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Vessel (Book I: the Advent)

by Tominda Adkins (Goodreads Author)

4.09 of 5 stars 4.09 · rating details · 45 ratings · 33 reviews

They're divine. They're almighty. They're about six thousand years late . . .

They're the Vessel, five living gods born to smite an ancient anomaly of death. That's what beloved pop legend Jesse Cannon is saying anyway--after claiming to be a Vessel himself. It's enough to make his long-suffering assistant Jordan hand in her two week's notice. She might not survive one week...more

ebook, Smashwords Edition, 385 pages

Published 2011 by Year of the Tiger (first published October 20th 2010)

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Jan 31, 2011 Genna Sarnak rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I had the pleasure of winning an ARC of Tominda Adkins’ Vessel (Book I: The Advent) from Goodreads a few weeks back. While not normally something I would read or buy for myself, I was delightfully surprised with how much I enjoyed this tale of hollows, gods, and the forces of nature, life, and death!

I attribute my enjoyment to Adkins’ fast paced writing, sharp knack for humor, sarcasm, and wit, and her intriguing characters, namely Jesse Cannon, the Russian-born singer turned diva extrodinare.

I...more

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May 22, 2011 Nik rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: EVERYONE!

Recommended to Nik by: Good Reads

**MILD SPOILERS*

The BEST part about reading this book was that I got to share updates with the author, which is a VERY COOL way to go about it. BTW, Tominda is pretty darn awesome and loves feedback! Anyway, lets get to the book. I really did love it. It was silly, snarky, freaky, creepy and ANXIETY provoking (at least the last half of the book, anyway!). It starts with just giving you some background on the boys (Corin, Ghi, Jesse, Jackson & Khan) & girl (Jordan) you will meet that turn...more

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Jun 02, 2011 Joshua rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wow! What a great read. Vessel is entirely engaging. It was a mix of Dracula and Harry Potter stylistically with a massive dash of wit. Perhaps that needs just a little explaining...

It begins by jumping between each of the main characters: Jordan, Ghi, Jackson, Khan, and Corin. Jesse is only seen through Jordan's eyes all along. Eventually everyone is seen through Jordans eyes, but it begins in much the same manner as Bram Stoker's Dracula albeit, no in diary form.

The world that Adkins creates i...more

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Apr 10, 2011 Andrea Arana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Vessel is a book that's soomewhat interesting. i mean, 5 guys are the shell for 5 different gods and have to travel around the world in order to stop Death itself from turning the world and life itself into the Apocolypse. it has a comical view, but told by jesse's assistant, jordan, who is a little whiny and doesn't apreciate all the sacrifices that those 5 guys are doing everything in there power to protect from these zombie like minions called the hallows. there's a lot of action in it, which...more

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Sep 24, 2012 Chris Cottrell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I just finished reading Vessel, Book 1: The Advent. I wasn't sure what to think after the first 20 pages or so, but I am glad I kept reading. I enjoyed the author's smartassed style, and I am looking forward to future installments in the series.

I personally enjoy longer novels and getting to know the characters and their backstories, so hopefully that is coming in the future books as the only character you really get to know much at all is Jesse, and maybe Jordan. I think that Khan is the chara...more

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Mar 15, 2011 Jason "Book Sniper" rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone

Recommended to Jason "Book Sniper" by: Tominda Adkins

Shelves: 100-book-challenge-for-2011, 2011, 4-stars-and-up, favorites, must-read-again, quick-reads, recomended-by-others, ya, submitted

Review of Vessel by Tominda Adkins.

Review:
Okay, I understand that many readers are getting tired of the whole zombies/monsters genre. I also understand that it is a little played out and nothing seems original anymore. Trust me, I really do understand. I feel the same way.

Then out of nowhere… “Jesse” shows up, and a book so unique that demands readers around the world to take notice. That book is Vessel. A unique story of five "gods” who are out to save the world from "death" and destruction, o...more

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Nov 22, 2012 Nathan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: author-female, rated-3-star, read-2012, read-on-kindle, urban-fantasy, self-published

This book has been on my radar for quite a while, and I have no idea where I first saw it. I have no history of reading self published works, but the premise of this one intrigued me enough take the plunge. In this case the author has found a new fan.

Book one in a series(though fairly self-contained), this is a fairly unique take on vampires. Told in first person, the main character Jordan is a personal assistant to the worlds biggest pop-star, Jesse Cannon. Her life, and several others, is thro...more This book has been on my radar for quite a while, and I have no idea where I first saw it. I have no history of reading self published works, but the premise of this one intrigued me enough take the plunge. In this case the author has found a new fan.

