Chronic Ever After

4 Stars | Romantasy | Enemies-to-Lovers

Series: The Merciless Realms, Book One

{Advanced Readers Copy}

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“This is really about my soul, isn’t it?” He crouches down beside my bed, bringing him level with my gaze. “It’s always been about your soul.” His lips tug into that smirk. “I just didn’t think keeping it safe would be harder than stealing it.”

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Vesselless is a debut novel that packs a punch with it’s world building and unique magic system, add in the tension of the slow burn, enemies to lovers, the politics and the deadly tournament and honestly a good time was had. I’ll admit I struggled a bit in the beginning, I don’t know if it was a me thing, a vibe thing, a mood thing, or a writing thing, but I stuck with it and ended up enjoying the story. 

If you are wanting an FMC that personifies female rage, look no further than Nizzara. She’s one of the stronger characters I’ve read in a while, all that rage, all that power, all that morality and fight and grit, she’s complex and easily a character that I rooted for.

Then you have Dagen, the MMC, an intriguing and interesting dead King of the very Kingdom that Nizzara’s father rules. When he makes a deal to reclaim his Kingdom, his throne and some temporary separation from his master, all with the caveat that it is his freedom for Nizzara’s soul, we know he’s in for it and love is about to pop off after some tension and enemies to lovers shenanigans of course. 

I liked this. Was it my favorite? No. Like I said before, I struggled in the beginning and honestly took longer to read this than is typically normal for me, but I did stick with it and I’m not mad that I did. The ending is brutal, that cliffhanger left me blinking and struggling. Overall, this is a solid debut novel in the romantasy landscape and I am genuinely curious to see what happens next. 

Thank you Harper Voyager and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.