Vespertine
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- Create Date：2021-10-07 09:51:27
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Margaret Rogerson
- ISBN：153447711X
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Summary
The dead of Loraille do not rest。
Artemisia is training to be a Gray Sister， a nun who cleanses the bodies of the deceased so that their souls can pass on; otherwise， they will rise as spirits with a ravenous hunger for the living。 She would rather deal with the dead than the living， who trade whispers about her scarred hands and troubled past。
When her convent is attacked by possessed soldiers， Artemisia defends it by awakening an ancient spirit bound to a saint’s relic。 It is a revenant， a malevolent being that threatens to possess her the moment she drops her guard。 Wielding its extraordinary power almost consumes her—but death has come to Loraille， and only a vespertine， a priestess trained to wield a high relic， has any chance of stopping it。 With all knowledge of vespertines lost to time， Artemisia turns to the last remaining expert for help: the revenant itself。
As she unravels a sinister mystery of saints， secrets， and dark magic， her bond with the revenant grows。 And when a hidden evil begins to surface， she discovers that facing this enemy might require her to betray everything she has been taught to believe—if the revenant doesn’t betray her first。
Artemisia is training to be a Gray Sister， a nun who cleanses the bodies of the deceased so that their souls can pass on; otherwise， they will rise as spirits with a ravenous hunger for the living。 She would rather deal with the dead than the living， who trade whispers about her scarred hands and troubled past。
When her convent is attacked by possessed soldiers， Artemisia defends it by awakening an ancient spirit bound to a saint’s relic。 It is a revenant， a malevolent being that threatens to possess her the moment she drops her guard。 Wielding its extraordinary power almost consumes her—but death has come to Loraille， and only a vespertine， a priestess trained to wield a high relic， has any chance of stopping it。 With all knowledge of vespertines lost to time， Artemisia turns to the last remaining expert for help: the revenant itself。
As she unravels a sinister mystery of saints， secrets， and dark magic， her bond with the revenant grows。 And when a hidden evil begins to surface， she discovers that facing this enemy might require her to betray everything she has been taught to believe—if the revenant doesn’t betray her first。
Reviews
Lee-ann
，
Verspertine was my second book from Margaret Rogerson and the second book I enjoyed！ Filled with dark magic， ancient relics and possession， this book was a perfect story for the season， and one I’m excited to continue on with！ —-Artemisia is training to be a Grey Sister， a nun who cleanses the bodies of the deceased so that their souls can pass on。 If the bodies are not cleansed， they will rise as spirits with a ravenous hunger for the living。 When her convent is attacked by possessed soldiers， Verspertine was my second book from Margaret Rogerson and the second book I enjoyed！ Filled with dark magic， ancient relics and possession， this book was a perfect story for the season， and one I’m excited to continue on with！ —-Artemisia is training to be a Grey Sister， a nun who cleanses the bodies of the deceased so that their souls can pass on。 If the bodies are not cleansed， they will rise as spirits with a ravenous hunger for the living。 When her convent is attacked by possessed soldiers， Artemisia defends it by awakening an ancient spirit bound to a saint’s relic。 This revenant now resides within her own body and they end up having to work together to save the people from extremely dangerous magic and possession。 Only a Vespertine， a priestess trained to wield a high relic， has any chance of stopping it。 Artemisia must learn of this old magic that has been lost to time， and when word gets out that a Vespertine has come to help， some are filled with hope， while others hope to destroy her。 —-The Magic system is quite detailed and moderately complex which made it a bit hard to follow at times but that being said， I still thought it was great。 There are different orders of spirits， old magic， relics， revenants and possession， the highest power being a Vespertine who can wield a 5th order relic。 The main character， Artemisia， is kind of a loner， preferring the company of the dead over the living。 She’s a bit awkward， a bit strange， and really just wants to keep to herself。 When she all of a sudden finds herself in a desperate situation， her true character comes forth and I must say， I found her quite refreshing from the usual strong willed and stubborn main female characters in a lot of YA fantasy these days。 The banter between her and the revenant was quite humorous and entertaining， and I found myself laughing out loud in certain situations！ Artemisia also has a quick wit and sarcasm I was totally drawn too 😄。 。。。more
Penny Poppleton
，
4。5 stars - I enjoyed this one very much but I struggled in places to stay with it。 Margaret Rogerson has an incredible ability to build a world in a single book setting that feels as richly detailed as a trilogy would be， and that’s fully in force in this story。 Also it’s a fascinating commentary on this world’s version of paganism subsumed by the emerging religion。 Anyway I loved it and will likely read it again someday！
Maryam
，
RTC or read it early on my blog （JMRH） RTC or read it early on my blog （JMRH） 。。。more
V
，
Absolutely loved it， so excited that this one is going to get a sequel！
Madison Mary
，
*4。5 stars"Sometimes， if you want to save other people， you need to remember to save yourself first。"I am actually super shocked at how much I enjoyed this book。 I had been seeing SO many mixed reviews， and I understand some of them。。。 this isn't a "typical" Margaret Rogerson novel。 It has a much more somber tone。 There is no swoon-worthy romance at the centre of it。 This is the story of a girl who is extremely alone in the world finding solace in a creature she was taught to fear。 This book， to *4。5 stars"Sometimes， if you want to save other people， you need to remember to save yourself first。"I am actually super shocked at how much I enjoyed this book。 I had been seeing SO many mixed reviews， and I understand some of them。。。 this isn't a "typical" Margaret Rogerson novel。 It has a much more somber tone。 There is no swoon-worthy romance at the centre of it。 This is the story of a girl who is extremely alone in the world finding solace in a creature she was taught to fear。 This book， to me， is about mental health and finding your own self worth。 It is about a girl who has been living her life half dead finally learning what it means to live， what it means to trust people， what it means to have friends。 Artemesia slowly evolves as a character over the course of this novel and it is a wonderful progression to follow as she learns to find a purpose in her life。 It is a really beautiful story and I loved Artemisia's reluctant friendship with the revenant。 