Thursday, July 7, 2011

Geist by Philippa Ballantine

Geist (A Book of the Order)Description:
Between the living and the dead is the Order of the Deacons, protectors of the Empire, guardians against possession, sentinels enlisted to ward off the malevolent haunting of the geists...

Among the most powerful of the Order is Sorcha, now thrust into partnership with the novice Deacon, Merrick Chambers. They have been dispatched to the isolated village of Ulrich to aide the Priory with a surge of violent geist activity. With them is Raed Rossin, Pretender to the throne that Sorcha is sworn to protect, and bearer of a terrible curse.

But what greets them in the strange settlement is something far more predatory and more horrifying than any mere haunting. And as she uncovers a tradition of twisted rituals passed down through the dark reaches of history, Sorcha will be forced to reconsider everything she thinks she knows.

And if she makes it out of Ulrich alive, what in Hell is she returning to?
 Geists have been plaguing humanity but humans have their champions against this infestation. Deacons, one active (who actively engage the geists) and one sensitive (who enhance and gather information through their senses) work together to fight the geists and send them back to the otherworld. Sorcha, a powerful active deacon, and Merrick, a powerful sensitive, are paired to help out the citizen's of Ulrich who have an unusual distrust of deacons. They are joined by Raed an ousted former prince who lives with a curse deeply connected to the geists. These three find themselves within a conspiracy that may shake everything they believe.

You are thrown immediately into a riot at the beginning of the story so I admit it took me a minute to really get into things. Having to sort out who did what and who was who. After that minute, however, I was absorbed into this world and the relationships of the characters. Sorcha could be a hard character to connect to as she is all angles and no soft edges, but as we get into her mind, we find some of those soft edges to connect us. Merrick, who is both in awe of Sorcha and irritated with her, also takes a bit to connect to but in the end we are rooting for him and feel that he is a trusted friend. So, yes, I enjoyed the growth of the characters and the interesting world in which this book resides.

As for the mystery and what that holds for this world... you should know by now I will not spill a thing. So, I will add a... *evil laugh* to any curiosity you may have now. I will also give this book 4 stars. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good adventure, fantasy, a smidgen of steampunk, and a bit of romance. You will enjoy this book.


I received this book from the author and no compensation was given.
Other reviews:

20 comments:

  1. Sounds like a book I might enjoy. Though I might have some trouble if it takes a while to connect to the characters. But I'm willing to give it a try.

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  2. Fantasy, adventure and romance sounds like a perfect mix! I have been looking for good fantasy novels to read, so I will add this to my list.

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  3. That evil laugh of yours always makes me curious about a book. Running off to add to my wishlist. Great review again :)

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  4. What a great review, and I love the trailer. Sounds like a great read!
    Edge of Your Seat Romance

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  5. Another book I've been circling for a while (a bit like a shark around a swimmer) and after reading your review I think I might take a nibble...*big smile full of teeth*

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  6. I think I might like it despite the difficulty with connecting to the characters...sharks everywhere this summer...;)

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  7. You are so evil! Stop this evil laugh before I break don and buy every book you review ;)

    Lol, sounds great :D

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  8. I've seen Geist on the shelves for a while now, and just saw the sequel on my last trip. You've definitely peaked my interest ;D

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  9. The evil laugh strikes again! :)

    I've had this book forever now. I should really read it already. It sounds pretty awesome.

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  10. I've heard good things about this one! I'm glad to know that despite her being all hard edges at the beginning, you eventually do get to see under that tough exterior and find something to connect to. Awesome review Melissa!

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  11. Ooh this sounds like a great fantasy book! I love the cover of it. And now I am curious as to what the mystery is...

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  12. Okay, where have I been because I haven't heard of this series.

    Intros to stories are very important to me and if it takes too long for me to get into it, I usually abandon the book. Glad to hear you toughed out the beginning and got absorbed by the story.

    Sorcha seems like she has some tough layers! My kind of chick.

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  13. @Simcha.. I though you will. I didn't have trouble connecting, but I liked that it took time to get to know the characters. :)

    @Misha... This is a good fantasy book!

    @Nic... My evil plot works... ;D

    @Raquel... Thanks! I did enjoy the book!

    @Mel...Shark out baby! :)~

    @anachronist... I think you will actually like this one. :)

    @Blodeuedd... Bwa ha ha? lol

    @Vicki... Tomorrow is the sequel! I won't spoil tho!

    @Smash... Read eeet! You'll like it! :)

    @Jenny... Oh you so do! I really liked Sorcha!

    @Savanna... What could it be? Oh it was a good mystery!

    @Missie... It really didn't take but a minute. You will like Sorcha.

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  14. I'm loving the cover and this fantasy world. Sounds like it has a bit of everything.

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  15. I hadn't heard of this one yet. Thanks for the heads up!

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  16. I have to shamefully admit that this one was recently added to my TBR pile because of the cover alone. That lion! I want to know what is up with the lion! If a cover has a big cat on it, I'm all in.

    That said, you've got me intrigued with your mysteries and non-secret-spilling. I can't wait to read this one!

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  17. I keep meaning to buy this one to read, cannot remember Melissa is it PB, TPB or HB format?

    It is on my wishing to read since first review I read over at Melissa's blog My World in Words and Pages, of course you both loved it!

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  18. I read the reviews out of order--I am getting as bad as you about order LOL

    Yep this is something I am going to buy for my brother. I do believe he would find it wickedly awesome!

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  19. Oh glad you are enjoying this series! I do think this author is one to watch out for. She really has some wonderful books and a great story telling style. :)

    And thank you sooo much for the link! :)

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  20. I've actually been thinking of getting into steampunk :D

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