Reviews tagging 'Fire/Fire injury'

Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson

69 reviews

wren_cat's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Child abuse

shadereads's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death and Violence

Minor: Suicide

margaret_k30's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Self harm, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Confinement, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, and Abandonment

Minor: Suicide

hezthbookcravings's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

While this book didn't blow me away with its story, it was still an enjoyable read and a great pick if you want a unique standalone fantasy (though I doubt it's truly standalone).

I particularly liked the characters, especially Artemisia. As a loner, introvert, and eccentric character, she felt unique and refreshing. Her development throughout the story was compelling—she starts off reserved due to a difficult past but gradually opens up, becomes stronger, and forms friendships. The relationship between Artemisia and Revenant was also a highlight. They start off with a rocky relationship filled with witty banter and heated arguments, but they eventually accept each other's presence and weaknesses, forming a strong alliance. Revenant, though grumpy and prickly, shows a caring side towards its vessel. The side characters were equally amazing and had their own moments of growth.

The world-building was another strong point. The unique spirit and magic system, though initially confusing, became intriguing as I learned about the spirit hierarchy and their powers. The way the cause of death impacts the type of spirit manifested was fascinating. The grim, dark, and somber setting was vividly portrayed through the writing.

While I appreciated the uniqueness of the book, the magic system took time to understand as it wasn't well-explained initially. The pacing was inconsistent, with some parts feeling rushed and others drawn out. I wished there had been more action or events in the middle of the book. However, the pace did pick up towards the end.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Its unique characters, intriguing world-building, and compelling relationships make it a worthwhile read, despite some pacing issues and initial confusion with the magic system. If you're looking for a unique standalone fantasy with well-developed characters and a richly imagined world, I definitely recommend giving this book a try. Just a heads-up, there's no romance in this one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment

barda's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, and Self harm

Moderate: Child abuse, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Bullying

judassilver's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and War

Moderate: Child death, Torture, Vomit, Grief, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Suicide and Pandemic/Epidemic

corallydeer's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was a great read! I had heard that Rogerson was a phenomenal writer and I heavily agree after this first foray into her works. I loved her writing style and thought it was a great blend of fairly direct writing with prose-y styles. I loved the characters and the world so much; the banter between the revenant and Artemisia was always a great time and the world they existed in felt so unique and fresh. The beginning felt a bit slow to me, so I was sitting more at a four-star rating for a while, but the second half of the book really picked up and suddenly I felt like I couldn't put it down and now I even want to reread it! The second half quickly shot the book up to a full five-star rating for me and I can't wait to read more of Rogerson's works now!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Child death, Self harm, and Violence

Minor: Animal death, Confinement, and Suicide

Death

(the book is about spirits and ghosts so death is a huge part of the overall world and plot)

| Blood

(blood is brought up on multiple occasions and used for things)

| Fire/Fire Injury

(Artemisia has extensive burn scars on her hands that come up frequently through the story)

| Child Death

(some of the spirits depicted in the book are dead children)

| Violence

(there are a number of battles throughout the book)

| Confinement

(Artemisia is confined on multiple occasions when arrested)

| Animal Death

(some animals die here and there as minor details)

| Self Harm

(Artemisia has to cut herself to acquire blood for runes and is depicted throughout the novel not being afraid to singe/burn herself for a purpose)

| Suicide

(Leander's brother committed suicide which is explained in passing)

crystalisreading's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and War

Moderate: Confinement, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal cruelty, Bullying, and Suicide

novel_nibbles's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Despite loving Margaret Rogerson’s other works, I held of from reading Vespertine for so long, because I wasn’t sure about the premise of a shared consciousness. However having recently enjoyed The Shepard King duology and its version of the same premise, I was inspired to give it a go, and I’m so glad I did! 

I throughly enjoyed the magic system, the found family aspected and the snarky banter between Artemisia and Revenant.

I love how the book finished without a cliffhanger but with the hope of future adventures. Which Saint do we need to pray to make it happen?!  

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child abuse, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

pandorasxbox's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

I really enjoyed the lore of this world. It was very much inspired by Catholicism, which I grew up with. Saints are those who fought against the undead and imbued relics with power. The relics are wielded by various clergy to achieve magical effects. The vendors hawking fake souvenirs were also on point.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, and Self harm