Let me say I am slow to the Margaret Rogerson bus and I’m am upset this is the first novel I’ve read from her. This book is FANTASTIC.

First, big thank you to NetGalley and Simon&Schuster for providing my a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Secondly, Vespertine goes on sale October 5th, 2021. I’ll be honest, I’ve already preordered a hard copy of this one cuz it’s going on my shelf.

Vespertine does seem to be book one in a new series. No other books are listed quite yet but I”m ready for a whole series set in this world.

Also, let me take a moment to rave about this book for one simple reason. CLOSURE. Margaret Rogerson gets all of my respect for writing a ‘book one’ novel that has it’s own arc and closure. While not resorting to a cliff hanger or abrupt cut off. That simple (maybe not so simple) aspect, has escalated her to ‘must read’ and ‘immediate buy’ author.

I always do my best to do ‘spoiler free’ reviews but as always, go forward at your own discretion! :)

The Review

Vespertine starts off with a bang straight into the action and after that point the pacing keeps us going, while the action never stops. Spirits, Death, and a world structured around handling those in the afterlife. I was sucked in right away and dragged on this fast paced roller coaster. For all the fast paced, the development of the plot and characters is gradual and well rounded.

Speaking of characters, the main character started a tad rocky but grabbed my heart in the first few chapters. Artemisia is a vulnerable and strong heroine. One that has had a rough life but has a plan. However, that plan all goes to crap when life has other motives. Margaret Rogerson did a wonderful job creating a character that ‘does what needs to be done’ even if it’s not intuitive and even if it’s not the first or second option.
Additionally, the supporting characters (as we know my favorites) are well done and have a fully flushed out arc of their own. As expected, I have some bias towards certain characters. (#TeamDolores cuz they are all the bad@$$ I needed) OH! Also, yes these characters have some sass and especially sarcasm. Had to add that part in as I know I love that in my dialogue and characters haha.

THAT BEING SAID, this is a book one. I read it, loved it, and needed more. HOWEVER, it does not end on a cliff hanger and that makes all the difference. Re-reading is definitely something that will be easy to do, with our without a book two available.

WARNING: This does have some content warnings and I’ll list them below:
Self-harm, anxiety, eating disorder (mild), child neglect/abuse, trauma/PTSD.
(Note: abuse is not sexual in nature)

Overall, the writing of this novel is phenomenal. If you enjoy dark fantasy, supernatural, or adventure books - this is for you. The pace is perfect and the story is solid. I’m not sure I can ask for anything else more perfect.

Overall Rating: 4.5 Stars
Plot: 4 stars
Character Development: 4.5 stars
Dialogue: 4.5 stars
Writing: 5 stars

Happy Reading!!
~Ash

I loved Sorcery of Thorns and I couldn’t wait to read this one. It reminded me of the Bartimaeus Trilogy that I loved as a teenager. The only difference was the main character here is female not male. I love sarcastic characters and Rathaniel was an excellent character. Although I get a bit tired of the whole trope of he’s different than the rest of his kind. I didn’t mind Artemisia, although I was curious what the name her parents gave her was. It did annoy me a bit that she played the victim so much and that was so blind to everyone else’s feelings, motives, and character, The story flowed well and I was satisfied with the ending. I did want more with Leander though. I was thoroughly interested throughout the whole book. I did like Sorcery of Thorns better, but this one was pretty good. I would give the book 4.5 stars, but for this rating I will round up to 5 since there are no half stars.

Vespertine has been at the top of my list when it comes to 2021 releases. I still can't explain how happy I am to have been given the chance to read and review this book. So, without further delays let's get to the review.

The world building, characters and descriptions were amazing. I loved that everything happened at the right time and that nothing was rushed. We got to move through the world as steady as possible
Artemisia is wonderful character. She's not perfect, but that makes her so much more real and genuine. Her relationship with revenant, is so interesting and I'm so excited to read sequel. to see where their relationship will go next.
To just sum this all up, it flows easily with intriguing characters and and beautiful writing.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is very engaging and well-written. The world and characters are super clear, and I was very much transported while reading this book. I love that the main character is rep for the aro/ace community, and in my interpretation I feel that Artemisia may also be autistic. Very good addition for Margaret Rogerson!

