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The Ghosts #1
Child of the Ghosts
When her life is torn apart by sorcery and murder, young Caina Amalas joins the mysterious Ghosts, the legendary spies and assassins of the Emperor of Nighmar. She learns the secrets of disguise and stealth, of assassination and infiltration.
But even that might not be enough to save her.
For the evil that destroyed her family seeks to devour the entire world...
But even that might not be enough to save her.
For the evil that destroyed her family seeks to devour the entire world...
289 pages, ebook
First published May 25, 2011
772 people are currently reading
3620 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Moeller
404 books669 followersStanding over six feet tall, USA Today bestselling author Jonathan Moeller has the piercing blue eyes of a Conan of Cimmeria, the bronze-colored hair of a Visigothic warrior-king, and the stern visage of a captain of men, none of which are useful in his career as a computer repairman, alas.
He has written the DEMONSOULED series of sword-and-sorcery novels, and continues to write THE GHOSTS sequence about assassin and spy Caina Amalas, the COMPUTER BEGINNER'S GUIDE series of computer books, and numerous other works. His books have sold over one million copies worldwide.
He has written the DEMONSOULED series of sword-and-sorcery novels, and continues to write THE GHOSTS sequence about assassin and spy Caina Amalas, the COMPUTER BEGINNER'S GUIDE series of computer books, and numerous other works. His books have sold over one million copies worldwide.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 275 reviews
January 1, 2022
Child of the Ghosts
(The Ghosts #1)
by Jonathan Moeller
I'm glad I ended the year with this book because it was so good! I have the audio version and it really made it come alive with the excellent narration! The wonderful story plot, great characters, dramatic action, and intriguing fantasy kept me entertained to the very end.
The Ghosts are a secretive group that helps protect the people even if they have to kill. A young, bright noble girl that is orphaned gets brought into their fold and trained for years. This is her story and it is awesome!
(The Ghosts #1)
by Jonathan Moeller
I'm glad I ended the year with this book because it was so good! I have the audio version and it really made it come alive with the excellent narration! The wonderful story plot, great characters, dramatic action, and intriguing fantasy kept me entertained to the very end.
The Ghosts are a secretive group that helps protect the people even if they have to kill. A young, bright noble girl that is orphaned gets brought into their fold and trained for years. This is her story and it is awesome!
May 8, 2017
Man, was this a depressing book. I cringed a bit each time the main character was reminded that her ideal peaceful life was completely shattered. And it's mentioned every single time it can possibly be worked into a conversation. Or situation. You'd be reminded of it even when nobody was talking.
I'd say you get reminded of the tragedy that befell Caina almost as often as you do that she shouldn't fight fair, because she's a small woman.
I mean, I understand these sort of books. The story's political system takes on dated ideas about women. A lot of books do. But this book spent a lot of time trying to make Caina a strong, independent female character. Let's take a look at how that went, shall we?
Caina's a voracious reader, and incredibly smart. She notices insane amounts of detail. She manages to fend off magical attacks that bend the will of countless others around her. She escapes her cell after months of torture, and refuses to give the necromancer who enslaved her the satisfaction of her losing all hope. Yet she only decides to join up with the Ghosts to avenge her father because she can't live her lifelong dream of getting married and having kids.
And you're reminded of that fact. Constantly.
The not fighting fair bit didn't bother me as much, compared to that. Her teachers did say that she'd never be as strong as a man, but the entire principal of the Ghosts was to fight smart, not strong. The fighting style is made for people who aren't bulky. So I was fine with the fifty times that was pointed out.
Aside from that small nit-pick, I very much enjoyed this book. The villain did seem a bit "Mwahahaha", but the descriptions of the necromancy spells were so thought-out and evil that I could look past the mustache-twirling, and take the necromancer seriously as a villain. Those were the best bits of the book, in my opinion.
I'm also totally there for secret assassin societies.
I'd say you get reminded of the tragedy that befell Caina almost as often as you do that she shouldn't fight fair, because she's a small woman.
I mean, I understand these sort of books. The story's political system takes on dated ideas about women. A lot of books do. But this book spent a lot of time trying to make Caina a strong, independent female character. Let's take a look at how that went, shall we?
Caina's a voracious reader, and incredibly smart. She notices insane amounts of detail. She manages to fend off magical attacks that bend the will of countless others around her. She escapes her cell after months of torture, and refuses to give the necromancer who enslaved her the satisfaction of her losing all hope. Yet she only decides to join up with the Ghosts to avenge her father because she can't live her lifelong dream of getting married and having kids.
And you're reminded of that fact. Constantly.
The not fighting fair bit didn't bother me as much, compared to that. Her teachers did say that she'd never be as strong as a man, but the entire principal of the Ghosts was to fight smart, not strong. The fighting style is made for people who aren't bulky. So I was fine with the fifty times that was pointed out.
Aside from that small nit-pick, I very much enjoyed this book. The villain did seem a bit "Mwahahaha", but the descriptions of the necromancy spells were so thought-out and evil that I could look past the mustache-twirling, and take the necromancer seriously as a villain. Those were the best bits of the book, in my opinion.
I'm also totally there for secret assassin societies.
