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Graveyard Queen #3
The Prophet
My name is Amelia Gray.
I am the Graveyard Queen, a cemetery restorer who sees ghosts. My father passed down four rules to keep me safe and I've broken every last one. A door has opened and evil wants me back.
In order to protect myself, I've vowed to return to those rules. But the ghost of a murdered cop needs my help to find his killer. The clues lead me to the dark side of Charleston—where witchcraft, root doctors and black magic still flourish—and back to John Devlin, a haunted police detective I should only love from afar.
Now I'm faced with a terrible follow the rules or follow my heart.
I am the Graveyard Queen, a cemetery restorer who sees ghosts. My father passed down four rules to keep me safe and I've broken every last one. A door has opened and evil wants me back.
In order to protect myself, I've vowed to return to those rules. But the ghost of a murdered cop needs my help to find his killer. The clues lead me to the dark side of Charleston—where witchcraft, root doctors and black magic still flourish—and back to John Devlin, a haunted police detective I should only love from afar.
Now I'm faced with a terrible follow the rules or follow my heart.
351 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 24, 2012
219 people are currently reading
3269 people want to read
About the author
Amanda Stevens
265 books2,227 followersAmanda Stevens is the award-winning author of over fifty novels, including the modern gothic series, The Graveyard Queen. Her books have been described as eerie and atmospheric, “a new take on the classic ghost story.” Born and raised in the rural south, she now resides in Houston, Texas, where she enjoys binge-watching, bike riding and the occasional Horror Night with friends.
The Graveyard Queen trailer:
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The Graveyard Queen trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrCf_e...
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http://facebook.com/amandastevensbooks
amandastevensbooks@gmail.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 905 reviews
March 3, 2020
I enjoyed the first two books but this one was a bit ordinary!
Minus stars for:
* Amelia who whined too much and continually did that thing of "I know I shouldn't do this because it is so dangerous but I am going to do it anyway."
* her relationship with John Devlin which is so strange I just do not buy it.
Plus stars for:
* some scary bits
* the surprising ending
* at least some of the ghosts have moved on.
I probably will not continue with the series because
Minus stars for:
* Amelia who whined too much and continually did that thing of "I know I shouldn't do this because it is so dangerous but I am going to do it anyway."
* her relationship with John Devlin which is so strange I just do not buy it.
Plus stars for:
* some scary bits
* the surprising ending
* at least some of the ghosts have moved on.
I probably will not continue with the series because
May 29, 2018
Well, hello there Miss Stalker, how are we doing tonight?
Seriously? Does this girl...sorry, I mean woman (forgot there for a minute what she was by the way she was acting) have any shame? Can she please stop hiding in the bushes? 20% into the book and she already hidden there, twice.
“Someone was in your yard just now. I saw him watching the house.” I moved back to the door and pointed to the bushes where the man had been hiding. “He was there.”
Reaaaaaally? You mean you saw someone doing what you were doing too? You clearly are a very competitive person.
And obsessed too.
If I could help the Prophet move on, perhaps I could do the same for Shani and Mariama. And then Devlin would be mine—
Okay, Smeagol...
If the ghosts, the demons and the others were the creepiest in the last books, in this one, Amelia takes the first place and receives a crown too.
The story starts with Amelia saying that something was following her. Well guess what, if the book would have been Devlin’s pov, it would have started the same.
Do you get where I’m going with this, Miss Stalker?
In any book I’ve read, characters develop as the series progresses, but apparently in this one is the other way around. Amelia becomes more stupid by the minute, ignoring all signs, throwing herself forward like a bull, and whatever her instinct tells her, she just pushes them aside. From a cautious, smart woman, she transforms into this impulsive woman with no self preservation.
Have you ever heard of obvious? You won’t recognise it even if it slaps you in the face. Because, it’s just your imagination, right?
This story dragged too much. I was shouting “just tell Devlin already”...and when she finally does, the story feels too forced and rushed....
I’m not impressed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 12, 2021
I'm in it for the cemeteries. The third book in this series finds Amelia Grey, restorer of old cemeteries, not restoring an old cemetery and still purportedly in love with a man she barely knows, who is tall, dark and handsome and -- what? All she knows about his background is he's a cop, his wife and child died in a car accident, and that he comes from a moneyed Charleston family that isn't pleased he's a cop.
That one time they fooled around was apparently the highlight of her life. The author will have us believe Amelia has fallen in love with him on this thin basis. Granted I don't read paranormal romance normally, I don't even read romance. This is paranormal romance mystery -- with cemeteries, the most enticing element for me. I loved the first book and bought the series. But there's nothing at all romantic in these pages, the paranormal aspects are just okay and the mystery is a nonstarter.
What is going on with Amelia as regards Devlin is more of a mystery than the actual mystery. He's written as a handsome, um, handsome cop who is handsome with a sad backstory. We're meant to believe it's in his kiss but I'm not sure Amelia would know. This book finds her hiding in the bushes while he's seeing someone out at his door. I have a word for that and it's not love -- it's stalking. Also she gets jealous when a pretty woman is in his company. No, this isn't healthy at all. We know almost nothing about her past romances if there were any, she behaves like there weren't, and there's nothing in these pages that supports her feelings for Devlin.
“There was a man,” I said reluctantly.
“Were you in love with him? Are you in love with him?”
I answered quickly. “No. I might have been if I’d met him first. Now there will never be anyone else for me.” His arms tightened around me. “Such a romantic,” he murmured.
“Actually, I’m a pragmatist. I just know myself really well.”
A frown fleeted across his face. “But you don’t know me.”
“You are a mystery,” I agreed.
There's no romance in this romance. There's no lust, which requires eroticism. There's attraction, that's all. She may have a crush on him but in this book I read it as an unhealthy obsession with him, something worthy of therapy for the stalk-y, jealous behavior.
I don't expect this to be great literature but this was long on foolishness and short on character-building and ongoing story. I've only read a few series but I would think in book three, we should know much more about the main character. I almost wrote "heroine" but she's no heroine because she consistently rushes headlong into potentially dangerous situations, some of which ought not concern her at all, from which she requires rescue. Just a guess but I take it the author is not a feminist?
I could as easily have given this one star but the plot of this one, although it doesn't concern a cemetery and makes no sense, involves certain elements that interest me. So two stars. There seems to be consensus on GR that book four is better. I'm hopeful. But I'll DNF if Amelia hasn't matured, if she's still stalking her kissy-kissy cop, and especially if it doesn't revolve around a cemetery.
That one time they fooled around was apparently the highlight of her life. The author will have us believe Amelia has fallen in love with him on this thin basis. Granted I don't read paranormal romance normally, I don't even read romance. This is paranormal romance mystery -- with cemeteries, the most enticing element for me. I loved the first book and bought the series. But there's nothing at all romantic in these pages, the paranormal aspects are just okay and the mystery is a nonstarter.
What is going on with Amelia as regards Devlin is more of a mystery than the actual mystery. He's written as a handsome, um, handsome cop who is handsome with a sad backstory. We're meant to believe it's in his kiss but I'm not sure Amelia would know. This book finds her hiding in the bushes while he's seeing someone out at his door. I have a word for that and it's not love -- it's stalking. Also she gets jealous when a pretty woman is in his company. No, this isn't healthy at all. We know almost nothing about her past romances if there were any, she behaves like there weren't, and there's nothing in these pages that supports her feelings for Devlin.
“There was a man,” I said reluctantly.
“Were you in love with him? Are you in love with him?”
I answered quickly. “No. I might have been if I’d met him first. Now there will never be anyone else for me.” His arms tightened around me. “Such a romantic,” he murmured.
“Actually, I’m a pragmatist. I just know myself really well.”
A frown fleeted across his face. “But you don’t know me.”
“You are a mystery,” I agreed.
There's no romance in this romance. There's no lust, which requires eroticism. There's attraction, that's all. She may have a crush on him but in this book I read it as an unhealthy obsession with him, something worthy of therapy for the stalk-y, jealous behavior.
I don't expect this to be great literature but this was long on foolishness and short on character-building and ongoing story. I've only read a few series but I would think in book three, we should know much more about the main character. I almost wrote "heroine" but she's no heroine because she consistently rushes headlong into potentially dangerous situations, some of which ought not concern her at all, from which she requires rescue. Just a guess but I take it the author is not a feminist?
I could as easily have given this one star but the plot of this one, although it doesn't concern a cemetery and makes no sense, involves certain elements that interest me. So two stars. There seems to be consensus on GR that book four is better. I'm hopeful. But I'll DNF if Amelia hasn't matured, if she's still stalking her kissy-kissy cop, and especially if it doesn't revolve around a cemetery.
January 1, 2013
Review posted on Demon Lover's Books and More
4.5
Spoiler-Free
Amelia is back in Charleston and trying her best to avoid Devlin. But it isn’t so easy to do when she thinks about him constantly. It doesn’t help that ghosts keep leading her to him.
His dead friend, nicknamed the Prophet, who we met in the first book, is calling the shots this time. He just wants to rest, but he thinks the fact that he doesn’t remember who his killer is might be why he can’t. He wants Amelia to figure out who killed him. In fact, he even blackmails Amelia a bit, just to ensure she’ll help him out. But despite that, I liked him, and I liked his ending-it seemed appropriate.
This book has a lot more reveals than the other two, and I found so much of it incredibly interesting. This one also has a lot more action, so to speak. I liked seeing Amelia make a friend, and I hope that trend continues as she carves out a spot for herself in Charleston.
