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Book of the Order #1
Geist
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?
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?
294 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 29, 2010
About the author
Philippa Ballantine
68 books1,029 followersBorn and raised in Wellington, New Zealand, Philippa is a writer and podcaster of fantasy fiction.
Immersed in books from an early age, she moved onto to become a librarian. She'd been dreaming of being a writer since a teenager, but in the last ten years she's devoted herself to it.
She's the author of the Books of the Order series from Ace Books. Geist, Spectyr, Wrayth (2012) and Harbinger (2013).
Also, with Pyr books the Shifted World series, Hunter and Fox (2012) and Born and Made (2013)
Philippa is also the co-author of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series. Phoenix Rising and the Janus Affair (2012)
Philippa currently resides in Manassas, Virginia with her husband and co-writer Tee Morris, their daughter and a clowder of five cats who keep them all in line.
Awards
2011 Goodreads Short Listed for Best Science Fiction
2011 Airship Award winner for best written work (with Tee Morris)
2011 Sir Julius Vogel Award nominee for Best Novel- Adult
2010 Parsec Award finalist for Best Speculative Fiction Magazine or Anthology Podcast
2010 Sir Julius Vogel Award finalist for Best fan production
2009 Parsec Award finalist for Best Speculative Fiction Magazine or Anthology Podcast
2009 Sir Julius Vogel Award winner for Best fan production
2009 Sir Julius Vogel Award nominee for Best Novel- Adult
2007 Parsec Award finalist for Best Writing Podcast
2006 Sir Julius Vogel Award nominee for Best Novel
Immersed in books from an early age, she moved onto to become a librarian. She'd been dreaming of being a writer since a teenager, but in the last ten years she's devoted herself to it.
She's the author of the Books of the Order series from Ace Books. Geist, Spectyr, Wrayth (2012) and Harbinger (2013).
Also, with Pyr books the Shifted World series, Hunter and Fox (2012) and Born and Made (2013)
Philippa is also the co-author of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series. Phoenix Rising and the Janus Affair (2012)
Philippa currently resides in Manassas, Virginia with her husband and co-writer Tee Morris, their daughter and a clowder of five cats who keep them all in line.
Awards
2011 Goodreads Short Listed for Best Science Fiction
2011 Airship Award winner for best written work (with Tee Morris)
2011 Sir Julius Vogel Award nominee for Best Novel- Adult
2010 Parsec Award finalist for Best Speculative Fiction Magazine or Anthology Podcast
2010 Sir Julius Vogel Award finalist for Best fan production
2009 Parsec Award finalist for Best Speculative Fiction Magazine or Anthology Podcast
2009 Sir Julius Vogel Award winner for Best fan production
2009 Sir Julius Vogel Award nominee for Best Novel- Adult
2007 Parsec Award finalist for Best Writing Podcast
2006 Sir Julius Vogel Award nominee for Best Novel
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 501 reviews
September 29, 2021
Actual rating: 3.21 stars. Because I'm in a good mood today.
✉ A message from Sarah from the Future (SftF™): I thought I'd write a really shortthing review for that one. Hahahahaha. I'm so funny sometimes, I crack my little self up.
So this book should have been slightly awesome, in an Oh My Bloody Shrimping Fish Kind of Way (OMBSFKoW™) . Only that it bloody shrimping wasn't. Sigh. I think I have to get one of my favorite gifs out of storage once again.
Yes, I am quite afraid that this is the disgusting truth. Imagine this: you start a book and realize that, instead of the immature Special Mary Sue Snowflake you were expecting, the heroine is a beautifully grumpy, cigar-smoking kick-ass chick in her LATE 30s. You very naturally proceed to faint and stuff (because harem-worthy ancient female leads have become an endangered literary species). Then you start getting a teensy little bit excited, on account of the original world-building, delightfully engaging/intriguing/compelling action-packed plot and yummy-in-my-tummy cast of secondary characters. It is all slightly wondrous, really. I mean, check this out:
✔ Knight-type chicks & dudes that fight ghost-type thingies and creatures from the Otherside.
✔ Pirates and ships and sea monsters, oh my!
✔ Women in charge! Women pirates! Women pilots! Evil women who want to do evil stuff!
✔ Pretenders to the throne who are most deliciously cursed and slightly hot and therefore have High Security Harem Potential (HSHP™) .
✔ Local drinks that make for deadly missiles (don't ask).
✔ Revoltingly juvenile yet pretty awesome sidekicks.
✔ Family on the menu (don't ask).
✔ Fresh Bonding Stuff (FBS™) that has naught to do with the Pathetically Ridiculous Paranormal Romance Bonding Thing of Doom (PRPRBToD™). Alleluia to my Lord Shrimp and stuff.
✔ Stuff.
✔ More stuff.
✔ Spoiler spoiler spoiler.
Alas, my decapodic lovelies, all that fairly exquisite stuff amounted to a big, fat meh. Why, you kindly ask? Because the execution. What is wrong with it, you kindly ask? Justone or two three of four things:
➽ The writing is flatter than a bunch of unemotional barnacles and more dispassionate than a herd of apathetic hermit crabs. One notices this very early on, but the story draws one in and stuff so one decides to be uncharacteristically kind and stuff and give the author the benefit of the doubt and stuff. Note to one: stop being uncharacteristically kind, it's a total waste of one's nefarious time.
➽ Heavy-Handed Stuff, Inc (HHSI™). First of all there is way too much info here for my poor little shrimpy brain to process. It's great that Ballantines has such apainfully detailed idea of how her world works, but I'm not sure the reader needs to know all the particulars. It adds little to the narrative and gets in the way of the action. The other problem is that, because so much info is being tossed into the story, very few aspects of the world are actually well-defined/explained. And some of them you never really get a grasp on .
➽ The Calamitously Cringe-Worthy Soufflé Effect (CCWSE™). What? You don't know what the CCWSE™ is? Sigh. I really have to tell you everything, my Little Arthropods. The CCWSE™ is when an author builds up tension page after page after page, and gets you all excited and titillated and stuff, but when you get to the supposed climax of the scene, this happens:
Pretty scary, huh?
What a rip-off. Here you are, getting all amped up, expecting a great, big, fightwith lots of hemoglobin, slaughter and dismemberment but it's over in a blur, and you end up having no bloody shrimping idea what the fish just happened or how the situation got resolved. Move along, nothing to see and stuff. Not sure if this is because Ballantines can't be bothered with battle/conflict/combat/whatever scenes, or because she doesn't know how to go about them, but one thing is certain, they are most certainly not her strong suit. The worst thing is, this happens repeatedly throughout the book, which is ever-so-slightly annoying. So QED and stuff.
➽ There is Somewhat Abhorrent Lovey Dovey Stuff (SALDS™) in this book. It is somewhat abhorrent. Not only because it is, you know, abhorrent in itself and stuff, but also because Ballantines feels the need to shove it down your lovely little throat again and again: Sorcha and Raed are attracted to each other? Gotcha. Sorcha and Raed are falling indisgusting lurve? I kinda got that last time you mentioned it, but okay. Sorcha and Raed are all hot for each other and stuff? Errr…Not that I'm complaining or anything, but this is getting a teensy little old. Sorcha and Raed have a strong, you know, thing going and stuff. Arrrggghhhhhh!!!!!! Bloody shrimping enough!!! We have a grey cell or two (well some of us do anyway) and we do get the silly point! So no need to rehash it a few hundred million times. Because 1/it feels forced and 2/it tends to get on my homicidal little nerves. Which isn't really a good thing, considering said nerves haven't been in the best of dispositions since reading the eyeroll-worthy We're Cold and Wet so Let's Get Naked and Cuddle Up by the Fire to Get Warm Scene (WCaWsLGNaCUbtFtGWS™). A record-breaking 250 on the Richter scale of Clunky, Artificially Phony Cliched Scenes (CAPCS™) that one. Quite a feat and stuff.
You got that right, Skellie Baby.
» And the moral of this Such Blatant Waste of Such Awesome Potential Should be Outlawed Crappy Non Review (SBWoSAPSbOCNR™) is: I think about what this book could have been like and I get all…
You might think this would deter me from reading book 2 in this series, but I am compassionate and considerate and kind-hearted and good-natured and stuff , and have therefore decided to give Ms Ballantines another chance.Masochism Forgiveness is me and stuff. So return to this world I shall. Maybe. Not right away though. Things to butcher, places to invade and all that crap.
• Book 2: Spectyr ★★★★
• Book 3: Wrayth ★★
• Book 4: Harbinger - NOT to be read. I'm not that suicidal, thank you very much.
[Pre-review nonsense]
Actual rating: 3.25 stars. For now.
➽ What this book should have felt like:
➽ What this book actually felt like:
» Full Bloody Shrimping Hell What a Fishing Waste Crappy Non Review (BSHWaFWCNR™) to come.
✉ A message from Sarah from the Future (SftF™): I thought I'd write a really short
So this book should have been slightly awesome, in an Oh My Bloody Shrimping Fish Kind of Way (OMBSFKoW™) . Only that it bloody shrimping wasn't. Sigh. I think I have to get one of my favorite gifs out of storage once again.
Yes, I am quite afraid that this is the disgusting truth. Imagine this: you start a book and realize that, instead of the immature Special Mary Sue Snowflake you were expecting, the heroine is a beautifully grumpy, cigar-smoking kick-ass chick in her LATE 30s. You very naturally proceed to faint and stuff (because harem-worthy ancient female leads have become an endangered literary species). Then you start getting a teensy little bit excited, on account of the original world-building, delightfully engaging/intriguing/compelling action-packed plot and yummy-in-my-tummy cast of secondary characters. It is all slightly wondrous, really. I mean, check this out:
✔ Knight-type chicks & dudes that fight ghost-type thingies and creatures from the Otherside.
✔ Pirates and ships and sea monsters, oh my!
✔ Women in charge! Women pirates! Women pilots! Evil women who want to do evil stuff!
✔ Pretenders to the throne who are most deliciously cursed and slightly hot and therefore have High Security Harem Potential (HSHP™) .
✔ Local drinks that make for deadly missiles (don't ask).
✔ Revoltingly juvenile yet pretty awesome sidekicks.
✔ Family on the menu (don't ask).
✔ Fresh Bonding Stuff (FBS™) that has naught to do with the Pathetically Ridiculous Paranormal Romance Bonding Thing of Doom (PRPRBToD™). Alleluia to my Lord Shrimp and stuff.
✔ Stuff.
✔ More stuff.
✔ Spoiler spoiler spoiler.
Alas, my decapodic lovelies, all that fairly exquisite stuff amounted to a big, fat meh. Why, you kindly ask? Because the execution. What is wrong with it, you kindly ask? Just
➽ The writing is flatter than a bunch of unemotional barnacles and more dispassionate than a herd of apathetic hermit crabs. One notices this very early on, but the story draws one in and stuff so one decides to be uncharacteristically kind and stuff and give the author the benefit of the doubt and stuff. Note to one: stop being uncharacteristically kind, it's a total waste of one's nefarious time.
➽ Heavy-Handed Stuff, Inc (HHSI™). First of all there is way too much info here for my poor little shrimpy brain to process. It's great that Ballantines has such a
➽ The Calamitously Cringe-Worthy Soufflé Effect (CCWSE™). What? You don't know what the CCWSE™ is? Sigh. I really have to tell you everything, my Little Arthropods. The CCWSE™ is when an author builds up tension page after page after page, and gets you all excited and titillated and stuff, but when you get to the supposed climax of the scene, this happens:
Pretty scary, huh?
What a rip-off. Here you are, getting all amped up, expecting a great, big, fight
➽ There is Somewhat Abhorrent Lovey Dovey Stuff (SALDS™) in this book. It is somewhat abhorrent. Not only because it is, you know, abhorrent in itself and stuff, but also because Ballantines feels the need to shove it down your lovely little throat again and again: Sorcha and Raed are attracted to each other? Gotcha. Sorcha and Raed are falling in
You got that right, Skellie Baby.
» And the moral of this Such Blatant Waste of Such Awesome Potential Should be Outlawed Crappy Non Review (SBWoSAPSbOCNR™) is: I think about what this book could have been like and I get all…
You might think this would deter me from reading book 2 in this series, but I am compassionate and considerate and kind-hearted and good-natured and stuff , and have therefore decided to give Ms Ballantines another chance.
