Reviews - Vespertine - Das Geheimnis der Dunklen Priesterin

3.09k reviews for:

Vespertine - Das Geheimnis der Dunklen Priesterin

This one was...good. I liked it. Not quite what I was expecting after reading Rogerson's other books, but it definitely fits with the spooky October vibes. Dunno why I didn't like it more, maybe it was just kind of slow somehow? It is the first in a series, which may be why it was a bit of a letdown for me. Still a solid story though.

sierragreat's review against another edition

4.0

I haven't read any of her other books, this one was good. It was intresting to read a book with no romance what so ever, but then the main character was possessed from the start of the book. The possesder and the main character worked together to get their task done and defeat the bad guys.

sambetweenworlds's review against another edition

5.0

4.5

catali7's review against another edition

2.75

adventurous mysterious reflective 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

darcey_orchid's review against another edition

4.0

buddy read with my girl, mina!

this was good! it didn't blow my mind, and half the time i feel like i lowkey didn't know what was happening, but Margaret Rogerson's writing gives off such comforting vibes, which i love. plus, her world-building is so unique and interesting, and her characters are so precious and loveable that i enjoyed every moment of reading this!

plus, i'm an absolute sucker for adorable platonic relationships, and this book gave me that in drovesss. the sweetest friendship formed between the Revenant and Artemisia (PLUS CAN WE ALL CHEER FOR A YA BOOK THAT STOOD ON IT'S OWN TWO FEET WITHOUT ROMANCE WOO - like i love romance but sometimes you really need a break) and there were also a few extra adorable relationships that led to such a cute little - dare i say it - found family.
also the banter and humour was GOLD.

loved it!

melsreadingthings's review against another edition

4.25

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

solxtos's review against another edition

5.0

Loved it! I'll admit, the way the book started out with all the self-deprecation and lines about how dark and brooding Artemisia is kinda threw me off but Vespertine was just such a fun read. The power system is such a cool concept with the spirits and the religious aspect of it all. I loved the division of spirits based off of cause of death (ashgrim really is such a cool name), and the revenant lore. I enjoyed Artemesia as a main character and loved how she isn't dominated by her past experiences, having depth unrelated to her ashgrim possession. She references to it a lot, but not the point where you're sick of hearing about it. The plot progression felt natural and the plot twists were satisfying but alluded to (which contributed to the satisfying part of it. plot twists that feel out of the blue and insufficiently alluded to aren't very fun). But above all, I fucking love the revenant.

How is it that the genocidal specter that has killed thousands (millions?) out of bloodlust over the course of hundreds of years is the best character in the book? It goes from talking about how easily it could level entire cities to getting excited about getting its (her?) hair braided and wanting to try on cute hats. Seeing the revenant happy over the tiniest things was so fucking adorable.

It being a compassionate entity was equally unexpected and interesting, especially the depth of its empathy. It physically couldn't bring itself to make a tiny cut in Artemesia's forearm for the rite just because it didn't want to cause her pain, that is so cute it is so cute. It empathized with Artemesia's past and her little quirks, accommodating her fears and making sure she's not in any physical or mental discomfort. It reminded her when to eat, when to sleep and helped her navigate her fear of crowds and people. I Love It.

It's just a voice in the main character's head and somehow it has more depth and charm than any other character in the book. I had a few problems with the plot itself but b/c I like the revenant so much, they didn't really affect my reading experience.