Vesselless by Cortney L. Winn (Hardback)

Nizzara is heir to the throne her father stole, raised under expectation, power, and a magic she fears may one day consume her. Gifted with a rare ability to see spirits more clearly than any caster, she enters a brutal tournament in hopes of cancelling her unwanted betrothal. Victory demands strength, cunning, and blood, yet she refuses to kill or surrender herself to the dangerous magic that tempts her. Each round grows deadlier, alliances crumble, and Nizzara is forced to decide how far she will go to win her own freedom.

Dagen, once the true King of Zarr, lost everything when he was murdered by Nizzara’s father. Now bound between worlds as a half-ghost, he roams the spirit realm capturing lost souls in return for borrowed freedom. He survives with charm, ruthlessness, and a hunger for the life stolen from him. When offered a chance to reclaim it, all he needs is Nizzara’s soul, freely given, before the tournament ends.

Thrown together by fate, their goals collide. Nizzara needs his help to stay alive. Dagen needs her heart to fail. Between shifting magic, political secrets, and growing feelings that threaten both worlds, the line between enemy and ally breaks apart. As time runs short, Nizzara must decide if she will trust the man who should hate her, and Dagen must decide whether reclaiming his throne is worth losing himself again.