• Book 2: Spectyr ★★★★
• Book 3: Wrayth ★★
• Book 4: Harbinger - NOT to be read. I'm not that suicidal, thank you very much.
[Pre-review nonsense]
Actual rating: 3.25 stars. For now.
➽ What this book should have felt like:
➽ What this book actually felt like:
» Full Bloody Shrimping Hell What a Fishing Waste Crappy Non Review (BSHWaFWCNR™) to come.
December 25, 2010
I love when a book makes me ponder before marking which shelf to place it on. This is definitely a fantasy novel, but with a strong urban fantasy attitude, some steampunk/paranormal thrown in and just enough romance to keep me rooting for the characters.
We're in a great time of innovation in world-building, seems like people are getting away from strict Tolkien worlds and adding twists, which I find quite enjoyable. The society and magic system in Geist is REALLY interesting and believable. The paranormal-fighting Paladin order was really fun to learn about, and the world was well-layered in familiar ways. The steam punk stuff was very light, but added nice flavor.
I especially liked the characters, they were all distinct and Sorcha, the main female character, was tough but BELIEVABLE, she never tried to hard to be competent: she just WAS. Everyone's personality was well balanced against each other, and I definitely rooted for them to succeed!
I guess the plot was the weakest part, if there's anything to criticize, a few times there were things that the characters should have known, but overlooked, there were some secondary characters dropped (like Sorcha's husband, but probably plans for him in the sequel), but nothing so egregious that it made me irritated, because the pace was so quick, the action never lulls, which is a good thing!
Definitely look forward to a followup!!!!!!!!
Oh, and HOT ASS COVER ART, RIGHT?!
We're in a great time of innovation in world-building, seems like people are getting away from strict Tolkien worlds and adding twists, which I find quite enjoyable. The society and magic system in Geist is REALLY interesting and believable. The paranormal-fighting Paladin order was really fun to learn about, and the world was well-layered in familiar ways. The steam punk stuff was very light, but added nice flavor.
I especially liked the characters, they were all distinct and Sorcha, the main female character, was tough but BELIEVABLE, she never tried to hard to be competent: she just WAS. Everyone's personality was well balanced against each other, and I definitely rooted for them to succeed!
I guess the plot was the weakest part, if there's anything to criticize, a few times there were things that the characters should have known, but overlooked, there were some secondary characters dropped (like Sorcha's husband, but probably plans for him in the sequel), but nothing so egregious that it made me irritated, because the pace was so quick, the action never lulls, which is a good thing!
Definitely look forward to a followup!!!!!!!!
Oh, and HOT ASS COVER ART, RIGHT?!
August 15, 2021
“Unholy bones, I need a smoke.”
As cliché as it sounds, in Geist Kate Daniels meets Sabriel and together they wreak havoc for the greater good of all.
No, seriously, when reading I kept thinking that if Sabriel grew up a little bit jaded, overworked and overstressed, had a marriage misfire on her and developed a cynical streak, she would be just like Deacon Sorcha Faris.
On the other hand, there is the Young Pretender and I reckon that every self-respecting Kate Daniels fan will relish the “hello kitty!” moment.
(and before I forget) trigger warnings: undead (kind of but bearable), love triangles (more like tricycles with one dysfunctional wheel), and instagram, instant pot noodles, instalove (make it two, actually),word “nimble” (whatever is wrong with thesauri these days?)
But I digress.
You might have a feeling that you don’t know what this review is about and that perhaps I have started writing it from the middle. I confess this was intentional as the book opens in a very similar way. From the very first page we are thrown into a gushing torrent of events and the reader might have an impression that the initial chapters somehow vanished by accident.
Since I don’t mind when an Author kicks me into the depths, I liked that a lot especially that both the world and the heroine were refreshingly unorthodox. The world is rich with a complex and well-developed magic system that requires a team of two people to work and a tremendous set up that borrows from traditional fantasy but also has elements of an urban or paranormal romance and a dash of steampunk on top of it.
The heroine is spectacular. Many authors aim for a sarcastic rebel but they end up with a cuddly diddly-dee (Blackthorn, for instance suffered this fate). I really admire how Sorcha has been developed. Late thirties and a smoker. Strong but not so controlled. Volatile. Prickly, a little bit brusque to the point of being snappish. A firm believer in the educational potential of burning offenders at stake. Lacking diplomatic skills. Driven by obligations even if it costs her her heart. This scene when she lights her cigarette from a glowing gauntlet was pure gold.
I read in other reviews that people dislike the book because they do not believe the protagonists to be sound enough. I do not have a feeling that characterisation suffers because the book is short. To the contrary, these small snippets are very nicely positioned to cast light on various whys and hows and other personal aspects.
But the book is very nicely balanced between the main protagonists (the three of them) and while each and every one of them has certain abilities none has the awful “chosen one” vibes. And as the old rules concerning unliving have been suspended, new dangers emerge and foes lurk from within, these three will have their hands full in trying to anticipate and prevent their opponents’ next move.
Speaking of villains. Oof! Look for them somewhere between Boring Alley and the Predictable Square. One of the main reasons for my “something is missing” feeling and lowering my rating. The other one is romance: ultimately I really cannot get all emotional about a relationship that is unethical and attacks the very core of the values I treasure.
Otherwise, three very solid stars. Try the book if you want something revivifying the traditional fantasy concepts, sporting a boisterous heroine and fusion world-building but at the same time relatively short and undemanding.
First sentence: It was good weather for a riot.
Also in the series:
2. Spectyr ★☆☆☆☆
3. Wrayth ★☆☆☆☆
4. Harbringer no review, series abandoned, I strongly suspect it would be zero stars, though
As cliché as it sounds, in Geist Kate Daniels meets Sabriel and together they wreak havoc for the greater good of all.
No, seriously, when reading I kept thinking that if Sabriel grew up a little bit jaded, overworked and overstressed, had a marriage misfire on her and developed a cynical streak, she would be just like Deacon Sorcha Faris.
On the other hand, there is the Young Pretender and I reckon that every self-respecting Kate Daniels fan will relish the “hello kitty!” moment.
(and before I forget) trigger warnings: undead (kind of but bearable), love triangles (more like tricycles with one dysfunctional wheel), and insta
But I digress.
You might have a feeling that you don’t know what this review is about and that perhaps I have started writing it from the middle. I confess this was intentional as the book opens in a very similar way. From the very first page we are thrown into a gushing torrent of events and the reader might have an impression that the initial chapters somehow vanished by accident.
Since I don’t mind when an Author kicks me into the depths, I liked that a lot especially that both the world and the heroine were refreshingly unorthodox. The world is rich with a complex and well-developed magic system that requires a team of two people to work and a tremendous set up that borrows from traditional fantasy but also has elements of an urban or paranormal romance and a dash of steampunk on top of it.
The heroine is spectacular. Many authors aim for a sarcastic rebel but they end up with a cuddly diddly-dee (Blackthorn, for instance suffered this fate). I really admire how Sorcha has been developed. Late thirties and a smoker. Strong but not so controlled. Volatile. Prickly, a little bit brusque to the point of being snappish. A firm believer in the educational potential of burning offenders at stake. Lacking diplomatic skills. Driven by obligations even if it costs her her heart. This scene when she lights her cigarette from a glowing gauntlet was pure gold.
I read in other reviews that people dislike the book because they do not believe the protagonists to be sound enough. I do not have a feeling that characterisation suffers because the book is short. To the contrary, these small snippets are very nicely positioned to cast light on various whys and hows and other personal aspects.
But the book is very nicely balanced between the main protagonists (the three of them) and while each and every one of them has certain abilities none has the awful “chosen one” vibes. And as the old rules concerning unliving have been suspended, new dangers emerge and foes lurk from within, these three will have their hands full in trying to anticipate and prevent their opponents’ next move.
Speaking of villains. Oof! Look for them somewhere between Boring Alley and the Predictable Square. One of the main reasons for my “something is missing” feeling and lowering my rating. The other one is romance: ultimately I really cannot get all emotional about a relationship that is unethical and attacks the very core of the values I treasure.
Otherwise, three very solid stars. Try the book if you want something revivifying the traditional fantasy concepts, sporting a boisterous heroine and fusion world-building but at the same time relatively short and undemanding.
First sentence: It was good weather for a riot.
Also in the series:
2. Spectyr ★☆☆☆☆
3. Wrayth ★☆☆☆☆
4. Harbringer no review, series abandoned, I strongly suspect it would be zero stars, though
May 12, 2014
Don’t let the first thirty-eight pages of Geist fool you–it really is a good book.
My decision to rely on the library for first reads was stymied by the fact that my 50-library system had no copies of Geist: Book of the Order. Eventually purchased (by me), it languished on my shelf while other books took precedence. Unfortunately, I had a bad experience with The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences, which reduced my enthusiasm further. But my co-moderator ran into Ballantine at a book-signing and she agreed to stop into our Goodreads group for a Q&A, so just like that, my read was back on. I started but was unable to get past the first couple of chapters. Overly complicated, point-of-view switching, my own half-hearted interest; it just didn’t gel.
Does my opinion change? You'll have to check the link to find out, because Goodreads wants to make sure I don't negatively discuss the author or anything that doesn't affect the book. But I gave it three-and-a-half stars, so it can't be all bad.
http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2013/1...
My decision to rely on the library for first reads was stymied by the fact that my 50-library system had no copies of Geist: Book of the Order. Eventually purchased (by me), it languished on my shelf while other books took precedence. Unfortunately, I had a bad experience with The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences, which reduced my enthusiasm further. But my co-moderator ran into Ballantine at a book-signing and she agreed to stop into our Goodreads group for a Q&A, so just like that, my read was back on. I started but was unable to get past the first couple of chapters. Overly complicated, point-of-view switching, my own half-hearted interest; it just didn’t gel.
Does my opinion change? You'll have to check the link to find out, because Goodreads wants to make sure I don't negatively discuss the author or anything that doesn't affect the book. But I gave it three-and-a-half stars, so it can't be all bad.
http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2013/1...
Read
December 7, 2018Update: Second attempt, November 2018
GOD, this was so GOOOOOOD....for a while. The first half blew me away with its creative magic system, great action scenes and highly HIGHLY lovable main characters! The whole time I was thinking: WHY? Why on earth would I not finish such masterpiece back in 2013? And I jinxed it...
Pros
-Magic System - simple, but unusual and quite fascinating. I loved how the "magic-users" overcome their weaknesses by working in pairs, the gauntlets were an interesting tool and the fight scenes were written perfectly!
-Characters - They were well fleshed out, cool, but with their own unique quirks. I appreciated the fact that most of the characters are above 30 and you get a nice contrast when the younger ones are introduced. I mean, how cool is it to have a middle-aged woman as the most powerful, famous and highly aggressive "magic-user" who has to deal with her marriage falling apart while she's fighting zombies!
-Action scenes - Difficult to write, but such joy to read! It helped that I was already in love with the magic system and protagonists.
So everything was going great, there is suddenly a huge reveal of who the actual bad guys are (pretty generic villains with boring motivations, I have to say), and an EPIC fight ensues! Good guys win and....the book keeps going...and going and going? And this is where I gave up 5 years ago. (NOT THIS TIME!)
Cons
-The Book should've ended in the Middle (personal opinion). The second half felt really random almost like an afterthought. Sure, there was a fight at the end, but compared to the one in the Middle, it felt...anticlimatic.
-Love interests - couldn't buy the romance. XD Once again, it felt forced and irrelevant.
-Writing style - Not sure why, but it managed to lose me on a few occasions. I noticed a few other reviewers said the same thing - it's not bad or anything. Just hard to keep your focus during longer expositions (especially when listening to the audiobook).
-Villains - boring...
Speaking of which, the audiobook was narrated by the author herself and she did a PHENOMENAL JOB! Loved her rendition of each character and it really added more to my level of enjoyment!
Conclusion
In the end, I liked Geist, but I'm not sure how keen I am on checking out the sequel.
January 2013, DNF
Might give this one another go one day.
