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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
I was murdered but not allowed to pass on. Given godly power, but no freedom. Offered the chance to be with someone at the cost of the one I wish to be with.
Okaay, what am I going to do with my life until December? I want to know what’s going to happen almost as much as I want to know what Lorcan did! #ifkyk
❤️ Fast-paced and captivating, with compelling plot twists and a jaw-dropping ending
❤️ Epic worldbuilding and lore
❤️ Interesting, complex characters (both main and supporting)
❤️ Strong FMC and toe-curling MMC
❤️ Humour and banter
❌ Slightly off-putting book title
❌ Modern elements that don’t quite fit
❌ Slightly disappointing spice
Trigger Warnings: violence, blood and gore, injury details, domestic abuse, parental abuse, child abuse, attempted rape, poisoning, murder, death and grief.
Plot:
Nizzara is the heiress to the Zarr throne and the daughter of a power-hungry tyrant. Forced into an arranged marriage, she enters a deadly tournament to win the freedom to choose her own suitor. Dagen is the last king of Zarr, who was killed by Nizzara’s father many years before. Now a half-ghost with tremendous power, he is stuck in another realm, working as a soul reaper. To reclaim his freedom and his kingdom, he must deliver a pure soul: Nizzara’s.
At first, the plot sounded just like 349058 other romantasy novels or series. But fear not, this book definitely stood out after only a few chapters. There’s a high-stake tournament, political turmoil, rebels, monsters, gods, ghosts and spirits, prophecies, love, tension, angst, betrayal and heartache, humour (“Nightlight” made me crack up!) and banter, etc. And, most of all, many of the plot twists were unexpected. None of the common tropes or conundrums felt like they were weaved in just to tick a box or add shock value. It really felt like the worldbuilding, the lore, the characters, and the plot were well thought of. The only things that annoyed me were the modern elements, that didn’t quite fit in; but maybe they will make more sense in the following installments.
Characters:
If you follow my reviews, you probably know how hard I am on MCs. I always find the leading ladies too reckless and self-centred, too needlessly confrontational or stabby, etc. And that the leading guys all sound like generic morally-grey alphaholes who are obsessed with the FMC after a minute and a half. But in this one, we get an FMC who is as fierce and stabby as she is mature and compassionate. We get an MMC who’s a funny, snarky, foul-mouthed, flirtatious half-ghost royal. He’s ruthless, but also sweet and caring. I loved both of them right away and felt an emotional connection very quickly. Also, there’s not a single character that I 100% hated (except Dae’s ex, maybe). The “bad guys” could have been very unidimensional like so many others, but Winn made it hard for us not to feel any sort of compassion for them—and I love that.
Writing:
Winn has a sharp, mature, and captivating writing style that’s also very accessible. I’m not a fan of the first-person POV, but Winn made it work. The addition of journal entry snippets was also great and helped learn more about the world, political dynamics, and important characters without tedious info dumps – thank gods! Some of the names, however, were too similar to my liking. Even at the end of the book, I was still confusing the three kingdoms because of their (very) similar names: Zo, Zarr, Zem. The spice was also slightly disappointing.
The only thing… the title. Maybe it’s a non-native English speaker thing, but I’m really not a fan. If it wasn’t for the high ratings and intriguing reviews, I probably would have skipped it just for that. But I’m so glad I didn’t because I would have missed out big times!
You know what they say? Don’t judge a book by itscover title!
Follow me on Instagram: @bibi.reads.writes
Okaay, what am I going to do with my life until December? I want to know what’s going to happen almost as much as I want to know what Lorcan did! #ifkyk
❤️ Fast-paced and captivating, with compelling plot twists and a jaw-dropping ending
❤️ Epic worldbuilding and lore
❤️ Interesting, complex characters (both main and supporting)
❤️ Strong FMC and toe-curling MMC
❤️ Humour and banter
❌ Slightly off-putting book title
❌ Modern elements that don’t quite fit
❌ Slightly disappointing spice
Trigger Warnings: violence, blood and gore, injury details, domestic abuse, parental abuse, child abuse, attempted rape, poisoning, murder, death and grief.
Plot:
Nizzara is the heiress to the Zarr throne and the daughter of a power-hungry tyrant. Forced into an arranged marriage, she enters a deadly tournament to win the freedom to choose her own suitor. Dagen is the last king of Zarr, who was killed by Nizzara’s father many years before. Now a half-ghost with tremendous power, he is stuck in another realm, working as a soul reaper. To reclaim his freedom and his kingdom, he must deliver a pure soul: Nizzara’s.
At first, the plot sounded just like 349058 other romantasy novels or series. But fear not, this book definitely stood out after only a few chapters. There’s a high-stake tournament, political turmoil, rebels, monsters, gods, ghosts and spirits, prophecies, love, tension, angst, betrayal and heartache, humour (“Nightlight” made me crack up!) and banter, etc. And, most of all, many of the plot twists were unexpected. None of the common tropes or conundrums felt like they were weaved in just to tick a box or add shock value. It really felt like the worldbuilding, the lore, the characters, and the plot were well thought of. The only things that annoyed me were the modern elements, that didn’t quite fit in; but maybe they will make more sense in the following installments.