side note: I adore the revenant。 I would have him as my possession companion every day。 He may be snarky as hell， but he cares deeply for Artemsia and becomes a huge softie for her （although he still wants to merk everyone else）。 Sure， there could have been romance。 There were two potential characters。 But that would've ruined the book。 It would've taken away for Artemisia's journey and， in all honestly， she isn't ready for love-she didn't even love herself。 Plus， not having a romance left more time for the world building and the plot development。 Everything felt a lot more fleshed out in this novel that her previous ones and I really enjoyed the progression--the villain arc was executed WAY better in this novel than Sorcery。controversial opinion: I 100% preferred this to Sorcery of Thorns。。。 I cannot wait for the next book in this series and too see Artemesia grow even more as a character。 She has so much potential and I just know I am going to have so much fun diving back into the banter she has with the revenant。 I read a finished copy provided by Simon Teen 。。。more
Dayla
，
I received a copy from the publisher。 This didn't affect my review in any way。I've had a bit of a bumpy road with this author ever since I read her debut。 Even though I didn't enjoy her second book as much as the first one， I still consider her an auto-buy author for me because her stories always offer an adventure-filled ride。 VESPERTINE doesn't disappoint and to be completely honest， I think this is my favourite book by her so far。 Right away， we're introduced to this creepy world where ghosts I received a copy from the publisher。 This didn't affect my review in any way。I've had a bit of a bumpy road with this author ever since I read her debut。 Even though I didn't enjoy her second book as much as the first one， I still consider her an auto-buy author for me because her stories always offer an adventure-filled ride。 VESPERTINE doesn't disappoint and to be completely honest， I think this is my favourite book by her so far。 Right away， we're introduced to this creepy world where ghosts are real and they can very well possess you。 One wrong move and you're a goner （as long as you have the sight， if you don't then you're somewhat safe。） The concept behind this book was so interesting that I had to keep reading to know what would happen next。 The MC is someone that I think a lot of readers will relate to。 Her social anxiety and PTSD make her into this character that is so incredibly misunderstood that she doesn't realize how lonely she's been until she isn't anymore。 AnAlso， there are some seriously cool action sequences in this book。 I highly recommend this for fantasy lovers--especially for October！ Happy reading！ 。。。more
Lindsay
，
This was a solid， fun read for me。 It had just enough spooky elements for October without ever becoming grotesque。 The plot was paced to my liking。 I wasn't finding myself bored and skimming pages while I read。 The world Rogerson has created I found to be quite intriguing。 There is a long bloody history shrouded in mystery here。 I will admit there were places where I thought the worldbuilding could have been clearer。 There are elements of this novel that are reminiscent of the author's previous This was a solid， fun read for me。 It had just enough spooky elements for October without ever becoming grotesque。 The plot was paced to my liking。 I wasn't finding myself bored and skimming pages while I read。 The world Rogerson has created I found to be quite intriguing。 There is a long bloody history shrouded in mystery here。 I will admit there were places where I thought the worldbuilding could have been clearer。 There are elements of this novel that are reminiscent of the author's previous book， Sorcery of Thorns。 I felt it especially so in the first third of the story。 However， I really loved that book so I'm not going to get pissy about it。The main cast of characters are a likeable， brave bunch。 I never personally clicked with Artemisia， but I imagine that there are plenty of others out there that will be able to relate to her better。 She's not a bad character by any means。 She's just not a favorite of mine yet。 I'm open to changing my mind with the next book of the series。Yes， the revenant is Venom-esque as promised。 On a side note， Rogerson's other books included rather sweet romances， but there is no romance here。 Depending on you， that could be a positive or negative。 At this time， I definitely plan on reading the sequel。 。。。more
Sarah （sarahknowsthestory）
，
A standalone young adult fantasy， Vespertine is hard to describe in a snappy elevator pitch-style summary。 Fans of Rogerson’s know she builds complete， unique worlds within the pages of a single standalone book （no mean feat） and this story is no exception。 Artemisia is living with the Grey Sisters， a religious order who assist the souls of the dead to pass on。 In her world， the veil that holds back the dead has been broken and ravenous spirits have a hunger for the living。 Some are harmless， wh A standalone young adult fantasy， Vespertine is hard to describe in a snappy elevator pitch-style summary。 Fans of Rogerson’s know she builds complete， unique worlds within the pages of a single standalone book （no mean feat） and this story is no exception。 Artemisia is living with the Grey Sisters， a religious order who assist the souls of the dead to pass on。 In her world， the veil that holds back the dead has been broken and ravenous spirits have a hunger for the living。 Some are harmless， whilst others so dangerous they threaten humankind’s existence。 When she is forced to wield the power of a high order revenant to save her convent， she must use her wits and willpower to prevent it from possessing her。 For me， this is very nearly the perfect fantasy book， a heroine’s journey through a dangerous semi-post-apocalyptic land filled with scary demons and ghosts。 Artemisia is a stubborn and brave but sympathetic main character， dealing with both her own personal demons of the past and the current vengeful spirit that is in her head。 By far the greatest part of the book is her relationship with the revenant， their banter and the reluctant alliance they form。 Together， they must stop a vengeful， fearsome power from breaking free of its bonds and consuming their world。 I highly recommend Vespertine to any reader， it’s simply just so good and I want everyone to join the Artemisia fan club。 。。。more
Paul Tremblay
，
