Verspertine! Unlooked for saviour!

Vespertine (Vespertine #1) by Margaret Rogerson            

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A novel replete with all those tropes that make for a riveting fantasy read. There’s evil crouched and waiting in the unliving, a chosen one, Artemisia of Naimes—a novice in a convent dedicated to the Gray Lady, and articles of power. All set in a believable medieval type fantastical world.

Loraille is a land where ancient spirits have been bound and contained, where the relics of saints have been placed in reliquaries. These are weapons the revenants, the higher order spirits want to destroy.

The spirits or revenants are trying to control humans. The imagery of young Artemisia, fighting the revenant that attempted to take her over is primordial. But Artemisia has well and truly grown up in the School of Hard Knocks. To say the least the revenant is surprised. This battle reminded me of Bujold’s Penric.

I loved the way the drama and interplay of characters build. Then there’s Confessor Leander who tries to bend Artemisia to his will, testing her awareness of various levels of spirits. He wants to send her to the Clerisy at Bonsaint to be trained. All Artemisia wants to do is flee.  Artemisia firstly mistrusted the priest. Then she despised him. Later that morphed into hatred.

Her journey away from the influence the Confessor leads her into danger and horror. Fighting an army of spirits in what would be called the Battle of Bonsaint. A powerful spirit is returning. Who or what is behind this?

The cover gives some idea of who Artemisia might become. It seems she’s a Verspertine,  a priestess who can wield a higher order relic in the fight against the various orders of spirits. A gripping fantasy, a powerful read, written for Young Adults but beyond that, a jolly good book that easily crosses all age dictates.

A Simon and Schuster Children's ARC via NetGalley