Ghost

The Ghost and The Fallen - 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
2🌶🌶
2 💧

I am not going to lie.....I under-estimated this book..and it is haunting me - UGH IT ISN'T EVEN RELEASED AND I NEED THE SECOND BOOK!!

Thank you Lana and NetGalley for the advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review!

Synopsis:
✨Illusionist Jinx has fought and survived after making a deal with a demon years ago. She has one year to crack the riddle and get back to her family, while also trying to fight for her Cursed people that are being murdered just because of who they are.

✨Son of the Seven and heir to his family, Apollo Voclaine, lives at the peak of aristocracy. However, he lives with a secret that could potentially destroy him in the eyes of society. Magic hidden in his bones and a devil embedded in his soul, Apollo searches for the remedy to rid of his abilities. When he encounters the illusionist no one has set eyes on, he offers her a deal she’s unable to refuse.

📚When I tell you, this is a fantasy book you NEED to read - I mean it.
We have such a different fantasy story that the author nails in terms of world building. There is a bit of info dumping in the beginning - but what fantasy book doesn't have this?
The Cursed reminded me of X-Men powers, and yet so different.

📚MFC: Jinx is probably one of the most badass female characters. She never came off annoying. Her backstory and character development were so heart wrenching, I was so invested in her story.

📚MMC: Apollo - He was giving Mr. Darcy vibes in terms of being guarded, stoic, playing a role of strength in order to not hurt others. You get his POV and I loved being able to bear witness to his internal and external struggles. He is a tortured soul and I was so connected to his inner dialogue.


📚Plot: Overall, I loved the story line - there were times where I think the author needs to clean up a bit in terms of moving onto next scenes. The ending - get ready for a massive cliffhanger and heartbreak.
This was a more romantic read in terms of the fantasy I am used to.
AND THEN - LANA - THE ENDING - FUCKING RIPPED ME TO SHREDS. I WAS FUCKIN CRYING.

📚Side characters: Apollo's family - I need to be adopted into. I loved everyone's interactions together, and you get to know each and everyone one of them through Jinx's interactions/ POV.

Tropes:
Enemies to lovers - but in a way that I have never seen done before - and I loved. EVERY second of it.
Slow burn - and I mean, SLOW.
One bed
Found family
Cursed/ special abilities
Dark Secrets
Dual POV


100% recommend!

Release Date: 11/9/2023


Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I loved the description of this book but it just is not keeping my attention. The clash with older with a more modern feel didn't feel real to me entirely.

This book had some really great elements, but it didn’t fully pull me in the way I’d hoped. The world-building was creative and unique, blending a late 19th-century feel with futuristic magic, which I really enjoyed. Jinx and Apollo had a compelling dynamic, and their mix of tension, mistrust, and reluctant teamwork kept me invested. But the pacing felt off—some parts were rushed while others dragged with heavy info-dumping, and the dialogue didn’t always flow naturally. Still, the magic system was intriguing, and the cliffhanger definitely left me curious. It wasn’t perfect, but it was entertaining enough for a 3.5-star read.

The premise really seemed promising, but the story just didn’t hook me. I gave it several chances, hoping to get into it, but I couldn’t stay engaged. The pacing felt too slow, and the plot lacked the pull to keep me invested. The characters didn’t leave much of an impact either, and the worldbuilding felt too underdeveloped, leaving me wanting more depth and detail. In the end, I found myself losing interest and couldn’t bring myself to finish it. Maybe I’ll revisit it someday, but for now, it doesn't work for me.

This wasn't for me. Decided to not finish it - was one of the first books I requested and shouldn't have and taken my time picking stories I would enjoy. Unfortunately this isn't it. Sorry!

I found this book to be a really good read. It was suspenseful, mysterious, dark, enchanting, unique. I thought the premise is that the author wrote the book on was a unique twist on faded love but also kind of a haunting. The plot lines on the magical system for ones that I have never seen before and I enjoyed reading it, and it cut me guessing up until the end

This was a fun book filled with magic and excitement. Jinx and Apollo were such enjoyable characters. Also, the cover of this book is soo pretty!

This story was a great fantasy adventure and a fantastic start to this series. It has everything that I was hoping for in this type of book. The characters were dynamic, independent, gogetters, and intriging. I am looking forward to reading more.

A thrilling action-packed first book in a new and unique fantasy series.
This one has a very gothic feel and if you enjoyed One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig of The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten you might enjoy this one.
The perfect blend of romance and fantasy.
Interesting world building and magic.
Highly recommend if you love unique romantasy books.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

I had no idea what I was going into but was pleasantly surprised with this one - I NEED the next book immediately after that cliffhanger. I’m obsessed with Apollo and his family also 🤭

I loved this book! I loved Jinx and Apollo and I love the way their relationship developed, and can’t wait to see more of them. Looking forward to book two! I would definitely recommend this book to friends!