Not showing gratitude especially to one who brought back hope when all hope seems to be lost isn’t just morally wrong but a sin。 Words alone can’t express how 760PLUS lifted back my soul and brought me back on my feet。 How do I pay them back other than telling the world what 760PLUS CREDIT SCORE did for my entire family。 I lost my first house due to fraudulent eviction。 Though I had some collections and liens that brought my score to low 400s， I read about and decided to give them a try。 Long st Not showing gratitude especially to one who brought back hope when all hope seems to be lost isn’t just morally wrong but a sin。 Words alone can’t express how 760PLUS lifted back my soul and brought me back on my feet。 How do I pay them back other than telling the world what 760PLUS CREDIT SCORE did for my entire family。 I lost my first house due to fraudulent eviction。 Though I had some collections and liens that brought my score to low 400s， I read about and decided to give them a try。 Long story short， my FICO score was boosted 802 and all those items removed including the eviction。 I am now able to purchase a better home with very low interest rate。 Here’s how you can get across to them （760pluscreditscore at gmail dot com /304 774 5902）。 Thank me later。 Cheers！ 。。。more
Tammy Harfield-Butler
，
I have loved every book from this author so far and Vespertine was no exception！I read this whole book in one sitting and I just can’t wait for the next book already。 I adored the storyline and the setting is perfect！ I would 100% recommend this book！ I’ve seen it described as a medieval venom and it’s so accurate I love it！ The revenant is funny and likeable and I found the dialogue funny and overall an entertaining and satisfying read！Thank you to Margaret Rogerson and Simon and Schuster for a I have loved every book from this author so far and Vespertine was no exception！I read this whole book in one sitting and I just can’t wait for the next book already。 I adored the storyline and the setting is perfect！ I would 100% recommend this book！ I’ve seen it described as a medieval venom and it’s so accurate I love it！ The revenant is funny and likeable and I found the dialogue funny and overall an entertaining and satisfying read！Thank you to Margaret Rogerson and Simon and Schuster for an early copy。 。。。more
Em （Diversify Your Shelf）
，
4。5SPersonally feeling a bit attacked about how much of this book is about the importance of self care。 A beautiful read。Loses 。5 for references to minstrelsy （has a long history of Blackface and other racism）
Rayna
，
Thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada for sending me an eGalley of this book through NetGalley in exchange for a review！I had such a good time reading this！ Artemisia and the revenant ended up being a great team and I really enjoyed following this plot as they saved everyone time after time。 It was also so refreshing to not have any romance in this book - it wouldn't have worked with the plot and would have greatly taken away from the character development of Artemisia and the revenant。 They were to Thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada for sending me an eGalley of this book through NetGalley in exchange for a review！I had such a good time reading this！ Artemisia and the revenant ended up being a great team and I really enjoyed following this plot as they saved everyone time after time。 It was also so refreshing to not have any romance in this book - it wouldn't have worked with the plot and would have greatly taken away from the character development of Artemisia and the revenant。 They were too busy kicking ass and uncovering dark secrets for there to be room for a love interest！Margaret Rogerson mentions on Goodreads that ARC readers should be aware of changes that will be made in the final version to address word repetition and "prose that reads suspiciously as though it was written by a depressed AI struggling to imitate human behavior" - but I totally didn't find this to be the case！ The only parts that felt not human were some thoughts of the revenant， but I think that was the whole point？ It was a spirit and shouldn't think like a human！ Not sure if that is what she was referring to， but I didn't catch other parts of the book that felt off， so I guess that means final version readers will get even more magical writing！This fantasy world was super cool， with an interesting hierarchy developed among those who could see spirits， and then those who were more powerfully equipped to deal with them。 The types of spirits were fascinating and the magic system felt fresh and unique。Artemisia was a great MC - she was so brave and selfless， with the perfect amounts of self-doubt and hesitancy to balance out the situation she unexpectedly found herself in。 As awesome as she was， I found myself liking the revenant even more！ What can I say， I love me a sassy being who pretends not to care about others but is truly a mother hen with an overprotective side。 At one point it mockingly says that Artemisia must be popular at nun parties， and that honestly sums up the understanding in their relationship so well。。。There are also great supporting characters who are present just enough to get to know them a bit （and one that gets a lot of page time due to being the antagonist）， while also leaving the spotlight on Artemisia and the revenant。 They were all really well written and it was difficult to dislike even the villains （mostly）。 There were a few that I wanted to know so much more backstory about （like Mother Dolours and Captain Enguerrand - I seriously love him）。 I would love to see more of these characters in the sequel！The plot was pretty solid overall， with great action scenes， plenty of arguing between Artemisia and the revenant， and enough secrets to keep you guessing about what would happen next。 There was a big twist at 80% that was definitely hinted at， but even after it happened I was still like "Is it a double twist？" and didn't trust it until some very ~definitive things~ happened shortly after。 Even though there were some scenes that felt out of place and choppy， I really enjoyed how engaging this story was and had a great time reading it！ 。。。more
Sayantoni Das
，
I。can't。keep。calm！ This book was ahmazing！ Honestly， reading the blurb first time didn't make any sense to me but I knew it would be some epic fantasy involving spirits。 And boyyy， was I right！ Did I just unlock a new favorite author？ Well， you bet！No steamy romance。 No hot hunk。 In fact No romance at all。 Does that put you off？ Well please， don't let it because despite not having these tropes， this book was PERFECT！！ If you're scared of the paranormal， then let me assure you this one's neither I。can't。keep。calm！ This book was ahmazing！ Honestly， reading the blurb first time didn't make any sense to me but I knew it would be some epic fantasy involving spirits。 And boyyy， was I right！ Did I just unlock a new favorite author？ Well， you bet！No steamy romance。 No hot hunk。 In fact No romance at all。 Does that put you off？ Well please， don't let it because despite not having these tropes， this book was PERFECT！！ If you're scared of the paranormal， then let me assure you this one's neither too creepy nor too spooky。 I was surprised and amazed to see the way Margaret Rogerson handled this genre with such sheer brilliance！You all know about the concept of spirit animals right？ Well， this might come off as weird but I just have to say that Artemisia is my spirit person。 Haha， I know it doesn't make any sense but you get the idea， don't you？ I relate to her in a way that I had to shed a tear or two。 It was so intense， this connection that I felt with her character！ But no， I can't compare to her virtues。 She's one of the kindest characters I've ever read about and this kindness comes so naturally and effortlessly to her that it doesn't seem like the author had to make her kind just 'cause she's the MC。 Well of course， all credit goes to the author herself for making that happen！I would also like to mention that the plot line seemed a lot similar to that of Shadow and Bone but yeah， everything else is completely different。 Alina and Artemisia are completely different from each other and though I do not like to compare like this but once you see it， you just can't unsee it。 I did not hate Shadow and Bone， but this one definitely hit a higher mark for me！Also， I didn't think it was possible to grow fond of a spirit， but this novel made me believe otherwise， hehe。 You'll get what I mean once you read it。 If you're looking for books to read in Spooktober， then definitely pick this one up。 You're gonna love it！ 。。。more
