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Ghost Night #1
Ghost in the Ring
Caina Amalas was once a deadly Ghost nightfighter, a spy and agent of the Emperor of Nighmar. Now she only wishes to live quietly with her husband.
But civil war grips the Empire, and Caina's skills are needed against the cruel sorcerers of the malevolent Umbarian Order.
And Caina has a dangerous connection to the Umbarians.
For Caina's mother had many secrets, secrets that might yet kill Caina herself...
But civil war grips the Empire, and Caina's skills are needed against the cruel sorcerers of the malevolent Umbarian Order.
And Caina has a dangerous connection to the Umbarians.
For Caina's mother had many secrets, secrets that might yet kill Caina herself...
333 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 1, 2017
236 people are currently reading
287 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Moeller
405 books668 followersStanding over six feet tall, USA Today bestselling author Jonathan Moeller has the piercing blue eyes of a Conan of Cimmeria, the bronze-colored hair of a Visigothic warrior-king, and the stern visage of a captain of men, none of which are useful in his career as a computer repairman, alas.
He has written the DEMONSOULED series of sword-and-sorcery novels, and continues to write THE GHOSTS sequence about assassin and spy Caina Amalas, the COMPUTER BEGINNER'S GUIDE series of computer books, and numerous other works. His books have sold over one million copies worldwide.
He has written the DEMONSOULED series of sword-and-sorcery novels, and continues to write THE GHOSTS sequence about assassin and spy Caina Amalas, the COMPUTER BEGINNER'S GUIDE series of computer books, and numerous other works. His books have sold over one million copies worldwide.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
October 22, 2020
Okay... So a vortex just sucked our dear Balariga and Kylon? Honestly, it's just incredulous...
A really good (and extremely convenient) way to change the setting, eliminate old characters, and introduce new characters though.
Apart from the beginning (which was terrible, I must say), it was a really good lead. I look forward to seeing Sophia grow... And the Scorneus family tree is a sweet mystery I just can't wait to unravel!
Already, Caina has gained yet another powerful ally in her half brother, Sebastian.
A really good (and extremely convenient) way to change the setting, eliminate old characters, and introduce new characters though.
Apart from the beginning (which was terrible, I must say), it was a really good lead. I look forward to seeing Sophia grow... And the Scorneus family tree is a sweet mystery I just can't wait to unravel!
Already, Caina has gained yet another powerful ally in her half brother, Sebastian.
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January 15, 2021🎁 FREE on Amazon today (1/15/2021)! 🎁
March 7, 2019
Ghost Night book 1. First in this series, with a definite and sharp change of plot lines -- but still, serious spoilers ahead for the Ghosts and Ghost Exile.
It opens the night after Kylon and Caina marry. Where they are attacked by a magical vortex that sweeps them off. Both of them find themselves alone -- and naked -- in a mysterious structure, where Caina finds a forlorn girl, Sophia, and undead monsters, and Kylon a battle magus, Seb, fighting the Adamant Guard, before they find each other. Also, Caina breaks through some wards to escape, and finds a ring.
It goes on, with Sophia's claim that she would suffer for stealing a sunstone, Seb's startling resemblance to Ciana, a Bronze Witch who can appear and disappear, bear traps, men with wolf spirits, and more.
It opens the night after Kylon and Caina marry. Where they are attacked by a magical vortex that sweeps them off. Both of them find themselves alone -- and naked -- in a mysterious structure, where Caina finds a forlorn girl, Sophia, and undead monsters, and Kylon a battle magus, Seb, fighting the Adamant Guard, before they find each other. Also, Caina breaks through some wards to escape, and finds a ring.
It goes on, with Sophia's claim that she would suffer for stealing a sunstone, Seb's startling resemblance to Ciana, a Bronze Witch who can appear and disappear, bear traps, men with wolf spirits, and more.
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March 22, 2021Great fantasy read
A good fantasy adventure with lots of action and plot twist. I really like the characters and found them highly developed, easy to identify with. I really like this book and I highly recommend it.
A good fantasy adventure with lots of action and plot twist. I really like the characters and found them highly developed, easy to identify with. I really like this book and I highly recommend it.
March 23, 2025
This review was originally posted at https://bit.ly/4kVh4Fg.
