Scan barcode
judassilver's review against another edition
- 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
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
cedartonk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Self harm, Violence, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Death, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, War, and Injury/Injury detail
asiamd's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Violence, Abandonment, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Suicide, Vomit, and War
rachelgreenreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Violence and War
Minor: Suicide, Vomit, and Medical content
marsh_mall0w's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Self harm, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
Moderate: Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, and War
Minor: Gore
nxpe's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
I still fully stand by my review below. I did lower my rating a little bit, because last time I think I was just a bit caught up in the Margaret Rogerson excitement. This one is still a favourite, and by no means is me lowering the review reflective of me liking it any less. I just feel that a 4.5 more accurate portrays my feeling for the book.
I once again loved the friendship portrayed in this book. I really love that Artemisia is quite socially anxious (it was represented really well). And both her friendship developments between
I really enjoyed the Revenant's character (once again). He is just so funny, and kind of reminds me of The Nightmare from One Dark Window. Which I love! And I'm going to be so honest, I teared up when
I do have to say, I felt this last time as well, and that is the pacing is a bit odd during the first 30-40%. Not in a poorly written way, just in a "I need to get used to this" way. So that part was a bit tough but did not ruin the story for me in the slighest.
I did originally think the ending could lead to a potential sequel, and I would love to see a return of these characters. However, I like the openness of the ending in general. Like... there could be a sequel, but it doesn't need one either. It feels like a very realistic ending for the characters and the world, which I really appreciated.
I'm very happy I reread this, because it was so good. I can't wait to reread her other books as well.
22 December 2022: 5 stars
Margaret Rogerson does not write a bad book- I am convinced. This book was so amazing, and I enjoyed it so much!
I love the friendship development between Artemesia and Marguerite. I was worried because of the lack of romance in the book, but genuinely it wasn't needed. The friendship development between them and between Artemesia/revenant was beautiful. Also, I love the revenant! It was so funny, clever, and I love that it cared for it's vessels.
Graphic: Death, Self harm, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Child abuse and Blood
Minor: Suicide and Vomit
chamaeleontis's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, and War
vaniavela's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The world building is simple but interesting, with well-developed themes of religion in that era. Although the pace is slow, we manage to immerse ourselves in this world and connect with the characters.
We have a main character with trauma and a sad backstory, which is one of the most used tropes in fantasy. I liked seeing the consequences of her childhood abuse in the present.
The writing was simple but kept me interested in her story from the beginning of the book. All the secondary characters were also good. I liked how versatile the revenant's personality was.
Overall, this was a good book.
tw: abandonment, child neglect, child abuse in past, possession, self-harm, threats of suicide, grief, brief mention of animal abuse, mention of animal deaths, blood depictions, vomiting, drugging, anxiety depictions, talk of plagues, loss of a loved one in the past, mention of spiders, death.
Graphic: Child abuse and Abandonment
Moderate: Self harm, Blood, Vomit, and Grief
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Death
krispy_reading's review against another edition
The overall concept seemed interesting, but any explanation of the world building, the Saints, or the Order of Spirits left my mind wandering. I was either bored, thinking about something else, or falling asleep while reading this book. The only interest I had was for the sassy revenant character. In conclusion, I guess I'll just have to see someone's review for ending spoilers.
Moderate: Violence, Vomit, and War
Minor: Eating disorder
booksthatburn's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
5.0
I like the banter between Artemisia and the revenant. This is one place where the audiobook narrator's performance really shines, as it enhanced an already excellent story by making the revenant's voice pitch perfect for its characterization. Their conversations sometimes feel like banter while staying generally appropriate to the seriousness of each new situation. I was worried that Trouble (the bird) would be a gimmicky animal sidekick, but his appearances are brief and important. He has enough of a presence to keep his few contributions from coming out of nowhere, and his relatively few appearances keep the narrative from feeling like a comedic trio of possessed, possessor, and animal friend.
The worldbuilding is filled in gradually, starting with Artemisia’s incomplete understanding of the history of her home and the forces at play, then gradually filling in as she learns from the revenant and tries to stay alive.
The way this handles trauma, mental illness, and disability in the narrative is pretty great. It's a world where magic is real and very present, but while magic completely dispels some ailments it's not treated as a cure-all. Artemisia has burn scars on her hands which affect her daily existence. The way her hands healed affects her motor skills and ability to sense things like temperature. She still has panic attacks and various levels of mental distress when triggering events occur. There's a minor character who is deeply traumatized by an unrelated experience with possession, and even the revenant has a phobia borne of trauma. It's a world filled with undead, death, and violence, and the way that all the characters are either explicitly or implicitly traumatized accordingly helps it feel cohesive in a way I hadn't expected but very much appreciate.
The plot builds slowly, focusing more on Artemisia's efforts not to get caught once she has the revenant, then gradually she ends up in a position to do more with the information which became available to her. It has great "accidental hero (saint)" vibes with a plot that backs that up.
Graphic: Death, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Vomit, and Murder
Moderate: Ableism, Confinement, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Terminal illness, Excrement, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse and Suicide