I’ve been so sucked into this series, that I really have a hard time distancing myself enough to write more than a glowing fangirl rave-view
I can honestly say that I love the vibe this author has. It’s spooky, and haunting, and eerily beautiful. I can’t wait for the next book, because the ending to this one wasn’t enough for me-I want more.
There are a couple things that bugged me-like what was Devlin’s relationship like with the mysterious woman at the beginning? Was it truly who it was implied to be? And what will happen now that Amelia has embraced her heritage, so to speak? And what will happen to Devlin? Or will the consequences all be on Amelia?
I know this review is tons shorter than most of mine, but truly I’m having a hard time not giving things away, so I’ll have to end with this:
The Graveyard Queen series is an auto-buy for me, and I can NOT wait for the next one, because I really want more.
***Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC
4.5
Spoiler-Free
Amelia is back in Charleston and trying her best to avoid Devlin. But it isn’t so easy to do when she thinks about him constantly. It doesn’t help that ghosts keep leading her to him.
His dead friend, nicknamed the Prophet, who we met in the first book, is calling the shots this time. He just wants to rest, but he thinks the fact that he doesn’t remember who his killer is might be why he can’t. He wants Amelia to figure out who killed him. In fact, he even blackmails Amelia a bit, just to ensure she’ll help him out. But despite that, I liked him, and I liked his ending-it seemed appropriate.
This book has a lot more reveals than the other two, and I found so much of it incredibly interesting. This one also has a lot more action, so to speak. I liked seeing Amelia make a friend, and I hope that trend continues as she carves out a spot for herself in Charleston.
I’ve been so sucked into this series, that I really have a hard time distancing myself enough to write more than a glowing fangirl rave-view
I can honestly say that I love the vibe this author has. It’s spooky, and haunting, and eerily beautiful. I can’t wait for the next book, because the ending to this one wasn’t enough for me-I want more.
There are a couple things that bugged me-like what was Devlin’s relationship like with the mysterious woman at the beginning? Was it truly who it was implied to be? And what will happen now that Amelia has embraced her heritage, so to speak? And what will happen to Devlin? Or will the consequences all be on Amelia?
I know this review is tons shorter than most of mine, but truly I’m having a hard time not giving things away, so I’ll have to end with this:
The Graveyard Queen series is an auto-buy for me, and I can NOT wait for the next one, because I really want more.
***Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC
August 19, 2016
Kindle daily deal 19Aug16 Amazon $0.99. I really liked this otherworldly series with ghosts.
3.5 Stars
“Never bargain with the dead. We have nothing to lose.”
I liked the Kingdom well enough, but something was missing for me, it was John Devlin. The forbidden romance of the original Graveyard Queen was like a gaping hole that needed to be filled. Thane was an interesting character but I missed the haunted detective and wanted Amelia to get back to Charleston so that we could explore that story line more.
The Prophet picks back up on the story lines from the Graveyard Queen with Devlin who is haunted by his dead wife and child. Amelia has avoided him, hoping that she could forget about the detective, but he haunts her dreams and his dead partner Robert Fremont has worked his way into Amelia’s life and wants a favor from her. Robert Fremont needs Amelia’s help to find his killer so he can move on, he claims the time is right now everything has aligned and all the players are now in place for him to have a chance to move onto the other side.
Everything is lining up and there are synchronicities leading Amelia down a path she can’t deny. A path that includes John Devlin, but is he ready to admit he is haunted and even if he does will he decide to choose the living or the dead?
“What is it about the house that frightens you? What is it about me?”
My gaze went past him to the house. I could see Shani in the window and Maiama hovering in the doorway. Maybe it was my imagination, but I thought I saw the glimmer of faces in every other window. “You know why,” I said breathlessly.
“What are you talking about?”
“You know, John. You just refuse to admit it.”
The first 50% of this book moved really slowly. Amelia was doing everything she could to avoid certain characters and deny her feelings. It got a little tedious for me and the only parts I really liked were her interactions with Shani, Devlin’s dead daughter who also wants her help to move on.
There is a departure from the original storyline into a slightly sinister use of Grey Dust and some African hoodoo voodoo type magic. It was a little distracting but fell into Mariama’s past and the discoveries of why Robert Fremont might have become a target.
Thankfully at about that 50% mark things started to pick up considerably. People actually had heartfelt conversations and worked out a few things. While I was slightly bored with the first half, I was totally riveted by the second and couldn’t wait to see how things worked out. FINALLY Amelia and John talked and I loved all of their page time together.
“That’s because I’m haunted.”
“What haunts you?” he asked softly.
“You do.”
So many revelations were made and it really took off and snowballed that last half. If I were to rate the book solely on that it would be 4.5 but the first half was only a 2 for me.
I hope in the next book we get a better idea of what Amelia can really do with her power and if/what the consequences of her actions in this book really entail. The slow southern role of this book still catches me and I love the imagery and romanticism of this haunted story.
3.5 Stars
“Never bargain with the dead. We have nothing to lose.”
I liked the Kingdom well enough, but something was missing for me, it was John Devlin. The forbidden romance of the original Graveyard Queen was like a gaping hole that needed to be filled. Thane was an interesting character but I missed the haunted detective and wanted Amelia to get back to Charleston so that we could explore that story line more.
The Prophet picks back up on the story lines from the Graveyard Queen with Devlin who is haunted by his dead wife and child. Amelia has avoided him, hoping that she could forget about the detective, but he haunts her dreams and his dead partner Robert Fremont has worked his way into Amelia’s life and wants a favor from her. Robert Fremont needs Amelia’s help to find his killer so he can move on, he claims the time is right now everything has aligned and all the players are now in place for him to have a chance to move onto the other side.
Everything is lining up and there are synchronicities leading Amelia down a path she can’t deny. A path that includes John Devlin, but is he ready to admit he is haunted and even if he does will he decide to choose the living or the dead?
“What is it about the house that frightens you? What is it about me?”
My gaze went past him to the house. I could see Shani in the window and Maiama hovering in the doorway. Maybe it was my imagination, but I thought I saw the glimmer of faces in every other window. “You know why,” I said breathlessly.
“What are you talking about?”
“You know, John. You just refuse to admit it.”
The first 50% of this book moved really slowly. Amelia was doing everything she could to avoid certain characters and deny her feelings. It got a little tedious for me and the only parts I really liked were her interactions with Shani, Devlin’s dead daughter who also wants her help to move on.
There is a departure from the original storyline into a slightly sinister use of Grey Dust and some African hoodoo voodoo type magic. It was a little distracting but fell into Mariama’s past and the discoveries of why Robert Fremont might have become a target.
Thankfully at about that 50% mark things started to pick up considerably. People actually had heartfelt conversations and worked out a few things. While I was slightly bored with the first half, I was totally riveted by the second and couldn’t wait to see how things worked out. FINALLY Amelia and John talked and I loved all of their page time together.
“That’s because I’m haunted.”
“What haunts you?” he asked softly.
“You do.”
So many revelations were made and it really took off and snowballed that last half. If I were to rate the book solely on that it would be 4.5 but the first half was only a 2 for me.
I hope in the next book we get a better idea of what Amelia can really do with her power and if/what the consequences of her actions in this book really entail. The slow southern role of this book still catches me and I love the imagery and romanticism of this haunted story.
August 9, 2019
The Prophet
By: Amanda Stevens
Narrated by: Khristine Hvam
This book ha Amelia back home but what awaits her is the ghosts from book one. She also has one that is stronger. There is also someone that has special supernatural or voodoo type powers. Very suspenseful. Special secrets revealed! Non-stop creepiness! Her private and hallowed, sacred ground that kept things undead out of her house was breached by a ghost! Good creepy book about ghost and creepy people!
Great narration!
By: Amanda Stevens
Narrated by: Khristine Hvam
This book ha Amelia back home but what awaits her is the ghosts from book one. She also has one that is stronger. There is also someone that has special supernatural or voodoo type powers. Very suspenseful. Special secrets revealed! Non-stop creepiness! Her private and hallowed, sacred ground that kept things undead out of her house was breached by a ghost! Good creepy book about ghost and creepy people!
Great narration!
November 7, 2012
Sadly, this book totally didn't work for me. I loved the first two books in this series, they were eerie and haunting and a lot of fun, but this one just fell apart in almost every way for me.
It started out weird that instead of being absolutely horrified by what she found out about her past in Asher Falls, Amelia was somehow inspired by it. She always felt like a loner but now she says knows why she is the way she is so its OK. But it's horrible, it's not just a family trait she got from her "Papa," the circumstances of her birth should put anyone in therapy. She wants to believe it's a gift, not just a dangerous legacy. Fine, if that keeps her sane. But it's really glossing over the whole heart of the last book, which was disappointing to me, I wanted to see it addressed. Amelia refers to the guy in book 2 a lot but not the big news of how awful her background is. Instead she's just mooning after Devlin. It was just bizarre to me that she never once mentioned the horrible things she found out. It should have profoundly changed her.
And then there's that whole big secret I just can't tell you trope. Whether they can't tell for someone's own good or they think they'll never be believed, it always gets carried too far in every book it's used in and it's so annoying. If Amelia can't have a relationship with Devlin anyway, why not risk telling him and taking a chance that he'll be able to use the knowledge to get over what he's been clinging to for so long? Worst case is that he doesn't believe her and they have no relationship, status quo.
