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The Vessel
A million years ago the world ended.
Since then a group of five have kept the City running.
Now, one of them has died.
Every generation, the five most powerful people in the City transfer their consciousnesses into nubile, teenage hosts. This allows them to continue their important work of keeping the city functioning and protected from the nuclear wasteland beyond its borders.
When one of the Five dies, though, the others decide that their bodies are too fragile and decide to find new hosts earlier than usual. This triggers a competition, where children from across the City travel to its center to compete for a chance to earn a place as a Vessel for one of the Five.
If chosen, their families will be taken care of for the rest of eternity. There is great prestige in being a Vessel, along with enormous wealth for the families of the chosen, which means every participant has their own motivations for competing.
Althea is one of those competitors. She is from a poor farming family on the outskirts of the City, and with the money she receives from her sacrifice, her family would never have to work again. She is willing to risk her life for them.
So, she decides to compete, traveling from her home in the outer rings through the inner rings and finally to the center where the competition is held.
Along the way, she discovers the City she once venerated is a more dangerous place than she ever thought possible. Every turn is fraught with peril, and the competition could be the death of her, even if she doesn't win.
Join Althea for a story of friendship, love, struggle, and perseverance in the face of enormous odds. Perfect for anybody who loved Divergent, The Hunger Games, or The Maze Runner.
Get it now.
Since then a group of five have kept the City running.
Now, one of them has died.
Every generation, the five most powerful people in the City transfer their consciousnesses into nubile, teenage hosts. This allows them to continue their important work of keeping the city functioning and protected from the nuclear wasteland beyond its borders.
When one of the Five dies, though, the others decide that their bodies are too fragile and decide to find new hosts earlier than usual. This triggers a competition, where children from across the City travel to its center to compete for a chance to earn a place as a Vessel for one of the Five.
If chosen, their families will be taken care of for the rest of eternity. There is great prestige in being a Vessel, along with enormous wealth for the families of the chosen, which means every participant has their own motivations for competing.
Althea is one of those competitors. She is from a poor farming family on the outskirts of the City, and with the money she receives from her sacrifice, her family would never have to work again. She is willing to risk her life for them.
So, she decides to compete, traveling from her home in the outer rings through the inner rings and finally to the center where the competition is held.
Along the way, she discovers the City she once venerated is a more dangerous place than she ever thought possible. Every turn is fraught with peril, and the competition could be the death of her, even if she doesn't win.
Join Althea for a story of friendship, love, struggle, and perseverance in the face of enormous odds. Perfect for anybody who loved Divergent, The Hunger Games, or The Maze Runner.
Get it now.
228 pages, Paperback
Published July 16, 2019
2 people are currently reading
12 people want to read
About the author
Russell Nohelty
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Russell Nohelty is a USA TODAY bestselling author of science fiction and fantasy books that are both entertaining and thought-provoking. He fills his books with action, adventure, mystery, and thrills.
Russell was born in northern New Jersey, grew up in Northern Virginia, went to college in Maryland, and now lives in Los Angeles with his wife and dogs, which he loves.
He's been writing as long as he can remember and hopes to do so far into the future. When he's not writing, he's usually reading or watching movies. For more information, you can follow him below:
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http://www.russellnohelty.com/mail/
Russell Nohelty is a USA TODAY bestselling author of science fiction and fantasy books that are both entertaining and thought-provoking. He fills his books with action, adventure, mystery, and thrills.
Russell was born in northern New Jersey, grew up in Northern Virginia, went to college in Maryland, and now lives in Los Angeles with his wife and dogs, which he loves.
He's been writing as long as he can remember and hopes to do so far into the future. When he's not writing, he's usually reading or watching movies. For more information, you can follow him below:
https://www.facebook.com/russellnohelty
https://instagram.com/russellnohelty
BOOKBUB
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/russe...
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 23, 2019
The Vessel - a review by Rosemary Kenny
Fans of the great Russell Nohelty (like myself), will thrill to his latest military sci-fi, dystopian novel The Vessel, a standalone novel that's sure to become a 5-star modern classic.
