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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
It took a while to get into the flow with how quickly it jumped into action, but once the bones of it come to light I was enthralled!
This was EVERYTHING I wanted and more! Perfect for fans of Sabriel, Seraphina, and Tess of the Road. This book is a perfect stand alone but I dearly hope Rogerson writes more in this world later. Iove stories that reveal old systems of myth/religion along the way and this book had it in spades. Artemisia's struggle with PTSD and the characters surrounding her with their own battles grounded this story of dead things and spirits in a high religious world. I cannot recommend this book enough and this further cements Rogerson as a must read author for me!
DNF 10%
Its well written, i just am not engaged in the plot at all.
Its well written, i just am not engaged in the plot at all.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Not bad. It was good for two thirds or so, and then started to unravel a bit, but overall it was pretty solid.
The characters were okay. I don't think anyone aside from Artemisia, the revenant and Marguerite had much depth; the rest were just kind of a rotating cast to see who could help Artemisia the most at any given time. I did like those three well enough, but on that note, everything seemed way too convenient for her. Not only was she insanely overpowered, but the entire city supported her and would literally do anything for her, which made the stakes feel a lot lower than they should have.
The worldbuilding was extremely promising at first, but the more it was explained the more confused I was. Especially the bit at the end wherethe revenant said that the saints were friends with the revenants that they hosted. I thought the revenants were evil, and the saints trapped them to fight the other spirits? Why would they be friends? And why would they bind them to the relics if they were? I don't think that part, nor the existence of revenants as a whole, was elaborated on enough.
Other complaints include that the climax kicked off in an honestly ridiculous way, the encounter with the main antagonist was very underwhelming, and it started to fall too hard into clichés and predictable moments near the end—which is to say, good start, lacklustre finish.
The characters were okay. I don't think anyone aside from Artemisia, the revenant and Marguerite had much depth; the rest were just kind of a rotating cast to see who could help Artemisia the most at any given time. I did like those three well enough, but on that note, everything seemed way too convenient for her. Not only was she insanely overpowered, but the entire city supported her and would literally do anything for her, which made the stakes feel a lot lower than they should have.
The worldbuilding was extremely promising at first, but the more it was explained the more confused I was. Especially the bit at the end where
Other complaints include that the climax kicked off in an honestly ridiculous way, the encounter with the main antagonist was very underwhelming, and it started to fall too hard into clichés and predictable moments near the end—which is to say, good start, lacklustre finish.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Suicide
What an absolute BANGER of a book. I downloaded the audiobook on a whim and flew through 12 hours in less than two days. I COULD NOT GET ENOUGH of this book.
What’s to love? How about a relatable protagonist who’s stuck with a snarky ghost in her head that also gives her OP abilities?! The action in this book was *chef’s kiss*
I love this world SO MUCH and could easily see Rogerson expanding it through the lens of different characters. It’s technically a standalone but she gives you enough of a tease at the end that I could easily see five more book. I will read literally anything Margaret Rogerson produces at this point.
10/10 would recommend to any fantasy or historical fiction fans
What’s to love? How about a relatable protagonist who’s stuck with a snarky ghost in her head that also gives her OP abilities?! The action in this book was *chef’s kiss*
I love this world SO MUCH and could easily see Rogerson expanding it through the lens of different characters. It’s technically a standalone but she gives you enough of a tease at the end that I could easily see five more book. I will read literally anything Margaret Rogerson produces at this point.
10/10 would recommend to any fantasy or historical fiction fans
4.5 stars.
This isn't over, is it?
I sure hope it's not, I feel MR left some seeds for the future.
This isn't over, is it?
I sure hope it's not, I feel MR left some seeds for the future.
This hurts to say, but for some reason this book just didn't work for me. I wanted to love it so bad, because I love Margaret Rogerson's other books, but something about this one just didn't do it for me. I think a lot of it comes down to my "YA fatigue," because I felt like a lot of this book would've been better as a darker, more adult story—and a longer story. I think this story would've really benefitted from taking more time to explore the world and side characters. I absolutely adored the revenant, and I was glad that (maybe minor spoiler?) but on the whole, I found most of the other characters lackluster and in need of more exploration. Artemisia wasn't a bad protagonist, but I also never found myself really caring about her besides enjoying her relationship with the revenant. I thought it was kind of strange that her name is Artemisia, too? Like, why does the protagonist have a name derived from a Greek goddess when 1) the book has nothing to do with Greek myths, and 2) Artemisia doesn't even really have anything in common with Artemis? You'd think her name was supposed to have meaning, considering it wasn't her birth name and there was an entire part explaining that, but it doesn't really fit at all. This is a minor complaint, but I thought it was kind of goofy, so I thought I would mention it. Basically, I was hoping for more. I'm still excited to read whatever Rogerson has planned next, though!