I loved the magic and action packed plot. Jinx and Apollo were great main characters and I loved them both! Not the most unique story, but it was still engaging and thoroughly enjoyable. I will be reading more by this author for sure.

At 8 yrs old, Jinx had given up her life as a normal human to save her family from poverty. Her new life is that of a thief and killer. Now almost twenty one she has to figure out a riddle before her next birthday or be stuck this way forever. One of her marks gets the better of her and offers her a deal to help him find a missing relic, the Vessel.

Along the way you are rooting for these two characters and what them to find the peace and love they deserve. Not sure how I feel about the ending and Jinx is stubbornness but we shall see in book 2 where it goes. 3.5 stars due to inconsistencies in the plot. 4 stars due to the magic, intriguing main characters, and side characters I want to be friends with and love.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this book, but it didn’t feel like anything new. It reminded me of a lot of other books I read in the genre. I found the pacing to be quite slow, and wished there was some kind of ending to each chapter that made me want to keep reading. During my reading experience, I felt like i could stop wherever and start wherever because I wasn’t fully engaged. I think making the story more condensed would help with the pacing issue and engagement issue on my end. Sometimes a few words can do what three pages does more effectively.

The best part of the story has to be the atmospheric elements, and I was in awe of Prince and how they were were able to incorporate all those elements in a seamless way. I can’t wait enough to read more from the author.

I was pleasantly surprised by this. It was a medium spice, slow burn. It had a slow build up for the first half of the book but then everything starts moving faster and pulls you in. The characters have a great dynamic and chemistry. I'll be looking for the next in the series to see where it all goes.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc in return for an honest review

Loved the premise and the characters and even the story although I'm not quite sure what it was but it did take me a good chunk (nearly or pretty much halfway) of it until I became invested. May have just been my reading mood at the time that affected it. It did feel slightly dragged out as I was just ready to get into the action, leaving me only half invested. On the other hand, as mentioned, loved the characters and the slow burn between Jinx and Apollo. The wit and connection was cute. The characters are what I kept going back for.

A huge thank you to the author and NetGalley for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The first book in a new fantasy that had me on the edge of my seat and absolutely having to finish this book to find out what happens next. (AND an ending that had me needing the sequel, ASAP).

This book reminded me of a perfect mix of:
Hannah Whitten - The Foxglove King
MK Lobb - Seven Faceless Saints
Rachel Gillig - One Dark Window
Kate Drami’ - The Curse of Saints

Honestly, if you liked any (or all) of these books I would highly encourage you to check out this novel for yourself, because believe me it does NOT disappoint.

This book perfectly blends the fantasy and romance aspects of this novel, and doesn’t let the worldbuilding or plot fade into the background when the romance does happen. (I like romantasy, don’t get me wrong, but it always bothers me when books with fascinating worlds and plots get sidelined for the romance, rather than having them both work together.)

We follow Jinx, a criminal, as she tries to solve a riddle that keeps her away from her family, and Apollo, an aristocrat, who is dealing with suffering from an affliction that is punished by his society. Jinx has the power to transform herself into looking like anyone, and using illusions to trick people into seeing things incorrectly - and this power allows her to be a notorious criminal well-known for their exploits. However, she is forced to work alongside Apollo when she realizes she can blackmail him into helping her solve the riddle (where failure to solve will sever her from her family forever.) Doing this, they both learn secrets about the other and learn how to work together, while also learning that they may have more in common than they initially thought. As they work together to solve both of their problems, they begin uncovering a higher corruption in their society and need to solve it - before it destroys them both.

The worldbuilding and magic in this novel was fascinating, as we learn that those who were afflicted with a plague 20 years ago were transformed into people who have magic powers and may be not quite human anymore. This affliction, called being Cursed, makes them the bottom of society where merely existing can be a death sentence - unless they can prevent themselves from being found out. There is also a religious aspect in this novel, where as we learn more and more of it, we can see some of the cracks in the pieces that are missing - and that, when it is discovered - is a huge game changer for how they understand their world. (This highly reminded me of the religion in Seven Faceless Saints.)

The characters in this novel are very lifelike, and it isn’t hard to sympathize with both Jinx and Apollo as they navigate their lives and try to solve their problems. However, as the story progresses you start to see that what both of them assumed were their biggest issues are only scratching the surface of what is really going on - and this book ends on a killer cliffhanger that I cannot wait to see how the next book continues.

I would highly recommend this novel if you like romantasy along with plot, political intrigue, and a religion that may or may not have a secret hidden in plain sight. I wasn’t expecting to love this book as much as it did, but once it started it grabbed me to the last page and I couldn’t stop reading until it was finished.

This was such a fun, engaging story. I loved the characters and the pacing. Even when it gets a bit slow at times it's never off putting or long lasting. The premise and characters get you through what few slumps there are in the pacing. I really enjoyed this world and can't wait to see where the next book takes it.