A worthy tribute to such great books and films as The Matrix and Hunger Games, the eponymous Vessel is chosen from teenaged virgins in a Trial to have their mind wiped and to replace the aged, worn out body of the previous Vessel, to continue the privileged existence of one of the Five - rulers in the innermost core area of the city, that's divided into districts that produce a variety of goods and services that keep the Five and their sycophants in luxury, unknown by those who cannot hope to attain such a lifestyle unless they or one of their children is chosen during the ceremony.
When Althea (aka 'Thea') volunteers, it will change her world for ever - how? Read The Vessel by the incredible Russell Nohelty - and it will change your life too!
Fans of the great Russell Nohelty (like myself), will thrill to his latest military sci-fi, dystopian novel The Vessel, a standalone novel that's sure to become a 5-star modern classic.
A worthy tribute to such great books and films as The Matrix and Hunger Games, the eponymous Vessel is chosen from teenaged virgins in a Trial to have their mind wiped and to replace the aged, worn out body of the previous Vessel, to continue the privileged existence of one of the Five - rulers in the innermost core area of the city, that's divided into districts that produce a variety of goods and services that keep the Five and their sycophants in luxury, unknown by those who cannot hope to attain such a lifestyle unless they or one of their children is chosen during the ceremony.
When Althea (aka 'Thea') volunteers, it will change her world for ever - how? Read The Vessel by the incredible Russell Nohelty - and it will change your life too!
July 16, 2019
Actual rating 4.5
This book may be written for teens with teen heroes, but it's a mature book not for the faint of heart or those with little world experience. There is not explicitly/graphic sexual content but there is heavy brutality and some serious moral and religious themes to consider. If you've never read anything from this author, you should know that religious irreverence is a central theme in his work. At least in this book, the author presents a new religion of his own making that's easy to dislike the more you read through the story.
As stated in other YA reviews I've posted, YA is a hit or miss for me. This book just happened to be a hit. Still, there were a few things that kept me from absolutely loving it.
The good.
I loved the ending.
Probably not the best place to start, but my star rating was fluctuating as I read the book and it all came down to how I felt about the ending. This author wrote the perfect ending for this type of story. Will there be more to come? I don't know, but I'm satisfied with this completed product.
The world and the religion.
It has to be difficult, in this day and age, to come up with original ideas or to at least put an original spin on classic ideas. I think that's what Nohelty has done here. Not everything about this future world of his is entirely unique, but the way he's written it, makes it feel as though it is. Plus, there are some things in it that are a true credit to his imagination.
The characters
I have a history of not falling in love with the characters this author writes, but I always see their appeal and am willing to follow them through their journeys. I really liked the mc of this book. She's not perfect but she's also not hopeless. If you removed her from the obstacles of this book's plot, she's still a pretty cool person.
The not-so-good.
I say this because my next few statements really aren't' bad at all. Some readers will actually see them as reasons to devour this story.
Brutality- If I haven't mentioned that yet, there is lots of brutality in this story. I read Hunger Games and Divergent, but there were moments in this book I wanted to shield my eyes from. It was too much for me (undesired for my senses) but fitting for the story being told.
YA- It's just hard for me to relate to stories about kids saving the world and sacrificing themselves for a greater cause when they are still acting like the teens they are while doing it. But isn't that how it should be? This is just a quirk I guess I'll never get over. I struggle with YA.
Religion- For me personally, I'm getting a little numb to people always writing about everything that's wrong with religion. I'm getting bored with the "religious factions" always being the bad guys. But hey, I get it. Lot's of people have some serious issues with religion.
Overall, this was a great futuristic dystopian tale that sticks with you long after finishing it. I'm so glad I read it.
Highly recommended to fans of YA, dystopian sci-fi, and this author.
Disclaimer: I received a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review and then later purchased my own official copy.
