Review: Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst

Vessel
Sarah Beth Durst
September 11th, 2012
424 pages (Hardcover)
Margaret K. McElderry
POV: 3rd person
Source: Author/Publisher

Liyana has trained her entire life to be the vessel of a goddess. The goddess will inhabit Liyana’s body and use magic to bring rain to the desert. But Liyana’s goddess never comes. Abandoned by her angry tribe, Liyana expects to die in the desert. Until a boy walks out of the dust in search of her.

Korbyn is a god inside his vessel, and a trickster god at that. He tells Liyana that five other gods are missing, and they set off across the desert in search of the other vessels. For the desert tribes cannot survive without the magic of their gods. But the journey is dangerous, even with a god’s help. And not everyone is willing to believe the trickster god’s tale.

The closer she grows to Korbyn, the less Liyana wants to disappear to make way for her goddess. But she has no choice: She must die for her tribe to live. Unless a trickster god can help her to trick fate—or a human girl can muster some magic of her own.

Gods and goddesses, deserts and droughts, fate and freedom....Sarah Beth Durst's newest novel has it all, and then some. Easily one of the best stories I've read all year, VESSEL is a highly creative, richly cultured, and wonderfully executed fantasy novel that sweeps across the harsh desert lands as one extraordinary young woman tries to save her people. Liyana, destined to give up her body to her goddess Bayla, is determined to find her missing goddess and unwilling to yield or give up without a fight.

Despite how very journey-orientated this story is – since Liyana and Korbyn¹ are wandering the desert as they look for the other vessels and the missing gods and goddesses – Durst throws in quite a few surprises along the way to keep a reader hooked and guessing about the final outcome. The pacing picks up and slows down repeatedly, and kept me completely entranced by this story from start to finish. If you're a fan of fantasy stories rich in culture, amusing characters, and brimming with unpredictability, then VESSEL should be the next novel on your To-Read list. 

Highlights: The worldbuilding, characters, story...everything is exceptional in VESSEL. Durst takes her characters in different directions than expected. Liyana's family rocked. Liyana is an excellent and humorous protagonist that's easy to like. I loved seeing the other clans and their vessels. The sporadic second narration kept me curious in the beginning and it was interesting to see how it all tied together with Liyana. 

Lowlights: I was a bit sad about the way the story ended (especially romantically, it didn't work out the way I hoped it would), but it was the best possible ending for the story. It's too bad this book is a standalone, because I really wish there were more books! 

Rating: 

1 Who doesn't love a trickster god? *swoons*

Interview and Giveaway: Sarah Beth Durst discussing VESSEL

Today I have an interview with the lovely Sarah Beth Durst, the author of fantastic novels such as DRINK SLAY LOVE, ENCHANTED IVY, ICE, and more. Today, we are discussing Sarah's upcoming novel, VESSEL, which releases tomorrow on September 11th. 

Quick! Describe VESSEL in 7 words or less! 

Epic fantasy in a harsh desert land

Ooh, that's a good answer....What was the experience like writing VESSEL in comparison to your previous novels?

In my previous novels, I injected magic into the real world (a magic polar bear in the Arctic, talking gargoyles at Princeton, vampires and were-unicorns in the suburbs, fairy tale characters in a sleepy New England town...), but VESSEL is my first novel set entirely in a fantasy world.  It takes place in a desert filled with wolves made of sand and sky serpents made of unbreakable glass and monstrous worms and gods and goddesses.  Writing it was intensely immersive.  I'd sink into that world while I wrote.  In a way, writing this novel felt a lot like reading!

From reading the VESSEL excerpt posted on your website, I noticed that the world in VESSEL seemed very developed and rich in culture…what steps did you take to achieve this? Did you draw inspiration from other cultures?

I love mythology, and I really wanted to create a world that felt steeped in ancient mythology.  I didn't draw from any particular mythology for my world, but I tried to create the feel of an oral storytelling tradition with rich, archetypal tales.

VESSEL has a first line that really grabs your attention: “On the day she was to die, Liyana walked out of her family's tent to see the dawn.”-- What are your thoughts on first lines? 

I love writing first lines.  I agonize over them, as if they're some magic spell for unlocking the rest of the novel.  Once I have the first line, then I'm free to write. 

Scenario: You are a vessel, destined to give your body to a goddess. What you would do on your last day, and what type of goddess (of any mythology) would you hope to have inhabit your body? 

I'd spend it with my family.  And I'd write for a while.  And eat a lot of chocolate-covered strawberries.  As to what goddess... I think I'd pick an earth goddess so she could save the rain forests and so forth.

What are you working on right now?

I am currently working on a YA paranormal thriller called SWEET NOTHINGS (coming fall 2013 from Bloomsbury/Walker).  It's about a girl in the paranormal witness protection program.  I'm also working on my first trilogy for adults (from Luna) called THE LOST, THE MISSING, and THE FOUND.  I'm really, really excited about both projects!

Thanks so much for interviewing me!

It is always a pleasure to interview you, so thank you for agreeing to answer some questions!

VESSEL by Sarah Beth Durst

September 11th, 2012

Margaret K. McElderry 

"In a desert world of sandstorms and sand-wolves, a teen girl must defy the gods to save her tribe in this mystical, atmospheric tale from the author of Drink, Slay, Love.

Liyana has trained her entire life to be the vessel of a goddess. The goddess will inhabit Liyana’s body and use magic to bring rain to the desert. But Liyana’s goddess never comes. Abandoned by her angry tribe, Liyana expects to die in the desert. Until a boy walks out of the dust in search of her.

Korbyn is a god inside his vessel, and a trickster god at that. He tells Liyana that five other gods are missing, and they set off across the desert in search of the other vessels. For the desert tribes cannot survive without the magic of their gods. But the journey is dangerous, even with a god’s help. And not everyone is willing to believe the trickster god’s tale.

The closer she grows to Korbyn, the less Liyana wants to disappear to make way for her goddess. But she has no choice: She must die for her tribe to live. Unless a trickster god can help her to trick fate—or a human girl can muster some magic of her own."

Because I'm a Sarah Beth Durst fan and I think VESSEL sounds beyond incredible, I'm going to give one copy away:

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Vessel

Sarah Beth Durst September 11th, 2012Margaret K. McElderry Books

In a desert land where serpents made of unbreakable glass fly through the sky and wolves made of only sand hunt within storms, Liyana is destined to be a vessel, to sacrifice herself so that her clan's goddess can inhabit her body... but her goddess never comes.

That eye-catching and absolutely beautiful cover!! The (way too small) summary!! The intriguing tagline! *dies*
Wolves made of sand. Unbreakable glass serpents? Sarah Beth Durst is lucky I don't know where she lives, or else I'd be knocking on her door right now, demanding (or begging) to see this book immediately. I cannot wait to see the final summary :)
What are you waiting on?