One thing that really bugged me was the big use of coincidence in this book. Amelia kept "just having a strong feeling" and there are lots of coincidences that she thought were suspicious but chalked up to fate because nothing is really a coincidence. She keeps repeating that she no longer believes in randomness, everything happens for a reason, but the reason is the author, it's all too convenient, it felt lazy and just irritated the heck out of me. Plus Amelia repeatedly said that something or someone was trying to direct her actions, and that took away from her intelligence and free will and spirit. she ended up looking weak and silly.
And what was with that mystery powder? How many times was Amelia sneaking around where she didn't belong and got some mysterious powder blown on her and then bad stuff happened to her? It was totally overused, it made her look like an idiot cozy mystery snoop who just should have stayed home, and made me wonder why the author couldn't come up with a few different ways for the girl to get in trouble this time around.
I think what bugged me the most is that it felt like Amelia was being victimized. In the other books there were human villains of course, but the supernatural elements were really strong and so surreal that they took center stage. But now clearly Amelia was being hunted by a human. This wasn't about ghosts, although a lot of ghosts certainly had their hands in the puzzle and had stakes in the outcome. And even though Shani was still intriguing, she wasn't scary anymore, she was just sympathetic and sad. And Mariama was pathetic and a villain but since she was clearly Amelia's opposition she wasn't wasn't really scary. And Fremont didn't present as scary. So even if Goodwine was scary, it was a human scary, manipulative and evil but not eerie the way a cemetery full of drowned ghosts ringing bells and reaching out for Amelia in the night were eerie in Asher Falls.
Plus I hated the romance. She doesn't know this guy. Everyone, including the guy, kept telling her that she doesn't know this guy. She has never had a real conversation with him, hasn't seen him in months. This isn't love. I had high hopes after the first book that this was a relationship that was going to develop slowly and have some depth, but it's still insta-love all attraction no interaction. Reading about an otherwise mature woman moping around after a guy like a teenager wasn't fun.
I have to give the author a lot of credit for one thing, she wasn't one of those authors who had the character have a dog or car and then just forget about them. Amelia adopted a fabulous dog in book 2 and she took good care of him. She remembered to let him out and walk him even when it wasn't just a key part of the plot. He was there in the house with her, responding to whatever went on. A lot of authors like having their characters have a pet but then forget that if their character is out all night or the house gets trashed, what happens to the animal has to be addressed, the fans are attached to the pet and will notice. But of course it has to be done without being obsessive too, no one wants to read about every potty break, just like we don't want to read about every shower or cup of coffee or bite to eat like some books seem to detail. Providing realism is a balancing act that Stevens manages really well.
The whole tone of the book was just off for me. It wasn't spooky or eerie or particularly interesting, I didn't like the romance, I didn't like the coincidence-filled cozy mystery and half way through I was bored and didn't even want to pick it back up. It was a very unexpected total turn-around from the first two books, which I really enjoyed.
It started out weird that instead of being absolutely horrified by what she found out about her past in Asher Falls, Amelia was somehow inspired by it. She always felt like a loner but now she says knows why she is the way she is so its OK. But it's horrible, it's not just a family trait she got from her "Papa," the circumstances of her birth should put anyone in therapy. She wants to believe it's a gift, not just a dangerous legacy. Fine, if that keeps her sane. But it's really glossing over the whole heart of the last book, which was disappointing to me, I wanted to see it addressed. Amelia refers to the guy in book 2 a lot but not the big news of how awful her background is. Instead she's just mooning after Devlin. It was just bizarre to me that she never once mentioned the horrible things she found out. It should have profoundly changed her.
And then there's that whole big secret I just can't tell you trope. Whether they can't tell for someone's own good or they think they'll never be believed, it always gets carried too far in every book it's used in and it's so annoying. If Amelia can't have a relationship with Devlin anyway, why not risk telling him and taking a chance that he'll be able to use the knowledge to get over what he's been clinging to for so long? Worst case is that he doesn't believe her and they have no relationship, status quo.
One thing that really bugged me was the big use of coincidence in this book. Amelia kept "just having a strong feeling" and there are lots of coincidences that she thought were suspicious but chalked up to fate because nothing is really a coincidence. She keeps repeating that she no longer believes in randomness, everything happens for a reason, but the reason is the author, it's all too convenient, it felt lazy and just irritated the heck out of me. Plus Amelia repeatedly said that something or someone was trying to direct her actions, and that took away from her intelligence and free will and spirit. she ended up looking weak and silly.
And what was with that mystery powder? How many times was Amelia sneaking around where she didn't belong and got some mysterious powder blown on her and then bad stuff happened to her? It was totally overused, it made her look like an idiot cozy mystery snoop who just should have stayed home, and made me wonder why the author couldn't come up with a few different ways for the girl to get in trouble this time around.
I think what bugged me the most is that it felt like Amelia was being victimized. In the other books there were human villains of course, but the supernatural elements were really strong and so surreal that they took center stage. But now clearly Amelia was being hunted by a human. This wasn't about ghosts, although a lot of ghosts certainly had their hands in the puzzle and had stakes in the outcome. And even though Shani was still intriguing, she wasn't scary anymore, she was just sympathetic and sad. And Mariama was pathetic and a villain but since she was clearly Amelia's opposition she wasn't wasn't really scary. And Fremont didn't present as scary. So even if Goodwine was scary, it was a human scary, manipulative and evil but not eerie the way a cemetery full of drowned ghosts ringing bells and reaching out for Amelia in the night were eerie in Asher Falls.
Plus I hated the romance. She doesn't know this guy. Everyone, including the guy, kept telling her that she doesn't know this guy. She has never had a real conversation with him, hasn't seen him in months. This isn't love. I had high hopes after the first book that this was a relationship that was going to develop slowly and have some depth, but it's still insta-love all attraction no interaction. Reading about an otherwise mature woman moping around after a guy like a teenager wasn't fun.
I have to give the author a lot of credit for one thing, she wasn't one of those authors who had the character have a dog or car and then just forget about them. Amelia adopted a fabulous dog in book 2 and she took good care of him. She remembered to let him out and walk him even when it wasn't just a key part of the plot. He was there in the house with her, responding to whatever went on. A lot of authors like having their characters have a pet but then forget that if their character is out all night or the house gets trashed, what happens to the animal has to be addressed, the fans are attached to the pet and will notice. But of course it has to be done without being obsessive too, no one wants to read about every potty break, just like we don't want to read about every shower or cup of coffee or bite to eat like some books seem to detail. Providing realism is a balancing act that Stevens manages really well.
The whole tone of the book was just off for me. It wasn't spooky or eerie or particularly interesting, I didn't like the romance, I didn't like the coincidence-filled cozy mystery and half way through I was bored and didn't even want to pick it back up. It was a very unexpected total turn-around from the first two books, which I really enjoyed.
November 6, 2014
3.5 STARS
I need The Visitor ASAP.
I need The Visitor ASAP.
April 25, 2012
Amanda Stevens really put me through the wringer with this third installment of her Graveyard Queen series. When we last saw Amelia, she was on her way back to Charleston to answer a summons for help from John Devlin. It's almost like The Kingdom was a "time-out" from the action of The Restorer in many ways.
But now Amelia is back in the thick of things. Back at the old cemetery where she was working before. Surrounded by the same ghosts. In love with the same man. With the same roadblocks. Only maybe it's worse this time around.
My heart ached right along with Amelia's when Devlin came back on the canvas. They've been apart for months and to call things tentative between them would be an understatement. There are even questions now about whether he has moved on with someone else. This, as the presence of his dead wife Mariama continues to hold onto him with both hands.
The ghost of former cop Robert Fremont is haunting Amelia, pushing her to solve his murder. It's a tangled mystery, wrapped up in Devlin's past, Mariama's treachery, blackmail, betrayal, adultery, and the occult. It's very, very creepy. Not just the ghosts, which are indeed scary, but the bugs and the zombie drugs really put it over the top.
The distance and deception between Devlin and Amelia kept me tense and unhappy for the first half of the book. I found myself cringing every time Amelia began another Q&A about Mariama. Everybody has something to say about her. Everyone either loved her or they hated her. And she's been dead for years, but everyone still wants to talk about her. If I didn't know Amelia was dealing with her ghost, I'd think she was the most lovesick, pathetic person on the planet to bring her up every five seconds.
But when things started to pick up, the book was off and running. I loved the way Stevens kept me guessing until the very end. About who the killer was. About the motive. About the real circumstances surrounding Mariama & Shani's deaths. I loved the tie in to the African root magic. And the ending. Oh. My. God. I thought I was going to have a heart attack.
There will be a fourth book, thank goodness. And I am anxious to find out what repercussions will come from the big climax here. 4 stars.
*ARC Provided by NetGalley
But now Amelia is back in the thick of things. Back at the old cemetery where she was working before. Surrounded by the same ghosts. In love with the same man. With the same roadblocks. Only maybe it's worse this time around.
My heart ached right along with Amelia's when Devlin came back on the canvas. They've been apart for months and to call things tentative between them would be an understatement. There are even questions now about whether he has moved on with someone else. This, as the presence of his dead wife Mariama continues to hold onto him with both hands.
The ghost of former cop Robert Fremont is haunting Amelia, pushing her to solve his murder. It's a tangled mystery, wrapped up in Devlin's past, Mariama's treachery, blackmail, betrayal, adultery, and the occult. It's very, very creepy. Not just the ghosts, which are indeed scary, but the bugs and the zombie drugs really put it over the top.
The distance and deception between Devlin and Amelia kept me tense and unhappy for the first half of the book. I found myself cringing every time Amelia began another Q&A about Mariama. Everybody has something to say about her. Everyone either loved her or they hated her. And she's been dead for years, but everyone still wants to talk about her. If I didn't know Amelia was dealing with her ghost, I'd think she was the most lovesick, pathetic person on the planet to bring her up every five seconds.
But when things started to pick up, the book was off and running. I loved the way Stevens kept me guessing until the very end. About who the killer was. About the motive. About the real circumstances surrounding Mariama & Shani's deaths. I loved the tie in to the African root magic. And the ending. Oh. My. God. I thought I was going to have a heart attack.
There will be a fourth book, thank goodness. And I am anxious to find out what repercussions will come from the big climax here. 4 stars.
*ARC Provided by NetGalley
August 10, 2016
Tengo que reconocer que me costó mucho decidirme a empezar a leer la serie "La reina del cementerio". No tenía ningún tipo de expectativa y pensaba erróneamente que la serie seguiría las mismas pautas que la de televisión "Entre fantasmas". ¡Que ilusa fui!
"El Profeta" es el título de la tercera parte de esta serie que sigue las aventuras de nuestra querida Amelia, una joven restauradora de cementerios que oculta un gran secreto: es capaz de ver fantasmas. (Si, es un don terrible viendo a lo que se dedica la pobre muchacha.)
En esta tercera parte Amelia vuelve a su querida Charleston, y habrá un mal que la aceche y no la deje vivir al lado de su amado Devlin.
"Era muy fácil y bonito reflexionar sobre mi propósito en la vida, pero cuando mis delirios de grandeza se presentaban en forma de cruda realidad, me sentía perdida, sin saber qué hacer. No tenía ni idea de lo que se esperaba de mí, o lo que me tenía preparado el destino. Quizá no interpretaba bien las señales, porque no era capaz de adivinar adónde me conduciría todo eso."
Una de las cosas que más me gustan de estos libros, es el aire oscuro y siniestro que rodea todo. Aquí los fantasmas no son buenos, Amelia debe evitarlos y fingir que no los ve o de lo contrario la acecharían eternamente robándole su fuerza vital. Eso aporta a la trama una oscuridad y una maldad, que unido a la forma exquisita de describir y detallar los momentos que tiene la autora, logre una atmósfera para su lectura única.
Amelia es una mujer distinta. Ya no es aquella chiquilla indefensa y vulnerable que conocimos por primera vez, ha cambiado completamente y ahora tiene la fuerza y la valentía necesarias para enfrentarse a sus fantasmas.
Devlin en cambio le he visto mas flojo que en anteriores libros, me ha gustado esa evolución en su relación con Amelia y el poder descubrir por fin todos los secretos que escondía de su pasado, pero se me ha quedado un poco corto al lado de la fuerza que desprende Amelia.
La trama principal venía arrastrándose desde el primer libro, y aunque en sus anteriores entregas no se entendían datos que nos facilitaban, en esta última parte todo ha encajado y ha sido un final de infarto.
En definitiva, la serie "La reina del cementerio" es una serie gradual, que mejora con cada libro y consigue envolverte en una atmósfera oscura y siniestra de la cual no deseas escapar. Ni tardaré en leer la cuarta parte, "La visitante", ya que hay una serie de incógnitas que me encantaría descifrar.
Reseña completa es: http://serendipia-aazul.blogspot.com/
"El Profeta" es el título de la tercera parte de esta serie que sigue las aventuras de nuestra querida Amelia, una joven restauradora de cementerios que oculta un gran secreto: es capaz de ver fantasmas. (Si, es un don terrible viendo a lo que se dedica la pobre muchacha.)
En esta tercera parte Amelia vuelve a su querida Charleston, y habrá un mal que la aceche y no la deje vivir al lado de su amado Devlin.
"Era muy fácil y bonito reflexionar sobre mi propósito en la vida, pero cuando mis delirios de grandeza se presentaban en forma de cruda realidad, me sentía perdida, sin saber qué hacer. No tenía ni idea de lo que se esperaba de mí, o lo que me tenía preparado el destino. Quizá no interpretaba bien las señales, porque no era capaz de adivinar adónde me conduciría todo eso."
Una de las cosas que más me gustan de estos libros, es el aire oscuro y siniestro que rodea todo. Aquí los fantasmas no son buenos, Amelia debe evitarlos y fingir que no los ve o de lo contrario la acecharían eternamente robándole su fuerza vital. Eso aporta a la trama una oscuridad y una maldad, que unido a la forma exquisita de describir y detallar los momentos que tiene la autora, logre una atmósfera para su lectura única.
Amelia es una mujer distinta. Ya no es aquella chiquilla indefensa y vulnerable que conocimos por primera vez, ha cambiado completamente y ahora tiene la fuerza y la valentía necesarias para enfrentarse a sus fantasmas.
Devlin en cambio le he visto mas flojo que en anteriores libros, me ha gustado esa evolución en su relación con Amelia y el poder descubrir por fin todos los secretos que escondía de su pasado, pero se me ha quedado un poco corto al lado de la fuerza que desprende Amelia.
La trama principal venía arrastrándose desde el primer libro, y aunque en sus anteriores entregas no se entendían datos que nos facilitaban, en esta última parte todo ha encajado y ha sido un final de infarto.
En definitiva, la serie "La reina del cementerio" es una serie gradual, que mejora con cada libro y consigue envolverte en una atmósfera oscura y siniestra de la cual no deseas escapar. Ni tardaré en leer la cuarta parte, "La visitante", ya que hay una serie de incógnitas que me encantaría descifrar.
Reseña completa es: http://serendipia-aazul.blogspot.com/
February 19, 2016
Realmente un 4.5
Aunque esta tercera parte me ha encantado, no ha conseguido atraparme tanto como el primer y segundo libro. La historia en sí está bien, muy bien, pero la relación entre Devlin y Amelia me ha parecido un tanto floja: en ningún momento he sentido ese amor prohibido, esa necesidad de estar juntos o atracción entre ellos. Es por eso que no puedo ponerle las cinco estrellas.
Aunque esta tercera parte me ha encantado, no ha conseguido atraparme tanto como el primer y segundo libro. La historia en sí está bien, muy bien, pero la relación entre Devlin y Amelia me ha parecido un tanto floja: en ningún momento he sentido ese amor prohibido, esa necesidad de estar juntos o atracción entre ellos. Es por eso que no puedo ponerle las cinco estrellas.
March 1, 2017
The Prophet is the final book in The Graveyard Queen trilogy, one of my favorite series for 2011-2012. I cannot tell how excited I was to finally read this book, as the previous two had managed to raise my heartrate close to cardiac arrest levels:)
Once more we are in beautiful Charleston, getting the incredible vibes of Creole music, smells and lore, we first read about in the first book. The book doesn't waste any time; as soon as it starts, Amelia finds she has a task to complete if she's to find any peace from Robert Fremont's ghost: to find his murderer. It soon becomes obvious that Shani, Devlin's daughter, needs her help as well. Even though helping these ghosts goes against everything her father taught her, Amelia feels she has to do as they ask. And so, the adventure begins.
Amelia turns into a sleuth detective this time, following suspects and trying to get her hands on data that will shed new light into the old evidence. But nothing turns out as it should and Amelia finds she soon has no one she can fully trust, not even Devlin. Devlin who's still trying to figure out why she run away from him in the past and why she's still refusing him when their chemistry continues to be off the charts. Amelia is also trying to understand the reason ghosts are suddenly seeming to appear all around her and what her policy should be: should she go on by her father's rules and ignore them, or is it time to embrace her 'gift' and use it to put those pure souls at rest?
The action is non-stop, Devlin's and Amelia's relationship as tumultuous as ever and the danger to Amelia -both from the physical world and the spiritual one- closer than ever. This was a book hard to put down and I could never guess what the next chapter would bring or who was behind everything that happened.
Then why 4 stars do you ask? I had a big problem with this book as it was supposed to be the final book of a trilogy but doesn't read as such. For one, the second book, The Kingdom, is completely unconnected to this one. Which makes me wonder why? Was it just a filler? What was its purpose in the overall arc and why did we readers have to read it, if the issues addressed in it are not even mentioned here?
But most importantly I'm disappointed because The Prophet is the final book of a trilogy and chooses to pose more questions than answers. It's obvious that the writer at some later point decided to write more books about Amelia, as the number of questions she leaves unanswered is probably more than those answered in the past two books together. And to top that, she even leaves a pall hanging above the seemingly happy ending. I can't express how furious, how disappointed I was to read that ending; the epilogue is simply the worst I've read in a long time. There were many ways she could spin off into a new series, the most obvious being by using her Asher Falls characters as leads and Amelia as a guest star. But no, Amanda Stevens decided that after three books, her readers should go on worrying about Amelia and her happily ever after instead of putting a closure to it. It would feel as if the writer is taunting and leading her fans by using the old and tested method of carrot dangling.
So, if you're looking for an exciting book just like The Restorer was, you will find it in The Prophet. The book, as an atmosperic thriller, actually lacks for nothing. But if you're looking for a closure to a series, this isn't it. As I mentioned above, the questions posed in this book are too many to ignore and will leave you more frustrated than before you picked it up. Hopefully Ms Stevens, won't leave us dangling for too long:) I'm certainly curious to see her next endeavor.
ARC by Harlequin Mira via NetGalley
Once more we are in beautiful Charleston, getting the incredible vibes of Creole music, smells and lore, we first read about in the first book. The book doesn't waste any time; as soon as it starts, Amelia finds she has a task to complete if she's to find any peace from Robert Fremont's ghost: to find his murderer. It soon becomes obvious that Shani, Devlin's daughter, needs her help as well. Even though helping these ghosts goes against everything her father taught her, Amelia feels she has to do as they ask. And so, the adventure begins.
Amelia turns into a sleuth detective this time, following suspects and trying to get her hands on data that will shed new light into the old evidence. But nothing turns out as it should and Amelia finds she soon has no one she can fully trust, not even Devlin. Devlin who's still trying to figure out why she run away from him in the past and why she's still refusing him when their chemistry continues to be off the charts. Amelia is also trying to understand the reason ghosts are suddenly seeming to appear all around her and what her policy should be: should she go on by her father's rules and ignore them, or is it time to embrace her 'gift' and use it to put those pure souls at rest?
The action is non-stop, Devlin's and Amelia's relationship as tumultuous as ever and the danger to Amelia -both from the physical world and the spiritual one- closer than ever. This was a book hard to put down and I could never guess what the next chapter would bring or who was behind everything that happened.
Then why 4 stars do you ask? I had a big problem with this book as it was supposed to be the final book of a trilogy but doesn't read as such. For one, the second book, The Kingdom, is completely unconnected to this one. Which makes me wonder why? Was it just a filler? What was its purpose in the overall arc and why did we readers have to read it, if the issues addressed in it are not even mentioned here?
But most importantly I'm disappointed because The Prophet is the final book of a trilogy and chooses to pose more questions than answers. It's obvious that the writer at some later point decided to write more books about Amelia, as the number of questions she leaves unanswered is probably more than those answered in the past two books together. And to top that, she even leaves a pall hanging above the seemingly happy ending. I can't express how furious, how disappointed I was to read that ending; the epilogue is simply the worst I've read in a long time. There were many ways she could spin off into a new series, the most obvious being by using her Asher Falls characters as leads and Amelia as a guest star. But no, Amanda Stevens decided that after three books, her readers should go on worrying about Amelia and her happily ever after instead of putting a closure to it. It would feel as if the writer is taunting and leading her fans by using the old and tested method of carrot dangling.
So, if you're looking for an exciting book just like The Restorer was, you will find it in The Prophet. The book, as an atmosperic thriller, actually lacks for nothing. But if you're looking for a closure to a series, this isn't it. As I mentioned above, the questions posed in this book are too many to ignore and will leave you more frustrated than before you picked it up. Hopefully Ms Stevens, won't leave us dangling for too long:) I'm certainly curious to see her next endeavor.
ARC by Harlequin Mira via NetGalley
July 18, 2023
Lemme tell you my problem. My problems, since I have more than one. I was not happy with starting The Prophet because the previous book, The Kingdom, sucked ass. So I was afraid that The Prophet will suck ass as well. Guess what? It did! Even though Amelia was back in Charleston, even though Devlin’s there, nothing worked the way I wanted it to. Too much whining, too little creepy.
A good quote of what the book is really about would be the following:
Yeah, so The Prophet ended up being an angsty love story. No proper ghosts, no good mystery, no nothing. Just Amelia obsessing after Devlin’s ass, Amelia hiding in the bushes, Amelia being jealous, Amelia making idiotic mistakes and Amelia getting herself into trouble. Ugh.
I guess I like Angus the most. For all you new people, he’s a dog. Yes, the dog is my favorite character in the book. I guess you can tell just how the rest of the characters are behaving.
In the end, all I can say is that The Prophet is an extremely boring book. I’m very disappointed with where the series is going. I swear that I’m going to give the next book a try, and if nothing good happens in it, I’m giving up.
A good quote of what the book is really about would be the following:
Devlin was my destiny. The one man I wanted above all others was the one man I could never have.
Yeah, so The Prophet ended up being an angsty love story. No proper ghosts, no good mystery, no nothing. Just Amelia obsessing after Devlin’s ass, Amelia hiding in the bushes, Amelia being jealous, Amelia making idiotic mistakes and Amelia getting herself into trouble. Ugh.
I guess I like Angus the most. For all you new people, he’s a dog. Yes, the dog is my favorite character in the book. I guess you can tell just how the rest of the characters are behaving.
In the end, all I can say is that The Prophet is an extremely boring book. I’m very disappointed with where the series is going. I swear that I’m going to give the next book a try, and if nothing good happens in it, I’m giving up.
January 3, 2016
Love all the revelations! The romance between Devlin and Amelia finally feels mutual!
Can't wait for the next one!
Audio narration is wonderful.
Can't wait for the next one!
Audio narration is wonderful.
July 2, 2017
Realmente me encanta esta autora y sus libros sobre Amelia Grey. Esta tercera entrega cumple las expectativas porque, además de un relato tan sobrecogedor como los dos anteriores, nos entrega una resolución muy cuidada, emotiva e inesperada a todos los misterios que se vienen arrastrando desde la primera novela.
Sin embargo, en sus últimas páginas aparecen nuevos componentes, por lo que no me extrañaría que pronto pudiéramos disfrutar de un nuevo libro sobre la Reina del Cementerio.
Sin embargo, en sus últimas páginas aparecen nuevos componentes, por lo que no me extrañaría que pronto pudiéramos disfrutar de un nuevo libro sobre la Reina del Cementerio.
October 27, 2016
terminado. me ha gustado mucho pero no ha llegado a gustarme como los anteriores. La relación Devlin y Amelia me ha encantado
February 12, 2017
Amelia was back in Charleston, and I was very happy about it. Although this is the third book in the series, it’s a continuation of the first book, which really makes the second book feel out of place. The ghosts in Charleston would not leave Amelia alone, and they were becoming more dangerous. Amelia was trying to avoid Devlin but the ghosts were drawing them together.
Up to this point, this is the best book in the series. With each book the stories get progressively creepier. The mystery was really good. I’m more curious than ever about the Coffin and Claw and what they do. I’m very interested in learning more about Darius Goodwine. Amelia and Devlin were getting closer, but his ghosts were keeping them apart. Mariama is fascinating and loathsome all at the same time. That was one hell of an ending! What will the consequences of it be?
Up to this point, this is the best book in the series. With each book the stories get progressively creepier. The mystery was really good. I’m more curious than ever about the Coffin and Claw and what they do. I’m very interested in learning more about Darius Goodwine. Amelia and Devlin were getting closer, but his ghosts were keeping them apart. Mariama is fascinating and loathsome all at the same time. That was one hell of an ending! What will the consequences of it be?
April 12, 2012
Warning! Do not read this book if you are home alone!
The Prophet by Amanda Stevens is the third book in The Graveyard Queen series. This book finds our heroine Amelia Gray back in Charleston, S.C. after some time away at Asher Falls (The Kingdom). Amelia is glad to be home, but she was deeply affected by the events at Asher Falls. She desperately misses someone from that town, yet she still pines for John Devlin, a haunted man.
Amelia can see ghosts. These ghosts are dangerous; they can drain the life out of the living. Amelia has always lived by her father’s simple rules – never acknowledge the dead – but lately, she has allowed the ghosts to know that she can see them. When Amelia is approached by the powerful ghost of Robert Fremont, she agrees to help him find his killer. Robert is a strong ghost in that he can manifest in Amelia’s safe haven, hallowed ground. He is also able to manifest in the daytime. Amelia’s investigation of Robert’s death takes her through all sorts of dangerous situations.
Devlin is still haunted by the ghost of his wife Mariama and her young daughter Shani. Mariama’s power makes her a formidable ghost, nothing to mess around with. The Prophet also introduces Darius Goodwine, Mariama’s cousin. Darius is behind many strange events in the area. Darius had been in Africa studying how to be a root doctor. His type of sorcery was frightening running the gamut of sound, control, dream infiltration, and the ability to cause people to become his zombies with gray dust. Darius adds a lot of creepy scary to this book.
There are some interesting revelations in this book, especially about Mariama. We learn more about Devlin’s relationship with Mariama, her manipulations and plots. Mariama’s on again/off again relationship also focused on keeping Devlin’s daughter from him. Of course there are some jaw-dropping moments…
Amelia’s relationship with Devlin goes through the wringer in this book. He warns her to stay away from him. She is drawn to him and cannot stay away.
No one writes ghost stories like Amanda Stevens. The prose is beautifully written, haunting, evoking all the senses. The descriptions are vivid, the atmosphere dark and somber. The author has fantastic story telling skills. This is not just a ghost story; it is also a murder mystery. I understand that there will be more books in the series. Bring them on, I can’t wait.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for a review copy of this book.
Review posted on Badass Book Reviews.
The Prophet by Amanda Stevens is the third book in The Graveyard Queen series. This book finds our heroine Amelia Gray back in Charleston, S.C. after some time away at Asher Falls (The Kingdom). Amelia is glad to be home, but she was deeply affected by the events at Asher Falls. She desperately misses someone from that town, yet she still pines for John Devlin, a haunted man.
Amelia can see ghosts. These ghosts are dangerous; they can drain the life out of the living. Amelia has always lived by her father’s simple rules – never acknowledge the dead – but lately, she has allowed the ghosts to know that she can see them. When Amelia is approached by the powerful ghost of Robert Fremont, she agrees to help him find his killer. Robert is a strong ghost in that he can manifest in Amelia’s safe haven, hallowed ground. He is also able to manifest in the daytime. Amelia’s investigation of Robert’s death takes her through all sorts of dangerous situations.
Devlin is still haunted by the ghost of his wife Mariama and her young daughter Shani. Mariama’s power makes her a formidable ghost, nothing to mess around with. The Prophet also introduces Darius Goodwine, Mariama’s cousin. Darius is behind many strange events in the area. Darius had been in Africa studying how to be a root doctor. His type of sorcery was frightening running the gamut of sound, control, dream infiltration, and the ability to cause people to become his zombies with gray dust. Darius adds a lot of creepy scary to this book.
There are some interesting revelations in this book, especially about Mariama. We learn more about Devlin’s relationship with Mariama, her manipulations and plots. Mariama’s on again/off again relationship also focused on keeping Devlin’s daughter from him. Of course there are some jaw-dropping moments…
Amelia’s relationship with Devlin goes through the wringer in this book. He warns her to stay away from him. She is drawn to him and cannot stay away.
No one writes ghost stories like Amanda Stevens. The prose is beautifully written, haunting, evoking all the senses. The descriptions are vivid, the atmosphere dark and somber. The author has fantastic story telling skills. This is not just a ghost story; it is also a murder mystery. I understand that there will be more books in the series. Bring them on, I can’t wait.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for a review copy of this book.
Review posted on Badass Book Reviews.
April 24, 2012
This is a Quickie Review. For the full review, please visit The Romanceaholic
Expected Release Date: April 24, 2012
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: Mira
Author’s Website: amandastevens.com
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 3, Graveyard Queen
Series Best Read In Order: Yes
Steam Level: Steamy
While I do feel that the Graveyard Queen series is best read in order, I’m not sure how much of that stems from my immense enjoyment of the series and how much of it is really the feeling that new readers wouldn’t quite “get” it. While old fans of the series will relish the plotline deeply involving not only John but also both his ghosts and his history, I do think newcomers will be able to easily follow along, though of course they won’t get the benefit of having witnessed the developments in both John and Amelia’s lives.
As a very solid member of Team Devlin, this book absolutely thrilled me. Not only was there the same arcane mystery, complete with plenty of twits and red herrings, as I’ve come to love from this series, but Devlin played an enormous part in the story — possibly even moreso than in The Restorer if that’s possible.
The final chapters of this book left me breathless, and I’m anxiously awaiting future installments in the Graveyard Queen Series.
A very solid 5/5 Stars.
Expected Release Date: April 24, 2012
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: Mira
Author’s Website: amandastevens.com
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 3, Graveyard Queen
Series Best Read In Order: Yes
Steam Level: Steamy
While I do feel that the Graveyard Queen series is best read in order, I’m not sure how much of that stems from my immense enjoyment of the series and how much of it is really the feeling that new readers wouldn’t quite “get” it. While old fans of the series will relish the plotline deeply involving not only John but also both his ghosts and his history, I do think newcomers will be able to easily follow along, though of course they won’t get the benefit of having witnessed the developments in both John and Amelia’s lives.
As a very solid member of Team Devlin, this book absolutely thrilled me. Not only was there the same arcane mystery, complete with plenty of twits and red herrings, as I’ve come to love from this series, but Devlin played an enormous part in the story — possibly even moreso than in The Restorer if that’s possible.
The final chapters of this book left me breathless, and I’m anxiously awaiting future installments in the Graveyard Queen Series.
A very solid 5/5 Stars.
May 3, 2012
*SOME SPOILERS*
The eye rolling moments continued as Amelia kept up with her TSTL actions. The mystery was still there and it kept me going but I could not ignore Amelia's grating personality, her annoying, repetitive inner dialogues, and her inactions when it mattered.
Devlin's character, who I had found captivating and alluring in the first book, turned out flat and unappealing in The Prophet. I kept wishing that Thane would make an appearance. It made me wonder again what was the point of The Kingdom. I think the series would benefit better if the events of The Prophet had occurred prior to the ones in The Kingdom.
Amelia's obsession with Devlin turned her into an insecure woman who acted more like a doormat. Also, the explanation given by Amanda to justify the relationship between Devlin and Isabel was flaky, it read more like an afterthought and still didn't justify the intimacy between them.
The ending wrapped up the storyline but it was not as satisfying as I thought it should be. It was rushed. Devlin never found out the truth about Shani's death and by the way Amelia was behaving, I doubt that she would ever tell him. I understand that there were some questions left answered because there will be more books coming but I don't think I will be reading them.
What a disappointing ending to a good series!
The eye rolling moments continued as Amelia kept up with her TSTL actions. The mystery was still there and it kept me going but I could not ignore Amelia's grating personality, her annoying, repetitive inner dialogues, and her inactions when it mattered.
Devlin's character, who I had found captivating and alluring in the first book, turned out flat and unappealing in The Prophet. I kept wishing that Thane would make an appearance. It made me wonder again what was the point of The Kingdom. I think the series would benefit better if the events of The Prophet had occurred prior to the ones in The Kingdom.
Amelia's obsession with Devlin turned her into an insecure woman who acted more like a doormat. Also, the explanation given by Amanda to justify the relationship between Devlin and Isabel was flaky, it read more like an afterthought and still didn't justify the intimacy between them.
The ending wrapped up the storyline but it was not as satisfying as I thought it should be. It was rushed. Devlin never found out the truth about Shani's death and by the way Amelia was behaving, I doubt that she would ever tell him. I understand that there were some questions left answered because there will be more books coming but I don't think I will be reading them.
What a disappointing ending to a good series!
September 21, 2016
THE PROPHET is the third installment in the spooky Graveyard Queen series. This time around, Amelia is back in Charleston and haunted by the ghost of a murdered police officer. He needs answers, and Amelia won't find any peace until he gets his way. The mystery was good, though the pacing dragged a bit in places.
The second book in this series, THE KINGDOM, was my absolute favorite, and THE PROPHET had a hard time measuring up. I'm kinda done with Amelia pining over John Devlin. He needs to go, so she can get back to restoring cemeteries (the coolest job!) and developing her unique abilities. She needs her confidence back! While I did enjoy the surprising twists revealed at the end, overall I thought this one was just okay.
The second book in this series, THE KINGDOM, was my absolute favorite, and THE PROPHET had a hard time measuring up. I'm kinda done with Amelia pining over John Devlin. He needs to go, so she can get back to restoring cemeteries (the coolest job!) and developing her unique abilities. She needs her confidence back! While I did enjoy the surprising twists revealed at the end, overall I thought this one was just okay.
August 27, 2018
3.5/5
Me gustó más que el anterior pues no fue tan previsible y aunque sigue pecando en repetir una y otra vez lo mismo( más de 80 veces hace referencia de una forma u otra a las normas de su padre) la trama me atrapó hasta el final.
Me gustó más que el anterior pues no fue tan previsible y aunque sigue pecando en repetir una y otra vez lo mismo( más de 80 veces hace referencia de una forma u otra a las normas de su padre) la trama me atrapó hasta el final.
August 2, 2019
A cemetery restorer who sees and is haunted by ghosts who happens to be in love with a brooding, haunted man. Yep, I just had to press forward with this series and continue with Amelia's chilling adventures with ghosts and romance.
The Prophet is book three in the Graveyard Queen series and these must be read in order as they all connect in one ongoing story.
After the harrowing adventure in Asher Falls and Devlin's cryptic message, Amelia is now back in Charleston and trying to recover. She is soon confronted by two ghosts who are haunting her because they need her to bring closure in their own ways. Of course, Devlin is part of this since one is the ghost of his dead daughter and the other his dead detective partner. Amelia is hopelessly in love with Devlin, but nothing has changed in that he is still haunted by his dead wife and daughter and being together might bring danger from the spirit realm. But, now, if she is to get Shani and Robert what they need so they'll move on, she has to investigate Robert's unsolved murder and find Shani. Things get complicated by a sultry beauty of a palmist that is possibly more than a friend of Devlin's and a man powerful in root magic who may try to use her to get to Devlin. And, Devlin? He is still attracted, but doesn't understand her struggle or why she runs from him and a relationship. Neither does Amelia at this point when the danger is worth anything.
So, I dove back into the atmospheric and sometimes chilling world of Amelia Gray, graveyard restorer and one who can see and interact with ghosts. But, there is a danger for her in this ability as the ghosts can feed on the living to stay in the live realm and other more powerful shadow creatures lurk on the other side of the veil waiting for an opportunity for her to open a gateway into her world. All is precarious as she discovered more about herself in the last book, but has much unknown and untapped power. I loved the tension of her confrontation with the man steeped in African magic and myth who has reputation and ability ranged against her.
And, the mystery element... oh yes, quite well done. It carried over from the first book where it was mentioned, but was a side plot which now came to the fore. Amelia must solve a murder which is very much tangled up in Devlin's past and makes her wonder just how he is tangled.
So much going on and kept me flipping pages. Amelia herself can be something of a beta heroine. She's not exactly kick-butt and she can waver to and fro especially in the romance part, but she isn't stupid and she's an engaging character who can still stand among the stronger, more colorful characters around her.
I can't wait to see what comes next and can heartily recommend this series full of atmosphere and ghosts in a Southern Gothic-style.
COYER Summer Scavenger Hunt clue- cover with nothing living 3 pts
The Prophet is book three in the Graveyard Queen series and these must be read in order as they all connect in one ongoing story.
After the harrowing adventure in Asher Falls and Devlin's cryptic message, Amelia is now back in Charleston and trying to recover. She is soon confronted by two ghosts who are haunting her because they need her to bring closure in their own ways. Of course, Devlin is part of this since one is the ghost of his dead daughter and the other his dead detective partner. Amelia is hopelessly in love with Devlin, but nothing has changed in that he is still haunted by his dead wife and daughter and being together might bring danger from the spirit realm. But, now, if she is to get Shani and Robert what they need so they'll move on, she has to investigate Robert's unsolved murder and find Shani. Things get complicated by a sultry beauty of a palmist that is possibly more than a friend of Devlin's and a man powerful in root magic who may try to use her to get to Devlin. And, Devlin? He is still attracted, but doesn't understand her struggle or why she runs from him and a relationship. Neither does Amelia at this point when the danger is worth anything.
So, I dove back into the atmospheric and sometimes chilling world of Amelia Gray, graveyard restorer and one who can see and interact with ghosts. But, there is a danger for her in this ability as the ghosts can feed on the living to stay in the live realm and other more powerful shadow creatures lurk on the other side of the veil waiting for an opportunity for her to open a gateway into her world. All is precarious as she discovered more about herself in the last book, but has much unknown and untapped power. I loved the tension of her confrontation with the man steeped in African magic and myth who has reputation and ability ranged against her.
And, the mystery element... oh yes, quite well done. It carried over from the first book where it was mentioned, but was a side plot which now came to the fore. Amelia must solve a murder which is very much tangled up in Devlin's past and makes her wonder just how he is tangled.
So much going on and kept me flipping pages. Amelia herself can be something of a beta heroine. She's not exactly kick-butt and she can waver to and fro especially in the romance part, but she isn't stupid and she's an engaging character who can still stand among the stronger, more colorful characters around her.
I can't wait to see what comes next and can heartily recommend this series full of atmosphere and ghosts in a Southern Gothic-style.
COYER Summer Scavenger Hunt clue- cover with nothing living 3 pts
October 1, 2017
3.5 stars. In The Prophet, Amelia is back in Charleston and supposedly trying to avoid Devlin. But it isn't long before she accidentally runs into him, sort of, and then she decides she wants to see him late one night, but chickens out and ends up hiding in the bushes at the last minute spying and eavesdropping on him, acting very much like a stalker. Why couldn't she simply call him up and ask him to come over? She ends up hiding and spying on quite a few people in this book. Despite this childish behavior I still liked the book. The creepy ghost aspect of it was once again very good.
All of the mystery surrounding John Devlin and his ghosts were solved in this book. I did think the romance aspect of the story was just ok. It wasn't the strongest part of the book, simply because I thought Amelia just didn't know Devlin enough to be so crazy in love with him.
In the end we are left wondering what the consequences could be for some of Amelia's actions concerning the afterlife. Did she bring something back with her? Will this somehow change her? This could have ended as a trilogy, but the author is writing a fourth book, which I don't think is a bad thing. This series has been a fun escape, so I will definitely read it.
Review also posted at Writings of a Reader
All of the mystery surrounding John Devlin and his ghosts were solved in this book. I did think the romance aspect of the story was just ok. It wasn't the strongest part of the book, simply because I thought Amelia just didn't know Devlin enough to be so crazy in love with him.
In the end we are left wondering what the consequences could be for some of Amelia's actions concerning the afterlife. Did she bring something back with her? Will this somehow change her? This could have ended as a trilogy, but the author is writing a fourth book, which I don't think is a bad thing. This series has been a fun escape, so I will definitely read it.
Review also posted at Writings of a Reader
June 25, 2012
Well, after three books, Amelia never did grow on me. Her voice is still stilted and over-dramatic, and she still occasionally falls into too-stupid-to-live. She's "powerful," but I still don't know why. Devlin is still completely cardboard, and completely lacking in the charm other reviewers seem to have found. The mystery here is allll over the place, with a zillion characters (some new ones, too, because there weren't enough before?), many which serve plainly as deus ex machina. Still scratching my head, trying to figure out what the point of The Kingdom was; this really read like that entire book could've been skipped, having practically no bearing whatsoever on anything that happened in The Prophet.
November 6, 2014
I'm flip flopping between a 3 1/2 and a 4 star rating with this one.
Amelia got on my nerves with her whiny attitude when it came to Devlin and her childish ways of ducking behind bushes and the stalking kinda kills the mood.
The story seemed to go all over the place but if you read on to the last 80-90% things move fast and everything is revealed!
But...then the story ends too quickly and too easily with still too many questions left that will you pondering.
Book #4 can't come soon enough!
Amelia got on my nerves with her whiny attitude when it came to Devlin and her childish ways of ducking behind bushes and the stalking kinda kills the mood.
The story seemed to go all over the place but if you read on to the last 80-90% things move fast and everything is revealed!
But...then the story ends too quickly and too easily with still too many questions left that will you pondering.
Book #4 can't come soon enough!
May 5, 2019
👻 "Everyone loved the previous books except me and WhyAmIStillHere?!" BR with the gurls of the MacHalo Asylum 👻
April 1, 2018
This third installment was not what I expected. The first two books were full of excitement, mystery, thrill, and wonder. I don't think 'The Prophet' lived up to the potential of the others. Amelia isn't really doing much of anything in this one. Instead of action and adventure, the reader is smothered with gobs of emotional turmoil.
Amelia is tied up in knots over Devlin and constantly worries about what he thinks of her. She wants to know where their relationship stands. Does he still like her? Will he take her back? Is there another woman? There is quite a lot of unnecessary emotional drama filler. Amelia has these random bouts of immaturity that are just completely at odds with her character.
In the beginning we had this level headed, capable young woman who has been to hell and back on multiple occasions. Fast forward to now and she acts like a mooning teenage girl. That made no sense to me, but I suppose everyone has their pitfalls. The near obsessive attachment the heroine has for the detective is a bit unnerving though.
Anyway, besides all the turmoil, there is Devlin, Mariama, and Shani drama. Add in Darius Goodwine, Mariama's cousin, and Amelia is in a world of trouble. I'm not talking just the regular kind of trouble, I'm talking hoodoo. Or I suppose I should say hoodoo gone bad.
Shani needs Amelia's help, which makes Amelia afraid, hesitant, and uncomfortable. To help the dead goes against everything her Papa taught her. For her protection, she is suppose to ignore them. Pretend that ghosts and other nasties don't exist. But she can't do that anymore. Not when it's John's daughter that needs her help. But things become more and more dangerous as Amelia learns the secret of what really happened on the night of the young girls death.
While all this stuff is playing on, not much else really seems to happen. I think that is my beef with the story. It's mostly just mental woes and ruminations with the occasional bad guy run in. It's full of emotional jerks, but there is no real sense of progress to me, other than furthering along the romance between John and Amelia. The ending I saw coming, and yet I was a bit surprised. I figured out some of what was going to happen, but not all of it. Kudos to Stevens for keeping me guessing!
And yes, Amelia and Devlin finally happen. Thank goodness! And while we all finally get what we wanted, which is the two of them together, things are not as they should be. Their union and togetherness is intertwined with this feeling of dread. This undercurrent of foreboding. I have a feeling that this all encompassing love Amelia has for Devlin will ultimately be her downfall. The last little bit of this book is rather startling. The foreshadowing has quite grim implications.
The next book will be interesting in the fact that I am not sure how the story will be woven. Certain plots were solved in this novel, so I don't know what other problems will arise in the fourth installment. I still have some suspicions, just some gut feelings, about how it will all work out and none of my predictions bode well for Amelia.
'The Prophet' can't hold a candle to the other books, but it's not bad. I think the all pervading angst was a bit too much for my liking, which is why this novel didn't get a fiver. I like a little drama to keep things interesting. This story was just soaked in the stuff. However, all of these emotional ties now put Amelia onto a new path. One unknown. It's full of darkness that could potentially lead to the end of our beloved Graveyard Queen. Come what may, let's just hope she's smart enough to keep her head down, avoid the dead, and remember to stay out of the Gray.
Amelia is tied up in knots over Devlin and constantly worries about what he thinks of her. She wants to know where their relationship stands. Does he still like her? Will he take her back? Is there another woman? There is quite a lot of unnecessary emotional drama filler. Amelia has these random bouts of immaturity that are just completely at odds with her character.
In the beginning we had this level headed, capable young woman who has been to hell and back on multiple occasions. Fast forward to now and she acts like a mooning teenage girl. That made no sense to me, but I suppose everyone has their pitfalls. The near obsessive attachment the heroine has for the detective is a bit unnerving though.
Anyway, besides all the turmoil, there is Devlin, Mariama, and Shani drama. Add in Darius Goodwine, Mariama's cousin, and Amelia is in a world of trouble. I'm not talking just the regular kind of trouble, I'm talking hoodoo. Or I suppose I should say hoodoo gone bad.
Shani needs Amelia's help, which makes Amelia afraid, hesitant, and uncomfortable. To help the dead goes against everything her Papa taught her. For her protection, she is suppose to ignore them. Pretend that ghosts and other nasties don't exist. But she can't do that anymore. Not when it's John's daughter that needs her help. But things become more and more dangerous as Amelia learns the secret of what really happened on the night of the young girls death.
While all this stuff is playing on, not much else really seems to happen. I think that is my beef with the story. It's mostly just mental woes and ruminations with the occasional bad guy run in. It's full of emotional jerks, but there is no real sense of progress to me, other than furthering along the romance between John and Amelia. The ending I saw coming, and yet I was a bit surprised. I figured out some of what was going to happen, but not all of it. Kudos to Stevens for keeping me guessing!
And yes, Amelia and Devlin finally happen. Thank goodness! And while we all finally get what we wanted, which is the two of them together, things are not as they should be. Their union and togetherness is intertwined with this feeling of dread. This undercurrent of foreboding. I have a feeling that this all encompassing love Amelia has for Devlin will ultimately be her downfall. The last little bit of this book is rather startling. The foreshadowing has quite grim implications.
The next book will be interesting in the fact that I am not sure how the story will be woven. Certain plots were solved in this novel, so I don't know what other problems will arise in the fourth installment. I still have some suspicions, just some gut feelings, about how it will all work out and none of my predictions bode well for Amelia.
'The Prophet' can't hold a candle to the other books, but it's not bad. I think the all pervading angst was a bit too much for my liking, which is why this novel didn't get a fiver. I like a little drama to keep things interesting. This story was just soaked in the stuff. However, all of these emotional ties now put Amelia onto a new path. One unknown. It's full of darkness that could potentially lead to the end of our beloved Graveyard Queen. Come what may, let's just hope she's smart enough to keep her head down, avoid the dead, and remember to stay out of the Gray.
February 16, 2017
I am back with a review for the third installment in the Graveyard Queen series and I have to say, I think I have an addiction problem. I can't seem to stop reading them. The only reason book four is on hold is because it got delayed in transit, which I guess is okay because I am totally lacking sleep.
The Prophet picked up on some of the events that occurred in the first book. The ghost of Robert Fremont is back and he wants Amelia to find his killer because he wants to move on. To make things worse, Shani - Devlin's dead daughter is haunting her as well because she is also in desperate need of Amelia to help her move on.
We are thrown back on the mystery behind the death of Devlin's wife and daughter as well as his partner that ironically occurred on the same night. Amelia is facing trouble because neither of the ghost seem to want to leave her alone and now Shani is actually haunting her, so she needs to find a way to help the scared little girl move on.
This installment was good, I really enjoyed it. It did lack in the creepy atmosphere that the other two books centered around, making it very easy to read in the middle of the night. Despite that, the writing was still so beautiful it just draws you in, Steven's tells an amazing story and her skills in writing just make me oh so happy on the inside.
Can we just talk about how each book in this series is as strong as the one before it? I am completely blown away and happy about it. It makes picking up each book easy known that I am going to come away satisfied long after the pages are done.
I love Amelia, and I love the growth of her character.. Sure, she had a few juvenile moments when it comes to John Devlin, but overall, she is growing as a character. I also enjoyed how realistic her approach to going back to Oak Grove Cemetery was after the events that occurred in book one. She is slowly developing, growing and learning how to fend for herself. It makes me a bit mad that her father did not prepare her for the world that she is forced upon, since clearly the rules are doing nothing to help her and from the hints in the book - it seems it didn't help him much in the past either. (Thought this is just my assumption)
Darius a new character enters into the plot-line and Amelia finds herself in the world of voodoo, palm reading and a bit of African shaman magic. This opens up a whole new possibility for the next couple of books, ups the stakes and makes it that much more interesting.
As far as romance, I liked the unexplained connection between Devlin and Amelia, which makes for some really amazing chemistry.
Honestly there was very little in this book that I didn't like, that being said... what the hell was up with the ending? Is it me or the killer was kind of random? Like Stevens just threw together the ending the last minute. It felt like I missed a page or two of information in the end there and for a second I was worried I got the wrong copy. Everything happened so damn fast that chunks felt missing. It was like she was just in a hurry to finish it up.
Also, that revelation in the end about Shani - woah... totally did not see that coming.
Memorable Quotes
The Prophet picked up on some of the events that occurred in the first book. The ghost of Robert Fremont is back and he wants Amelia to find his killer because he wants to move on. To make things worse, Shani - Devlin's dead daughter is haunting her as well because she is also in desperate need of Amelia to help her move on.
We are thrown back on the mystery behind the death of Devlin's wife and daughter as well as his partner that ironically occurred on the same night. Amelia is facing trouble because neither of the ghost seem to want to leave her alone and now Shani is actually haunting her, so she needs to find a way to help the scared little girl move on.
This installment was good, I really enjoyed it. It did lack in the creepy atmosphere that the other two books centered around, making it very easy to read in the middle of the night. Despite that, the writing was still so beautiful it just draws you in, Steven's tells an amazing story and her skills in writing just make me oh so happy on the inside.
Can we just talk about how each book in this series is as strong as the one before it? I am completely blown away and happy about it. It makes picking up each book easy known that I am going to come away satisfied long after the pages are done.
I love Amelia, and I love the growth of her character.. Sure, she had a few juvenile moments when it comes to John Devlin, but overall, she is growing as a character. I also enjoyed how realistic her approach to going back to Oak Grove Cemetery was after the events that occurred in book one. She is slowly developing, growing and learning how to fend for herself. It makes me a bit mad that her father did not prepare her for the world that she is forced upon, since clearly the rules are doing nothing to help her and from the hints in the book - it seems it didn't help him much in the past either. (Thought this is just my assumption)
Darius a new character enters into the plot-line and Amelia finds herself in the world of voodoo, palm reading and a bit of African shaman magic. This opens up a whole new possibility for the next couple of books, ups the stakes and makes it that much more interesting.
As far as romance, I liked the unexplained connection between Devlin and Amelia, which makes for some really amazing chemistry.
Honestly there was very little in this book that I didn't like, that being said... what the hell was up with the ending? Is it me or the killer was kind of random? Like Stevens just threw together the ending the last minute. It felt like I missed a page or two of information in the end there and for a second I was worried I got the wrong copy. Everything happened so damn fast that chunks felt missing. It was like she was just in a hurry to finish it up.
Also, that revelation in the end about Shani - woah... totally did not see that coming.
Memorable Quotes
"You're very light," he said. "You've lost weight since last spring."This review was originally posted on Night Owl Book Cafe
"That's because I'm haunted."
"What haunts you?" he asked softly.
"You do."
April 16, 2016
The Prophet
4.5 Stars
The Prophet is book #3 but it continues from where book #1, The Restorer, left off in terms of Amelia's relationship with Devlin and the issues surrounding the deaths of his wife and daughter.
Although Amelia is an engaging heroine, she has an annoying tendency toward TSTL behavior, particularly in this book. She constantly ignores her instincts and finds herself in precarious situations and the only explanation is that her actions are necessary for the story to progress as they ultimately lead to a revelation of some kind.
Devlin is as dark and tortured as ever. The fact that he is not in book two (although there are many references to him and Amelia's feelings for him), only enhances the anticipation and makes his return all the more worthwhile. The connection between Amelia and Devlin is breathtaking in its intensity and despite some questionable moments, the reader's patience is rewarded once they take it to the next level.
The story involving Amelia's investigation into the death of a murdered cop and her attempts to help Devlin's daughter is absorbing, and Stevens is very skilled at concealing the clues to unraveling the mystery within the seemingly mundane. As a result, a character that aroused my suspicions in book #1 (and turned out not to be the killer) ended up being the culprit in this book. It is rewarding to know that my suspicions were justified even if it was not in the right book.
The references to voodoo, black magic and the menacing villain all add an additional sinister layer to the creepy tone and eerie atmosphere of the Southern gothic setting. Nevertheless, the ending is a bit rushed although the mystery is neatly solved and well explained. Some tantalizing questions remain unanswered such as
In sum, an exciting addition and I look forward to finding out where Amelia's abilities take her.
4.5 Stars
The Prophet is book #3 but it continues from where book #1, The Restorer, left off in terms of Amelia's relationship with Devlin and the issues surrounding the deaths of his wife and daughter.
Although Amelia is an engaging heroine, she has an annoying tendency toward TSTL behavior, particularly in this book. She constantly ignores her instincts and finds herself in precarious situations and the only explanation is that her actions are necessary for the story to progress as they ultimately lead to a revelation of some kind.
Devlin is as dark and tortured as ever. The fact that he is not in book two (although there are many references to him and Amelia's feelings for him), only enhances the anticipation and makes his return all the more worthwhile. The connection between Amelia and Devlin is breathtaking in its intensity and despite some questionable moments, the reader's patience is rewarded once they take it to the next level.
The story involving Amelia's investigation into the death of a murdered cop and her attempts to help Devlin's daughter is absorbing, and Stevens is very skilled at concealing the clues to unraveling the mystery within the seemingly mundane. As a result, a character that aroused my suspicions in book #1 (and turned out not to be the killer) ended up being the culprit in this book. It is rewarding to know that my suspicions were justified even if it was not in the right book.
The references to voodoo, black magic and the menacing villain all add an additional sinister layer to the creepy tone and eerie atmosphere of the Southern gothic setting. Nevertheless, the ending is a bit rushed although the mystery is neatly solved and well explained. Some tantalizing questions remain unanswered such as
In sum, an exciting addition and I look forward to finding out where Amelia's abilities take her.
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