This book may be written for teens with teen heroes, but it's a mature book not for the faint of heart or those with little world experience. There is not explicitly/graphic sexual content but there is heavy brutality and some serious moral and religious themes to consider. If you've never read anything from this author, you should know that religious irreverence is a central theme in his work. At least in this book, the author presents a new religion of his own making that's easy to dislike the more you read through the story.
As stated in other YA reviews I've posted, YA is a hit or miss for me. This book just happened to be a hit. Still, there were a few things that kept me from absolutely loving it.
The good.
I loved the ending.
Probably not the best place to start, but my star rating was fluctuating as I read the book and it all came down to how I felt about the ending. This author wrote the perfect ending for this type of story. Will there be more to come? I don't know, but I'm satisfied with this completed product.
The world and the religion.
It has to be difficult, in this day and age, to come up with original ideas or to at least put an original spin on classic ideas. I think that's what Nohelty has done here. Not everything about this future world of his is entirely unique, but the way he's written it, makes it feel as though it is. Plus, there are some things in it that are a true credit to his imagination.
The characters
I have a history of not falling in love with the characters this author writes, but I always see their appeal and am willing to follow them through their journeys. I really liked the mc of this book. She's not perfect but she's also not hopeless. If you removed her from the obstacles of this book's plot, she's still a pretty cool person.
The not-so-good.
I say this because my next few statements really aren't' bad at all. Some readers will actually see them as reasons to devour this story.
Brutality- If I haven't mentioned that yet, there is lots of brutality in this story. I read Hunger Games and Divergent, but there were moments in this book I wanted to shield my eyes from. It was too much for me (undesired for my senses) but fitting for the story being told.
YA- It's just hard for me to relate to stories about kids saving the world and sacrificing themselves for a greater cause when they are still acting like the teens they are while doing it. But isn't that how it should be? This is just a quirk I guess I'll never get over. I struggle with YA.
Religion- For me personally, I'm getting a little numb to people always writing about everything that's wrong with religion. I'm getting bored with the "religious factions" always being the bad guys. But hey, I get it. Lot's of people have some serious issues with religion.
Overall, this was a great futuristic dystopian tale that sticks with you long after finishing it. I'm so glad I read it.
Highly recommended to fans of YA, dystopian sci-fi, and this author.
Disclaimer: I received a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review and then later purchased my own official copy.
July 25, 2019
This is a book that will keep you completely focused on the world that has been built for these characters and the well developed characters themselves. I don’t like leaving spoilers, so I will try and be as informative as I can without spoiling it for you. This futuristic world works, it was developed due to the Earth being unable to sustain life. The five who are like gods each have their specific parts to keep this new world working to sustain everything & everyone within its boundaries, and they don’t mix, each human has his place, offering nothing but scorn to those outside there ring. Then Althea a girl who is level headed and happy in her life decides to seek adventure When one of the immortal five is murdered, it is her chance to travel & get the support her family needs. However after destruction and lives are lost, her beliefs start to change. Pushing forward this brave and tough cookie begins to fight back, but with betrayal and lies clouding everybody’s opinions & beliefs it’s an uphill battle,One Althea might not have the strength to succeed in. This competition is not one she now wants to win, her focus is now on exposing the Five for what and who they are. She endures terrible battles emotional & physical. She falls in love, finds friends who risk everything to help her, even their lives. This definitely has a Hunger games, Divergent vibe, but it creates its own original storyline alongside those comparisons. Russel Nohelty has created a powerful storyline that once you start you won’t be able to escape, reading into the small hours, absorbing every image and word creating the mental images on a movie reel inside your mind. This book gave me everything I enjoy. A world I could easily slip into, a storyline giving nearly every aspect of life, death, courage, friendship, love, mystery, suspense, secrets & lies plus many more. With characters I encouraged or tried to warn in my mind. I’m giving The Vessel 5 stars for this very reason. Russell Nohelty thank you for sharing your immeasurable imagination and creativity.