October 1, 2012
Child of the Ghosts was much better than I expected for a free book! It's fortunately also the type of uncomplicated fantasy I prefer reading. The storyline is simple, and the plot follows a familiar tread. Despite that, the world building was rich, and is filled with many great characters. The main heroine, Caina Amalas is both sympathetic and strong. As a child, she was scorned and tormented by her mother, and she sought solace in books in the library with her beloved father. One day, her mother betrays them and she is taken by the powerful necromancer, Maglarion. He not only kills her father but she is cruelly tortured in his diabolical spells. She eventually manages to escape her prison cell and is soon rescued by members of the legendary group of assassins and spies called Ghosts. Her intelligence and sharp observation skills draws the attention of their leader, Halfdan and they decide to train her to become one of them. It takes years of training in fighting, deception and stealth and Caina emerges as a highly skilled killer, a nightfighter of the Ghosts.
I am definitely reading the sequels by Jonathan Moeller. He did not hold back on the tragedy and violence in Caina's young life and I'm eager to find out what happens next.
I am definitely reading the sequels by Jonathan Moeller. He did not hold back on the tragedy and violence in Caina's young life and I'm eager to find out what happens next.
May 17, 2012
This book was one of the rare exceptions for me in overlooking mistakes that should have been caught by a copy editor and/or proofreader. Normally, if I see more than one or two errors in the first chapter, I stop reading. In this case, the concept and characters pulled me in enough that I finished reading and intend to read the next in the series.
I was intrigued by the concept of a young heroine transforming form innocent to deadly weapon and how that affected her.
I connected with the supporting characters as well, and felt the author did a good job making them come to life. I was really looking forward to getting to know one of these characters better but it seems I won't get that chance.
I think the story would have benefited from adhering more to the structure of Set Up/Response/Attack/Resolution, which would have helped the pacing. The author is talented, and I am sure his craft will only improve.
I was intrigued by the concept of a young heroine transforming form innocent to deadly weapon and how that affected her.
I connected with the supporting characters as well, and felt the author did a good job making them come to life. I was really looking forward to getting to know one of these characters better but it seems I won't get that chance.
I think the story would have benefited from adhering more to the structure of Set Up/Response/Attack/Resolution, which would have helped the pacing. The author is talented, and I am sure his craft will only improve.
October 19, 2018
now i am hooked. This was such a great, easy and creative book. i was hooked after the first page.
The characters were easy to fall in love with and follow, along with the story. the author made the mental visions so easy and vivid of the surroundings and the characters actions felt so real.
i would highly recommend this author and this book.
The characters were easy to fall in love with and follow, along with the story. the author made the mental visions so easy and vivid of the surroundings and the characters actions felt so real.
i would highly recommend this author and this book.
December 13, 2022
3,5 rounded up
November 6, 2018
Caina is a girl of noble birth. Her father loves her and lets her read freely in the library, but her mother had never gotten over being rejected from the study of magic in her fourth year of studies and is cruel to both Caina and her father.
She, in fact, has dealings with renegade sorcerers, and when a scroll falls into her husband's hands, she tries to exploit it. Death and treachery follow, and Caina is long a prisoner of a necromancer who uses her to teach his students.
When she is rescued, and the necromancer escapes, she joins the title Ghosts. It involves several teachers for everything from throwing knives to putting on make-up, a ball, passing herself off a jewel merchant's daughter, a reservoir, an accountant met in a rough tavern, and more.
She, in fact, has dealings with renegade sorcerers, and when a scroll falls into her husband's hands, she tries to exploit it. Death and treachery follow, and Caina is long a prisoner of a necromancer who uses her to teach his students.
When she is rescued, and the necromancer escapes, she joins the title Ghosts. It involves several teachers for everything from throwing knives to putting on make-up, a ball, passing herself off a jewel merchant's daughter, a reservoir, an accountant met in a rough tavern, and more.
May 5, 2017
Q: You're a plucky fantasy heroine at an upper-class ball, working undercover for a super secret assassin society. You're wearing a fancy dress and flirting with a brooding hunk. Then you think you see the super evil necromancer villain of the piece across the room talking to your fellow spy. Do you:
A1: Continue to giggle at the compliments of the brooding hunk while gazing into his intriguing vermilion orbs and checking out his 8-pack. Assume it's nothing and the villain can wait for another day. Feel terribly bad later when your fellow spy's necromantically drained body shows up.
A2: Make an excuse to the brooding hunk, duck into a corner, rip your dress to make a mask, steal a crossbow from a guard, shoot the villain in the head with a poisoned bolt from said crossbow, stab him repeatedly with your hidden daggers in various vital organs, then throw him off a balcony.
If you gave the second answer, then this book may be for you. I found it to be an enjoyably pulpy, no-nonsense tale of revenge and espionage, a welcome antidote to all those fantasy books (some in the YA pigeonhole and some, like this one, not) with giggling idiot heroines swooning over questionably attractive dudes, overactive obsessions with Chosen Ones/prophecies/destiny, and hilariously inept alleged super-assassins. Fans of real STRONG FEMALE CHARACTERS(tm) like the heroine of Mistborn, rejoice.
It isn't perfectly written - it suffers a bit from good ol' Captain Obvious narration, and I would most likely have added another half-star if it had better editing (the problems are nowhere near to the pathetic levels of a certain other prolific fantasy writer, but there are quite a few inexplicably missing words). It's also not going to set the world on fire with its stunning originality, but it executes its fairly standard revenge-thriller/save-the-world plot and historically-inspired setting with enough verve to still be enjoyable. (Interestingly, it was also a lot better than other books in different series by the same author - I don't know if this is because it was written later or just with more imagination.)
(Incidentally, the cover shown here - the edition I read had a different one - is hilariously inaccurate. In the opening of the second book in this series, Caina specifically notes that the Ghosts don't, for practical reasons, wear sexy leather getups.)
A1: Continue to giggle at the compliments of the brooding hunk while gazing into his intriguing vermilion orbs and checking out his 8-pack. Assume it's nothing and the villain can wait for another day. Feel terribly bad later when your fellow spy's necromantically drained body shows up.
A2: Make an excuse to the brooding hunk, duck into a corner, rip your dress to make a mask, steal a crossbow from a guard, shoot the villain in the head with a poisoned bolt from said crossbow, stab him repeatedly with your hidden daggers in various vital organs, then throw him off a balcony.
If you gave the second answer, then this book may be for you. I found it to be an enjoyably pulpy, no-nonsense tale of revenge and espionage, a welcome antidote to all those fantasy books (some in the YA pigeonhole and some, like this one, not) with giggling idiot heroines swooning over questionably attractive dudes, overactive obsessions with Chosen Ones/prophecies/destiny, and hilariously inept alleged super-assassins. Fans of real STRONG FEMALE CHARACTERS(tm) like the heroine of Mistborn, rejoice.
It isn't perfectly written - it suffers a bit from good ol' Captain Obvious narration, and I would most likely have added another half-star if it had better editing (the problems are nowhere near to the pathetic levels of a certain other prolific fantasy writer, but there are quite a few inexplicably missing words). It's also not going to set the world on fire with its stunning originality, but it executes its fairly standard revenge-thriller/save-the-world plot and historically-inspired setting with enough verve to still be enjoyable. (Interestingly, it was also a lot better than other books in different series by the same author - I don't know if this is because it was written later or just with more imagination.)
(Incidentally, the cover shown here - the edition I read had a different one - is hilariously inaccurate. In the opening of the second book in this series, Caina specifically notes that the Ghosts don't, for practical reasons, wear sexy leather getups.)
February 18, 2020
“The mind is much the same way. It can recover from an injury...but it will retain a scar. And you will carry that scar for the rest of your days. Whether you let it destroy you...that is up to you.”
Fun, if cartoonish, fantasy adventure. Leavened with humor. Fast paced.
“The two of us can't take a Kindred assassin in a straight fight.” “Of course not. Which is why it's not going to be a straight fight.”
Everything is too easy. From digging away the iron hinges to a dungeon cell to taking on the baddest bad people in the empire, she succeeds even when she fails.
“You shall be...Marianna, of House Nereide, I think. Yes. House Nereide went extinct during the War of the Fourth Empire.”
Caina cannot pose as a member of an extinct noble house. All the nobles in the capital would know she was an imposter. If there’s one thing nobles do well it’s follow who is who and where they stand in the pecking order.
“First demon-infested corpses, and now necromancers. I should have listened to Mother and become a carpenter.”
#SFFpit
Fun, if cartoonish, fantasy adventure. Leavened with humor. Fast paced.
“The two of us can't take a Kindred assassin in a straight fight.” “Of course not. Which is why it's not going to be a straight fight.”
Everything is too easy. From digging away the iron hinges to a dungeon cell to taking on the baddest bad people in the empire, she succeeds even when she fails.
“You shall be...Marianna, of House Nereide, I think. Yes. House Nereide went extinct during the War of the Fourth Empire.”
Caina cannot pose as a member of an extinct noble house. All the nobles in the capital would know she was an imposter. If there’s one thing nobles do well it’s follow who is who and where they stand in the pecking order.
“First demon-infested corpses, and now necromancers. I should have listened to Mother and become a carpenter.”
#SFFpit
September 25, 2012
Review originally over at Fantasy Book Critic
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Child of the Ghosts is the first book of the Ghosts series by Jonathan Moeller and was a book which intrigued me based on the excerpt which I had read. I had requested a review copy from the author who gladly sent one over. The blurb doesn’t give away much about the story which is a bonus of sorts as you don’t know what to expect and then the story surprises you maximally.
The story opens up with a eight year-old Caina Amalas in her childhood who is frequently tortured by her mother for hateful reasons revealed in the book. The child however is beloved of her father Count Sebastien and soon discovers the wonderful world of books in her father’s library. Things however do not remain rosy and certain events occur which cause Caina to grow up and face her mother’s wrath for a showdown of sorts. Caina soon realizes how outmatched she is and then her darkest nightmare takes corporeal form in the guise of Maglarion. He’s a necromancer with a particular interest in human bodies, dead or alive isn’t a prerequisite for him to enjoy his visceral pleasures on them. Dealing with such an experience showcases her mettle and brings her into the eye of the Ghosts.
The Ghosts are the Emperor's secret arsenal of warriors, assassins, spies and other vocations, that take the requisite care of rogue sorcerers, slavers and various other personae-non-grata that pose major problems for the Emperor and his subjects. The training involved in becoming a "Ghost" takes years, and once completed, these recruits become a part of a vast but discreet organization whose strength lies not in its numbers but the quality of the chosen. Often believed to be a figment of imagination, the Ghosts work in clandestine conditions and with absolute resolve, and Cania gets a chance to be inducted into this very fraternity.
The story‘s best feature is its pace, the plot opens quite quickly and sets up the story wherein the reader is immersed into the plot. The events are pretty horrific and Caina‘s growth as a character is very gruesomely depicted. The training which follows quickly shows her determination and her aptitude, but she faces further struggles as her real test begins in the real world. The story is a fast paced thriller in the guise of a fantasy book and was a particularly good read. The story can be viewed as an episode wherein Cania, the rest of the character cast and the world is introduced and there’s definitely more to be explored. Certain things are brushed aside hopefully to be explained in the sequel books. Check out Child of the Ghosts if you are in the mood for some action packed, thrilling fantasy in the vein of James Clemens & Jim Butcher.
