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A review by kaiyakaiyo
Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
I REALLY liked this. Artemisia is a fun, strange main character that misses social cues and has social anxiety, but it isn’t written in that cloying internalized misogyny “I’m not like other girls” way. She just feels like a real girl that spent her formative years in a terrible situation, and doesn’t quite know how to interact as a result. She also doesn’t fall into the boring misanthrope trope; she is incredibly kind and empathetic despite thinking she’s terrible at people & kind of wishing they’d leave her alone.
The world building in this novel is exquisite! I love when religious institutions are called into question and have their agendas interrogated. The friendships and interpersonal connection in this book are so heartwarming yet nuanced.
I loved how Artemisia was able to step back and consider how cloying and sacrificial “chosen one” mentality is, and is able to empathize even with villains for that reason. Often in fantasy you get people chosen for or pushed into some grand fate and they kinda just… go with it. In this, Artemisia goes with it, but she also clearly articulates how shitty and painful and isolating the road will be, and how much she feels like a pawn in someone’s game. She’s tired, she forgets to eat, she realizes that caring for herself is just as important as the mission she’s on.
10/10 would recommend and I would not mind if this turned to a series (duology would be nice but I will take 3 if I must)
The world building in this novel is exquisite! I love when religious institutions are called into question and have their agendas interrogated. The friendships and interpersonal connection in this book are so heartwarming yet nuanced.
I loved how Artemisia was able to step back and consider how cloying and sacrificial “chosen one” mentality is, and is able to empathize even with villains for that reason. Often in fantasy you get people chosen for or pushed into some grand fate and they kinda just… go with it. In this, Artemisia goes with it, but she also clearly articulates how shitty and painful and isolating the road will be, and how much she feels like a pawn in someone’s game. She’s tired, she forgets to eat, she realizes that caring for herself is just as important as the mission she’s on.
10/10 would recommend and I would not mind if this turned to a series (duology would be nice but I will take 3 if I must)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Murder, and Child abuse
Moderate: Child death and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Suicide