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veilchen 's review for:
Vespertine
by Margaret Rogerson
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
You know what? Margaret Rogerson might just become my favourite author. Every single one of her books is incredibly captivating, fantastical and special in their own way, how tf does she keep outdoing herself?
Vespertine is set in a fantasy world inspired by a christian medieval france, using nunneries, monasteries, saints, relics and spirits to create a dark, mythical, kinda goth setting.
As someone who posesses the gift of the sight (being able to see spirits and their effects), Artemisia has been raised as a nun, tasked with caring for the dead and making sure they don't turn into spirits. But as sinister, undead forces come into play, she is forced to team up with one of the most dangerous spirits of all: A revenant.
As always, Rogerson manages to transport the reader into a new world within only a few chapters. Even though I am not really a fan of christianity, she managed to make it work (changing our Lord to a Lady was a big help). Unlike I have experienced in many other fantasy works, there is almost no "time of confusion", where you just try to figure out the world and cannot even concentrate on the story, nor is there any heavy exposition. The reader also immediatly gets a good sense of the main character, Artemisia. She is a very unusual girl, but not in the obnoxious "not-like-other-girls" way or any other stereotype that we all know from YA. She is a quiet, introverted person, with extreme social anxiety, trouble understanding others emotions and some scary-looking demeanor - but underneath all that she is a truly good person you cannot help but like.
But while having a great, well built up plot and a fantastic setting, what this story really lives off is the dynamic between Artemisia and the spirit that posesses her. In an amazing balance of quick-witted humour, raw emotions of pain and love and deep-rooted trust issues on both sides, their banter, character growth and understanding of each other was what made me race through that book in only a few hours.
I mean, who doesnt want to see the anxious goth girl team up with the strangely caring, but also slightly murderous entity?
I could probably gush about this story for days, about the amazing side characters, critique of religion and saint worship and refreshing lack of romance, but I'm just gonna keep it short. If you loved Rogersons other works, character-driven stories with good plots, intense, platonic relationship dynamics and just a little bit of angst, all wrapped in a pretty little medeival goth setting, you will enjoy this book.
Vespertine is set in a fantasy world inspired by a christian medieval france, using nunneries, monasteries, saints, relics and spirits to create a dark, mythical, kinda goth setting.
As someone who posesses the gift of the sight (being able to see spirits and their effects), Artemisia has been raised as a nun, tasked with caring for the dead and making sure they don't turn into spirits. But as sinister, undead forces come into play, she is forced to team up with one of the most dangerous spirits of all: A revenant.
As always, Rogerson manages to transport the reader into a new world within only a few chapters. Even though I am not really a fan of christianity, she managed to make it work (changing our Lord to a Lady was a big help). Unlike I have experienced in many other fantasy works, there is almost no "time of confusion", where you just try to figure out the world and cannot even concentrate on the story, nor is there any heavy exposition. The reader also immediatly gets a good sense of the main character, Artemisia. She is a very unusual girl, but not in the obnoxious "not-like-other-girls" way or any other stereotype that we all know from YA. She is a quiet, introverted person, with extreme social anxiety, trouble understanding others emotions and some scary-looking demeanor - but underneath all that she is a truly good person you cannot help but like.
But while having a great, well built up plot and a fantastic setting, what this story really lives off is the dynamic between Artemisia and the spirit that posesses her. In an amazing balance of quick-witted humour, raw emotions of pain and love and deep-rooted trust issues on both sides, their banter, character growth and understanding of each other was what made me race through that book in only a few hours.
I mean, who doesnt want to see the anxious goth girl team up with the strangely caring, but also slightly murderous entity?
I could probably gush about this story for days, about the amazing side characters, critique of religion and saint worship and refreshing lack of romance, but I'm just gonna keep it short. If you loved Rogersons other works, character-driven stories with good plots, intense, platonic relationship dynamics and just a little bit of angst, all wrapped in a pretty little medeival goth setting, you will enjoy this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Self harm, Blood, Fire/Fire injury