Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
I loved this book immensely. It has my favorite tropes; touch her you die, genuine slow burn, cute banter, strong FMC. I loved it all.
It is SUCH a unique fantasy novel and I am here for it. You get a loving half ghost man and a badass woman who has to overcome her own self. I don't want to give spoilers, but there were MANY things that surprised me!
This book should absolutely take off and I cannot wait for the author to finish the second book!
It is SUCH a unique fantasy novel and I am here for it. You get a loving half ghost man and a badass woman who has to overcome her own self. I don't want to give spoilers, but there were MANY things that surprised me!
This book should absolutely take off and I cannot wait for the author to finish the second book!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
dark
emotional
tense
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
In "Vesselless," we follow Nizarra, who is able to perceive spirits. She enters a deadly tournament to end her betrothal, determined to win without using addictive spirit magic or taking a life. She teams up with Dagen, the charming half-ghost and last King of Zarr, who must convince her to willingly give him her soul by the tournament’s end to reclaim his freedom—or risk losing his own.
The writing is both engaging and easy to follow. However, I found some of the modern language choices jarring in a fantasy setting that feels distinct from the contemporary world.
The magic system is unique and intriguing, yet the world-building leaves something to be desired. I needed a deeper exploration of the various kingdoms and their gods. Concepts like soul bonding and the realms could have been fleshed out more. Additionally, the presence of technology in this world poses questions: the kingdom responsible for it has vanished, yet it seems to function without explanation. What if it breaks down? Do they simply not use it? In my view, omitting this element would have enhanced the story’s fantasy aspect.
Nizarra, our fierce and compassionate FMC, truly shines. I admired her defiance and her unwavering commitment to creating a better world for her people, especially in the face of her father’s cruelty.
Dagen, the MMC (and half-dead, half-alive) was at times confusing to me. While I appreciated his witty banter and playful flirtation, his insistence that he couldn’t act on his feelings felt inconsistent. If he’s aware of Nizarra’s attraction, why flirt at all? Buuut I will admit that his shameless flirtation made me giggle at times.
The secondary characters, though brief, were a delightful addition, particularly the interactions between Yisabell and Nizarra, which added depth to the narrative.
The romance was well-developed; their connection simmered with tension leading up to their first kiss. However, I was a bit disappointed by how that moment unfolded. It could have been such a great moment, after all the tension, all the build-up… to end up happening after a traumatic scene.
The plot twist near the end genuinely took me by surprise! I was thrilled by it, as it made perfect sense in the context of the story. However, the sudden appearance of a certain character toward the end felt a bit abrupt. While I anticipated their return, I hoped for more insight into their disappearance.
Did I enjoy reading this book despite its flaws? Absolutely! It’s an entertaining read that left me wanting more. While I wish it had been more fleshed out, it remains a solid debut, and I can’t wait to read the next book!
The writing is both engaging and easy to follow. However, I found some of the modern language choices jarring in a fantasy setting that feels distinct from the contemporary world.
The magic system is unique and intriguing, yet the world-building leaves something to be desired. I needed a deeper exploration of the various kingdoms and their gods. Concepts like soul bonding and the realms could have been fleshed out more. Additionally, the presence of technology in this world poses questions: the kingdom responsible for it has vanished, yet it seems to function without explanation. What if it breaks down? Do they simply not use it? In my view, omitting this element would have enhanced the story’s fantasy aspect.
Nizarra, our fierce and compassionate FMC, truly shines. I admired her defiance and her unwavering commitment to creating a better world for her people, especially in the face of her father’s cruelty.
Dagen, the MMC (and half-dead, half-alive) was at times confusing to me. While I appreciated his witty banter and playful flirtation, his insistence that he couldn’t act on his feelings felt inconsistent. If he’s aware of Nizarra’s attraction, why flirt at all? Buuut I will admit that his shameless flirtation made me giggle at times.
The secondary characters, though brief, were a delightful addition, particularly the interactions between Yisabell and Nizarra, which added depth to the narrative.
The romance was well-developed; their connection simmered with tension leading up to their first kiss. However, I was a bit disappointed by how that moment unfolded. It could have been such a great moment, after all the tension, all the build-up… to end up happening after a traumatic scene.
The plot twist near the end genuinely took me by surprise! I was thrilled by it, as it made perfect sense in the context of the story. However, the sudden appearance of a certain character toward the end felt a bit abrupt. While I anticipated their return, I hoped for more insight into their disappearance.
Did I enjoy reading this book despite its flaws? Absolutely! It’s an entertaining read that left me wanting more. While I wish it had been more fleshed out, it remains a solid debut, and I can’t wait to read the next book!
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Maybe I just wasn’t in the right headspace or maybe I overhyped myself but I found this book to be a bit flat. Pretty predictable, and left on a random cliffhanger without a lot of emotion /build-up to it - so I felt more confused rather than antsy to find out what happens next? Wish there had been some more intriguing relationship building. was really thrown off by the cars and guns that combine with magic stones
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I wanted to like this so much more than I did. It’s a good premise but agree with a lot of the other reviews that it’s:
- very slow
- very YA (not spicy at all really if that’s your thing)
- not a fan of how it depicts abuse (and “goodness”) of abusers
- not a fan of the virgin / celibacy thing but also she seems weirdly experienced even though she’s supposedly a virgin
- I liked the MMC pov much more than the FMC
- agree the modern and old elements are not merged very well, there’s cars but sometimes they have to walk through the desert? And they fight with knives and swords but have guns for other purposes? Confusing.
Good premise but for me overall the execution wasn’t there.
- very slow
- very YA (not spicy at all really if that’s your thing)
- not a fan of how it depicts abuse (and “goodness”) of abusers
- not a fan of the virgin / celibacy thing but also she seems weirdly experienced even though she’s supposedly a virgin
- I liked the MMC pov much more than the FMC
- agree the modern and old elements are not merged very well, there’s cars but sometimes they have to walk through the desert? And they fight with knives and swords but have guns for other purposes? Confusing.
Good premise but for me overall the execution wasn’t there.