Majesty

by Jay E. Tria

What would you do if the ghost of someone you love appeared in front of you?

Majesty is a beautiful ghost, with her hair of fire and eyes gray like smoke. That is Andy Fey’s first thought when the ghost of her best friend Majesty Hall appeared in her bedroom, only two months since her death. Majesty doesn’t know why she’s there, why only Andy can see her.

Andy isn’t sure if she should tell Gale, that boy who claims that he and Majesty were in love. Funny, sarcastic, and a self-proclaimed serial heartbreaker, Gale is proving to be a good friend in grief, though his trail of broken hearts could soon include hers.

As Andy and Gale wade through their sorrow, Andy wonders if Majesty is here to help ease her into this new, complicated friendship, or if she has a mission all her own.

102 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 17, 2016

About the author

Jay E. Tria is inspired by daydreams, celebrity crushes, live music, K-dramas and J-doramas, and an incessant itch to go places. She writes contemporary romance and young adult, sometimes paranormal fantasy too. When not writing, she wishes she were, but sometimes it's hard.

LATEST RELEASE:
Love To Meet You

Also by Jay:
You Out of Nowhere (Flair #1)

Playlist #1: Songs of Our Breakup
Playlist #2: Songs to Get Over You
Playlist #3: Songs to Make You Stay
Playlist #4: Songs You Come Back To
Playlist #5: Songs To Your Beat
That Thing Called Closure (A Playlist Short Track on buqo.ph) #WriteBreakupSongsAbout

Blossom Among Flowers
Majesty

Make My Wish Come True (a #romanceclass Christmas anthology)
Promdi Heart: Hometown Love Stories
Summer Crush (Beach. Love. Rock and Roll)
Second Wave Summer (Summer Crush 2)

Website: www.jayetria.com
Email: jayetria@gmail.com
Socials: jayetria

Reviews

[Claire - The Coffeeholic Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andy or Andrea Fey had a list of people in her Yay and Nay boxes respectively, and she made sure she steered clear of those whom she couldn't be friends with. But when Professor Grayson assigned her to Majesty Hall as her Statistics partner, she didn't know where to place her.

Majesty is the kind of girl who wanted to please everybody, to befriend everyone, who was always bubbly and talked in a singsong manner. When Andrea got to know her, it was only a matter of time before she realized she had made her her friend for life and beyond.

And the next time she saw Majesty again, two months after her funeral, she wouldn't want to let go.

My friends know me as a crybaby; soap-operas and sappy romance stories easily make me cry. Even a picture of two old greying couple spoon-feeding each other make me sniff. What more if I read a story about two friends who never let go of each other even after death?

Ahh, the tears rolling down from my eyes were uncontrollable, they were like they had a mind of their own. When Andy learned about Majesty Hall's sickness, I felt something lodged in my throat. When Majesty had to skip classes to undergo treatments, I had rocks in my stomach. When Andy heard the news about Majesty's cure, my heart leaped. And when Majesty met her demise, I was dumbfounded. But when Andy met Gale in Majesty's funeral, hope smiled through my soul.



I thought I was Andrea herself and I was the one shocked after seeing her beautiful and ethereal ghostly figure. I reminded myself that Majesty wasn't my father who had succumbed to cancer. I told myself, Majesty's ghost appearing in front of me is a reminder that there is indeed life after death and there's a reason for everything.

I know this review is becoming more of a cry-fest, so forgive me for being a sentimental fool. But if you look beyond the waterworks, we'll all realize that there's a Majesty in our lives, whether living nor a ghost, who reminds us about the value of life, taking chances, chasing dreams, exposing your feelings and fueling your desire to live and love. I may not be a profiler like Andy, but I felt the emotions she's kept tucked inside her heart, wishing I could also love more than less. The grief she'd been through, as well as Gale and the Halls, was something we have to encounter and experience in order to let go.