ARC received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Do you ever just set a book down instantly wishing you could reread it and knowing that this is going to be one of your all time favorite books? Because that is how I feel for Vespertine. This is a book that centers itself so well on connections between people. Friendship is what the book is whole centered on and I am so glad it was. While there is some romance hinted at first and foremost is friendship. Friendship between Artemisia and the rest of the world but really between Artemisia and the Revenant. I fully and whole heartedly enjoyed this book so much that I read it in a day. I could go on more about this book all day but I am going to end it here just to not add in any spoilers.

After not enjoying AN ENCHANTEMENT OF RAVENS much, I very much think Margaret Rogerson has something here with this one. Full of necromancy (of a sort) and an enjoyable romance. I have a feeling that this is not one to miss, and that there will be more in this world. I'm not ready to leave Loraille!

this book was absolutely beautiful. i love margaret rogerson’s writing and i was over the moon when she announced this book and i am so happy it lived up to my expectations

I can't really give this a proper review quite yet. This is my first book by Margaret Rogerson and I just could not get in to her writing style. Maybe another time but this didn't hold my interest.... I will try to pick this up again at a later time, I have heard great things about her books so maybe I just wasn't in the spot for this one...

*Spoiler free*

I always seem to be drawn to Margaret Rogerson books even though I don't tend to fall as deeply in love with them as other people though. So, of course I was interested in her next book. I hear it was about a world where the dead does not rest, and that was enough to basically get me on board. Trigger warnings: self-harm for magical purposes, blood

Oh, this book makes me want to scream a whole lot for a very long time. I loved it so much.

Like, the world is so freaking cool. It's not extremely vast, but everything about it runs deep. It's extremely intricate, with different ranks for spirits of differing strengths. Plus, there is a whole religion regarding these spirits and their relics and how they are used. It feels full, which isn't the best descriptor, I know, but it is true. It doesn't feel like there is any detail left behind.

And I absolutely loved Artemisia. I love her so, so much. She's thrust into the role of sainthood, but she couldn't want anything less. She would rather face down an army of angry spirits than have a conversation with somebody. She flings herself into everything, wanting to do everything she can to protect people. She also has so much trauma tucked away, and it's slowly unraveled through the book. In small places, she's able to find her footing. But she's also allowed to be herself. And sometimes that looks prickly, even if it's not meant to be, and sometimes that's needing the reminder to take care of herself, and sometimes it's allowing herself to feel whatever she is feeling. I simply adored her. I also think she's autistic, or at least autistic coded.

Also the side characters were simply brilliant. I did not expect to love them as much as I did. The friendships that form of tentative, because that is Artemisia's nature, but they are wonderful. Marguerite is bubbly and adorable, Chase is just such a solid presence, and Jean is so sweet, and I was so happy his trauma was acknowledged and dealt with. He was a full person, even though he had his own struggles. And then other characters, who I think would be spoilerly to mention, were just so, so well written. Even there names seemed to fit them extremely well. Just oh my gosh, they were so awesome.

AND THEN THERE'S THE MONSTER WHO MIGHT NOT BE SO MONSTEROUS. Dear gosh, this part of the book made me want to scream all the way through because holy heck, just oh my gosh, it is spectacular. The nicknames, the snark, the disdain that slowly becomes joking, the relationship that builds, all of it makes me want to scream about it very loudly.

And the plot, oh my gosh, it was incredible. The way it was built, and the way that it twisted. It was extremely well woven, and it took an extremely sharp turn towards the end. I don't quite want to call it a twist, because it feels more like a jerk in a different direction. But it fits so well! And the secrets that are hidden and revealed and it is just all very amazing and very well done.

This is the first book in a duology, but I also felt like it did a fantastic job on standing on it's own. There are still threads left to be pulled on, but the conclusion is still a firm conclusion. It's another brilliant aspect of this book, because it is so brilliant done. It wraps up one story, while hinting at the bigger story lurking overhead. I got a satisfying ending, while also very much wanting to know what comes next. Really, Rogerson is just a spectacular author all around.

