The Vessel’s Blood

I was asked to read this book by the author. I did not receive any payment for this review, and the book was purchased with my own money. My review is my honest opinion about the book.

Compared to many readers, my taste in books can verge on the unknown. For others, my reviews are remarkably mainstream. I can say with certainty though, that this is the least-reviewed book I’ve ever read (with the sole exception of a book of poetry retelling the story of Cronus written by a friend). It also happened to have a rather intriguing premise: what would the story of a man whose destiny is to turn into a god, their own soul consumed, when everything goes wrong? Throw in a pair of gay protagonists who don’t immediately fall in love, and it should be right up my alley. In general, I loved the ideas behind this book, but have some large reservations about the writing craft elements that didn’t work for me. Thankfully, craft can be workshopped.

Elevator Pitch:

Vulfrey is The Vessel. He is destined to die, subsumed by his god’s power when he sacrifices himself for the god’s return. He has lived his entire life in a citadel dedicated to him and his god. But when things go horribly wrong the night before his own death, he finds himself on the run with the Kail, son of a man who tried to kill him. The two search for a path to salvage the situation and bring their god into the world, even though it means Vulfrey losing his life.

What Worked for Me:

I love it when authors commit to making a character flawed. Vulfrey is a complex character, and part of that complexity is a realistic portrait of what a spoiled and pampered person looks like when thrust into the grungy shoes of an adventurer. The concept isn’t new, though it typically involves nobility instead of a religious icon. Unlike most authors though, Gorne commits to this premise. Even by the end of book 1, Vulfrey is still bossing Kail around and making unreasonable demands, and generally being a nuisance. He is growing, changing from this experience, but the change is slow. I love the choice, and I think Vulfrey and Kail are generally interesting and well-rounded characters that show off a lot of the ideas that Gorne wanted to achieve in this book. Side characters tended to be more one note, such as the comedically incompetent and horny guard from before the attack, but engaging and interesting. The cast is generally a high note for the novel.

Similarly, I like the groundwork Gorne is laying for the romance between Kail and Vulfrey. I’ve got no idea how it will end: there’s a very real possibility that Vulfrey sacrifices himself for his god, and I like that I’m not 100% sure that Gorne will do the expected route of Vulfrey changing his mind. He probably will, but the doubt in my mind is delicious and rare in genre fiction. Like with Vulfrey’s own journey, their relationship moves slowly. They aren’t even together by the end of book 1. In terms of romantic pacing, this book is reminiscent of Captive Prince, which is a big positive. I hope the focus continues to rest heavily on the epic fantasy beats, however, as there’s some interesting worldbuilding around religious tension being set up across various nations in the world. 

What Didn’t Work For Me:

I want to preface my negatives with the following: I read this book in the middle of a reading slump and on my kindle (which I typically enjoy books less on). I think many of my issues would remain, but perhaps with a lessened intensity.

As I was taking notes during this read, I wrote “I feel like I’m watching a movie.” Unfortunately, this wasn’t a positive. The prose style here leans heavily into the writing aphorism ‘show don’t tell’. You get every conversation, every day narrated, no matter how important or inane it is. Now, this is hyperbole, there are some timeskips, especially in the final third of the book. However, Gorne’s writing overcommits to long conversations and descriptions, without spending enough time in the character’s heads or sitting in the bird’s eye narrative seat. I thought the first 20% of the book was strongest because it gave us so much time in Vulfrey’s head, ruminating about his future, his duty, and distracting himself with research. There are readers who really enjoy the more passive approach required to enjoy the second half of the book, but I’m not one of them.

Once the journey began in proper however, I desperately needed more moments where the story zoomed out and the dialogue pruned. I felt like a passenger in the story instead of a participant. This style of writing can work, but it’s rare that a debut author has the prose skills to keep such a consistent narrative voice engaging. By the end of this story, I found myself flipping pages to flip pages, stubbornly refusing to drop the book because I wanted to see where the story went, even though I wasn’t enjoying the journey. I’m hopeful that the sequel shifts back to the style from the first portion of the book. Otherwise, I might pick up Gorne’s next series, instead of continuing this one. Similarly, if audiobooks are ever an option (which I think is unlikely, but a man can dream) I think I might enjoy this title more in that format. 

Conclusion: a bundle of interesting ideas and compelling characters, but relies far too much on scenework in the second half of the story.

• Characters: 4
• Worldbuilding: 3
• Craft: 2
• Themes: 3
• Enjoyment: 4 (first half), 2 (second half)