Nikki Elizabeth

No matter how many years passed, people stayed the same. Always arrive full of doubt, never quite trusting the service.

There’s something quietly luminous about The Gh

No matter how many years passed, people stayed the same. Always arrive full of doubt, never quite trusting the service.

There’s something quietly luminous about The Ghost Merchant by Ben Andrews. It's a story that feels both whimsical and mournful, yet surprisingly cozy and quick to read. The story follows Quill Darlington, a centuries-old shopkeeper who sells souls in a cozy little shop, and Erin, the recently departed young woman who disrupts his once-familiar duty, plus a slew of other cast members who pass through the shop for one reason or another.

At its heart, this is a story about people learning how to live again, even those who have signed contracts and agreed to pay the shop's costly price. And Quill, our MMC, is all routine and restraint, the sort of person who’s spent centuries obeying rules. Erin, by contrast, is chaos, a newly arrived soul who just can't follow the quiet order of the shop. Their dynamic is the book’s emotional core, and it works beautifully. Where The Ghost Merchant truly shines is in its atmosphere. The passing of time, the stories of spirits like Arthur, the lore of other merchants and those that come in ready to pay the price... all excellently done. If there's one critique, however, it's that I would have enjoyed spending more time soaking in the worldbuilding. Some chapters move so fast that there's not quite enough room to breathe in the lushness of the world and its characters, and there are a few I would have loved spending more time with. That said, I also think the mystery is partly the point, as the story, though about death, is all about life and its trials, tribulations, and unanswered questions. And the cozy vibes really do more than compensate for that personal preference point.

All in all, this is a cozy and bittersweet story for those who love character-driven paranormal fantasy books. It's a quick read and totally a worthy TBR add!

No matter how many years passed, people stayed the same. Always arrive full of doubt, never quite trusting the service.

There’s something quietly luminous about The Gh

No matter how many years passed, people stayed the same. Always arrive full of doubt, never quite trusting the service.

There’s something quietly luminous about The Ghost Merchant by Ben Andrews. It's a story that feels both whimsical and mournful, yet surprisingly cozy and quick to read. The story follows Quill Darlington, a centuries-old shopkeeper who sells souls in a cozy little shop, and Erin, the recently departed young woman who disrupts his once-familiar duty, plus a slew of other cast members who pass through the shop for one reason or another.

At its heart, this is a story about people learning how to live again, even those who have signed contracts and agreed to pay the shop's costly price. And Quill, our MMC, is all routine and restraint, the sort of person who’s spent centuries obeying rules. Erin, by contrast, is chaos, a newly arrived soul who just can't follow the quiet order of the shop. Their dynamic is the book’s emotional core, and it works beautifully. Where The Ghost Merchant truly shines is in its atmosphere. The passing of time, the stories of spirits like Arthur, the lore of other merchants and those that come in ready to pay the price... all excellently done. If there's one critique, however, it's that I would have enjoyed spending more time soaking in the worldbuilding. Some chapters move so fast that there's not quite enough room to breathe in the lushness of the world and its characters, and there are a few I would have loved spending more time with. That said, I also think the mystery is partly the point, as the story, though about death, is all about life and its trials, tribulations, and unanswered questions. And the cozy vibes really do more than compensate for that personal preference point.

All in all, this is a cozy and bittersweet story for those who love character-driven paranormal fantasy books. It's a quick read and totally a worthy TBR add!