All in all, I completely adored this book. It has a bloody edge, and there are spirits of the dead, and a crow, and a lot of snark, a main character I loved a whole lot. I loved this whole book so, so much.

Thank you to Edelweiss and Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was extremely excited for Vespertine as I enjoyed Margaret Rogerson’s two previous standalones quite a bit, and I’m pleased to report Vespertine was no different. I’ve heard it’s still undergoing edits so I gave it some slack in regards to the writing as well (because I think that’s what’s being edited, according to the author’s Tweets)

Vespertine follows Artemisia, a nun in training at a convent, that functions as a sort of religious funeral home. Gray Sisters (the nuns) are required to purify bodies so they don’t rise as evil spirits, and Artemisia is happy to fulfill that purpose.
But when the convent is attacked by possessed soldiers, Artemisia is forced to use a saint’s relic and bind herself to the powerful spirit that lives inside it, using its power to defend the convent. So Artemisia becomes a figure of legend, a Vespertine, a priestess trained (or not, in her case) to wield the relic and revenant inside it. But dark magic is afoot in her land, and as the only Vespertine in ages, Artemisia must defeat it, while making sure the revenant doesn’t overpower and possess her in the process.

I absolutely loved the entire vibe of this book. While I read this over the summer in sweltering South Carolina heat, a September release is such a good choice for this dark, gothic, spooky book. It will be an amazing autumn read. Think: cathedrals and tombs, choirs singing, Will-o-wisps in fields, funerary urns, incense smoke, flickering candles, spirits in the night, doomed saints, and the unbearable weight of divine purpose.

Another thing of note was I absolutely loved the relationship between Artemisia and the revenant. Their banter had me chuckling with delight. However I felt it very weird that while the revenant was functionally a crucial character, and a sentient person in its own right, the revenant was ONLY referred to as “it” the whole book. Personally I would’ve preferred they/them (especially a shift from it to they, as their rapport grew) and it just felt unnatural to me.

I want to make it clear, in case other fans hadn’t seen online, that Vespertine is not a romance book like Rogerson’s previous works. There’s no romance in this book. I repeat: there is no romance in this book. While I’m neutral about romance being included or not, it was surprising to me since her previous works were pretty romance-oriented. I didn’t feel as though the book lacked anything, and loved it, but I would absolutely hate for this book to come out and people rate it poorly since there’s no romance. Romance requirers, move along. Not the book for you. (But there might be romance in the sequel, I think?)

And I can’t say this book had very much representation towards LGBT+ or people of color, either. I think the biggest (only?) rep might be that the main character has a sort of disability, in the form of scarred/disfigured hands (from an injury in her childhood). Would definitely like to see more representation of all forms in Rogerson’s writing in the future.

EDIT IN REGARDS TO REP: Right after posting this review I saw on social media that our protagonist Artemisia is aroace spec. While I very much appreciate this, I’m aro-spec ace and even *I* didn’t pick up on anything overtly saying or even implying this aside from the fact there wasn’t a romance or that it just never came up, but there should also be more prevalent LGBT rep in the sequel with other central characters. Margaret knows that it is very subtle so that’s why it hadn’t really been pitched as OwnVoices or an LGBT book, which I suppose, fine, I guess? Apparently lines were cut that explicitly stated some of these things (in regards to side characters) Not exactly a good look as since they were cut, it seemed like there was NO lgbt rep in this entire book when it was supposed to be the opposite. Apparently none of the major characters are straight? This is more so on the editor/publisher side of things so I apologize for assuming otherwise. But I would HIGHLY HIGHLY implore the editors to PUT IT BACK. Reviews are going to come out asking where rep is (like mine, before I saw the Twitter post) and it’s going to be entirely the editor’s fault. This really doesn’t sit right with me at all. Margaret Rogerson AND LGBT+ readers deserve better.

Overall it was a quick read for me and entirely enjoyable. As a standalone lover, I was disheartened to hear that this wouldn’t be a standalone, but it was still really good. I think the story was fairly self-contained and it could be read as a standalone, but I’m also interested to see where Artemisia might go next.

