Spirits Rising
Book #1 of the Spirit Caller Series
Publisher: Self-Published (January 2012)
Genre: Paranormal Fantasy
Pages: 80 (ebook – Novella)
Source: Review Request by Author
Purchase at: Amazon
Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3 stars)
Rachel Mills has one wish in life: for the spirit world to shut up and leave her alone. She thought her move to a remote fishing village in Northern Newfoundland would help.
Population: Twenty. What could go wrong?
Instead of peace, however, she relocates to a land of superstitution, the air alive with the presence of others.
When a local teenager accidentally summons the spirits of the area, including those from a thousand-year-old Viking settlement, all supernatural breaks loose. As the spirits stalk her and each other, Rachel finds herself in over her head. With the help of Mrs. Saunders, her 93-year-old neighbour, Rachel has to put aside her own prejudices long enough to send the spirits back to rest, or risk being caught in the midst of a spirit war.
The Good
Rachel can see and communicate with spirits. Sounds cool, but in reality, having spirits be drawn to you is no fun at all. And having any sort of control over spirits is down right painful. But Rachel feels it’s her job to rid her small village of the ancient spirits that have risen through the mishandled magic of a local teen. But putting these spirits to rest presents a bigger challenge than Rachel can handle. And to Rachel’s immense surprise, the small village, the very people she thought disliked her for her “witchcraft,” actually wants to help.
Rachel really fascinated me. She has dealt with her special abilities for most of her life and it has taken a toll. She feels like an outcast, but she has managed to make some very close friends because, truthfully, she’s just plain endearing. She remains strong, even when faced with hardships that the average person couldn’t even imagine. But it’s her slight obsession with Constable Jeremy Garratt that I found most intriguing. She actually takes a vacation to Mexico in an attempt to get over her feelings for this man. Gotta love that kind of dedication to abstaining from falling for a taken man.
Jeremy is of course clueless to Rachel’s feelings. As well he should be since he actually has a girlfriend. The girlfriend is pretty much the sweetest person you will ever meet, according to Rachel. Isn’t that always the way? You love someone and they have to be all selfish and find love somewhere else. It just ain’t right.
Though some villagers are weary of Rachel’s abilities, there are a few that accept and love her. Namely, Mrs. Saunders. Oh, our little, old Mrs. Saunders. One of the best characters ever written. I was cracking up every time she opened her mouth. I’m almost hesitant to call her a smart-ass, her being my elder and all, but it is the perfect word for her. Oh, and cheeky, wise, hilarious, super-freakin-fantastic, amazing. I could go on. She says what’s on her mind and she will have her bit of gin in her coffee if it’s the last thing she does. *giggles*
The action was pretty good and I have to admit to being fairly nervous from the suspense most of the novel. I loved the spirit element and the obvious research Ball did to create this novella. Spirits Rising was a great ghost story with a major twist.
The Bad
I found myself wishing that Rachel would save the day, her being the spirit specialist, but more often than not other people turned out to be the heros. I dislike main characters that need so much help when they are the ones that have the powers.
The ending was a little anticlimactic. With the buildup of the previous chapters, I assumed the ending would have been a little more frightening.
The Snuggly
No lovin’ in this book, but it didn’t need any.
Overall
I enjoyed reading Spirits Rising. I haven’t read a good ghost/spirit book in a while and this one was definitely satisfying. I think Ball has a promising future in the paranormal genre and I look forward to seeing what else she has to offer. A recommended read.
I eyed the old lady, who returned my glare with a much-too-innocent expression. “Such a good boy. I’m going to clean up the garbage in the yard while the bread is baking. No hanky-panky while I’m gone, you two,” she said, wagging her finger at me. She traded her cane for her walker, but not before slapping Jeremy’s behind. “Put some pants on, b’ye. People will think you spent the night with me!”