GOD, this was so GOOOOOOD....for a while. The first half blew me away with its creative magic system, great action scenes and highly HIGHLY lovable main characters! The whole time I was thinking: WHY? Why on earth would I not finish such masterpiece back in 2013? And I jinxed it...
Pros
-Magic System - simple, but unusual and quite fascinating. I loved how the "magic-users" overcome their weaknesses by working in pairs, the gauntlets were an interesting tool and the fight scenes were written perfectly!
-Characters - They were well fleshed out, cool, but with their own unique quirks. I appreciated the fact that most of the characters are above 30 and you get a nice contrast when the younger ones are introduced. I mean, how cool is it to have a middle-aged woman as the most powerful, famous and highly aggressive "magic-user" who has to deal with her marriage falling apart while she's fighting zombies!
-Action scenes - Difficult to write, but such joy to read! It helped that I was already in love with the magic system and protagonists.
So everything was going great, there is suddenly a huge reveal of who the actual bad guys are (pretty generic villains with boring motivations, I have to say), and an EPIC fight ensues! Good guys win and....the book keeps going...and going and going? And this is where I gave up 5 years ago. (NOT THIS TIME!)
Cons
-The Book should've ended in the Middle (personal opinion). The second half felt really random almost like an afterthought. Sure, there was a fight at the end, but compared to the one in the Middle, it felt...anticlimatic.
-Love interests - couldn't buy the romance. XD Once again, it felt forced and irrelevant.
-Writing style - Not sure why, but it managed to lose me on a few occasions. I noticed a few other reviewers said the same thing - it's not bad or anything. Just hard to keep your focus during longer expositions (especially when listening to the audiobook).
-Villains - boring...
Speaking of which, the audiobook was narrated by the author herself and she did a PHENOMENAL JOB! Loved her rendition of each character and it really added more to my level of enjoyment!
Conclusion
In the end, I liked Geist, but I'm not sure how keen I am on checking out the sequel.
January 2013, DNF
Might give this one another go one day.
July 28, 2011
*Orginally Read 11/4/10 - 11/6/10*
Wow, this book turned out to be quite the dark horse for me! It had a pretty rough start. It took me days to get past the first three chapters. I just kept setting it down for something more interesting…like cleaning. I know, right? Buuuut somewhere before page one hundred things seemed to click for me. Even though I wasn’t rooting for every character whose pov I read (yet), I finally understood their motivations and cared about their storyline.
The first chapter was incredibly awkward. If you read the first chapter while browsing in a bookstore and set it back down because it didn’t seem like it was well written, you might want to give it another chance. It was almost like the author had this great idea but didn’t know how to start it off. So the beginning felt forced and awkward. Don’t despair, it didn’t stay like that forever!
Fantasy is not my genre of choice. I like the ideas in it, but it usually comes off feeling more distant than most of the other genres I read. Maybe it’s a symptom of having so many pov’s? I know it’s not just because it’s not focused on romance. I felt the same way in C.L. Wilson’s Tairen Soul books and those were romance… Anyway, I have a problem connecting with them. I felt that same thing in the beginning, but somewhere along the line it went away. I may have had a hard time getting into the book, but I had no problem finishing it! I hit my stride around page one hundred and read the rest of the book in one gigantic gulp.
The book focused on three people. There was Sorcha, the Active Deacon, Merrick, the Sensitive Deacon, and Raed, the Pretender. Sorcha was the hardest of all of them to like. The two guys had more mellow personalities, and even though they had a strong sense of self they were more willing to bend than Sorcha was.
In the very beginning Sorcha came off as hard instead of strong. She reminded me of a warlord in a way. All rough edges and hard and in control with no real care for anyone else’s say in the discussion. She’s the boss and what she says goes. You either agree or get out of her way. She grew and softened the more she got to know the people she was stuck with and she became more likable without losing any of her strength. I’d actually venture to say that she became stronger as her worldview expanded. It may have taken a while for me to truly like her, but she grew on me to the point that I wouldn’t have changed a thing about her.
We met Raed right off that bat, but his story didn’t actually intersect with Sorcha and Merrick’s for a while. It was interesting getting to see how difficult it is to be him. I wish we could have gotten a bit more history about his family and how they lost the throne, but I suppose we���ll learn more as the series continues. We did get enough information about Raed’s past and curse to keep me satisfied. I rather like the thought of getting to know him slowly.
Merrick was quite the surprise to me. I liked him in the beginning, but I expected that the author would just have him fade into the background and become the “sidekick.” He ended up being a very compelling character. I liked that something specific about his past was revealed at the end. It just helped bind them all even closer. I really liked his love interest and all the secret potential I sensed there, but ended up shocked by how some of those things turned out. I wish I had my hands on the next book!
The world was interesting but it wasn’t given to you in one big dump. We learned new things as the characters experienced something that brought it up. I liked that the author didn’t overload us all at once. The world was important to the story, but I felt that the author spent more time focusing on the characters and developing their relationships and connections. Some might be bothered by that, but I consider that a boon. There’s nothing worse than having an intricate world with flat characters. I’d rather have a slightly less detailed world with richer characters.
Just as a warning: Sorcha is married to someone other than the guy she falls for in this story. Some of you may be giving me the fish eye because of my previously stated hatred of cheaters. I still don’t like them! I really wish she hadn’t been married, but my rules for Romance are different from my rules for other genres. I didn’t expect a romance going into this one, so it was just a sweet bonus for me. It wasn’t a very in depth relationship, but I have hopes for it.
I would have given a higher grade for this one if only the beginning had been smoother. I think that I’m definitely going to have to reread this one before reading the next book. I’ll need to be fresh on all the reveals and machinations that happened in this book.
My favorite quote was on page 194:
Review originally posted at Fiction Vixen
Wow, this book turned out to be quite the dark horse for me! It had a pretty rough start. It took me days to get past the first three chapters. I just kept setting it down for something more interesting…like cleaning. I know, right? Buuuut somewhere before page one hundred things seemed to click for me. Even though I wasn’t rooting for every character whose pov I read (yet), I finally understood their motivations and cared about their storyline.
The first chapter was incredibly awkward. If you read the first chapter while browsing in a bookstore and set it back down because it didn’t seem like it was well written, you might want to give it another chance. It was almost like the author had this great idea but didn’t know how to start it off. So the beginning felt forced and awkward. Don’t despair, it didn’t stay like that forever!
Fantasy is not my genre of choice. I like the ideas in it, but it usually comes off feeling more distant than most of the other genres I read. Maybe it’s a symptom of having so many pov’s? I know it’s not just because it’s not focused on romance. I felt the same way in C.L. Wilson’s Tairen Soul books and those were romance… Anyway, I have a problem connecting with them. I felt that same thing in the beginning, but somewhere along the line it went away. I may have had a hard time getting into the book, but I had no problem finishing it! I hit my stride around page one hundred and read the rest of the book in one gigantic gulp.
The book focused on three people. There was Sorcha, the Active Deacon, Merrick, the Sensitive Deacon, and Raed, the Pretender. Sorcha was the hardest of all of them to like. The two guys had more mellow personalities, and even though they had a strong sense of self they were more willing to bend than Sorcha was.
In the very beginning Sorcha came off as hard instead of strong. She reminded me of a warlord in a way. All rough edges and hard and in control with no real care for anyone else’s say in the discussion. She’s the boss and what she says goes. You either agree or get out of her way. She grew and softened the more she got to know the people she was stuck with and she became more likable without losing any of her strength. I’d actually venture to say that she became stronger as her worldview expanded. It may have taken a while for me to truly like her, but she grew on me to the point that I wouldn’t have changed a thing about her.
We met Raed right off that bat, but his story didn’t actually intersect with Sorcha and Merrick’s for a while. It was interesting getting to see how difficult it is to be him. I wish we could have gotten a bit more history about his family and how they lost the throne, but I suppose we���ll learn more as the series continues. We did get enough information about Raed’s past and curse to keep me satisfied. I rather like the thought of getting to know him slowly.
Merrick was quite the surprise to me. I liked him in the beginning, but I expected that the author would just have him fade into the background and become the “sidekick.” He ended up being a very compelling character. I liked that something specific about his past was revealed at the end. It just helped bind them all even closer. I really liked his love interest and all the secret potential I sensed there, but ended up shocked by how some of those things turned out. I wish I had my hands on the next book!
The world was interesting but it wasn’t given to you in one big dump. We learned new things as the characters experienced something that brought it up. I liked that the author didn’t overload us all at once. The world was important to the story, but I felt that the author spent more time focusing on the characters and developing their relationships and connections. Some might be bothered by that, but I consider that a boon. There’s nothing worse than having an intricate world with flat characters. I’d rather have a slightly less detailed world with richer characters.
Just as a warning: Sorcha is married to someone other than the guy she falls for in this story. Some of you may be giving me the fish eye because of my previously stated hatred of cheaters. I still don’t like them! I really wish she hadn’t been married, but my rules for Romance are different from my rules for other genres. I didn’t expect a romance going into this one, so it was just a sweet bonus for me. It wasn’t a very in depth relationship, but I have hopes for it.
I would have given a higher grade for this one if only the beginning had been smoother. I think that I’m definitely going to have to reread this one before reading the next book. I’ll need to be fresh on all the reveals and machinations that happened in this book.
My favorite quote was on page 194:
"I've been running all my life, Sorcha--I shouldn't trust anyone, and yet I have already given my life into your hands twice this week."
Sorcha's lips twitched upward in a beautiful and cruel smile. "I'm just that sort of woman, my lord Pretender."
Review originally posted at Fiction Vixen
December 28, 2012
I didn't put near the time into this book I'd like to have. I'm (again) badly over committed when it comes to books. Too many library books in at once, too many reading group commitments, just the problems that arise when you have no will power.
I'm going to try again to cut back on actual "commitments" and read what I want for a while. I just got the next 2 Verus books by Jacka and the 4 Ash books, not to mention hundreds of other volumes I already own that I've been "meaning to read" some of them literally for years...oh yeah, and I still have a few library books backed up.
Then there's this book, another first in a series. And it's good. I was reading several books at a time as I read this. I'd been meaning to get to it for some time. It was selected as a group read so I finally "had an excuse" to move it to the top of my "to be read list" (see I own it and books I own always have to wait for library books and so on). Here we get a relatively new take on a fantasy world. This is built around a dichotomy between "this world" and "the other side" (Otherside). The dead and "other things" want to come here see and that tends to be a problem as they tend to spread death and destruction (this is of course a gross overs simplification so read the book). The Deacons are responsible for opposing and 2 of our protagonists are Deacons.
They are called Deacons (by the way) as they are part of the "Presbytery". This was at one time a church but for those of you this would bother...don't worry. They seem to have gotten over any religious belief long before the book opens (I'm a Christian so I'd notice that). There are 2 types or schools of Deacon and they have traditionally worked in pairs, bonded...and that's all I'll say here as I'm entering "spoiler tag" territory.
The book tells a fairly good story and draws the reader into the action. The characters are complete enough and have enough depth to make them real. The story has more romance than I care for but while it did intrude (for me) it doesn't swamp the novel. It does remain a side show if a very loud one.
I can recommend this one. I like it and plan to (try and) make room for the series on my "read soon" book mountain.
Like I said, I'd like to have lingered over this one more. It's making me rethink some of my reading habits, novels are supposed to be enjoyed not conquered. I need to take time and enjoy the brain candy more. Again pretty good book, 4 stars and recommended.
I'm going to try again to cut back on actual "commitments" and read what I want for a while. I just got the next 2 Verus books by Jacka and the 4 Ash books, not to mention hundreds of other volumes I already own that I've been "meaning to read" some of them literally for years...oh yeah, and I still have a few library books backed up.
Then there's this book, another first in a series. And it's good. I was reading several books at a time as I read this. I'd been meaning to get to it for some time. It was selected as a group read so I finally "had an excuse" to move it to the top of my "to be read list" (see I own it and books I own always have to wait for library books and so on). Here we get a relatively new take on a fantasy world. This is built around a dichotomy between "this world" and "the other side" (Otherside). The dead and "other things" want to come here see and that tends to be a problem as they tend to spread death and destruction (this is of course a gross overs simplification so read the book). The Deacons are responsible for opposing and 2 of our protagonists are Deacons.
They are called Deacons (by the way) as they are part of the "Presbytery". This was at one time a church but for those of you this would bother...don't worry. They seem to have gotten over any religious belief long before the book opens (I'm a Christian so I'd notice that). There are 2 types or schools of Deacon and they have traditionally worked in pairs, bonded...and that's all I'll say here as I'm entering "spoiler tag" territory.
The book tells a fairly good story and draws the reader into the action. The characters are complete enough and have enough depth to make them real. The story has more romance than I care for but while it did intrude (for me) it doesn't swamp the novel. It does remain a side show if a very loud one.
I can recommend this one. I like it and plan to (try and) make room for the series on my "read soon" book mountain.
Like I said, I'd like to have lingered over this one more. It's making me rethink some of my reading habits, novels are supposed to be enjoyed not conquered. I need to take time and enjoy the brain candy more. Again pretty good book, 4 stars and recommended.
January 19, 2011
I don't know quite what I was expecting from this book, but I was surprised by how very enjoyable I found it. (All admissions forward: Pip is a friend of mine.) To me it felt like some pleasant amalgamation of the first Green Rider book Kristen Britain meets the Abhorsen series Garth Nix meets Cadfael. I would call Geist traditional fantasy, hearkening back to what I read in high school (which is no bad thing, as that was my reading heyday). It had a very enjoyable and well constructed magical system, some early infodumping (easily forgiven), and an unusual and appealing main character of the kind who might pop up in a Marion Zimmer Bradly Sword & Sorceress short.
The climax was excellent (slightly mitigated by a secondary more trailing climax nearer the end), the adventure was exciting and sometimes creepy, and the character interactions believable. My only quibble comes from the archaeologist side of me, who tried desperately to find a comparable historical period within which to place the story. Some of the culture and attire descriptions called to mind late Medieval, while the ships and guns seemed to be more Renaissance, and then there sprouted a Victorian dirigible. Perhaps future books will iron out the history of the world, and include some religion and mythology to help anchor history junkies like me. And I do hope there are future books. It's not often I have the time or the energy to be drawn fully into a book, and I'm delighted to have spent what little I could spare with this one.
The climax was excellent (slightly mitigated by a secondary more trailing climax nearer the end), the adventure was exciting and sometimes creepy, and the character interactions believable. My only quibble comes from the archaeologist side of me, who tried desperately to find a comparable historical period within which to place the story. Some of the culture and attire descriptions called to mind late Medieval, while the ships and guns seemed to be more Renaissance, and then there sprouted a Victorian dirigible. Perhaps future books will iron out the history of the world, and include some religion and mythology to help anchor history junkies like me. And I do hope there are future books. It's not often I have the time or the energy to be drawn fully into a book, and I'm delighted to have spent what little I could spare with this one.
October 24, 2017
Buddy read with the MacHalos .
I was really tempted to give this one a 5 star rating but there were several issues that made me reconsider it. First and foremost This tainted Sorcha's developing relationship with Raed, something I would have otherwise enjoyed immensely.
My second problem was the writing itself. It's slow and a bit boring at times. However, the story itself is great and worth reading so I would urge you to try and ignore the style of writing and give it a try. I devoured the second half of the book even though I dragged my heels for most of the first half. I think it would have worked better for me if it there was an audio version since it tends to help me get through slow parts which are typical for high and epic fantasy.
The third problem was the ending. After the build up I just expected more. I don't even know what I mean by "more" but I feel like I was cheated out of the epic ending this book deserved. Or maybe it's just a case of too high expectations because the ending in itself wasn't bad and leaves enough plotlines open for the rest of the series to deal with.
Now onto the things I liked. Sorcha for one. Apart from that one transgression that severely impacted her personality in my eyes, she's a great character. Strong, resourceful, intelligent and fierce, she warms my feminist heart. She knows when to act, when to lead and when to step back and let someone who is better suited and/or has better knowledge of the situation lead. It's great to see a character such as her and it's even better that she's not the usual twenty-something female lead of most UF/Fantasy novels these days. A woman in her thirties/forties is rare to be cast as the main protagonist of a series. I believe that one of the reasons is that for some reason people think of women over 30 as unattractive/not sexually active and as a result they can't be a romantic interest and thus can't be the female lead. Because apparently you can't have a female lead and no romance. I won't even go into why this is bullshit. I'm just going to relax and enjoy having a more mature heroine take the reins and not stumble every few step due to inexperience. This is especially enjoyable after reading 3 out of 4 of the Aisling Grey books. I kind of wish Sorcha can meet Aisling and drum some sense into her head.
The world and the story are another thing I absolutely loved. There's not much to be said about either without spoilers so I'll just say this, they're original and for that alone it was worth it suffering through some bad moments.
And the last praise of this review goes to the rest of the cast and mainly to Merrick and Raed. I loved them both and enjoyed trying to figure them out. I had a lot of fun speculating about and what it actually entailed before it was revealed and I adored the transformation of Deacon Chambers throughout the book.
So to sum things up: give Geist a try and try not to give up on the first sign of boredom. I promise it would be worth it.
I was really tempted to give this one a 5 star rating but there were several issues that made me reconsider it. First and foremost This tainted Sorcha's developing relationship with Raed, something I would have otherwise enjoyed immensely.
My second problem was the writing itself. It's slow and a bit boring at times. However, the story itself is great and worth reading so I would urge you to try and ignore the style of writing and give it a try. I devoured the second half of the book even though I dragged my heels for most of the first half. I think it would have worked better for me if it there was an audio version since it tends to help me get through slow parts which are typical for high and epic fantasy.
The third problem was the ending. After the build up I just expected more. I don't even know what I mean by "more" but I feel like I was cheated out of the epic ending this book deserved. Or maybe it's just a case of too high expectations because the ending in itself wasn't bad and leaves enough plotlines open for the rest of the series to deal with.
Now onto the things I liked. Sorcha for one. Apart from that one transgression that severely impacted her personality in my eyes, she's a great character. Strong, resourceful, intelligent and fierce, she warms my feminist heart. She knows when to act, when to lead and when to step back and let someone who is better suited and/or has better knowledge of the situation lead. It's great to see a character such as her and it's even better that she's not the usual twenty-something female lead of most UF/Fantasy novels these days. A woman in her thirties/forties is rare to be cast as the main protagonist of a series. I believe that one of the reasons is that for some reason people think of women over 30 as unattractive/not sexually active and as a result they can't be a romantic interest and thus can't be the female lead. Because apparently you can't have a female lead and no romance. I won't even go into why this is bullshit. I'm just going to relax and enjoy having a more mature heroine take the reins and not stumble every few step due to inexperience. This is especially enjoyable after reading 3 out of 4 of the Aisling Grey books. I kind of wish Sorcha can meet Aisling and drum some sense into her head.
The world and the story are another thing I absolutely loved. There's not much to be said about either without spoilers so I'll just say this, they're original and for that alone it was worth it suffering through some bad moments.
And the last praise of this review goes to the rest of the cast and mainly to Merrick and Raed. I loved them both and enjoyed trying to figure them out. I had a lot of fun speculating about and what it actually entailed before it was revealed and I adored the transformation of Deacon Chambers throughout the book.
So to sum things up: give Geist a try and try not to give up on the first sign of boredom. I promise it would be worth it.
Read
December 30, 2021I'll rate Geist resorting to the all-purpose three stars, but the review is going to be hard to write. Because I liked the story Philippa Ballantine narrates in Geist very much, but I also think she kinda wrecked her own ship.
Hey, Geist is, by no means, a bad book - on the contrary, it's full of great ideas, imaginative situations, an intriguing, elaborate worldbuilding, and a solid cast of characters. It doesn't really live up to its potential, though, largely because Ballantine's writing style feels so dispassionate I actually began to wonder if the woman wrote the book under duress or something. Geist is written like homework, scrupulously and dutifully executed, but homework still.
And I'm really upset about it, because there's much I loved about this book:
• a female MC in her late thirties (shocking, isn't it. The woman even dares to smoke cigars. Brrr.);
• an interesting take on the soul-bond thingy we regulars of the uf/pnr/fantasy circus get to read sooo much about: well, here it does some pretty unusual stuff;
• a male MC who's a prince and a warrior but also a pirate who doubles as a demon-lion creature with very little respect for family ties;
• an array of female characters doing cool things like being pirates and navigators, commanding armies, piloting dirigibles, plotting the world's demise;
• a balancing of powers and capabilities between the characters that prevents Geist from turning out to be yet another tale of a supremely special individual's endeavors *snooze*.
Cool, right? And indeed it is. But while there's a lot I liked in Geist, the book as a whole fell pretty flat: which is all kinds of weird, especially because Ballantine offers us plenty of twists, turns, and wow! moments. Geist should have been the kind of reading experience that kept me on the edge of my seat for five hours straight and instead I found myself eyeing impatiently the bottom page of my Kindle to keep track of my progress through it.
Ballantine's detached and rather unemotional writing style kept me from truly connecting with the characters - but the style wasn't the only problem I had with Ballantine's work:
1) info-dumping abounded and popped up at the most uncomfortable times, interrupting the narration over and over again. It was distracting, pretty taxing (I'm starting to resent Tolkien: the man clearly started a trend and many fantasy authors can't escape the lure of writing books that require an encyclopedic knowledge of their imaginary worlds. Chill, guys: sometimes less is more and it's ok to rely on your readers' intelligence to fill up gaps here and there) and, as it turned out, unnecessary for the most part;
2) Ballantine clearly knows where her story is going, the problem is that at times she felt desperate for things to go that way. Plot development felt often clunky and unnatural - I was never able to forget that there was a deus ex machina behind the story I was reading. Ballantine really wants you to like Nynnia; she really wants you to see the connection between Sorcha and Raed; she really wants you to feel the strain and discomfort of three (well, four) souls forcibly bounded together: her hand is heavily felt throughout the whole reading experience and I just don't like to be pushed around;
3) battle scenes aren't exactly Ballantine's strenght: she either has the climax of a fight fade-to-black or she's done with it as quickly as possible - and I'm talking about blink-and-miss quickness here. This is kind of a biggie in a book where confrontations between various warring factions are at their core. Also, you don't have your villains laugh and smile at each other in the middle of their evil machinations like a bunch of 6 years old at a Frozen theme party. You just don't.
Will I read Spectyr, the second entry in Ballantine's Book of the Order series? Hell yes. And not only because I find it physically painful to drop a series: I'm genuinely curious to see what the author has planned for the gang. But I'll be back to it in a while.
Hey, Geist is, by no means, a bad book - on the contrary, it's full of great ideas, imaginative situations, an intriguing, elaborate worldbuilding, and a solid cast of characters. It doesn't really live up to its potential, though, largely because Ballantine's writing style feels so dispassionate I actually began to wonder if the woman wrote the book under duress or something. Geist is written like homework, scrupulously and dutifully executed, but homework still.
And I'm really upset about it, because there's much I loved about this book:
• a female MC in her late thirties (shocking, isn't it. The woman even dares to smoke cigars. Brrr.);
• an interesting take on the soul-bond thingy we regulars of the uf/pnr/fantasy circus get to read sooo much about: well, here it does some pretty unusual stuff;
• a male MC who's a prince and a warrior but also a pirate who doubles as a demon-lion creature with very little respect for family ties;
• an array of female characters doing cool things like being pirates and navigators, commanding armies, piloting dirigibles, plotting the world's demise;
• a balancing of powers and capabilities between the characters that prevents Geist from turning out to be yet another tale of a supremely special individual's endeavors *snooze*.
Cool, right? And indeed it is. But while there's a lot I liked in Geist, the book as a whole fell pretty flat: which is all kinds of weird, especially because Ballantine offers us plenty of twists, turns, and wow! moments. Geist should have been the kind of reading experience that kept me on the edge of my seat for five hours straight and instead I found myself eyeing impatiently the bottom page of my Kindle to keep track of my progress through it.
