Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson

Vespertine (Vespertine, #1)

by Margaret Rogerson

From the New York Times bestselling author of Sorcery of Thorns and An Enchantment of Ravens comes a thrilling new YA fantasy about a teen girl with mythic abilities who must defend her world against restless spirits of the dead.

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.

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on

5 of 5 stars

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I fell in love with Margaret Rogerson's writing when I first read Sorcery of Thorns. Naturally, I dove at the chance to read Vespertine. This is the start of a new series of the same name and guys? I'm already counting down the days for the next release.

Artemisia has not had what one would call a happy life. Yet, she's found a semblance of peace among the Gray Sisters. She's in training to become one, where she will help cleanse the bodies of the dead and provide final rights to those that have passed on.

This is one of very few paths for those such as Artemisia. For she has the sight, and all with the sight are vulnerable to possession. Yet one event is about to change the course of Artemisia's life, as she steps up to defend her convent and those within.

"Sometimes, if you want to save other people, you need to remember to save yourself first."

So there were a lot of reasons why I was desperate to get my hands on Vespertine. First, that title and cover! Second, obviously at this point, I'm going to read anything written by Margaret Rogerson. It's just a fact. And finally? Rogerson herself described Vespertine as a "medieval Venom starring a nun and a ghost." Yes, please!

Vespertine was somehow everything and nothing like what I expected. It was even better. Artemisia's story is so compelling that it's easy to be curious about her and her past even right from the start.

Throw in ghosts and the risk of possession? And suddenly, this story just got a whole lot bigger. I love how Rogerson played around with classic storytelling elements and some ideas from the church. Concerns about good versus evil, possession, and saintliness. It made for an interesting mixture, to say the least.

While reading, it was easy to feel the Joan of Arc vibes. Obviously, there are a few significant twists in this narrative, but the fantasy elements made the whole story stronger if you ask me. And that's coming from somebody who hardly read novels with a strong religious backdrop.

I can tell you with complete honesty that I fell in love with Vespertine and every little detail within. Especially the character development – and no, I'm not just referring to the humans in this case. It was such a delightful surprise, yet one that was very much necessary for this plot.

Here's hoping we'll get news on the sequel soon because I am dying (no pun intended) to learn more. I want more lore, character development, and this world as a whole. In short, I want more of all of it.

Thanks to Margaret K. McElderry Books and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 22 November, 2021: Finished reading
  • 22 November, 2021: Reviewed