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A review by magicalreads
Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson
3.0
3.5 stars
read on my blog
cw: blood
**I received an ARC from the publisher through Netgalley. These are my honest opinions, and in no way was I compensated for this review.**
Like many others, I loved Margaret Rogerson’s last book, Sorcery of Thorns, so naturally I was so excited about her next release! I jumped at the chance to read it early. Vespertine untangles the secrets of saints and spirits, ultimately discovering the true bond of friendship.
Despite her high affinity to control spirits, Artemisia wants nothing more than to be a Gray Sister, an order that cleanses corpses so that their spirits do not become malevolent spirits that will possess those with the Sight. When possessed soldiers attack her convent, she is forced to accept the power of a saint’s relic, containing a revenant, the highest order of spirit. There are so few of these relics that no one alive knows how to control these spirits; however, with time running out to discover why more and more spirits are possessing people, Artemisia must team up with the revenant in her relic to solve this mystery.
The worldbuilding was really cool! I always enjoy stories that focus on saints and holiness, and this book was no exception. I also feel like Rogerson has a talent for immersing you in a world without overexplaining or info-dumping. The different orders of spirits are explained seamlessly with the plot.
I really liked Artemisia’s character arc. She was possessed by a low spirit as a child; as a consequence of this, she has a talent for controlling higher order spirits. This also contributed to her selfless nature: She rarely thinks of herself in any situation, instead always wanting to protect others, even if they’re afraid of her. Over time, the revenant helps her realize that sometimes she needs to think of herself first in order to really help others.
Her relationships with the other characters were also well fleshed out. I feel like a common factor in Rogerson’s story is the “immortal figure who begrudgingly grows to like the protagonist” character, which here is the revenant. As much as it threatens Artemisia, you can tell that it cares for her and they gradually form a friendship.
Artemisia also forms a stronger friendship with Marguerite, another novice at her convent that she previously thought hated her. It was nice to see how other characters continue to care about Artemisia when she so obviously cares for others, even if they don’t realize it at first.
In case anyone was wondering, there’s no romance in this book! This wasn’t a mark against the book; I just wanted to clarify for anyone who was expecting one.
My one real complaint about this book is that it’s so interesting in the first 50 pages…and then nothing happens for the next 250 pages. Okay, events happen, but I feel like it dragged so much that I began skimming some parts. The last 100 pages were thrilling though; we finally get the bulk of the action here, and this last quarter made me enjoy the book so much more.
Vespertine was an intriguing book that explored a world of saints and spirits. I enjoyed the worldbuilding and the characters, as well as the protagonist’s friendships with the other characters. If you enjoyed either of this author’s previous works, I think you’ll like Vespertine!
original review:
good for the first 50 pages and then basically nothing happened for the next 250 pages...but the last 100 pages were good so I ended up liking the book more than I previously thought
read on my blog
cw: blood
**I received an ARC from the publisher through Netgalley. These are my honest opinions, and in no way was I compensated for this review.**
Sometimes, if you want to save other people, you need to remember to save yourself first.
Like many others, I loved Margaret Rogerson’s last book, Sorcery of Thorns, so naturally I was so excited about her next release! I jumped at the chance to read it early. Vespertine untangles the secrets of saints and spirits, ultimately discovering the true bond of friendship.
Despite her high affinity to control spirits, Artemisia wants nothing more than to be a Gray Sister, an order that cleanses corpses so that their spirits do not become malevolent spirits that will possess those with the Sight. When possessed soldiers attack her convent, she is forced to accept the power of a saint’s relic, containing a revenant, the highest order of spirit. There are so few of these relics that no one alive knows how to control these spirits; however, with time running out to discover why more and more spirits are possessing people, Artemisia must team up with the revenant in her relic to solve this mystery.
The worldbuilding was really cool! I always enjoy stories that focus on saints and holiness, and this book was no exception. I also feel like Rogerson has a talent for immersing you in a world without overexplaining or info-dumping. The different orders of spirits are explained seamlessly with the plot.
I really liked Artemisia’s character arc. She was possessed by a low spirit as a child; as a consequence of this, she has a talent for controlling higher order spirits. This also contributed to her selfless nature: She rarely thinks of herself in any situation, instead always wanting to protect others, even if they’re afraid of her. Over time, the revenant helps her realize that sometimes she needs to think of herself first in order to really help others.
Her relationships with the other characters were also well fleshed out. I feel like a common factor in Rogerson’s story is the “immortal figure who begrudgingly grows to like the protagonist” character, which here is the revenant. As much as it threatens Artemisia, you can tell that it cares for her and they gradually form a friendship.
Artemisia also forms a stronger friendship with Marguerite, another novice at her convent that she previously thought hated her. It was nice to see how other characters continue to care about Artemisia when she so obviously cares for others, even if they don’t realize it at first.
In case anyone was wondering, there’s no romance in this book! This wasn’t a mark against the book; I just wanted to clarify for anyone who was expecting one.
My one real complaint about this book is that it’s so interesting in the first 50 pages…and then nothing happens for the next 250 pages. Okay, events happen, but I feel like it dragged so much that I began skimming some parts. The last 100 pages were thrilling though; we finally get the bulk of the action here, and this last quarter made me enjoy the book so much more.
Vespertine was an intriguing book that explored a world of saints and spirits. I enjoyed the worldbuilding and the characters, as well as the protagonist’s friendships with the other characters. If you enjoyed either of this author’s previous works, I think you’ll like Vespertine!
original review:
good for the first 50 pages and then basically nothing happened for the next 250 pages...but the last 100 pages were good so I ended up liking the book more than I previously thought