Book one in a series(though fairly self-contained), this is a fairly unique take on vampires. Told in first person, the main character Jordan is a personal assistant to the worlds biggest pop-star, Jesse Cannon. Her life, and several others, is thrown into chaos when her boss learns in a very abrupt fashion that he is one of five men who make up the Vessel. Details are fuzzy, but the Vessel is the worlds defense against Hollows(vampire like creatures that in essence are pure death). The five strangers who make the vessel converge around the tour bus of Jesse, followed by hollows and a secret society. From there the book has some pretty standard series set up tropes, coming into power, learning the back story, and meeting bigger and badder villains.

The books biggest strength is the conversational style of the narrator. She is easy to read, sometimes witty, and a lot of fun She is an easy character to like(although the same can be said about most the authors characters). I was also impressed on how much back story was inserted without feeling like info dumps interrupted the flow. I know a lot about the realities of this world, especially for such a short book. Also, despite following some tropes to set up the series, the story line never feels trite.

There are some issues. The most glaring is some awkward switching between first and third person, when the entire book is supposedly narrated by Jordan. As Jordan is a mere mortal among demigods, she should not have a lot of the knowledge she passes along(such as the order of minor actions that take place when she is not around, and more importantly, what people are thinking). There were a few editing problems, the most glaring being a section in which some piece of dialog is missing, because two characters jump to a conclusion that the conversation doesn't even suggest. That said, the author obviously had an army of proof-readers, as I was expecting more errors of this type in a self-published work, so color me impressed.

Pros: A very enjoyable narrator(when not jumping between first and third person), and fairly unique story, and quite a bit of wit.

Cons: The switching narrator thing was the most jolting. At times it felt the author didn't know if she was going for a humorous book with a serious plot, or a completely serious plot where the humor disappeared for stretches.

3.5 stars, and I will be on the list for the next one.

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Jul 20, 2011 planetkimi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, urban-fantasy

Vessel Book I: The Advent is an absolute riot. Beyond being energetically snarky and humorous, the story itself is fresh and original. There are no vampires, werewolves, or fairies in this urban fantasy. Not that there's anything wrong with vampires, werewolves, or fairies - but gosh, there sure are a lot of books about them and it's very refreshing to read about a new type of supernatural being.

The characters are quite memorable and I find myself thinking about the book in the days since I've...more

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Jun 14, 2012 Kacie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Okay, going to do my best to put my thoughts and feelings about this book into some kind of coherent stream, but I'm working on major sleep deprivation so no promises. First, the sleep deprivation can be solely blamed on this book. Even though I kept telling myself I needed to put it down and go to bed because I had to be up early, the book just refused to comply. So, a word of advice, if you hit around the halfway point of the book, and you're thinking of picking it up to read a few chapters be...more Okay, going to do my best to put my thoughts and feelings about this book into some kind of coherent stream, but I'm working on major sleep deprivation so no promises. First, the sleep deprivation can be solely blamed on this book. Even though I kept telling myself I needed to put it down and go to bed because I had to be up early, the book just refused to comply. So, a word of advice, if you hit around the halfway point of the book, and you're thinking of picking it up to read a few chapters before bed, best to just accept you won't sleep until you're finished, or maybe just wait until the next day, or whenever you have a good chunk of time to dedicate to finishing it, because from the halfway point to the end, Vessel doesn't slow down.

A quick sum-up of my feelings can be boiled down to: this book is amazing, and everyone needs to read it. Okay, it's that with a few more excitable expletives thrown in, but you know, that's the polite version.

Vessel is told from the point-of-view of Jordan Murphy, an exasperated and sarcastic woman, who's been stuck doing the bidding of Russian pop star Jesse Cannon for the last five years. Jordan is fantastic and hilarious, and her opinions and thoughts that are slipped in through the events of the book kept me laughing. Her voice keeps the book chained in reality even when the most ridiculous events are occurring, and the parallel is grand. It's also great to watch how she handles Jesse, who is equal parts maddening and charming.

I love Jesse, and think he's a brilliant character. I use brilliant in terms of the author's creation of him, cause Jesse himself is actually kind of an idiot, but that's just part of his charm. Jesse manages to be useless and flailing one minute, and then comes out of nowhere with an unexpected badass move on more than once occasion.

