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Ghostland World #1
Ghostland
Taken from her home and family, shamaness Aisling McConaughey must enter the "ghostlands" to save a wealthy man's mistress. But there's a price to pay for her power: She must summon the Djinn prince Zurael en Caym-and yield to his savage, sensual rage.
Zurael intends to kill Aisling after she's served as bait to find an enemy in possession of an ancient tablet. But the more he tastes her innocent spirit, the more he'll use his fiery touch to keep her hungry for his mercy-even as they weave an erotic spell that he cannot escape...
Zurael intends to kill Aisling after she's served as bait to find an enemy in possession of an ancient tablet. But the more he tastes her innocent spirit, the more he'll use his fiery touch to keep her hungry for his mercy-even as they weave an erotic spell that he cannot escape...
341 pages, Paperback
First published March 7, 2009
14 people are currently reading
1476 people want to read
About the author
Jory Strong
64 books423 followersJory has been writing since childhood and has never outgrown being a daydreamer. When she's not hunched over her computer, lost in the muse and conjuring up new heroes and heroines, she can usually be found reading, riding her horses, or hiking with her dogs.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
June 7, 2010
I didn't really care about the story but this is what I know: Aisling is a female shaman, who has a pet ferret and then people came and took her with them so she could leave home, live by herself in the house of the previous dead shaman and solve any kind of mystery that involves the dead, the living, everybody. People just keep asking for her to do stuff. The confusing part was that they seemed to live in a time without electricity but this world is actually post-apocalyptic, and I kept forgetting it's set with more or less modern touches. Cars, blow dryers,... all present. Ever time something like that popped up I was surprised, I don't know why really.
To make things more confusing: At a certain point they went to some kind of club called Sinners and then there was a voting thing and then Aisling and Zureal were voted out by a couple who asked them to 'come play' before they even had the chance to take of their coats. They turned down the couple and then they got kicked out. Or something. And then fought and went home. And had sex of course. Lots of times.
I almost fell asleep during those sex scenes, that's how bad it was. It's not because wasn't action packed enough. It's not like I was expecting more gymnastics because believe me, both Aisling and Zurael were trying to make it reaaaaally good. How they managed to make intercourse seem boring is beyond me. Maybe it was all the fuss they made about each other's hair. They kept wanting to wash and comb through it for some reason.
While I was reading this book I felt annoyed by how easily both characters were turned on by each other. Yes instant attraction, I get it. But I've never had the pleasure of having my nipples turn into bullets whenever I see a hot guy. Aisling and him didn't even need to be in the same room for it to happen. She: 'Oh hey, that plant over there sorta kinda looks like Zurael if I squint hard enough... OMG I'M SO AROUSED.' He:'Hmmm linoleum... wow look at the bulge in my pants!' (Thank you Xander, I still love that line) And it was like that constantly. In the first chapter or so, Aisling and Zurael are enemies. But 6 lines into the second chapter they are making the neighbors blush. They didn't talk, they just humped each other a lot. And even during that their conversations didn't go any farther than her moaning 'please' 56 times and he grunted and said her name a lot. Aisling kept having a serious case of 'fluids pooling her folds'. I really don't find that sexy. Seriously, it's called a diaper, use it.
Seriously, I'm not making this up. It is just that ridiculous. I didn't read the entire book, so maybe it got better after where I gave up. Again, this is a book I wanted to like, I mean come on, look at the cover! It's gorgeous!
Arlene, I'm sorry to disappoint you with my links, if I do come up with something appropriate, I'll let you know but probably not. It's more fun when you don't know what's coming ^^
To make things more confusing: At a certain point they went to some kind of club called Sinners and then there was a voting thing and then Aisling and Zureal were voted out by a couple who asked them to 'come play' before they even had the chance to take of their coats. They turned down the couple and then they got kicked out. Or something. And then fought and went home. And had sex of course. Lots of times.
I almost fell asleep during those sex scenes, that's how bad it was. It's not because wasn't action packed enough. It's not like I was expecting more gymnastics because believe me, both Aisling and Zurael were trying to make it reaaaaally good. How they managed to make intercourse seem boring is beyond me. Maybe it was all the fuss they made about each other's hair. They kept wanting to wash and comb through it for some reason.
While I was reading this book I felt annoyed by how easily both characters were turned on by each other. Yes instant attraction, I get it. But I've never had the pleasure of having my nipples turn into bullets whenever I see a hot guy. Aisling and him didn't even need to be in the same room for it to happen. She: 'Oh hey, that plant over there sorta kinda looks like Zurael if I squint hard enough... OMG I'M SO AROUSED.' He:'Hmmm linoleum... wow look at the bulge in my pants!' (Thank you Xander, I still love that line) And it was like that constantly. In the first chapter or so, Aisling and Zurael are enemies. But 6 lines into the second chapter they are making the neighbors blush. They didn't talk, they just humped each other a lot. And even during that their conversations didn't go any farther than her moaning 'please' 56 times and he grunted and said her name a lot. Aisling kept having a serious case of 'fluids pooling her folds'. I really don't find that sexy. Seriously, it's called a diaper, use it.
Seriously, I'm not making this up. It is just that ridiculous. I didn't read the entire book, so maybe it got better after where I gave up. Again, this is a book I wanted to like, I mean come on, look at the cover! It's gorgeous!
Arlene, I'm sorry to disappoint you with my links, if I do come up with something appropriate, I'll let you know but probably not. It's more fun when you don't know what's coming ^^
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 9, 2010
Interesting world-building and what looked like it might have turned out to be a decent plot. However, after the first 50 pages of every-other-page descriptions of "rigid cock" I just couldn't take any more descriptions of stiffening or tented trousers. It is obviously from the first that the male protagonist is going to screw the heroine rather than kill her as he keeps insisting he intends to. The descriptions of the post-apocalyptic Bay Area and shamanistic magical systems are better-written as well, making me thinking this was originally a more straightforward fantasy that some editor told Strong needed to be a "paranormal romance" to sell. Strong apparently couldn't think how to incorporate that except by throwing in lots of mentions of penis and arousal. Too bad.
April 12, 2009
First thing, this is the best cover art I've seen on a genre book in quite a while.
That said I didn't know QUITE what I was getting into with this book. There is a LOT of graphic sex in here, more than I care to read quite frankly, lol. The world was pretty interesting, typical of the genre with a few interesting twists, but there was just too much weird-ass graphic description of "Le Getting-it-on". I started skipping over it when loins would start burning (but that's mild compared to what really was described, ha!) Not MY cup of tea, but if you like your vaginal-urban-fantasy XXX rated, you will enjoy this.
That said I didn't know QUITE what I was getting into with this book. There is a LOT of graphic sex in here, more than I care to read quite frankly, lol. The world was pretty interesting, typical of the genre with a few interesting twists, but there was just too much weird-ass graphic description of "Le Getting-it-on". I started skipping over it when loins would start burning (but that's mild compared to what really was described, ha!) Not MY cup of tea, but if you like your vaginal-urban-fantasy XXX rated, you will enjoy this.
September 20, 2009
In a post-apocalyptic Earth torn asunder by religious wars and now divvied up between the Church and Vampires, Aisling lives a precarious life in more ways than one: not only is she an orphan living on a farm under human "protection" and destruction, but she's also a shamaness, able to walk the Ghostlands where the spirits reside.
It has long been a secret well kept by the woman who took her in and her surrogate family, but nothing can protect her when the Church shows up looking for her. The mayor of Oakland's mistress, Elena, has disappeared and their previous shaman has died. Aisling's given a hollow choice and, taking her pet ferret Aziel, moves to Oakland where she immediately travels into the spirit lands, with Aziel as her guide, to find Elena. When she does, it's clear Elena is a sacrifice of some sort, tied to an alter, naked with symbols painted on her skin while black-robed men prepare to kill her.
Aziel gives her a name to call, and the demon she summons to dispatch the priests is Zurael, a powerful Djinn and son of the Prince of his people. Enraged at being summoned, he determines to kill Aisling before she can bind him to her and her plane. He is given two missions on the Earthly plane: to kill Aisling and to reclaim a tablet the dark priests must have acquired. Fighting his inexplicable physical attraction to Aisling, he realises he must join forces with her to find the priests.
There are two mysteries in this story - to find and kill the maker of Ghost, a drug that takes people into the Ghostlands, leaving their bodies open and vulnerable to possession; and to find and kill the leader of the dark priests who are kidnapping and killing people in Oakland. These two plot lines run unevenly through the narrative, jerking their way through suddenly gifted clues and Aisling's vague realisations of connections that really made no sense to me.
That's the problem with much of this book: plotwise, it was poorly crafted and weakly controlled. Part of the problem might be with the fact that I struggled to read this and kept reading other books in-between, but that wouldn't account for all of its problems, not least of which was how boring it was. It started out promisingly, as all books do when you approach them with no expectations beyond hearing a good story, but quickly deteriorated into a yawn-fest littered with confusing connections that didn't make any sense. Any time the Church was mentioned, it made the least sense. I still have no idea what was going on there because it just wasn't explained in a coherent manner.
