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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was everything I wanted it to be and had me HOOKED, leaving me in suspense for most of the storyline and only feeding JUST enough pieces of the puzzle at a time.
Unique magic system 👻
Morally Gray MMC 💀
Twisty, Suspenseful, and Mysterious Plot 🧩
Slow-burn 🔥
Heart-wrenching, Emotional Trauma 🫠
Kick-Ass, Complex FMC (who didn’t annoy me) 🤭
I loved this book, and now I NEED More! Way to leave me hanging!! 🤯🫠
Unique magic system 👻
Morally Gray MMC 💀
Twisty, Suspenseful, and Mysterious Plot 🧩
Slow-burn 🔥
Heart-wrenching, Emotional Trauma 🫠
Kick-Ass, Complex FMC (who didn’t annoy me) 🤭
I loved this book, and now I NEED More! Way to leave me hanging!! 🤯🫠
Je na tom znát, že je to autorčina prvotina (místy bylo psaní celkem slabší). Svět je zajímavý, magie taky... ale je to popsané dost chaoticky, nejsem si moc jistá, že jsem vše pobrala. Navíc je to vše popsané, jako by každé místo bylo snad za rohem a všude dojdete během dvacetiminutové procházky. Prostě nedomyšlené.
K postavám jsem si nevytvořila moc vztah a v jednu chvíli to bylo už na můj vkus trochu... mdlé? Prostě bylo jasné, co se stane, kam to povede, a postavy neměly moc hloubku. Chyběl mě v tom nějaký humor, jiskra, cokoliv, co by tu knihu něčím odlišilo, ale upřímně, je to něco, o čem za rok už nebudu vědět, že jsem četla.
Začátek byl super, ale prakticky celý příběh se odehrává na jednom hradě. Navíc mě přišlo fakt divný, že tam bojují s meči a celé se to tváří historicky a pak jsou tam najednou auta, výtahy a tak? Navíc tady mi vůbec neseděla scéna, kdy hlavní hrdinku málem znásilní (je to panna) v bordelu a chvilku na to si to málem rozdá s hlavním hrdinou, jako by o nic nešlo.
Nemluvě o některých zápletkách v celé knize - je tam jednoduše spousta nápadů, které jsou ale tak nějak nedomyšlené, nebo odfláknuté. Hodnotila bych to tak 2,5* z 5. Nebyla to špatná kniha, ale ani až tak skvělá.
K postavám jsem si nevytvořila moc vztah a v jednu chvíli to bylo už na můj vkus trochu... mdlé? Prostě bylo jasné, co se stane, kam to povede, a postavy neměly moc hloubku. Chyběl mě v tom nějaký humor, jiskra, cokoliv, co by tu knihu něčím odlišilo, ale upřímně, je to něco, o čem za rok už nebudu vědět, že jsem četla.
Začátek byl super, ale prakticky celý příběh se odehrává na jednom hradě. Navíc mě přišlo fakt divný, že tam bojují s meči a celé se to tváří historicky a pak jsou tam najednou auta, výtahy a tak? Navíc tady mi vůbec neseděla scéna, kdy hlavní hrdinku málem znásilní (je to panna) v bordelu a chvilku na to si to málem rozdá s hlavním hrdinou, jako by o nic nešlo.
Nemluvě o některých zápletkách v celé knize - je tam jednoduše spousta nápadů, které jsou ale tak nějak nedomyšlené, nebo odfláknuté. Hodnotila bych to tak 2,5* z 5. Nebyla to špatná kniha, ale ani až tak skvělá.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! All opinions in this review are my own.
2 stars. Tandem read with audio (which I purchased myself) and the narrators were alright.
Before I begin my review, I would like to make everyone that tandem reads aware that the Kindle Unlimited edition of this book and the audio edition (Spotify) do not match up. Whole sections are either eliminated entirely or rearranged to happen earlier or later. Only discovered this because I had the KU version up on my computer as it was easier to scroll to the next page that way while still being able to write my chapter by chapter notes on another screen. Once I realized the difference, I pulled the eARC up through the Netgalley web reader which DOES match the audio edition so the final published edition should match that. This doesn't impact my review as I did go back and reread the correct matching version when I noticed, my thoughts are the same either way.
Now onto the book.
