Scan barcode
A review by plumpaperbacks
Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
[Buddy read with Shar đź–¤]
I was so excited to read this, and in the first half, I honestly thought it would end up a new favorite. The story had similar vibes to my favorite series—His Fair Assassin—and the protagonist had so much in common with Sybella—one of the HFA protagonists and my absolute favorite character. I loved Artemisia and her revenant, and I thought the world-building, specifically the orders of spirits and how they could be bound with relics, was fascinating and well-done. I also loved seeing Artemisia come out of her shell more in the second half of the book, and realize that she does, in fact, have friends.
So what went wrong?
The pacing was dreadfully slow; in the first half I didn’t mind so much, because I was getting to know the characters and the world. But when I passed the 50% mark, I became aware of just how little had happened, and as I kept reading, still, hardly anything happened. I thought the antagonist was poorly written and didn’t really have any motivation to do what they did, and when the final hand was dealt, the true antagonist revealed, even though I didn’t see it coming, I wasn’t impressed. The last quarter of the book felt very anticlimactic, despite the stakes being at their highest yet.
One thing in this book’s favor, though, is that Artemisia is asexual, something I haven’t seen in many fantasies. There was no romance, and instead, the focus was on platonic relationships and her own character growth. It was refreshing, and I liked it.
Overall, despite finding this somewhat disappointing, I would recommend it. Rogerson spun a good story, and I do plan to read more from her in the future.
Representation
I was so excited to read this, and in the first half, I honestly thought it would end up a new favorite. The story had similar vibes to my favorite series—His Fair Assassin—and the protagonist had so much in common with Sybella—one of the HFA protagonists and my absolute favorite character. I loved Artemisia and her revenant, and I thought the world-building, specifically the orders of spirits and how they could be bound with relics, was fascinating and well-done. I also loved seeing Artemisia come out of her shell more in the second half of the book, and realize that she does, in fact, have friends.
So what went wrong?
The pacing was dreadfully slow; in the first half I didn’t mind so much, because I was getting to know the characters and the world. But when I passed the 50% mark, I became aware of just how little had happened, and as I kept reading, still, hardly anything happened. I thought the antagonist was poorly written and didn’t really have any motivation to do what they did, and when the final hand was dealt, the true antagonist revealed, even though I didn’t see it coming, I wasn’t impressed. The last quarter of the book felt very anticlimactic, despite the stakes being at their highest yet.
One thing in this book’s favor, though, is that Artemisia is asexual, something I haven’t seen in many fantasies. There was no romance, and instead, the focus was on platonic relationships and her own character growth. It was refreshing, and I liked it.
Overall, despite finding this somewhat disappointing, I would recommend it. Rogerson spun a good story, and I do plan to read more from her in the future.
Representation
- aromantic asexual protagonist
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Child abuse and Confinement
Minor: Body horror
Main character was severely burned as a child (prior to story) and has scars on both hands. Things tagged moderate happened prior to story; main character was neglected and at one point locked in a shed for an extended period of time, as a child.