Ghost Planet

by Sharon Lynn Fisher

A world in peril. A bond deeper than love.

Psychologist Elizabeth Cole prepared for the worst when she accepted a job on a newly discovered world - a world where every colonist is tethered to an alien who manifests in the form of a dead loved one. But she never expected she'd struggle with the requirement to shun these “ghosts.” She never expected to be so attracted to the charming Irishman assigned as her supervisor. And she certainly never expected to discover she died in a transport crash en route to the planet.

Reincarnated as a ghost, Elizabeth is symbiotically linked to her supervisor, Murphy - creator of the Ghost Protocol, which forbids him to acknowledge or interact with her. Confused and alone - oppressed by her ghost status and tormented by forbidden love - Elizabeth works to unlock the secrets of her own existence.

But her quest for answers lands her in a tug-of-war between powerful interests, and she soon finds herself a pawn in the struggle for control of the planet…a struggle that could separate her forever from the man she loves.

Genres: Romance, Science Fiction, Paranormal, Fantasy, Science Fiction Romance, Fiction, Paranormal Romance

342 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 1, 2012

About the author

Sharon Lynn Fisher writes mash-ups of fantasy, mystery, and slow-burn romance set in lush and atmospheric worlds. Her current series of stand-alone novels (which began with Salt & Broom) features cozy gothic fantasies set in Victorian England.

Sharon's books have been published by Tor, Random House, Blackstone, and 47North. They've been praised and recommended by Booklist, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, the Historical Novel Society, and RT Book Reviews, among others.

Sharon's witchy Jane Eyre retelling, Salt & Broom (47North), was selected as an Amazon First Read in November 2023 and became a Top 25 Kindle Store Bestseller. Grimm Curiosities, about a young woman who inherits her father's haunted curiosity shop in York, England, was a New York Times pick for holiday reads. Her next book, Tea & Alchemy, is scheduled for release Oct. 7, 2025.

When Sharon's not writing, you'll mostly find her wandering the Pacific Northwest woods looking for fairies and mushrooms.

For more information about Sharon and her writing, visit www.sharonlynnfisher.com.

Reviews

[Felicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again, I have a winner! Wow I've been on a streak lately. This is a really fun Sci-Fi romance that I was surprised by. Very cool setup and characters that I couldn't put down. I don't want to spoil the book, just start reading it without reading blurbs and the twist at the beginning will really hook you in!

You gotta not think TOO deep about the worldbuilding here, because then you'll wonder why EVERYONE didn't realize what's going on with this planet immediately, but whatever. The characters and setting pull you though, and I loved it!

[Veronica Belmont · Rating 5 out of 5]

"5 stars!" You exclaim. "For a Vaginal Fantasy pick!?"

Yes, and let me tell you why! Ghost Planet surprised me in a big way. I've read quite a bit of science fiction in my day, and this particular premise seemed very new and inventive to me. In fact, I feel like this book could have continued on to a more flesh-out series, since there's so much more we can learn about the planet and how it works.

Elizabeth, the female lead, is something of a Mary Sue. She's beautiful, intelligent, and can fight her way out of a pickle if she needs to. However, I found myself relating to the character. There was a lot of common sense thinking in her situation, which (unfortunately) we don't always see in the VF picks.

So yes, 5-stars for a really enjoyable book with an interesting premise (and some decent sexytimes). Plus, I very much enjoyed hearing Murphy's Irish accent in my mind :)

[Veronique · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

Scifi romance, where I preferred the scifi aspect to the romantic one. In all, however, an entertaining, easy read.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whoop! An unqualified "good read" from start to finish! Engrossing science fiction and sexy-sweet romance. Thanks to Cristina, Jill, and Laura for promoting this book to me. Paying it forward.

I read so many romances that are only feebly embedded in science fiction, fantasy, or suspense. Not so here. The scientific theory added up. It was coherent and credible (enough). Because the author revealed Elizabeth's thought processes -- it's all told in her POV -- I predicted how the planet was working, yet still I was interested in Gaia Theory and planet-wide symbiotic relationships. It may not be deep enough for a true sci-fi fan, because the science was (ahem) interrupted by lots of kissing and canoodling. However, within the romance realm, the world building in Ghost Planet stands above many others I've read, like The Key or possibly Ghost Hunter, or maybe even Gabriel's Ghost. (But some questions were left hanging. And whatever became of Maeve?).

Dr. Murphy Graham. An Irish charmer. He can roll me over in miraculous clover any day. Or lay me down in that lovely lavender. Plus, he cooks! Such a love.

Doctoral candidate Elizabeth Rose Cole. An overachiever. What do they say? Peggy Sue to the rescue? But not annoying. She's cool.

Great secondary characters. People changed across the story, enabled in part by reincarnation and in part by new information. Characters are not flat and one dimensional. The villains were not immediately obvious. Some plot twists. Some character twists. Yet credible twists.

There is some humor, too. Not a lot, but a few chuckles.

See my status updates for more thoughts, quotes, etc.

Adult Content: Lots of kissing and petting, with about 4 sex scenes, mostly fading to black after the foreplay. Cussing (F-bombs, etc). Religious profanity (excessive). Murder and bloody violence, but nothing gory or grisly. No demeaning terms for female anatomy. No typos noticed.

[Nissanmama · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven’t enjoyed a book this much in a long time. Sharon Lynn Fisher’s Ghost Planet grabbed me into one of those book trances that leaves you unable to do laundry, sleep, or function in the real world until you finish. When forced to put the book down, you walk around in a book bubble thinking about the plot and how it might twist and turn until you can pick it up again. This is when you decide pancakes are awesome for dinner so you can go back to your comfy spot and slip back into the emotions of the book.

I love science fiction and have never felt that it should exclude romance. Relationships always drive a story whether it’s between warring factions, governments, scientists, or star crossed lovers. Where would Star Wars be without Hans and Leia? Ghost Planet blends them seamlessly and this is a story where neither the science nor the romance takes a backseat to the other. They both hold their own in a way that as they interact, they each become more. The sum is greater than its parts. The science is also approachable for those of us who didn't major in molecular biology.

More than anything, this is a book about perspective. Like Gulliver’s Travels everything seems crystal clear—until you have the advantage of seeing the situation from another position. The light from a new angle makes you question what you were sure you knew about these characters. Fisher does this beautifully as she takes your hand and leads you precisely where she wants you to go. And you go.

My insides did experience a little niggle which I identified as echoes of Stephenie Meyer’s The Host. Unquestionably it is a completely different premise, but in many ways, Fisher created what I wanted The Host to be. It’s a tighter read with better action…and sex. We get the intimacy both emotionally and physically. It’s a more complete story.

I have only two real criticisms of this book. This first is that after a gripping first half, the pace slows slightly before picking up again for the climax. Meyer’s book suffered the same flaw, but Fisher doesn’t let it wallow for hundreds of pages. Perhaps the Ghost Planet’s climax is better for it. The second criticism is the title. It’s unfortunate because when I type it into search engines; I get over 1,300 references to other media including music, phantom planets, even the movie “Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol.” This book is too unique for such an unremarkable name.

In the end there were some minor unanswered questions for me and I hope very much that Fisher will turn this into a series. I will read them. I will even pre-order them and that’s saying a lot.

http://www.twimom227.com/2012/10/revi...

[Jacqueline J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Science fiction romance the way it should be done. Complex and fully developed world building. Having each human settler be spontaneously bonded to an alien was good. Having that alien be the host of the consciousness of a dead human who doesn't realize they are not still human was brilliant. The fact that the ghosts were copies of a settler's loved ones added depth and pathos particularly since in order to keep the settlers from mental breakdown, they were not supposed to interact at all with the ghosts. All of this affected the natural balance of the colonized planet as it had suddenly begun to terraform itself soon after the arrival of the first humans, making itself over into a new Earth.

The romance here was also very strong. Elizabeth has come to the ghost planet to work as psychologist. She meets up with her new boss only to discover that she had met him once in Ireland many years before. At the end of a nice afternoon together chatting and catching up and flirting, they realize that Elizabeth died on the trip to the planet and is actually a ghost who is now attached to Murphy who can no longer talk to her.

Elizabeth refuses to be a ghost and uses her brains and intellect to try to comprehend what has happened to her and the other ghosts. She cannot get more than a couple dozen yards from Murphy before she gets in pain so he is sucked into her research. He cannot stand to treat her like a ghost and they fall in love against all the rules creating trauma that eventually involves the whole planet.

Murphy is a wonderfully drawn kind and noble but charming Irishman. I loved the way he loved Elizabeth. He is a wonderful hero. All of the secondary characters were well drawn and fully realized.

I cannot wait for more from this author and hopefully more from Ghost Planet!

[Gary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m going to start with a couple of non-spoilers.