Despite the tears I've shed, this book, Majesty, isn't really a total tearjerker. It's more of a journey to new beginning, a stage that will help you cope and look at the world in a new light.

Jay E. Tria is a talented author, a wonderful storyteller and a bit of a heart-breaker and a tear-jerker. Yes, she caused my eyes to tear up, caused my heart to break into pieces and lulled me to sleep after Gale and Andrea found each other again. Majesty is beautiful. Go figure.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Full review posted on Will Read for Feels*

I was going through something personal when I decided to take Majesty with me for a road trip after Christmas. I guess you could call it a serendipitous thing because I immediately latched on to the story like a lifeline. The main theme of the story (named after one of the main characters, Majesty Hall) was about dealing with grief and how you could get lost in the numbing feeling. Andy, the narrator and protagonist, went through the usual stages of bereavement, her agony palpable in every page. Another character by the name of Gale shared in the loss, aside from Majesty’s parents who were just as distraught. But more than just the shared grief among the characters, there was an abundance of love, and how such feelings bind people closer as they move on with their lives.

Perhaps the beauty in this masterpiece is the elegant simplicity of the prose. The writing is crystal clear and just begs to be read and savored. It doesn’t attempt to preach or say something lofty about death—it just exists as it is. I never thought to say there’s beauty in death, but reading Majesty certainly made me feel that way. It made me contemplate on the recent loss I’ve experienced and let the feels wash over. John Green said it best: “That’s the thing about pain. It demands to be felt.” And just as well, like Majesty’s effervescent character, she’d leave a piece of herself, one that you’d always take with you wherever you go.

[Lynai · Rating 4 out of 5]

I instantly fell in love with Majesty. Andy took time for me to like but I was able to feel her grief as the story progressed. This is both a sweet and sad story, but it ended too soon. I want more feelings from Gale. :)

[Chrissie Peria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone's reading Jay E. Tria lately, so I'm jumping on the bandwagon. I chose Majesty as my first book, because (1) she cited Banana Yoshimoto's Kitchen as an inspiration and (2) because I miss reading paperbacks. (Shinta's still waiting in my Kindle, thank you very much.)

Majesty is a well-written, heartfelt story about coping with loss. The grief is there. It's real. It's not about crying enough tears to leave your pillow sodden. It's about not knowing which sock to take off first. It's not the gut-wrenching raw hurt, but the numbing feeling of loss and being equally lost in it. It's painfully sincere and authentic and it makes me want to ask difficult questions I have no business asking.

Majesty is a sad story. But it won't leave you sad. And it needs to be read.

[Layla · Rating 5 out of 5]

As this is the third Jay E. Tria book that I read (proofread/edited), I could tell how different it is from her first two romance novels. My initial impression of it was that it was written with a flourish -- with a pale pink quill dipped in blood, quite possibly the author's own. Grief is a universal theme and I think Majesty will resonate with a lot of people because many of us have lost someone very dear to us and at some point we may have wished for just one more day, one more conversation, one answer to one question. Death is harder on the living than the dead and Majesty shows that there is no need to make excuses for grieving. This, for me, if the best thing about it.

[H. Bentham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a YA Paranormal novella that I thought was gonna be a bit scary (anything with ghosts and I’m 🏃🏃 ), but it ended up really beautiful and sweet (I also curled myself into a ball of tears and sobs towards the later parts of it bec, huhu, it packs a heap of emotions!) 💮
If that gorgeous cover doesn't entice you to get this, then listen to me when I say this will hit you right in the kokoro and will help you powercry your stress away! 😉

#YAWeek
*This review also appears as a bookstagram on my IG: @bentchbites

[Camelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it! I could relate though.. full review will be posted soon!

[J.V. Mariano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though there's grief, this story will give readers much-needed hope. <3

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

With a narrative that holds you (and never lets go), and the voice of a pure heart that truly loved spilling beautifully throughout its pages, Majesty is a book I will definitely be picking up again, heartache be damned. Get your tissues ready, this one’s offering a storm of feels.

