Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson Book Review

 This is a spoiler free review.

Vespertine

Written by Margaret Rogerson

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Release Date: October 5, 2021

Pages: 400
Source: Bought

Places to Get this Book: Amazon Barnes and Noble Book Depository

Recommended Age: 14 and up!

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.

(Summary from Goodreads)

Review:

Vespertine is the third book by Margaret Rogerson who earned a spot on my favorites list when I read An Enchantment of Ravens, her debut novel.

COVER

Every cover of Margaret Rogerson's so beautifully convey the lyrical writing and the very essence of the story and what it is about.

WORLD-BUILDING

The world and magic system took a little bit of time to learn and get used to but I loved all of it. Learning the different castes and how the hierarchy of spirits worked (including their powers) was so interesting and done in a way that never left me bored. Rogerson was able to describe both the politics of the world, as well as the magic system in the prose in a way that was understandable and not info-dumping. In all of her previous books, she absolutely excels at world-building and it is very clear in this one as well.

Then there are the characters.

ARTEMISIA

Artemisia is a young woman who lives with the Gray Sisters, nuns who are devoted to the goddess named the Gray Lady. She posesses the sight which is the ability to see numerous different kinds of undead spirits. Although Artemisia could have easily fell into so many YA cliches, since she is a bit of a grump and wants to be alone, she didn't. Artemisia is closed off and reserved but doesn't fall into the "not like other girls" trope. She doesn't think she's special because of her powers or her task at hand. Artemisia also closely resembles many actual medieval holy women/saints such as Joan of Arc, and she frequently denies being a saint as she's scared of how other people will view her.

THE REVENANT

The revenant who was possessing Artemisia, was one of my favorite parts of the book. The revenant was very sassy and the banter between it and Artemisia was very entertaining and enjoyable. The revenant also had a hidden side, much like Artemisia, and that was revealed over the course of the book.

FRIENDSHIP/FAMILY

The relationship between Artemisia and the revenant was the most important one shown over the course of the novel. Over the course of the book they develop a friendship and trust in one another and learn to respect each other's boundaries.

PLOT

Vespertine follows Artemisia who is a Grey Sister, who works alongside nuns at a convent. When she was a child she was forced to use extreme measures in order to purge a revenant who was possessing her causing her to have scarred hands and because of this past, she mostly keeps to herself. However, when an army of possessed soldiers intrude upon her home, she is forced to use a saint's relic that allows a very powerful revenant to share her body, and helps her to protect the monastery. However, she realizes that these soldiers aren't the only people possessed and the only hope for her world is her and the revenant in her own body. I loved how Margaret Rogerson incorporated research about medieval women saints and nuns and took matters of religion and Artemisia's own concerns and doubts very seriously. The plot was so unpredictable and unique and quite unlike anything I've read in the YA fantasy genre lately.

ROMANCE

There is no romance in this book.

WRITING

Margaret Rogerson's writing is always beautiful. Her prose is gorgeous but isn't confusing or pretentious and is understandable to YA audiences. It gives the writing and the book an overall Gothic feel to it which makes it more immersive and intriguing.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Vespertine was such a beautiful book full of complex characters, beautiful writing and an intriguing storyline. I highly recommend this one for so many reasons.

Quotes from the Book:

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

“They would martyr me themselves just to satisfy their hunger for a saint.”

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Crowns

DECEMBER '21 WRAP-UP

 

Time for another wrap up!

Hey everyone. Happy New Year! I hope you are all doing well. 

I actually read three new favorites this month which I am very happy about and read a total of eight books! 

Time to talk about the books I read this month.

PHYSICAL BOOKS

 

The first book I read was The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood. This is about Olive who is a third year Ph.D. candidate who doesn't believe in lasting romantic relationships but she convinces her best friend that she is dating and she panics and kisses the first man she sees who happens to be a the young hotshot professor that all the Ph.D. candidate students hate. This ended up being one of my favorite books of 2021. I loved the storyline and the characters and the romance was well developed. I rated it 5 Crowns. 

The second book I read was Glint by Raven Kennedy. This is the second book in the Plated Prisoner series which is a King Midas retelling about a woman named Auren who is King Midas'' favored because of her ability and when she is taken by a rival kingdom, she is forced to reconsider her life with Midas. I enjoyed this book a lot more than the first and I am excited to see where the story progresses. I rated it 5 Crowns. 

The third book I read was The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake. This is a very hard book to explain but it is a dark academia book that follows a group of students who are chosen to be a part of a sort of secret society that has a magical competition. This book has a lot of hype and I really enjoyed it! I rated it 5 Crowns.