After reading Sorcery of Thorns twice (and listening to the audiobook), there was no way I could turn down an ARC of Rogerson’s new book, Vespertine.

CHARACTERS:
Artemisia is a nun who would prefer to be with the dead, rather than the living. She was a challenging character to like, at least to begin with. That does not mean, I did *not* like her, but even a book from her perspective, she held the reader at a distance, as if her scars and unused social skills would rub off on someone. But, I did like her. And I did root for her. I longed for her to have a friend, a companion, someone to lean on.

15 SECOND “WHAT’S THIS ABOUT”:
A teenage nun saves her convent by taking control (reluctantly but purposefully) of a high relic, which no one can teach her how to use. She goes on the run (people don’t think she can possess this revenant and not BE possessed) and uncovers a deeper evil. She has to decide to go against everything she was trained in, to save a city and the people that now call her Vespertine—a priestess.

HOW TO SHELVE:
Fantasy, magic, young adult, gods and saints

ROMANCE/RELATIONSHIPS:
No romance—and it was was absolutely perfect this way. Definitely love, but not romantic.

FAVORITE PART:
If you’ve read Warbreak by Brandon Sanderson, you will remember Nighblood, an animate sword, who is snarky and angsty, and darkly hilarious. Revenant is similar to Nightblood. And I was HERE for it. Give me more!

OTHER STUFF:
This was an ARC, so there were some errors, and repetitions, but nothing that won’t be cleaned up. And it did not diminish from the story. I always say that I often get lost in world-building—trying to figure who is who, who/what holds power, what the structures are, etc. Btu that is this reader’s fault, not the author. By the time I was done, I had a fairly good grasp on characters and the world.

Margaret Rogerson's books never disappoint! In "Vespertine" Rogerson masterfully creates a fantasy world with clear rules, a fascinating history, and an enticing cast of characters. The worldbuilding felt detailed enough to draw the reader in, but not so complicated that it bogged down the overall plot. Artemisia is Rogerson's most compelling heroine yet: a young girl that means well but seems to remain an outsider no matter where she goes. I found myself relating to Artemisia many times throughout the book, and Rogerson manages to make her effortlessly memorable. Readers can also look forward to surprising plot twists, suspenseful action scenes, and accurate representations of mental illnesses such as ptsd and social anxiety.

I loved the colorful banter between Artemisia and the revenant. Rogerson avoided so many overdone tropes in their relationship, such as making it overtly romantic. Instead, the sarcastic, dark-humored revenant is a reminder that every being has the ability to possess empathy. I'm so thrilled that this book is part of a duology! I can't wait to see how the revenant and Artemisia's relationship progresses, as well as the fates of the other characters; especially Margueritte and Leander, two characters that I despised at first but then they started to grow on me. I can't wait to see the world of "Vespertine" flushed out and explored more in the next book!

Verspertine follows Artemisia, a nun in a world where nuns protect folks from vengeful or otherwise evil spirits. After an attack on her nunnery, she ends up willingly getting possessed by a very strong spirit, which comes in handy as she tries to stop those who attacked the nunnery from destroying her world.

In terms of worldbuilding, the book is a lot of fun! It was kind of His Fair Assasin meets The Bartimaeus Trilogy meets Shadow and Bone, and I like all of those trilogies. I enjoy a good demon possession situation, especially if the demon is snarky as he is here. The idea of saints and relics and nuns with agendas are also things that tick off boxes for me. And there wasn't romance, which I found refreshing.

Here comes the but! This book could've been a LOT shorter. The last half of the book really dragged for me, since we weren't learning more about our characters or their predicaments. I read the first half really quickly, and the back half took a week to get through. It wasn't that stuff wasn't happening, I just had an idea of where it was headed and it took forever to get there, and I lost interest. Hopefully the version that hits the shelf has better pacing; I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who wasn't a voracious reader.

On the whole, though, I liked it! 3.5 Goodreads stars.

This novel was so different from any YA I’ve read.

