Kara's Reviews > Geist

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. (view spoiler)[ And it's just too kool that his family curse turns him into a giant cat! (hide spoiler)] 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... (view spoiler)[ even down to some of the words, as another reviewer (Stephanie) pointed out "Sluagh" and "Strop" among others. (hide spoiler)]

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.