The fourth book I read was A Holly Jolly Diwali by Sonya Lalli. This was a romance book about a woman named Niki who has always made practical decisions but when she loses her stable analysit job, she decides that being practical hasn't really paid off for her and so she books a last-minute flight for her friend's wedding in India. She arrives in India right in time for Diwali and meets London musician Sam who she is immediately drawn to. I thought this was fun but I didn't love it. I rated this one 3.5 Crowns. 

The fifth and sixth books I read were City of Fallen Angels and City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare. I liked these two a lot better than the first three as the plot felt a lot more developed and so did the characters. Everything felt a lot easier to understand as well. I rated both of them 4 Crowns. 

The seventh book I read was City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare. This is the last book in The Mortal Instruments series and I think it was a solid finish to the series. I preferred the last three books a lot more than the first three because I think they were better written and had a lot more character development and character driven plotlines which I liked. I rated it 4 stars. 

The eighth book I read was Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid. This is another book that made it onto my favorite books of 2021 list. Malibu Rising is about four famous siblings who throw a huge party to celebrate the end of the summer but over the course of 24 hours, their lives change forever. I did not expect to love this book as much as I did but it ended up being a new favorite of mine. I rated it 5 Crowns. 

AUDIOBOOKS READ

NONE

ARC'S READ

NONE

REVIEWS IN JUNE: 

NONE

WEEKLY WRAP-UP:

NONE

DISCUSSIONS/OTHER:

Winter 2022 Anticipated Releases

FAVORITE COVER OF THE MONTH:

NEW FICTIONAL BAE'S: 

Rip from Glint by Raven Kennedy 

Nico from The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake

NEW FAVORITE FEMALES: 

Olive from The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

Auren from Glint by Raven Kennedy

Libby from The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake

Nina from Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid 

NEW FAVORITE BOOK RELATIONSHIPS: 

Adam and Olive from The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

Auren and Rip from Glint by Raven Kennedy

TV SHOWS I WATCHED THIS MONTH:

MOVIES I WATCHED THIS MONTH:

WHAT BOOKS I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH:

There's so many more but these are the main ones! 

NEW BLOG FINDS

NONE

SONGS ON REPEAT

Back to December - Taylor Swift 

Fake Friends - Sadie 

Christmas Tree Farm - Taylor Swift 

All Too Well (Taylor's Version) - Taylor Swift 

Remember Me - Dove Cameron ft BIA 

Nightmare - CLOVES 

'tis the damn season - Taylor Swift 

 BOOKS I WANT TO READ NEXT MONTH

 

The graphics at the top belong to me. The background pictures for them, however do not.

WINTER 2022 ANTICIPATED RELEASES

2022 is already shaping up to be a good year for new releases. In this list, I have my Winter 2022 anticipated books (which includes the months of January and February).

JANUARY

 

 

 

1. The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Tiffany Brookes ~ January 1, 2022

The Girl Who Knew Too Much is about twenty teenagers who are dropped on a deserted island to compete for a cash prize but there is also a vast treasure hidden on the island that everyone else is also looking for and they will stop at nothing to find it. It's a mystery thriller and it sounds so good that I've already preordered it and am excited to read it. 

2. Love at First Spite by Anna E Collins ~ January 4, 2022

I recently got into contemporary adult romance and this one is supposed to be about an interior designer who teams up with an architect at her firm to get revenge on her ex by building a spite house next door to him. It's also supposed to be sort of grumpy x sunshine which is one of my favorite tropes. 

3. Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins ~ January 4, 2022

The Royals duology by Rachel Hawkins is one of my favorite YA Contemporary series so I am excited to try one of Rachel Hawkins' adult thrillers. This is about a group of mostly entitled 20 somethings who are all on trips on a remote island. It begins as a fun journey but eventually leads to murder. 

4. Echoes and Empires by Morgan Rhodes ~ January 4, 2022

This is by the same author who wrote the Falling Kingdoms series which I loved and is about a a world where magic is forbidden and a girl who has to team up with a criminal in order to cure herself of forbidden magic. 

5. Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan~ January 11, 2022

This is a retelling of the legend of Chang'e who is the Chinese moon goddess and honestly it was the cover that sold me on this book because it is so pretty. 

6. The Bone Spindle by Leslie Vedder ~ January 11, 2022

This is pitched as a genderbent Sleeping Beauty meets Indiana Jones and is also compared to Sorcery of Thorns which is a favorite of mine and the book just seems like so much fun. 

