jean. The people in the hall. I felt the revenant, bristling with impatience. And I realized she was mistaken—I hadn’t been alone, not for some time.”
“Perhaps this was how history treated saints. It didn’t matter what was real, what had truly happened. Even as they lived, their lives passes into legend.”
“…I found myself crouched in an alley with my heart hammering, feeling like an idiot as the revenant flitted through my body searching for injuries, finding nothing.
‘What happened?’ it demanded for the fourth or fifth time. ‘What’s wrong with you?’”
“‘I’m not going to let anyone hurt you again.’”
“I knew then that we really were going to be all right, because I had survived it before, and I would survive it again.”
“The world was radiant. My thoughts were silver fire.”
“‘I don’t want to do it, which in my experience is the surest sign that I need to.’”
“‘Stop drying,’ I told him. A faint smile touched his lips. ‘Is that all?’”
Content Warnings
Minor: Blood, Suicide, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, Child abuse, and Eating disorder