While there’s no romance, there’s so much suspense that keeps the book moving and so many questions left unanswered you’ll have to read more!

I've loved both of Rogerson's other books so I was extremely excited to hear about this one. The comparisons to "Venom" are pretty inescapable but that's not a bad thing. While I don't think I liked this one quite as much as the other two--it's darker, tonally and thematically, which is not usually my jam--it was still pretty good and I'd recommend it to readers who like their fantasy a little darker.

Rogerson's debut is one of my favorite fantasy books of all time. Her second was enjoyable as well, but unfortunately, all the things I love about Rogerson's stories were not present in Vespertine. The writing was choppy, the worldbuilding and prose lacked her usual vibrant, immersive vibes, and the plot itself felt like a rip off of a popular indie series that released a few years ago. Overall, I was sadly disappointed in this one.

Margaret Rogerson always writes unique books and I scream internally whenever a new one comes on the scene. You can expect a great cover as well. Compared to her other two books, this one is darker and I will list the triggers now.

Content Warning (From Author): Self-harm, anxiety, disordered eating (minor), child neglect/abuse (past), trauma/PTSD (traumatic experiences in past). None of the abuse or trauma is sexual in nature. Very brief suicide mention in the epilogue, concerning a character from the past who never appears in the book.

Artemisia is a strong young woman who has been through a lot when it comes to her past. She isn’t well liked because of it and it can cause discord between her and the others at the convent. I liked getting bits and pieces of her past from the beginning to the end and the growth she had while learning to trust others and realizing she doesn’t have to be alone. It’s easy for us to want to bottle up everything and in this way I could relate to her.

Besides Artemisia, the other character that has the most page time is the revenant. He is humorous, maybe evil, and can be quite brash. I wasn’t too sure about him in the beginning but by the end it’s hard not to care for him. He’s a complicated being but it’s hard not to like him!

So many of the other characters are complex in their own way even as minor characters. They each have their struggles and deal with it in different ways. The development for Marguerite was another favorite.

The convent that she lives at was a very unique setting and I liked learning about the Grey sisters. Their job is to take care of the dead and make sure their spirits don’t rise. Each corpse is taken care of differently based on the circumstances of their death. It was easy to understand all of the context that was given and it wasn’t bogged down by long explanations.

There were times that the plot felt a bit slow and not as gripping as her last book but I still liked it nonetheless. It is unique with a fun take on nuns/clergy and the spirits that they deal with. You can see parallels from our own world when it comes to religion or even refugees.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one! Since this isn’t a standalone but does wrap up, I am curious what the next book in this world will be about! Hopefully all of my favorite characters will be back. If you have enjoyed her other books or like darker YA fantasy then you should definitely add this one to your tbr.

It's Margaret Rogerson, READ IT. If you like her other works, I promise you'll love this!

If you haven't read anything by her, STILL READ IT. Her works are a good length, easy to consume, but they still make you feel so many feelings and manage to get very detailed with the world and relationship building.

Also, it's apparently part of a series but BLESS THE AUTHOR for not making this a terrible cliffhanger. It ends on a very satisfying note...to the point that I truly thought it was standalone until I saw the author's comment on Goodreads.

I really love this author so when I heard about this book I new I had to read it. It did not disappoint! It was full of twist and turns which I really enjoy. The main character was interesting and full of heart. Overall Amazing book!

I was given this ARC by the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Artimesia, a girl previously possessed as a girl, is training to be a nun who cleanses bodies of deceased so their souls can move on. If souls remain with their bodies, they become something destructive to the living. After her convent is attacked by possessed soldiers, Artimesia awakens a spirit of the highest order and must work with it in order to save the world.

This book surprised me with how much I liked it! There were definitely some slower parts, but it was so interesting and different from anything else in the YA category right now. I loved the Revanent character, and the main character, Artimesia, was so interesting, and again, not like other female leads out there in the genre right now. I loved the way the Revanent and Artimesia worked together, and their whole relationship. The magic in this book was so awesome. It definitely kept me interested and made me think and question things. I will definitely be purchasing this when it is released! 4/5 stars.