The plot wasn't even the most disappointing part. This is an erotic romance, set in a post-apocalyptic world that also constitutes an urban fantasy. That's a lot of sub-genres to cover, but it's doable. The problem is with the erotic romance side. Aisling and Zurael are physically attracted to each other and start having sex because, well, I guess they couldn't resist. They also think about each other a great deal, and there's a lot - a LOT - of descriptions of his penis hardening, her cunt - yes, she uses "cunt" a LOT - clenching and all manner of crudely depicted arousal in-between. The first use of "cunt" jarred me - many words like this were co-opted in a negative way to denigrate women and it follows that taking ownership back shifts that power into women's hands. Well, not with "cunt", not in this medium. It's just not an erotic word. It's harsh and abrasive and technical. I also became extremely tired of hearing how their bodies were aching, clenching, pulsing, throbbing and so on ad nauseum. Not to mention that they would suddenly interrupt a scene by thinking about each other and their own body's responses in many small, bite-sized paragraphs until you completely forgot what the hell was going on, really, and where they even were.
I liked Zurael, but Aisling was so horribly passive she was dull as mud. There was a small amount of growth, wherein she gains some confidence and backbone, but I didn't get her appeal to Zurael and I didn't buy their chemistry, if you could call it that. While the cover is beautiful, it misrepresents Aisling, giving her a seductive, confident, slightly evil look: the direct opposite of her character. Their sexual episodes weren't written well, as if the author's heart just wasn't in it or she was a prude trying to be explicit - which doesn't gel either because she has several books published under Ellora's Cave.
After a slow build-up the two resolutions to the mysteries occur abruptly and, after all Aisling and Zurael's search of clues, come about through no effort on their part. Aisling was just so sweet and passive and tentative, that the book could have gone on indefinitely if the villains hadn't taken matters into their own hands. Like me, they must have got sick of waiting for her to actually do something about it.
The descriptions made it hard for me to visualise the world, and much of it just didn't make sense to me, the way it was described - or not. The Ghostlands themselves were the most captivating part, and I loved the fate of Ilka and Filipe: something I would wish upon the people behind the invasion of Iraq, among others - to be ripped apart by the ghosts of all the people you hurt. It was an especially satisfying end for them because, being wealthy and powerful, they smugly believed they were above everything and everyone and were always in control.
The lovely cover lured me in (it gets an extra star for the cover alone), but the dreadful prose shut me out. A disappointing end to a promising and intriguing premise.
It has long been a secret well kept by the woman who took her in and her surrogate family, but nothing can protect her when the Church shows up looking for her. The mayor of Oakland's mistress, Elena, has disappeared and their previous shaman has died. Aisling's given a hollow choice and, taking her pet ferret Aziel, moves to Oakland where she immediately travels into the spirit lands, with Aziel as her guide, to find Elena. When she does, it's clear Elena is a sacrifice of some sort, tied to an alter, naked with symbols painted on her skin while black-robed men prepare to kill her.
Aziel gives her a name to call, and the demon she summons to dispatch the priests is Zurael, a powerful Djinn and son of the Prince of his people. Enraged at being summoned, he determines to kill Aisling before she can bind him to her and her plane. He is given two missions on the Earthly plane: to kill Aisling and to reclaim a tablet the dark priests must have acquired. Fighting his inexplicable physical attraction to Aisling, he realises he must join forces with her to find the priests.
There are two mysteries in this story - to find and kill the maker of Ghost, a drug that takes people into the Ghostlands, leaving their bodies open and vulnerable to possession; and to find and kill the leader of the dark priests who are kidnapping and killing people in Oakland. These two plot lines run unevenly through the narrative, jerking their way through suddenly gifted clues and Aisling's vague realisations of connections that really made no sense to me.
That's the problem with much of this book: plotwise, it was poorly crafted and weakly controlled. Part of the problem might be with the fact that I struggled to read this and kept reading other books in-between, but that wouldn't account for all of its problems, not least of which was how boring it was. It started out promisingly, as all books do when you approach them with no expectations beyond hearing a good story, but quickly deteriorated into a yawn-fest littered with confusing connections that didn't make any sense. Any time the Church was mentioned, it made the least sense. I still have no idea what was going on there because it just wasn't explained in a coherent manner.
The plot wasn't even the most disappointing part. This is an erotic romance, set in a post-apocalyptic world that also constitutes an urban fantasy. That's a lot of sub-genres to cover, but it's doable. The problem is with the erotic romance side. Aisling and Zurael are physically attracted to each other and start having sex because, well, I guess they couldn't resist. They also think about each other a great deal, and there's a lot - a LOT - of descriptions of his penis hardening, her cunt - yes, she uses "cunt" a LOT - clenching and all manner of crudely depicted arousal in-between. The first use of "cunt" jarred me - many words like this were co-opted in a negative way to denigrate women and it follows that taking ownership back shifts that power into women's hands. Well, not with "cunt", not in this medium. It's just not an erotic word. It's harsh and abrasive and technical. I also became extremely tired of hearing how their bodies were aching, clenching, pulsing, throbbing and so on ad nauseum. Not to mention that they would suddenly interrupt a scene by thinking about each other and their own body's responses in many small, bite-sized paragraphs until you completely forgot what the hell was going on, really, and where they even were.
I liked Zurael, but Aisling was so horribly passive she was dull as mud. There was a small amount of growth, wherein she gains some confidence and backbone, but I didn't get her appeal to Zurael and I didn't buy their chemistry, if you could call it that. While the cover is beautiful, it misrepresents Aisling, giving her a seductive, confident, slightly evil look: the direct opposite of her character. Their sexual episodes weren't written well, as if the author's heart just wasn't in it or she was a prude trying to be explicit - which doesn't gel either because she has several books published under Ellora's Cave.
After a slow build-up the two resolutions to the mysteries occur abruptly and, after all Aisling and Zurael's search of clues, come about through no effort on their part. Aisling was just so sweet and passive and tentative, that the book could have gone on indefinitely if the villains hadn't taken matters into their own hands. Like me, they must have got sick of waiting for her to actually do something about it.
The descriptions made it hard for me to visualise the world, and much of it just didn't make sense to me, the way it was described - or not. The Ghostlands themselves were the most captivating part, and I loved the fate of Ilka and Filipe: something I would wish upon the people behind the invasion of Iraq, among others - to be ripped apart by the ghosts of all the people you hurt. It was an especially satisfying end for them because, being wealthy and powerful, they smugly believed they were above everything and everyone and were always in control.
The lovely cover lured me in (it gets an extra star for the cover alone), but the dreadful prose shut me out. A disappointing end to a promising and intriguing premise.
April 4, 2009
Jory Strong makes her move to mainstream print with "Ghostland" published by Berkley Sensation. I'm a fan and reader of three of her erotica series published by Ellora's Cave so was pleased and interested to see how her voice would translate to more conventional print. "Ghostland" is set in a futuristic paranormal world where money and religion rule in an uneasy and unholy partnership and those with special abilities are marginalized and used by both.
Aisling made the only choice she could. She came out of hiding to save the rest of her 'family' and let herself be taken by a priest into the city of Oakland. She's a shamaness and although she knows she's just being used, there's really nothing she can do to prevent it. All she can do is try to stay alive until she learns more about the strange society she's fallen into. With her 'pet' ferret as her only companion, although he's much more than a pet, she enters the ghostlands to locate the missing mistress of a powerful man. The only way to save the woman was to use the name given to her by her ferret, Zurael. Now she's caught up in a deadly game she doesn't understand with a demon she craves.
Zurael is a Prince of the Djinn. When he's summoned by Aisling he's furious. But now he's on a mission. Recover an ancient lost tablet using Aisling as bait...and kill her when he's done. But it won't take more than a day for Zurael to realize Aisling is just as innocent as he, and much easier to kill.
Not a book for a quick, easy read. There are layers upon layers in Strong's "Ghostland". The world is complex and the different societies are well-delineated but do take a bit of thought to keep straight at first. The heat index is just what I would expect from someone with Strong's background in erotica--smoking. But it was a bit harder for me to warm up to both the hero and heroine of this first book in what is intended to be a series set in the same world. Once again, the initial book of a series takes a bit of a hit due to the necessity of the author to introduce the reader to a whole new universe. And I did wish for a few more pages to enjoy the happy ending. But here's hoping I get a bit more of these two, who I learned to enjoy over the course of the book, in the next release.
And you know what? Looking back, I enjoyed this read. I want to read more. Now I find myself impatient for the release of "Spider-Touched", book two, in August 2009. I want to know more about the 'history' of angels who seem more like demons here, and the church who definitely don't come off as looking out for their fellow man. So if reading a book where angels and organized religion aren't the 'good guys' will make you mad? Pass this series by. Me? I'm hungry for more.