The other characters in the book, including the other four Vessel, along with the Luna Latum, and the Hollows are all just as interesting and individual as Jordan and Jesse. The plot itself is also fresh and exciting. I love a book with humor, and this book had me laughing out loud on a number of occasions, but it's not a book to be taken lightly. It's action packed, and has no trouble buckling down into the dark and gritty when it needs to. This book made me laugh, cry, shiver, and occasionally look over my shoulder with my eyes closed. It's a roller-coaster of emotions, and I loved every single moment of it.

In short, read this book! You won't regret it. It's got a little bit of something for everyone, and it's loads of fun. I eagerly await the second book in this series, but until then, I'll just make due with going back through this one often and enthusiastically. It effortlessly rocked, and gyrated its hips right into my favorite books. (less)

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Mar 11, 2011 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When five strangers share recurring dreams about both ancient Egypt and the Statue of Liberty, they all know something strange is going on. However none of them, least of all pop star Jesse Cannon, could have expected that behind the dreams lies the truth that they each represent the reincarnation of a god sent to defeat evil incarnate. A firefighter, a philanthropist, a convict, a diva celebrity, and an amnesiac who just might be a terrorist make an odd host for the spirits of earth, water, fir...more When five strangers share recurring dreams about both ancient Egypt and the Statue of Liberty, they all know something strange is going on. However none of them, least of all pop star Jesse Cannon, could have expected that behind the dreams lies the truth that they each represent the reincarnation of a god sent to defeat evil incarnate. A firefighter, a philanthropist, a convict, a diva celebrity, and an amnesiac who just might be a terrorist make an odd host for the spirits of earth, water, fire, air and light; but it's up to this cocktail of characters to stop the plague of zombie-like Hollows determined to destroy them and spread a deathly plague. For Jesse, saving the world is going to have to wait until after his appearance on Oprah, and it's up to Jesse's frazzled assistant - the book's hilarious narrator - Jordan to keep the unlikely heroes in line.

Vessel, Book I: The Advent is the first in Tominda Adkins' new series, and if the subsequent books are as well done as this one, readers are in for quite an enjoyable treat. I love the characters that Adkins created and the witty banter - especially between Jordan and Jesse - was delightful. From New York to Chicago and Totonto with flashbacks through the Middle East, Vessel blends fantasy with real life details to give the story a great structure. The Hollows were also a unique and wicked creation. Described as "the lasting imprint of a dying person", these flesh-eating beings masquerading as humans were a frightening and suspenseful addition to the story.

Adkins' book is not a life-altering work of profound literature but what it is, is a heck of a lot of fun. Multiple passages that are literally laugh-out-loud amusing are mixed with nail-biting action sequences to create a fast-paced story that is highly entertaining. With a writing style that might best be described as Rick Riordan meets Christopher Moore, Tominda Adkins shows wonderful promise with this debut work and I eagerly look forward to the future books in the Vessel series!(less)

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Mar 06, 2011 Lori Wilkey rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I won this book as a Goodreads giveaway. That is really the only reason I read it. I have read quite a bit of the contemporary paranormal type writing and I still found her story to be fairly original. I have no complaints there, however, I do feel much more revision was needed.

Her point of view changed constantly during the story. I felt like a pin pong ball bouncing back and forth from character to character. The majority of the story was written in first person. If a story is told through th...more

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Feb 03, 2011 Emma rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, science-fiction, owned, pleasant-surprise, first-reads

I won this book as a first reads giveaway.

I loved it. I read it (all 300 pages) in two days (that includes several weekend activities), basically, when I had any free time, I was reading it. I woke up this morning and found I was still thinking about it.

It takes place in a modern world, but it references ancient prophecies. The story is told through the eyes of an assistant to one of the five men who ARE the Vessel. It's basically good guys with powers versus bad undead guys, you know, the usual...more

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Jan 24, 2011 Shiloh (SnarkyWriter) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, first-reads

Five men begin dreaming about meeting each other, as well as events that occurred 7,000 years ago, giving them a job to do--save the world. Jordan, the personal assistant of one of the men (international pop star Jesse Cannon) is along for the ride, despite trying to quit her job several times. But an ancient evil is rising again, and only the five men, who find themselves able to channel the energies of fire, earth, water, air, and light, can stop it. Or at least slow it down.

This book is very...more

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May 10, 2011 Enjee rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: goodreads-first-reads

I received a copy through the Goodreads early reads program. This book is different from the usual paranormal vamps, shifters, mages, demons stuff I typically spend my reading hours on, so I was happy to have something new to try for a change.
This is an original story, with plenty of snarky comments. Five men are the manisfestations of ancient seers, each one specializing in an element. Right here this is different...most any other book would have the present day vessel female. Not this writer....more

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Jan 05, 2011 Beau rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Vessel, Tominda Adkins' debut novel, creates a world where the incredibly plausible (traffic, Oprah, bartenders, rock stars) happens alongside the fantastical (reincarnation of Gods, attacking evil critters, elementals) and completely pulls it off. For reference, this is the completely opposite of Terry Pratchett, who populates a fantastical world and then grounds it with a few details that are all too familiar.

