The Endless Vessel is one of the most difficult books to categorize. Is it science fiction? Absolutely, but there’s more. Is it fantasy? Not particularly. It’s not quite steampunk. There is adventure, that’s for sure. There’s almost an apocalypse, but not quite. There’s no political totalitarianism, so I hesitate to call it dystopia. My best attempt at defining it would be “science fiction adventure/colonial oceanpunk.” Call it what you want; it’s one of the best science fiction books of the year.

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Synopsis:

A few years from now, in a world similar to ours, there exists a sort of “depression plague” that people refer to simply as “The Grey.” No one can predict whom it will afflict, or how, but once infected, there’s no coming back.

A young Hong Kong–based scientist, Lily Barnes, is trying to maintain her inner light in an increasingly dark world. The human race is dwindling, and people fighting to push forward are increasingly rare. One day, Lily comes across something that seems to be addressing her directly, calling to her, asking her to follow a path to whatever lies at its end. Is this the Endless Vessel to happiness? She leaves her life behind and sets out through time and space to find out. Charles Soule has channeled history, science and drama to create a story for the ages—a story of hope and love and possibility.

Review:

The Endless Vessel fits into a category of books I’ve honestly been avoiding. I call them “post-pandemic” fiction. This group of books explicitly discuss COVID-19, the lockdowns, and the effects of the pandemic on society. Frankly, I haven’t felt ready to dig into that time again. I still haven’t read  The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi, one of my favorite authors, for this very reason. For some reason, though, I felt drawn to The Endless Vessel.  

The Endless Vessel opens in Hong Kong. There’s a plague – a depression plague, of sorts, called “The Grey.” The main character is Lily Barnes, a scientist who is trying to solve global warming. That goal is keeping The Grey from taking her. But The Endless Vessel isn’t really about that. It’s about what happens after Lily discovers a bit of technology she can’t explain. It’s about the wonderpath. It’s about a colonial ship called the Lazarene. It’s got a rockstar sidekick, a world literally burning down, and mystery behind every door. 

The Endless Vessel isn’t an edge-of-your-seat mysteriously twisty read. Instead, it’s an adventure that sweeps you away and doesn’t let you go until it’s ready to say goodbye.

Audiobook:

I listened to The Endless Vessel through an audiobook through Libby. I enjoyed Barrie Kreinik as the narrator; she was fantastic and captured each character’s voice well. While I typically prefer multi-POV books narrated by multiple narrators, I didn’t mind in this case. Each voice was distinct and unique. The production quality of the audiobook was also excellent. Nothing notable stopped this from being an excellent reading experience from beginning to end. 

Final Thoughts: I adored this book. Sign me up for everything Charles Soule writes. This is my second Soule book, and both have been brilliant. If you like multi-POV stories with complex characters, then he’s the author for you. This is a genius book and one hell of a way to end 2023.

Rating: 5/5 stars. Easily.