If I could sum it up, the premise was there but the execution was wildly confusing and needed a very strong editing process to really shape it up, so much so that it should not have been published in this state. My main complaints would be the vastly unexplained magic system and worldbuilding, characters are flat and one-dimensional, and too much trying to happen all at once that nothing sticks the landing. I can see the potential behind it though which is why I am not rating it lower.
I am going to highlight the magic system and the worldbuilding. When I say it was confusing and under explained, that is NOT an understatement. There are no real descriptions of how this world works, what it looks like, etc AND there was lots of references to other worlds and travel between them, so much so that it felt like it was too much in one pot. In the FMCs world, it was medieval fantasy but there were magic guns/cars/speakers/etc that they have for reasons? Lots of mentions of the other kingdoms in that world with vague history thrown in there and some kind of magical protective dome against spirits that didn't actually seem to work against the MMC who can switch between his spirit form and his human form somehow. Also lots of deities, different religious beliefs, and magic thrown around but never explained with relevance to what was needed to actually serve the story. The FMC also competed in duelling tournaments that wasn't well fleshed out as to why it was relevant for her to do so as the heir to the kingdom but even missing that explanation, she would constantly be skewered through or stabbed but would be fine the next day because magic I guess? Overall, it definitely felt like the author had this grand universe plotted and planned out which isn't bad, HOWEVER, it was written as if we would know what the author knows and that we have a binder full of the lore and intricates of the universe to reference which obviously isn't the case. There is a reason that even with grand plotlines and worlds that you have to keep it 1) simple and 2) relevant. This book failed to do either which is its biggest detriment.
Now about the characters, they lack depth. The FMC's father is an evil abuser and ruler, the FMC is full of rage that she takes out in the duel tournaments, and the MMC is some shadow daddy half spirit/half human thing out for revenge but instantly falls into lust with the FMC, no one else is worth mentioning. On the surface this all could be compelling but they were not written well. I didn't feel enticed to keep reading about them or the eventual love story. They didn't feel like real, organic characters, just barebone tropes. I also didn't understand why the FMC never recognized the MMC when he would show up considering she's seen the MMCs portrait since he was the former king her father killed. That seemed like a major plot hole that was glossed over. There were also diary entries from the MMC's sister that the FMC unknowingly found but really didn't truly add anything to the story in its current form.
All in all this was another book that does have an intriguing premise and potential to bring something unique to the table, it just needs to go back to the basics to hone in on that story with some good editing. A solid foundation is key to build and expand from there otherwise you are playing Jenga with the bricks and eventually it's going to topple over.
2 stars. Tandem read with audio (which I purchased myself) and the narrators were alright.
Before I begin my review, I would like to make everyone that tandem reads aware that the Kindle Unlimited edition of this book and the audio edition (Spotify) do not match up. Whole sections are either eliminated entirely or rearranged to happen earlier or later. Only discovered this because I had the KU version up on my computer as it was easier to scroll to the next page that way while still being able to write my chapter by chapter notes on another screen. Once I realized the difference, I pulled the eARC up through the Netgalley web reader which DOES match the audio edition so the final published edition should match that. This doesn't impact my review as I did go back and reread the correct matching version when I noticed, my thoughts are the same either way.
Now onto the book.
If I could sum it up, the premise was there but the execution was wildly confusing and needed a very strong editing process to really shape it up, so much so that it should not have been published in this state. My main complaints would be the vastly unexplained magic system and worldbuilding, characters are flat and one-dimensional, and too much trying to happen all at once that nothing sticks the landing. I can see the potential behind it though which is why I am not rating it lower.
I am going to highlight the magic system and the worldbuilding. When I say it was confusing and under explained, that is NOT an understatement. There are no real descriptions of how this world works, what it looks like, etc AND there was lots of references to other worlds and travel between them, so much so that it felt like it was too much in one pot. In the FMCs world, it was medieval fantasy but there were magic guns/cars/speakers/etc that they have for reasons? Lots of mentions of the other kingdoms in that world with vague history thrown in there and some kind of magical protective dome against spirits that didn't actually seem to work against the MMC who can switch between his spirit form and his human form somehow. Also lots of deities, different religious beliefs, and magic thrown around but never explained with relevance to what was needed to actually serve the story. The FMC also competed in duelling tournaments that wasn't well fleshed out as to why it was relevant for her to do so as the heir to the kingdom but even missing that explanation, she would constantly be skewered through or stabbed but would be fine the next day because magic I guess? Overall, it definitely felt like the author had this grand universe plotted and planned out which isn't bad, HOWEVER, it was written as if we would know what the author knows and that we have a binder full of the lore and intricates of the universe to reference which obviously isn't the case. There is a reason that even with grand plotlines and worlds that you have to keep it 1) simple and 2) relevant. This book failed to do either which is its biggest detriment.
Now about the characters, they lack depth. The FMC's father is an evil abuser and ruler, the FMC is full of rage that she takes out in the duel tournaments, and the MMC is some shadow daddy half spirit/half human thing out for revenge but instantly falls into lust with the FMC, no one else is worth mentioning. On the surface this all could be compelling but they were not written well. I didn't feel enticed to keep reading about them or the eventual love story. They didn't feel like real, organic characters, just barebone tropes. I also didn't understand why the FMC never recognized the MMC when he would show up considering she's seen the MMCs portrait since he was the former king her father killed. That seemed like a major plot hole that was glossed over. There were also diary entries from the MMC's sister that the FMC unknowingly found but really didn't truly add anything to the story in its current form.
All in all this was another book that does have an intriguing premise and potential to bring something unique to the table, it just needs to go back to the basics to hone in on that story with some good editing. A solid foundation is key to build and expand from there otherwise you are playing Jenga with the bricks and eventually it's going to topple over.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
When I picked up Vesselless, I thought I was signing up for an enemies to lovers romance between a vengeful ghost king and the daughter of his usurper, who also happens to be fighting in a brutal competition in the hopes of winning and using the prize (a wish) to end her betrothal.
While most of the promised elements are technically there, the execution needs a lot of work.
My biggest issue was the worldbuilding, which suffered from two extremes: either overwhelming info-dumps or new terminology that goes unexplained for a few chapters. It was presented in a way that made the entire plot hard to follow. This meant that when we got to the big reveals, they fell flat because I didn't know who or what we were talking about. Oh, and the three kingdoms being named so similarly (Zo, Zem, and Zarr) made it impossible to keep things straight. Related to this, a lot of the interesting elements appeared throughout without clear purpose or integration into the story. Because of this, the presentation of the plot is a little muddled and, at times, doesn't make much sense.
The enemies-to-lovers romance was nowhere to be seen , by the way. This was insta-love.
Overall, I did not enjoy this as much as I would have hoped. There is a good foundation, but every detail of the plot, world, and characters needed to be fleshed out more and explained more coherently.
This could be good as a starter romantasy or if you just want to read a fast paced story without thinking too much about it.
✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the free copy in exchange for an honest review!
While most of the promised elements are technically there, the execution needs a lot of work.
My biggest issue was the worldbuilding, which suffered from two extremes: either overwhelming info-dumps or new terminology that goes unexplained for a few chapters. It was presented in a way that made the entire plot hard to follow. This meant that when we got to the big reveals, they fell flat because I didn't know who or what we were talking about. Oh, and the three kingdoms being named so similarly (Zo, Zem, and Zarr) made it impossible to keep things straight. Related to this, a lot of the interesting elements appeared throughout without clear purpose or integration into the story. Because of this, the presentation of the plot is a little muddled and, at times, doesn't make much sense.
The enemies-to-lovers romance was nowhere to be seen , by the way. This was insta-love.
Overall, I did not enjoy this as much as I would have hoped. There is a good foundation, but every detail of the plot, world, and characters needed to be fleshed out more and explained more coherently.
This could be good as a starter romantasy or if you just want to read a fast paced story without thinking too much about it.
✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the free copy in exchange for an honest review!
dark
emotional
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
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Vesselless
by Cortney L. Winn
The Merciless Realms #1
Fantasy
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: Oct 7, 2025
Harper Voyager
Ages: 18+
Heir to the Kingdom of Zarr, the kingdom her father stole by killing the king, Nizzara is the heir and shares the same darkness as her father. After going against the norm, her father ordered her to be celibate and betrothed her to an unknown man. But if she wins the deadly tournament, she can ask for a gift, and what she wants more than anything is to be free of the betrothal and still be heir.
But a new spirit is roaming the halls, one stronger than the others; Dagen, the king killed by Nizzara's father. Upon his death, he was trapped in another realm by the god of death, where he hunts souls for him, and Nizzara is a soul the god wants.
Taking the deal of getting Nizzara's soul in exchange for his freedom, Dagen haunts the castle, but can also phase out of his spirit form and into physical form.
This is something like the h. games/reality show storylines, but they didn't stand out much; feeling more like filler than a storyline. There's not much detail in this world or history, including the other kingdoms and realms, and all of them were mostly just skimmed over. I did like the idea of the other realms, but of the two that were talked about, only the one Dagen was sent to was touched upon. The other was only skimmed. So much more depth could have been added if those realms were woven into the storyline. One was more important than the other, but still, it's world-building and the author is attempting to create a huge world. And there were also cars and guns running on gems, but at the same time, the world is portrayed as being set in medieval times.
More depth about the spirits/rings and magic system would also help. I don't really know how the spirits/rings work, who/how they are created, and who the spirits are. Human? From another realm? This can also be said about most of the characters, especially the person she's betrothed to. I could never really picture him. Her father and their history would also help during ...spoiler... especially when she was younger. If it was tender/loving, that would make a huge impact!
As for the title and cover: the cover is cool, but I don't know what it has to do with the story, and the title, I can see the link, but I have no clue what 'vesselless' has to do with the story. I don't remember reading about that.
It wasn't a bad read, but it moved so slowly and I got bored with it, and felt no connection with the characters, so I won't read any other of this potential series.
There is violence and adult content, so it's not suitable for readers under eighteen.
2 Stars
by Cortney L. Winn
The Merciless Realms #1
Fantasy
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: Oct 7, 2025
Harper Voyager
Ages: 18+
Heir to the Kingdom of Zarr, the kingdom her father stole by killing the king, Nizzara is the heir and shares the same darkness as her father. After going against the norm, her father ordered her to be celibate and betrothed her to an unknown man. But if she wins the deadly tournament, she can ask for a gift, and what she wants more than anything is to be free of the betrothal and still be heir.
But a new spirit is roaming the halls, one stronger than the others; Dagen, the king killed by Nizzara's father. Upon his death, he was trapped in another realm by the god of death, where he hunts souls for him, and Nizzara is a soul the god wants.
Taking the deal of getting Nizzara's soul in exchange for his freedom, Dagen haunts the castle, but can also phase out of his spirit form and into physical form.
This is something like the h. games/reality show storylines, but they didn't stand out much; feeling more like filler than a storyline. There's not much detail in this world or history, including the other kingdoms and realms, and all of them were mostly just skimmed over. I did like the idea of the other realms, but of the two that were talked about, only the one Dagen was sent to was touched upon. The other was only skimmed. So much more depth could have been added if those realms were woven into the storyline. One was more important than the other, but still, it's world-building and the author is attempting to create a huge world. And there were also cars and guns running on gems, but at the same time, the world is portrayed as being set in medieval times.
More depth about the spirits/rings and magic system would also help. I don't really know how the spirits/rings work, who/how they are created, and who the spirits are. Human? From another realm? This can also be said about most of the characters, especially the person she's betrothed to. I could never really picture him. Her father and their history would also help during ...spoiler... especially when she was younger. If it was tender/loving, that would make a huge impact!
As for the title and cover: the cover is cool, but I don't know what it has to do with the story, and the title, I can see the link, but I have no clue what 'vesselless' has to do with the story. I don't remember reading about that.
It wasn't a bad read, but it moved so slowly and I got bored with it, and felt no connection with the characters, so I won't read any other of this potential series.
There is violence and adult content, so it's not suitable for readers under eighteen.
2 Stars
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse
I inhaled this book. it has such a cool premise and unique magic system. it is beautifully written with multiple plot twists at the end that I never saw coming.
The banter and character development between the two main characters is wonderful. The strong and sassy protagonist slowly melting the heart of the MMC was a joy to read. I absolutely loved the emotional connection, growth, and slowburn romance between the characters.
it was so hard to put this book down, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I can’t wait to read the other books in the series once they’re released.
The banter and character development between the two main characters is wonderful. The strong and sassy protagonist slowly melting the heart of the MMC was a joy to read. I absolutely loved the emotional connection, growth, and slowburn romance between the characters.
it was so hard to put this book down, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I can’t wait to read the other books in the series once they’re released.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Tbh I waited a day to write this review and now I can’t remember what it’s about. I remember enjoying it…