February 11, 2022
I appreciate Mr Nohelty’s offer of this ebook to readers of his newsletter. : )
The story begins with a simple farm family content with their life. Similar to Divergent, the teen daughter wants to have a life different from what is expected of her. She wants to see more of the world than just her section Five. Against the decision of her parents, she leaves home to answer the call of the godlike rulers of the world. Long ago…events happened that threatened to destroy all life. Five people banded together to save the remaining people into one civilization under a BUBBLE shield that keeps them safe. These heroes learned how to transfer their consciousness into new bodies ; they have been godlike rulers for centuries…THE FIVE.
The FIVE have called for new young people to take on their responsibilities. Young people from all six sections of the community travel to the Inner Section to test for the honor of hosting the consciousness of THE FIVE.
Althea of section five is main protagonist of the story; she is upset with her parents for their refusal to allow her to leave home for the honor of supporting their homeland. During her travels, she meets people from other sections for the first time & sees how different they all are. Nothing is what is seems & the situation is more dangerous that she expects.
THE FIVE remind me of the SEVEN from the show THE BOYS…they are egotistical, powerful & used to getting their way in every whim. They aren’t what anyone expects at all! The story develops from the actions that Althea takes after she discovers a secret plot to kill one of the FIVE. I really enjoyed the layers as they were revealed in the twists & turns of the story . If a sequel were ever written…I absolutely would want to read it! : )
The story begins with a simple farm family content with their life. Similar to Divergent, the teen daughter wants to have a life different from what is expected of her. She wants to see more of the world than just her section Five. Against the decision of her parents, she leaves home to answer the call of the godlike rulers of the world. Long ago…events happened that threatened to destroy all life. Five people banded together to save the remaining people into one civilization under a BUBBLE shield that keeps them safe. These heroes learned how to transfer their consciousness into new bodies ; they have been godlike rulers for centuries…THE FIVE.
The FIVE have called for new young people to take on their responsibilities. Young people from all six sections of the community travel to the Inner Section to test for the honor of hosting the consciousness of THE FIVE.
Althea of section five is main protagonist of the story; she is upset with her parents for their refusal to allow her to leave home for the honor of supporting their homeland. During her travels, she meets people from other sections for the first time & sees how different they all are. Nothing is what is seems & the situation is more dangerous that she expects.
THE FIVE remind me of the SEVEN from the show THE BOYS…they are egotistical, powerful & used to getting their way in every whim. They aren’t what anyone expects at all! The story develops from the actions that Althea takes after she discovers a secret plot to kill one of the FIVE. I really enjoyed the layers as they were revealed in the twists & turns of the story . If a sequel were ever written…I absolutely would want to read it! : )
July 16, 2019
I have a soft spot for the dystopian genre, and particularly when it is written as a YA novel. Russell Nohelty is an excellent writer and has managed to set up a situation which, although set in a strange future, is very believable. The city is under a protective dome and divided into concentric circles, each circle having it's own function. Anthea's circle is the fifth, where all the farms are and where the food is produced.
One of the leaders dies prematurely, and it is decided to hold the competition to choose new hosts for the leaders consciousness so that their rule can continue. The competition is open to all, and Althea decides to go to try and become one of the hosts. Should she succeed, she knows that her mind will be wiped and replaced with that of one of the leaders. Her body will live on for many years as a vessel to keep the leadership going. She is prepared to make the sacrifice in the knowledge that her family will always be looked after and will have a better life.
Against her fathers wishes, she makes her way to the centre to apply for the competition. Her journey is far from straightforward and includes (very) narrow escapes, and new friends.
As to what further happens and how things work out, you'll have to read for yourself! I am however sure that it will keep you engaged and interested right to the very last page. Well recommended!
One of the leaders dies prematurely, and it is decided to hold the competition to choose new hosts for the leaders consciousness so that their rule can continue. The competition is open to all, and Althea decides to go to try and become one of the hosts. Should she succeed, she knows that her mind will be wiped and replaced with that of one of the leaders. Her body will live on for many years as a vessel to keep the leadership going. She is prepared to make the sacrifice in the knowledge that her family will always be looked after and will have a better life.