February 6, 2023
3.75
Well this was a good historical fantasy read filled with nobles, necromancers, assassins, and some fun training montages.
So in this story we have our h, Caina , a young noble child who spent her time reading in her fathers study, basking in his kindness....and avoiding her mothers wrath. Since she was born, Caina's mother has hated her because she had no magical aptitude and foiled her plan to use a gifted child to return into Imperial Magisterium fold (the magi are sorcerers)
However, things in Caina's life take an even more devastating turn when her studious father returns home with an ancient scroll and sets to deciphering it. This is because Caina's mother sees the scroll as a bargaining chip to ingratiate herself into a more dangerous sect of sorcerers- ones that have been outcast in the Empire.
Through a series of unfortunate events Caina finds her life heading in a completely different direction. No more days in her father's library reading books and learning languages-no more safe future as a noble lady- instead she will have to use her wits, observation skills, and suppressed rage to walk a different path.
The path of a Ghost.
Well this was a good historical fantasy read filled with nobles, necromancers, assassins, and some fun training montages.
So in this story we have our h, Caina , a young noble child who spent her time reading in her fathers study, basking in his kindness....and avoiding her mothers wrath. Since she was born, Caina's mother has hated her because she had no magical aptitude and foiled her plan to use a gifted child to return into Imperial Magisterium fold (the magi are sorcerers)
However, things in Caina's life take an even more devastating turn when her studious father returns home with an ancient scroll and sets to deciphering it. This is because Caina's mother sees the scroll as a bargaining chip to ingratiate herself into a more dangerous sect of sorcerers- ones that have been outcast in the Empire.
Through a series of unfortunate events Caina finds her life heading in a completely different direction. No more days in her father's library reading books and learning languages-no more safe future as a noble lady- instead she will have to use her wits, observation skills, and suppressed rage to walk a different path.
The path of a Ghost.
October 10, 2015
What is an eleven year old girl to do when her mother, who despises the day she was born, brake the mind of everyone in their home, even the mind of her well educated father with inadequate sorcery? Well, kill her of course—even if it is by accident. However, that is not all Caina would do. Through a series of events that take her in the depths of what one might call hell, she decides to join the Ghost but she doesn’t just decide to become any Ghost—she becomes a Nightfighter. Take a journey with Caine through a world filled with greed, power, riches, and those who will sell their very soul for it all to see what will become of her and how she avenges the death of her father. This story is filled with sorcery, greed, action, adventure, and takes you into a world that may would rather avoid. I have to say I rather enjoyed this tale of power and death. The book is an instrument that pulls you into a world of dark sinister magic and strike up emotion for the revenge of those innocent live taken. I can honestly say I will be reading the next book in this series to see where Caire and her Ghost will go from here.
February 18, 2013
I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of this free ebook. The storyline is very original and I liked that the heroine was so uncompromisingly determined. All the way through, you never feel like she has to rely on anyone to save her. I was also impressed by the fact that the actions in the book had real and permanent consequences - no magic wands to make everything ok.
The slight criticisms I'd make are that there are a couple of paragraphs of description that felt like they might have been copy & pasted, there are more typos than I'd expect to read (but then it is self published I think? and free, so you can't really complain about that). I'd also have liked to have gotten to know some of the side characters a bit better, but seeing as there is a follow up book in the series, I'm hoping I'll find out more about them then.
Incidentally, Jonathan Moeller's author biog is one of the best I've seen in quite a while, and was the clincher that made me pick this one out to read from a pile of freebie fantast novels!
The slight criticisms I'd make are that there are a couple of paragraphs of description that felt like they might have been copy & pasted, there are more typos than I'd expect to read (but then it is self published I think? and free, so you can't really complain about that). I'd also have liked to have gotten to know some of the side characters a bit better, but seeing as there is a follow up book in the series, I'm hoping I'll find out more about them then.
Incidentally, Jonathan Moeller's author biog is one of the best I've seen in quite a while, and was the clincher that made me pick this one out to read from a pile of freebie fantast novels!
August 25, 2020
A child destroyed by hatred and violence, reborn as a weapon... Caina is now a ghost!
A child with a mother that detested her and sold her for power; a child with a father that was killed before her very eyes... A child that didn't let her nightmares rule her, but through resilience and determination, avenged her father and killed the evil Maglarion.
A really captivating read, with a surprisingly deep storyline. Can't wait to see her grow stronger!
A child with a mother that detested her and sold her for power; a child with a father that was killed before her very eyes... A child that didn't let her nightmares rule her, but through resilience and determination, avenged her father and killed the evil Maglarion.
A really captivating read, with a surprisingly deep storyline. Can't wait to see her grow stronger!
August 23, 2016
I don't know if the writing actually deserves four stars but it's one of the most entertaining books I've read in a while so oh well. I liked the main character, and the supporting characters where fun. (I mean a boisterous middle-age opera singer, awesome) I didn't like that Riogan was killed off, it felt like he could have had more of a role, but overall it was a fast enjoyable read.
January 6, 2012
So good. Yes Caina seemed a bit superheroish but I liked it.
March 4, 2012
Didn't get very far into it. It just didn't grab me. I felt that it was meant for a fairly young audience.
