Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by amanda_shortman
Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Having previously enjoyed both An Enchantment of Ravens and Sorcery of Thorns, I was really excited to read another book by Margaret Rogerson. And I was not disappointed. The author has an incredible ability to take morally complex characters and make them loveable without losing any of the darker side of them.
We start the story with Artemisia, who is currently with the Gray Sisters who tend to the dead so that they do not become malevolent spirits and possess those with the sight. But when her convent is attacked by possessed soldiers, she is forced to team up with a revenant, one of the highest order of spirits that are usually impossible to fight. However Artemisia had been possessed by a lower order spirit in childhood and develops a working relationship with the revenant, and together they work to uncover why so many spirits are suddenly possessing people and how to stop it.
The revenant quickly became one of my favourite characters. It is so sassy, and yet it is clear from very early on that whilst it suggests distain for Artemisia it actually cares about her, enough to ensure she looks after herself. This is something Artemisia is particularly bad at, thanks to previous trauma, and I love that it was so well explored throughout the book and became a real starting point for their bond.
Along the way we also meet other characters that we, and Artemisia, think we understand but actually don't. Marguerite, for instance, had shared a room with Artemisia for years and yet she didn't know her at all. And Leander has you guessing about his intentions pretty much right to the end of the book.
I will admit that there were a few points at which I felt a little lost, just because there was so much depth to the world-building and characters, and I think I need another read to fully grasp all the details. But I quickly got back on track each time, it is definitely a story I want to read again at some point. Especially because I really enjoyed the exploration of religion within this story, and just how much Artemisia ends up questioning everything she once knew and how much of such "history" could have been embellished.
Finally, the narration was really good.
We start the story with Artemisia, who is currently with the Gray Sisters who tend to the dead so that they do not become malevolent spirits and possess those with the sight. But when her convent is attacked by possessed soldiers, she is forced to team up with a revenant, one of the highest order of spirits that are usually impossible to fight. However Artemisia had been possessed by a lower order spirit in childhood and develops a working relationship with the revenant, and together they work to uncover why so many spirits are suddenly possessing people and how to stop it.
The revenant quickly became one of my favourite characters. It is so sassy, and yet it is clear from very early on that whilst it suggests distain for Artemisia it actually cares about her, enough to ensure she looks after herself. This is something Artemisia is particularly bad at, thanks to previous trauma, and I love that it was so well explored throughout the book and became a real starting point for their bond.
Along the way we also meet other characters that we, and Artemisia, think we understand but actually don't. Marguerite, for instance, had shared a room with Artemisia for years and yet she didn't know her at all. And Leander has you guessing about his intentions pretty much right to the end of the book.
I will admit that there were a few points at which I felt a little lost, just because there was so much depth to the world-building and characters, and I think I need another read to fully grasp all the details. But I quickly got back on track each time, it is definitely a story I want to read again at some point. Especially because I really enjoyed the exploration of religion within this story, and just how much Artemisia ends up questioning everything she once knew and how much of such "history" could have been embellished.
Finally, the narration was really good.