Vessel is the tale of five men brought together by a power far beyond them, and the...more

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Apr 16, 2011 Jami Hadden rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The mark of a good book for me is an identifying character. Jordan is that character. However, she is surrounded by many others as colorful (and even more so) as she is. And while certain characters may brush "over the top," I don't find they cross that line.

I was immersed in this world while reading this story. The story is strikingly visual, especially the tricked out pink tour bus.

I am patiently (or not so patiently) awaiting to hear more from Jordan, Ghi, Jackson, Stella, and the others.

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Apr 10, 2011 Julia Clemencia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads

Vessel is a new twist on Egyptian Gods and modern society. it was somewhat very funny and captivating to read. everytime i turned a page, i'm always expecting something, but turns out the characters do the unexpected. this book puts mythology to a whole new level and told from the perspective of jordan, jesse's assistant and even though she's lost her arm, it turned out pretty good, since she's the narrating the story, telling the reader what she experienced and saw in her point of view and to t...more

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Mar 28, 2011 Amber rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads

I received this book as a part of the First-Reads giveaway.

When reading the description of the book, I thought the premise sounded very interesting, so I was happy when I received the book as part of the First-Reads giveaway. Tominda Adkins does a really great job in telling an original story. The field of supernatural or paranormal stories have been so overwhelmed lately, I did not think that anyone could come up with something new, but she succeeded admirably.

I would highly recommend this book...more

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Jun 03, 2011 Stacy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: for-andi

I absolutely loved this book and can't wait for the next to come out. I can't say I was hooked by the first page, since it was a little slow to get into - but maybe that was just me. It didn't take long to hook me, however, and then I just couldn't put it down. I definitely recommend this one to anyone and everyone!

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Apr 28, 2011 Tamara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook

Well written and quite funny. I can't wait to read the rest!

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Mar 06, 2011 Carrie marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads, i-own-to-read, to-read-in-2012

Can't wait to get this in the mail so I can read it!

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Mar 06, 2011 Amanda marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads-win

won a firstreads copy!! can't wait!

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Apr 25, 2012 Jeremy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Brilliant! Amazing! Must have book 2!

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Sep 16, 2012 Jamie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action, adventure, humour, twisted-humor, why-can-t-i-find-a-guy-like-this

oh my, I'm 60 pages into this and I love it! But I need to read my library books first...bummer

Vessel, a book about 5 guys from all corners of the world who end up being gods and meeting up in New York. The story was funny, exciting, dramatic, and a little depressing all in one. All I can say is I do hope there is a second book to this because I would be severely disappointed if this ended the way it did, with everyone pissed off.

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Jul 17, 2011 Samantha rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a quirky and enjoyable read...it's apparently the first in a five book series though, so I was a little disappointed in not "finishing". But the characters are well developed and interesting and I'm sure I'll read the next installment.

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Jul 05, 2011 Ishanie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads

I just won this book on First Reads! I have a feeling I'm going to love it! I will update my review upon receipt! Thank you!

**UPDATE**

Very good read. Quick and to the point. Look forward to other selections by this author!

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Apr 26, 2012 Sarah Tredway rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There are no words that adequately express just how great this book. It is best summed up with the Jesse Cannon Sexodus Tour tag line: I went. I saw. I came. :)

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Apr 06, 2011 shinfu rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I won this book in a First Reads giveaway. This was a great book to read. I really enjoyed the story and the people. Can't wait to read the next one. Thanks.

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Jun 03, 2011 Lindsey rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: love-enough-to-read-again

I loved it! I love the characters, I love the voice, I love the action! I could just read about the main characters doing mundane things and be perfectly happy.

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Feb 07, 2011 Jeffrey marked it as to-read · review of another edition

I won this from Goodreads First Reads. Looking forward to reading it now that I received it. Thanks.

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About Tominda Adkins

Tominda Ann Adkins was born and raised in West Virginia. All her teeth are intact and she has never attempted second base with a farm animal. She does play banjo. Poorly.

After a long stint as a graphic designer, formatting and illustrating such books as "Black Dog, Brown Dog" (Nina Zaragoza), Tom has finally caved to her true passion: writing books (in addition to making them look pretty). She beg...more

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