Against her fathers wishes, she makes her way to the centre to apply for the competition. Her journey is far from straightforward and includes (very) narrow escapes, and new friends.
As to what further happens and how things work out, you'll have to read for yourself! I am however sure that it will keep you engaged and interested right to the very last page. Well recommended!
July 4, 2019
After an undisclosed environmental disaster, 5 scientists build a domed environment to secure mankind and concoct a scheme to extend their lives to ensure their continued guidance of the fledgling society in this grim post-apocalyptic, YA adventure.
Nohelty's story is frighteningly contemporary in it's exploration of power and corruption and portrayal of the slow erosion of characters whose continued exposure to power leads, over time, to their complete moral decay.
Pitted against them are a small group of teenagers, called to the city to replace them in an ages old ritual. Youth vs age, freedom vs privilege, idealism vs self-interest all play a role in this riveting story full of twists and turns but travelling, always, like the train to the Centre, toward the inevitable confrontation that is it's climax.
Great reading from a rising star in the science fiction field.
Nohelty's story is frighteningly contemporary in it's exploration of power and corruption and portrayal of the slow erosion of characters whose continued exposure to power leads, over time, to their complete moral decay.
Pitted against them are a small group of teenagers, called to the city to replace them in an ages old ritual. Youth vs age, freedom vs privilege, idealism vs self-interest all play a role in this riveting story full of twists and turns but travelling, always, like the train to the Centre, toward the inevitable confrontation that is it's climax.
Great reading from a rising star in the science fiction field.
July 11, 2019
Normally I'm not a YA reader, but I love dystopian fiction. The Vessel is a great example of that dystopia. A city locked in a dome, led by The Five, leaders who transfer their consciousness to young hosts every so often. Althea, the protagonist decides to join the competition to become one of these vessels.
There are some similarities to The Hunger Games, as other reviewers have mentioned, but I felt that this was far better written. The characters popped more for me, were more likable and relatable. There's plenty of action. Overall I highly recommend this one.
There are some similarities to The Hunger Games, as other reviewers have mentioned, but I felt that this was far better written. The characters popped more for me, were more likable and relatable. There's plenty of action. Overall I highly recommend this one.
May 27, 2019
good reading. similar somewhat to the Hungry Games but a different version. The City is locked in a dome to prevent it was atomic waste and has different circles with experts in each circle. The City is ruled by the Five and when one dies a contest is held to select a replacement. Athea whose family is in the circle where farming is the main support group decides to enter. Very interesting and plenty of adventure for a non combatant.
July 16, 2019
Like Divergent and Hunger Games, this is another great example of competition above all and survival tactics during apocalyptic times. I really enjoy Russell's writing, his character development, and his storylines.
July 21, 2019
The Vessel by Russell Nohelty is a great story to read. This is a great story that I am glad I read it and enjoyed. I recommend this story very much.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book
December 15, 2021
While dystopian fiction isn't my favorite genre, this was a good story. I liked the characters, the storyline was well thought out, The bad guys were appropriately evil. If dystopian fiction is your thingk, this is a good one.
July 16, 2019
Good YA book. I enjoyed the end of the world scenario.
August 13, 2019
I’m not going to write a synopsis because other reviewers have already done so, and they have done the book justice. My take is this: if the Hunger Games, Divergent, Maze Runner, and Ender’s Game somehow joined up to create a super baby, The Vessel is that child. Personally, I’d enjoy some prequels or sequels with this. A whole line of prequels would work, since the Five have a thousand years of history in their consciousnesses. I think I may have made that word up, but hey, it works. I recommend this if you are into dystopian fiction at all.
January 6, 2020
Dystopian fiction is one of my favourite genres and this book is up there with some of the best I've read.
I was sucked into the story from page 1 and literally couldn't put it down until I finished it. It has plenty of action and a few twists along the way. Highly recommended.
I was sucked into the story from page 1 and literally couldn't put it down until I finished it. It has plenty of action and a few twists along the way. Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews