If you’re looking for a recently published book that contains an amazing build up to the final scene of the book, Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson is definitely a good pick. This book reminded me of a Netflix series I watched a few months ago called Warrior Nun. I think it reminds me of this series because it has sort of the same concept. Nuns in a church who are secretly types of soldiers, who defend the town without the civilians knowing. The plots are almost exactly similar, especially because of what happens to the main character.
In the beginning of this book, it tells the backstory of Artemisia. When she was a child Artemisia was possessed by a spirit, and she survived, which is a very rare occurrence. When one of Artemisia’s acquaintances is attacked, Artemisia inherits a relic from her. This relic contains a very powerful spirit, a revenant. The revenants are not supposed to be able to speak to the host, but Artemisia ends up hearing the revenant when it saves her from being struck by an attacker. This book tells the tale of Artemisia dealing with the revenant constantly trying to take over her body and possess her.
Vespertine also features plot-relevant history about medieval France. So, if you’re looking to learn about a bit of France’s history while reading a thrilling book, this would be the one. Although Vespertine may seem like it’s just another Sci-Fi, it also has a sort of dark and grim feeling to it. The author doesn’t just skim over the topic of death like other writers do, she talks about. There is a bad stigma about writers speaking on the topic of death, but Rogerson actually does it very well.