Jessica Knotts
，
It's rare I find a book that has the kind of banter the Revenant and Artemisia have that isn't a romance （Although if a romances happens， in a sequel that I want deeply， of any form it must have this level of chemistry） that has such a great pair of protagonists like this。 I devoured this books and rightfully it deserves it。 A good story that was engaging throughout the whole run。 I am so glad I picked this up。 Although， it may require a reread at some point since I sped through it in two days， It's rare I find a book that has the kind of banter the Revenant and Artemisia have that isn't a romance （Although if a romances happens， in a sequel that I want deeply， of any form it must have this level of chemistry） that has such a great pair of protagonists like this。 I devoured this books and rightfully it deserves it。 A good story that was engaging throughout the whole run。 I am so glad I picked this up。 Although， it may require a reread at some point since I sped through it in two days， oops。 Definitely recommended for anyone who loves an inhuman creature who is somehow the more functional member of the duo。 。。。more
Sabrina Jansen
，
Having no prior knowledge of what this book was about， I think that is was quite fantastic。I especially enjoyed the part where Joe and Mirandá went sailing in the frozen lake and they met Denistiof， it was so exhilarating！ Despite the strange dementor lexical field throughout the novel， I thoroughly enjoyed this book
Orion
，
This book was absolutely fantastic and is easily one of the favourites of this year！ All the characters （even side characters） had depth and the main characters were perfect。 Artemisia herself is an amazing heroine， with a heart-rending backstory that affects her both physically and psychologically - in ways that both help and hinder her progress through the book。 The spirit she awakens is equally complex and I found myself liking even the cruel parts of it。 This book isn't even out yet and I ca This book was absolutely fantastic and is easily one of the favourites of this year！ All the characters （even side characters） had depth and the main characters were perfect。 Artemisia herself is an amazing heroine， with a heart-rending backstory that affects her both physically and psychologically - in ways that both help and hinder her progress through the book。 The spirit she awakens is equally complex and I found myself liking even the cruel parts of it。 This book isn't even out yet and I cannot wait for the next installment for this series！ 。。。more
Lou
，
Vespertine is a thrilling and inventive new YA fantasy and the first in a promising new duology about a teen girl with mythic abilities who must defend her world against the restless spirits of the dead - until she is possessed by an ancient spirit herself， written by bestselling writer Margaret Rogerson who rarely puts a foot wrong。 Artemisia is training to be a Gray Sister， a nun who cleanses the bodies of the deceased so that their souls can pass on; otherwise， they will rise as spirits with Vespertine is a thrilling and inventive new YA fantasy and the first in a promising new duology about a teen girl with mythic abilities who must defend her world against the restless spirits of the dead - until she is possessed by an ancient spirit herself， written by bestselling writer Margaret Rogerson who rarely puts a foot wrong。 Artemisia is training to be a Gray Sister， a nun who cleanses the bodies of the deceased so that their souls can pass on; otherwise， they will rise as spirits with a ravenous hunger for the living。 She would rather deal with the dead than the living， who trade whispers about her scarred hands and troubled past。 When her convent is attacked by possessed soldiers， Artemisia defends it by awakening an ancient spirit bound to a saint's relic。 It is a revenant， a malevolent being that threatens to possess her the moment she drops her guard。 Wielding its extraordinary power almost consumes her--but death has come to Loraille， and only a vespertine， a priestess trained to wield a high relic， has any chance of stopping it。 With all knowledge of vespertines lost to time， Artemisia turns to the last remaining expert for help: the revenant itself。 As she unravels a sinister mystery of saints， secrets， and dark magic， her bond with the revenant grows。 And when a hidden evil begins to surface， she discovers that facing this enemy might require her to betray everything she has been taught to believe--if the revenant doesn't betray her first。 This is a dark， twisty and enthralling read that is very difficult to put down。 Rogerson is undoubtedly one of the most talented writers in YA fantasy at present with a staggering ability to remain consistently exciting at all times， and I was immediately entranced by Artemisia’s tense and captivating story。 It is full of atmospheric detail， and the world is inspired by both Catholicism and the French era of Enlightenment， and you are swallowed into the immersive tale almost immediately。 Artemisia is a strong and engaging female protagonist who it's easy to cheer for as she encounters dark forces， endless danger and hidden threats， and it is not just her life on the line; she is effectively fighting to save the world， and as you would imagine， along the way there are many setbacks and nail-biting moments filled with tension and surprises when you're not sure if she will be the one to survive and thrive it not。 A mythology rich and enchanting coming of age yarn set in late-medieval France， this is a grim yet beguiling fantasy in which the action just keeps coming as Artemisia’s journey progresses at a flat out pace。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
eyes。2c
，