Ballantine's detached and rather unemotional writing style kept me from truly connecting with the characters - but the style wasn't the only problem I had with Ballantine's work:
1) info-dumping abounded and popped up at the most uncomfortable times, interrupting the narration over and over again. It was distracting, pretty taxing (I'm starting to resent Tolkien: the man clearly started a trend and many fantasy authors can't escape the lure of writing books that require an encyclopedic knowledge of their imaginary worlds. Chill, guys: sometimes less is more and it's ok to rely on your readers' intelligence to fill up gaps here and there) and, as it turned out, unnecessary for the most part;
2) Ballantine clearly knows where her story is going, the problem is that at times she felt desperate for things to go that way. Plot development felt often clunky and unnatural - I was never able to forget that there was a deus ex machina behind the story I was reading. Ballantine really wants you to like Nynnia; she really wants you to see the connection between Sorcha and Raed; she really wants you to feel the strain and discomfort of three (well, four) souls forcibly bounded together: her hand is heavily felt throughout the whole reading experience and I just don't like to be pushed around;
3) battle scenes aren't exactly Ballantine's strenght: she either has the climax of a fight fade-to-black or she's done with it as quickly as possible - and I'm talking about blink-and-miss quickness here. This is kind of a biggie in a book where confrontations between various warring factions are at their core. Also, you don't have your villains laugh and smile at each other in the middle of their evil machinations like a bunch of 6 years old at a Frozen theme party. You just don't.
Will I read Spectyr, the second entry in Ballantine's Book of the Order series? Hell yes. And not only because I find it physically painful to drop a series: I'm genuinely curious to see what the author has planned for the gang. But I'll be back to it in a while.
August 24, 2011
First off, I don't think I write good enough reviews to do this book justice, so I highly recommend you just read it.
Sometimes you just connect with a book. Maybe it's the timing, the setting, the author, your life cycles, etc., but I connected with this book. After giving Phoenix Rising a hands down 5 star rating, I had to check out more of Ballantine's work, and Geist suited my preferred genre for unique high fantasy novels. So I was expecting something good - which usually is a surefire way to set myself up for a disappointment. I was very pleasantly surprised when I enjoyed this novel even more.
I like the characters. Sorcha is strong, smart, and determined, but she's not cold. Raed seems like a man I would fall in love with myself, kind, noble, and tortured. Merrik, a powerful unknown with a history that ties him to the past, the land, and the problem. There are others, all of who played important roles and were well developed.
I liked the plot. No - saving the day from evil of another realm is not a new theme, but the way it's presented here was very enjoyable. I like the use of "Geists" as the evil we fight, and how their known behavior turns chaotic - our characters were always dealing with something unprecedented, and had to work together in very creative ways to solve problems and succeed in their missions. There wasn't a whole lot of "I saw that coming" in this book.
I also found myself curious about the history of the land and the background of the Order, both native and new. (On this note I will mention that I have started listening to the Chronicles of the Order podcasts, I'm only 1 down, but it was very good, and I'm hopeful the others will be as well - and they DO apparently address the histories that came before the book.) Well developed world intricately laced with true mythic origins...
I loved the magic system. The pairing of an active and a sensitive was a really unique and well thought-out idea. Basically, the Order works in pairs, an active and a sensitive. The active gets gauntlets and bright colorful displays of active magic which they use to control or vanquish giests. The sensitive wears a strop (when necessary) and is able to "see" into the other realm, and identify what type of geist the active is dealing with. Without one, the other fails.
The actives' gauntlets has 7 runes, and the sensitive's strop has 7 different runes. Together, two people must work as partners to defeat the constant threat from geists. They must rely on each other wholly and implicitly. They are "bonded" to one another, an idea that brings new levels of complexity to the plot as the story progresses.
What else to say? The book was a page turner. Plenty of action and mysteries to unravel. Very little in the way of regants/rulers/monarchs and throne politics involved, (which was nice). A bit of romance, that actually fit in where it should. Very good and easy to read writing style. If I had just finished the book, I would probably give more details, but as it is, I just remember that I absolutely loved it, and I'm currently happy to know that book 2, Spectyr is on it's way to my mailbox.
Sometimes you just connect with a book. Maybe it's the timing, the setting, the author, your life cycles, etc., but I connected with this book. After giving Phoenix Rising a hands down 5 star rating, I had to check out more of Ballantine's work, and Geist suited my preferred genre for unique high fantasy novels. So I was expecting something good - which usually is a surefire way to set myself up for a disappointment. I was very pleasantly surprised when I enjoyed this novel even more.
I like the characters. Sorcha is strong, smart, and determined, but she's not cold. Raed seems like a man I would fall in love with myself, kind, noble, and tortured. Merrik, a powerful unknown with a history that ties him to the past, the land, and the problem. There are others, all of who played important roles and were well developed.
I liked the plot. No - saving the day from evil of another realm is not a new theme, but the way it's presented here was very enjoyable. I like the use of "Geists" as the evil we fight, and how their known behavior turns chaotic - our characters were always dealing with something unprecedented, and had to work together in very creative ways to solve problems and succeed in their missions. There wasn't a whole lot of "I saw that coming" in this book.
I also found myself curious about the history of the land and the background of the Order, both native and new. (On this note I will mention that I have started listening to the Chronicles of the Order podcasts, I'm only 1 down, but it was very good, and I'm hopeful the others will be as well - and they DO apparently address the histories that came before the book.) Well developed world intricately laced with true mythic origins...
I loved the magic system. The pairing of an active and a sensitive was a really unique and well thought-out idea. Basically, the Order works in pairs, an active and a sensitive. The active gets gauntlets and bright colorful displays of active magic which they use to control or vanquish giests. The sensitive wears a strop (when necessary) and is able to "see" into the other realm, and identify what type of geist the active is dealing with. Without one, the other fails.
The actives' gauntlets has 7 runes, and the sensitive's strop has 7 different runes. Together, two people must work as partners to defeat the constant threat from geists. They must rely on each other wholly and implicitly. They are "bonded" to one another, an idea that brings new levels of complexity to the plot as the story progresses.
What else to say? The book was a page turner. Plenty of action and mysteries to unravel. Very little in the way of regants/rulers/monarchs and throne politics involved, (which was nice). A bit of romance, that actually fit in where it should. Very good and easy to read writing style. If I had just finished the book, I would probably give more details, but as it is, I just remember that I absolutely loved it, and I'm currently happy to know that book 2, Spectyr is on it's way to my mailbox.
November 10, 2010
I am extremely character driven. World building seems to have turned into the rage these days. Many authors spend so much time creating the universe the characters live in, the forget to make those same characters breath.
For me, this is obvious in stories like (prepare for blasphemy) Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series. After reading all but the last book of the series, I realized I had no desire to complete them because while the world lived and breathed, the characters hadn’t developed sufficiently to keep me interested beyond the second or third book.
Ms. Ballantine does create a firm mythos that encapsulates the motivations driving her characters towards their objectives. However, she does this whilst keeping the focus on the characters and letting the mythos build along the way. This is a lesson I think many writers need to learn.
Ms. Ballantine's characters are worth knowing. Her strong female lead is unique. Sorcha Faris is a strong, powerful, mature, attractive woman. She is direct, almost brutally blunt at times. She enjoys a good cigar and is truthful with herself. She is easily the driving character in the story and she exudes potential development in subsequent stories. She might not be the easiest person to know, but she would be someone that would be worth that effort.
Raed Rossin enters the story relatively early on (the second chapter) but remains outside of the main storyline, moving parallel, for the first part. Raed is a member of the once ruling family, now a sea nomad doing his best to stay alive. He hides his inner qualities behind a course (though not unrefined) exterior. He effortlessly claims loyalty from those that follow him. He is a prince among men and a pirate at heart.
Merrick Chambers completes the starring cast. He is a young but powerful idealist partnered, against their wishes, with Sorcha. Along the way they learn to trust and rely on one another. It is neither an easy or enjoyable path for them at times, but it does make for a very good story.
Geist is much more than another quest fantasy. Geist has elements of fantasy, horror and romance all rolled into one action packed adventure spanning continents where loyalties are called into question, rogues can be heros and heros can be idealists.
At a purchase price of under $8 US, this is a story you shouldn’t hesitate in buying. This book begs you to lock the doors, get comfortable in your favorite chair, turn down the lights and read. I encourage you to do the same. You won’t be disappointed.
For me, this is obvious in stories like (prepare for blasphemy) Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series. After reading all but the last book of the series, I realized I had no desire to complete them because while the world lived and breathed, the characters hadn’t developed sufficiently to keep me interested beyond the second or third book.
Ms. Ballantine does create a firm mythos that encapsulates the motivations driving her characters towards their objectives. However, she does this whilst keeping the focus on the characters and letting the mythos build along the way. This is a lesson I think many writers need to learn.
Ms. Ballantine's characters are worth knowing. Her strong female lead is unique. Sorcha Faris is a strong, powerful, mature, attractive woman. She is direct, almost brutally blunt at times. She enjoys a good cigar and is truthful with herself. She is easily the driving character in the story and she exudes potential development in subsequent stories. She might not be the easiest person to know, but she would be someone that would be worth that effort.
Raed Rossin enters the story relatively early on (the second chapter) but remains outside of the main storyline, moving parallel, for the first part. Raed is a member of the once ruling family, now a sea nomad doing his best to stay alive. He hides his inner qualities behind a course (though not unrefined) exterior. He effortlessly claims loyalty from those that follow him. He is a prince among men and a pirate at heart.
Merrick Chambers completes the starring cast. He is a young but powerful idealist partnered, against their wishes, with Sorcha. Along the way they learn to trust and rely on one another. It is neither an easy or enjoyable path for them at times, but it does make for a very good story.
Geist is much more than another quest fantasy. Geist has elements of fantasy, horror and romance all rolled into one action packed adventure spanning continents where loyalties are called into question, rogues can be heros and heros can be idealists.
At a purchase price of under $8 US, this is a story you shouldn’t hesitate in buying. This book begs you to lock the doors, get comfortable in your favorite chair, turn down the lights and read. I encourage you to do the same. You won’t be disappointed.
January 3, 2020
Geist is book one in the Book of the Order by Philippa Ballantine.
This book is appealing and also a bit hard to understand and get into. The world is a cross of old world, steampunk, and fantasy. Not much steampunk, but their are mentions of airships that run on geist, spirits and ghosts magic and time clocks, but for the most part it's like mid-evil time period.
Ms. Ballantine jumps right in with introducing us to words we don't full understand, yet, and a historical type society structure. She has created an elaborate world, rich in details with its own unique mythology. Due to this, the book is not quick nor easy to read. I had trouble with the story and staying interested at the start, the "get to know you” phase, but eventually things pick up and we are pulled into a web of deceit and mortal danger.
Our three leads; Sorcha, Merrick, and Raed are all battling inner demons and personal issues. They all end up in an isolated village together where they find something more dangerous and powerful than expected. The trio each see things in their own unique way, which brings a full range of views to the situation's. The lies and manipulation force them to see that they have all been played and what happens in the end will have you feeling for them. Life is not easy and the choices we make are not always easy.
I'm not sure if I'll read on, but I am intrigued and curious about what might happen next. Even though they fight back the big bad, it’s clearly that it’s not over.
Rated: 3.5 Stars
This book is appealing and also a bit hard to understand and get into. The world is a cross of old world, steampunk, and fantasy. Not much steampunk, but their are mentions of airships that run on geist, spirits and ghosts magic and time clocks, but for the most part it's like mid-evil time period.
Ms. Ballantine jumps right in with introducing us to words we don't full understand, yet, and a historical type society structure. She has created an elaborate world, rich in details with its own unique mythology. Due to this, the book is not quick nor easy to read. I had trouble with the story and staying interested at the start, the "get to know you” phase, but eventually things pick up and we are pulled into a web of deceit and mortal danger.
Our three leads; Sorcha, Merrick, and Raed are all battling inner demons and personal issues. They all end up in an isolated village together where they find something more dangerous and powerful than expected. The trio each see things in their own unique way, which brings a full range of views to the situation's. The lies and manipulation force them to see that they have all been played and what happens in the end will have you feeling for them. Life is not easy and the choices we make are not always easy.
I'm not sure if I'll read on, but I am intrigued and curious about what might happen next. Even though they fight back the big bad, it’s clearly that it’s not over.
Rated: 3.5 Stars
November 16, 2010
(4.5) Sometimes you read a book and enjoy it while reading, only to find it falls apart when you think about it later. The inverse happened to me with Philippa Ballantine’s Geist. I enjoyed it, and then the more I thought about it, the more I found to appreciate.
Geist is a secondary-world fantasy, set on the continent of Arkaym. The residents of Arkaym fear the geists, powerful otherworldly spirits that can enter the physical realm and possess people. Standing between the populace and the geists is the Order, which can best be described as a (mixed-gender, non-celibate) organization of warrior monks. The members of the Order are classified by their skill set: Actives have the power to blast geists with offensive magic, but are dependent upon Sensitives to discern the spirit’s presence and strength. Actives and Sensitives work together in pairs, though each camp has some disdain for the other.
Deacon Sorcha Faris, a strong Active, is assigned a new partner after her previous Sensitive (and estranged husband) is rendered out of commission. She and this new partner, the still-green Merrick Chambers, are assigned to investigate mysterious goings-on in the remote city of Ulrich. A disaster crosses their paths with that of Raed Rossin, a pretender to the imperial throne. There are conspiracies afoot, and the geists are behaving in ways believed to be impossible. The three protagonists’ fight to survive leads them to break all manner of protocol and tradition.
Ballantine’s world-building is subtle. Instead of spoon-feeding or info-dumping, Ballantine gives readers exactly the amount of information they need at a particular moment. As a result, reading Geist feels like an extended leap of faith. It’s like walking in a bank of fog, carrying a lantern that illuminates only the next step ahead; we have to trust that Ballantine will make sure the road keeps appearing in front of us. She does — the story never becomes confusing — but it can be a little disconcerting if you’re used to a more heavy-handed style of world-building. In retrospect, though, it’s also really gratifying. I feel the urge to wave the book around and shout, “Hey, writers! Here’s how you build a world without showing all of your work on every single page!”
The characterization is fantastic. Sorcha, in particular, jumps right off the page; an abrasive, snarky, sometimes narrow-minded, yet often endearing woman who is determined to do what’s right and likes her cigars. Merrick is less sharply drawn but also lovable, and Raed — a noble rogue with a dark secret — may just win my award for “Hottest Fantasy Hero Since Joscelin Verreuil.”
The plot moves quickly and is peppered with banter and sexual tension. The ending is not a cliffhanger, but left me eager for more; I just have to know what happens with these characters! Geist will appeal to urban fantasy fans willing to venture into a wholly invented world, and to high fantasy fans that don’t mind a story that’s a little sexy. I thoroughly enjoyed this character-driven novel that isn’t quite like anything else I’ve read.
Review originally published at Fantasy Literature
Geist is a secondary-world fantasy, set on the continent of Arkaym. The residents of Arkaym fear the geists, powerful otherworldly spirits that can enter the physical realm and possess people. Standing between the populace and the geists is the Order, which can best be described as a (mixed-gender, non-celibate) organization of warrior monks. The members of the Order are classified by their skill set: Actives have the power to blast geists with offensive magic, but are dependent upon Sensitives to discern the spirit’s presence and strength. Actives and Sensitives work together in pairs, though each camp has some disdain for the other.
Deacon Sorcha Faris, a strong Active, is assigned a new partner after her previous Sensitive (and estranged husband) is rendered out of commission. She and this new partner, the still-green Merrick Chambers, are assigned to investigate mysterious goings-on in the remote city of Ulrich. A disaster crosses their paths with that of Raed Rossin, a pretender to the imperial throne. There are conspiracies afoot, and the geists are behaving in ways believed to be impossible. The three protagonists’ fight to survive leads them to break all manner of protocol and tradition.
Ballantine’s world-building is subtle. Instead of spoon-feeding or info-dumping, Ballantine gives readers exactly the amount of information they need at a particular moment. As a result, reading Geist feels like an extended leap of faith. It’s like walking in a bank of fog, carrying a lantern that illuminates only the next step ahead; we have to trust that Ballantine will make sure the road keeps appearing in front of us. She does — the story never becomes confusing — but it can be a little disconcerting if you’re used to a more heavy-handed style of world-building. In retrospect, though, it’s also really gratifying. I feel the urge to wave the book around and shout, “Hey, writers! Here’s how you build a world without showing all of your work on every single page!”
The characterization is fantastic. Sorcha, in particular, jumps right off the page; an abrasive, snarky, sometimes narrow-minded, yet often endearing woman who is determined to do what’s right and likes her cigars. Merrick is less sharply drawn but also lovable, and Raed — a noble rogue with a dark secret — may just win my award for “Hottest Fantasy Hero Since Joscelin Verreuil.”
The plot moves quickly and is peppered with banter and sexual tension. The ending is not a cliffhanger, but left me eager for more; I just have to know what happens with these characters! Geist will appeal to urban fantasy fans willing to venture into a wholly invented world, and to high fantasy fans that don’t mind a story that’s a little sexy. I thoroughly enjoyed this character-driven novel that isn’t quite like anything else I’ve read.
Review originally published at Fantasy Literature
October 13, 2017
I am happy I finished it. About half way through it got better. The world building wasn't the best. In the beginning it was confusing. It was clearly a complex world and wasn't explained well enough. Some things became clearer as the story went on, but it didn't satisfy my curiosity about how the magic worked although some of it was intentionally left out presumably to be explained in future books.
The order was a group of magical workers who protected the living from the otherside where the unliving came from. The magical workers were divided into sensitives and actives. The active did more physically powerful magic. The sensitives could see into the otherside among other things. The sensitives seemed like pretentious jerks. They appeared weak in comparison to actives, but that may be how they want to appear. They hoarded knowledge about magic. If they were truly meant to be partners with actives why would they do that? I couldn't respect them when I learned that. I didn't care for the bonds aspect of the story especially since they could be forced on other people without there being a deeper meaning behind them.
Sorcha was awesome! Although she did have unmatched skills as an active that wasn't what made me like her. I loved it that she behaved in ways people didn't expect. She said what she thought even if it rubbed people the wrong way, but never came off as a bitch. Being brave and kicking ass are other awesome qualities she has. Not everything Sorcha did was wise, but she always had the best of intentions and didn't put people at risk with her actions. Last but not least she was an older female heroine. Fantasy needs more of those.
Merrick didn't do anything for me. He was a good guy and didn't do anything even remotely despicable, but I never liked him. I'm not even sure why. I didn't like how secretive he was. His sudden inexplicable love with Nynnia annoyed the hell out of me. It was hardcore instalove. They knew nothing about each other. It didn't help that I never liked nor trusted Nynnia. It was obvious she was hiding something and manipulating them in some way. None of the other characters trusted her bizarre behavior enough.
I really liked Raed. He was charming and complicated. His situation was unique. I wanted to know more about his family history to understand how he ended up like he did. I ship Sorcha and Raed. They were good together. Some of it may have had to do with both of them being misfits.
I'm torn about whether or not I should read the next one. The book really grew on me and I want to know more about the things that were left unexplained. OTOH I don't want to read more about Merrick or the unusually strong bonds. I may or may not ever get around to reading the rest of the series.
The order was a group of magical workers who protected the living from the otherside where the unliving came from. The magical workers were divided into sensitives and actives. The active did more physically powerful magic. The sensitives could see into the otherside among other things. The sensitives seemed like pretentious jerks. They appeared weak in comparison to actives, but that may be how they want to appear. They hoarded knowledge about magic. If they were truly meant to be partners with actives why would they do that? I couldn't respect them when I learned that. I didn't care for the bonds aspect of the story especially since they could be forced on other people without there being a deeper meaning behind them.
Sorcha was awesome! Although she did have unmatched skills as an active that wasn't what made me like her. I loved it that she behaved in ways people didn't expect. She said what she thought even if it rubbed people the wrong way, but never came off as a bitch. Being brave and kicking ass are other awesome qualities she has. Not everything Sorcha did was wise, but she always had the best of intentions and didn't put people at risk with her actions. Last but not least she was an older female heroine. Fantasy needs more of those.
Merrick didn't do anything for me. He was a good guy and didn't do anything even remotely despicable, but I never liked him. I'm not even sure why. I didn't like how secretive he was. His sudden inexplicable love with Nynnia annoyed the hell out of me. It was hardcore instalove. They knew nothing about each other. It didn't help that I never liked nor trusted Nynnia. It was obvious she was hiding something and manipulating them in some way. None of the other characters trusted her bizarre behavior enough.
I really liked Raed. He was charming and complicated. His situation was unique. I wanted to know more about his family history to understand how he ended up like he did. I ship Sorcha and Raed. They were good together. Some of it may have had to do with both of them being misfits.
I'm torn about whether or not I should read the next one. The book really grew on me and I want to know more about the things that were left unexplained. OTOH I don't want to read more about Merrick or the unusually strong bonds. I may or may not ever get around to reading the rest of the series.
April 4, 2018
Das Buch hat einen rasanten Start hingelegt und konnte mich sofort fesseln. Die Protagonistin Sorcha war mir von Beginn nicht sonderlich sympathisch aber konnte mich mit ihrer Unabhängigkeit gegenüber anderen Charakteren überzeugen. Die vielen Perspektivwechsel zwischen den verschiedenen Charakteren empfand ich am Anfang noch als sehr unübersichtlich und nervig. Das hat sich nach der Zeit allerdings gegeben. Schön fand ich, dass sich die verschiedenen Handlungsstränge und die einzelnen Wege der Charaktere gekreuzt haben.
Beim worldbuilding und magic system hapert es dennoch sehr gewaltig. Zwar wird die Arbeit der Diakone und des Ordens genügend erklärt, aber am Ende gibt es so viele Twists und Lösungsansätze durch Dinge, welche vorher nicht ausreichend erklärt wurden. So hält sich die Autorin ziemlich viel offen, was den Plot und den Richtungswechsel dessen angeht, aber es wirkt, meiner Meinung nach, auch einfach schlecht durchdacht.
Ich werde die Reihe wohl nicht weiterlesen, obwohl ich sie günstig bei Arvelle erstanden habe.
Beim worldbuilding und magic system hapert es dennoch sehr gewaltig. Zwar wird die Arbeit der Diakone und des Ordens genügend erklärt, aber am Ende gibt es so viele Twists und Lösungsansätze durch Dinge, welche vorher nicht ausreichend erklärt wurden. So hält sich die Autorin ziemlich viel offen, was den Plot und den Richtungswechsel dessen angeht, aber es wirkt, meiner Meinung nach, auch einfach schlecht durchdacht.
Ich werde die Reihe wohl nicht weiterlesen, obwohl ich sie günstig bei Arvelle erstanden habe.
December 15, 2012
i guess this is what you call a genre blender: it's fantasy, with influences of urban fantasy and steampunk (they have some sort of zeppelins!) and even romance and some horror-esque elements.
sadly i wasn't too impressed.
the beginning was really promising, but near the last 50 pages or so i actually lost interest (how often does that happen?!). i forced myself to finish, but it wasn't with the attention a book normally gets from me. i just wanted to have it over with so i could move on to the next book.
it's hard to put my finger on what i didn't like though. i think too many forced storylines and some big believability issues. even in fantasy it has to be 'realistic', dear authors!
they do have some weird zeppelins with rooms though!
it's sad that the not-even-so-important-for-the-story zeppelins are probably what i will remember most.
i think this just wasn't a book for me. it is however well written, the world-building has nice elements and the characters aren't too bad.
i can imagine other people liking it (if you're a fan of genre-blending, go!) but i'm not going to hand out recommendations for it.
December 16, 2017
Absolutely LOVED this book! I can not wait to read the rest of the series! From beginning to end, this story is filled with nonstop battles and excitement! No overwhelming character development but only slight and I can't wait to see where these 3 head from here out!
Spells, geists, flying ships, romance and great beasts, GAH! Looove it!
Definitely would've finished this book in a short amount of time if the holidays weren't around the corner :]
I recommend!
Spells, geists, flying ships, romance and great beasts, GAH! Looove it!
Definitely would've finished this book in a short amount of time if the holidays weren't around the corner :]
I recommend!
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
January 28, 2018Buddy read with the MacHalo group! I was torn between DNF and On-Hold for this one. I may come back to it. The writing style is just a bit dry for me when I've been trying to fight off the slumpiest reading slump.