Aisling made the only choice she could. She came out of hiding to save the rest of her 'family' and let herself be taken by a priest into the city of Oakland. She's a shamaness and although she knows she's just being used, there's really nothing she can do to prevent it. All she can do is try to stay alive until she learns more about the strange society she's fallen into. With her 'pet' ferret as her only companion, although he's much more than a pet, she enters the ghostlands to locate the missing mistress of a powerful man. The only way to save the woman was to use the name given to her by her ferret, Zurael. Now she's caught up in a deadly game she doesn't understand with a demon she craves.
Zurael is a Prince of the Djinn. When he's summoned by Aisling he's furious. But now he's on a mission. Recover an ancient lost tablet using Aisling as bait...and kill her when he's done. But it won't take more than a day for Zurael to realize Aisling is just as innocent as he, and much easier to kill.
Not a book for a quick, easy read. There are layers upon layers in Strong's "Ghostland". The world is complex and the different societies are well-delineated but do take a bit of thought to keep straight at first. The heat index is just what I would expect from someone with Strong's background in erotica--smoking. But it was a bit harder for me to warm up to both the hero and heroine of this first book in what is intended to be a series set in the same world. Once again, the initial book of a series takes a bit of a hit due to the necessity of the author to introduce the reader to a whole new universe. And I did wish for a few more pages to enjoy the happy ending. But here's hoping I get a bit more of these two, who I learned to enjoy over the course of the book, in the next release.
And you know what? Looking back, I enjoyed this read. I want to read more. Now I find myself impatient for the release of "Spider-Touched", book two, in August 2009. I want to know more about the 'history' of angels who seem more like demons here, and the church who definitely don't come off as looking out for their fellow man. So if reading a book where angels and organized religion aren't the 'good guys' will make you mad? Pass this series by. Me? I'm hungry for more.
July 17, 2012
1.5 stars, and abandoned. It wasn't that the plot was bad, or the writing that horrible. I just got really tired of reading about Zurael's "rigid cock" busting through his pants page after page.
Maybe I'll write a more detailed review...later...
Maybe I'll write a more detailed review...later...
October 14, 2010
In all honesty I feel quite cheated with regards to this book. I picked it up from the new fantasy section of the store and took it home only to discover that the fantasy plot line is a distant second to the constant sex lack of plot line.
We don't even manage to get through the first chapter before we get our first 'engorged cock'. From there on out the book is full of stiffening, hardening and slickening and it's a miracle if one of the two characters manages to make it through one of the few non-sex scenes without becoming sexually aroused. The sex is very mechanic too, rather like 'insert A in B' and never feels quite natural, which, in turn, left me feeling uncomfortable. It annoyed me to no end that the main character was a strong-willed woman in the big wide world but crumpled into a puddle of begging whenever the story went to the bed room (which it did a lot in case anyone hasn't realised that yet!) The only word she seems to have in her vocabulary then is "please" while her demon lover just grunts and orders her around.
It's a shame because had the author put more emphasis on the story line of finding out who was throwing people into the ghostrealms while this shouldn't be happening, the story could have verged on this side of great . But the clunky sex scenes and the frequent use of the c-word have put me off reading anything more from this author.
We don't even manage to get through the first chapter before we get our first 'engorged cock'. From there on out the book is full of stiffening, hardening and slickening and it's a miracle if one of the two characters manages to make it through one of the few non-sex scenes without becoming sexually aroused. The sex is very mechanic too, rather like 'insert A in B' and never feels quite natural, which, in turn, left me feeling uncomfortable. It annoyed me to no end that the main character was a strong-willed woman in the big wide world but crumpled into a puddle of begging whenever the story went to the bed room (which it did a lot in case anyone hasn't realised that yet!) The only word she seems to have in her vocabulary then is "please" while her demon lover just grunts and orders her around.
It's a shame because had the author put more emphasis on the story line of finding out who was throwing people into the ghostrealms while this shouldn't be happening, the story could have verged on this side of great . But the clunky sex scenes and the frequent use of the c-word have put me off reading anything more from this author.
July 17, 2009
If you can manage to wade past all the boring and repetitive sex, it's not a bad story. I was really into the story right up until the sad little protagonist summoned our friend the djinn, who sported a total hard-on for our sweet little friend while at the same time threatening to kill her.
Oooookay.
In all honesty, I feel like a lot of the more interesting plot points and story development got lost behind all the rampant fucking, what with burning loins and clenching channels and swollen cunt lips (no joke. what made the author think that's a sexy descriptor? yikes.) A lot of the history of the post-apocalyptic world Jory Strong dreamed up was glossed over or just pushed to the side in favor of more stereotypical dom/sub boning that a) wasn't that good to start with and b) got super irritating. A lot of my hows and whys weren't answered at all, just brushed aside. Perhaps we get more answers in later installments? I suppose I'll never know, because this first story in the series utterly failed to hook me.
Oooookay.
In all honesty, I feel like a lot of the more interesting plot points and story development got lost behind all the rampant fucking, what with burning loins and clenching channels and swollen cunt lips (no joke. what made the author think that's a sexy descriptor? yikes.) A lot of the history of the post-apocalyptic world Jory Strong dreamed up was glossed over or just pushed to the side in favor of more stereotypical dom/sub boning that a) wasn't that good to start with and b) got super irritating. A lot of my hows and whys weren't answered at all, just brushed aside. Perhaps we get more answers in later installments? I suppose I'll never know, because this first story in the series utterly failed to hook me.
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September 24, 20163.75 stars
I read this years ago but I never rated it. I remember liking it but at times the writing was confusing & wordy.
Library book
I read this years ago but I never rated it. I remember liking it but at times the writing was confusing & wordy.
Library book
April 30, 2009
Ghostland has a very eye catching cover that gives the reader a good sense about the story inside. Jory Strong has written a post-Apocalyptic tale that deals with fears. These fears are everything from loss, death and isolation. There is a great deal of isolation in Ghostland seen through the eyes of the heroine Aisling McConaughey. Aisling is very special. She is an orphan shamaness who lives on a farm in the outskirts of the city of Oakland, California. Aisling has the ability to walk in the spiritlands, a world where the dead wait for judgment or to be reborn, where they find heaven or hell depending on their belief. The spiritlands, or ghostlands is the afterlife. Think of this more like purgatory, a gateway in between heaven and hell. As a shamaness Aisling bargains for answers and help from these dead.
Aisling lives during a time after The Last War that was started by religious zealots who wanted to cleanse mankind. The date is unknown, but I would say it is a hundred years or so after the war has ended. Because of this war the supernatural creatures such as vampires, werewolves and demons have come out of the shadows. These creatures of myth have taken over the night and because of it, humans lock themselves away in their homes after the sun sets. The United States is no longer what it was. The country, or at least California, is run by martial law. The Church, which is made up of a group of very powerful humans have total control of the remaining human population. The Church needs Aisling’s services and if she doesn’t do what they want, they may kill her and her foster family.
Aisling takes her spirit guardian and pet ferret Aziel with her and will go to Oakland. The only person she can trust for the moment is Father Ursu, a priest who works for the Church. He really does seem to care for her well being. Perhaps it is because he needs her safe and whole for what he has in store for her? Aisling is given shelter and money to buy precious commodities like food. If she excels at the services expected of her, she can keep the house and remain in Oakland in safe keeping under the watchful eye of the Church.
An important woman by the name of Elena has disappeared. They need Aisling to find her either alive or if her soul has left and entered into the spiritlands. When Ailsing returns to the spiritlands she sees some dark-robed men wearing goat heads about to sacrifice Elena. Aisling has no choice but to summon a demon to stop them. She calls for Zurael en Caym, son of the dark prince. Because she has summoned Zurael she can command him at will.
Zurael saves Elena by killing the goat headed men. But that means he is at Aisling’s beck and call until she decide she is done with him. Zurael is not just a demon but also a Djinn. He hates Aisling because she has such power over him. When the time is right, he will kill her. The thought of being tied to a human, a child of mud, as he thinks of her is unfathomable. Zurael finds out that the dark priest that he killed was trying to summon an entity from the spiritlands and make it human. Because he stopped this sacrifice Zurael is given an important task where he must retrieve an ancient stone tablet that has been lost to the Djinn. In order for Zurael to search Oakland for this tablet he must remain with Aisling. For the time being he won’t kill her.
Aisling is not sure how to handle the present situation she is in. She has accomplished what she was set out to do, but now she has a beautiful and powerful demon male basically as her slave. All she wishes for is to have her old life back, but now that is no longer possible. And when Elena comes to Aisling asking her to investigate her kidnapping, Aisling again has no choice; she must accept. Part of it has to do with the type of person Aisling is. She wants to help those around her even if she may endanger her life. What Elena wants Aisling to do may kill her because she must venture into a world filled with kinky sex and drugs. The drug of choice is called Ghost. A person takes Ghost and will find themselves in the spiritlands to enjoy the kinky S&M type pleasures that await them there. Elena was ghosting when she was taken and wants to know why. The spirits that walk in the spirtlands also want Elena to find those who are creating Ghost and kill them.