Non-Spoiler #1: The premise of this book is that on a planet being colonized by humans, aliens are taking the form of the dead and “haunting” their human hosts. These aliens can look like near relatives, but also husbands or wives. The “ghosts” are near perfect physical copies of those people, including their memories and personalities. They are not “ghosts” in the supernatural sense; they have physical bodies. Their presence threatens the future of the colony due to the psychological damage that they have upon the colonists.

Non-Spoiler #2: The early portions of the story deal mostly with the Ghost Protocol, developed by the main love interest of the book and the Ghost Planet’s leading psychologist/therapist, which is how the colonists deal with their dead relatives (usually) coming back to life. In effect, this protocol amounts to little more than a really strict silent treatment. They just ignore their ghosts. They act as if they don’t exist at all. The ghosts weaken under this withering silence, and colonists go about their days with pale, shambling versions of their deceased loved ones following them around all the time.

The premise is interesting but becomes fascinating because the author clearly reflected on how such a situation would affect people, and she works that thinking into the book neatly and realistically. If you consider the premise for a moment it seems particularly unlikely. There are holes in the plot regarding the genesis of the alien/ghosts, and these holes are never plugged by Ms. Fisher in a meaningful way. However, her handling of the situation is emotionally naturalistic enough that I, for one, was willing to overlook some of the logical problems.

There’s a nice shocker near the opening to this book that I will not reveal, but it forms the basis of the story, and is neatly done. I was surprised by it. It made me wonder how dramatically it would affect the overall plot, and the reader’s ability to relate to the characters. What we wind up with is a not-so-timeless question: can the resurrected alien manifestation of a dead human and a living human fall in love? They are "planet-crossed lovers" if you will.

Ms. Fisher’s dialogue is crisp and natural. She writes her characters with personalities that are reflected in their vocabulary and the cadence of their speech. The main love interest, Murphy, has an Irish accent, and (unlike some authors) she actually backs that up by giving him dialogue that supports it.

“I love you, Murphy.”

“Do you now.”

The italics there are hers not mine, and there's no question mark. Aside from little italicized notes, he says “shite” instead of “shit” and constantly refers to her using the moniker “love” as is the stereotype of Irish (and a few Brit) accents. Unfortunately for me, the text presentation of a brogue reads like Lucky Charms rather than Prince Charming, so I got more of a laugh out of it than anything else. But, hey, he’s supposed to be “magically delicious!” so maybe that’s not a bad thing.

I really enjoyed the first half or so of the book when the dynamics of the aliens showing up as resurrected dead relatives was being addressed at its most stark. Learning about the nature of ghosts from the perspective of ghosts, seeing how their existence would tweak society, the social etiquette that would spring up around such a system. That world building and analysis was very interesting.

Unfortunately, about a third of the way into the book the main love interest (Murphy, who—I remind you—is the developer and head administrator of the Ghost Protocol) abandons his own process entirely for love of his ghost. The story then turns away from the majority of psychological affects of the dead coming back to life on an alien world and turns into an exploration on how people might get along with their ghosts. Loving the simulacrum of your dead relatives is the theme. From there it degenerates into a rather smarmy love story with a requisite number of clichés and tropes. Snarky ex-boyfriends. Bitchy ex-girlfriends. Not one, not two, but THREE! love triangles. Elizabeth + Murphy + Ian. And then: Elizabeth + Murphy + Julia. And at last: Elizabeth + Murphy + Peter, the ex-boyfriend brought all the way from Earth for the romantic threesome hat trick! Whoo-hoo!

That got to be a bit much for me. The amount of lovey-dovey dialogue went past my saturation point as well, especially when it started to delve into territory that is... well, let’s just say not the kind of things a man would say outside of the daydreams of a lady somewhere between her third glass of white wine and half a pint of Häagen-Dazs. This happens in little ways and in ways that are more frustrating. The main character gets complimented not once but twice about how good she looks in a particular color. Do readers really need that much vicarious validation? Worse is when the third romantic triangle occurs. An ex-boyfriend shows up out of the blue (literally out of the blue—he came from another planet...) and Murphy says, "You couldn't have foreseen this. I don't want you to say anything right now. I know you're going to need to work through it." Really? This is the kind of thing in books that makes me want to shout "Dude, put your balls on!" Somebody get a tranq gun filled with testosterone and shoot that girly-man in the neck with it!

The science in this science fiction novel is relatively cursory, but not mishandled. Interstellar travel isn’t really addressed. Some computer and medical technology is presented, but most of that is taken as read. None of it stood out as incompatible with the story, however, so its absence wasn’t problematic. Rather, the author gave us a few tidbits to remind us that we are dealing with a more advanced society. For example: “My gaze settled on a neat stack of antique books on the coffee table—Phineas Finn, Paingod, Solaris, and even a favorite of mine, Watership Down.” That was cute. I like the “antique books” note just for fun, and it’s nice when an author turns around and expresses good taste in literature.

Aside from the extent of the romance, the book is weak in the action sequences. The author does a good job with sex scenes, so I get the idea she has some sort of sense of... the vocabulary of kinesthetics, shall we say. The action, however, was rather lackluster. Fight scenes read like high school girlfight hairpulling. There was a lot of “struggling over the gun” which felt to me like the way a female author thinks of fighting. Life and death struggle equates to something akin to two women fighting over the last expensive purse accidentally put in the bargain rack at Nordstrom.

Where I think the book goes off the rails is in its use of the Gaia Hypothesis. This concept isn’t really presented in the book but is referenced on several occasions. The theory states, basically, that Earth itself is a living being. Things like the atmosphere, the oceans, the land and the life forms of the planet interact in ways analogous to the organs of an individual life form, reaching a sort of balance and interacting with each other. Essentially, what we view as aspects of nature are really components of a living being that is the planet itself. Sometimes this interaction and balance is presented as a sort of super-consciousness or supra-consciousness that regulates the “body” in ways to maintain itself in the same way a living creature’s body regulates itself.

This concept features in the novel and, in fact, Ms. Fisher takes this view several steps further. The Gaia entity of the planet Ardagh 1 (“Ardagh” is Irish for “high field” and is the name of the planet’s most significant settler/backer/investor) is actively involved in events. The literary term Deus Ex Machina applies to several plot points in the novel starting with the appearance of plantlife where none could normally grow. Things get increasingly cartoonish: earthquakes suddenly throw the bad guys off their feet, for example. The planet itself expressing its displeasure. Eventually, things go full Swamp Thing: a tree literally grows explosively through a building, and the planet suddenly gifts our leading lady with the means to quickly destroy the primary villain.

Now, I think the extent of this interaction was a bad idea. Do you ever seriously worry for the safety and goals of characters when they have the force of a planet-sized nature consciousness supporting them? I lost a lot of interest at this point. Rather than dealing with their own hopes and aspirations, they are puppets of a vast, godly consciousness. They just have to figure out how to ally themselves with it in order to succeed, and it lets them know what it wants with an unlikely telegram: a profusion of flowering plants.

At this point, I should note that this book is a first effort from the author. With that in mind, it's very strong. I would not have known it was her debut had I not looked her up. Her work reads like something written by someone who had already churned out several books. I generally would recommend this book to people inclined to read romantic drama, and I will give some thought to picking up something else by Ms. Fisher to see how her writing and career develops.

[-ya · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5-stars
The idea of a ghost linking to a human’s memories and then materializing into a willing or unwilling companion for the human was kind of cool. Despite the impossibility of the concept, I was really drawn into the world the author set up and curious about the power struggle between characters. The second half of the book centered more on a formulaic love story but overall, this is a nice debut.

[Jane Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 ½ stars. The first half was very good. The second half went in directions that weren’t as good, but still enjoyable.

I really liked the sci-fi ideas. I just wish the author went into more of the sci-fi and did less of the good-guy-bad-guy-stuff. I wanted more explanation and interaction with the plants, the planet, the environment, and some history about the alien forces and substance. That was fascinating. I also liked the sci-fi concept of ghosts. People die and come back as ghosts. But they eat, speak, have sex, and think like they used to.

There are three story threads:
1. The interaction between humans and ghosts. The law tells humans to shun the ghosts and not talk to them.
2. Good guys are trying to survive and stop the bad guys. This part was typical suspense and danger.
3. There is romance which I liked.

A few things bothered me:
1. What happened to Murphy’s first ghost? And other ghosts in similar situations?
2. Someone killed him/herself. I wanted a fuller understanding of why.
3. Good guys plan an attack on the bad guys. I don’t think they had a good enough reason for doing what they did. But I’m probably being too picky on that one.

DATA:
Narrative mode: 1st person Elizabeth. Story length: 342 pages. Swearing language: strong including religious swear words. Sexual language: mild plus the f-word a couple times. Number of sex scenes: about 6. Setting: future on the planet Ardagh 1. Copyright: 2012. Genre: sci-fi romantic suspense.