December 7, 2011
Sorcha Farris is arguably the strongest Active within The Order, acting as the magical tank of a bonded duo in a fight against the geists from the Otherworld. After Sorcha’s husband of 8 years gets critically injured and cannot work as her complimenting magical seeing Sensitive, the other half of her bonded duo. Discarding protocol, the head of the Order assigns her with a new Sensitive partner, Merrick Chambers, and they are immediately sent on a new mission that takes them to the northeast coast. Not shortly after they embark on their journey they immediately come under attack, and eventually run in to a cursed fugitive pirate and his crew. And that’s just the beginning…
This is one of those books that I went crazy for while I was reading it. I have finally found a Fantasy series that pulled me in and had me walking away feeling completely blown away. Geist is so magnificently creative, fantastically carved, and I fell in love with the multi-dimensional characters. I immediately went on to buy Spectyr when this was over, but then promised myself I would not read on until I wrote this review first.
Geist is massively engaging. The incredibly imaginative world building, along with the protagonist were so blazingly entertaining. The most remarkable for me where the three main characters: Sorcha, Raed and Merrick. Sorcha is an amazingly human character in a fantasy story. She is so jaded, cynical and proud. She experiences real human and imperfect emotions that we can all relate to. Sometimes I would cringe for her over how arrogant and condescending she came across, but I loved her in spite of it because I felt I understood her. She is socially stupid! But she has a huge heart, and discovering that was so touching. I loved her cigar addiction, it was just one of those things where I totally felt connected with her. It also helped to “get” Sorcha because of the chemistry between her and Merrick and Raed. They are somehow able to see past what she blurts out and translate her to us as they all learn more and more about how the Active:Sensitive bond works. I enjoyed the dialog between the characters so much I was completely lost in the world of Arkaym and The Order. The descriptions are so vivid, the action is packed on the page and it never stops, this book took my imagination on a crazy wild journey.
OK! I’m off to start Spectyr, book 2 of Book of the Order!
This is one of those books that I went crazy for while I was reading it. I have finally found a Fantasy series that pulled me in and had me walking away feeling completely blown away. Geist is so magnificently creative, fantastically carved, and I fell in love with the multi-dimensional characters. I immediately went on to buy Spectyr when this was over, but then promised myself I would not read on until I wrote this review first.
Geist is massively engaging. The incredibly imaginative world building, along with the protagonist were so blazingly entertaining. The most remarkable for me where the three main characters: Sorcha, Raed and Merrick. Sorcha is an amazingly human character in a fantasy story. She is so jaded, cynical and proud. She experiences real human and imperfect emotions that we can all relate to. Sometimes I would cringe for her over how arrogant and condescending she came across, but I loved her in spite of it because I felt I understood her. She is socially stupid! But she has a huge heart, and discovering that was so touching. I loved her cigar addiction, it was just one of those things where I totally felt connected with her. It also helped to “get” Sorcha because of the chemistry between her and Merrick and Raed. They are somehow able to see past what she blurts out and translate her to us as they all learn more and more about how the Active:Sensitive bond works. I enjoyed the dialog between the characters so much I was completely lost in the world of Arkaym and The Order. The descriptions are so vivid, the action is packed on the page and it never stops, this book took my imagination on a crazy wild journey.
OK! I’m off to start Spectyr, book 2 of Book of the Order!
October 24, 2010
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
GEIST is one of those books that straddles the line between a number of different genres. It reads like a mix between Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series and Illona Andrews Kate Daniels series (and not just because of the werelion). A number of paranormal creatures thrown into a high fantasy setting and time period with a splash a steampunk. Let’s call it paranormal fantasy.
GEIST is set in a lush high fantasy world were a dedicated Order of essentially mages protect humanity from demons (aka geists) who attempt to possess and destroy the world. The Order is made up of two complimentary types of mages: Actives (who wield magic) and Sensitives (who can ‘see’ the Otherside) who enter into a psychic Bond together.
This type of magic system and the religious/political order who train and dogmatize the deacons from childhood is very reminiscent of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series. Unfortunately, at just over 300 pages, I felt like GEIST barely scratched the surface of this necessarily complex society. I’m sure there will be more about The Order in future books, but as it was in the first book, we got the abridged version which remained too shallow for me to really connect with.
The characters were an entirely different matter, specifically Raed Rossin, Pretender to the throne. He is a wonderfully tormented man who brandishes his bitterness and pride like the weapons they are. Sorcha, meanwhile, is a walking legend as the most powerful Active The Order has. She is revered and feared by those around her, save for her indifferent husband and Sensitive partner, Kolya. After an injury, the young and idealistic Merrick is assigned to Sorcha in his stead.
I did like GEIST, but it had the potential to make me love it, and that miss has me disappointed. The world building was fascinating but underutilized, the surprise romance was a nice addition, and the three main characters made for an interesting if dysfunctional group. I’m on the fence about whether or not I’ll be picking up SPECTYR when it’s published in Summer 2011.
GEIST is one of those books that straddles the line between a number of different genres. It reads like a mix between Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series and Illona Andrews Kate Daniels series (and not just because of the werelion). A number of paranormal creatures thrown into a high fantasy setting and time period with a splash a steampunk. Let’s call it paranormal fantasy.
GEIST is set in a lush high fantasy world were a dedicated Order of essentially mages protect humanity from demons (aka geists) who attempt to possess and destroy the world. The Order is made up of two complimentary types of mages: Actives (who wield magic) and Sensitives (who can ‘see’ the Otherside) who enter into a psychic Bond together.
This type of magic system and the religious/political order who train and dogmatize the deacons from childhood is very reminiscent of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series. Unfortunately, at just over 300 pages, I felt like GEIST barely scratched the surface of this necessarily complex society. I’m sure there will be more about The Order in future books, but as it was in the first book, we got the abridged version which remained too shallow for me to really connect with.
The characters were an entirely different matter, specifically Raed Rossin, Pretender to the throne. He is a wonderfully tormented man who brandishes his bitterness and pride like the weapons they are. Sorcha, meanwhile, is a walking legend as the most powerful Active The Order has. She is revered and feared by those around her, save for her indifferent husband and Sensitive partner, Kolya. After an injury, the young and idealistic Merrick is assigned to Sorcha in his stead.
I did like GEIST, but it had the potential to make me love it, and that miss has me disappointed. The world building was fascinating but underutilized, the surprise romance was a nice addition, and the three main characters made for an interesting if dysfunctional group. I’m on the fence about whether or not I’ll be picking up SPECTYR when it’s published in Summer 2011.
November 30, 2011
I do not tend to judge a book by its cover, which is a good thing considering the state of the cover world lately (*cough* UF *cough*). But this is one of those rare cases where I sit looking at the cover wishing that the story held within even began to meet the cover in terms of excellence. The cover is gorgeous and well done by the artist. I cannot say the same for the story inside.
I did enjoy some aspects of the story, namely the characters. Despite some characters being poorly characterized (especially Sorcha, the lead, and various random characters that came and went), they were probably the strongest aspect of the book. Raed was my favorite character and he was the best characterized, perhaps not a coincidence. The story itself, when you could separate it from the writing, was entertaining.
However, the story along with everything else in the book suffered from the writing style overall. The book started off on shaky ground for me because the author chose to immediately jump into action. I prefer some background, some character building, some world building and all the niceties that make for a good beginning. But I did not receive any such background which left me stumbling along for a great portion of the book. The world is never well explained, the magic is explained in bits but not enough to really follow and actions are taken throughout the book that make you wonder WTF is going on.
There were many little things that bothered me throughout the book, such as constantly referring to Sorcha as Deacon Sorcha Farris--why not just Sorcha? This naming style happened with most pivotal characters. We are constantly put at such a distance from the characters that you cannot really come to care for them. Also, things are stated as if you should know them despite the information being entirely new and not understood. Such things happen over and over again leading to me staring at the cover wishing for a story half as good as the artwork.
I may read book two in the series simply in hopes that the writing improved and maybe I can gain some understanding about the overall story.
I did enjoy some aspects of the story, namely the characters. Despite some characters being poorly characterized (especially Sorcha, the lead, and various random characters that came and went), they were probably the strongest aspect of the book. Raed was my favorite character and he was the best characterized, perhaps not a coincidence. The story itself, when you could separate it from the writing, was entertaining.
However, the story along with everything else in the book suffered from the writing style overall. The book started off on shaky ground for me because the author chose to immediately jump into action. I prefer some background, some character building, some world building and all the niceties that make for a good beginning. But I did not receive any such background which left me stumbling along for a great portion of the book. The world is never well explained, the magic is explained in bits but not enough to really follow and actions are taken throughout the book that make you wonder WTF is going on.
There were many little things that bothered me throughout the book, such as constantly referring to Sorcha as Deacon Sorcha Farris--why not just Sorcha? This naming style happened with most pivotal characters. We are constantly put at such a distance from the characters that you cannot really come to care for them. Also, things are stated as if you should know them despite the information being entirely new and not understood. Such things happen over and over again leading to me staring at the cover wishing for a story half as good as the artwork.
I may read book two in the series simply in hopes that the writing improved and maybe I can gain some understanding about the overall story.
October 24, 2010
Welcome to Arykham, where the presence of ghosts and spirits (geists) are unfortunately commonplace. But thankfully, the geists conform to a set of known parameters, and the Order protects the citizens from ultimate danger. The setting of the book, Arykaham, is historical in nature - no electricity, and horses, ships and dirigibles are the modes of transportation, etc. The society is run by an Emperor, with the Order acting as a quasi-religious group that protects the world from the geists.
Ms. Ballantine has created an elaborate world that is rich in details with its own unique mythology. And due to this, the book is not a quick and easy read. Between the lexicon of the Order, the intricate mythology (world) and the complex storyline full of twists and turns, it can be formidable at times. The first part of the book - the “getting to know you” phase - was tough, but soon I got into the “honeymoon” phase, and the story was so interesting and I enjoyed it immensely. My only request: a list of characters/titles/positions and glossary (with the runes listed) in any future books.
Although the book is full of exciting action and amazing adventure, the trio created of Sorcha, Merrick and Raed is fascinating and the true heart of the story. Ms. Ballantine does an amazing job with the character development. The trio each sees things in a unique way, bringing a full spectrum of views in each situation. I enjoyed the give and take that makes this relationship work.
My Rating: 4 stars: Really enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)
For my complete review, please visit my blog http://twimom227.blogspot.com on Friday October 29
Ms. Ballantine has created an elaborate world that is rich in details with its own unique mythology. And due to this, the book is not a quick and easy read. Between the lexicon of the Order, the intricate mythology (world) and the complex storyline full of twists and turns, it can be formidable at times. The first part of the book - the “getting to know you” phase - was tough, but soon I got into the “honeymoon” phase, and the story was so interesting and I enjoyed it immensely. My only request: a list of characters/titles/positions and glossary (with the runes listed) in any future books.
Although the book is full of exciting action and amazing adventure, the trio created of Sorcha, Merrick and Raed is fascinating and the true heart of the story. Ms. Ballantine does an amazing job with the character development. The trio each sees things in a unique way, bringing a full spectrum of views in each situation. I enjoyed the give and take that makes this relationship work.
My Rating: 4 stars: Really enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)
For my complete review, please visit my blog http://twimom227.blogspot.com on Friday October 29
August 9, 2016
Sorcha battles geists and more and sends them packing. Which brings me to the world at once, I did not learn that much, so the world building lacked. And therefore I call it light fantasy, and for me light fantasy is well light, but also with a lacking world building. I would have liked more of a world, I confess to that.
Sorcha was 35-40, which I liked. She was rather serious, she had a meh marriage. And she is known for being tough.
Merrick is young and sort of just of out school. Her new partner. And well...did not learn much about him,
Raed, him I liked. I felt like I got a clearer picture of him. The young pretender to the throne. We all know what happen to those. He will not get that throne. He is also cursed, and it's a bad one.
And off on an adventure they go. There are geists, some romantic feelings going around, bad people plotting, and a bigger conspiracy to unravel.
It was not mindblowing or anything. But it was good, and I am curious what will happen in the next one. Light fantasy is fun to read sometimes.
Sorcha was 35-40, which I liked. She was rather serious, she had a meh marriage. And she is known for being tough.
Merrick is young and sort of just of out school. Her new partner. And well...did not learn much about him,
Raed, him I liked. I felt like I got a clearer picture of him. The young pretender to the throne. We all know what happen to those. He will not get that throne. He is also cursed, and it's a bad one.
