Company of Ghosts

by J. Kyle Turner

Born in the final year of a civil war that claimed her mother’s life, Jalina grew up with more questions than her quiet father was willing to answer. When a visiting professor named Andza hints that he knows more history than he’s allowed to teach, she leaves school in order to learn more. Together, they uncover the secrets of the Ghosts, a group of heretics who broke away from the Kerran Order and used forbidden magic to place their own ruler on the throne.

For the new king, desperate to heal a nation ravaged by war, this secret would be enough to challenge his rule and plunge the realm into another war of succession. For the Order, acknowledging the Ghosts’ involvement would refute their thousand-year claim of political neutrality and could mean the end of their faith. When the Order begins hunting down the surviving Ghosts, Jalina must decide what she’s willing to risk in order to uncover the truth–and what to do with the truth when she finds it.

366 pages, Paperback

Published September 16, 2025

Reviews

[Appleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a frequent reader of fantasy, this book was a refreshing change of pace from many of the tropes and failures of other books in the genre: well thought out characters, impressively written dialogue, and enough mysteries and hooks to keep you reading and engaged.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightfully cozy fantasy mystery quest

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars for me BUT… I’m a bad reader. My being lost is likely not a reflection of the writing, rather an issue with my interest in the genre.

Pros: characters have clear voices. This has been a major complaint of mine lately. I want to be able to hear the character - not the author. And this is done very well. I like Rahad a lot.

Cons: it’s fantasy and that’s a weak spot for me but also the fantasy elements feel subtle. The whole book feels subtle. There were times where I missed a sentence and had no idea what was going on. I went back and reread often. Book club proved to me it’s my fault (as I suspected) but I still couldn’t faithfully retell the story. Again - a genre thing.

I mean I didn’t even like lord of the rings. And I love those moves. So. Probably the best fantasy I’ve read!

[Ted · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book follows it's own novel, but pleasant pace and drew me into its setting easily. The story overall was quite intriguing, with well-realized characters that have a strong interiority, and dialogue that feels natural, but still has a sense for the story's tone.

The book's description I think belies its much more grounded approach. The fantasy elements at play in this are important to the story, but I felt that the book was much more focused on its characters and their if not relatable, then at least very tangible, conflicts and situations. Which I was very happy to discover.

I would recommend this to anyone looking for an absorbing, comfortable adventure/mystery with some light fantasy elements.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don’t chastise the poet for your inability to comprehend his stanzas and prose. History is only what we think happened.

[K. Lynn Grey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pleasant young adult adventure novel, written beautifully, with well-defined characters that are easy to root for.
The author's prose is simple and elegant as seen in this description, "Nothing blurs the lines between a minute and an hour like the sound of rain."
My only quibble is the amount of exposition used to explain the background and history.
I recommend this book for young adults and for those who are young at heart.

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting world and endearing characters. I hope there's more to come!