Caina has hung up the mantle as a spy for the Emperor and now wishes to live out her life with her new husband. However, someone seems to have other plans for the pair. On their wedding night they are sucked out of their bed and separated in a largely abandoned castle. What lurks inside is far from friendly. While looking for her husband she stumbles upon a young girl and a powerful ring. Taking the ring is her only option to keep her enemies from getting it, but the undead creatures sent after them as a result may be their undoing.
This is a very fast paced book with almost non-stop action. We go from a newly-wed bed to a new castle. The two main characters are cold, naked, and separated with no way of knowing if the other is even in the same place. While looking around they come across foes both known and unknown and potential allies. After reuniting they escape the castle, with a new treasure, and go to the nearest town where another threat becomes apparent before they can attempt to make their way home.
For the most part I enjoyed this book. The biggest detractor for me was the fact that the characters that large, elaborate pasts that seems like the reader should already know and be well-versed with before getting into the series. I am not sure if this is a spin-off of another series or if the author just didn't want to write all the actual stories he makes slight reference to in the course of this book, but it wasn't great for me. If I ignore that part and hold out hope that this is like a spin off series or something this is a good book.
Caina has hung up the mantle as a spy for the Emperor and now wishes to live out her life with her new husband. However, someone seems to have other plans for the pair. On their wedding night they are sucked out of their bed and separated in a largely abandoned castle. What lurks inside is far from friendly. While looking for her husband she stumbles upon a young girl and a powerful ring. Taking the ring is her only option to keep her enemies from getting it, but the undead creatures sent after them as a result may be their undoing.
This is a very fast paced book with almost non-stop action. We go from a newly-wed bed to a new castle. The two main characters are cold, naked, and separated with no way of knowing if the other is even in the same place. While looking around they come across foes both known and unknown and potential allies. After reuniting they escape the castle, with a new treasure, and go to the nearest town where another threat becomes apparent before they can attempt to make their way home.
For the most part I enjoyed this book. The biggest detractor for me was the fact that the characters that large, elaborate pasts that seems like the reader should already know and be well-versed with before getting into the series. I am not sure if this is a spin-off of another series or if the author just didn't want to write all the actual stories he makes slight reference to in the course of this book, but it wasn't great for me. If I ignore that part and hold out hope that this is like a spin off series or something this is a good book.
May 20, 2019
Much like Ridmark and Calliande, Caina and Kylon have been transported to a new location. At least Ridmark knows who was behind and the reason for their relocation. Caina and Kylon haven't a clue. Since they were in the midst of consummating their marriage (ahem) neither one was suitably attired to be thrust into the frozen north. Not only that, but they arrive in different parts of a fortress on the verge of being sucked back into the netherworld. They need to locate one another before this occurs. Each of them encounters a local resident prior to finding each other so they end up a party of four. Of course this doesn't occur without battling nefarious bad guys. Caina manages to acquire a ring of power that had been created by a past evil overlord. Her goal is to get it to the Loremasters for safekeeping. Somehow, despite the fact that she is a valikarion, the baddies know she has the ring and are hellbent on getting it from her.
Then there are the local village's mavrokh, men possessed by evil spirits. They want to re-institute the old bad ways, one of them being the Boyar's Hunt. Caina must find a way to thwart their evil intent and rescue the village from their terroristic rule before commencing her journey home.
Question: Caina keeps regretting that she doesn't have a set of throwing knives with her. In one of the earlier volumes she was able to manufacture them out of smoke or something. Why can't/doesn't she do it now?
Then there are the local village's mavrokh, men possessed by evil spirits. They want to re-institute the old bad ways, one of them being the Boyar's Hunt. Caina must find a way to thwart their evil intent and rescue the village from their terroristic rule before commencing her journey home.