Aisling may be able to go back and forth into the spiritlands, but she is still fragile on the mortal plane. Zurael becomes very protective of Aisling and begins to care for her because of her giving nature. Something as simple as Aisling sharing her meager food with Aziel and himself really touches Zurael. Zurael will aid her in her quest. Soon they are waking a fine line between the dead and the living. Something more powerful then the Church wants Aisling. Aisling and Zurael have entered into a very dark world where reality and fantasy become one. And Aisling’s fantasies are become more real because Zurael is hungry for Aisling’s tender flesh where he can give her endless pleasures in his arms.
Ghostland is a complex and descriptive world filled with desperation and the unholy needs people have. Jory Strong really does a great job with her writing. Her world building is great and the story is intense. Not only is there a paranormal element, but there is fantasy and some really hot sex scenes between Aisling and Zurael. Some may call this an Urban Fantasy because of the setting, but this is more of an Urban Fantasy Romance. Perhaps even an Urban Fantasy Erotica. Aisling is a worthy heroine but she is very different from those other types of heroines in the past Urban Fantasies I have read. She is a bit too quite and broken in a way. Every trip to the ghostlands drains her. Some may think she is a victim because of the situation she has been placed in, and if Zurael wasn’t there to save her, Aisling may have not survived. I wouldn’t say Aisling is weak but she comes across scarred and emotionally unattached, as if she doesn’t know how to interact with those around her.
Zurael is definitely an alpha male who looks out for Aisling’s best interests, but when it comes to sex, he pushes her to the limits. From the moment he meets Aisling, he is all over her. The lust he has for Aisling is intense and she feels the same way. I was a bit surprised by how quickly Aisling was open to having sex with Zurael because she keeps everyone at a distance. But Zurael is larger than life and won’t be ignored.
I assumed Aisling was a virgin but the first time she was with Zurael you would think otherwise. There is a great deal of hard nipples and wet panties for Aisling. Aisling must have gone through a great deal of panties in a few days because they were always wet. That is mentioned many times so we won’t be able to forget her need for Zurael. Zurael is hard all over and even in the sign of danger he wants Aisling. These two have a great deal of sex and is the typical fare with a great deal of shuddering and thrusting. Even though Zurael doesn’t kiss Aisling on the mouth there is still a lot of tongue action on his end. He can’t kiss Aisling on the mouth because he is afraid he will lose his soul to her if she takes in his breath. But he is more than fine with enjoying some 69 action with her, that oh so naughty scene that pops up from time to time in romance. For some reason I find that act much more intimate than kissing. I guess someone stealing your breath is more serious than both drinking in each other’s sex fluids.
Ghostland is a strong debut by Jory Strong, who has a background in writing erotic romance. I would say that Jory is one author to watch for 2009. I was surprised how much I enjoyed reading Ghostland even with all the mention of lusting and weeping body parts. Urban fantasy fans will want to give this one a try.
Aisling lives during a time after The Last War that was started by religious zealots who wanted to cleanse mankind. The date is unknown, but I would say it is a hundred years or so after the war has ended. Because of this war the supernatural creatures such as vampires, werewolves and demons have come out of the shadows. These creatures of myth have taken over the night and because of it, humans lock themselves away in their homes after the sun sets. The United States is no longer what it was. The country, or at least California, is run by martial law. The Church, which is made up of a group of very powerful humans have total control of the remaining human population. The Church needs Aisling’s services and if she doesn’t do what they want, they may kill her and her foster family.
Aisling takes her spirit guardian and pet ferret Aziel with her and will go to Oakland. The only person she can trust for the moment is Father Ursu, a priest who works for the Church. He really does seem to care for her well being. Perhaps it is because he needs her safe and whole for what he has in store for her? Aisling is given shelter and money to buy precious commodities like food. If she excels at the services expected of her, she can keep the house and remain in Oakland in safe keeping under the watchful eye of the Church.
An important woman by the name of Elena has disappeared. They need Aisling to find her either alive or if her soul has left and entered into the spiritlands. When Ailsing returns to the spiritlands she sees some dark-robed men wearing goat heads about to sacrifice Elena. Aisling has no choice but to summon a demon to stop them. She calls for Zurael en Caym, son of the dark prince. Because she has summoned Zurael she can command him at will.
Zurael saves Elena by killing the goat headed men. But that means he is at Aisling’s beck and call until she decide she is done with him. Zurael is not just a demon but also a Djinn. He hates Aisling because she has such power over him. When the time is right, he will kill her. The thought of being tied to a human, a child of mud, as he thinks of her is unfathomable. Zurael finds out that the dark priest that he killed was trying to summon an entity from the spiritlands and make it human. Because he stopped this sacrifice Zurael is given an important task where he must retrieve an ancient stone tablet that has been lost to the Djinn. In order for Zurael to search Oakland for this tablet he must remain with Aisling. For the time being he won’t kill her.
Aisling is not sure how to handle the present situation she is in. She has accomplished what she was set out to do, but now she has a beautiful and powerful demon male basically as her slave. All she wishes for is to have her old life back, but now that is no longer possible. And when Elena comes to Aisling asking her to investigate her kidnapping, Aisling again has no choice; she must accept. Part of it has to do with the type of person Aisling is. She wants to help those around her even if she may endanger her life. What Elena wants Aisling to do may kill her because she must venture into a world filled with kinky sex and drugs. The drug of choice is called Ghost. A person takes Ghost and will find themselves in the spiritlands to enjoy the kinky S&M type pleasures that await them there. Elena was ghosting when she was taken and wants to know why. The spirits that walk in the spirtlands also want Elena to find those who are creating Ghost and kill them.
Aisling may be able to go back and forth into the spiritlands, but she is still fragile on the mortal plane. Zurael becomes very protective of Aisling and begins to care for her because of her giving nature. Something as simple as Aisling sharing her meager food with Aziel and himself really touches Zurael. Zurael will aid her in her quest. Soon they are waking a fine line between the dead and the living. Something more powerful then the Church wants Aisling. Aisling and Zurael have entered into a very dark world where reality and fantasy become one. And Aisling’s fantasies are become more real because Zurael is hungry for Aisling’s tender flesh where he can give her endless pleasures in his arms.
Ghostland is a complex and descriptive world filled with desperation and the unholy needs people have. Jory Strong really does a great job with her writing. Her world building is great and the story is intense. Not only is there a paranormal element, but there is fantasy and some really hot sex scenes between Aisling and Zurael. Some may call this an Urban Fantasy because of the setting, but this is more of an Urban Fantasy Romance. Perhaps even an Urban Fantasy Erotica. Aisling is a worthy heroine but she is very different from those other types of heroines in the past Urban Fantasies I have read. She is a bit too quite and broken in a way. Every trip to the ghostlands drains her. Some may think she is a victim because of the situation she has been placed in, and if Zurael wasn’t there to save her, Aisling may have not survived. I wouldn’t say Aisling is weak but she comes across scarred and emotionally unattached, as if she doesn’t know how to interact with those around her.
Zurael is definitely an alpha male who looks out for Aisling’s best interests, but when it comes to sex, he pushes her to the limits. From the moment he meets Aisling, he is all over her. The lust he has for Aisling is intense and she feels the same way. I was a bit surprised by how quickly Aisling was open to having sex with Zurael because she keeps everyone at a distance. But Zurael is larger than life and won’t be ignored.
I assumed Aisling was a virgin but the first time she was with Zurael you would think otherwise. There is a great deal of hard nipples and wet panties for Aisling. Aisling must have gone through a great deal of panties in a few days because they were always wet. That is mentioned many times so we won’t be able to forget her need for Zurael. Zurael is hard all over and even in the sign of danger he wants Aisling. These two have a great deal of sex and is the typical fare with a great deal of shuddering and thrusting. Even though Zurael doesn’t kiss Aisling on the mouth there is still a lot of tongue action on his end. He can’t kiss Aisling on the mouth because he is afraid he will lose his soul to her if she takes in his breath. But he is more than fine with enjoying some 69 action with her, that oh so naughty scene that pops up from time to time in romance. For some reason I find that act much more intimate than kissing. I guess someone stealing your breath is more serious than both drinking in each other’s sex fluids.
Ghostland is a strong debut by Jory Strong, who has a background in writing erotic romance. I would say that Jory is one author to watch for 2009. I was surprised how much I enjoyed reading Ghostland even with all the mention of lusting and weeping body parts. Urban fantasy fans will want to give this one a try.
June 30, 2024
4.5 stars
February 15, 2018
Personajes: Aisling & Zurael
Mascota: Aziel
Ocupacion: Shamaness & Djinn
Mascota: Aziel
Ocupacion: Shamaness & Djinn
February 17, 2012
Ghostland is book you will most certainly enjoy if you're a fantasy lover. I myself don't read fantasy as much I would want to and this one makes me pick 'em up more.