Verspertine！ Unlooked for saviour！A novel replete with all those tropes that make for a riveting fantasy read。 There’s evil crouched and waiting in the unliving， a chosen one， Artemisia of Naimes—a novice in a convent dedicated to the Gray Lady， and articles of power。 All set in a believable medieval type fantastical world。Loraille is a land where ancient spirits have been bound and contained， where the relics of saints have been placed in reliquaries。 These are weapons the revenants， the higher Verspertine！ Unlooked for saviour！A novel replete with all those tropes that make for a riveting fantasy read。 There’s evil crouched and waiting in the unliving， a chosen one， Artemisia of Naimes—a novice in a convent dedicated to the Gray Lady， and articles of power。 All set in a believable medieval type fantastical world。Loraille is a land where ancient spirits have been bound and contained， where the relics of saints have been placed in reliquaries。 These are weapons the revenants， the higher order spirits want to destroy。The spirits or revenants are trying to control humans。 The imagery of young Artemisia， fighting the revenant that attempted to take her over is primordial。 But Artemisia has well and truly grown up in the School of Hard Knocks。 To say the least the revenant is surprised。 This battle reminded me of Bujold’s Penric。I loved the way the drama and interplay of characters build。 Then there’s Confessor Leander who tries to bend Artemisia to his will， testing her awareness of various levels of spirits。 He wants to send her to the Clerisy at Bonsaint to be trained。 All Artemisia wants to do is flee。 Artemisia firstly mistrusted the priest。 Then she despised him。 Later that morphed into hatred。Her journey away from the influence the Confessor leads her into danger and horror。 Fighting an army of spirits in what would be called the Battle of Bonsaint。 A powerful spirit is returning。 Who or what is behind this？The cover gives some idea of who Artemisia might become。 It seems she’s a Verspertine， a priestess who can wield a higher order relic in the fight against the various orders of spirits。 A gripping fantasy， a powerful read， written for Young Adults but beyond that， a jolly good book that easily crosses all age dictates。A Simon and Schuster Children's ARC via NetGalley 。。。more
Alexia
，
Thank you to Simon and Schuster Aus for my review copy！ This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2021， and it did not disappoint！The first thing that struck me within the first couple of chapters was how hilarious our protagonist Artemisia is！ Not in the way you expect though - she wasn't blatantly sassy or who you would traditionally call funny， but yet I found her inner thoughts and reactions to things so amusing！！ And honestly， I found most of it quite relatable。 This humour though Thank you to Simon and Schuster Aus for my review copy！ This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2021， and it did not disappoint！The first thing that struck me within the first couple of chapters was how hilarious our protagonist Artemisia is！ Not in the way you expect though - she wasn't blatantly sassy or who you would traditionally call funny， but yet I found her inner thoughts and reactions to things so amusing！！ And honestly， I found most of it quite relatable。 This humour though was balanced with quite the unexpected heaviness and hints of a tragic backstory that were slowly revealed over the course of the book。 This really pulled at my heart strings and it made me only feel more connected to Artemisia， as it made all the reasons behind her behaviour make sense！ This was a similar story for our main side character， the revenant。 I was honestly not expecting to feel so attached to a ghost 😂 if you loved the bond the that Silas had with the characters in Sorcery of Thorns， I think you will also adore the bond between Artemisia and the revenant。 The other friendships in this book were also amazing， and I loved how there were great themes of mental health sprinkled throughout。 In terms of the plot， I did feel it was a bit slow paced at times but this really allowed me to take my time and become well acquainted with the characters and the world。 The main mysteries were still very intriguing though， and I admit that I didn't expect that twist until very late！！ The ending then wrapped up really nice， yet there are still some burning questions that I can't wait to find the answers out to in the sequel！！ 。。。more
Jessica Peryman
，
Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Margaret Rogerson for providing me with an e-ARC of Vespertine via Netgalley。 I have been needing to read a few of Margaret Rogerson's books for a while now， and what a way to be introduced into her writing style。 I didn't know I needed this book。 I loved how the story began， we did just jump right in， didn't we 🤣 I loved Artemesia and the Revenant's character， the banter between the two gave me Venom vibes。 I love the banter that can make me laugh sometimes。 Th Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Margaret Rogerson for providing me with an e-ARC of Vespertine via Netgalley。 I have been needing to read a few of Margaret Rogerson's books for a while now， and what a way to be introduced into her writing style。 I didn't know I needed this book。 I loved how the story began， we did just jump right in， didn't we 🤣 I loved Artemesia and the Revenant's character， the banter between the two gave me Venom vibes。 I love the banter that can make me laugh sometimes。 The story itself was action-packed and the moments between it were filled with amazing world-building， character development， and a great place for the story in my opinion。 I would have liked some romance sprinkled in， maybe that's something for the future books， if there was something hinted， I completely missed it 🤣 I do understand why there is none in the book because of Artemesia's character inner turmoil， but if something is to come in that department， I would have liked a bit more of a hint。 Overall I'm super excited to see where the story goes for any future books。 。。。more
Neda
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Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this book early in exchange for a review。Vespertine follows Artemisia， a nun training with the gray sisters to battle spirits and purify the bodies of the deceased so they cannot later rise as spirits。 Artemisia carries her own past traumas and due to this she never quite fits in and has trouble connecting with people。 This all changes when her village is attacked and Artemisia is forced to form a bond and share her body wit Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this book early in exchange for a review。Vespertine follows Artemisia， a nun training with the gray sisters to battle spirits and purify the bodies of the deceased so they cannot later rise as spirits。 Artemisia carries her own past traumas and due to this she never quite fits in and has trouble connecting with people。 This all changes when her village is attacked and Artemisia is forced to form a bond and share her body with the Revenant。 I've seen this book described as medieval Venom and I cannot think of a more perfect description because that's exactly what you're getting。 Medieval Venom meets Joan of Arc。 The best thing about this book is undoubtedly the banter。 The banter between Artemisia and the Revenant had me cackling out loud and the growing bond between them kept my interest piqued。 There really isn't much romance in this book， which was a bummer for me because I enjoy a good fantasy romance， but honestly the bond between Artemisia and the Revenant was so entertaining that the story didn't really feel like it was missing much。I appreciated that Artemisia's past trauma wasn't brushed aside and it manifested in the way she carried herself in the world and how she interacted with people。 There are moments when she discusses how talking to a group of people is much scarier than rushing into battle， and honestly I can relate。 Artemisia is a strong character and watching her growth and her slowly forming bond with the Revenant was so much fun。 This book is perfect for the fall season， lots of fog and graveyards and churches。 Very atmospheric。 Overall I really enjoyed it and I am thrilled to know that it will be getting a sequel。 。。。more