7. How to Love Your Neighbor by Sophie Sullivan ~ January 18, 2022

This is another contemporary romance book and it's an enemies to lovers book about a woman who is trying to fix up a beach house. However, when a real estate developer moves in next door who wants to buy the house that she wants to fix up, the two end up in an all-out feud.

8. Lucky Leap Day by Ann Marie Walker ~ January 18, 2022

The main reason this book originally intrigued me is that it reminded me of the rom-com movie Leap Year.  This book is about a woman who wakes up to find out she proposed to a man on Leap Day in Ireland and now has a husband. I am so excited for this one! 

9. The Red Palace by June Hur ~ January 25, 2022

This is a historical fantasy thriller book set in Korea, about a girl who has a position as a palace nurse but when four women are murdered one night, her teacher is the prime suspect and she is determined to clear him and launch her own secret investigation.

FEBUARY 

1. Castles in Their Bones by Laura Sebastian ~ February 1, 2022

This is by the same author who wrote the Ash Princess series and though I've never read that series, this book reminds me of the Three Dark Crowns series and the cover is beautiful. It's abut three sisters who were trained from birth to takeover kingdoms. 

2. This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi ~ February 1, 2022

The Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi is one of my favorite series and this is supposed to be the first book in a series inspired by Persian mythology.

3. These Deadly Games by Diana Urban ~ February 1, 2022

I read All Your Twisted Secrets by Diana Urban and though I didn't love it, this book is another young adult thriller that seems to have even bigger stakes and it has a game trope which I am always down for. 

4. Horror Hotel by Victoria Fulton ~ February 1, 2022

This book is a YA horror book about teen ghost hunters who spend the night in a haunted LA hotel who expect it to be spooky and attract subscribers to their video but harmless overall. However, they stumble upon something unexpected in the former room of a serial killer and realize that they're in way over their heads. It sounds really fast paced and I love a good YA horror story.

5. Bright Ruined Things by Samantha Cohoe ~ February 15, 2022

This is a retelling of The Tempest by Shakespeare and I don't think I've ever read a retelling of this story. It's definitely looks like it's set in the 1920s from the cover and I'm really excited to read it. 

5. Only a Monster by Vanessa Len ~ February 22, 2022

This is about a girl who is half monster and wants to be a hero, with rival families and a paranormal world hidden within London. It's compared to This Savage Song which I loved and it gives me The Infernal Devices vibes as well which I also loved. 

6. Extasia by Claire Legrand ~ February 22, 2022

Claire Legrand has written some of my favorite books and I am excited to read another one from her. This is a YA horror novel about a girl who has joined a coven in order to root out a vicious evil that's stalking her village. 

7. League of Liars by Astrid Scholte ~ February 22, 2022

This is a fantasy thriller that is about four teens who were charged with murder and the illegal use of magic who have to work together to devise the ultimate jailbreak. This is compared to Six of Crows and that has sold me.

8. Daughters of a Dead Empire by Carolyn Tara O'Neil ~ February 22, 2022

This is pitched as Anastasia and Romanov related and anytime a book is pitched to be that, I immediately have to read it. It is an alternate history set during the Russian Revolution about Anna, a bourgeois girl who escaped the massacre of her entire family. 

JUNE '21 WRAP-UP

   

Time for another wrap up!

Hey everyone. I honestly can't believe June is over as it went by so fast. I did take a summer class in June and it had a lot of work so I didn't have as much time to read or blog but I'm hoping things will be better soon. I hope you all are doing well. 

I read a lot of new favorites this month and I am excited to share them with you. I read a total of seven books this month.

Time to talk about the books I read this month.

PHYSICAL BOOKS

 

The first book I read was Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare. This is the last book in The Infernal Devices series and I just have to say that this series completely lived up to the hype. While the book made me cry multiple times, especially in the epilogue, I think it was a perfect end to the trilogy. I rated this one 5 Crowns. 

The second book I read was She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen. This is about a basketball player named Scottie who gets into a fender-bender with her nemesis, Irene, after she loses a basketball game. Things get worse when their moms get involved and they are forced to carpool together until Irene's car gets fixed. And then when an opportunity presents itself for Scottie to get back at her toxic ex, she bribes Irene into going with her plan. I adored the characters and their voices. This was such a quick-paced read and it was so much fun. I rated it 4 Crowns. 

