Human bodies were not meant to hold this much of the universe within them.
I was totally enamored by the worldbuilding and prose in Vessel by Samantha Jo. In this unique world, meteors seem to have brought mana, a type of magic, to humans. (“Scholars and scientists alike agreed that life pre-meteor was barbaric and difficult, and no one was in a hurry to send society back to those dark days.”) Particularly gifted individuals are able to absorb and fuse with mana, serving as Vessels able to bless the communities around them. This story follows Revered Calendula, whose bond with Brother Stokely is torture, to say the very least. She’s more powerful than most Vessels, and he’s more corrupt than most First Orders. Desperate for freedom, Calen takes off on a journey to get away from Stokely, and it fortunately reunites her with her true love and a broken Vessel with her stolen mana.
It’s been a long time since I encountered a magic system this rich and unique, and the WORLD. AH! It was incredible. From the technology to the food, everything was so richly described. Samantha Jo has a beautiful way with words, and while the story is worth it alone, the way she weaves beautiful imagery along the way is lush, immersive, and so worth diving into.
Fans of fantasy are going to love this one! Magic is both a source of oppression and addiction, and it works to create a sort of spiritual dystopia in which a colorful cast of characters absolutely shine. Expect cinematic pacing, survival as defiance, and a magic system with subtle moments of psychological horror. All in all, a great start to the Bonded Earth series.
Read if you love: Rich Fantasy, F/F Romance, Psychological Fiction