Ana
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[This post will be posted on my blog on 5 October 2021]Vespertine had a lot of buzzwords for me， a few of those being nuns， spirits， religion， and revenants。 But this story was more than just a few cool ideas – it has a a fast-paced plot， incredible worldbuilding， and a protagonist you can really get behind。The story was completely addictive， and I read this in a day。 Not only is it fast-paced and action packed， there are plenty of mysteries to mull over。 There is a particularly huge twist near [This post will be posted on my blog on 5 October 2021]Vespertine had a lot of buzzwords for me， a few of those being nuns， spirits， religion， and revenants。 But this story was more than just a few cool ideas – it has a a fast-paced plot， incredible worldbuilding， and a protagonist you can really get behind。The story was completely addictive， and I read this in a day。 Not only is it fast-paced and action packed， there are plenty of mysteries to mull over。 There is a particularly huge twist near the end that I did not see coming。 And I always love being surprised。Artemisia is a novice Grey Sister， a nun who prepares the bodies of the dead to prevent them rising again and becoming malevolent spirits。 When the convent is attacked by soldiers， Artemisia becomes bound to a powerful spirit called a revenant in order to defend her fellow sisters。 But the revenant is as dangerous as it is powerful， and the Church wants to separate them。 To prevent that， Artemisia and her revenant flee across the countryside， saving people along the way。 Artemisia’s story is the making of a legend， or in this case， a Saint。 Artemisia is just doing what needs to be done， and is guided by her system of values and ethics， so the acclaim and devotion are very uncomfortable for her。 She is the quintessential reluctant hero。There are a few mysteries that were partially explained in this book， but it felt like there were holes。 And I can’t work out if they are meant to be there and are set ups for the next book， or if it’s just something that hasn’t been fixed in the editing process yet。 One has to do with the nature of the revenants， and the other has to do with the high saints。 I think it’s bothering me because I feel like I have the information already， but don’t quite know what it means， and how to put it together in my mind。 Possibly it’s because I’m sleep deprived。 I look forward to re-reading when my FairyLoot edition arrives to see if I can make sense of it then。 （Apologies for the ramble！）One of my favourite parts of Vespertine was the writing and worldbuilding。 Rogerson is an absolute master at creating atmosphere and vivid， detailed worlds for her characters to inhabit。 Vespertine seems to be set in an alternate fantasy world analogous to 15th/16th century France。 So there are lots of French sounding place names， and I felt like the overall vibe was very medieval France。Vespetine had such strong aesthetics， and the writing really managed to convey the world in glorious detail。 I had such vivid pictures in my mind of everything， from the architecture and landscape， to the characters and spirits， especially the revenants。 I tried to draw them because I could see them so clearly in my mind。 My drawings were absolute rubbish， so I can’t wait to see all the fan art other， more talented， people create。I also enjoyed the magic system， and how it was intertwined with religion。 Girls and boys with “the sight”- ability to see spirits – are taken to monasteries and convents as children to trained to become monks and nuns， and all manner of other religious posts in the hierarchy of the church。 Many males with the sight become soldiers， while women often hold positions of significant power， including that of the Archdivine， the highest position in the church， and one that can only be held by women。The writing was not， perhaps， as smooth as it could be。 That being said， the author made a statement about how she wasn’t entirely happy with the book as it was when the ARCs were sent out， as it was still being edited。 So I’m giving it a pass， because I could see how it will shine once it’s polished。On to the characters！ I feel Rogerson really excels at creating a very small cast of well-developed， three dimensional characters。 This can be a positive or a negative， depending on your preference。 I always find it easy to identify with her protagonists （in this case Artemisia） and I really like one or two side characters。 The rest feel very much at a remove from me。 I think this is because Rogerson really delves into the psyche of the main character， perhaps to the detriment of other characters。 It makes for a book that is somehow intensely character driven， but not at the expense of the plot， because the focus is only on a very limited number of characters。 I find that I actually don’t mind this particular method of storytelling， but I suspect not everyone will agree with me。I also enjoyed how most characters are neither wholly good， nor wholly evil。 Even the antagonists had depth。 They are not cookie cutter bad guys， and that’s what makes them so interesting as characters。Artemisia， our main character， is introverted， and kind of socially awkward。 She had a traumatic childhood， and suffered burns to her hands that cause ongoing pain。 She’s always had difficulties connecting with the other novices in the convent， so she tried to mostly avoid them。 She’s also stubborn， self sufficient， and has strong ethics and morals。 Artemisia is not necessarily the most likeable protagonist I’ve come across， and other reviewers have said they felt like the couldn’t connect with her， but I disagree。 She doesn’t trust easily， and her self-loathing and fragility make her very human。The Revenant is a really fascinating character。 He’s immensely powerful， extremely knowledgeable， kind of manipulative， and very mysterious。 He’s also incredibly sarcastic， and his banter with Artemisia is one of the highlights of the book for me。Margeurite is an escaped novice nun that trained at the same convent as Artemisia。 They always had a distant， strained relationship， but they develop a tentative friendship throughout the book。 