Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson Pages: 400
Published by Margaret K. McElderry Books on October 5, 2021
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.
Vespertine is a young adult supernatural standalone (maybe?) by Margaret Rogerson. I have loved Margaret’s other books, so I was super excited to dive into Vespertine. And I am happy to say that Vespertine did not disappoint! I loved this book. I was a little hesitant for the first 30 pages or so, but just as I was about the put the book down temporarily, I became completely absorbed and the next thing I knew, hours had passed and I was done with the story. Vespertine did not have any romance in it, but honestly, it didn’t need any. (I know, this is still Michelle writing this review, but it was such a fantastic story even without a romance.) Vespertine works well as a standalone, but I for one am hoping for more installments in this world and with these characters. I think Artemisia and the Revenant have more adventures in store for them.
In Vespertine, we meet out main character Artemisia who is training to be a nun because she is blessed with the sight, which leaves her vulnerable to being possessed by spirits. In this world, spirits are classified into different orders, mostly determined by the method or cause of their death. The higher the order number (1-5) the more powerful the spirit. A revenant is a order five spirit. Spirits in this world can be tied to a relic of some kind and then can be wielded by holy person if they are strong enough. Artemisia is very strong because she survived a possession when she was younger, and because of that, she is very skilled at resisting strong relics. Artemisia is a very closed off but interesting character. I enjoyed getting into her head and learning more about her and her past as the story unfolds. When Artemisia finds herself sharing her body with a Revenant, a new adventure for her begins. One where she needs to decide good from evil, uncover secrets and try to solve the mystery of who is reeking the havoc in the surrounding towns.
I absolutely loved the plot of Vespertine. This book kept me guessing until the end and made me so attached to all of the characters. I loved the exploration of religion, faith, and good and evil. The ending leaves me hopeful that there will be another book (or three) in this world. Vespertine is a book that you do not want to miss!
To enter, fill out the rafflecopter below to win
Up for grabs on the book blog tour is two (2) copies of VESPERTINE by Margaret Rogerson, one a physical finished copy and one a digital copy. Open USA only.
Giveaway starts: Monday, September 27, 2021
Giveaway ends: Saturday, October 9, 2021 at 12:00 a.m. CDT
Note: Book Briefs Contest Policy applies. All of the prizes, terms and conditions of the giveaway should be contained in the rafflecopter below. No Purchase necessary to enter. Void where prohibited by law.
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One (1) physical finished copy of Vespertine;
One (1) digital copy of Vespertine;
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