Characters:
If you follow my reviews, you probably know how hard I am on MCs. I always find the leading ladies too reckless and self-centred, too needlessly confrontational or stabby, etc. And that the leading guys all sound like generic morally-grey alphaholes who are obsessed with the FMC after a minute and a half. But in this one, we get an FMC who is as fierce and stabby as she is mature and compassionate. We get an MMC who’s a funny, snarky, foul-mouthed, flirtatious half-ghost royal. He’s ruthless, but also sweet and caring. I loved both of them right away and felt an emotional connection very quickly. Also, there’s not a single character that I 100% hated (except Dae’s ex, maybe). The “bad guys” could have been very unidimensional like so many others, but Winn made it hard for us not to feel any sort of compassion for them—and I love that.
Writing:
Winn has a sharp, mature, and captivating writing style that’s also very accessible. I’m not a fan of the first-person POV, but Winn made it work. The addition of journal entry snippets was also great and helped learn more about the world, political dynamics, and important characters without tedious info dumps – thank gods! Some of the names, however, were too similar to my liking. Even at the end of the book, I was still confusing the three kingdoms because of their (very) similar names: Zo, Zarr, Zem. The spice was also slightly disappointing.
The only thing… the title. Maybe it’s a non-native English speaker thing, but I’m really not a fan. If it wasn’t for the high ratings and intriguing reviews, I probably would have skipped it just for that. But I’m so glad I didn’t because I would have missed out big times!
You know what they say? Don’t judge a book by its
Follow me on Instagram: @bibi.reads.writes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
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
I love a unique fantasy book that doesn’t stick to the normal tropes and story line. I have yet to read a book where the MMC is a ghost/spirit sent to take the FMC’s soul, but here we are! It took a second to get used to but I ultimately fell in love with their banter. The family dynamics were heartbreaking here and Nizzara is an incredibly strong and admirable FMC - one of my favorite FMCs I’ve read in a while. Her stubbornness was frustrating but her reasoning was valid so I felt like I was going through the same internal struggle as she was. It almost felt like it had a sci fi twist to it with the men from another realm. The plot twist had me gasping - I totally did not see it coming at all. I truly enjoyed this one and cannot wait for Mateless!
Thank you Cortney and R&R Book Tours for this physical ARC!
Thank you Cortney and R&R Book Tours for this physical ARC!
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
This is a truly magnificent debut. Breathtaking. Awesome, Glorious. I was hooked immediately by both points of view, instantly curious and feeling compassionate toward the FMC straight out of the gate. Her life and her struggle resonated with me.
Nizzara is an incredible FMC.
Her strength of will, heart, body, and character is established immediately. She comes across as self aware, well-informed as a woman and princess and fighter. She’s trapped in a life she hates with a destiny she doesn’t want and a family that causes her a lot of pain. She has a pure soul, but she feels darkness underneath the surface that she tries really hard to ignore. When she encounters Dae, he’s listens to her, he’s not judgmental, he’s quite protective, massively flirtatious, and doesn’t take advantage of her vulnerability. She trades truths for truths in their discussions, and her love and appreciation are earned by Dae at every step.
The MMC is the ten-years-dead last king of Zarr, Dagen. He is such a powerful presence that it’s easy to forget he’s a half-ghost. He has been tasked by the death god to return to the mortal realm to capture a specific pure soul, which belongs to our FMC. “Dae” is conniving, super-sexy, very dangerous, and he’s got a real soft spot for Nizzara. His talk game is fantastic and he builds trust and falls first and falls hard. He’s definitely a morally grey bad boy, and can and does use people to do things in the mortal plane. He’s determined to get what he wants, but his desire changes the closer he gets to her. Which is a problem, because to disobey the God of death means total obliteration of his soul.
There are enemies within and without in this story. Court politics run deep but in unusual ways. And There are important side characters that provide essential information to the reader about movements, skills, historical events, and unseen danger. There are multiple bad guys, there’s so much family backstory, and the fight scenes are incredible. The aspect of bonded spirits and how they can leave and return with information is such a cool concept and gives the reader inside information in a unique way.
I promise, this book is the urban fantasy you didn’t know you needed, and Daegan is the new shadow daddy on the block. The twists and surprises in this book are top tier, the story is so well woven together! The world building is fantastic and immersive. I can’t wait for this story to continue in book 2!
Nizzara is an incredible FMC.
Her strength of will, heart, body, and character is established immediately. She comes across as self aware, well-informed as a woman and princess and fighter. She’s trapped in a life she hates with a destiny she doesn’t want and a family that causes her a lot of pain. She has a pure soul, but she feels darkness underneath the surface that she tries really hard to ignore. When she encounters Dae, he’s listens to her, he’s not judgmental, he’s quite protective, massively flirtatious, and doesn’t take advantage of her vulnerability. She trades truths for truths in their discussions, and her love and appreciation are earned by Dae at every step.