What Drew Me In

A few months earlier, I was lucky enough to have been given an ARC copy of Jay E. Tria’s Songs of Our Breakup. I loved it, and I knew that from that moment on I would be on the lookout for her other works. When Majesty came around, I knew I HAD to have it. (I was one of the first few people who snatched the prints Tria brought to FilReaderCon last November, heh. Had to be quick!)

And yes, that cover’s glorious. Just like Majesty. (Design and watercolor art by Raine Sarmiento.)

What Made Me Stay

From the premise alone, I knew I was staying for the long haul. I have a thing for death-related stories ever since I read Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto and then followed through by Mitch Albom’s The Five People You Meet In Heaven. Tria’s Majesty had a narrative that was easy enough to get into, but difficult to get out of . . . if that even makes sense. You go in, you enjoy the story, and then it ends, but you don’t want it to. After reading, I spent a considerable amount of time just holding on to the book and trying to make sense of how I felt. I was a mess of feels.

[ Full review on Tara Tries to Write. ]

[kb · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading Songs of Our Breakup , I couldn't help but get excited to dive into this one. I knew I was going to get what I expected: an enthralling read that was going to make me keep turning the pages. And I was happy to find it did just that.

WHAT I LIKED about this one was that in spite of being such a short read, it tackles so many things in one smooth flow. There's death, grief, loss, loneliness, coping, the afterlife, new beginnings, even friendship—of course, friendship.

And for someone overly superstitious and deeply fascinated by out-of-this world experiences, I couldn't help but get wrapped into the mystery and strangeness of it all. I could relate to Andy in more ways than one, and I liked how the people around her also had personalities that were unique to them.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE about this book was that it didn't get to expound on its layers, due to the fact that it is short. But it's nothing to lose sleep over. This book is still, all in all, something that I would recommend, not only to Filipino readers, but to readers in general who are looking for stories that highlights the power of beyond.

EXTRA: Majesty reminds me of Alaska from Looking for Alaska .

[S.M. Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this bittersweet little story of loss and love. I have always liked stories with ghosts and I found myself really caring about Andy and hoping the story would end happily for her.

I did struggle a little with respect to timing (flashbacks) in a few spots, and there were a few grammar/ tense hiccups which upset the flow for me a little, but these were only minor distractions from what was a really enjoyable story.

For me, 3.5 rounded up to 4.

[Agay Llanera · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this because the writing felt bold and fresh, as if the writer experienced death and visitations herself (perhaps she did). She wrote with unabashed authority and with so much sincerity, which, I think, was a superb way to tackle this whimsical, sad and hopeful story.

[Ana Valenzuela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes the deepest friendship transcends death itself. :) Yes, sometimes when you are grieving you need someone who understands.

Majesty and Andrea's nickname for each other, 'hon', reminded me of the way my two bestfriends call each other Mahal (never got on it though, lol) .

[Celesta Thiessen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a weird story but I really loved it. I cared about the characters. It made me feel really good. I like it when stories do that <3

[Aira Irish · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the concept and too much feels. I love Majesty and Andy. Soul sisters for life.

[Ewa ❀ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book.

[Florence Joyce Dongael · Rating 3 out of 5]

This will be the second time I’m writing a review for a book bundle, particularly for #StrangeLit. The first one I wrote was for #StrangeLit: Fateful Turns and there, I focused on reviewing the short stories. So for this second book bundle review, I decided to just focus on only one. At first, I said to myself that I’d do the same thing here as the review I wrote for Fateful Turns. But then, I decided against it at the last minute of thinking on what to read and review.

So here I go. My own thoughts after reading Jay E. Tria’s novella Majesty.

This will be the second time I’m reviewing a book that Tria wrote. Though I must say, this novella was shorter than the others she wrote. Anyway, I was glad I was able to read this. I remembered seeing a solo release and the cover reveal about this novella before. At the time, I was already intrigued about the story, especially when I saw the story description. Thanks to this, I managed to finally read it, though it took me five days to finish reading this.

It really isn’t that scary, though. It turned out to be more of a fantasy than a paranormal, in my perception. Maybe because, even if I keep on seeing the word “ghost” and all descriptions pointing to that word in this story, the way Majesty was described here and how she interacted with Andy even after she died made it all okay for me. It was a really beautiful story for me, if you ask me. Though I have some friends who suddenly died and left this world without a word, it’s probably different if that person was really close to you and who accepted you as you are.

I was sort of neutral when the news about a batchmate of mine from college drowned on 2014’s New Year’s Eve. We were close—more like acquaintance. But he was also special in some way to me. When I read this story, I couldn’t help wondering about myself. What would I feel if someone really close to me—the one who changed a great deal about my life—suddenly left me in this world without a word? I never got my answer, but it appeared that Andy and Gale managed to grabbed hold of them.

Andy and Gale were the characters used here to tell something about one’s ability to move on from grief without actually drowning from it and let you take your life. They were described as completely opposite to each other in terms of interacting with people. But it seemed that when Majesty entered their lives, she balanced all that for them. And when Majesty died, it was Andy and Gale’s turn to balance each other’s personality. It was her way of trying to help her friends she left behind to move on.

Though in the end, I have to say that I couldn’t tell if Gale was telling the truth about him and Majesty being in love or it’s just that they have a sort of relationship close to that description. Both Gale and Majesty left slightly vague answer to that. Or maybe that’s just me being too focused on their process to move on from the grief they were feeling.

This is one story that would surely remind me about that time in my life. I kind of regretted not even visiting my batch mate’s wake that time. I sort of developed a certain amount of fear of visiting someone else’s wakes and it gives me nightmares for a few days. I don’t even know why. But I hope someday, just like Andy and Gale, I could be able to visit my batchmate’s grave even if it’s just to say thank you that he became a part of my college life by helping me and my groupmates with our thesis. Now that’s something worth remembering, if you ask me.

Thank you for this novella, Ms. Tria.

[Norielyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is yes and indeed on my PR (personal record), I enjoy the book that I've read it one sitting. I'm not a one-sitting reader. Did I cry, yes, a lot, why, I dont know, maybe at some point I could relate. I like the story as it is short and light to read but of course worthy of the time. I also like how the author chose the names of her characters, so nice reading those names on each and every page and carry on. Read it, this book of friendship and love! A story maybe set as romantic, not normal, fiction story but to me, it is another proof that, "There are as many forms of love as there are moments in time," from Jane Austen, herself. Congratulations again, Jay E. Tria!

[Nica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Majesty is the second book that involves a ghost story that I have read. The first was One More Day by Mitch Albom.
Majesty is beautifully written. Though it involves death, and some parts are heart-breaking, it won’t leave you in a depressed mood. This book shows and gives hope to everyone who experienced losing a loved one. The book has a deeper meaning than just a friend who died and suddenly shows up in her best friend’s room. This is such a short read but it has an impact on me. It shows that every ending leads to a new beginning. It sounds cliché, I know. This is another book that makes me appreciate all the people (family and friends) that I have in my life, the value of life and friendship, and the importance of love. Go ahead, read this book.

[MaryAnne Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I finished Jay E. Tria's Majesty in a single car ride. Yes, traffic was THAT bad the other day and the book was THAT good.

After turning the last page, it left me one big question: why did the nicest book have to be the shortest one? Huhu~3

Putting the book in first-person perspective was a very good decision because it really gave me the chance to look at things through a person's eyes, rather than an all-knowing (and detached!) witness. Her introverted personality was a nice touch, leaving me with these internal screams: "SOMEBODY SAID IT." :))

I like Majesty the way it is -- short, insightful, and in no need of a sequel. Thank you for writing this. <3