Question: Caina keeps regretting that she doesn't have a set of throwing knives with her. In one of the earlier volumes she was able to manufacture them out of smoke or something. Why can't/doesn't she do it now?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 9, 2017
I couldn't wait for this book! I love that she continues to grow & we are getting to see a different side to Caina & Kylon and I can't wait to see where that goes. When Sophia asked her to serve & the vow almost broke my heart but in the sweetest way. I just knew Seb was going to be a cousin but the twist didn't surprise me with her mother. OMG! I hope Carina & Seb continue to work together & I love how similar their personalities were. I just wanted more when it was over which I guess always happens with these books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2018
Ghost in the Ring (Ghost Night Book 1) Review
Dear Jonathan, and the beat goes on in a new continuing series past the Ghost in Exile series. I am looking forward to reading this next adult series with great anticipation. This first book in the series is wonderful and imaginative. I truly love your characters and plot lines. I highly recommend reading this book and series to adults interested in reading a great story. Thanks for the entertainment. As always I recommend reading each series starting with book 1 and continuing with each book in the correct order.
Dear Jonathan, and the beat goes on in a new continuing series past the Ghost in Exile series. I am looking forward to reading this next adult series with great anticipation. This first book in the series is wonderful and imaginative. I truly love your characters and plot lines. I highly recommend reading this book and series to adults interested in reading a great story. Thanks for the entertainment. As always I recommend reading each series starting with book 1 and continuing with each book in the correct order.
November 7, 2020
Good (spoilers)
I’ll confess, when I was about to start this book a few years ago and read the sample, I was really annoyed. After everything she went through, Caina gets ripped away from her husband. It seemed like a cruel joke and made me angry. But I decided to give it another go, and saw that Caina and her husband were both transported. Which is fine because they were together. I loved Caina’s trap for the mavrohki. Sophia annoyed me throughout the book but she finally found a spine towards the end of the book.
I’ll confess, when I was about to start this book a few years ago and read the sample, I was really annoyed. After everything she went through, Caina gets ripped away from her husband. It seemed like a cruel joke and made me angry. But I decided to give it another go, and saw that Caina and her husband were both transported. Which is fine because they were together. I loved Caina’s trap for the mavrohki. Sophia annoyed me throughout the book but she finally found a spine towards the end of the book.
September 16, 2020
A great first book in this new Caina adventure
I wasn’t sure whether the start of yet another Caina Amalas arc was going to be a bit much, I mean seriously, how many magical and nefarious foes can one woman take on! However I really enjoyed this, perhaps more than the first book in the previous arc, largely I think because Caina is happier here and more assured with her place in the world. I’ve just downloaded book 2 so it’s definitely an arc I’m going to carry on with!
I wasn’t sure whether the start of yet another Caina Amalas arc was going to be a bit much, I mean seriously, how many magical and nefarious foes can one woman take on! However I really enjoyed this, perhaps more than the first book in the previous arc, largely I think because Caina is happier here and more assured with her place in the world. I’ve just downloaded book 2 so it’s definitely an arc I’m going to carry on with!
July 15, 2017
Let me just start off by saying, the Ghost series is one of my favorites of all time.
This series is divided up into 3 smaller "sets" and this book is the first of the 3rd set.
I have noticed that I usually don't favor the 1st books in the sets as much as thier sequels. The very first book in Set 1, set the stage of the entire Ghost saga, and I enjoyed it but its pacing was a bit slow. I still liked it though as it had a good climax, but the series only got better. When the 2nd set came out, I was at first disappointed about the villain, but then ended up loving the 2nd set much more than the first.
Now comes this 3rd set with its 1st book and I'm not quite as hyped up as I thought I would be. I actually like it least among all the books of all sets.
Don't get me wrong, it isn't bad. The action is still very good and the pacing is not bad, but if I were to be honest, I felt very much that the author was sticking to a "formula". I don't mind the use of a formula for telling stories, but it has to be done in such a manner where it isn't predictable and the formula is not quite so obvious. I just felt like the author missed a lot of opportunities to set a better stage for the 3rd set especially coming off from the epic ending of the 2nd set.
Here are things I didn't quite like:
Nevertheless, it was an okay read and there is still so much this series has to offer, so I am very hopeful for the next book and am very much looking forward to its release.
EDIT:
Just to clarify, the reason I gave it 2 stars was because I love this series very much and have such high esteem for its past novels. That isn't to say that this book is worse than other books outside of this series that I've give 3 stars to, but in ranking with othet books in the series, I give it 2 stars. In ranking with all the books I've read I'll give it 3.
This series is divided up into 3 smaller "sets" and this book is the first of the 3rd set.