And off on an adventure they go. There are geists, some romantic feelings going around, bad people plotting, and a bigger conspiracy to unravel.
It was not mindblowing or anything. But it was good, and I am curious what will happen in the next one. Light fantasy is fun to read sometimes.
May 13, 2012
GEIST is like SABRIEL for adults. I loved the world building and the spine-chilling ghosts. Also, Sorcha is such an awesome female lead. I highly recommend GEIST to fans of epic fantasy or kickbutt heroines.
October 20, 2017
3.5 stars!! RTC (hopefully lmao)
April 22, 2019
I had a few problems with this book. The POVs jumped around willy-nilly and the romance/sex was awkwardly written. Certain things were really glossed over...Kolya in a coma that long? Nynnia and her...alienness?
BUT it was enjoyable for me. I liked the dirigible scene well as the Ulrich Abbey scene best.
I may read the sequel.
BUT it was enjoyable for me. I liked the dirigible scene well as the Ulrich Abbey scene best.
I may read the sequel.
January 25, 2012
I really enjoyed this book. The characters were strong and the surrounding world and situation interesting. Sorcha was a bit more "hot young thing" than "experienced matron" in both demeanor and outside reaction than was justified by her stated age and experience, but that's easily overlooked in the quality of the the rest of the book.
The only thing keeping this from four stars is the irritating naming in the book. It followed no real rhymn or reason that I could discern. It's as if the author sat down with a baby name book and searched out things that sounded cool. This started with the title McGuffin "Geist". Why use the German for "Spirit" to refer to what are clearly spirits and not use German for anything else? And the names were from all over, as well. Sorcha (Irish), Merrick (Welsh variant), Kolya (Slavic), Hastler (French variant) all exist in what is ostensibly the same cultural space. Which brings me to the worst of the lot, Raed (Arabic). I hate this name, if only because I cannot see it without registering it as a misspelling of "read". And how is that pronounced, anyway? Ugh. Since it's Arabic, I'd think two-syllable "rah-eed", but my English brain wants to think single-syllable "raid". Bah.
Anyway, the world is incredibly interesting starting with the trappings of a religious order (Deacons, Priories, Abbots, etc.) but a fully (and deliberately) secular manifestation. This makes a great deal of sense in a world where religion seems to have begun the fight against the near-constant spiritual invasion but the ongoing fight has made it too important to shelter the talents to insist on religious orthodoxy. So "The Order" fights spirits and enjoys a great deal of the political power (and in-fighting) a religious order might, but with the spur of having a clear job to do at which they cannot afford to fail. Add the bifurcated nature of the talents needed to fight the spirits and you have a fascinating setup that requires pairing complimentary talents regardless of personal inclination or desire.
All that was left to appeal to my inner squee is a decent romance and... wait! There is romance! Not one, but two of them in this book! Sorcha's explicit, front-stage romance was both passionate and deep (with the world conspiring to tear them apart, no less) but Merrick's romantic travail adds a taste of a sweet and quiet love with an awesome culmination (and even more conspiring to tear them apart) that drove straight to my heart.
So yes, I liked the book immensely. It had great action, a sense of urgency, and characters that were smart except when you could easily believe they'd be dumb.
The only thing keeping this from four stars is the irritating naming in the book. It followed no real rhymn or reason that I could discern. It's as if the author sat down with a baby name book and searched out things that sounded cool. This started with the title McGuffin "Geist". Why use the German for "Spirit" to refer to what are clearly spirits and not use German for anything else? And the names were from all over, as well. Sorcha (Irish), Merrick (Welsh variant), Kolya (Slavic), Hastler (French variant) all exist in what is ostensibly the same cultural space. Which brings me to the worst of the lot, Raed (Arabic). I hate this name, if only because I cannot see it without registering it as a misspelling of "read". And how is that pronounced, anyway? Ugh. Since it's Arabic, I'd think two-syllable "rah-eed", but my English brain wants to think single-syllable "raid". Bah.
Anyway, the world is incredibly interesting starting with the trappings of a religious order (Deacons, Priories, Abbots, etc.) but a fully (and deliberately) secular manifestation. This makes a great deal of sense in a world where religion seems to have begun the fight against the near-constant spiritual invasion but the ongoing fight has made it too important to shelter the talents to insist on religious orthodoxy. So "The Order" fights spirits and enjoys a great deal of the political power (and in-fighting) a religious order might, but with the spur of having a clear job to do at which they cannot afford to fail. Add the bifurcated nature of the talents needed to fight the spirits and you have a fascinating setup that requires pairing complimentary talents regardless of personal inclination or desire.
All that was left to appeal to my inner squee is a decent romance and... wait! There is romance! Not one, but two of them in this book! Sorcha's explicit, front-stage romance was both passionate and deep (with the world conspiring to tear them apart, no less) but Merrick's romantic travail adds a taste of a sweet and quiet love with an awesome culmination (and even more conspiring to tear them apart) that drove straight to my heart.
So yes, I liked the book immensely. It had great action, a sense of urgency, and characters that were smart except when you could easily believe they'd be dumb.
December 13, 2010
I have two reviews to give for Philippa Ballantine’s book Geist.
The first is the short review. The cave man version, as given by my slightly hairier Cro-Magnon alter ego Thag: “Geist good! Thag like! You buy!”
Thag is a man of few words.
The second was a lot harder to write, simply because writing a really good review that sounds honest is a lot harder than writing a man one. That’s my excuse for taking this long to write a review anyway.
Make no mistake, Geist is good, really good. Ballantine has found a way to make Ghosts scary again. As I mentioned in my review of Unholy Ghosts, ghosts usually play second fiddle to something far uglier, but the geists of Philippa Ballantine’s world are entirely nasty enough without being cheesy. While of course there is more going on than an infestation of the undead, I never felt like a geist attack was something the characters could brush off.
If you haven’t read Geist already, then you might be unprepared for Deacon Sorcha Farris, Geist’s hard drinking, cigar smoking, ass kicking and ghost banishing protagonist. I say protagonist rather than hero because when you first meet Sorcha, you might not actually like her that much. Stick with her though, and you soon see there is far more to the deacon than her exterior would let on.
Balancing Sorcha is the junior deacon Merrick, who backs up Sorcha’s abilities at banishing with his own ghost sensing powers and a far more (at least initially) laid back approach to life. Merrick serves as an excellent foil to Sorcha and as a team they are a very believable (not to mention extremely readable) ghost fighting team.
Raed, known as the Young Pretender, is a pirate captain who rounds out the narrative from his perspective. Raed has a curse laid on him that had to have been thought up at 3am on a starless night, and it serves as a backdrop to his part of the story before becoming a part of the story in its own right.
Geist works on several levels. If you’re looking for an excellent fantasy novel with plenty of action and some sex scenes that will leave you in dire need of a cold shower (or a willing partner) then Geist is your book.
I really only have one criticism of the book, and that’s I would have liked to know more about the Order that Sorcha and Merrick belong to. She hints at an extremely rich and complex society within the larger society and I’m hoping the sequel Spectyr will show me more.
I was once lucky enough to interview Philippa and we talked a lot about Geist. She described it too me as “three days of sex in a blimp”, but I think Geist is a lot more than that. She has taken several fantasy rotes and turned them on their ear, giving readers something entirely fresh that carves out its own niche in the fantasy genre with a blend of steampunk, fantasy and paranormal romance.
Highly Recommended.
N.B This review also appears on my website www.andrewjackwriting.com
The first is the short review. The cave man version, as given by my slightly hairier Cro-Magnon alter ego Thag: “Geist good! Thag like! You buy!”
Thag is a man of few words.
The second was a lot harder to write, simply because writing a really good review that sounds honest is a lot harder than writing a man one. That’s my excuse for taking this long to write a review anyway.
Make no mistake, Geist is good, really good. Ballantine has found a way to make Ghosts scary again. As I mentioned in my review of Unholy Ghosts, ghosts usually play second fiddle to something far uglier, but the geists of Philippa Ballantine’s world are entirely nasty enough without being cheesy. While of course there is more going on than an infestation of the undead, I never felt like a geist attack was something the characters could brush off.
If you haven’t read Geist already, then you might be unprepared for Deacon Sorcha Farris, Geist’s hard drinking, cigar smoking, ass kicking and ghost banishing protagonist. I say protagonist rather than hero because when you first meet Sorcha, you might not actually like her that much. Stick with her though, and you soon see there is far more to the deacon than her exterior would let on.
Balancing Sorcha is the junior deacon Merrick, who backs up Sorcha’s abilities at banishing with his own ghost sensing powers and a far more (at least initially) laid back approach to life. Merrick serves as an excellent foil to Sorcha and as a team they are a very believable (not to mention extremely readable) ghost fighting team.
Raed, known as the Young Pretender, is a pirate captain who rounds out the narrative from his perspective. Raed has a curse laid on him that had to have been thought up at 3am on a starless night, and it serves as a backdrop to his part of the story before becoming a part of the story in its own right.
Geist works on several levels. If you’re looking for an excellent fantasy novel with plenty of action and some sex scenes that will leave you in dire need of a cold shower (or a willing partner) then Geist is your book.
I really only have one criticism of the book, and that’s I would have liked to know more about the Order that Sorcha and Merrick belong to. She hints at an extremely rich and complex society within the larger society and I’m hoping the sequel Spectyr will show me more.
I was once lucky enough to interview Philippa and we talked a lot about Geist. She described it too me as “three days of sex in a blimp”, but I think Geist is a lot more than that. She has taken several fantasy rotes and turned them on their ear, giving readers something entirely fresh that carves out its own niche in the fantasy genre with a blend of steampunk, fantasy and paranormal romance.
Highly Recommended.
N.B This review also appears on my website www.andrewjackwriting.com
May 16, 2011
Geist is attention grabbing right from the start. This story is full of action, intrigue, and is never boring. The world created in Geist is exceptional. It is a very fantasy world, full of magical fighting and otherworldly creatures. The otherworldly creatures are unique though, no vampires or traditional witches grace the pages of geist. The otherworldly creatures are called geists, and are undead monsters, almost demon or ghost-like that can possess people and incite violence. The concept of The Order is also quite interesting. It seems loosely based on old religious structure, however religion is irrelevant in this book. The deacons are what seem to be the paranormal equivalent of mages, with their ability to use runes and wield various powers. While complex, I came to understand and appreciate the world structure pretty quickly.
I enjoyed the characters in Geist. Deacon Sorcha Faris is a very interesting woman. She is tough as nails, and a definite leader, but as the story progressed, her softer side showed on occasion. I have to hand it to Ms. Ballantine for creating a world where women are very equal to men. Women are deacons, commanders, and leaders in their own right. For a story set in a fantasy land where the time period is feudal in nature, seeing women as equals was unexpected and very welcome. It was good to see the characters adapt and change along with the story. Misconceptions and fears were challenged and overcome. As for Raed Rossin, the sort-of shapeshifter, I loved this character. I enjoyed how the nature of the shape-shifter and the history of the Rossin was quite original.
Geist presents an entirely new genre that surpasses traditional fantasy by adding in a bit of the paranormal element and a little romance along the way. If you are a fantasy or paranormal fan, I would recommend giving this book a try. Book 2, Spectyr releases in June, and I am looking forward to reading and reviewing this next installment.
I enjoyed the characters in Geist. Deacon Sorcha Faris is a very interesting woman. She is tough as nails, and a definite leader, but as the story progressed, her softer side showed on occasion. I have to hand it to Ms. Ballantine for creating a world where women are very equal to men. Women are deacons, commanders, and leaders in their own right. For a story set in a fantasy land where the time period is feudal in nature, seeing women as equals was unexpected and very welcome. It was good to see the characters adapt and change along with the story. Misconceptions and fears were challenged and overcome. As for Raed Rossin, the sort-of shapeshifter, I loved this character. I enjoyed how the nature of the shape-shifter and the history of the Rossin was quite original.
Geist presents an entirely new genre that surpasses traditional fantasy by adding in a bit of the paranormal element and a little romance along the way. If you are a fantasy or paranormal fan, I would recommend giving this book a try. Book 2, Spectyr releases in June, and I am looking forward to reading and reviewing this next installment.
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