The third book I read was Written in the Stars by Alexandra Bellefleur. This is about Darcy who wants her well-meaning brother to stop playing matchmaker, especially after a disastrous blind date, so when he asks how the date went, she lies and says that it was a success. Elle is an astrologer behind a popular Twitter account and business, Oh My Stars, and dreams of finding her soulmate. She knows it is "most assuredly not Darcy" who is way too skeptical and punctual for someone like Elle. But when Darcy's brother, who also happens to be Elle's business partner, expresses how happy he is that the two hit it off, she is so confused. Darcy begs Elle to play along so she agrees to pretend they're dating for awhile. It took me a bit to get into this book but once I did, I loved it. I rated it 5 Crowns. 

 

The fourth book I read was Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales. This book is about Darcy who gives anonymous love advice to her classmates by accepting requests through an empty locker at her school. One day, she is caught collecting letters from the locker by Brougham, who, she does not get along with. He threatens to expose her as the person who's running the anonymous relationship advice service unless she helps him get his ex-girlfriend back. So, she agrees to become his personal dating coach at a generous hourly rate. What could go wrong? This book made me laugh and made me cry and was overall such a good time. I loved the representation in this book and this has become a new favorite book of mine. I rated it 5 Crowns. 

The fifth book I read was Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston. This is a middle grade book about Amari Peters, whose brother has recently gone missing and no one seems to be looking for him. Then, she discovers a briefcase in her brother's closet which is meant for her eyes only. She learns that there was a lot more to her brother than she'd ever known. He's left her a nomination for a summer 'camp' at the secret Bureau of Supernatural Affairs and she figures that the only way she'll find out what happened to him lies somewhere inside. Once there, besides coming to terms with the existence of creatures such as mermaids, magicians and dwarves, Amari must compete against some of the nation's wealthiest kids who've known about the supernatural world their whole lives. But then Amari is given an illegal ability which makes her stand out even more and with an evil magician threatening the supernatural world, her classmates start thinking she's an enemy when all she really wants is to figure out what happened to her brother. This was such a cute book that was very fast-paced with a ton of plot-twists, and I understand why it is so popular. Amari was such an interesting main character and I loved seeing her grow over the course of the book. I rated this 4 Crowns. 

The sixth book I read was King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo. This is the companion series to the Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows series. King of Scars is set years after the events of the Shadow and Bone and follows Nikolai. I can't say much about this because it would spoil the previous series' but I loved seeing these beloved characters again and going through their grief as well as their triumphs and happiness. I rated this 5 Crowns. 

The seventh book I read was Some Girls Do by Jennifer Dugan. This was about Morgan who is an elite track athlete, forced to transfer high schools late in her senior year when her private Catholic school finds out she's queer and decides that goes against their code of conduct. At her new school she meets Ruby who loves to fix cars and competes in local beauty pageants because of her overbearing mother. The two, despite initially clashing, are drawn to each other and can't deny their growing feelings. Jennifer Dugan wrote Hot Dog Girl which I read last year and loved and this was also such a good book. It took me a little while to like the two main characters, but I still really enjoyed it. I rated this one 4 Crowns. 

AUDIOBOOKS READ

NONE

ARC'S READ

NONE

REVIEWS IN JUNE: 

NONE

WEEKLY WRAP-UP:

NONE

DISCUSSIONS/OTHER:

NONE

FAVORITE COVER OF THE MONTH:

NEW FICTIONAL BAE'S: 

Jem from Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Will from Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Nikolai from King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo 

Brougham from Perfect on Paper by Sophia Gonzales 

NEW FAVORITE FEMALES: 

Tessa from Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Zoya from King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo 

NEW FAVORITE BOOK RELATIONSHIPS: 

Jem and Tessa from Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare 

Darcy and Elle from Written in the Stars by Alexandra Bellefleur 

Darcy and Brougham from Perfect on Paper by Sophia Gonzales 

Zoya and Nikolai from King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo 

TV SHOWS I WATCHED THIS MONTH:

MOVIES I WATCHED THIS MONTH:

NONE

WHAT BOOKS I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH:

There's so many more but these are the main ones! 

NEW BLOG FINDS

NONE

SONGS ON REPEAT

Brutal - Olivia Rodrigo 

Dead in the Water - SPELLES

All The Things She Said - Poppy 

I Wanna Be Your Slave - Maneskin 

Last Dance - Victoria 

Beggin - Maneskin 

Zitti E Buoni - Maneskin 

El Diablo - Elena Tsagrinou 

Teeth Live from the Vault - Five Seconds of Summer

The Darkest Places - Le Bon 

Dark Side - Blind Channel 

 BOOKS I WANT TO READ NEXT MONTH

The graphics at the top belong to me. The background pictures for them, however do not.