[Aira · Rating 2 out of 5]

okay the premise of the book blew me away and initially I was hooked
the relationship between the protagonist and Dr. Murphey seemed realistic and sweet but then after she got captured and they fell hopelessly in love and made babies (literally) it started to get unrealistic,
I had to force myself to finish the book, yes I get that this is scifi and romance but still, there needs to be a connection and understanding between the characters and the readers, and I felt as if the author lost focus on it.
I loved how the author eased us into the world and the concept, but There was so much potential, in exploring the history of the characters and the overall concepts could have been a bit more realistic? spoiler: seriously, plants spontaneously growing, that goes against the basic laws of physics that even high school student understands
in conclusion, the book turned out to be a huge letdown and I would suggest reading about half way through because the characters become sappy and annoying after that. The only reason I give it a two stars is because in the beginning I really was in love with the book which was a solid 4, but then it become something bleurgh

[Laura (Kyahgirl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5; 4 stars; B+

I thought this was a very good debut book by this author. Ghost Planet is, in my opinion, more of a romantic adventure than a sci-fi novel but it still fits both genres. I really enjoyed the concept behind the world building. I do wish the author had directed a bit more words towards the nature of the planet. It appears to be sentient and symbiotic but more exploration of that would have been interesting to me.

[Cheesecake · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's pseudo science in this science fiction but still sciencey enough to hit the spot.

Elizabeth takes a job as a psychologist on a newly terraformed planet where the aliens present themselves as virtually identical copies of people we have lost in the past. This causes a lot of psychological stress to the human residents which leads to the creation of the 'Ghost Protocol'.

Elizabeth finds that her initial interest in the ghosts/aliens will take a decidedly more personal interest shortly after her arrival.

I don't want to say more on the plot because it's better to go in blind. But here's a clue if you want a big spoiler; The story us like 'Sixth Sense' with a little 'Romeo and Juliet' and 'Logan's run'
I quite enjoyed the fast pace and intrigue. There's a huge hook at the start that just pulls you in.
I wish there had been more answers by the end, but perhaps it's better that there wasn't. I wouldn't have wanted it to go any further into the woo-woo side of things.
I liked that the characters were not always predictable and not always precisely good guys or bad guys. There are several factions involved in the intrigue and everyone has different priorities.

I loved Elizabeth's character but found Murphy to be more of a shallow nice-guy character. I have no doubt about their HEA, but would have liked more exploration of their bond and how much of it was manipulated.

safety is good. Elizabeth had a long term on again off again relationship she was leaving behind on Earth. He follows her to her new posting, but it doesn't generate much angst because she and Murphy are pretty solid by then.
Murphy is dating a doctor at the start of the book, but they hadn't gotten to do any hanky panky yet, before they break up.

[Dianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Psychologist/PhD student Elizabeth arrives on the planet Ardagh 1. She’s there to put quite a vast amount of space between herself and her ex- fiancé Peter, to complete her PhD and to counsel the planet’s colonists, who have some very unique psychological issues.

Ardagh 1 has this unobtanium thing going on, where governments and corporations want a piece of its really nifty resources, but it comes at a price. Everyone on the planet has to cope with their own personal ghost.

The ghosts are an alien manifestation, and they take the form of a dead person the individual knows. They are an exact copy of that person at the moment of death: looks, personality, memories, everything. The catch is that the ghost has to maintain a fairly close proximity to its ‘host’ otherwise he/she experiences debilitating pain/death. The colonists have found having a dead loved one following them around very devastating, and the general suspicion is that this is some kind of insidious alien attack. So the head of the counselling unit has come up with the Ghost Protocol. It’s a set of rules that boils down to: ignore your ghost but don’t let him/her die (because that would be cruel and you’ll just get another ghost if you do).

Elizabeth has a few conflicting feelings about the Ghost Protocol, and is a little nervous about who her ghost will be. This is the least of her worries.

Elizabeth’s work assignment has changed because of earthquakes (the planet is mysteriously destabilising), and instead she’ll be working with Dr Murphy. He is hot, Irish, and the one who came up with the Ghost Protocol. Elizabeth and Murphy start a little tentative flirting and realise that they’ve met once before, many years ago. Then: disaster. Elizabeth is dead. Her transport had an accident, there were no survivors, and she’s now Murphy’s ghost. Murphy’s other ghost disappears, and Elizabeth is left to cope with the fact that she’s dead, that this will have consequences for her family, and that she’s now tied to Murphy, who will ignore her.

The first 50% of the book is wonderful. Elizabeth is different to the other ghosts. While she has to very rapidly compartmentalise her grief over her own death and what it means to the people she loves, she has no relationship with Murphy. Murphy is irrelevant! However, he is useful, because through Murphy, she has access to a lot data that will help her look at the ghost problem from a different angle. And she’s really smart.

I’ve seen criticisms of Elizabeth as maybe a little too smart, a little too special, and a little too ‘must have all the boyfriends.’ But I really liked that she was smart. What’s so wrong with having the heroine be completely awesome? She got a bit of a boost from the fact that she didn’t have to deal with a lot of emotional baggage in losing a close relationship with someone she couldn’t leave, like the other ghosts. A great deal is made of the fact that she’s unique, but I didn’t get the sense that she was a special little snowflake.

This is a great SF setup, and pretty unusual in SF romance, so I loved it. The world building is good and enjoyable. The book is also well-paced, and there’s plenty of action, and plenty of sexy times.
Thematically this isn’t that much different to the abducted earth slave girl trope, since it’s also dealing pretty heavily in prejudice. While ‘Ghost Planet’ sits in the SF romance genre, the SF elements of the planet are magic. Its magic treated with a veneer of science, and magic in the sense that there is simply no way that it can be reasonably explained. I was a little disappointed with the magic-ness in the second half of the book. This is one of those occasions where the author takes the story off in a different direction than I’d expected, and I struggle with disappointment that I’m not going to get what I want.

Elizabeth is a strong character, and her smarts drove a significant amount of the plot. She’s heroic, and she earns respect and admiration from the other characters. She was particularly strong navigating through her own ghost experiences, and there’s some lovely emotional stuff around how her death impacts on her family.

Murphy, in contrast, came across as weak. He’d set up the ghost protocol and was clearly meant to be brilliant and well respected. He got stuck with the cooking and cuddling role, and while that in itself is not a problem (after all, the majority of heroines in romances are cast in cooking and cuddling roles), it didn’t feel like an equal match. Potentially, this could have been resolved if, like a romance heroine, we’d been able to see more of his emotional journey. The narrative is first person, and while Murphy hints to Elizabeth that his feelings for her are stronger than he’s ready to fully reveal, this seems to be more about reassuring her, than identifying how the relationship is working for him.

This is a really enjoyable SF romance and I’d love to see more like it, books that don’t rely as heavily on heroine abduction and alpha alien warriors in a misogynistic universe.

[Susana · Rating 4 out of 5]

An original and addictive story
4,5 stars

—Ardagh 1, more commonly referred to as “the ghost planet” by people on Earth. Inexplicable things happened here. The planet itself was a study in the impossible.

Well, i've just finished reading this story, and i have a big stupid smile on my face! :)

This story strongest point?

The originality of it.
The story takes places in Ardagh 1,a Planet which is basically similiar to Earth, but not suffering the signs of advanced pollution. There, it has been established a Global Recovery Pact and the planet is thriving.

All would be perfect, if not for one small detail. For every single person (colonists) that arrives on Ardagh, a ghost/alien of his/her past will appear : a dead wife, a lost husband, someone who made such an impression on you, that hasn't been forgotten...that kind of thing.

To preserve people's sanity, a protocol has been established "The Ghost protocol". This means that the ghosts (who are very much corporeal, but who share a bond with the colonists) must be ignored at all cost. Its like they aren't even there, a shadow who must follow the other person, like a dog on a leash, or he/she will suffer a great amount of pain.

But what if Ardagh, is made of more than earth and water. What if, the planet is sentient?
What if he recognizes, what one needs, and helps providing it?
Be denying the ghost connection, the planet stability has been put at risk, and everything will have to change.

Elizabeth Cole has just arrived at Ardagh, hoping for a new challenge in her career. As a psychologist, she intends to study the bond between the two entities. In fact she is fascinated by the alien/ghosts.

However, everything will change when she finds out, that she has died, and is now a ghost, Murphy's ghost when one adds up the connection that she now has with her "would be" supervisor, problems are bound to arise.

Grayson Murphy, is the lead psychologist, who created the "The Ghost Protocol". He did it, with the utmost desire of helping colonists deal with the appearance of talking/living "ghosts" of their pasts.

But everything will change, when Elizabeth appears, disrupting everything he had assumed as being correct.

Who has the right, of saying that something isn't human, that he or she isn't intituled to feelings and to treated with respect? Just because one doesn't understand it?

The characters were pretty well developed. The idea of a sentient planet was amazing, as was the main characters intense connection...

There's nothing better for me to read, than an interesting story....
Well, if it was some sort of romance, so much the better!

And this one sure provides on both accounts. :)

I guess i would have liked it more, if from a certain point, the story hadn't felt so much romance oriented Peter appearance, for instance, for me, it felt a little over the top...okay he's a journalist,(he's needed at certain point) but that didn't mean that it had to be him, who had to appear.

Using an expression that i read in a Nora Roberts book, there were times when these two behaved a little like two teenage rabbits I'm not complaining (well, just a little...because sometimes it just felt too much), i just think that the story really didn't it. It was strong as sci-fi story,(it could have been stronger) it didn't needed to enter full paranormal romance. lol :)
In fact i wouldn't have minded if their relationship had taken a little longer to develop itself, and a stronger explanation on why they were paired, would have been nice....

But all considered, it was really an interesting story, with likeable characters, and i'll be sure to read more books from this author.

[Luli · Rating 1 out of 5]

You can find this review in English below.

Dnf @ 55%.
No sé muy bien qué me ha pasado con este libro. Hay un par de reseñas de amigas y gente a la que sigo que habla bien de esta historia, pero yo no he conseguido conectar desde la primera línea. Y ha ido de mal en peor.

Puesto que esto se puede leer en la sinopsis no es un spoiler, pero tal y como comenta Jill, todo podría haber sido más interesante si nos hubiesen dejado ver que Elizabeth era un fantasma por nosotros mismos. Así que cuando la historia comienza y tú sabes que ella es un fantasma pero nadie más se da cuenta, empiezan también mis problemas.

Hay demasiadas cosas sin explicación. Muchísimas preguntas importantes para entender la historia que no tienen respuesta y un montón de temas peliagudos, por decirlo suavemente, que se merecían un poco más de desarrollo, pero que al final sólo sirven para diferenciar malos y buenos (y muchas veces ni para eso).

En fin, voy a intentar referirme a los hechos. Y los hechos son que en la primera escena en la que aparece Elizabeth todos, absolutamente todos los personajes la toman por un ser humano. Es cuando pasa por un detector de fantasmas y éste pita cuando se dan cuenta de que es un fantasma. (Sin comentarios) Pero Elizabeth es capaz de hablar y reír, de relacionarse, de sentir, llorar y amar e incluso sangra cuando se hace daño. Y por supuesto interacciona con todos los seres que la rodean. Así que no he podido verla como un fantasma porque la única palabra que tenía era la de la autora, pero ni un solo hecho que lo respaldase.
Y claro, está el asunto de que todos los humanos tienen que ignorar a los fantasmas. Poco creíble cuando dichos fantasmas suelen ser seres queridos ya fallecidos a los que no tiene sentido ignorar si puedes disfrutar de una segunda oportunidad, que es lo que la trama está brindando a los personajes. Todo se vuelve improbable e incómodo cuando lees sobre esposas que intentan rehacer su vida ante los ojos de sus difuntos pero presentes maridos. Como poco raro e incómodo.

Total, que los fantasmas son fantasmas porque lo dice la autora. Punto.
¿Qué pasa con los fantasmas que mueren?
¿Qué pasa con los humanos que vuelven a la Tierra?
Si nunca se ha conseguido “deshacerse” de un fantasma por el método de la ignoración, ¿porqué continúan haciendo algo que no funciona?
¿Cómo es posible que científicos serios puedan llegar a la conclusión de que un ser que nace, crece, se reproduce y muere no sea un ser vivo?
Y sobre todo y lo más importante: ¿Por qué hay que ignorarlos? ¿Qué mal hacen? Sin la respuesta a esta pregunta la historia no tiene sentido para mí.
Un ejemplo de cómo tratan a estos seres es este:

”We tried addicting symbionts to strong narcotics, like heroin, to see if that would replace the need for the host” (aka el ser humano)”We succeeded in addicting them, but still failed to detach them. Several of them died from complications related to withdrawal. We tried surgical interference with the anomalous areas of the brain. We tried frontal lobe lobotomies. All surgical methods resulted in fatalities.”

1.- Esas técnicas no son ni futuristas ni tienen base científica. Es estúpido y cruel. Es más, lo único más arcaico que esas ideas sería lo de quemarlos en hogueras. No me cuadra en un universo tecnológicamente tan avanzado. Chirría.

2.-La única finalidad de esa explicación es mostrar cómo de malotes son los malos.

3.- Los buenos que permiten que esto pase… ahí lo dejo.

Añade a esto que los malos hacen lo que quieren con total impunidad (sino cómo se explica que el director del proyecto pueda ser encarcelado y usado en los experimentos) y la escena en la que los protagonistas hacen el amor Y la última gota ha sido ver cómo los protas tienen sexo a lo Gran Hermano y después el héroe confiesa que todo ha sido para dejarla embarazada bajo las indicaciones de los malos. Si es que no hay por donde cogerlo, de verdad… y esto se ha convertido en un culebrón sin pies ni cabeza.

Estoy segura de que los malos perderán, los buenos ganarán y el buen doctor y la psicóloga más inestable del planeta tendrán su HEA. Pero el camino hasta ahí es de ciencia ficción. Y aunque lo es, ciencia ficción, claro, eso no implica que la lógica tenga que estar ausente.

Con todos estos agujeros no tienes una historia, tienes un colador.

***

Dnf @ 55%.
I'm not sure what happened to me with this book. There are a couple of reviews from friends and people that I follow who loved/liked this story, but I have not been able to connect with it from its first line. And it has gone from bad to worse.

Since this can be read in the blurb is not a spoiler, but as Jill says, everything could have been more interesting if we had been allowed to see that Elizabeth was a ghost by ourselves. So when the story begins and you already know that she is a ghost but nobody else notices, my problems begin too.

There are too many things without explanation. Many important questions to understand the story are left unanswered and a lot of tricky topics, to put it mildly, that deserved a little more development go without it and, in the end, they only serve to differentiate bad guys from good ones(and sometimes not even for that) .

In short, I will try to refer to the facts. And the facts are that in the first scene in which Elizabeth appears all, absolutely all the characters take her for a human being. It is when she goes through a ghost scanner and it beeps when they realize that she is a ghost. (No comment) But Elizabeth is able to talk and laugh, to relate, to feel, to cry and to love and even to bleed when she is hurt. And of course she interacts with all the beings that surround her. So I have not been able to see her as a ghost because the only word we had for that was that of the author´s, but not a single fact that supported it.
And of course, there is the matter that all human beings have to ignore ghosts. A bit unbelievable when said ghosts are often deceased loved ones that it makes no sense at all to ignore if you can enjoy a second chance with them, which is what the plot is providing the characters. Everything becomes unlikely and uncomfortable when you read about wives trying to rebuild their lives before the very eyes of their deceased but present husbands. At the very least is weird and uncomfortable.

To sum up it, ghosts are ghosts because the author says so. End of the story.
What happen with the ghosts that die?
What about the humans who return to Earth?
If you have never managed to "get rid of" a ghost by the method of ignore them, why would you continue to do something that does not work?
How is it possible that serious scientists can come to the conclusion that a being that is born, grows, reproduces and dies is not a living being?
And most importantly, why do they have to ignore them? What´s wrong with acknowledging them? Without the answer to this question the story doesn´t make sense to me.

An example of how they treat these beings is this:

”We tried addicting symbionts to strong narcotics, like heroin, to see if that would replace the need for the host” (aka the human)”We succeeded in addicting them, but still failed to detach them. Several of them died from complications related to withdrawal. We tried surgical interference with the anomalous areas of the brain. We tried frontal lobe lobotomies. All surgical methods resulted in fatalities.”

1.- These techniques are not futuristic or scientific. They are stupid and cruel. What's more, the only thing more archaic than those ideas would be to burn them in bonfires. It does not fit in a so advanced technologically universe. It seems suspicious.

2.-The only purpose of this explanation is to show how super- bad the bad guys are.

3.- The good guys that allow this to happen ... I leave it there.

Add to this that the bad guys do what they want with total impunity (if not how can be explained that the head of the researchers can be imprisoned and used in the very experiments) and the scene in which the protagonists make love This was the last straw, to see how the MC´s have sex à la Big Brother and then, the hero confesses that everything was a plot to get her pregnant, under the indications of the bad guys… I can´t, I really can´t take anymore… and this has become a soap opera without rhyme or reason.

I'm sure the bad guys will be defeated, the good guys will win and the good doctor and the most unstable psychologist on the planet will have their HEA. But the way to this end is beyond science fiction. And although it is, science fiction that´s it, that does not imply that logic has to be absent.

With all these holes on the plot this looks more like a colander than a story.

[Has · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full Review to be posted soon:

Quick review and thoughts.

I loved the unusual premise of an alien planet twinned with earth which holds copies of dead people who in some way are linked with the new colonists. Elizabeth who finds herself as a ghost copy after dying soon after arriving is linked with her boss, who has set out the Ghost Protocol which is to ignore the ghost copies. I loved how she never gave up and faded away like other ghosts have done and the romance between her and Murphy who is her boss and the human linked to her. It was sexy and sweet and had a fantastic build-up. In a lot of ways this reminded me a bit of Solaris which had a similar premise but this was much more engaging and I loved how the main plot progressed. It was definitely a surprising gem of a book and I will definitely be checking out Sharon Fisher in the future because Ghost Planet was a refreshing, unique and full of depth and I highly recommended!

[Charlee Allden · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story of a struggle between the powerful forces on the planet, both human and alien, and one couple determined to expose the truth and return the planet to harmony. It’s a quiet but powerful read, reminiscent of Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough. It’s marketed as a science fiction rather than a romance, but the romance is central to the plot and is richly developed and explored. This is one of those books that raises big questions and leaves you to ponder them long after the story comes to a satisfying conclusion.

Full review on my blog at: http://smartgirlsscifi.wordpress.com/...

[L.E.Olteano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let's make one thing clear, before we start: I'm an evil romance reader. Seriously, don't laugh! I'm a glutton for those stories where at least one if not both characters in the main couple are seriously and soundly tortured before getting any semblance of a 'happy for now', let alone a 'happily ever after'. It feels realistic if they're tortured first, haha. I can roll with little to no torture, but there's gotta be the angst at least. That being said, let's move on to this fabulous book.

This is one of the most ingenious approaches to romance I've read this year. The first half of it was a clear 5 butterflies, with cherries and parfaits on top, and everything else that's yummy and dreamy and just straight up amazing. This first part made me think Solaris a lot, with an Irish version of a George Clooney and all that amazing space feeling, the deep vibe of everything, you know what I mean if you saw Solaris, ok? And Solaris is one of my top 10 all time favorite movies, Clooney's unreasonable hotness not a criteria (well, maybe a bit :D). The first part of this book put me in exactly that state of mind, it was that sort of creative, spiritually thrilling take on space where the final frontier is ultimately yourself. Just freaking magnificent!
The second part of the book for me was a bit less exciting, just because, well... the most thrilling part is the ambiguity of wondering, thinking, fearing, anticipating, once I start to get enough info it gets less thrilling and thus less exciting to me. I think I was so in love with this first part, with the setting, the atmosphere, the imminent romance state of affairs, all that tension, I would have actually loved to just stay there in that state of mind forever, it was that good.

The romance arc makes an appearance pretty early in the story, and it develops not slowly, but it doesn't fall in the insta-love category either, it has a balance to it that I liked. The heat level was very tame (for my kinky self, lol), there were couple scenes but we're not talking graphic amore, more emotional in fact, and some very romantic scenes that I just got all goofy and excited over. Both Elizabeth and Murphy were funny and charismatic, I got very emotionally in tune with Elizabeth and I empathized with her. Though Murphy also made sense and was easy to like and sort of swoon over here and there, I think for me the star of this show was Elizabeth.
The bad guys were devious enough, very dystopian vibe, but I will confess to wishing I'd felt more from them. Remember though, I'm the evil reader type, my reading pleasure is dramatic conflict enough to flood a small (to medium) country.

So, from the thrill point of view, the first part of the story was, simply put, epic. But then the ongoing romance (as opposed to imminent in the first) kicked in stronger in the second part, as the thrill went down the feeling went up, so to speak. It was a very cool mix and it had an interesting impact on me as a reader. After getting used to only bits of the story in a book because it's part of a series, getting the whole story in one book might be sort of disorienting, I guess. But this is one of those books that give you the full story in this sort of beautiful stand alone-ish manner. I don't know at this point if we can expect a series around it, but this couple got through a lot just in this novel, poor guys, lol.

The plot is really interesting, Elizabeth arrives on this planet thinking she's alive and well and going to work there, but she finds out she's a 'ghost' in fact, she died on the transport. It was really interesting to follow her as she adapted to the 'ghost' status, because these guys have a special status and people have a protocol in dealing with them. Murphy has a really interesting reaction to Elizabeth, and their dynamic is the sort that gets you smiling and tearing your hair out all at once - the really good kind, in my opinion. As the plot develops and their relationship does as well, my interest kept bouncing from one of them to the other in regards to adapting to new situations and their reactions. I generally tend to have only one focus, but here they were both catching my eye, it made for a fuller, richer reading experience.

I loved the writing and the world building, they were simply put, amazing. I was just so pulled into this world, I felt it all around me as I read, it made crystal clear sense and it fascinated me. The third person narrative gave me a nice perspective on the story, and I liked the fact that plenty of characters had their own strong voices, they were built strongly all around, even those making a more like fleeting appearance made perfect sense as far as motivations went, there was no confusion, no "uhm..." moments. I loved that. What I also highly appreciated was the fact that the sci-fi world, futuristic, sort of post-apocalyptic biopunk dystopian, didn't try to steal the show but it was well built and logical all through ans so good, I think it was my main crush from this book - a very rare happening.

Curb appeal, off the chart, just look at that cover! It's obvious this is an original take on romance in space, there's no half naked alien on the cover :D And the art does give you a vibe that the world of the read does too, very nature-y and cleansing, somehow.

All in all, this was a really entertaining read, I loved it and had a great time reading it. I'll be on the lookout for more from this author, I completely love the way her mind works. If you like romance in sci-fi/futuristic dystopian worlds, and if you liked the 2002 movie Solaris, this is a total romance must read.

Butterfly-o-Meter Books

[Janet · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ghost Planet is a romance novel in a SF-lite setting. The characters live in a spacefaring society, but space doesn't saturate the story. Now personally I don't mind having a novel set on another planet without an explanation of how space travel works in this universe, but if a big part of the fun of SF for you is how an author solves the problems of space colonization, this novel is not for you.

Ghost Planet's best features are the extremely cool central concept - that a mysteriously changeable (and perhaps sentient?) planet produces "ghosts" from human colonists' memories, and that the main characters have to figure out why and what for. Fisher explores some of the psychological reactions people have to the "ghost/alien" phenomenon, but I would have preferred to see even more of the variety of reactions (It teetered a bit close to the trope of central characters are enlightened and reasonable, everyone else is misguided and power-hungry.)

Inevitably, the star-crossed in this story are a human and a "ghost." This allows a nice mix of having a lot in common and an 'opposites attract' dynamic at the same time. I enjoyed that the scenario lets you have the instant chemistry between characters but with an underlying sense of unease - how real are the emotions? What role is the planetary third wheel playing in all of this? Overall I think Fisher struck a good balance between resolving some pieces of the storyline but leaving many questions unanswered. So far I've found the mystery and questions to be much more fun than the reveals and answers. But I'm holding out hope for more complexity to come.

For more character-centric readers and more frequent romance readers, this novel is a fun fast read, but it will satisfy worldbuilding buffs less. Since so much of the action is in a few rooms, like a camera on close-up all of the time, we don't get much of a wide pan (ecology, society, technology, look and feel of the city, etc.) And what is there doesn't feel researched. For example, as a biologist I found the lack of research into how psychology and biology work to be pretty frustrating. There's nothing like a realistic academic or industry power structure, just a few floating Ph.D. candidates, and lab scenes are your basic scary syringe-waving. While this specific example won't be most people's pet peeve, your worldbuilding buttons may also be pushed, because many of the details that create a vivid world are missing. Instead Fisher spotlights a vivid couple and their situation. Give it a try when you're in the mood for a romance in a situation you haven't read a million times before.

[Melissa J. Katano · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite the two star rating, I though this was a pretty good book. I only gave it two stars because I felt like there were some interesting paths not taken.....

***Warning, here come some spoilers*****

One of the pathways involves the "where do the 'ghosts' come?" idea. Ms. Fisher comes up with some theories, kinda settles on one, but doesn't finish fleshing it out. It's discussed, then shrugged off as a "oh, we may never truly know." And where do the ghosts get their memories of the people they're being? The obvious answer would be "from the people they're connected to," except our male protagonist really didn't know the female protagonist.

Another thing that mildly bothered me was when Elizabeth hacks into Murphy's account and reads/watches sessions Murphy has with one of his clients who's "ghosted" by his mother. Eventually, the guy is sent back to Earth (which kills the "ghost") and he commits suicide. Then, Elizabeth looks up some other clients, but no real detail was given--did they adjust to life back on Earth, or did they commit suicide as well? I thought that could be an interesting detail--"oh, look, it's dangerous to send people back to Earth, because they'll end up committing suicide." (I don't know, maybe that was just me--I mean, why bother having her investigate this one client and then look at other cases if there's not going to be a plot point?)

While these questions don't really need answers in order to enjoy the book, they just bothered me. Not enough that I didn't like reading the book, but enough that I'm vaguely dissatisfied.

[Emily Kestrel · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I first started this novel, I was completely amazed by its original premise. The story takes place on another planet, where every human colonist is soon joined by an alien "ghost" who takes the form of a dead loved one or acquaintance. This is very upsetting to the colonists, so they have developed a "Ghost Protocol" of strictly ignoring their unwanted visitors, which causes them to fade into the background. Elizabeth is a psychology resident who is excited about the opportunity to study this phenomenon. Newly arrived on the planet, she has just met with the head psychologist, Murphy, and is eager to discuss the situation, when she discovers something horrible. The real Elizabeth died when her transport ship crashed; she is actually a "ghost"! This is a very original and exciting idea, and I started mentally begging the author, "Please, please don't ruin this story! Keep it awesome all the way to the end!"

I am happy to say that Fisher didn't ruin the story, but the second half was definitely weaker than the first. The alien stuff wasn't explained to my satisfaction, and there was way too much focus on the romance. Don't get me wrong--I love romance, when it's done right, but in this case, I definitely wanted fewer love scenes and more sci-fi. With that said, it was still an enjoyable novel, and I would definitely recommend it to all science fiction romance fans (or sci fi fans who don't mind the romance).

[Catherine Spangler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great SF romance with an original, intricate plot and well developed characters. The story takes place on Ardah 1, a planet that seems to have a mind of its own and one on which a "ghost" appears for every human colonist who moves to the planet. Each ghost attaches to a colonist, and is always a clone of someone from the past life of that colonist, either as a friend or family member. But the catch is that the clone is someone who is dead. The ghost and human can never get very far from one another. Because these ghosts are considered aliens, their initial appearance on Ardah 1 caused panic and fear among the colonists, resulting in a need for counseling, a return to Earth for some, and even some suicides. This resulted in a strict Ghost Protocol, developed by Dr. Grayson Murphy. Elizabeth Cole is working on her psychology doctorate and moves to Ardah 1 to learn about the ghost phenomena and to help counsel the colonists. She and Dr. Murphy experience an immediate attraction. From this point on, the story takes an astonishing turn that sucks you in, and then the action adventure and continuing twists and turns won't let you go; until the ending with yet more stunning twists. Through it all, Elizabeth and Murphy's relationship is a poignant reminder that love can indeed overcome tremendous odds, and is the greatest healer of all. A brilliant, well written book!

[E_bookpushers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Somehow I missed cross posting this. Review originally posted here: http://thebookpushers.com/2012/11/12/...


Publisher: Tor
Publish Date: Out now
How we got this book: ARC from the publisher

A world in peril. A bond deeper than love.

Psychologist Elizabeth Cole prepared for the worst when she accepted a job on a newly discovered world – a world where every colonist is tethered to an alien who manifests in the form of a dead loved one. But she never expected she’d struggle with the requirement to shun these “ghosts.” She never expected to be so attracted to the charming Irishman assigned as her supervisor. And she certainly never expected to discover she died in a transport crash en route to the planet.

Reincarnated as a ghost, Elizabeth is symbiotically linked to her supervisor, Murphy – creator of the Ghost Protocol, which forbids him to acknowledge or interact with her. Confused and alone – oppressed by her ghost status and tormented by forbidden love – Elizabeth works to unlock the secrets of her own existence.

But her quest for answers lands her in a tug-of-war between powerful interests, and she soon finds herself a pawn in the struggle for control of the planet…a struggle that could separate her forever from the man she loves.

This blurb came from the author’s website here.

E: When I read the blurb to Ghost Planet I found it fascinating. The thought of a new world, symbiotic ghosts, and of course a struggle for planet control intrigued me. I went into this without any expectations and I am glad because Fisher took her story in directions I never imagined. The combination of the ghosts, how they were treated due to the Ghost Protocol and what happened if/when people broke the rules was something else. This reminded me of some of the older science fiction exploratory novels of my childhood with the seamless addition of some romance.

Has: I totally agree with you about this book going into unexpected ways and I adored the premise which was refreshing and oh so haunting. The opening chapters of when Elizabeth finds out her fate and coming to terms to it had a stark and sad tone and I felt that Sharon Lynn Fisher really captured the emotions of grief and loss in a bittersweet way. In a lot of ways, this reminded me of a combination of Ghost and Solaris but Fisher injected her own unique twist on this premise and I freaking loved it!

I also loved Elizabeth’s stubbornness and determination in not succumbing into her fate and fading away and despite the melancholy tone which I have to say the setting of a New Seattle really adds to the overall theme of the story – there were also touches of humour, passion and life which helped to balance the book. The start of the romance between Murphy who is the psychologist who created the Ghost Protocol and ends up breaking all the rules to fall in love with Elizabeth was a fantastic and I loved how themes of love, grief and hope was explored via their unusual bond.

E: I agree the way Fisher started up the story with the initial attraction and then all of a sudden the change… I really liked how this was a case unlike most of the others but the logic fit. I also think that Elizabeth’s background was what enabled her to resist what the Ghost Protocol was designed to do. It also gave her a unique perspective that came in handy as the twists and turns continued. One of the early signs of that was how Elizabeth while promising to stop pestering Murphy started talking to other ghosts and reminded them that they were still alive in a sense with the ability to eat, feel, etc. That the ghosts could talk to each other and therefore experience some contact.

Of course rebellion doesn’t come without a price and that price is initially steeper then either Elizabeth or Murphy could have imagined. They got a very good display of how science can over weigh any thought of human decency but then the ghosts aren’t “human.” I have to admit that I thought the way a few scientists used Elizabeth’s knowledge of science and lab protocol against her inspired in a sick sort of way.

Has: And this is why I loved how Fisher explored these themes in the book, because it really delved into what grief and love is about and what if there was a second chance in regaining someone you lost? But it also didn’t have to be someone a person knew well or was very close to. I liked the fact the planet/alien entity also offered potential possibilities and seeing that Murphy and Elizabeth who were almost strangers on earth but had a second chance was interesting and I loved the dynamic they created with each other. It was also ironic but important to see that here is a human colony settling in an alien planet but trying to control and shape it into their ideas and conventions and not respecting or embracing on what it could offer. That message really rang out loud for me and it was important to see how it panned out over the course of the story but without it being a heavy-handed or preachy.

E: I liked that aspect too. I think it can be important sometimes to remember that just because we have a way of doing things that doesn’t mean that other ways are wrong or won’t work they are just different. One of the other aspects I liked was how Fisher showed things from different angles. We had the more benign side with the Ghost Protocol, then the dark side of the Ghost Protocol and experimentation, and then the ugly side of the flip in power/control that can occur when rage and hurt find an outlet without control. Fisher also showed through Elizabeth that no one had really made any long-term documentation of the results when a settler and ghost were permanently separated for failure to follow the Ghost Protocol. The ghost wasn’t really of concern but the reaction to the former settler was never considered. The long term reaction could have provided some evidence that things weren’t necessarily as the settlers thought they were… It took the combined effort of a lot of different people, ghosts, and outsiders to actually make a difference on Ghost Planet.

I loved how the solution wasn’t a single individual or idea but a combination. As I said earlier this reminded me of the science fiction of my youth. I want to say thanks to Fisher for proving that I still have that love and giving me several hours of enjoyment. I hope she provides more.
I give Ghost Planet an A.

Has: Ghost Planet for me was a such a surprise, because although I didn’t have high expectations even though it had an interesting premise. I was surprised HOW much I really liked it because of how it approached themes of love and loss but exploring it in a wonderful way. When a character states “People Die. Love Doesn’t” – this really sums up the book and the characters for me. Despite it being a SF romance, this goes beyond a high tech and high speculative premise because it really examines the full spectrum of human emotions and what it is to be human. And at its heart, there is a fantastic romance, which has flawed but real characters who have been given a second chance at love and by finding it they become truly alive and I loved that message.

This has definitely become one of my favourite books this year and it is a standout debut by Sharon Lynn Fisher who has a fantastic voice. I highly recommend it because it was fresh, and different and it was chock-full of emotions. I want more please!

I give Ghost Planet an A.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Original Post with synopsis and Buy Links: http://fangswandsandfairydust.blogspo...



We never understand the nature of the relationship between Ardagh 1, and the earth colonists. It's obvious to the reader that the dysfunction in that relationship is the source of many of the problems the planet and its inhabitants. The colonists from Earth see conspiracy and enmity in the planet's attempts to "make friends" and fail to see the symbiotic gift being offered and the results of rejection.

In many ways this is a paranormal rather than science fiction. The technical side of the equation: exploration, space travel, science, is there but what's more important is the nature of the relationship between the ghost, the planet, and the colonists. It all rests on a Gaia theory. The planet as a living entity. That the ghosts aren't really spectral emanations but something more is what makes it Science Fiction, I guess.

The story itself is really interesting, somewhat reminiscent of the sequel to 2001 A Space Odyssey, 2010. It does present humanity in its worst light: greedy and closed minded. It takes a personal catastrophe to raise awareness of the problems and cause a paradigm shift. The relationship that will develop between the main characters, Elizabeth and Murphy is obvious. The object of the evil scientist is apparent. There are one or two surprises that bring about the most likely ending. The world-building and what causes the key change are a bit fluffed over.

That we are no more aware of the nature of the creative forces in effect at the end of the book than we are at the beginning brings us back to Gaia and the same question here on earth. So many are certain of what they know and think everyone else is wrong. That certainty is rationale behind actions that have some one-sided benefit. Is this new planet here to serve humanity and abuse in whatever way we see fit?

The characters' relationship development and the changes their emotional and physical attachment bring are important, but the physical nature of the relationship is pretty perfunctory. There are a lot of quickies. It felt as if it were an afterthought; included because of the current publishing environment.

Other than that, it's a decent read with intelligent language. The start is spine tingling! It is a bit predictable but most sci fi is. I enjoyed the book, and while it didn't blow me away it does raise interesting questions about how we treat our world and each other. To subjugate a class of people requires their dehumanization. We see it over and over again in human history. Would our nature cause us to destroy a new world in the same way and how would we react if the planet itself intervened?

Another question is raised about what it means to be human, and whether a consciousness transplanted to another body is the original person, an imitation that doesn't deserve the label of human, or if it is some entirely new entity. In any event, how do we treat an entire class of being like this?

Interesting idea treated thoughtfully, if a bit incompletely, with both green and spiritual issues raised. Somewhat predictable with a few surprises and perfunctory intimacy. If you enjoy non-technical science fiction which makes you look at the nature of humanity this a good choice for you.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness. All I can say is Ghost Planet is great, great, great. I loved the concept, the story, the characters and the writing. This is Science Fiction Romance at its best.

The twist at the beginning of the book sets the tone for the rest of the story. Elizabeth does not realize she is a ghost. She feels the same, looks the same and reacts the same as before. Here are the two beginning sentences:

"The tarmac was deserted. Foggy and disoriented, I wondered how long I’d been standing there, listening to the evergreens groan in the wind and dreading my first encounter on this new world."

When you read this after reading the book you can see the foreshadowing of Elizabeth’s real status. Then you meet Grayson Murphy and see the interaction between the two before he realizes what Elizabeth is. It is a great set up for the rest of the story.

The world building is unusual and very realistic. You can see the connection between the Ghost Planet and Earth. You can also see how everything is changing because of the interaction or lack thereof between the colonists and the ghosts. All of this matches the plot and helps keep the story moving.

Science Fiction Romance fans buy this book. I checked Sharon Lynn Fisher’s web page to see what she had in store for us next. This seems to be her first published book. It could be a stand-alone or it could lead to more stories about the Ghost Planet and Elizabeth and Murphy. I for one would love to see both of them again. She is working on another book but it seems to be in an entirely new universe.

Tor Science Fiction published Ghost Planet by Sharon Fisher in 2012.

I received an ARC of Ghost Planet from Netgalley.

[Sandy Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

My author idol, Linnea Sinclair, blurbed this book, so of course I had to give it a try, especially after I read the excerpt posted on Sharon's website. It completely hooked me in, so I started reading this last Tuesday, the same day my book hit the shelves.

I thoroughly enjoyed Ghost Planet! (Sidenote: I keep wanting to call it "Ghost Protocol." I think that would have been a better title, but maybe that's too sciency a title for a book that has a lot of romance?) I thought it was an awesome premise, and Elizabeth, the main character who learns that she's died and been reincarnated as an alien/ghost, is a great heroine. She's a psychologist and she thinks everything through. I would have been flipping out if I was in her shoes, but I loved the way she reasoned through everything, and how she was able to see both sides of the issues at hand - that's a quality I hugely admire in people.

I liked Murphy a lot, too. And I have to mention that the "betrayal" that ocurred at the 50% mark of the book made my jaw drop open. Then, I promptly closed it and all but screamed gleefully, "best betrayal ever!"

I won't say more than that.

I'd say this book breaks down to about 60% romance and 40% scientific intrigue plot. Paranormal fiction fans should give it a try. Just think of the science as magic. :-)

I'll definitely give Sharon's next book a try.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think it is harder to write a review of a book you truly love because you cannot help but feel that anything you add would be inadequate, which is how I feel about this wonderful sci-fi/romance by Sharon Lynn Fisher. This novel combines all the best things about science fiction and romance novels in general. The world building is exquisite, the plot twists are frequent and unexpected the characters of Elizabeth and Murphy are fascinating and believable. I couldn’t read this novel fast enough and I definitely will be adding it to my “insurance against the apocalypse” collection. To read the full review and more see Penny Dreadful Books and Reviews.

[Jai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick first reaction review:
Loved loved loved the world building. Loved the romance at the beginning - delicious slow burn, but after things got physical I found the relationship a bit easy: it suddenly got less conflicted than it started off being, and the conflict in the story became outside threats to the romance. I think that was my one quibble that keeps this from 5 stars, but I think it's a personal preference issue that won't be shared by others. Otherwise, very excited about this SFR - can't wait for people to discover this author. Longer review to come closer to the release date.

Full review:
Review originally posted here

This review is based on an eARC sent to me by the publisher.

The Premise: Elizabeth Cole was starting a new job as a psychologist on the newly discovered world of Ardagh 1, also known as “the ghost planet”. This is a place with a remarkable phenomenon – everyone who goes there starts being followed around by a manifestation of a deceased person they once knew. Why the local aliens have chosen to do this is a great mystery, but to cope, settlers have set up the Ghost Protocol. The protocol is not to acknowledge the ghosts whatsoever. Interaction has had adverse effects and colonists find that ghosts weaken if ignored for long enough. When Elizabeth lands on the planet she is apprehensive about what will attach herself to her, and when she meets with her supervisor Dr. Grayson Murphy, her first thought is to wonder if he’s human. He is, but Elizabeth is in for a shock – she’s the one that’s the ‘ghost’! Her transport to the planet crashed, killing all aboard. Now Elizabeth is faced with the alarming prospect of knowing she’s ‘real’ but being treated as if she’s not. She has to fight for herself and against the Ghost Protocol, while being tethered to the man responsible for it.

My Thoughts: I’m not sure how long Ghost Planet has been on my radar, but I’ve been following the author’s blog since sometime last year. Its premise just got me aflutter: a planet where everyone has ghost following them around? And the heroine is surprised to discover she’s a ghost too? And there’s chemistry with the guy she’s linked with? AND Linnea Sinclair calls it a “fresh and fascinating take on the human-alien problem”? Uh, yeah, needless to say, I had pre-ordered this long before I was contacted about a review.

The tarmac was deserted. Foggy and disoriented, I wondered how long I’d been standing there, listening to the evergreens groan in the wind and dreading my first encounter on this new world. Would it be human or alien?
I breathed in the crisp, impossibly clean air, trying to clear my head. My gaze traveled around the landing pad hemmed in by towering conifers, and came to rest on the transport terminal, oblong and silent under a slate-gray sky.
What now?
I had the unsettling feeling I was the only person on the planet—Ardagh 1, more commonly referred to as “the ghost planet” by people on Earth. Inexplicable things happened here. The planet itself was a study in the impossible.
Finally the terminal doors slid open, and a figure stepped out onto the tarmac. Half a dozen others spilled out behind him, and a transport whined into view, landing about thirty meters away.
The presence of the other passengers eased my sense of isolation. But that first man out of the building—he was headed right for me. My heart beat out a warning, and my mind snapped back to the original question: Human or alien?
“Elizabeth?” He raised his dark eyebrows, and my gaze locked on his startling eyes. Piercing, round, and the lightest shade of blue, like sky behind a veil of cloud—clean cloud, not the brown smudges that passed for clouds back on Earth. Something about him tugged at my memory, but I found this the opposite of reassuring.
“Yes?” I answered, uneasy. If he wasn’t human, I was minutes on the planet and already breaking the rules. It was dangerous to talk to them. There were institutions back on Earth devoted to caring for people who’d done so. I’d met some of those people.

I think my instinct for what I like served me well with this one. I loved the concept that promised some interesting world-building, but because this is also Romance, there’s a burgeoning relationship for me to enjoy too. I like a balance between these two things, and Ghost Planet does a good job of it. I especially liked this early on, when Elizabeth has to adjust to her new reality. What first struck me was that although she was on a new planet, far from Earth, her work as a psychologist was something relatable and not high-tech or military. She was a middle-class woman, without any special combat skills, just her degree. And because this was told from her point of view, having the ‘ghost’ tell the her side of story was a nice spin on the extra-terrestrial encounter trope: no one knows exactly what she is, but then, neither does she. Until she’s told she’s a ghost, Elizabeth doesn’t realize anything is wrong, and her shock and confusion at having her most basic identity questioned is good stuff. The irony is that the human Elizabeth was interested in the ‘ghosts’ from an academic standpoint before traveling to Ardagh 1. Now her experience with the Ghost Protocol is much more personal and her questions about her existence much more pressing.

At first it seems like Elizabeth’s unlucky to be attached to her would-be-supervisor Murphy. He’s the psychologist responsible for helping the settlers cope and he’s told them rejecting their ghosts is the best thing to do. But before he realized what she was, they were enjoying each other’s company. When Elizabeth turns out to be a ghost, it’s a surprise for both of them. So Murphy is kind to her and conflicted about his own protocol. Their relationship mirrors the people on both sides of the equation. On one side, there are the humans, wary of a phenomenon that has no explanation, on the other, there’s the ‘ghosts’, struggling to be acknowledged.

Because any interaction with Elizabeth is verboten, the relationship took some time to develop, and I enjoyed seeing how it happened despite the rules against it. Elizabeth’s persistence and Murphy’s empathy were characteristics that brought them closer, but the connection they forged from quiet proximity had it’s own power. The romance takes a natural path there that I liked, and Elizabeth and Murphy make a compatible couple. The one quibble I had, was that once they hit a turning point in their relationship, something went away. I think that that suddenly the discord came from sources external to the relationship, and these two were very harmonious. I suppose at that point they had enough to deal with.

Anyway, this is a story with a healthy amount of romance but has a plot that doesn’t just evolve around that. There are some suspenseful, action-adventure aspects to the story and Elizabeth and Murphy have to face several threats to their lives. I can’t really go into these without spoiling the story, but I was impressed by how thoughtfully Ghost Planet explores the the ‘ghost’ concept in its storytelling. It’s a concept that’s also a mystery, and thankfully the author doesn’t leave the reader with a lot of hanging questions. It explores a lot of the questions I had and organically integrated the answers into the plot. For example, I’d wondered about other ‘ghosts’ and what they were like, what Elizabeth could do and not do as a ghost, what would happen if she was strengthened by Murphy rather than weakened, what happened if she tired to separate from him, and so on. I even felt like I got something of a satisfactory explanation for why the ‘ghosts’ were there in the first place, or at least a working theory that made sense to me, by the end of the story.

Overall: I’m excited about other people discovering this author. I thought Ghost Planet was very enjoyable science fiction romance with a heroine who is more regular girl than action hero, and a setting that feels very unique (and not just for not being on a spaceship). I really liked the thoughtful way in which the ‘ghost’ concept was explored in this story, and I also liked how I was engaged by scenes that weren’t all about action. Fisher made relationship dynamics and the fight for dominance (or just acknowledgement) between personalities just as important as physical fights for control. I’d recommend Ghost Planet for fans of Sara Creasy and Linnea Sinclair.

P.S. As far as I can tell, this is a standalone (!)

[Keidy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love science fiction in all of its forms, but I'll be the first to admit that I rarely read any. My knowledge usually comes in bountiful form from movies and TV shows throughout the years. It's always been hard for me to read science fiction, particularly very old science fiction. There are usually a lot of flaws that makes me struggle through these kinds of books; from the author's tone to the lack of females. Thankfully, modern science fiction don't have these faults and is getting better and better at fixing these glaringly past mistakes. If it wasn't for the book clubs that I've joined so far, I would have never learned about some incredible science fiction books that balance world building, characters, genders and story without losing any of the science. Even though Sharon Lynn Fisher's Ghost Planet focuses less on the science and more on its characters, it is still an impressive read and the best romance paranormal/SciFi story I've read so far.

The best kinds of world building is when the world has a character all of its own and in Ghost Planet, that statement couldn't be more true. When you start reading, in this new world you see many of the comforts of our own present world. There are only a few pressing details that are different. Other than the unique twist of each human being that is symbiotically linked to their own personal alien/ghost, this world is a fresher and cleaner version of the planet Earth the humans have left behind. It is through these ghost/aliens that you start to learn that this planet has more of an active opinion than you may think. This is one of the many things that make this story so unique in that a tale that focuses on its characters has thus focused on the world.

Another thing that is interesting about this story is that it is first and foremost a romance. With that focus in mind, it's understandable that the characters are the driving force of the story. This tale focuses mainly on the viewpoint of Elizabeth Cole and her unique circumstances. Sometimes reckless but never one to back down from her beliefs, Elizabeth proves to be a strong and intelligent heroine with enough motive to meet her goals no matter how impossible her odds are. Her profession as a psychologist plays a key role with cracking the mystery of the world she inhabits and her cunning is enough to support her drive to discover this planet's mysteries. It is through her adaptability, resourcefulness and people skills that Elizabeth perseveres through the worst of struggles in order to create a life of freedom for herself and others like her. She truly is a heroine to aspire to.

A strong heroine needs strong supporting characters and that's exactly what this story has starting with Elizabeth Cole's supervisor and love interest Grayson Murphy. Handsome, charismatic, charming and Irish, Murphy is the yang to Elizabeth's yin and they compliment each other very well. That's not saying that their love was easy! If anything, most would say it was impossible and yet somehow they made it happen. It was through hard work that they've created their unbreakable bond as they journey together into the unknowns of this alien planet. I liked the fact that they had to work hard in their relationship and their trust. It made it all the more satisfying when their love for one another has won.

The villains in this story were complex and versatile, never making it easy to know who is just in this strange world of unknown rules. Everyone had their reasons to do what they thought was right and I enjoyed that the difference between right and wrong wasn't black and white. What did puzzle me though is what happened in the finale, the last quarter of the book. Just when I felt like things were more or less resolved for a smooth ending, something dramatic takes place to push the story into it's final hurrah. It just felt like an incredibly forced sequence of events and resulted in what I thought was a rushed ending. This in no way decreases the enjoyment I had in reading this story and is actually a minor quibble, but it was something that I thought was odd.

All in all, Ghost Planet was a great story to read that successfully incorporates science fiction, romance and the paranormal. It was a wacky and unlikely combination that totally worked for the best. I'm just sad that there isn't any more to read from this world. I was so impressed that I have placed many of Sharon Lynn Fisher's other titles in my wish list. Until then, I can only hope that she will write more from this unique universe.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I read this for the Vaginal Fantasy book club

So I liked this book for a number of reasons, but let me just pause and thank Fisher for writing something clever. Many of the books I read for this club are fun but lack anything resembling substance; I thought the psychological and "racial" angles of this book were interesting and thought provoking. I actually found myself pausing to contemplate the nature of selfhood and psychology multiple times, and the environmental criticism was pertinent (if not slightly heavy-handed).

Fisher's writing style nicely complimented her blend of romance, science fiction, and social commentary; I think she writes in a way that is both accessible and intelligent. Though she isn't a particularly lyric writer, her descriptions are vivid, her dialogue is crisp, and her tones are poignant. All in all, for a first novel, the writing was very well done.

These skills are what carry her world building, which is both meticulous and plausible. I really liked the idea of "ghosting," though I'm not sure I quite bought the "generate a close relative" aspect of Fisher's composition. There wasn't a compelling reason for generating a dead person, for example. Why not someone alive? There didn't seem to be any scientific reasoning for that. After all, if the planet was just trying to make a connection with the colonist, you would think it would pull from any close relationship regardless of whether the "original" person was still alive. Despite this, her concept of symbiosis was particularly strong and equally captivating, but the planet's "sentience," for lack of a better word, struck me as a bit artificial. That's not to say that the concept itself is weak--McCaffery does this incredibly well in her Peytabee series--but the implementation made it read like an afterthought or plot mechanism. I would have liked to see a better explanation of the relationship between symbiote and planet.

But those are small nits to pick, honestly: the worldbuilding compliments Fisher's characters nicely. She does a good job with Murphy and an excellent job with Elizabeth, both of whom jumped off the page (even if Murphy struck me as overly pliable). The romance sung and I appreciated Elizabeth's doubts, which are often sorely lacking in romance novels. Additionally, the supporting characters were strongly conceived, and I appreciated Fisher's attention to motivation. Very rarely did I feel like Fisher was using characters as chess pieces; rather, they read as fully autonomous people, which is tough to pull off.

That's not to say that the book didn't have its issues. The first half of the book was incredibly strong, but the plot begins to unravel toward the end. The reintroduction of Peter and Lexi made me groan out loud. I was so disappointed! The beginning of the novel was nuanced and intelligent, but this felt like an unnecessary and trite conflict. I realize Fisher used them to test the bond between Elizabeth and Murphy, but I'm super sick of love triangles and this one was of the most irritatingly superficial variety. Peter's and Lexi's presence detracted from the main thrust of the novel's plot, which did nothing to help the book's pacing toward the end. The slow build toward romance quickly became a mad dash to the finish, with a largely unsatisfying conclusion to the Mitchell conflict. Not only was the good doctor's storyline wrapped up offhandedly, it lacked the kind of thematic energy in Fisher's earlier chapters. I think Fisher missed an opportunity to muddy the waters between one's core beliefs and shifting reality; Mitchell's last "revelation," for lack of a better term, had the potential to offer real criticism about the difficulties of confronting crumbling beliefs. In many ways Murphy's conversion from the Ghost Protocol was too simple, and glossing Mitchell's only underscored that particular flaw.

It's those issues that drop this book from a solid four star rating, though I'm very excited to see what Fisher writes next. It's so nice to see more women writing science fiction, and Fisher's is really very good. I think the issues with Ghost Planet (including the title, which is...well...not good) have little to do with Fisher's talent. It's a first novel and is bound to have hiccups--and considering this, it's really quite good.