I’m hoping for a bit more development of her arc in future books because she is a great character。 Although she’s not immediately likeable， the reasons she is the way she is become clear as Artemisia spends more time with her。Confessor Leander is the main antagonist in Vespertine。 He’s serious， determined， laser focused， and emotionally intense。 He is kind of a terrifying enemy to have because he just never gives up。 The man is relentless， and completely sure that his beliefs and actions are right。In terms of themes， one of the big ones is the role of religion and beliefs to individuals and society。 Vespertine has strong Christian coded religious beliefs and practices。 I liked the exploration of how beliefs develop， how they can subsume older practices， and how they can be politicised toward certain goals。 There is no binary here though， only shades of grey。 Beliefs are not right or wrong， and are often infinitely more complex and complicated。 It’s important to be willing to change when you are presented with new information。 This warns against beliefs being static and unchanging。 Just because something seems to always have been a certain way， at least from your perspective， it doesn’t make it objectively true， and we must always grow and change。I really enjoyed this book， but I have to say it felt very similar to Sorcery of Thorns in many ways， which I won’t enumerate here。 I don’t want potential readers to decide not to give it a go because I made a list comparing the two books。 The point is that I think the reception will be divided into one of two camps: 1） those who think it’s too similar and are disappointed or 2） those who like authors riffing on similar themes/tropes and really love this particular tune。 Obviously， I love these four chords （yes， my Aussie pop culture reference shows my age。 If you haven’t come across it， click here for the video that will explain everything young Jedi。）I think if you enjoyed Sorcery of Thorns or The Bone Witch， you may also enjoy Vespertine。 。。。more
Hannah J
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Such a cool idea， a cool book， cool characters， cool covers。 Can you tell I think it's cool？ anyway， definitely a very fun read。 for lovers of the genre and not， I would say， try this one！ Such a cool idea， a cool book， cool characters， cool covers。 Can you tell I think it's cool？ anyway， definitely a very fun read。 for lovers of the genre and not， I would say， try this one！ 。。。more
Lawsonia Manhas
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I really enjoyed this book！ I think that for how much internal lore there is that it needed to be a lot longer to come into its full power （we needed to see a lot more of the spirits in a lot of different ways， and for that to have felt natural the book would have needed to perhaps double in length）， but despite said shortcoming it was an enjoyable read。 I think that if you enjoyed a Sorcery of Thorns especially that you will enjoy this book， although it is not quite to that book's level。 I really enjoyed this book！ I think that for how much internal lore there is that it needed to be a lot longer to come into its full power （we needed to see a lot more of the spirits in a lot of different ways， and for that to have felt natural the book would have needed to perhaps double in length）， but despite said shortcoming it was an enjoyable read。 I think that if you enjoyed a Sorcery of Thorns especially that you will enjoy this book， although it is not quite to that book's level。 。。。more
✨Ainsley the Shadowhunter lover✨Herondale
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MARGARET I LOVE YOU MORE AND MORE。 DEMONS AND NUNS…LITERALLY A GODDESS
Sophie "Beware Of The Reader"
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5 « she did it again » starsFirst I want to say a huge thank you to Simon and Shuster for my eGalley or Vespertine！ Margaret Rogerson is one of my favorite authors and I wanted to read Vespertine so bad！ So yes， thank you！In her author’s note Margaret Rogerson explained that she struggled to write this book as the world pandemic has affected her mood very hard yet she has delivered a superb story。It’s true the mood is somber than in Sorcery of Thorns and the banter is darker。 But it suits her 5 « she did it again » starsFirst I want to say a huge thank you to Simon and Shuster for my eGalley or Vespertine！ Margaret Rogerson is one of my favorite authors and I wanted to read Vespertine so bad！ So yes， thank you！In her author’s note Margaret Rogerson explained that she struggled to write this book as the world pandemic has affected her mood very hard yet she has delivered a superb story。It’s true the mood is somber than in Sorcery of Thorns and the banter is darker。 But it suits her characters and story perfectly！I fell into that story from the very first sentence and stayed glued to my Kindle until the very end！The opening scene happens in a convent’s cemetery where Artemisia finds a censer abandoned at the base of a tombstone。 Soon enough， a white raven named Trouble warns her that the young novice who carried the censer is in grave danger。Artemisia won’t hesitate for one second to rush to her aid and battle a highly ranked spirit。That’s Artemisia for you: always dedicated to help others， disregarding her own health and safety as unimportant compared to others。From that first gripping scene we dive head first in a brand-new universe akin to some medieval times。 A world where spirits target the sighted to possess their soul and make them their puppets。A world where the Grey Sisters， Artemisia’s order prepare the dead’s bodies to avoid the birth of dangerous spirits。 These sisters are also trained to fight spirits with relics and misericords， these thin blades they wield。Cathedrals， relics， horses， knights， revenants， nuns， monks…this painted a rich tapestry transporting me in a fantasy medieval universe。Artemisia has been saved as a child by the Grey Sisters while she was possessed by a spirit。 The first year of Artemisia’s life were …horrid。 I won’t give details but I cried on her childhood more than once。Artemisia was a seventeen years old awkward teenager who feels better amidst goats and horses than humans！ And yet she’ll always fight for them， bewildered as the story unfold when some people helped her and treated her with kindness。 Her appearance had others fear her and she is used to loneliness。 And yet， a secret part of her will yearn for some warmth and companionship。When a great danger and unexpected twist of events will force her to use a relic to defend her convent， a very powerful spirit will enter her body and she will be forced to flee confessor Leander。 But if she is running away from him， she will also embark on a journey to save her world。The battle scenes when Artemisia was ruled by the revenant were elating！ Like these painting of saints surrounded by bright light fighting evil。The revenant will be a reluctant ally and the banter between the grumpy， sarcastic spirit and candid， socially clueless Artemisia was a delight！The revenant， for all his power and threat he posed reminded me of a gruff man， outwardly harsh and cruel but a softie inside。This was one of the big lessons in this story。 How people’s cruelty is often born of loneliness and fear of being rejected。 But once you show them you won’t leave them and that you want to be their friends， it’s like the sun peeking behind the clouds。This gave us unexpected and heartwarming friendships。 Artemisia no longer alone， weird as it might be， and the revenant being accepted and cared for in some strange bonding。Battles， revenants， possession， secrets， unexpected friendships and devouring ambition， you have everything in Vespertine to make it one of my top five books of 2021 once again。Margaret Rogerson has proven once more that she does know how to write an enthralling and riveting story！Thanks for reading！Sophie 。。。more