September 25, 2020
Caina Amalas has a quiet life as a noble's daughter as long as she stays out of her mother's way. Yet when her mother sells her to an evil necromancer, Caina's world is shattered. Everyone she has loved and everything she wanted is ripped away from her. She joins the Ghosts, a group of legendary assassins, and trains for many years. Even if she isn't ready to get her revenge, the necromancer is putting a foul plot into motion and must be stopped.
This is a fantastic first book in this fantasy series. Caina is thrust brutally onto the path of becoming an assassin. I sympathized with her right from the start. She is strong, smart, and brave. She can be portrayed as too much of a superhero, but I like the twists that take her to the end. The cast that surrounds her are fascinating, and I do wonder about their stories. Yet I see many books in this series, and I can hope there are some! A lot of political intrigue, spying, and a ton of training for young Caina. If that is the sort of dark fantasy you enjoy, you should pick up this book.
This is a fantastic first book in this fantasy series. Caina is thrust brutally onto the path of becoming an assassin. I sympathized with her right from the start. She is strong, smart, and brave. She can be portrayed as too much of a superhero, but I like the twists that take her to the end. The cast that surrounds her are fascinating, and I do wonder about their stories. Yet I see many books in this series, and I can hope there are some! A lot of political intrigue, spying, and a ton of training for young Caina. If that is the sort of dark fantasy you enjoy, you should pick up this book.
May 31, 2019
** Received audiobook copy for a honest review.
The author introduces Caina Amala's fantasy adventure. It is magically graceful and vengeful.
"McLarian" the necromancer permanently damages her life when he drains her blood to create a blood crystal. The necromancer has plans to commit murder of multitude of slaves/people for immortality. Caina is saved by the Ghosts and trained as an assassin. She has a personal vendetta to kill the necromancer and a purpose to save the world she lives in.
The narrator does a phenomenal job in bringing the story to life!
The book is fast paced. The author does a great job in balancing the description of the fantasy world, details, and action. As a reader, I was not overwhelmed with unnecessary details. It was worth the read!
The author introduces Caina Amala's fantasy adventure. It is magically graceful and vengeful.
"McLarian" the necromancer permanently damages her life when he drains her blood to create a blood crystal. The necromancer has plans to commit murder of multitude of slaves/people for immortality. Caina is saved by the Ghosts and trained as an assassin. She has a personal vendetta to kill the necromancer and a purpose to save the world she lives in.
The narrator does a phenomenal job in bringing the story to life!
The book is fast paced. The author does a great job in balancing the description of the fantasy world, details, and action. As a reader, I was not overwhelmed with unnecessary details. It was worth the read!
September 17, 2018
I was attracted to the book because the publicity blurb suggest it was similar to Tamora Pierce’s novels, and I loved her Alanna books. In some ways I could see the similarities, but it lacked something, it felt a bit two-dimensional.
The story was a fairly straightforward, but still quite interesting, however, the characters didn’t inspire me. I thought Caina was OK, but the rest just seemed to drift in and out of the story. Having said that, I quite enjoyed the story and will definitely be trying the next one in the series.
The story was a fairly straightforward, but still quite interesting, however, the characters didn’t inspire me. I thought Caina was OK, but the rest just seemed to drift in and out of the story. Having said that, I quite enjoyed the story and will definitely be trying the next one in the series.
February 12, 2024
This is a good book with some action, interesting characters and story. Jonathan Moeller writes easy reading, enjoyable books.
I have read this series before but didn’t put in a review. This is better the second time around as you get more information.
I have read this series before but didn’t put in a review. This is better the second time around as you get more information.
March 10, 2015
For a Kindle freebie, this book was fairly good; in the grand scheme of things, that places it squarely in the realm of 'mediocre'. The story is a straightforward trauma-training-revenge arc with pretty much no surprises. Caina is good at everything she's taught; she makes no major errors of judgement in her work; everyone on her side is trustworthy and, to a greater or lesser degree, honorable. The only twists and turns, persay, come from the villain - and even these aren't very twisty, because we're given periodic villain POV and therefore are often more informed about his actions and motivations than the characters.
Predictability, however, doesn't necessarily mean it's not enjoyable - and it is, for the most part. If there's anything that makes this book stand out from similar 'hyper-talented Lone Wolf vs ancient evil' stories, it's that Moeller avoids a lot of the pitfalls of similar books. There's no love triangle, for one, and Caina is never placed in the position of damsel in distress except when she's 11 years old and traumatized. Also, for all that the mentions of her wanting children but never being able to have them were repetitive, I actually felt they were decently integrated into the story as a factor in her motivations and choices, and that despite that repetition they never felt preachy. (As someone who doesn't want kids ever, this is something I'm pretty sensitive to - but the inclusion of other DFAB characters who weren't interested in offspring kept it from being 'all people with uteruses want children by biological decree' and emphasized it as Caina's choice/goals. Very effective.) Her attitudes towards sex also struck me as a strong part of her characterization: she enjoys it, but it's not all-consuming and she attaches no moral value to the act itself. Caina in general felt very pragmatic, which I enjoyed.
Honestly, this is the kind of light fare that I generally enjoy reading from time to time, and I'd continue with this series but for two things. One: the constant focus on all magi being evil or corrupt; I feel that lacks nuance, and after the one-chapter sample of the second book and skimming the synopses for the other volumes in the series I'm skeptical that it'll be thoroughly explored. The second reason is the more serious, though, and that's that the series strikes me as bloated. Right now there are 9 books in the 'Ghosts' series and 4 more featuring Caina in the 'Ghost Exile' series, plus umpteen short stories, and no clear end in sight, and I'm just not interested in getting into something that long without a clear continuous arc or upcoming finale.
Also, Moeller has a habit of punctuating his writing with a lot of single sentences.
They get a bit distracting after a while and I don't want to have to deal with more of them.
Predictability, however, doesn't necessarily mean it's not enjoyable - and it is, for the most part. If there's anything that makes this book stand out from similar 'hyper-talented Lone Wolf vs ancient evil' stories, it's that Moeller avoids a lot of the pitfalls of similar books. There's no love triangle, for one, and Caina is never placed in the position of damsel in distress except when she's 11 years old and traumatized. Also, for all that the mentions of her wanting children but never being able to have them were repetitive, I actually felt they were decently integrated into the story as a factor in her motivations and choices, and that despite that repetition they never felt preachy. (As someone who doesn't want kids ever, this is something I'm pretty sensitive to - but the inclusion of other DFAB characters who weren't interested in offspring kept it from being 'all people with uteruses want children by biological decree' and emphasized it as Caina's choice/goals. Very effective.) Her attitudes towards sex also struck me as a strong part of her characterization: she enjoys it, but it's not all-consuming and she attaches no moral value to the act itself. Caina in general felt very pragmatic, which I enjoyed.
Honestly, this is the kind of light fare that I generally enjoy reading from time to time, and I'd continue with this series but for two things. One: the constant focus on all magi being evil or corrupt; I feel that lacks nuance, and after the one-chapter sample of the second book and skimming the synopses for the other volumes in the series I'm skeptical that it'll be thoroughly explored. The second reason is the more serious, though, and that's that the series strikes me as bloated. Right now there are 9 books in the 'Ghosts' series and 4 more featuring Caina in the 'Ghost Exile' series, plus umpteen short stories, and no clear end in sight, and I'm just not interested in getting into something that long without a clear continuous arc or upcoming finale.
Also, Moeller has a habit of punctuating his writing with a lot of single sentences.
They get a bit distracting after a while and I don't want to have to deal with more of them.
December 26, 2013
The book was good but to be honest it falls a bit short of bigger players in the genre.
I found most of the ideas entertaining, the setting fun and the pace good enough. The setting wants to be grand and impressive but it's not epic by any means. It does leave a lot of room for future expansion though.
What was a bit distracting to me was that many of the chapters ended in a "too much information" sentence, a sentence that does not add anything but is kind of like a fade-to-action-music in the movie "Home Alone", it just seemed cheap and forced.
During the story the author seems to lead the reader a bit too much, he repeats certain things too often (like the fact that Caina has to fight dirty to stand a chance, or the fact that she can't bear children). Maybe a bit of editing by someone with experience would have caught the repetition and the hand holding. A small advice to the author would be to make the story more compelling by trusting the reader and assuming they are intelligent rather than assuming that they don't pay attention.
Also I didn't like that the punchline was given away by the author. The big plan of the bad guy was known to the reader well before the protagonist figures it out. This takes a lot of the mystery and the driving force away from the book. This is really a pity because the story leads our protagonist on false trails and it would have been nice as reader to experience the same confusion.
Expect solutions to be magically pulled out of the writer's hat but it's better than Harry Potter in this respect. Guess I'm used to the well thought out systems found in Sanderson's work, I'm a big fan of things which are smartly worked into the fabric of the fantasy world, which are hinted at early and used in an unexpected way. This book sadly does not offer that (e.g. [SPOILER ALERT] the link between Caina and the blood crystal is only a factor in the story 10 pages before it's relevant, if even that. [/SPOILERS]).
Overall a nice book, falling a bit short of good. It was entertaining nevertheless and I didn't feel the urge to quit reading. I would recommend it to a younger audience but since I read Steelheart by Sanderson recently, a book also aimed at younger audiences, it made this one seem bland in comparison.
I would like to see a rewrite of this book it did have potential to be more smartly written, the author needs to trust the reader more, work in more mystery and also make sure that his solutions seem natural rather than "look shiny spear made from wizard proof metal, we had it but we only now thought to use it despite hundreds of us dying over the centuries" (small plot holes like this are present in the whole book).
I found most of the ideas entertaining, the setting fun and the pace good enough. The setting wants to be grand and impressive but it's not epic by any means. It does leave a lot of room for future expansion though.
What was a bit distracting to me was that many of the chapters ended in a "too much information" sentence, a sentence that does not add anything but is kind of like a fade-to-action-music in the movie "Home Alone", it just seemed cheap and forced.
During the story the author seems to lead the reader a bit too much, he repeats certain things too often (like the fact that Caina has to fight dirty to stand a chance, or the fact that she can't bear children). Maybe a bit of editing by someone with experience would have caught the repetition and the hand holding. A small advice to the author would be to make the story more compelling by trusting the reader and assuming they are intelligent rather than assuming that they don't pay attention.
Also I didn't like that the punchline was given away by the author. The big plan of the bad guy was known to the reader well before the protagonist figures it out. This takes a lot of the mystery and the driving force away from the book. This is really a pity because the story leads our protagonist on false trails and it would have been nice as reader to experience the same confusion.
Expect solutions to be magically pulled out of the writer's hat but it's better than Harry Potter in this respect. Guess I'm used to the well thought out systems found in Sanderson's work, I'm a big fan of things which are smartly worked into the fabric of the fantasy world, which are hinted at early and used in an unexpected way. This book sadly does not offer that (e.g. [SPOILER ALERT] the link between Caina and the blood crystal is only a factor in the story 10 pages before it's relevant, if even that. [/SPOILERS]).
Overall a nice book, falling a bit short of good. It was entertaining nevertheless and I didn't feel the urge to quit reading. I would recommend it to a younger audience but since I read Steelheart by Sanderson recently, a book also aimed at younger audiences, it made this one seem bland in comparison.
I would like to see a rewrite of this book it did have potential to be more smartly written, the author needs to trust the reader more, work in more mystery and also make sure that his solutions seem natural rather than "look shiny spear made from wizard proof metal, we had it but we only now thought to use it despite hundreds of us dying over the centuries" (small plot holes like this are present in the whole book).
October 8, 2020
Dark turns, tons of action and a heroine to root for make this into a novel which is tough to set down until the very end.
Caina grew up as a daughter of a Lord, but her mother was a bitter magi, who sought to improve her skill through any means. Even if it meant practicing the forbidden Necromancy. Caina looses both parents and ends up in the hands of the most feared Magi of all, and he tortures her in the worst possible ways to use her blood for his spells. By a miracle, she survives and escapes. Now, she must choose a new life and the road she'll take is not only hard and bloody, it's full of revenge.
I picked this one up after reading the surmise...it's been awhile since I read a good assassin's tale. This one dances in a slightly different direction. Although Caina is a trained weapon, she has one goal and one goal only...which doesn't really qualify her as an assassin in my book. But that doesn't matter, since I did enjoy her story and was caught up in the pages the entire way through.
The author covers quite a bit of ground and does so while keeping the tale rolling smoothly. Caina goes from a young girl to a powerful young woman, gains friends and foes, and has many lessons along the way. About 2/3rds through, I stopped and suddenly realized how much time and development Caina went through to that point...and not a minute of it felt rushed or hurried over. Several of the side characters did lack on depth, but others gained a nice rounding. There were times I wondered why Caina had to be so 'observant'. I mean, her realizing everything when no one else could did get to be a bit much. But it wasn't enough to put me off.
There's quite a twisted plot going on, and more than once, I was surprised with the sudden turn things took. So, this wasn't something easily figured out or predictable.
My biggest problem (except maybe the ending being a bit rushed) was with Caina's lack of empathy. She does make friends and supposedly, she has a huge heart when it comes to innocent people. She risks her life to save all sorts of unknown citizens because she can't bear to see them suffer or die. But, on the other hand, she doesn't seem to develop any deeper relationships herself. Maybe one, but that's it. And this struck me hard at the end when a certain character's death just happens, and she doesn't really do more than nod and say, "Oh yeah. That person is dead." It killed any sympathy I had for her and made her other 'caring' moments during the book seem fake and no longer believable.
While I loved so much about this book, there was enough to make me not love it, too. I wish I could find the desire to continue the series, but I'm going to pass after this point.
Caina grew up as a daughter of a Lord, but her mother was a bitter magi, who sought to improve her skill through any means. Even if it meant practicing the forbidden Necromancy. Caina looses both parents and ends up in the hands of the most feared Magi of all, and he tortures her in the worst possible ways to use her blood for his spells. By a miracle, she survives and escapes. Now, she must choose a new life and the road she'll take is not only hard and bloody, it's full of revenge.
I picked this one up after reading the surmise...it's been awhile since I read a good assassin's tale. This one dances in a slightly different direction. Although Caina is a trained weapon, she has one goal and one goal only...which doesn't really qualify her as an assassin in my book. But that doesn't matter, since I did enjoy her story and was caught up in the pages the entire way through.
The author covers quite a bit of ground and does so while keeping the tale rolling smoothly. Caina goes from a young girl to a powerful young woman, gains friends and foes, and has many lessons along the way. About 2/3rds through, I stopped and suddenly realized how much time and development Caina went through to that point...and not a minute of it felt rushed or hurried over. Several of the side characters did lack on depth, but others gained a nice rounding. There were times I wondered why Caina had to be so 'observant'. I mean, her realizing everything when no one else could did get to be a bit much. But it wasn't enough to put me off.
There's quite a twisted plot going on, and more than once, I was surprised with the sudden turn things took. So, this wasn't something easily figured out or predictable.
My biggest problem (except maybe the ending being a bit rushed) was with Caina's lack of empathy. She does make friends and supposedly, she has a huge heart when it comes to innocent people. She risks her life to save all sorts of unknown citizens because she can't bear to see them suffer or die. But, on the other hand, she doesn't seem to develop any deeper relationships herself. Maybe one, but that's it. And this struck me hard at the end when a certain character's death just happens, and she doesn't really do more than nod and say, "Oh yeah. That person is dead." It killed any sympathy I had for her and made her other 'caring' moments during the book seem fake and no longer believable.
While I loved so much about this book, there was enough to make me not love it, too. I wish I could find the desire to continue the series, but I'm going to pass after this point.
October 7, 2016
Wow.
I did not expect to read what I read in this book. It reminds me of the throne of glass series not because we have an evil king (close enough) but because the girl is an assassin. I find her character much easier to like than in that series. This book she is actually hard. She does question herself but not once does she cry or even pity her surroundings for very long.
She does mention her tragic beginnings quite a bit but I think its fitting in moments where she is doing things she shouldn't like seducing men or killing men with very little thought. She also doesn't focus on her love life much. She does have sex in the later part of the book but not enough for me to mark this as a romance. This is actually a lead girl I can get on board with, she doesn't need a love interest, shes a strong enough character to solider on without one.
I found myself just so fixated by this book I couldn't stop reading it once I got going. This could be my favourite book in a long time.
Thank god for a strong female lead! She doesn't need no man!!!
I did not expect to read what I read in this book. It reminds me of the throne of glass series not because we have an evil king (close enough) but because the girl is an assassin. I find her character much easier to like than in that series. This book she is actually hard. She does question herself but not once does she cry or even pity her surroundings for very long.
She does mention her tragic beginnings quite a bit but I think its fitting in moments where she is doing things she shouldn't like seducing men or killing men with very little thought. She also doesn't focus on her love life much. She does have sex in the later part of the book but not enough for me to mark this as a romance. This is actually a lead girl I can get on board with, she doesn't need a love interest, shes a strong enough character to solider on without one.
I found myself just so fixated by this book I couldn't stop reading it once I got going. This could be my favourite book in a long time.
Thank god for a strong female lead! She doesn't need no man!!!
June 22, 2013
First off, I have to say that I really like the characters in this book. The traumatic stuff that the main character, Caina goes through in the beginning makes her tale all that more interesting. The way the author describes these things made me feel immersed with Caina's thoughts fueling my hatred for the main villain. Her revenge was my revenge. And the people that she met along the way were interesting.
I know some characters were a little rushed, but there are more books in this series. We don't have to read everyone's life story in one book. The author's description of magic is colorful and interesting. The lore offers more to be explored as you delve deeper into the series. This was a free book and I'm very satisfied with the way things ended. I'm looking forward to more.
I know some characters were a little rushed, but there are more books in this series. We don't have to read everyone's life story in one book. The author's description of magic is colorful and interesting. The lore offers more to be explored as you delve deeper into the series. This was a free book and I'm very satisfied with the way things ended. I'm looking forward to more.
April 12, 2014
This book surprised me it was pretty good. It REALLY could have used some proper editing. There were typos and technical problems on almost every page. A few times the author used the wrong names for characters. And he kept misusing besides almost every time. One person stands beside another. They never stand besides someone.
Content wise the story was pretty engaging and the characters were interesting. Some pretty standard fantasy tropes and not real deep villains but still pretty good. I wanted to give it a 2 for all the errors but I think 3 is pretty fair, especially if you're not a writer and the technical stuff won't bug you.
Content wise the story was pretty engaging and the characters were interesting. Some pretty standard fantasy tropes and not real deep villains but still pretty good. I wanted to give it a 2 for all the errors but I think 3 is pretty fair, especially if you're not a writer and the technical stuff won't bug you.
June 24, 2015
3,5*
Je to viac "dark" ako Throne of Glass, čo je to príbeh s podobnou témou. Toto sa mi čítalo/páčilo oveľa oveľa viac. Možno je mojou zaujatosťou voči citlivo sentimentálnemu ženskému pisálkovaniu, možno mi mužská triezvosť (v písaní) a hlavne prítomnosť logiky vo fikčnom svete aj príbehu inklinujú, ale toto je solídne urobený príbeh.
Je dejovejší, nápaditejší, hlavná hrdinka premýšľa a koná, samozrejme sa občas aj oblečie (do haute couture za pomoci komorných :-), tento detail ma potešil. Ale kniha má v sebe elementárnu logiku. Reálie sú kvázirímske, svet a mágia teda nie sú "originálne", berú sa ako známe a fungujúce. žiadne zbytočné opisy. akčné scény uchádzajúce.
Je to viac "dark" ako Throne of Glass, čo je to príbeh s podobnou témou. Toto sa mi čítalo/páčilo oveľa oveľa viac. Možno je mojou zaujatosťou voči citlivo sentimentálnemu ženskému pisálkovaniu, možno mi mužská triezvosť (v písaní) a hlavne prítomnosť logiky vo fikčnom svete aj príbehu inklinujú, ale toto je solídne urobený príbeh.
Je dejovejší, nápaditejší, hlavná hrdinka premýšľa a koná, samozrejme sa občas aj oblečie (do haute couture za pomoci komorných :-), tento detail ma potešil. Ale kniha má v sebe elementárnu logiku. Reálie sú kvázirímske, svet a mágia teda nie sú "originálne", berú sa ako známe a fungujúce. žiadne zbytočné opisy. akčné scény uchádzajúce.
March 10, 2018
The amazing adventure
I have to say that this book is so amazing and interesting that it's hard to put down. This book brings out some ancient style into it that is remarkable. This book is like an amazing adventure that won't end. I hope in some ways it doesn't. This book has some a lot adventures into it. This book was well written and done by the author. I hope to see more of this type of book from the author. Thank you to the author that wrote this book. You have done nice and wonderful done with this book. This book is one of the kind and it's worth reading until the end.
I have to say that this book is so amazing and interesting that it's hard to put down. This book brings out some ancient style into it that is remarkable. This book is like an amazing adventure that won't end. I hope in some ways it doesn't. This book has some a lot adventures into it. This book was well written and done by the author. I hope to see more of this type of book from the author. Thank you to the author that wrote this book. You have done nice and wonderful done with this book. This book is one of the kind and it's worth reading until the end.
May 27, 2012
Jonathan modeler is now one of my favorite authors, I began with child of ghosts, blew through the series and onto soul of series. Wonderfully written books of a nice length, thank you as I've thanked other authors for taking the time to make the book long as well as riveting.
Kim osborn
Kim32e@aol.com
Kim osborn
Kim32e@aol.com
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