I have noticed that I usually don't favor the 1st books in the sets as much as thier sequels. The very first book in Set 1, set the stage of the entire Ghost saga, and I enjoyed it but its pacing was a bit slow. I still liked it though as it had a good climax, but the series only got better. When the 2nd set came out, I was at first disappointed about the villain, but then ended up loving the 2nd set much more than the first.
Now comes this 3rd set with its 1st book and I'm not quite as hyped up as I thought I would be. I actually like it least among all the books of all sets.
Don't get me wrong, it isn't bad. The action is still very good and the pacing is not bad, but if I were to be honest, I felt very much that the author was sticking to a "formula". I don't mind the use of a formula for telling stories, but it has to be done in such a manner where it isn't predictable and the formula is not quite so obvious. I just felt like the author missed a lot of opportunities to set a better stage for the 3rd set especially coming off from the epic ending of the 2nd set.
Here are things I didn't quite like:
Nevertheless, it was an okay read and there is still so much this series has to offer, so I am very hopeful for the next book and am very much looking forward to its release.
EDIT:
Just to clarify, the reason I gave it 2 stars was because I love this series very much and have such high esteem for its past novels. That isn't to say that this book is worse than other books outside of this series that I've give 3 stars to, but in ranking with othet books in the series, I give it 2 stars. In ranking with all the books I've read I'll give it 3.
July 6, 2021
Book 1
Book 1 was a fun read and had a few errors. The characters and plot are well developed. I missed the previous series, so starting this one is a bit confusing. The beginning is exciting and yet predictable. I do like the characters and their interactions with each other. The plot is so far fun and predictable, but hopefully will become exciting in book 2.
Book 1 was a fun read and had a few errors. The characters and plot are well developed. I missed the previous series, so starting this one is a bit confusing. The beginning is exciting and yet predictable. I do like the characters and their interactions with each other. The plot is so far fun and predictable, but hopefully will become exciting in book 2.
August 2, 2022
Awful
What can I say. The writing style is just awful. Phrases get repeated ad nauseam. It was like having a tooth pulled out and checking the gap with yout tongue to see if it hurts. It did... I first wanted to give up at 8%, ploughed on to 11% then started skipping and finally gave up at 27%. Absolutely not recommended.
What can I say. The writing style is just awful. Phrases get repeated ad nauseam. It was like having a tooth pulled out and checking the gap with yout tongue to see if it hurts. It did... I first wanted to give up at 8%, ploughed on to 11% then started skipping and finally gave up at 27%. Absolutely not recommended.
June 9, 2021
Original storyline
This book had me from the start. Lots of action and mystery. Characters are interesting. Awesome weapons. I just didn't understand what was the deal about the red coat?
This book had me from the start. Lots of action and mystery. Characters are interesting. Awesome weapons. I just didn't understand what was the deal about the red coat?
March 6, 2024
Caina and Kylon have been transported to another location where again they must fight against unfair odds again. Just like the previous Cloak books there is lots of action, good characters and story. And to add some more intrigue Catina’s maternal family is at the front and centre
June 10, 2017
I am so glad you are keeping Caina going. I really like her.
July 11, 2017
Caina is back and as good as ever
A really great start to a new series. The hardest thing will be the wait for the books and more adventures
A really great start to a new series. The hardest thing will be the wait for the books and more adventures
August 11, 2017
This book was very great it had a lot of action so I hope they will make a 2nd book in the future
May 5, 2021
Didn't enjoy this as much as the previous series with this main character. Time to retire her.
May 21, 2021
Outstanding! This is quite the gripping tale and I especially loved the dialogue.
It’s an engaging read.
It’s an engaging read.
Read
July 17, 2021Great!
Well-written. Excellent character development. Intriguing new plot twists. Good editing. Moeller has another exciting new series. Can't wait to start the next installment!
Well-written. Excellent character development. Intriguing new plot twists. Good editing. Moeller has another exciting new series. Can't wait to start the next installment!
April 26, 2023
Good fantasy! I never read the previous series with Caina, so I felt a bit behind at the beginning!
August 23, 2025
Awesome!
Read
November 8, 2021Liked reading the first in this series. Let's hope that the remaining eight novels in this series are as equally fast paced and as enjoyable.
REP
REP
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews