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The Merciless Realms #1
Vesselless
She’s heiress to the throne. The throne her father stole from him.
Nizzara has always been able to perceive spirits better than the average caster. When she enters a deadly tournament to end her betrothal, she's determined to win without succumbing to the addictive spirit magic she channels or taking a life in the duel ring. Finding herself outmatched, Nizzara must face her fear of power and team up with Dagen—an enemy who is half-ghost and all charm—to survive the tournament.
Dagen, the last King of Zarr, was killed by Nizzara’s father ten years ago. Now a half-ghost—able to phase between his human and spirit form—he is stuck in another realm, hunting wretched souls. When his keeper offers him a chance to reclaim his freedom in exchange for Nizzara’s soul, Dagen takes the deal.
There’s only one catch: she must freely give it to him by the tournament’s end or his own soul is forfeit.
Nizzara has always been able to perceive spirits better than the average caster. When she enters a deadly tournament to end her betrothal, she's determined to win without succumbing to the addictive spirit magic she channels or taking a life in the duel ring. Finding herself outmatched, Nizzara must face her fear of power and team up with Dagen—an enemy who is half-ghost and all charm—to survive the tournament.
Dagen, the last King of Zarr, was killed by Nizzara’s father ten years ago. Now a half-ghost—able to phase between his human and spirit form—he is stuck in another realm, hunting wretched souls. When his keeper offers him a chance to reclaim his freedom in exchange for Nizzara’s soul, Dagen takes the deal.
There’s only one catch: she must freely give it to him by the tournament’s end or his own soul is forfeit.
485 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 23, 2024
1816 people are currently reading
46912 people want to read
About the author
Cortney L. Winn
3 books593 followersHi I'm Cortney!
I'm a mom to two wild boys, wife to my best friend, and writer of my favorite genres: romance and fantasy.
Most days you'll find me in jeans and a hoodie (even if it's warm outside) with a Diet Coke nearby.
Twilight sparked my journey into books and writing, and I'll read anything except horror. But, not to exclude Stephen King, I read (and loved) his book, On Writing.
My work has been influenced by Rebecca Yarros, Brigid Kemmerer, Brandon Sanderson, Carissa Broadbent, Victoria Aveyard, Sarah J. Maas, and so many others. I write early in the mornings, starting my day at 4:30 and end it with reading, which consists of a lot of textbooks right now as I near the completion of my bachelor's degree in marketing.
My two favorite quotes are:
"You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems." -James Clear
"A ship is safe in harbor, but that's not what ships are built for."
-William G. T. Shedd
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,827 reviews
August 2, 2024
WHY ARE THERE CARS???! IF THERE ARE CARS AND GUNS WHY ARE PEOPLE FIGHTING WITH SWORDS
July 26, 2025
“Knowledge is an addiction, and books are my drug of choice.”
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ✦ . ⁺ . ━ 4.6 - 4.8 ☆ ━ . ⁺ . ✦
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ╰┈➤˗ˏˋㅤmight contain spoilers ❗️
ㅤㅤI discovered I apparently have an issue when when it comes to books I really enjoy reading and that is: i struggle to find the correct things to say in my review. I am not sure how the review will end up, but just know, I am currently only making things along the way as I am writing this. What I can say about this book, however, is that I absolutely devoured every page of it like a starving woman. I am not even entirely sure if this actually deserves the high rating I am bestowing upon it, but I rate books by taking into consideration how they make me feel and whether, or not, I had a good time while reading them. And this book, definitely offered me such an insanely good time. It would have absolutely gotten 5 stars from me, if it wasn't for the small issues that I was quite unable to get over.
ㅤㅤ"Vesselless" follows the intertwined paths of Nizzara, a princess and the heiress to the throne of Zarr and Dagen, a half-spirithalf-daddy caught between life and death, bound to hunt spirits in the name of the Death God, and the king whose throne Nizzara's father stole through betrayal and murder. This is specifically why, when offered a chance at freedom from the dark god, Dagen does not hesitate to take it, even if it means he is tasked to deliver the very soul of the daughter of his usurper to the God. The perfect premises for a really interesting revenge plot, right? What Dagen did not expect, however, was for Nizzara to prove that behind her cold, wicked, and violent exterior, hides a true pure soul that never hesitates in helping others and defying the cruel reign of her father against all punishments. And what Nizzara did not expect was for the dark, brooding and very hot spirit hunting her rooms, to be exactly the king whose history made her develop quite a childood crush on him. Therefore, revenge might turn harder to instill and a cold facade might fall much faster when true feelings start to grow instead of simple attraction. But in a world where spirits are harnessed and bonded for power and where corruption, secrets, and violence reign, love might not always be the one to thrive.
ㅤㅤI am actually, truly excited to write this, despite the fact that I cannot find my words, so let's start the real deal.
ㅤㅤㅤ -ˋˏ ༻ world-building, writing and action ༺ ˎˊ-
ㅤㅤI will start with one of the two issues that had me rating this book slightly lower and held me back from actually offering it a full 5-star rating: the world-building. I mentioned this many times, but for me to actually fall entirely in love with a fantasy book, I also need to fully understand its imaginary world and how it is constructed. Unfortunately, this book left me feeling slightly confused once I finished it and with some big questions regarding the exact magnitude of this world. I would have loved for far more information about the soul-bounding process and the existence and organization of the realms. Not to mention the quite expansive world of the gods and creatures, which are still a mystery to me. I, however, heard the author is actually working on a full glossary for the book (hopefully a map as well) and that would be really amazing and helpful in the future.
ㅤㅤI do not think I have any complaints in terms of the writing in this novel. It is a very easy-to-read book with a very entertaining style that actually suits the genre of the book, as well as some really amusing and intriguing dialogues bound to make the interaction's between characters really delightful. There were, some really small elements that felt slightly disruptive at times (i did not expect to see "you slay" in a fantasy book), but they were so scarce that they did not become a meaningful impediment to the reading process. For short, I will not be a full hater.
ㅤㅤI entirely enjoyed the action in this book. It felt slightly repetitive at times, and maybe there could have been some more impactful elements for the action itself, but I am not going to lie; i literally ate everything from the action in this book up and it managed to keep me hooked onto everything that was happening next. The novel itself is very fast-paced, so that you do not really get bored, and the banter just adds the perfect amount of spice to it. I do admit that I hoped for more from the action in the ending of the book, as it felt slightly rushed, but I will talk more about that when I refer to the ending itself.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ -ˋˏ ༻ characters ༺ ˎˊ-
ㅤㅤI am not even sure what I can say about these characters, or if there is any suitable way of presenting them, because all I can say is that i just simply like them. I am not sure if this happened to anyone else, but I do not have words for something I just somehow simply liked.
ㅤㅤ 𓆙 Nizzara - she is somehow the ultimate badass with a very soft and innocent heart. Despite the cruelty of her father, both towards the kingdom and herself, she still manages to hold onto her goodness. I think I would describe her as kind of a combination between Aelin (from Throne of Glass series) and Oraya (from The Serpent and the Wings of Night). She is a really captivating and fun character to read about; her violence and slight arrogance attract intrigue towards her as a character and her innocence just brings a new level of sympathy for her. With a few more depth to her, she might become one of my favourite characters.
ㅤㅤ 𓆙 Dagen - He is simply the ultimate shadow daddy at this point (and not just because he somehow calls himself that). Dagen is, of course, the sacrificial ruler that would do quite anything for his people and, while this aspect is not that visible in the action from the book itself for now, I am sure it will be highly exploited in the future. He is a wicked and mischievous flirt that will definitely have you kicking your feet, and his amazingly big heart is bound to just make anyone wish for such a protective and chivalrous spirit for themselves(i know i badly wish for one...).
ㅤㅤ ❧ I am usually not the type to like this insta-lusty sort of romance(?) because, most of the time, it just becomes really forced. But, I have no idea how, i just simply loved the way the romance progressed in this book; it just literally worked perfectly for it. I found myself giggling more than once over the interactions between these two and how purely delightful and delicious they were. It could have done with slightly less of all the "deep, husky, dark voice", but I did not mind it. And I think the romance actually did an amazing job at portraying the pure side of Nizarra as a character because she is literally meeting the man she had a crush on in her childhood due to all the stories about him (it is all just so cute...)
ㅤㅤ 𓆙 The King of Zarr - I wanted to snap his neck, and somehow still hug this man in the same time. I am actually so excited that the next book in this series is a novella and it will focus on the past of Nizarra's father, because this character brought so much confusion to this book for me. I would say his story is quite similar to Dorian's father from Throne of Glass and this just made me so sad. He brings the perfect villain vibes to the story, so I am so excited to see what actually happened in his past.
ㅤㅤ 𓆙 Preysee and Yisabell - they do not have such a huge imput on the story itself, but they were the perfect addition in order to show the soft side of Nizarra as a character, as they are almost the sole receivers of her kindness. They manage to create such sweet scenes.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ -ˋˏ ༻ ending and conclusions ༺ ˎˊ-
ㅤㅤI hate being in pain, but apparently I am a complete sucker when it comes to being in pain due to cliff-hangers in books; because I actually loved the ending of this book and now I am unsure what I am going to do until the next one is released. And here comes the second issue I was talking about earlier for this book, which is the slightly rushed ending. I think the ending needed a few more pages in order to be entirely impactful and to actually clarify some thing further. The revelations in the ending are quite huge and numerous and they just feel like attacks on your brain, as you do not get the time to actually digest one, before the next one hits you. I wish the pace was slightly more decelerated in the ending so that the events could feel way more genuine, but this is just probably my personal preference.
ㅤㅤI loved this book. That is probably the only suitable conclusion I could draw here. It is somehow the type of book that would have received a full 5-star rating if it wasn't for the small issues that just did not entirely suit my personal preferences. I am not sure if others might consider this a good book, but i am mainly a mood-reader, and this just perfectly worked for me right now. It made me laugh, it made me have to take a break just to cool-off, it made me giggle like a school girl; it basically just made me feel whatever was happening in this book, and therefore, for me, this can be considered a good book.
ㅤㅤFor a debut novel, this actually looked pretty amazing in my opinion. Of course, there are some things that can be fixed and the author actually seems really willing to take feedback and solve them all; so all I can say right now is please, please, just give me the second book already!
────────────────────────
ㅤ ᯓ ✿ pre-reading ⪼ ㅤ been hearing quite a lot about this book, and since summer is ending and I am apparently back into full-reading mode, might as well give this a chance!
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ✦ . ⁺ . ━ 4.6 - 4.8 ☆ ━ . ⁺ . ✦
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ╰┈➤˗ˏˋㅤmight contain spoilers ❗️
ㅤㅤI discovered I apparently have an issue when when it comes to books I really enjoy reading and that is: i struggle to find the correct things to say in my review. I am not sure how the review will end up, but just know, I am currently only making things along the way as I am writing this. What I can say about this book, however, is that I absolutely devoured every page of it like a starving woman. I am not even entirely sure if this actually deserves the high rating I am bestowing upon it, but I rate books by taking into consideration how they make me feel and whether, or not, I had a good time while reading them. And this book, definitely offered me such an insanely good time. It would have absolutely gotten 5 stars from me, if it wasn't for the small issues that I was quite unable to get over.
ㅤㅤ"Vesselless" follows the intertwined paths of Nizzara, a princess and the heiress to the throne of Zarr and Dagen, a half-spirit
ㅤㅤI am actually, truly excited to write this, despite the fact that I cannot find my words, so let's start the real deal.
ㅤㅤㅤ -ˋˏ ༻ world-building, writing and action ༺ ˎˊ-
ㅤㅤI will start with one of the two issues that had me rating this book slightly lower and held me back from actually offering it a full 5-star rating: the world-building. I mentioned this many times, but for me to actually fall entirely in love with a fantasy book, I also need to fully understand its imaginary world and how it is constructed. Unfortunately, this book left me feeling slightly confused once I finished it and with some big questions regarding the exact magnitude of this world. I would have loved for far more information about the soul-bounding process and the existence and organization of the realms. Not to mention the quite expansive world of the gods and creatures, which are still a mystery to me. I, however, heard the author is actually working on a full glossary for the book (hopefully a map as well) and that would be really amazing and helpful in the future.
ㅤㅤI do not think I have any complaints in terms of the writing in this novel. It is a very easy-to-read book with a very entertaining style that actually suits the genre of the book, as well as some really amusing and intriguing dialogues bound to make the interaction's between characters really delightful. There were, some really small elements that felt slightly disruptive at times (i did not expect to see "you slay" in a fantasy book), but they were so scarce that they did not become a meaningful impediment to the reading process. For short, I will not be a full hater.
ㅤㅤI entirely enjoyed the action in this book. It felt slightly repetitive at times, and maybe there could have been some more impactful elements for the action itself, but I am not going to lie; i literally ate everything from the action in this book up and it managed to keep me hooked onto everything that was happening next. The novel itself is very fast-paced, so that you do not really get bored, and the banter just adds the perfect amount of spice to it. I do admit that I hoped for more from the action in the ending of the book, as it felt slightly rushed, but I will talk more about that when I refer to the ending itself.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ -ˋˏ ༻ characters ༺ ˎˊ-
ㅤㅤI am not even sure what I can say about these characters, or if there is any suitable way of presenting them, because all I can say is that i just simply like them. I am not sure if this happened to anyone else, but I do not have words for something I just somehow simply liked.
ㅤㅤ 𓆙 Nizzara - she is somehow the ultimate badass with a very soft and innocent heart. Despite the cruelty of her father, both towards the kingdom and herself, she still manages to hold onto her goodness. I think I would describe her as kind of a combination between Aelin (from Throne of Glass series) and Oraya (from The Serpent and the Wings of Night). She is a really captivating and fun character to read about; her violence and slight arrogance attract intrigue towards her as a character and her innocence just brings a new level of sympathy for her. With a few more depth to her, she might become one of my favourite characters.
ㅤㅤ 𓆙 Dagen - He is simply the ultimate shadow daddy at this point (and not just because he somehow calls himself that). Dagen is, of course, the sacrificial ruler that would do quite anything for his people and, while this aspect is not that visible in the action from the book itself for now, I am sure it will be highly exploited in the future. He is a wicked and mischievous flirt that will definitely have you kicking your feet, and his amazingly big heart is bound to just make anyone wish for such a protective and chivalrous spirit for themselves
ㅤㅤ ❧ I am usually not the type to like this insta-lusty sort of romance(?) because, most of the time, it just becomes really forced. But, I have no idea how, i just simply loved the way the romance progressed in this book; it just literally worked perfectly for it. I found myself giggling more than once over the interactions between these two and how purely delightful and delicious they were. It could have done with slightly less of all the "deep, husky, dark voice", but I did not mind it. And I think the romance actually did an amazing job at portraying the pure side of Nizarra as a character because she is literally meeting the man she had a crush on in her childhood due to all the stories about him (it is all just so cute...)
ㅤㅤ 𓆙 The King of Zarr - I wanted to snap his neck, and somehow still hug this man in the same time. I am actually so excited that the next book in this series is a novella and it will focus on the past of Nizarra's father, because this character brought so much confusion to this book for me. I would say his story is quite similar to Dorian's father from Throne of Glass and this just made me so sad. He brings the perfect villain vibes to the story, so I am so excited to see what actually happened in his past.
ㅤㅤ 𓆙 Preysee and Yisabell - they do not have such a huge imput on the story itself, but they were the perfect addition in order to show the soft side of Nizarra as a character, as they are almost the sole receivers of her kindness. They manage to create such sweet scenes.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ -ˋˏ ༻ ending and conclusions ༺ ˎˊ-
ㅤㅤI hate being in pain, but apparently I am a complete sucker when it comes to being in pain due to cliff-hangers in books; because I actually loved the ending of this book and now I am unsure what I am going to do until the next one is released. And here comes the second issue I was talking about earlier for this book, which is the slightly rushed ending. I think the ending needed a few more pages in order to be entirely impactful and to actually clarify some thing further. The revelations in the ending are quite huge and numerous and they just feel like attacks on your brain, as you do not get the time to actually digest one, before the next one hits you. I wish the pace was slightly more decelerated in the ending so that the events could feel way more genuine, but this is just probably my personal preference.
ㅤㅤI loved this book. That is probably the only suitable conclusion I could draw here. It is somehow the type of book that would have received a full 5-star rating if it wasn't for the small issues that just did not entirely suit my personal preferences. I am not sure if others might consider this a good book, but i am mainly a mood-reader, and this just perfectly worked for me right now. It made me laugh, it made me have to take a break just to cool-off, it made me giggle like a school girl; it basically just made me feel whatever was happening in this book, and therefore, for me, this can be considered a good book.
ㅤㅤFor a debut novel, this actually looked pretty amazing in my opinion. Of course, there are some things that can be fixed and the author actually seems really willing to take feedback and solve them all; so all I can say right now is please, please, just give me the second book already!
────────────────────────
ㅤ ᯓ ✿ pre-reading ⪼ ㅤ been hearing quite a lot about this book, and since summer is ending and I am apparently back into full-reading mode, might as well give this a chance!
August 4, 2024
3.75 ✨
Dagen, our MMC, is a half-alive, half-dead death walker who hunts souls and brings them back to the god of death. The god of death offers him a bargain, to hunt a pure soul and bring it back and gain his freedom. However, the pure soul belongs to the daughter of the king who killed him and took his throne. The Catch--he can not take the soul, it has to be given to him, and if he is not successful then he will loose his soul instead.
Nizzara, our FMC, feels like she does not belong in her family and that no one wants her. She is constantly fighting her vessel spirit and her inner magic while competing in a deadly tournament. If she wins she will end her betrothal, but she is up against some of the strongest and most deadly competitors, and will not channel her magic. Nizzara needs Dagens help to make it through the tournament and Dagen needs to get close to Nizzara.
✨Unique Magic System
✨Dual POV
✨Enemies to Lovers
✨Slow burn
✨Badass FMC
✨Ghostly MMC
✨Duels & Tournaments
For a debut novel, I felt like it was okay but you could tell it was a debut novel. There are a lot of aspects of the book that could potentially set a good foundation for an interesting series. The premise was good but the plot became a little predictable and the characters lacked depth. The romance was okay but it lacked development, and I could of used more banter and tension. There were moments where the banter had me smiling but the rest of it was just average not really memorable. There were times I felt that the author was throwing things together and then times where the storytelling was beautifully thought out. I was really hoping to see a lot more world-building and development but maybe we will get that in the second book of the series. Overall, I enjoyed the read.
✨Pre-Read Review✨: Ummm excuse me!! Did you say enemies to lovers slow-burn with a ghostly MMC who is also a Shadow daddy?
Yessssss I will gladly put my phone on DND for it! Let's Goooo!❤️
And This Cover😍❤️
"Because the greatest heroes have a touch of darkness inside.
Dagen, our MMC, is a half-alive, half-dead death walker who hunts souls and brings them back to the god of death. The god of death offers him a bargain, to hunt a pure soul and bring it back and gain his freedom. However, the pure soul belongs to the daughter of the king who killed him and took his throne. The Catch--he can not take the soul, it has to be given to him, and if he is not successful then he will loose his soul instead.
Nizzara, our FMC, feels like she does not belong in her family and that no one wants her. She is constantly fighting her vessel spirit and her inner magic while competing in a deadly tournament. If she wins she will end her betrothal, but she is up against some of the strongest and most deadly competitors, and will not channel her magic. Nizzara needs Dagens help to make it through the tournament and Dagen needs to get close to Nizzara.
✨Unique Magic System
✨Dual POV
✨Enemies to Lovers
✨Slow burn
✨Badass FMC
✨Ghostly MMC
✨Duels & Tournaments
For a debut novel, I felt like it was okay but you could tell it was a debut novel. There are a lot of aspects of the book that could potentially set a good foundation for an interesting series. The premise was good but the plot became a little predictable and the characters lacked depth. The romance was okay but it lacked development, and I could of used more banter and tension. There were moments where the banter had me smiling but the rest of it was just average not really memorable. There were times I felt that the author was throwing things together and then times where the storytelling was beautifully thought out. I was really hoping to see a lot more world-building and development but maybe we will get that in the second book of the series. Overall, I enjoyed the read.
"Knowledge is an addiction, and books are my drug of choice."
"I've seen monsters, Nizzara, and you are not one of them. A little beast maybe, but not a monster."
"In that case, never kiss a spirit," he says at the base of my ear. "It might set the bar too high for poor mortal men."
"Do you usually assault men with daggers while wearing racy nightgowns? Because if so, I've been hanging out in the wrong social circles."
"You and that lip will be the second death of me."
"I can not hate your heart...It is the most beautiful thing about you."
✨Pre-Read Review✨: Ummm excuse me!! Did you say enemies to lovers slow-burn with a ghostly MMC who is also a Shadow daddy?
Yessssss I will gladly put my phone on DND for it! Let's Goooo!❤️
And This Cover😍❤️
September 29, 2025
4.5 Stars but rounding up to 5
I feel confident classifying Vesselless as a high fantasy read. The world-building is complex, with multiple kingdoms, human and spirit realms, diverse species, several royal families, numerous gods and goddesses, and complicated spirit magic, with seemingly endless different abilities and manifestations.
On the surface, Vesselless tells the story of Nizzara, Princess of the Zarr Kingdom and heiress to the throne. She’s a caster, bonded to a spirt through an unremovable ring she wears on her finger, a Vessel. Forced into a betrothal she does not want, Nizzara enters the King’s Duel in hopes of being granted her wish of ending her engagement upon winning. To win, Nizzara must join forces with Dagen, a mysterious spirit who just so happens to be the charming and very handsome former King of Zarr. However, Dagen has his own motivations. As a subject to the god of death, Dagen struck a bargain to earn his freedom and a chance to reclaim his throne, and the price is Nizzara’s soul. While the tournament is the main focus of the plot, Vesselless also tells a story of the struggle to resist addictive power and darkness, an abusive father/daughter relationship, hidden identities and royal secrets, lies and betrayal, and old evil resurfacing.
What I Loved:
The world and magic system is fantastic. This book is set in what feels like a more futuristic fantasy world with developed kingdoms and gem powered “glo-kars” and “glo-guns.” It feels a bit Sci-Fi-esque while still being grounded in its fantasy roots. I’m also incredibly intrigued by the Skeeves and cannot wait to see how that plays out in book 2.
What I Struggled With:
While I loved the world-building, it is a lot to digest. I feel as though I need to read the book twice to fully understand all its complexities, which is far from a bad thing, but makes for a more challenging read. I also found the romance to be a bit formulaic and underwhelming, which stood in stark contrast to the unique world and magic system the author created. I’m still rooting for Nizzara and Dagen though!
That being said, I would still absolutely recommend Vesselless to high fantasy readers and those looking for a spirit/human slow-burn romance. The ending sets up book 2 for the possibility of being a 5-star read, and when it eventually releases, there is no way I will not be picking it up.
Thank you to NetGalley, Cortney L. Winn, and Harper Voyager for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.
I feel confident classifying Vesselless as a high fantasy read. The world-building is complex, with multiple kingdoms, human and spirit realms, diverse species, several royal families, numerous gods and goddesses, and complicated spirit magic, with seemingly endless different abilities and manifestations.
On the surface, Vesselless tells the story of Nizzara, Princess of the Zarr Kingdom and heiress to the throne. She’s a caster, bonded to a spirt through an unremovable ring she wears on her finger, a Vessel. Forced into a betrothal she does not want, Nizzara enters the King’s Duel in hopes of being granted her wish of ending her engagement upon winning. To win, Nizzara must join forces with Dagen, a mysterious spirit who just so happens to be the charming and very handsome former King of Zarr. However, Dagen has his own motivations. As a subject to the god of death, Dagen struck a bargain to earn his freedom and a chance to reclaim his throne, and the price is Nizzara’s soul. While the tournament is the main focus of the plot, Vesselless also tells a story of the struggle to resist addictive power and darkness, an abusive father/daughter relationship, hidden identities and royal secrets, lies and betrayal, and old evil resurfacing.
What I Loved:
The world and magic system is fantastic. This book is set in what feels like a more futuristic fantasy world with developed kingdoms and gem powered “glo-kars” and “glo-guns.” It feels a bit Sci-Fi-esque while still being grounded in its fantasy roots. I’m also incredibly intrigued by the Skeeves and cannot wait to see how that plays out in book 2.
What I Struggled With:
While I loved the world-building, it is a lot to digest. I feel as though I need to read the book twice to fully understand all its complexities, which is far from a bad thing, but makes for a more challenging read. I also found the romance to be a bit formulaic and underwhelming, which stood in stark contrast to the unique world and magic system the author created. I’m still rooting for Nizzara and Dagen though!
That being said, I would still absolutely recommend Vesselless to high fantasy readers and those looking for a spirit/human slow-burn romance. The ending sets up book 2 for the possibility of being a 5-star read, and when it eventually releases, there is no way I will not be picking it up.
Thank you to NetGalley, Cortney L. Winn, and Harper Voyager for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.
December 31, 2025
i went into this not knowing anything and it turned out to be such a good book with a lot of unique concepts. the whole idea of the “vessels” and ghost possession was so clever, i was so interested in the magic system as a whole. the fmc Nizzara has been through so much and endures torture frequently under her fathers hand. she’s someone with a lot of layers to her character— she’s violent and vicious, but she also refuses to actually kill anyone in the tournaments and will sacrifice herself if she believes it’ll protect those she loves.
“In that case, never kiss a spirit,” he says at the base of my ear. “It might set the bar too high for poor mortal men.”
the mmc Dagen is a half-ghost, sent on a mission to retrieve Nizzara’s pure soul in the hopes of gaining his own soul and his freedom again. the romance and tension was killing me, Dagen is an A CLASS flirt for real. i was living for all the moments where he visited her in his ghost form, then when he started appearing in his human body? that’s where all the push and pull really shined. the way this ended felt a little rushed, otherwise i would’ve rated it higher but i just don’t know what to do with myself after the way this left off.
“In that case, never kiss a spirit,” he says at the base of my ear. “It might set the bar too high for poor mortal men.”
the mmc Dagen is a half-ghost, sent on a mission to retrieve Nizzara’s pure soul in the hopes of gaining his own soul and his freedom again. the romance and tension was killing me, Dagen is an A CLASS flirt for real. i was living for all the moments where he visited her in his ghost form, then when he started appearing in his human body? that’s where all the push and pull really shined. the way this ended felt a little rushed, otherwise i would’ve rated it higher but i just don’t know what to do with myself after the way this left off.
July 5, 2024
“To save his soul, he must steal hers”
THIS IS BEST BOOK I HAVE READ THIS YEAR. This book is the breath of fresh air the romantasy genre needs.
Vesselless utilizes a few things familiar to the genre (a deadly duel competition, an unwanted arranged marriage, the dark side of magic) but the author weaves those elements in with emotional journeys from both the MMC and FMC, a tense political landscape and the threat from meddling and dangerous gods to create an intricate plot where the actions of one person affects the whole.
This book is intense. The magic system is multi-layered and power is granted through a “vessel” or a ring where a spirit is bound to protect its wearer, the gods are ruthless, prophecies are becoming reality, never-before-seen monsters must be fought, the rebel’s numbers are strengthening, the tension amongst the kingdoms is escalating, the King is slowly descending into madness and Nizzara must win the King’s Duel in order to win her Crown.
King Dagan was killed by Nizzara’s father, who presently sits on the throne. Dagan, currently at the mercy of a ruthless and evil god, has been tasked with bringing back Nizzara’s soul in exchange for his freedom. The kingdom Dagan knew before his death is slowly starving and he wishes to reclaim the throne and work towards helping his people.
The romance is a **slow-burn** and built in a way where their love is built over time through their actions and words (perhaps there is a little bit of mind-reading going on…), not just an instant physical attraction.
I am still vibrating from the ending of this book. My chest has been tight and I cannot stop thinking about it. The way the author brings the multitude of storylines and the different conflicts to a blazing zenith and then twists it all together to forge a whole new conflict for the next book…absolutely amazing.
Now…how can I get my hands on a physical copy? 😭😭
THIS IS BEST BOOK I HAVE READ THIS YEAR. This book is the breath of fresh air the romantasy genre needs.
Vesselless utilizes a few things familiar to the genre (a deadly duel competition, an unwanted arranged marriage, the dark side of magic) but the author weaves those elements in with emotional journeys from both the MMC and FMC, a tense political landscape and the threat from meddling and dangerous gods to create an intricate plot where the actions of one person affects the whole.
This book is intense. The magic system is multi-layered and power is granted through a “vessel” or a ring where a spirit is bound to protect its wearer, the gods are ruthless, prophecies are becoming reality, never-before-seen monsters must be fought, the rebel’s numbers are strengthening, the tension amongst the kingdoms is escalating, the King is slowly descending into madness and Nizzara must win the King’s Duel in order to win her Crown.
King Dagan was killed by Nizzara’s father, who presently sits on the throne. Dagan, currently at the mercy of a ruthless and evil god, has been tasked with bringing back Nizzara’s soul in exchange for his freedom. The kingdom Dagan knew before his death is slowly starving and he wishes to reclaim the throne and work towards helping his people.
The romance is a **slow-burn** and built in a way where their love is built over time through their actions and words (perhaps there is a little bit of mind-reading going on…), not just an instant physical attraction.
I am still vibrating from the ending of this book. My chest has been tight and I cannot stop thinking about it. The way the author brings the multitude of storylines and the different conflicts to a blazing zenith and then twists it all together to forge a whole new conflict for the next book…absolutely amazing.
Now…how can I get my hands on a physical copy? 😭😭
October 7, 2025
⭐️ 4 ⭐️ This was VERY good. If you’re looking for something very different and intriguing look no further because this wins on creativity of the spirit-world magic system and balance between the plot and romance aspect. Neither overshadows or under-shadows each other and it’s soooo perfect. Cortney L. Winn originally self published last year but was picked up by a major publishing company. This version (coming out on October 7th) is more solid, proofed and has smoother storytelling where all ends are well explained and executed. I’ve read both versions & yes there are major changes that improve the book overall.
Vesselless had an impressive worldbuilding with creative magic system where spirits bond to characters souls. In order to do that, they must wear a ring that protects the bond between a human and a spirit & serves as a conduit of the spirits power. Sometimes some spirits are able to possess a soul (this gave me serious Throne of Glass flashbacks!) while others have “vessels” that allow for certain powers. Complex, but so interesting! But it wasn’t foolproof, it had its complexities and quirks that sometimes didn’t make sense—like gemstone guns and special vehicles called “glo-kars” that pulled you out of the magical world. I don’t think urban fantasy mixed in with traditional fantasy worked in this one, but it may just be my dislike of these urban elements. I also felt it had “too much” going on with other realms, kingdoms, species. Sometimes that lost me but the author did a good job bringing me back into the story.
The romance? Seductive. We have a (dead) king who is a ghost, a princess who can hear & see him. She needs his power to win a tournament but he needs her soul to be free. He’s the ultimate shadow daddy but underneath his hot and steamy vigor, he’s a cinnamon roll MMC. He’s a death walker with a soft spot for Nizzara, our female main character. She’s got a complicated history with her father and a rather abusive relationship. She’s well layered, strong, has a “pure soul” where despite being powerful and a skilled fighter, she refuses to kill another. They were honestly perfect for each other.
I’d like to think of myself as a seasoned fantasy/romatasy reader to be able to really distinguish (or should I say comment on the quality) between different works’. I really think this story has so much potential and the author, based on that cliffhanger, can take it further in any direction. For a debut, this surpassed my expectations. Winn not only wrote a sensational hit but also explored the complexities of father-daughter relationships, where a woman was wronged by a man but came back stronger, better and deadlier.
Thank you NetGalley, the author, Cortney L. Winn and Avon and Harper Voyager for this eARC!!
Publication date: October 7, 2025
Vesselless had an impressive worldbuilding with creative magic system where spirits bond to characters souls. In order to do that, they must wear a ring that protects the bond between a human and a spirit & serves as a conduit of the spirits power. Sometimes some spirits are able to possess a soul (this gave me serious Throne of Glass flashbacks!) while others have “vessels” that allow for certain powers. Complex, but so interesting! But it wasn’t foolproof, it had its complexities and quirks that sometimes didn’t make sense—like gemstone guns and special vehicles called “glo-kars” that pulled you out of the magical world. I don’t think urban fantasy mixed in with traditional fantasy worked in this one, but it may just be my dislike of these urban elements. I also felt it had “too much” going on with other realms, kingdoms, species. Sometimes that lost me but the author did a good job bringing me back into the story.
The romance? Seductive. We have a (dead) king who is a ghost, a princess who can hear & see him. She needs his power to win a tournament but he needs her soul to be free. He’s the ultimate shadow daddy but underneath his hot and steamy vigor, he’s a cinnamon roll MMC. He’s a death walker with a soft spot for Nizzara, our female main character. She’s got a complicated history with her father and a rather abusive relationship. She’s well layered, strong, has a “pure soul” where despite being powerful and a skilled fighter, she refuses to kill another. They were honestly perfect for each other.
I’d like to think of myself as a seasoned fantasy/romatasy reader to be able to really distinguish (or should I say comment on the quality) between different works’. I really think this story has so much potential and the author, based on that cliffhanger, can take it further in any direction. For a debut, this surpassed my expectations. Winn not only wrote a sensational hit but also explored the complexities of father-daughter relationships, where a woman was wronged by a man but came back stronger, better and deadlier.
Thank you NetGalley, the author, Cortney L. Winn and Avon and Harper Voyager for this eARC!!
Publication date: October 7, 2025
July 18, 2024
This was not "captivating" and Dagen is a cringe lord.
I really wanted to like Vesselless, but it was poorly executed. The beginning started with so much potential, I was truly enjoying the story and the writing was descriptive and lush... until I kept reading and everything turned into a sloppy mess. The characters were surface-level, the plot was predictable (too many Easter eggs sprinkled throughout), and the world-building was meh. I felt like I was locked inside the castle the entire time because there was barely any exploration elsewhere. I'm still confused about the entire setting... so there's no electricity and the buildings (castle and brothel since that's all we really explored) are described as medieval, but there are luxury sports cars? And the castle has an elevator that still works even though it was established that there is no electricity? It just doesn't make sense and should have been explained more. The writing was more talking/explaining instead of actually doing and showing. There were so many sentences that began with "I was about to..." and "I'm going to..." so it became extremely redundant.
Nizzara (FMC) is nOt LiKe oThEr GiRlS 🥺👉👈 (blah blah blah, girly is drier than a popeyes biscuit) and Dagen (MMC) was insufferable. His POV's were excruciatingly painful to read and I hated being inside his head. As soon as he sees Nizzara for the first time, he immediately lusts after her because she's just ohh so hot sitting in her bathtub while he ghost-stalks her (...give me a fucking break). That could just be a "me" problem because I'm not a fan of insta-lust; however, when this is supposed to be about the characters falling in love, it just gives me the ick. Also there are so many people saying this is a slow-burn... no the fuck it's not. There was no longing for each other, no cute romantic moments, no chemistry, NOTHING. I'm still not convinced that they even like each other as friends let alone lovers. And don't even get me started on the pet name Cringe Lord gives her, "little beast"... "LITTLE BEAST". Really??? That's the best you could come up with??? There was literally one singular page where he referred to her as "little beast" THREE TIMES. I couldn't even take their sex scene seriously because he called her that name during it, and I physically recoiled.
Here are some of my other 'favorite' *eye roll* quotes/phrases:
‣ "You slay"
‣ "Smut clown"
‣ "Twisty things to my stomach"
‣ "The guards are the size of guards"
‣ "Fine. Then, I'll give you a nickname you hate." (- Nizzara) | "Like shadow daddy?" (- Dagen) ← EW EW EW WHYYYYYYYY
One of the worst scenes of this story...
TW:
I'm so disappointed because I really wanted to like this book, and the concept was so intriguing. I think it needs a heavy round of editing and revision for it to be enjoyable. I understand that the author has been open about publishing prematurely, but this shouldn't have even been sent out to potential agents in the state it's in.
I really wanted to like Vesselless, but it was poorly executed. The beginning started with so much potential, I was truly enjoying the story and the writing was descriptive and lush... until I kept reading and everything turned into a sloppy mess. The characters were surface-level, the plot was predictable (too many Easter eggs sprinkled throughout), and the world-building was meh. I felt like I was locked inside the castle the entire time because there was barely any exploration elsewhere. I'm still confused about the entire setting... so there's no electricity and the buildings (castle and brothel since that's all we really explored) are described as medieval, but there are luxury sports cars? And the castle has an elevator that still works even though it was established that there is no electricity? It just doesn't make sense and should have been explained more. The writing was more talking/explaining instead of actually doing and showing. There were so many sentences that began with "I was about to..." and "I'm going to..." so it became extremely redundant.
Nizzara (FMC) is nOt LiKe oThEr GiRlS 🥺👉👈 (blah blah blah, girly is drier than a popeyes biscuit) and Dagen (MMC) was insufferable. His POV's were excruciatingly painful to read and I hated being inside his head. As soon as he sees Nizzara for the first time, he immediately lusts after her because she's just ohh so hot sitting in her bathtub while he ghost-stalks her (...give me a fucking break). That could just be a "me" problem because I'm not a fan of insta-lust; however, when this is supposed to be about the characters falling in love, it just gives me the ick. Also there are so many people saying this is a slow-burn... no the fuck it's not. There was no longing for each other, no cute romantic moments, no chemistry, NOTHING. I'm still not convinced that they even like each other as friends let alone lovers. And don't even get me started on the pet name Cringe Lord gives her, "little beast"... "LITTLE BEAST". Really??? That's the best you could come up with??? There was literally one singular page where he referred to her as "little beast" THREE TIMES. I couldn't even take their sex scene seriously because he called her that name during it, and I physically recoiled.
Here are some of my other 'favorite' *eye roll* quotes/phrases:
‣ "You slay"
‣ "Smut clown"
‣ "Twisty things to my stomach"
‣ "The guards are the size of guards"
‣ "Fine. Then, I'll give you a nickname you hate." (- Nizzara) | "Like shadow daddy?" (- Dagen) ← EW EW EW WHYYYYYYYY
One of the worst scenes of this story...
TW:
I'm so disappointed because I really wanted to like this book, and the concept was so intriguing. I think it needs a heavy round of editing and revision for it to be enjoyable. I understand that the author has been open about publishing prematurely, but this shouldn't have even been sent out to potential agents in the state it's in.
July 19, 2024
4.5 stars!!!
This. Was. Amazing. And it’s this authors debut novel? God, I can’t wait to see how the rest of this series goes.
Dagen, our MMC is sent by the god of death to retrieve a pure soul. Turns out, that pure soul belongs to the princess whose father killed Dagen and took his throne. Or, tried to kill him. He’s a death walker, half alive, half dead, bound to bring souls to the god of death forever. Nazzara, the princess, meanwhile has her own plan to change the kingdom she loves so dearly, and in order to do this, she has to win a tournament and with her victory, put those plans in motion.
This magic system was so unique. More modern than I’ve seen most fantasy books be lately. People with rings bond with a spirit, that in turn grants them power, and the power depends on the spirit and the person. SPIRIT MAGIC? ARE YOU KIDDING? That’s so freaking cool!!!! It was darker than I expected, and I ate it up. I NEED THE SECOND BOOK NOW BECAUSE THAT ENDING HAS ME SPINNING OUT. IM SPIRALING. The romance was definitely a slow burn, and I loved every second of it. Dagen had me swooning from his words, and Nizzara had me swooning from her feminine rage. Read it. Please and thank you.
- Ghosty MMC (& he’s a shadow daddy)
- Badass FMC
- Mind speaking
- Unique magic system
- Enemies to lovers
- SLOWWWW burn
- Dagger to throat scenes
- Feminine rage!!!!!!!
This. Was. Amazing. And it’s this authors debut novel? God, I can’t wait to see how the rest of this series goes.
Dagen, our MMC is sent by the god of death to retrieve a pure soul. Turns out, that pure soul belongs to the princess whose father killed Dagen and took his throne. Or, tried to kill him. He’s a death walker, half alive, half dead, bound to bring souls to the god of death forever. Nazzara, the princess, meanwhile has her own plan to change the kingdom she loves so dearly, and in order to do this, she has to win a tournament and with her victory, put those plans in motion.
This magic system was so unique. More modern than I’ve seen most fantasy books be lately. People with rings bond with a spirit, that in turn grants them power, and the power depends on the spirit and the person. SPIRIT MAGIC? ARE YOU KIDDING? That’s so freaking cool!!!! It was darker than I expected, and I ate it up. I NEED THE SECOND BOOK NOW BECAUSE THAT ENDING HAS ME SPINNING OUT. IM SPIRALING. The romance was definitely a slow burn, and I loved every second of it. Dagen had me swooning from his words, and Nizzara had me swooning from her feminine rage. Read it. Please and thank you.
- Ghosty MMC (& he’s a shadow daddy)
- Badass FMC
- Mind speaking
- Unique magic system
- Enemies to lovers
- SLOWWWW burn
- Dagger to throat scenes
- Feminine rage!!!!!!!
March 8, 2025
4.5 stars. For my girls who fell in love with lore the moment Casper became Devon Sawa, THIS is your book. The magic system is unique: people bond with spirits to gain extra power. Dae, our male lead, is a half-ghost (DON’T WORRY, LADIES, HE CAN DE-GHOST), sent to take the soul of the FMC, Nizarra, in order to win back his freedom. Can it get more enemies-to-lovers than that? The banter is on point. If you love Rhysand's flirty quips in ACOMAF, you will be kicking your feet!
My only critique is that the modern urban fantasy setting takes a few liberties that were a bit confusing (cars, but it also felt like medieval dueling?), though I’ll admit it was intriguing because it was unlike anything I’ve ever read.
My only critique is that the modern urban fantasy setting takes a few liberties that were a bit confusing (cars, but it also felt like medieval dueling?), though I’ll admit it was intriguing because it was unlike anything I’ve ever read.
February 19, 2026
This was a solid romantasy read.
The storyline and the magic system was really intriguing, though confusing at times. And this book is definitely more driven by the story and the characters than the romance. Though when the romance does ramp up, it's 🤌
Both main characters were enjoyable and their different POVs brought different things to the story that kept everything moving forward and kept you intrigued on both sides.
But I'll say some of the stuff that happens was confusing and some of it was very abrupt, especially some stuff toward the end.
But I really need to see what happens next and can't wait for the next one ❤️🔥
Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper for this copy in exchange for an honest review!
The storyline and the magic system was really intriguing, though confusing at times. And this book is definitely more driven by the story and the characters than the romance. Though when the romance does ramp up, it's 🤌
Both main characters were enjoyable and their different POVs brought different things to the story that kept everything moving forward and kept you intrigued on both sides.
But I'll say some of the stuff that happens was confusing and some of it was very abrupt, especially some stuff toward the end.
But I really need to see what happens next and can't wait for the next one ❤️🔥
Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper for this copy in exchange for an honest review!
November 5, 2025
I see the appeal. I didn’t hate it. Not sure if I loved it though. I did like it enough to finish.
This is probably what I’d call a starter romantasy. If you haven’t read a ton from the genre you’ll probably have a great time with this book. If you’re well verse in romantasy and looking for something that breaks the mold, this isn’t quite that, but it does have some unique aspects.
I was into the ghost Daddy concept and the bonding of spirits, and frankly a lot of the world was pretty cool sounding, but it was lacking in explanation and details. I didn’t ever feel like I had a good grasp on the kingdoms, magic, gods, or politics.
This is only slow-burn in the way that it takes a while for them to finally get together but they are immediately attracted to each other and lusting for each other at first sight. I don’t usually enjoy this, so it didn’t work for me, but I think if you like an MMC that is constantly thinking about how perfect the FMC is, you’ll be into this one.
Overall, the concept was awesome, the execution a bit lacking. Definitely not something I’d tell people to avoid, but I won’t be actively trying to convince anyone to read this one.
Audio Narration: 4/5 I enjoyed both narrators. The pacing was slightly faster with the male narrator which was a bit annoying but not so bad that it wasn’t manageable. Female narrator does a great job with male voices I was definitely questioning if it was duet for the first chapter!
3.4⭐️| IG | TikTok |
Thank you NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.
This is probably what I’d call a starter romantasy. If you haven’t read a ton from the genre you’ll probably have a great time with this book. If you’re well verse in romantasy and looking for something that breaks the mold, this isn’t quite that, but it does have some unique aspects.
I was into the ghost Daddy concept and the bonding of spirits, and frankly a lot of the world was pretty cool sounding, but it was lacking in explanation and details. I didn’t ever feel like I had a good grasp on the kingdoms, magic, gods, or politics.
This is only slow-burn in the way that it takes a while for them to finally get together but they are immediately attracted to each other and lusting for each other at first sight. I don’t usually enjoy this, so it didn’t work for me, but I think if you like an MMC that is constantly thinking about how perfect the FMC is, you’ll be into this one.
Overall, the concept was awesome, the execution a bit lacking. Definitely not something I’d tell people to avoid, but I won’t be actively trying to convince anyone to read this one.
Audio Narration: 4/5 I enjoyed both narrators. The pacing was slightly faster with the male narrator which was a bit annoying but not so bad that it wasn’t manageable. Female narrator does a great job with male voices I was definitely questioning if it was duet for the first chapter!
3.4⭐️| IG | TikTok |
Thank you NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.
October 7, 2025
5/5 ⭐️
1/5 🌶️
This book wrecked me in the best possible way. From the first chapter, Courtney Winn’s writing hooked me—lyrical, haunting, and full of emotion. Every line feels intentional, like it’s reaching straight into your chest. It’s dark, beautiful, and aching with humanity.
The atmosphere is so vivid it feels alive—melancholy and magic woven together until you can’t tell where one ends and the other begins. I was completely consumed.
The audiobook elevated an already incredible story. With veteran narrator Samantha Brentmoor voicing Nizzara and newcomer Brandon Francis as Dagen, the dual narration adds a whole new layer of depth and intimacy. Their performances are mesmerizing—raw, emotional, and perfectly balanced. They don’t just read the story; they breathe life into it.
Vesselless is haunting, tender, and utterly unforgettable. It’s one of those rare books that leaves you quiet at the end, sitting in your feelings, grateful you got to experience it.
Thanks to Cortney, her publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced audio copy.
1/5 🌶️
This book wrecked me in the best possible way. From the first chapter, Courtney Winn’s writing hooked me—lyrical, haunting, and full of emotion. Every line feels intentional, like it’s reaching straight into your chest. It’s dark, beautiful, and aching with humanity.
The atmosphere is so vivid it feels alive—melancholy and magic woven together until you can’t tell where one ends and the other begins. I was completely consumed.
The audiobook elevated an already incredible story. With veteran narrator Samantha Brentmoor voicing Nizzara and newcomer Brandon Francis as Dagen, the dual narration adds a whole new layer of depth and intimacy. Their performances are mesmerizing—raw, emotional, and perfectly balanced. They don’t just read the story; they breathe life into it.
Vesselless is haunting, tender, and utterly unforgettable. It’s one of those rare books that leaves you quiet at the end, sitting in your feelings, grateful you got to experience it.
Thanks to Cortney, her publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced audio copy.
September 2, 2024
listen, they're allowed to be shadow daddies, but they're not allowed to be self aware enough to CALL themselves shadow daddies.
✧ DNF, someone pls explain why/how cars existed in world
✧ DNF, someone pls explain why/how cars existed in world
November 9, 2025
this book was kinda messy to me, I am unsure if I will continue I think at the time of finishing I went ya ill continue this series but the longer I go the more I think I probably won’t.
I think the marketing for this leaned too much into what was trendy, like yes there are “trials” I guess but they were more just fights and really didn’t affect the overall story much. & imo he doesn’t do much to help her, like the synopsis and marketing gave me she’s stuck and needs his help or is going to not survive the trials. And I see how that is true but I just feel like it doesn’t capture the true essence of this story. So I think I went into this expecting and wanting a different story than what i got.
I really did think the world building and magic in this was really cool but it’s also one of my biggest complaints of the book. nothing felt well developed we had random concepts thrown at us constantly that in theory were really interesting but were never developed to a substantial point. like I want to know more about everything to make the world feel real not just words on paper. I couldn’t grasp how things actually worked. Which I am a reader who loves rules.
ALSO his entire pov is just info dumping for half of this story. He’s just reading memories and info dumping stuff to us. Which also sucks considering I still found the world murky. I think the author just went to big, the concepts were there we just needed to expand slower and take our time.
I also struggled with some relationships in this story. TRULY I THIK THINGS WERE JUST RUSHED. Like I wish I could see her father PRE abuse, so that I cared about him or had more moments with her mother and sister. Or even her spirit. I think betrayals didn’t hit as hard because I didn’t care about characters. I think this book could have been two books tbh.
I did like their relationship I thought he was an incredible love interest who said all the right things. I liked how she struggled with having what i say “two things being true”. You can love and hate someone. You can love and think what someone does is wrong. You can feel empathy and still think someone is a bad person. Emotions are complicated and I did love the nuance of that in this story.
Check back in next year to see if I read the sequel cause even writing this I am like there’s a lot I loved about this I just feel like it felt debut ish. Like I saw how it could be improved upon.
I think the marketing for this leaned too much into what was trendy, like yes there are “trials” I guess but they were more just fights and really didn’t affect the overall story much. & imo he doesn’t do much to help her, like the synopsis and marketing gave me she’s stuck and needs his help or is going to not survive the trials. And I see how that is true but I just feel like it doesn’t capture the true essence of this story. So I think I went into this expecting and wanting a different story than what i got.
I really did think the world building and magic in this was really cool but it’s also one of my biggest complaints of the book. nothing felt well developed we had random concepts thrown at us constantly that in theory were really interesting but were never developed to a substantial point. like I want to know more about everything to make the world feel real not just words on paper. I couldn’t grasp how things actually worked. Which I am a reader who loves rules.
ALSO his entire pov is just info dumping for half of this story. He’s just reading memories and info dumping stuff to us. Which also sucks considering I still found the world murky. I think the author just went to big, the concepts were there we just needed to expand slower and take our time.
I also struggled with some relationships in this story. TRULY I THIK THINGS WERE JUST RUSHED. Like I wish I could see her father PRE abuse, so that I cared about him or had more moments with her mother and sister. Or even her spirit. I think betrayals didn’t hit as hard because I didn’t care about characters. I think this book could have been two books tbh.
I did like their relationship I thought he was an incredible love interest who said all the right things. I liked how she struggled with having what i say “two things being true”. You can love and hate someone. You can love and think what someone does is wrong. You can feel empathy and still think someone is a bad person. Emotions are complicated and I did love the nuance of that in this story.
Check back in next year to see if I read the sequel cause even writing this I am like there’s a lot I loved about this I just feel like it felt debut ish. Like I saw how it could be improved upon.
August 23, 2024
If you like this book, I will never trust your recommendations again. It’s advertised in the same way as Quicksilver, touted as the new best romantasy of the year, and I am so tired of this nonsense.
Let’s not normalize phrases like “smut clown” and “you slay” in fantasy books.
❌ NO SLOW BURN—be real, it’s insta-lust.
He literally sees her for the first time while she’s taking a bath (?????) and immediately thinks of her like this: “the face of a fucking goddess…”; “…those fucking lips.” Eeeeeewww. Get out of here, pervert. If this is what goes on in the minds of these so-called “cool hot book boyfriends,” I don’t want to know what goes on in their heads. Reading chapters from the MMC’s perspective was unbearable.
❌ Cheesy and repetitive writing.
“...the guards are the size of guards.” Seriously? And then there was “I’m-going-to-punch-you-in-the-jaw” and “I-fucking-burn-for-you-look.” Honestly, I have nothing more to say about it.
❌ He called her “cruel little beast” 30 times.
I will never recover. It’s almost as bad as “darling,” “vicious little thing,” and “stubborn” from Powerless.
❌ “Fine. Then, I’ll give you a nickname you hate.”
“Like Shadow Daddy? I would absolutely hate that one.”
As if it weren’t enough for us to have hundreds (thousands?) of these identical men with these nicknames, now they even call themselves that on the pages of the book. Cringe.
❌ Confusing world-building.
To be honest, I didn’t expect anything special or brilliant from this book, but even with my low expectations, it turned out bad. Stop comparing debut books to those that have already become fantasy classics. This is nothing like Brandon Sanderson’s or Patrick Rothfuss’s works. Such comparisons raise expectations, which does not benefit the book.
❌ Too much italics! The text formatting in this book made me feel like I was plunging into the depths of AO3.
The main character was almost raped (and in this scene, she experienced her first kiss), but our “perfect” knight saved her. Then, just a couple of hours later, she has her second kiss with the MMC. The scene was pretty hot, and I even thought he might take advantage of her vulnerable, traumatized state, but they were interrupted, so nothing happened. Now, we will never know the truth.
If you liked Powerless and want something similar but with smut, and you’ve already read Quicksilver, you might enjoy this book :)
Let’s not normalize phrases like “smut clown” and “you slay” in fantasy books.
❌ NO SLOW BURN—be real, it’s insta-lust.
He literally sees her for the first time while she’s taking a bath (?????) and immediately thinks of her like this: “the face of a fucking goddess…”; “…those fucking lips.” Eeeeeewww. Get out of here, pervert. If this is what goes on in the minds of these so-called “cool hot book boyfriends,” I don’t want to know what goes on in their heads. Reading chapters from the MMC’s perspective was unbearable.
❌ Cheesy and repetitive writing.
“...the guards are the size of guards.” Seriously? And then there was “I’m-going-to-punch-you-in-the-jaw” and “I-fucking-burn-for-you-look.” Honestly, I have nothing more to say about it.
❌ He called her “cruel little beast” 30 times.
I will never recover. It’s almost as bad as “darling,” “vicious little thing,” and “stubborn” from Powerless.
❌ “Fine. Then, I’ll give you a nickname you hate.”
“Like Shadow Daddy? I would absolutely hate that one.”
As if it weren’t enough for us to have hundreds (thousands?) of these identical men with these nicknames, now they even call themselves that on the pages of the book. Cringe.
❌ Confusing world-building.
To be honest, I didn’t expect anything special or brilliant from this book, but even with my low expectations, it turned out bad. Stop comparing debut books to those that have already become fantasy classics. This is nothing like Brandon Sanderson’s or Patrick Rothfuss’s works. Such comparisons raise expectations, which does not benefit the book.
❌ Too much italics! The text formatting in this book made me feel like I was plunging into the depths of AO3.
The main character was almost raped (and in this scene, she experienced her first kiss), but our “perfect” knight saved her. Then, just a couple of hours later, she has her second kiss with the MMC. The scene was pretty hot, and I even thought he might take advantage of her vulnerable, traumatized state, but they were interrupted, so nothing happened. Now, we will never know the truth.
If you liked Powerless and want something similar but with smut, and you’ve already read Quicksilver, you might enjoy this book :)
September 24, 2025
Oooh the chemistry these two have 😍 you can basically hear the sizzle. Really unique magic system, deadly tournaments, stabby but kind fmc and the banter 😍 thanks to netgally, the publisher and the author for letting me read this was thoroughly entertaining!
August 14, 2025
4.5 stars but rounding up to 5
I thought I knew what to expect when I picked up this ARC about a princess entering a deadly competition and partnering with a charming ghost in order to win, but Vesselless turned out to be so much more than I anticipated.
I feel confident classifying Vesselless as a high fantasy read. The world-building is incredibly complex, with multiple kingdoms, human and spirit realms, diverse species, several royal families, numerous gods and goddesses, and complicated spirit magic, with seemingly endless different abilities and manifestations.
On the surface, Vesselless tells the story of Nizzara, Princess of the Zarr Kingdom and heiress to the throne. She’s a caster, bonded to a spirt through an unremovable ring she wears on her finger, a Vessel. Forced into a betrothal she does not want, Nizzara enters the King’s Duel in hopes of being granted her wish of ending her engagement upon winning. To win, Nizzara must join forces with Dagen, a mysterious spirit who just so happens to be the charming and very handsome former King of Zarr. However, Dagen has his own motivations. As a subject to the god of death, Dagen struck a bargain to earn his freedom and a chance to reclaim his throne, and the price is Nizzara’s soul. But Vesselless is so much more than its advertised deadly tournament. It is also a story about the struggle to resist addictive power and darkness, an abusive father/daughter relationship, hidden identities and royal secrets, lies and betrayal, and old evil resurfacing.
What I Loved:
The world and magic system is fantastic. This book is set in what feels like a more futuristic fantasy world with developed kingdoms and gem powered “glo-kars” and “glo-guns.” It feels a bit Sci-Fi-esque while still being grounded in its fantasy roots. I’m also incredibly intrigued by the Skeeves and cannot wait to see how that plays out in book 2.
What I Struggled With:
While I loved the world-building, it is a lot to digest. I feel as though I need to read the book twice to fully understand all its complexities, which is far from a bad thing, but makes for a more challenging read. I also found the romance to be a bit formulaic and underwhelming, which stood in stark contrast to the unique world and magic system the author created. I’m still rooting for Nizzara and Dagen though!
That being said, I would still absolutely recommend Vesselless to high fantasy readers and those looking for a spirit/human slow-burn romance. The ending sets up book 2 for the possibility of being a 5-star read, and when it eventually releases, there is no way I will not be picking it up.
Thank you to NetGalley, Cortney L. Winn, and Harper Voyager for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.
I thought I knew what to expect when I picked up this ARC about a princess entering a deadly competition and partnering with a charming ghost in order to win, but Vesselless turned out to be so much more than I anticipated.
I feel confident classifying Vesselless as a high fantasy read. The world-building is incredibly complex, with multiple kingdoms, human and spirit realms, diverse species, several royal families, numerous gods and goddesses, and complicated spirit magic, with seemingly endless different abilities and manifestations.
On the surface, Vesselless tells the story of Nizzara, Princess of the Zarr Kingdom and heiress to the throne. She’s a caster, bonded to a spirt through an unremovable ring she wears on her finger, a Vessel. Forced into a betrothal she does not want, Nizzara enters the King’s Duel in hopes of being granted her wish of ending her engagement upon winning. To win, Nizzara must join forces with Dagen, a mysterious spirit who just so happens to be the charming and very handsome former King of Zarr. However, Dagen has his own motivations. As a subject to the god of death, Dagen struck a bargain to earn his freedom and a chance to reclaim his throne, and the price is Nizzara’s soul. But Vesselless is so much more than its advertised deadly tournament. It is also a story about the struggle to resist addictive power and darkness, an abusive father/daughter relationship, hidden identities and royal secrets, lies and betrayal, and old evil resurfacing.
What I Loved:
The world and magic system is fantastic. This book is set in what feels like a more futuristic fantasy world with developed kingdoms and gem powered “glo-kars” and “glo-guns.” It feels a bit Sci-Fi-esque while still being grounded in its fantasy roots. I’m also incredibly intrigued by the Skeeves and cannot wait to see how that plays out in book 2.
What I Struggled With:
While I loved the world-building, it is a lot to digest. I feel as though I need to read the book twice to fully understand all its complexities, which is far from a bad thing, but makes for a more challenging read. I also found the romance to be a bit formulaic and underwhelming, which stood in stark contrast to the unique world and magic system the author created. I’m still rooting for Nizzara and Dagen though!
That being said, I would still absolutely recommend Vesselless to high fantasy readers and those looking for a spirit/human slow-burn romance. The ending sets up book 2 for the possibility of being a 5-star read, and when it eventually releases, there is no way I will not be picking it up.
Thank you to NetGalley, Cortney L. Winn, and Harper Voyager for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.
Read
October 28, 2025firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!
unfortunately, dnf @ 43% —there seems to be, in addition to dystopian novels, a rise in competition based fantasy novels, which normally i am not to pressed about.
however, these books are just not executed as well as i hope they will be; i was not interested in either characters’ background story, nor their motivations.
i also listened to the audio, and the narrator did a fine job!
fortunately, i will be saving money from not having to order a package from the UK through page & wick… lol
——
finally starting my arc to see if i want to keep or skip my page & wick edition!!🫣
unfortunately, dnf @ 43% —there seems to be, in addition to dystopian novels, a rise in competition based fantasy novels, which normally i am not to pressed about.
however, these books are just not executed as well as i hope they will be; i was not interested in either characters’ background story, nor their motivations.
i also listened to the audio, and the narrator did a fine job!
fortunately, i will be saving money from not having to order a package from the UK through page & wick… lol
——
finally starting my arc to see if i want to keep or skip my page & wick edition!!🫣
November 9, 2025
Ohhhh I am unsure of my feelings on this one. I loved the magic system. I thought the spirits and bonding to them along with the world and possession aspect was really cool. I liked the conversations around nurture vs nature and loving someone despite their flaws or at least loving someone even when you really shouldn't. I did feel like the world building was a little murkier than I wanted. We would get an info dump, then just skip over the details I wanted. I wish the side characters had been a bit stronger and the ending had taken it's time more. I did really enjoy the banter in the romance when it kicked in. Overall, I really enjoyed this, and I will read book 2, but I'm hoping we get more depth.
Read
September 24, 2025DNF at 15%
August 21, 2024
This book was pitched as romantasy but with the plot and character complexity of a Brandon Sanderson novel and the world building of a Patrick Rothfuss book. That mindset did this book an incredible disservice in my opinion. This book fit neither of those comps as someone who has read from both of those authors.
I’m annoyed so I’m just going to give you vague buzz words to tell you want this is about: sexy ghosts, deals with the devil, arranged marriage, soul stealing, deadly trial competition thing where you get a boon if you win (similar to serpent and the wings of night), possessive spirits, evil parents, lots of stabbing and fighting, angry revenge focused MMC, angry “I will make this world better” FMC. Yup hope that helps.
Some quotes and things for you that I did not enjoy:
- “I want to learn about everything. Knowledge is an addiction, and books are my drug of choice.”
- “He has the audacity to give me that look. The I-fucking-burn-for-you-look, the mash pit of pain and insatiable desire.” -_-
- “Good thing difficult is practically my middle name.” rawr
- “Some long-forgotten sense of duty and pride flickers in my chest at the mention of rebels fighting in my name, but I quickly snuff it out. Such dangerous things, feelings.” so true
- “You cruel little beast” mention count: 33 times
- The existence of “raves” and the word “slay” as in “you slay” and the phrase “rock hard” as in you know… rock hard
- “”Nizzara,“ he purrs, his voice an instant muscle relaxer.” … I feel like I just ingested a stool softener with that wording
- The handling of parental abuse in a way I found indelicate and harmful. I’m not the person to speak on this though but would be curious if anyone felt similarly.
All to say dnfed at 30% and skimmed the rest because I’m nosey. I’m giving this a two star because I think there’s a sizable population that would enjoy this book for the romance and plotting but it’s more of a personal 1 star.
I’m annoyed so I’m just going to give you vague buzz words to tell you want this is about: sexy ghosts, deals with the devil, arranged marriage, soul stealing, deadly trial competition thing where you get a boon if you win (similar to serpent and the wings of night), possessive spirits, evil parents, lots of stabbing and fighting, angry revenge focused MMC, angry “I will make this world better” FMC. Yup hope that helps.
Some quotes and things for you that I did not enjoy:
- “I want to learn about everything. Knowledge is an addiction, and books are my drug of choice.”
- “He has the audacity to give me that look. The I-fucking-burn-for-you-look, the mash pit of pain and insatiable desire.” -_-
- “Good thing difficult is practically my middle name.” rawr
- “Some long-forgotten sense of duty and pride flickers in my chest at the mention of rebels fighting in my name, but I quickly snuff it out. Such dangerous things, feelings.” so true
- “You cruel little beast” mention count: 33 times
- The existence of “raves” and the word “slay” as in “you slay” and the phrase “rock hard” as in you know… rock hard
- “”Nizzara,“ he purrs, his voice an instant muscle relaxer.” … I feel like I just ingested a stool softener with that wording
- The handling of parental abuse in a way I found indelicate and harmful. I’m not the person to speak on this though but would be curious if anyone felt similarly.
All to say dnfed at 30% and skimmed the rest because I’m nosey. I’m giving this a two star because I think there’s a sizable population that would enjoy this book for the romance and plotting but it’s more of a personal 1 star.
July 28, 2024
such a great idea but the execution was awful.
i’ve never read a book with so much promise with such a unique plot for it be so boring and if he calls her “cruel little beast” one more time i will bash my brains in
i’ve never read a book with so much promise with such a unique plot for it be so boring and if he calls her “cruel little beast” one more time i will bash my brains in
February 17, 2026
Corrupted souls, prophecies, mind reading, multiple dimensions, multiple abilities, usurpers and power-hungry kings, and a slowburn romance that would set you on fire.
I was not expecting this to be a five-star read, especially since I went in blind. For some reason, I expected the story to be centered around a villainess. I couldn’t have been further from the truth...
This book impressed me so deeply that I felt compelled to write a detailed review.
⇢ What to expect:
∘ Adult Dark Romantasy
∘ Deadly Tournament
∘ Unique Magic System (I in awe)
∘ Dual POV
∘ Powerful fighter FMC
∘ Spirit possessions & guardians
∘ Half-ghost, shadow wielding MMC
∘ Feminine Rage
∘ Mind reading/speaking
∘ Political Unrest
⇢ Tropes:
∘ Touch her and d!e
∘ Mid-to-slow burn
∘ Dagger to the throat
∘ Slowburn
⇢ Trigger Warning: torture, violence, attempted rape, sexual assault, domestic violence, possession, soul torture
✦• ⋯ Plot & Worldbuilding ⋯ •✦
A world where spirits are tied to vessels, protecting their wearer and amplifying their power, or even share powers.
A female main character whose story would ignite a fire in your soul, making you want to fight for her and her people .
While the trials she fights in seemed a little repetitive after a while, it’s clear that wasn’t meant to be the focal point of the book. They serve to show us Nizzara’s capabilities and give a little insight into some aspects of the world.
✦• ⋯ Characters ⋯ •✦
∘ Nizzara
Despite the role Nizzara is forced to play for her Father, she is, as Dagen would call her, of "a pure soul".
A skilled fighter taking part in a deadly tournament, she feels like an outsider within her own family, all the while battling the darkness inside her.
Forced to constantly "fix her face" in public and subjected to her family's cruelty, it's a wonder she hasn't yet broken. The constant abuse she's endured, and continues to, shaped her character.
It's well-known that she's harboring a dark power, and with every day that passes, it threatens to get out of control.
Her bound spirit was also a big part of the story, and I found that she brought a touch of light to an otherwise bleak landscape.
She's a FMC that's earned my admiration and that rarely happens.
She's powerful, smart, and above all, kind.
Would she control it or would it control her? That's one question left to be answered.
∘ Dagen
A shadow wielding half-ghost set on revenge: to steal a soul, save his own, and reclaim a kingdom.
I got to say, Dae did not win me over until almost halfway through. He has his mission, and his motivation cannot be contested. He showed us what type of man he is from the beginning, flaws and all, but for some reason, I still didn't want to trust him.
(is this the dark romance reader in me? might be.)
I kept expecting for him to snap, and he does, oh he does, but not in the way I was expecting.
All I can say is he is worthy. Of life. Of her. Of a chance from us, the readers.
Oh, did I mention he's a shameless flirt? No? Oh well...
✦• ⋯ Ending & Conclusions ⋯ •✦
The ending gutted me. From all the scenarios I could think of, this was not in any of them.
Tears. Pain. Betrayal. Outrage. All the feelings I was left with after that cliffhanger.
Now… there were definitely some things I could’ve deducted from the rating for, but overall, for me, this book deserves the full five stars.
It managed to capture and hold my attention so completely that I devoured it in a day. It made me feel strongly for the characters; it made me fully invested in the story. All of that outshine the minor aspects I might have pointed out otherwise.
▸ More quotes I loved:
I was not expecting this to be a five-star read, especially since I went in blind. For some reason, I expected the story to be centered around a villainess. I couldn’t have been further from the truth...
This book impressed me so deeply that I felt compelled to write a detailed review.
⇢ What to expect:
∘ Adult Dark Romantasy
∘ Deadly Tournament
∘ Unique Magic System (I in awe)
∘ Dual POV
∘ Powerful fighter FMC
∘ Spirit possessions & guardians
∘ Half-ghost, shadow wielding MMC
∘ Feminine Rage
∘ Mind reading/speaking
∘ Political Unrest
⇢ Tropes:
∘ Touch her and d!e
∘ Mid-to-slow burn
∘ Dagger to the throat
∘ Slowburn
⇢ Trigger Warning: torture, violence, attempted rape, sexual assault, domestic violence, possession, soul torture
₊˚ ✧ ━━━━ ⋆ ━━━━ ✧ ₊˚
✦• ⋯ Plot & Worldbuilding ⋯ •✦
A world where spirits are tied to vessels, protecting their wearer and amplifying their power, or even share powers.
A female main character whose story would ignite a fire in your soul, making you want to fight for her and her people .
While the trials she fights in seemed a little repetitive after a while, it’s clear that wasn’t meant to be the focal point of the book. They serve to show us Nizzara’s capabilities and give a little insight into some aspects of the world.
✦• ⋯ Characters ⋯ •✦
∘ Nizzara
Despite the role Nizzara is forced to play for her Father, she is, as Dagen would call her, of "a pure soul".
A skilled fighter taking part in a deadly tournament, she feels like an outsider within her own family, all the while battling the darkness inside her.
Forced to constantly "fix her face" in public and subjected to her family's cruelty, it's a wonder she hasn't yet broken. The constant abuse she's endured, and continues to, shaped her character.
It's well-known that she's harboring a dark power, and with every day that passes, it threatens to get out of control.
Her bound spirit was also a big part of the story, and I found that she brought a touch of light to an otherwise bleak landscape.
She's a FMC that's earned my admiration and that rarely happens.
She's powerful, smart, and above all, kind.
Would she control it or would it control her? That's one question left to be answered.
“Knowledge is an addiction, and books are my drug of choice.”
∘ Dagen
A shadow wielding half-ghost set on revenge: to steal a soul, save his own, and reclaim a kingdom.
I got to say, Dae did not win me over until almost halfway through. He has his mission, and his motivation cannot be contested. He showed us what type of man he is from the beginning, flaws and all, but for some reason, I still didn't want to trust him.
(is this the dark romance reader in me? might be.)
I kept expecting for him to snap, and he does, oh he does, but not in the way I was expecting.
All I can say is he is worthy. Of life. Of her. Of a chance from us, the readers.
Oh, did I mention he's a shameless flirt? No? Oh well...
“In that case, never kiss a spirit," he says at the base of my ear. "It might set the bar too high for poor mortal men.”
“Do you usually assault men with daggers while wearing lacy nightgowns? Because if so, I've been hanging out in the wrong social circles.”
✦• ⋯ Ending & Conclusions ⋯ •✦
The ending gutted me. From all the scenarios I could think of, this was not in any of them.
Tears. Pain. Betrayal. Outrage. All the feelings I was left with after that cliffhanger.
₊˚ ✧ ━━━━ ⋆ ━━━━ ✧ ₊˚
Now… there were definitely some things I could’ve deducted from the rating for, but overall, for me, this book deserves the full five stars.
ESPECIALLY since it’s a debut!
It managed to capture and hold my attention so completely that I devoured it in a day. It made me feel strongly for the characters; it made me fully invested in the story. All of that outshine the minor aspects I might have pointed out otherwise.
₊˚ ✧ ━━━━ ⋆ ━━━━ ✧ ₊˚
▸ More quotes I loved:
“Everyone dies, Dae. The happy ones are those who choose to live in the meantime.”
“Power can only be taken when it is given.”
“That is the kind of loyalty I’d burn worlds for.”
February 15, 2026
Slow burn with dark edges and a sassy pit fighting FMC stole my heart !! Nizzara was a strong, emotional and witty heir that I enjoyed following through the story of her Kingdom in turmoil besieged by dark forces. One of those dark forces the last King who is sizzling!!! Dagen as the dark, broody soul stealing … dead !!!! King was stealing more than just souls. Loved the touch her and die vibes coming off this dead shadow daddy. Her having to be a pit fighter to prove herself to her kingdom added a whole layer of fun and menace. The politics, magic use, use of soul bonding and world building were all incredibly well done. The cliffhanger.. dagger to the heart for me. Need the next book.
July 19, 2024
3.5⭐️
You can tell that it’s a debut novel - the premise was good, but the story needed more editing.
There was a lot of information thrown in there and I waited for it to come together and form a coherent picture, but it didn’t.
The plot twists happened at the most random times and felt a little out of place, like Nizzara‘s mother popping in during her fight and disappearing again after a 5 second conversation that cleared up next to nothing. The setting just felt wrong.
I also struggled a little with the world building, especially regarding the distance between places, since everything seemed to be a 30 min walk away.
The random use of electricity and especially THE CARS made no sense to me whatsoever.
The mark reminded me a little of the signet from Fourth Wing, nevertheless I enjoyed the twist with spirit based magic a lot.
I enjoyed the romance, but some scenes between Nizzara and Dagen could‘ve been a little more fleshed out to add more emotional depth.
The spice was a nice addition, but overall it mostly felt like a YA novel that tried real hard to be NA.
I adore Dagen, he‘s powerful and protective, but also a little sweetheart.
His chapters were more intriguing to me than Nizzara‘s because he actually got around a little, whereas hers mostly alternated between her family hating her, training and getting beaten up in the trials.
I liked Nizzara to a degree, at some point her vehemence to rather forfeit her life than tap into her powers became really fucking annoying.
I enjoy stubborn heroins but only if there‘s some reason to their actions. Nizzara was stubborn because the author decided that that would be her most prominent character trait, but it lacked substance, which made her look a little dim-whitted in certain situations.
She riled her clearly insane father at every opportunity even though it would have dire consequences for either herself or people she cared about. Like giiiirl how about a little consideration for when to pick your battles…
There were certain story lines that should‘ve been either more detailed or cut out entirely:
1. „The horny potion“ - what was the point? The effect lasted for all of 3 seconds and didn’t really add anything to the advancement of the plot/romance.
I thought maybe it would come up again at a later time for some sort of scheme, but it sank into oblivion and was never heard of again.
2. Dagen‘s weird take over of the rebel organization.
He just showed up, that dude with the most uninspired name ever „Reb - the rebel“ took one good look at him, decided to hand over the reins and proceeded to die immediately afterwards. This honestly felt like a fever dream like whaaaaat!?
There is no real interaction with the rebels after this either, which makes the whole rebellion feel less like a powerful organization and more like a neighborhood gathering in some caves.
3. The gods/goddesses
Uffff this could‘ve been great, but for it being such an integral part of the story, it was SEVERELY underdeveloped.
What are the gods motivations for meddling?
What are their boundaries?
How many of them are there? Is everyone equally powerful or is there a hierarchy?
4. The betrothal to Lightshow (no)-sexmachine
This dude was a walking plot device, who’s sole purpose was to keep Dagen & Nizzara from committing to each other for as long as possible.
He was so bland.
Nizzara being able to simply refuse his proposal as soon as her dad was MIA was making her participation in the King‘s Trial kinda unnecessary since she apparently always had the option to back out of the engagement even without the wish she would’ve gotten from winning the competition.
5. Dagen & Lo‘s reunion was so underwhelming
I‘d grown rather fond of Lo because of her diary entries. She‘s feisty, fun and a little unhinged.
I couldn’t wait to meet her and get all teary-eyed when she‘d finally realize her brother was still alive. I even imagined there to be some conflict because he fell in love with the enemy‘s daughter.
THERE WAS SO MUCH POTENTIAL.
But none of those things happened. She simply walked through the door and they had a quick talk.
The revelation that she was at the castle all along, sitting in this little study and spending her days reading and tutoring Nizzara once in a while was soooo disappointing. Lo was supposed to be this badass spy master, so I fully expected her to have spent the last 10 years scheming and planning her revenge, maybe even infiltrating another court to set some big plans into motion in the background. The author simply didn’t do her justice in my opinion.
6. Another (albeit minor) issue for me was the speed of recovery from severe injuries.
Nizzara was gutted and ripped apart almost every other day, but don’t worry she just took a nice bubble bath and slapped some cream on her open stomach wound and tadaaa she was as good as new.
She could’ve been beheaded and probably would’ve strolled down the castle 5 minutes later.
Her injuries lost all meaning to the point where it would‘ve been better for her to sustain less of them, so that the more severe ones would’ve had a bigger impact on the story.
Despite all of the above I enjoyed the book - it was weirdly addictive - and I’ll probably read the next one.
Hopefully the author works on her pacing (the middle dragged a bit) and plot coherence because the story still has a lot of potential to turn out great.
You can tell that it’s a debut novel - the premise was good, but the story needed more editing.
There was a lot of information thrown in there and I waited for it to come together and form a coherent picture, but it didn’t.
The plot twists happened at the most random times and felt a little out of place, like Nizzara‘s mother popping in during her fight and disappearing again after a 5 second conversation that cleared up next to nothing. The setting just felt wrong.
I also struggled a little with the world building, especially regarding the distance between places, since everything seemed to be a 30 min walk away.
The random use of electricity and especially THE CARS made no sense to me whatsoever.
The mark reminded me a little of the signet from Fourth Wing, nevertheless I enjoyed the twist with spirit based magic a lot.
I enjoyed the romance, but some scenes between Nizzara and Dagen could‘ve been a little more fleshed out to add more emotional depth.
The spice was a nice addition, but overall it mostly felt like a YA novel that tried real hard to be NA.
I adore Dagen, he‘s powerful and protective, but also a little sweetheart.
His chapters were more intriguing to me than Nizzara‘s because he actually got around a little, whereas hers mostly alternated between her family hating her, training and getting beaten up in the trials.
I liked Nizzara to a degree, at some point her vehemence to rather forfeit her life than tap into her powers became really fucking annoying.
I enjoy stubborn heroins but only if there‘s some reason to their actions. Nizzara was stubborn because the author decided that that would be her most prominent character trait, but it lacked substance, which made her look a little dim-whitted in certain situations.
She riled her clearly insane father at every opportunity even though it would have dire consequences for either herself or people she cared about. Like giiiirl how about a little consideration for when to pick your battles…
There were certain story lines that should‘ve been either more detailed or cut out entirely:
1. „The horny potion“ - what was the point? The effect lasted for all of 3 seconds and didn’t really add anything to the advancement of the plot/romance.
I thought maybe it would come up again at a later time for some sort of scheme, but it sank into oblivion and was never heard of again.
2. Dagen‘s weird take over of the rebel organization.
He just showed up, that dude with the most uninspired name ever „Reb - the rebel“ took one good look at him, decided to hand over the reins and proceeded to die immediately afterwards. This honestly felt like a fever dream like whaaaaat!?
There is no real interaction with the rebels after this either, which makes the whole rebellion feel less like a powerful organization and more like a neighborhood gathering in some caves.
3. The gods/goddesses
Uffff this could‘ve been great, but for it being such an integral part of the story, it was SEVERELY underdeveloped.
What are the gods motivations for meddling?
What are their boundaries?
How many of them are there? Is everyone equally powerful or is there a hierarchy?
4. The betrothal to Lightshow (no)-sexmachine
This dude was a walking plot device, who’s sole purpose was to keep Dagen & Nizzara from committing to each other for as long as possible.
He was so bland.
Nizzara being able to simply refuse his proposal as soon as her dad was MIA was making her participation in the King‘s Trial kinda unnecessary since she apparently always had the option to back out of the engagement even without the wish she would’ve gotten from winning the competition.
5. Dagen & Lo‘s reunion was so underwhelming
I‘d grown rather fond of Lo because of her diary entries. She‘s feisty, fun and a little unhinged.
I couldn’t wait to meet her and get all teary-eyed when she‘d finally realize her brother was still alive. I even imagined there to be some conflict because he fell in love with the enemy‘s daughter.
THERE WAS SO MUCH POTENTIAL.
But none of those things happened. She simply walked through the door and they had a quick talk.
The revelation that she was at the castle all along, sitting in this little study and spending her days reading and tutoring Nizzara once in a while was soooo disappointing. Lo was supposed to be this badass spy master, so I fully expected her to have spent the last 10 years scheming and planning her revenge, maybe even infiltrating another court to set some big plans into motion in the background. The author simply didn’t do her justice in my opinion.
6. Another (albeit minor) issue for me was the speed of recovery from severe injuries.
Nizzara was gutted and ripped apart almost every other day, but don’t worry she just took a nice bubble bath and slapped some cream on her open stomach wound and tadaaa she was as good as new.
She could’ve been beheaded and probably would’ve strolled down the castle 5 minutes later.
Her injuries lost all meaning to the point where it would‘ve been better for her to sustain less of them, so that the more severe ones would’ve had a bigger impact on the story.
Despite all of the above I enjoyed the book - it was weirdly addictive - and I’ll probably read the next one.
Hopefully the author works on her pacing (the middle dragged a bit) and plot coherence because the story still has a lot of potential to turn out great.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 18, 2024
What a unique magic system!
I loved the two main characters, I loved the plot, and I couldn’t get enough. I can’t wait to get more information on Mazzar’s backstory, and understand more about Nizzara’s lineage.
The ending of this book broke me, and I am the head leader of the Dagen fan club, I loved him, his story and I can’t wait to see where we go next with him, I am obsessed with him.
The banter in this book was comparable to ACOMAF. I ate it up, so addicting!
5 stars!
I loved the two main characters, I loved the plot, and I couldn’t get enough. I can’t wait to get more information on Mazzar’s backstory, and understand more about Nizzara’s lineage.
The ending of this book broke me, and I am the head leader of the Dagen fan club, I loved him, his story and I can’t wait to see where we go next with him, I am obsessed with him.
The banter in this book was comparable to ACOMAF. I ate it up, so addicting!
5 stars!
October 13, 2025
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
October 4, 2025
It started out so promising, but by 80% I knew it wouldn’t fully deliver. I was right, but it wasn’t horrible
October 13, 2025
Rating bumped up to 5 stars after my reread of the trad pub version!!
+++++
She's a fierce heiress to a stolen throne (his throne)...he's now a vengeful half-ghost trying to steal her soul..and I'm utterly obsessed with both of them.
VESSELLESS is an incredible debut & start to The Merciless Realms series by Cortney L. Winn. Cortney's writing style is addictive, and this book kept me entertained from start to finish.
🖤 Dark fantasy romance
🖤 1st person, dual POV
🖤 Warring realms
🖤 Fierce, stabby FMC
🖤 Vengeful, morally MMC
🖤 Unique magic system
🖤 Paranormal romance
🖤 Slow burn with some spice
🖤 Touch her & 💀
🖤 Banter & tension
⚠️ Read TW/CW
Available on KU ✨
I very much enjoyed being transported into this, surprisingly modern (cars, guns, etc.), world. Nizzara is such a complex but relatable FMC. Dagen is tormented and flirtatious (my favorite combo). I ate up all the banter & tension between these two, and I can't wait to see what happens in book 2.
Absolutely recommend reading this debut!
+++++
She's a fierce heiress to a stolen throne (his throne)...he's now a vengeful half-ghost trying to steal her soul..and I'm utterly obsessed with both of them.
VESSELLESS is an incredible debut & start to The Merciless Realms series by Cortney L. Winn. Cortney's writing style is addictive, and this book kept me entertained from start to finish.
🖤 Dark fantasy romance
🖤 1st person, dual POV
🖤 Warring realms
🖤 Fierce, stabby FMC
🖤 Vengeful, morally MMC
🖤 Unique magic system
🖤 Paranormal romance
🖤 Slow burn with some spice
🖤 Touch her & 💀
🖤 Banter & tension
⚠️ Read TW/CW
Available on KU ✨
I very much enjoyed being transported into this, surprisingly modern (cars, guns, etc.), world. Nizzara is such a complex but relatable FMC. Dagen is tormented and flirtatious (my favorite combo). I ate up all the banter & tension between these two, and I can't wait to see what happens in book 2.
Absolutely recommend reading this debut!
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