August 9, 2021
Filled with atmospheric details hinting at the era of Joan of Arc, this immersive tale follows Artemisia, a novice of the Gray Sisters who is around 17 and has dark hair, pale skin, and scarred hands. For the past 300 years, the Sisters have tended the dead of Loraille, an area in recovery after the spirits of the deceased rose and waged war on the living. Those with the Sight, like Artemisia, can both see the malevolent spirits and become possessed by them—but, most importantly, some are able to wield relics containing souls of varying power. Following an attack on the convent, Artemisia goes on the run with a powerful ancient relic, becoming the vessel for a sarcastic, devious revenant. Thus forms the beginning of a symbiotic relationship, both entities learning about each other amid betrayals and mysteries as they attempt to discover who is using forbidden Old Magic to keep the dead restless. Though the breakneck pacing loses traction part-way through and never quite regains its previous momentum, Rogerson (Sorcery of Thorns) deftly blends a coming-of-age tale and mythic quest in this dark fantasy. Ages 14–up. Agent: Sara Megibow, KT Literary.
August 15, 2021
In a land threatened by violent spirits, a girl with a haunted past unleashes an ancient entity from a holy relic and strikes a deal for the power to save her home. Ever since the Sorrow, the dead no longer pass on peacefully. Without the intervention of the Clerisy of the Gray Lady, they roam as destructive spirits. Artemisia of Naimes, gifted with the ability to see the spirits, never intends to leave her convent, where the walls protect her from possession and (Lady forbid) social interaction. Her plans crumble when a group of possessed soldiers attack her home. Reluctantly, Artemisia unseals a legendary relic, binding herself to a revenant, an undead being with immense power. Untrained in controlling spirits and desperate to protect her home, she bargains with the revenant to help her. Amid escalating danger and an unfolding mystery, Rogerson unveils a grim and intriguing world with a rich, plot-relevant history inspired by late-medieval France. In addition to the White protagonist, the narration describes several secondary characters with brown skin; the revenant is identified as "it," while human characters in this world adhere to a gender binary. Artemisia experiences dynamic character growth as her understandings of trauma, history, and morality shift. Although she remains socially avoidant, she learns to value friendship. A satisfying but open-ended resolution demands for the story to continue. A dark and enthralling journey. (glossary) (Fantasy. 14-18)
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