**Disclaimer: I was given a free ARC in exchange for an honest review from as part of a tour from Turn the Page Tours.**
Giveaway
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
Direct link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/1e4a114d53/
Title Vespertine
Author Margaret Rogerson
Release Date October 5, 2021
Date Finished September 30, 2021
Description
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.
Initial Thoughts
I was super excited to read this book. I loved Sorcery of Thorns and couldn’t wait to read Margaret Rogerson’s next book.
Some Things I Liked
Venom vibes. I loved the way Artemsia and The Revenant spoke to each other. They reminded me so much of Eddie and Venom from the Venom franchise. Artemsia kept her relic’s murderous urges at bay and The Revenant grew fond of her in return.
World building. I am obsessed with this world. Loved every page of it. It’s so interesting and I would absolutely love more set here. There was a lot left up to the imagination or that was just hinted at and I think so much of that could make sequels and spin off stories that I’d love to read.
No romance. Weird that I liked this. But, hear me out. I think it was fitting that there was no romance. Artemsia and The Revenant were the main characters and romance between them was simply not possible. I respect the way the author kept romance out of this plot.
One Thing I Wasn’t Crazy About
The ending was a little rushed for me. I felt like the last 25% lacked the conversations between Artemesia and the Revenant and I missed those. There was a big build up to a bit of a fast ending.
Series Value
I’d love to see more books set in this series. My romance-loving heart really wanted to see something between some of these characters so I’d love to see some romance develop in a sequel. Also, I am super into this world. I’d love to see more of Artemsia’s adventures tracking down the other errant relics.
Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed this book. This is my favorite Margaret Rogerson book yet despite the fact that it didn’t have romance. I really hope we get more books set in this world.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book Links
Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56980403-vespertine
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Vespertine-Margaret-Rogerson/dp/153447711X/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=vespertine&qid=1632664094&sr=8-1
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/vespertine-margaret-rogerson/1138779268?ean=9781534477117
Book Depository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Vespertine-Margaret-Rogerson/9781534477117?ref=grid-view&qid=1632664108579&sr=1-1
Indiebound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781534477117
About the Author
Author Links
http://www.margaretrogerson.com/
https://www.instagram.com/margaret_rogerson/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15455603.Margaret_Rogerson
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