The MMC is the ten-years-dead last king of Zarr, Dagen. He is such a powerful presence that it’s easy to forget he’s a half-ghost. He has been tasked by the death god to return to the mortal realm to capture a specific pure soul, which belongs to our FMC. “Dae” is conniving, super-sexy, very dangerous, and he’s got a real soft spot for Nizzara. His talk game is fantastic and he builds trust and falls first and falls hard. He’s definitely a morally grey bad boy, and can and does use people to do things in the mortal plane. He’s determined to get what he wants, but his desire changes the closer he gets to her. Which is a problem, because to disobey the God of death means total obliteration of his soul.
There are enemies within and without in this story. Court politics run deep but in unusual ways. And There are important side characters that provide essential information to the reader about movements, skills, historical events, and unseen danger. There are multiple bad guys, there’s so much family backstory, and the fight scenes are incredible. The aspect of bonded spirits and how they can leave and return with information is such a cool concept and gives the reader inside information in a unique way.
I promise, this book is the urban fantasy you didn’t know you needed, and Daegan is the new shadow daddy on the block. The twists and surprises in this book are top tier, the story is so well woven together! The world building is fantastic and immersive. I can’t wait for this story to continue in book 2!
Content Warnings
There is a character using alcohol to cope with pain and it informs his behavior toward his child.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
Thank you so much Cortney L. Winn and @rrbooktours for the physical ARC of Vesselless. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Romantacy fans, go ahead and click “add to cart” right now! Vessellless is a jaw dropping romantic fantasy debut novel that you’re not going to want to miss. This book has it all: epic world building, sizzling tension, betrayals, magic, trials, and high stakes political maneuvering. This is one book everyone will be reading!
I found FMC, Nizzara, to be so interesting. She had to walk this incredibly fine line between being the unyielding daughter of the ruler of the kingdom of Zarr, and a woman who is covertly working to accomplish her own goals. I love that she never compromised on her beliefs, even with immense outside pressure.
Dagen, the former king of Zarr and current deathwalker, was so fun to read about. I adored watching him slowly fall in love with Nizzara, even though he tried to fight it. I can’t wait to see where his story ARC goes next, because things are going to get VERY interesting for him in the next installment. 👀
Also, the magic system in this book🤯! I don’t want to give anything away, but I found the spirit magic the characters wielded to be so unique. If you’ve ever felt like the magic in romantasy is a bit redundant, I think you’ll find Vesselless a refreshing change of pace.
In the pages you will find:
⚔️ A deadly tournament
👻Hot ghosts
🏎️Sports cars
❤️Enemies to lovers
✌️Dual points of view
💪 Strong FMC
📖 Your new romantasy obsession
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
#vesselless #cortneylwinn #themercilessrealmsseries #rrbooktours #romantasy
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
This was such an interesting story with some great world-building. That was the best aspect of this book. It has spirit magic, political intrigue, and complex relationships. Nizzara is the heiress to a throne her father stole. Dagen is the previous King murdered by her father and now exists as a ghost working to collect souls for a god. And said god sends him after Nizzara's soul - but she must be willing.
The politics of the world are interesting as rebellion lurks in the shadows, the ghosts and their magic are fascinating, and the competition makes for some interesting action. I did enjoy the romance between the main characters, but I had a tiny bit of trouble fully connecting to them. However, the relationship between Nizzara and her father feels unresolved and I'm hoping for a more satisfying conclusion. The ending means that things are pretty up in the air and I cannot wait to see what happens next.
While there are some areas that could benefit from deeper exploration, Vesselless sets the stage for an exciting series that promises to delve even further into its richly crafted world.
Thanks to the author and R&R Booktours for the copy. This review is based on a complimentary copy and it is voluntary.
The politics of the world are interesting as rebellion lurks in the shadows, the ghosts and their magic are fascinating, and the competition makes for some interesting action. I did enjoy the romance between the main characters, but I had a tiny bit of trouble fully connecting to them. However, the relationship between Nizzara and her father feels unresolved and I'm hoping for a more satisfying conclusion. The ending means that things are pretty up in the air and I cannot wait to see what happens next.
While there are some areas that could benefit from deeper exploration, Vesselless sets the stage for an exciting series that promises to delve even further into its richly crafted world.
Thanks to the author and R&R Booktours for the copy. This review is based on a complimentary copy and it is voluntary.
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
What can I possibly add other than
"Fix your face!"
If you crack this book open in public, get ready for some serious facial gymnastics!
Let me spill the tea -
I was so hooked that I preordered the autographed hardback before hitting the halfway mark. It's that addictive! It will be a star on my bookshelf, right next to my all-time faves!
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated