Ghost in the Darkness

by David DeWitte

The Lords of the North march to start a war with the people of Mylan. Their Queen is preparing for one much larger, one that will affect the whole world. Renell, not quite an adult, has started a war of her own. She is silently hunting the Lords of the North. Picking them off, one at a time. You don't want to miss this epic series.

Previously released as a Kindle Vella under same title.

272 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 1, 2024

Reviews

[Emma Karolina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ghost in the Darkness begins in a sweet setting that swaddles one in warm thoughts of a simple time, and a simple, yet hard, life. Readers meet Renell, strong willed, who will not be told to act more like a lady– she is a woodswoman through and through and one heck of an archer.
There is a lot of laughter and fun times to be had as Renell and her family enjoy the Daisy Festival, something the town has been looking forward to all winter.
The story leaps into action as we follow the Lords of the North; bloodshed, pain and suffering closely follows…
Harsh realities are met in this coming of age, YA fantasy. Be prepared for swift and frequent violence, graphic scenes with gore – no spice, and lots of adventure. A cliffhanger ending promises that there’s more to come!
Straightforward, fast paced and to the sword-point! David shares a story with a strong FMC and her followers, bouncing between our heroes and the soldiers.
These are some mighty brave youngings dealing with very dark times, and nothing will stop them from achieving their goals.

[Susan Vanderlaan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a beautifully written fantasy! It starts are off as a seemingly cozy vibe as we get to meet the characters and get some of the background of them to build them each up. But by the end we have a super badass FMC I was gripping my seat to find out what was going to happen next and now I need the next book asap!

[Andynystrom83 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reads like the classic fantasy I grew up with.

I greatly enjoyed Ghost in the Darkness and it reminded me of some of my favorite fantasy books growing up. The type of low fantasy where magic wasn't prevalent, but you were still taken to a medieval world of heroes, or in this case heroines who fight with sword and courage against an evil villain. A great read and I highly recommend!

[Alinar Den · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an awesome adventure!

This book is beautifully written! The narration is truly poetic.

This story expertly shows how thin the line between light and darkness can get, how dedication can help in reaching a goal even if it seems impossible, and how important it is to have the right values...
Personally, I had a really hard time deciding if I should root for the main character or not...

You might need to read it to understand what I mean...

[A.C. Toy · Rating 3 out of 5]

How far would you go if someone killed the people that you love? That's the question Renell asks herself and turns out... it's pretty dang far.

😍 What I Loved 😍
- Great Family Dynamics
- Feminine RAGE
- Signed Language
- Easy to pronounce names & language
- consistent world building
- cliffhanger ending that leaves you wanting more with lots of questions

🥩 All the descriptions of steak made me CRAVE a rare piece of beef 🥩

🤔 What I Think Could Be Improved 🤔
~ pacing. the beginning of the book moved too slowly while the action scenes progressed rapidly.
~ Renell doesn't believe in war, but then rapidly becomes a ruthless murderer with 0 hints of regret or remorse. The character development felt a little shallow in this regard.

🚫 What I Didn't Like 🚫
• "savages"
• every description of a female mentioned their breasts.
• marketed as a "clean" book, however, the initial murders of her parents felt sexually motivated and was quite graphic in detail. I don't read a lot of fantasy, but the depictions of some of the killings were a bit too detailed for my taste. Far too many "innocent" people were beheaded.
• the idea of the King's army having the thought of torturing children (yes, it happened in real history) but not a big fan of that being brought into fictional worlds.

⭐⭐⭐
OVERALL:
I think this would be a great read for people who really enjoy fantasy / medieval war type stories.
The ending drops hints of magic ✨ and time travel so I'm curious to see where this story is going in the future.

right now the book is giving ✨ A Knights Tale & Robin Hood ✨ vibes.

[Ele Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ghost in the Darkness is a YA fantasy that is set in a medieval world where you follow Renell and Bradly as they carry out Renell’s vengeful journey.
The book starts its world building following Renell and her family in their town of Riverbend, and once the arrows started to fly, I couldn’t put the book down.
Renell is seriously one bad@ss girl, not just with her skill with weapons, but also her mind. As amazing as she is, I was so glad she had Bradly at her side to help guide her. The descriptiveness in the book paints a picture in your mind as you read.
The story does end on a cliffhanger, leaving me with some questions and wanting to know what happens next. I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to see what takes place in the next installment.

[Tirzah Darnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Ghost in the Darkness by David DeWitte is an intriguing coming-of-age novel about a girl who uses her archery skills to protect her land and her family. This story is a fantasy with western vibes and a surprising ending. The FMC is a strong character you can’t help but root for. I am looking forward to more books in this series.

[Sherry Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ghost in the Darkness is a story of vengeance. When a young woman's parents are brutally killed by soldiers passing through the area, she vows to avenge them. Skilled with a bow and gifted with natural fighting skills, she sets out with a friend and knocks off the soldiers one by one. The story is a mix of the medieval, with bows, arrows, swords, and armor and the wild west with saloons and deserts. It's a little challenging to figure out the time period and setting, as it's not quite medieval, and not quite contemporary. Even the scenery of the land changes from desert to coastal town. The story is loaded with adventure as the arrows fly. And the protagonist proves herself a strong and able woman. There is no shortage of gruesome battle scenes. Near the end of the story, hints of magic appear, making way for the next book of the series. This is a good read for those who enjoy adventure and war stories.

[Gillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ghost in the Darkness really surprised me.

What seems set up as a cosy type of fantasy really turns itself on its head very quickly. The twists and turns, the characterisations and descriptions of the people and their personalities are excellently written.

Renell is such a great protagonist. A gifted archer who is feisty and confident. I liked her confidence and belief in herself from the start. That said, she is not without fault and her development through the book is fantastic. The themes of the book are at times sad, full of anger and vows of vengeance. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The other characters are very well written - the evils of people's actions, the consequences that then follow. I will not spoil the story, you would have to read it to see what I mean!

I highly recommend.

[Reuben Shupp · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a Read!

I really loved the author's writing style. He has a magical way of drawing you into the story. The story begins as a cozy fantasy circling around family values. But it quickly turns into a fantasy adventure where are heroine is on a mission of revenge.

I love a good fight scene in my fantasy books. The author creates fight scenes that are smooth and fluid. It is almost like poetry. Our female main character reminds of Ciri from the Witcher—she is clever and very gifted with the sword. And in Renell's case, she is gifted with the bow and sword.

The ending has me wanting more. I can't wait for book two. Great job Mr. DeWitte! Great job!

[Mia M.P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though, this is not my regular reading, I was caught by the story, such interesting twists and the setting in this epic adventure. Ghost in the Darkness is a fast moving story with history and fantasy that takes you to a medieval world with rich descriptions. I loved the characters, not princess who need to be rescued, but brave heroines who fight against evil. Renell is such a compelling character, I love the arch of this character and her charisma.
I always try to introduce readings to my teen students and this book will be a wonderful read for my classes.
A great read, I recommend it!

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rollicking Tale of Adventure and Vengeance

Very well -written fantasy about the insanity of war, the satisfaction (or not) of revenge and how the world opens for you when you are the best at a particular skill. Great characters-loved the central family. Worth a read for any lover of fantasy. Look forward to the next entry in the series.

[Chasity Trimble · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ghost in the Darkness by David DeWitte is a dark and compelling fantasy story that hits fast once it gets going. It follows Renell, a woodsman and archer living a quiet life until war creeps into her world. When the Lords of the North start causing chaos, she decides she’s not going down without a fight—and honestly, she’s kind of a badass about it.

The world has that gritty medieval feel, full of forests, danger, and tension that keeps building. It starts off a little slow, but once the action hits, it doesn’t really let up. There’s a ton of fighting, some brutal moments, and lots of blood—so fair warning, it’s definitely not light fantasy. Still, the writing pulls you right in, and Renell’s determination makes her easy to root for.

Now, fair warning: the violence is pretty graphic. It doesn’t hold back, and some moments are straight-up brutal. But it fits the tone, it’s not just for shock, it shows how raw and harsh her world really is.

If you’re into fantasy that’s dark, fast paced and character driven, with a lead who’s tough but still human, then you’ll want to dive in to this book. Just don’t expect to get much sleep after you hit the second half. And that cliffhanger!