Vespertine is the story of Artemisia, once possessed by a vengeful spirit and now doing her best to go unnoticed in the world. For someone with the Sight and the ability to sense unblessed spirits, this is a challenge. Artemisia’s plans are foiled when disaster strikes the convent that has been her refuge. Given a relic that contains a powerful spirit known as a revenant, Artemisia must quickly learn how to control and communicate with it. As she attempts to stop great evil from occurring, Artemisia’s beliefs about the revenants will be challenged. With unlikely alliances, Artemisia and the revenant must work together to discover why someone has been using forbidden magic.

Vespertine felt significantly different from Margaret Rogerson’s other books and is likely my favorite one yet. It is clear that she has an incredible storytelling range. The world-building is immersive and well designed. There are lots of intricate details about the hierarchy of spirits, the history of the relics, and the rules of revenants. The pacing was excellent; it felt like there was never a dull moment. Artemisia is a strong and brave heroine who has already faced many horrors in her life. It was captivating to watch her attempt to control the revenant and establish a wary connection with them. The revenant was my favorite character, they had such witty dialogue. I’m excited to learn even more about the revenant and what the future holds for their partnership in the sequel.

If you enjoyed Robin LaFevers’ Grave Mercy (minus the romance), you would love Vespertine! I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves stories about brave heroines, vengeful spirits, and intricate world-building. I can’t wait for the sequel! Thank you so much to Margaret Rogerson, Margaret K. McElderberry Books, Simon & Schuster, and Netgalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.