First, let me say that right now, when I think about it, I have NO idea why I picked this book up. Yes, there are many different things I was attracted to, but I'm always careful and very picky with what I read. And let me tell you, at different point through reading this I wanted to give it a 1 star and then a 5 star, and then 3 stars. It was so.. turbulent. I still want to give it 5 stars because I loved the world of this book, all the creatures and laws, history, organization, the setup. It's totally cool like every fantasy I watched (as a movie) or read (think Harry Potter and especially LOTR cool!)
This book is a lot of things mixed up. It has ghosts, vampires(I loved the part with them), demons (Dijnns), angels, werewolves, shape shifters... And shamans! Now shamans are the most interesting part (our heroine Aisling is a shaman) They have amazing and interesting powers. All in all, the mythology is just breathtaking. If you love a good fantasy world, you'll devour this. What I didn't like, regarding this, is the complexity of rules of this book. You know that feeling, when you read a fantasy and it's all so mixed up, it's takes many books, knowledge and ability to get used to it. It was sometimes too much.
Next: We don't get just urban fantasy, we get post apocalyptic. What you need to know is - chaos rules, the day ruled by the Church and secret organizations, the night by predators. Also, you have sex clubs, dangerous drugs, creepy religious rituals and much more. (getting tired? hah, there's a lot more)
Another thing I didn't quite enjoy - there's a lot of mystery. The WHOLE book is about mystery of the Ghost, Aislings' parents and her pet Aziel, the killings, abductions and so on and so on.
And look how much I've been writing and I didn't even get to the characters: Aisling and Zurael - they're just wow wow wow. Their romance was explosive and so sweet and so beautiful. It's because of them I wanted to give this 5 stars. Aisling is this strong shamaness - strong not just in the ability but in character too. And Zurael is a demon, a Djinn - so dangerous and powerful, the son of the Prince, but also passionate, kind and protective. Ugh, I just loved them!!!
So - if you are a fan of fantasy, dystopia, mystery and sweet romance with erotica, look no further, this is heaven for you.
First, let me say that right now, when I think about it, I have NO idea why I picked this book up. Yes, there are many different things I was attracted to, but I'm always careful and very picky with what I read. And let me tell you, at different point through reading this I wanted to give it a 1 star and then a 5 star, and then 3 stars. It was so.. turbulent. I still want to give it 5 stars because I loved the world of this book, all the creatures and laws, history, organization, the setup. It's totally cool like every fantasy I watched (as a movie) or read (think Harry Potter and especially LOTR cool!)
This book is a lot of things mixed up. It has ghosts, vampires(I loved the part with them), demons (Dijnns), angels, werewolves, shape shifters... And shamans! Now shamans are the most interesting part (our heroine Aisling is a shaman) They have amazing and interesting powers. All in all, the mythology is just breathtaking. If you love a good fantasy world, you'll devour this. What I didn't like, regarding this, is the complexity of rules of this book. You know that feeling, when you read a fantasy and it's all so mixed up, it's takes many books, knowledge and ability to get used to it. It was sometimes too much.
Next: We don't get just urban fantasy, we get post apocalyptic. What you need to know is - chaos rules, the day ruled by the Church and secret organizations, the night by predators. Also, you have sex clubs, dangerous drugs, creepy religious rituals and much more. (getting tired? hah, there's a lot more)
Another thing I didn't quite enjoy - there's a lot of mystery. The WHOLE book is about mystery of the Ghost, Aislings' parents and her pet Aziel, the killings, abductions and so on and so on.
And look how much I've been writing and I didn't even get to the characters: Aisling and Zurael - they're just wow wow wow. Their romance was explosive and so sweet and so beautiful. It's because of them I wanted to give this 5 stars. Aisling is this strong shamaness - strong not just in the ability but in character too. And Zurael is a demon, a Djinn - so dangerous and powerful, the son of the Prince, but also passionate, kind and protective. Ugh, I just loved them!!!
So - if you are a fan of fantasy, dystopia, mystery and sweet romance with erotica, look no further, this is heaven for you.
June 23, 2012
If you want erotica with a badass storyline and well written plot, you could do better than E.L. James's Fifty Shades Trilogy. James has nothing on Jory Strong.
I've found my Tumblr entry when I was in the process of reading it back in 2010.
I discovered this book through an officemate who sat beside my station looking for a new e-book to read during office hours. She was finishing this book and I was quite intrigued. I’ve started reading it today and got so absorbed that I direly wished I sent a copy of the e-book to my personal email. :|
Imma get back to it tomorrow at work.
On a side note, don’t do this at work..or don’t let your boss find out! It’s seldom that they allow reading non-related files during office hours. :))
Here’s a teaser I found in Google but I don’t recommend it to my younger followers. An R-18 book, hoho. Sorry. (Ahhh, the perks of being twenty XDD)
Welcome to a postapocalyptic world, where the afterlife holds beings that only the bravest can summon-or dare to desire.
Taken from her home and family, shamaness Aisling McConaughey must enter the “ghostlands” to save a wealthy man’s mistress. But there’s a price to pay for her power: She must summon the Djinn prince Zurael en Caym-and yield to his savage, sensual rage.
Zurael intends to kill Aisling after she’s served as bait to find an enemy in possession of an ancient tablet. But the more he tastes her innocent spirit, the more he’ll use his fiery touch to keep her hungry for his mercy-even as they weave an erotic spell that he cannot escape…
Yummy. Can’t wait to get back in the office tomorrow. Hah! ;))
http://jishifruit.tumblr.com/post/913...
And I realize I have a weakness for dystopic novels.
I've found my Tumblr entry when I was in the process of reading it back in 2010.
I discovered this book through an officemate who sat beside my station looking for a new e-book to read during office hours. She was finishing this book and I was quite intrigued. I’ve started reading it today and got so absorbed that I direly wished I sent a copy of the e-book to my personal email. :|
Imma get back to it tomorrow at work.
On a side note, don’t do this at work..or don’t let your boss find out! It’s seldom that they allow reading non-related files during office hours. :))
Here’s a teaser I found in Google but I don’t recommend it to my younger followers. An R-18 book, hoho. Sorry. (Ahhh, the perks of being twenty XDD)
Welcome to a postapocalyptic world, where the afterlife holds beings that only the bravest can summon-or dare to desire.
Taken from her home and family, shamaness Aisling McConaughey must enter the “ghostlands” to save a wealthy man’s mistress. But there’s a price to pay for her power: She must summon the Djinn prince Zurael en Caym-and yield to his savage, sensual rage.
Zurael intends to kill Aisling after she’s served as bait to find an enemy in possession of an ancient tablet. But the more he tastes her innocent spirit, the more he’ll use his fiery touch to keep her hungry for his mercy-even as they weave an erotic spell that he cannot escape…
Yummy. Can’t wait to get back in the office tomorrow. Hah! ;))
http://jishifruit.tumblr.com/post/913...
And I realize I have a weakness for dystopic novels.
September 21, 2014
3.5 Stars
Posted on Swept Away Again
Taken from her home and family, shamaness Aisling McConaughey must enter the "ghostlands" to save a wealthy man's mistress. But there's a price to pay for her power: She must summon the Djinn prince Zurael en Caym-and yield to his savage, sensual rage.
Zurael intends to kill Aisling after she's served as bait to find an enemy in possession of an ancient tablet. But the more he tastes her innocent spirit, the more he'll use his fiery touch to keep her hungry for his mercy-even as they weave an erotic spell that he cannot escape.
The world has changed and the Ghostland World series is post apocalyptic and full of humans and non humans such as shifters, witches, shamans, djinn, angels and others.
I really liked Ghostland it was addictive and interesting and something new and very different for a paranormal romance. The characters Ms Strong creates in Ghostland are raw and savage. So really is the storyline with Ghostland. Aisling is a shamaness and can travel to the spirit world 'ghostlands' and talk to the dead, however when she is asked to do this to prevent the murder of a young woman Aisling calls upon Zurael not knowing the consequences of asking for his help. Zurael is the prince of the djinn and when his father the king learns that he was summoned he gives Zurael one chance to kill the human that summoned him. Instead Zurael is intrigued with Aisling and as the plot thickens their relationship changes. Really, really enjoyed Ghostland. Gobbled it up in one sitting. In rawness it reminded me a little of Kit Rocha's Beyond series. Where not everything is as it seems and loyalty is earned.
Posted on Swept Away Again
Taken from her home and family, shamaness Aisling McConaughey must enter the "ghostlands" to save a wealthy man's mistress. But there's a price to pay for her power: She must summon the Djinn prince Zurael en Caym-and yield to his savage, sensual rage.
Zurael intends to kill Aisling after she's served as bait to find an enemy in possession of an ancient tablet. But the more he tastes her innocent spirit, the more he'll use his fiery touch to keep her hungry for his mercy-even as they weave an erotic spell that he cannot escape.
The world has changed and the Ghostland World series is post apocalyptic and full of humans and non humans such as shifters, witches, shamans, djinn, angels and others.
I really liked Ghostland it was addictive and interesting and something new and very different for a paranormal romance. The characters Ms Strong creates in Ghostland are raw and savage. So really is the storyline with Ghostland. Aisling is a shamaness and can travel to the spirit world 'ghostlands' and talk to the dead, however when she is asked to do this to prevent the murder of a young woman Aisling calls upon Zurael not knowing the consequences of asking for his help. Zurael is the prince of the djinn and when his father the king learns that he was summoned he gives Zurael one chance to kill the human that summoned him. Instead Zurael is intrigued with Aisling and as the plot thickens their relationship changes. Really, really enjoyed Ghostland. Gobbled it up in one sitting. In rawness it reminded me a little of Kit Rocha's Beyond series. Where not everything is as it seems and loyalty is earned.
November 14, 2009
I really enjoyed reading this book.
Post-apocalyptic California where after a cataclysmic war/disaster, supernaturals have come out and rule the night. In the day time, the rich congregate in cities and the poor work like serfs in the outlying country. The church plays political games while condemning supernaturals.
One of those serfs, Aisling, a shamaness (one who can talk to ghosts and enter the ghostland; a kind of metaphysical place of death) is taken from her farm by the church and caught up in the struggle for power in San Francisco. She calls upon a demon to help her save a sacrificial victim, and is caught up in not only the mundane struggle for power and influence in the city, but the struggle for the djinn (actually the demon she called up) to stay free of humanity's power to bind and summon them.
The djinn and Aisling are of course attracted to eachother. And as they unravel the mystery of why citizens and other shamans in the city are dying, their relationship develops.
The world in this book is well thought out, the characters real and well-rounded. The tangled political mystery draws you in and challenges you to read the clues, and the romantic relationship between Aisling and the djinn is believable.
This is an erotic novel. Unlike many that I have read, the attraction they feel for eachother is problematical and not an overwheling rush they have to surrender all their will. The sex scenes indeed do further their relationship and character development.
Very nice. Will definitely try to read further books set in the world of Ghostlands.
Post-apocalyptic California where after a cataclysmic war/disaster, supernaturals have come out and rule the night. In the day time, the rich congregate in cities and the poor work like serfs in the outlying country. The church plays political games while condemning supernaturals.
One of those serfs, Aisling, a shamaness (one who can talk to ghosts and enter the ghostland; a kind of metaphysical place of death) is taken from her farm by the church and caught up in the struggle for power in San Francisco. She calls upon a demon to help her save a sacrificial victim, and is caught up in not only the mundane struggle for power and influence in the city, but the struggle for the djinn (actually the demon she called up) to stay free of humanity's power to bind and summon them.
The djinn and Aisling are of course attracted to eachother. And as they unravel the mystery of why citizens and other shamans in the city are dying, their relationship develops.
The world in this book is well thought out, the characters real and well-rounded. The tangled political mystery draws you in and challenges you to read the clues, and the romantic relationship between Aisling and the djinn is believable.
This is an erotic novel. Unlike many that I have read, the attraction they feel for eachother is problematical and not an overwheling rush they have to surrender all their will. The sex scenes indeed do further their relationship and character development.
Very nice. Will definitely try to read further books set in the world of Ghostlands.
June 5, 2011
Shamaness Aisling McConaughey is taken from the safety of the only home she has known, to help find the mistress of a wealthy man. She knows her life will never be the same after she leaves the safety of the farm for Ghostland.
She is able to use her power and spirits to find the woman, Elena. When she finds her, she is about to be sacrificed by dark priests. Her pet ferret/Spirit guardian, Aziel is able to communicate with her while in the spirit world and he gives her a name to call. The help comes in the form of a Djinn Prince, Zurael en Caym. He is livid at being summoned and after disposing of the dark priests tries to kill her. She is able to survive. He vows to find her and make her pay. He is also instructed by his father to find an ancient table in the human wold.
Elena convinces Aisling to help her find her kidnappers. She tells her about a drug called Ghost that can take you to the spirit lands. Elena was under the influence of Ghost when she was taken. The Spirits want Aisling to find the makers and destroy them.
Zurael joins forces with Aisling to discover the makers of the drug and to stop the dark rituals involving human sacrifices.They also have to fight their attraction for each other.
In this post apocalyptic world, no one is safe after dark, supernaturals are frown upon or taken advantage off.
This new world is enticing but I thought that many of the sex scenes were unnecessary.
2/5 Fangs
cross posted at my blog http://mrsleifs.blogspot.com
She is able to use her power and spirits to find the woman, Elena. When she finds her, she is about to be sacrificed by dark priests. Her pet ferret/Spirit guardian, Aziel is able to communicate with her while in the spirit world and he gives her a name to call. The help comes in the form of a Djinn Prince, Zurael en Caym. He is livid at being summoned and after disposing of the dark priests tries to kill her. She is able to survive. He vows to find her and make her pay. He is also instructed by his father to find an ancient table in the human wold.
Elena convinces Aisling to help her find her kidnappers. She tells her about a drug called Ghost that can take you to the spirit lands. Elena was under the influence of Ghost when she was taken. The Spirits want Aisling to find the makers and destroy them.
Zurael joins forces with Aisling to discover the makers of the drug and to stop the dark rituals involving human sacrifices.They also have to fight their attraction for each other.
In this post apocalyptic world, no one is safe after dark, supernaturals are frown upon or taken advantage off.
This new world is enticing but I thought that many of the sex scenes were unnecessary.
2/5 Fangs
cross posted at my blog http://mrsleifs.blogspot.com
March 16, 2011
I'd actually probably give this 3.75 instead of 4 but it's more than a 3 so there you go.
I really like the story. It was complex and told well. There was a lot if mystery and intrigue and I liked the concept of the ghostlands - very unusual.
What I didn't like was the constant sexual escapades. I don't mind if it blends with the story, but this was constantly to where I just wanted to yell at them "Focus people, focus"! I found myself annoyed because it kept taking me away from the main story. Honestly, I'd say this book is 40% urban fantasy and 60% erotica. I'll read the next at some point but I hope it focuses more on the story that's underneath all the sex.
I really like the story. It was complex and told well. There was a lot if mystery and intrigue and I liked the concept of the ghostlands - very unusual.
What I didn't like was the constant sexual escapades. I don't mind if it blends with the story, but this was constantly to where I just wanted to yell at them "Focus people, focus"! I found myself annoyed because it kept taking me away from the main story. Honestly, I'd say this book is 40% urban fantasy and 60% erotica. I'll read the next at some point but I hope it focuses more on the story that's underneath all the sex.
April 22, 2009
Actually, this book wasn't bad at all. The sex was a little overpowering at first, and the word cock was used way too much, but the story was interesting enough to keep me going. It is probably the beginning of a series, from the tone of the ending of the book, and I may look up the next one just to see what happens. A fun read, with lots of steamy parts.
April 28, 2013
Good story i just sometimes had the feeling like two ppl was writing this book...one that i liked and the other that i didn't.
The idea dough is nice and fresh,it kept me interesting and although i skipped a lot of parts the overall feeling is positive and i am looking forward to read more from this author.
The idea dough is nice and fresh,it kept me interesting and although i skipped a lot of parts the overall feeling is positive and i am looking forward to read more from this author.
September 17, 2013
Very sexy book. The post-apocalyptic world is well drawn with new forces that humans must deal with. There are witches, shamans, vampires, werewolves, genies, demons and other things that pop-up. It is not easy to know who are the bad guys. The sex is fairly graphic but the story line moves along nicely.
March 10, 2015
I quickly read through this book. I loved this urban fantasy that defiantly has erotic undertones. Then again I love everything Jory Strong writes so this was a given good read. Just like I like. Can't wait till the next one that is already on my TBR shelf. Whoohoo.
August 12, 2024
I read this book a long time ago, and saw it on my bookshelf and so decided, "Ah, why not?"
What I can remember the first time I read it, I couldn't really stomach it much.
Now, I see that this was a pretty good book. There are some grammar choices that are *curious*, but the overall plot and story was honestly fantastic. Years later, this book had me guessing until the last couple of chapters.
I haven't had that kind of rush of excitement with a book in a while!
Aisling's character felt like it didn't have much of an arch, though. She does learn from past mistakes and does grow, but it feels subtle by the end of it. And her naivety is a major part in what keeps you guessing throughout the whole book.
The MMC's lack of information also helps in keeping things on the DL. But man, when you get to the end, it's explosive. All of the loose ends are tightened in the last two chapters.
I liked it. It may feel rushed to others, but I think it was great the way the author made it a point to not miss a single thing.
What I can remember the first time I read it, I couldn't really stomach it much.
Now, I see that this was a pretty good book. There are some grammar choices that are *curious*, but the overall plot and story was honestly fantastic. Years later, this book had me guessing until the last couple of chapters.
I haven't had that kind of rush of excitement with a book in a while!
Aisling's character felt like it didn't have much of an arch, though. She does learn from past mistakes and does grow, but it feels subtle by the end of it. And her naivety is a major part in what keeps you guessing throughout the whole book.
The MMC's lack of information also helps in keeping things on the DL. But man, when you get to the end, it's explosive. All of the loose ends are tightened in the last two chapters.
I liked it. It may feel rushed to others, but I think it was great the way the author made it a point to not miss a single thing.
December 16, 2017
This is an odd book that kept me coming back. Like I do with most Strong books, I skip a lot of repetitive and not very erotic sex scenes - they just really get old. The story itself was a surprise and I will continue reading the second. There is a post death existence called Ghostland where souls spend varying lengths of time. I would compare it to purgatory. What we might call "devil" are the demon kingdoms where the view is maybe less evil than I expected. Zurael is the heir to that kingdom but is called by Aisling, who can travel to the Ghostlands. Big mysteries. Who really is Aisling? An orphan dropped at a farm in a post apocalyptic world where vampires and weres come out of the shadows. Who is Aziel, her pet? Very complicated but intriguing.
May 31, 2009
Reviewed by Marisa O’Neill
Publisher: Penguin
3.5 Stars
After reading Ghostland I had to take a breath. A compelling and well written paranormal romance, Ghostland is a unique and fascinating tale of a post-apocalyptic world filled with other worldly creatures and danger in the here and now.
Jory Strong delivers a strong and powerful book about a world in the aftermath of death and destruction; a world where only the rich, powerful and connected have a chance at a life worth living. It is a bleak world, stark and filled with treachery and deceit. The darkness is almost palpable. I had a very strong reaction to the almost oppressive construct of this world and the mythology that Ms. Strong has created. It reminded me a great deal of the world created by Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. Not in any specific sense, but in a more general sense. Ghostland has a pervasive sense of foreboding. This is not a bad thing. As a matter of a fact, I was surprised that it evoked these feelings at all. On the back cover blurb there is much reference to the fact that it is an erotic romance and a ‘passionate story’ with ‘never a dull moment’ where you should be prepared to be ‘in a constant state of arousal’. Now I must say there is a very strong sexual element between the protagonists, and the romance is one of the central foundations of this book. However it was the world that Ms. Strong placed her characters in that really shook me up. It also made me question what I want when I read a romance book. More and more authors are giving us such amazing and well crafted books that encompass so much more than a story whose central focus is one man, one woman and their happily ever after (HEA). The world building in many romances, particularly paranormal romances, has become intricate and intense. Ghostland is that ‘breed’ of book.
As with all paranormal books the supernatural element is right in the forefront. In this post-apocalyptic world people with supernatural powers are no longer in hiding, yet they are regulated and used by the rich, the powerful and the Church. The book opens with a chapter that immediately gives you a clear sense of the world you’re about to immerse yourself in. You can feel it.
“FEAR rolled through the San Joaquin farmland with the rumble of a heavy truck. Children were called in from their chores and women abandoned their laundry without putting it on the lines. Heavy doors and barred windows were closed and locked as prayers were said to whatever gods might still linger in a world altered forever by war-born plague.”
Aisling McConaughey is one of those people who live on farm in San Joaquin and the truck roaring through the country side is coming for her. Aisling was an orphan left on the front door of a farm, her parentage is unknown but she is a woman with supernatural powers; a shamaness who can walk in the ghostlands. The ghostlands are where the dead wait for “judgments or rebirth …”. It is a place where she can question the dead who are still in a state of limbo and find answers for those still living. The men who have come for her, need her to walk in the ghostlands and find a missing woman.
Going to the ghostlands is not an easy task and always exacts a price. With her familiar by her side, Aisling travels to the ghostlands and sees a vision of the woman she seeks in the midst of a deadly ritual and about to loose her life. Since Aisling has no physical presence in the ghostlands she is powerless to help the woman about to be sacrificed. Her familiar begs her to call upon a spirit, the Djinn prince Zurael en Caym. Zurael answers her summons and saves the woman; however no human as ever had the power to summon him. Her ability to summon him means she holds power over him that could destroy his life. This is Zuarel’s greatest fear, to be bound to the will of human. Throughout his existence Zurael has known that to be called to the will of a human, would mean his destruction. His only recourse is to kill Aisling. However, the plot twists again when he finds out that an artifact that can destroy his race is missing and he must use Aisling if he is to find it. Set on his mission, Zurael appears in the human world to find Aisling, use her to get the artifact and then destroy her.
The mythology and rules of the world Ms. Strong has built are very elaborate and intricate and sometimes confusing. There is a lot of action in this book and many characters are introduced. I had to slow down sometimes and re-group to find the threads. That being said she has created strong characters that follow a through line that adheres to their back story. And while their motivations are not always clear, they do tend to strengthen the story line. Her prose when describing the places and people in it are textured in such a way that you can easily visualize each scene. The relationship between Aisling and Zuarel is at turns both frightening and endearing. She’s created a heroine who has a quiet sense of self that is just awakening. Her youth and inexperience coupled with her sense of right and wrong is a good counterpart to Zurael’s commanding and authoritative power. The book ends with an HEA and on a hopeful note between Zuarel and Aisling but with a big question mark for the world as a whole. It left the door wide open for the next installment. I am curious and eager to find out what happens to the rest of the people in this stark world where a good life has a chance at re-birth.
Publisher: Penguin
3.5 Stars
After reading Ghostland I had to take a breath. A compelling and well written paranormal romance, Ghostland is a unique and fascinating tale of a post-apocalyptic world filled with other worldly creatures and danger in the here and now.
Jory Strong delivers a strong and powerful book about a world in the aftermath of death and destruction; a world where only the rich, powerful and connected have a chance at a life worth living. It is a bleak world, stark and filled with treachery and deceit. The darkness is almost palpable. I had a very strong reaction to the almost oppressive construct of this world and the mythology that Ms. Strong has created. It reminded me a great deal of the world created by Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. Not in any specific sense, but in a more general sense. Ghostland has a pervasive sense of foreboding. This is not a bad thing. As a matter of a fact, I was surprised that it evoked these feelings at all. On the back cover blurb there is much reference to the fact that it is an erotic romance and a ‘passionate story’ with ‘never a dull moment’ where you should be prepared to be ‘in a constant state of arousal’. Now I must say there is a very strong sexual element between the protagonists, and the romance is one of the central foundations of this book. However it was the world that Ms. Strong placed her characters in that really shook me up. It also made me question what I want when I read a romance book. More and more authors are giving us such amazing and well crafted books that encompass so much more than a story whose central focus is one man, one woman and their happily ever after (HEA). The world building in many romances, particularly paranormal romances, has become intricate and intense. Ghostland is that ‘breed’ of book.
As with all paranormal books the supernatural element is right in the forefront. In this post-apocalyptic world people with supernatural powers are no longer in hiding, yet they are regulated and used by the rich, the powerful and the Church. The book opens with a chapter that immediately gives you a clear sense of the world you’re about to immerse yourself in. You can feel it.
“FEAR rolled through the San Joaquin farmland with the rumble of a heavy truck. Children were called in from their chores and women abandoned their laundry without putting it on the lines. Heavy doors and barred windows were closed and locked as prayers were said to whatever gods might still linger in a world altered forever by war-born plague.”
Aisling McConaughey is one of those people who live on farm in San Joaquin and the truck roaring through the country side is coming for her. Aisling was an orphan left on the front door of a farm, her parentage is unknown but she is a woman with supernatural powers; a shamaness who can walk in the ghostlands. The ghostlands are where the dead wait for “judgments or rebirth …”. It is a place where she can question the dead who are still in a state of limbo and find answers for those still living. The men who have come for her, need her to walk in the ghostlands and find a missing woman.
Going to the ghostlands is not an easy task and always exacts a price. With her familiar by her side, Aisling travels to the ghostlands and sees a vision of the woman she seeks in the midst of a deadly ritual and about to loose her life. Since Aisling has no physical presence in the ghostlands she is powerless to help the woman about to be sacrificed. Her familiar begs her to call upon a spirit, the Djinn prince Zurael en Caym. Zurael answers her summons and saves the woman; however no human as ever had the power to summon him. Her ability to summon him means she holds power over him that could destroy his life. This is Zuarel’s greatest fear, to be bound to the will of human. Throughout his existence Zurael has known that to be called to the will of a human, would mean his destruction. His only recourse is to kill Aisling. However, the plot twists again when he finds out that an artifact that can destroy his race is missing and he must use Aisling if he is to find it. Set on his mission, Zurael appears in the human world to find Aisling, use her to get the artifact and then destroy her.
The mythology and rules of the world Ms. Strong has built are very elaborate and intricate and sometimes confusing. There is a lot of action in this book and many characters are introduced. I had to slow down sometimes and re-group to find the threads. That being said she has created strong characters that follow a through line that adheres to their back story. And while their motivations are not always clear, they do tend to strengthen the story line. Her prose when describing the places and people in it are textured in such a way that you can easily visualize each scene. The relationship between Aisling and Zuarel is at turns both frightening and endearing. She’s created a heroine who has a quiet sense of self that is just awakening. Her youth and inexperience coupled with her sense of right and wrong is a good counterpart to Zurael’s commanding and authoritative power. The book ends with an HEA and on a hopeful note between Zuarel and Aisling but with a big question mark for the world as a whole. It left the door wide open for the next installment. I am curious and eager to find out what happens to the rest of the people in this stark world where a good life has a chance at re-birth.
July 10, 2010
After reading Ghostland I had to take a breath. A compelling and well written paranormal romance, Ghostland is a unique and fascinating tale of a post-apocalyptic world filled with other worldly creatures and danger in the here and now.
Jory Strong delivers a strong and powerful book about a world in the aftermath of death and destruction; a world where only the rich, powerful and connected have a chance at a life worth living. It is a bleak world, stark and filled with treachery and deceit. The darkness is almost palpable. I had a very strong reaction to the almost oppressive construct of this world and the mythology that Ms. Strong has created. It reminded me a great deal of the world created by Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. Not in any specific sense, but in a more general sense. Ghostland has a pervasive sense of foreboding. This is not a bad thing. As a matter of a fact, I was surprised that it evoked these feelings at all. On the back cover blurb there is much reference to the fact that it is an erotic romance and a ‘passionate story’ with ‘never a dull moment’ where you should be prepared to be ‘in a constant state of arousal’. Now I must say there is a very strong sexual element between the protagonists, and the romance is one of the central foundations of this book. However it was the world that Ms. Strong placed her characters in that really shook me up. It also made me question what I want when I read a romance book. More and more authors are giving us such amazing and well crafted books that encompass so much more than a story whose central focus is one man, one woman and their happily ever after (HEA). The world building in many romances, particularly paranormal romances, has become intricate and intense. Ghostland is that ‘breed’ of book.
As with all paranormal books the supernatural element is right in the forefront. In this post-apocalyptic world people with supernatural powers are no longer in hiding, yet they are regulated and used by the rich, the powerful and the Church. The book opens with a chapter that immediately gives you a clear sense of the world you’re about to immerse yourself in. You can feel it.
“FEAR rolled through the San Joaquin farmland with the rumble of a heavy truck. Children were called in from their chores and women abandoned their laundry without putting it on the lines. Heavy doors and barred windows were closed and locked as prayers were said to whatever gods might still linger in a world altered forever by war-born plague.”
Aisling McConaughey is one of those people who live on farm in San Joaquin and the truck roaring through the country side is coming for her. Aisling was an orphan left on the front door of a farm, her parentage is unknown but she is a woman with supernatural powers; a shamaness who can walk in the ghostlands. The ghostlands are where the dead wait for “judgments or rebirth …”. It is a place where she can question the dead who are still in a state of limbo and find answers for those still living. The men who have come for her, need her to walk in the ghostlands and find a missing woman.
Going to the ghostlands is not an easy task and always exacts a price. With her familiar by her side, Aisling travels to the ghostlands and sees a vision of the woman she seeks in the midst of a deadly ritual and about to loose her life. Since Aisling has no physical presence in the ghostlands she is powerless to help the woman about to be sacrificed. Her familiar begs her to call upon a spirit, the Djinn prince Zurael en Caym. Zurael answers her summons and saves the woman; however no human as ever had the power to summon him. Her ability to summon him means she holds power over him that could destroy his life. This is Zuarel’s greatest fear, to be bound to the will of human. Throughout his existence Zurael has known that to be called to the will of a human, would mean his destruction. His only recourse is to kill Aisling. However, the plot twists again when he finds out that an artifact that can destroy his race is missing and he must use Aisling if he is to find it. Set on his mission, Zurael appears in the human world to find Aisling, use her to get the artifact and then destroy her.
The mythology and rules of the world Ms. Strong has built are very elaborate and intricate and sometimes confusing. There is a lot of action in this book and many characters are introduced. I had to slow down sometimes and re-group to find the threads. That being said she has created strong characters that follow a through line that adheres to their back story. And while their motivations are not always clear, they do tend to strengthen the story line. Her prose when describing the places and people in it are textured in such a way that you can easily visualize each scene. The relationship between Aisling and Zuarel is at turns both frightening and endearing. She’s created a heroine who has a quiet sense of self that is just awakening. Her youth and inexperience coupled with her sense of right and wrong is a good counterpart to Zurael’s commanding and authoritative power. The book ends with an HEA and on a hopeful note between Zuarel and Aisling but with a big question mark for the world as a whole. It left the door wide open for the next installment. I am curious and eager to find out what happens to the rest of the people in this stark world where a good life has a chance at re-birth.
Jory Strong delivers a strong and powerful book about a world in the aftermath of death and destruction; a world where only the rich, powerful and connected have a chance at a life worth living. It is a bleak world, stark and filled with treachery and deceit. The darkness is almost palpable. I had a very strong reaction to the almost oppressive construct of this world and the mythology that Ms. Strong has created. It reminded me a great deal of the world created by Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. Not in any specific sense, but in a more general sense. Ghostland has a pervasive sense of foreboding. This is not a bad thing. As a matter of a fact, I was surprised that it evoked these feelings at all. On the back cover blurb there is much reference to the fact that it is an erotic romance and a ‘passionate story’ with ‘never a dull moment’ where you should be prepared to be ‘in a constant state of arousal’. Now I must say there is a very strong sexual element between the protagonists, and the romance is one of the central foundations of this book. However it was the world that Ms. Strong placed her characters in that really shook me up. It also made me question what I want when I read a romance book. More and more authors are giving us such amazing and well crafted books that encompass so much more than a story whose central focus is one man, one woman and their happily ever after (HEA). The world building in many romances, particularly paranormal romances, has become intricate and intense. Ghostland is that ‘breed’ of book.
As with all paranormal books the supernatural element is right in the forefront. In this post-apocalyptic world people with supernatural powers are no longer in hiding, yet they are regulated and used by the rich, the powerful and the Church. The book opens with a chapter that immediately gives you a clear sense of the world you’re about to immerse yourself in. You can feel it.
“FEAR rolled through the San Joaquin farmland with the rumble of a heavy truck. Children were called in from their chores and women abandoned their laundry without putting it on the lines. Heavy doors and barred windows were closed and locked as prayers were said to whatever gods might still linger in a world altered forever by war-born plague.”
Aisling McConaughey is one of those people who live on farm in San Joaquin and the truck roaring through the country side is coming for her. Aisling was an orphan left on the front door of a farm, her parentage is unknown but she is a woman with supernatural powers; a shamaness who can walk in the ghostlands. The ghostlands are where the dead wait for “judgments or rebirth …”. It is a place where she can question the dead who are still in a state of limbo and find answers for those still living. The men who have come for her, need her to walk in the ghostlands and find a missing woman.
Going to the ghostlands is not an easy task and always exacts a price. With her familiar by her side, Aisling travels to the ghostlands and sees a vision of the woman she seeks in the midst of a deadly ritual and about to loose her life. Since Aisling has no physical presence in the ghostlands she is powerless to help the woman about to be sacrificed. Her familiar begs her to call upon a spirit, the Djinn prince Zurael en Caym. Zurael answers her summons and saves the woman; however no human as ever had the power to summon him. Her ability to summon him means she holds power over him that could destroy his life. This is Zuarel’s greatest fear, to be bound to the will of human. Throughout his existence Zurael has known that to be called to the will of a human, would mean his destruction. His only recourse is to kill Aisling. However, the plot twists again when he finds out that an artifact that can destroy his race is missing and he must use Aisling if he is to find it. Set on his mission, Zurael appears in the human world to find Aisling, use her to get the artifact and then destroy her.
The mythology and rules of the world Ms. Strong has built are very elaborate and intricate and sometimes confusing. There is a lot of action in this book and many characters are introduced. I had to slow down sometimes and re-group to find the threads. That being said she has created strong characters that follow a through line that adheres to their back story. And while their motivations are not always clear, they do tend to strengthen the story line. Her prose when describing the places and people in it are textured in such a way that you can easily visualize each scene. The relationship between Aisling and Zuarel is at turns both frightening and endearing. She’s created a heroine who has a quiet sense of self that is just awakening. Her youth and inexperience coupled with her sense of right and wrong is a good counterpart to Zurael’s commanding and authoritative power. The book ends with an HEA and on a hopeful note between Zuarel and Aisling but with a big question mark for the world as a whole. It left the door wide open for the next installment. I am curious and eager to find out what happens to the rest of the people in this stark world where a good life has a chance at re-birth.
February 5, 2017
What an absolutely terrible book, awfully written, no actual storyline just lots of really pornographic sex making the two protagonists into basically mindless sex addicts. Also anal seriously?
July 3, 2017
I liked this, until I didn't. Seemed to go on too long with a meandering plot and too many underdeveloped characters. The world itself was interesting, but not used to full potential.
August 9, 2018
This book grabbed me and took me to another world... post apocalyptic with different species and an different way of seeing the world we once thought we knew. I could not put it down!
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