Tatiana { She Who Reads Ya Books }
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The dead don’t stay dead， not here。 Not ever。 Artemisia is a grey sister， who plans to live her life peacefully without any disturbance。 She avoids interaction with everyone， especially with all the looks and whispers there are about her。 Then， one day， Artemisia and her convent are attacked by spirits， she decides to use an ancient saints relic， and before she knows it， is running for her life。 Along the way， she somehow becomes a saint， and soon realizes that the stories of saints perhaps was The dead don’t stay dead， not here。 Not ever。 Artemisia is a grey sister， who plans to live her life peacefully without any disturbance。 She avoids interaction with everyone， especially with all the looks and whispers there are about her。 Then， one day， Artemisia and her convent are attacked by spirits， she decides to use an ancient saints relic， and before she knows it， is running for her life。 Along the way， she somehow becomes a saint， and soon realizes that the stories of saints perhaps was wrong… and perhaps all that she’s been told about the past isn’t the truth。 Another one of my binged reads， yay！ I love Margaret Rogerson’s writing， she always knows how to write a fantasy story with amazing world building in one single book。 She’s done it again。 I loved the book， especially since I read it during spooky season。 Artemisia， was an incredibly complex and interesting character。 I love that she was introverted， and experienced social anxiety’s。 Social anxiety is a real thing， and I find a lot of main characters don’t have social anxiety， especially in fantasy books。 I also loved her character development， the way it was written it seemed she was actually changing and growing。 The revenant was amazing。 It was a character that didn’t truly have a body， nothing but a mind， and it was amazing。 I felt as if it was a real person， and it was always interesting seeing immortal beings trying to sort through their human like feelings， especially since most immortal beings don’t feel as humans do。 Also him and Artemisia’s conversations？ Golden。 The spin on spirits was amazing。 The concept of the fact that the spirits are actually something to be scared of was smart。 Not just coming back to visit you and say hello， but they could possess you and have abilities beyond humans。 I also loved all the betrayal （who doesn’t）。 Now be careful， I hear it’s spooky season。 。。。more
Anja Voss
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3。5
Paige Green
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Disclaimer: I received the e-arc and finished book from the publisher。 Thanks！ All opinions are my own。Book: VespertineAuthor: Margaret RogersonBook Series: Vespertine Book 1Rating: 3/5Recommended For。。。: young adult readers， fantasy， religion basedGenre: YA FantasyPublication Date: October 5， 2021Publisher: Mcelderry BooksPages: 387Recommended Age: 15+ （Scars， Religion， Death， Plague， Possession， Gore， Violence， Animal Gore， Animal Death）Explanation of CWs: Synopsis: The dead of Loraille do not Disclaimer: I received the e-arc and finished book from the publisher。 Thanks！ All opinions are my own。Book: VespertineAuthor: Margaret RogersonBook Series: Vespertine Book 1Rating: 3/5Recommended For。。。: young adult readers， fantasy， religion basedGenre: YA FantasyPublication Date: October 5， 2021Publisher: Mcelderry BooksPages: 387Recommended Age: 15+ （Scars， Religion， Death， Plague， Possession， Gore， Violence， Animal Gore， Animal Death）Explanation of CWs: Synopsis: The dead of Loraille do not rest。Artemisia is training to be a Gray Sister， a nun who cleanses the bodies of the deceased so that their souls can pass on; otherwise， they will rise as spirits with a ravenous hunger for the living。 She would rather deal with the dead than the living， who trade whispers about her scarred hands and troubled past。When her convent is attacked by possessed soldiers， Artemisia defends it by awakening an ancient spirit bound to a saint’s relic。 It is a revenant， a malevolent being that threatens to possess her the moment she drops her guard。 Wielding its extraordinary power almost consumes her—but death has come to Loraille， and only a vespertine， a priestess trained to wield a high relic， has any chance of stopping it。 With all knowledge of vespertines lost to time， Artemisia turns to the last remaining expert for help: the revenant itself。As she unravels a sinister mystery of saints， secrets， and dark magic， her bond with the revenant grows。 And when a hidden evil begins to surface， she discovers that facing this enemy might require her to betray everything she has been taught to believe—if the revenant doesn’t betray her first。Review: The book was okay for the most part。 I thought the character development was fairly well done and the plot was intriguing。 The book had good writing for the most part and I loved the back and forth between the relic and Artemisia。However， there were a lot of things I didn't like about the book。 The world building was lacking in my opinion and I really wanted to know more about what the world looked like rather than just travel through it rapidly。 I thought the book was really hard to get into。 The book jumps into the story and doesn't do well at explaining the context or why certain things happen。 The magic isn't explained at all。 The book is fairly heavy handed on some religion and it's hard to know which one it's based on when there's little context clues。 Lastly， the book reminded me a lot of Emily Duncan's Wicked Saints books and I really hated being reminded of that book。 Overall， the book is bland。 I say it time and time again that books where most of the plot is only told via the book blurb is not a good book and time and time again I prove myself right。 When the author does more to explain the book on Goodreads via an update than the book does for 387 pages， that says， to me as a reader， that the book cannot hold its own。 Verdict: Not for me， but maybe for you 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Vespertine
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Vespertine&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Vespertine&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0