What do you think?
Rate this book
Palace of Ghosts
Seeking relief from the trauma they share, four veterans join an experimental psychologist and his team at a famously haunted house. But mysterious happenings are only the beginning as a powerful and far more terrifying evil begins to manifest…
- GenresHorror
217 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 5, 2019
31 people are currently reading
72 people want to read
About the author
Thomas S. Flowers
34 books122 followersThomas S. Flowers is an Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom Army veteran who loves scary movies, BBQ, and coffee. Ever since reading Remarque’s "All Quiet on the Western Front" and Stephen King’s "Salem’s Lot" he has inspired to write deeply disturbing things that relate to war and horror, from the paranormal to his gory zombie infested PLANET of the DEAD series, to even his recent dabbling of vampiric flirtation in The Last Hellfighter readers can expect to find complex characters, rich historical settings, and mind-altering horror. Thomas is also the senior editor at Machine Mean, a horror movie and book review site that hosts contributors in the horror and science fiction genre.
PLANET of the DEAD and The Last Hellfighter are best-sellers on Amazon's Top 100 lists for Apocalyptic Fiction and African American Horror.
__________________________________
You can follow Thomas and get yourself a FREE eBook copy of FEAST by joining his newsletter. Sign up by vising his website at www.ThomasSFlowers.com.
PLANET of the DEAD and The Last Hellfighter are best-sellers on Amazon's Top 100 lists for Apocalyptic Fiction and African American Horror.
__________________________________
You can follow Thomas and get yourself a FREE eBook copy of FEAST by joining his newsletter. Sign up by vising his website at www.ThomasSFlowers.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
December 19, 2019
** Edited as review is now live on Kendall Reviews! **
Ok –this review is going to start a bit differently.
I’m taking this time to fully, publically apologize to Thomas & to Erin Sweet Al-Mahairi. I was sent a digital eARCfor this release about a month before its official launch. That was a little over a year ago. Recently, Thomas had posted on Facebook a friendly reminder that if you’ve read it to please review. It clicked something and I looked at my Kindle docs and sure enough –there it sat.
So, my most sincere apologies to both of you. It was unacceptable that I somehow missed getting to this. I try and read all digital ARC’s within at least three months of receiving them –either from Gavin here at KR or if someone has reached out. I apologized on FB, but I’m adding that apology here in a larger forum (KR/Goodreads/Amazon/Bookbub).
‘Palace of Ghosts’ is just that. We follow a psychologist who has gathered four former military members struggling with PTSD and brings them to Amon Palace, a supposedly haunted house. Dr. Peters wants to try and force their fears to come to the surface and by confronting them, they can successfully move on from them.
Rumours have swirled about Amon Palace for years; that it’s haunted, that evil resides there and so on. Dr. Peters is on the fence, more concerned with achieving a breakthrough for his research than if the place is actually haunted or not.
We get to revisit each members background, find out just what caused their PTSD and you can feel and relate to each character, knowing how much they are struggling.
There are strict rules about their being at Amon Palace and I found this was a great way to focus individually on each character. Saying that –it also really minimized just how much of Amon Palace Flowers gives the readers access too. I would have loved to have learned more and more about this location, but because the characters can’t visit certain areas we lose out.
Additionally, the caretakers are afterthoughts –so when they show up and are interacted with, it loses some of its power.
As things play out, Flowers does a great job of building tension and ultimately creating a completely unhinged environment.
The frequent odes and homages to ‘Who Goes There?’ were never distracting, but if you are a big fan of that book and/or the movie that was made based on it, I think it gives away a bit of the ending too early.
Overall –I really had fun with this one. Good characters, good setting and a great narrative. Definitely one that people should check out!
Ok –this review is going to start a bit differently.
I’m taking this time to fully, publically apologize to Thomas & to Erin Sweet Al-Mahairi. I was sent a digital eARCfor this release about a month before its official launch. That was a little over a year ago. Recently, Thomas had posted on Facebook a friendly reminder that if you’ve read it to please review. It clicked something and I looked at my Kindle docs and sure enough –there it sat.
So, my most sincere apologies to both of you. It was unacceptable that I somehow missed getting to this. I try and read all digital ARC’s within at least three months of receiving them –either from Gavin here at KR or if someone has reached out. I apologized on FB, but I’m adding that apology here in a larger forum (KR/Goodreads/Amazon/Bookbub).
‘Palace of Ghosts’ is just that. We follow a psychologist who has gathered four former military members struggling with PTSD and brings them to Amon Palace, a supposedly haunted house. Dr. Peters wants to try and force their fears to come to the surface and by confronting them, they can successfully move on from them.
Rumours have swirled about Amon Palace for years; that it’s haunted, that evil resides there and so on. Dr. Peters is on the fence, more concerned with achieving a breakthrough for his research than if the place is actually haunted or not.
We get to revisit each members background, find out just what caused their PTSD and you can feel and relate to each character, knowing how much they are struggling.
There are strict rules about their being at Amon Palace and I found this was a great way to focus individually on each character. Saying that –it also really minimized just how much of Amon Palace Flowers gives the readers access too. I would have loved to have learned more and more about this location, but because the characters can’t visit certain areas we lose out.
Additionally, the caretakers are afterthoughts –so when they show up and are interacted with, it loses some of its power.
As things play out, Flowers does a great job of building tension and ultimately creating a completely unhinged environment.
The frequent odes and homages to ‘Who Goes There?’ were never distracting, but if you are a big fan of that book and/or the movie that was made based on it, I think it gives away a bit of the ending too early.
Overall –I really had fun with this one. Good characters, good setting and a great narrative. Definitely one that people should check out!
April 29, 2019
I was lucky enough to receive an eBook copy of this book after having a Twitter conversation with Erin Sweet Al-Mehairi. Erin is an author, editor, and great at marketing. So, when she offered me a copy of this book by Thomas S. Flowers, of course I said yes. 😊
Besides, have you seen that creepy, colourful cover?
Doctor Frederick Peters is an experimental psychologist who invites four veterans to Amon Palace because he thinks being inside a rumoured haunted house will help cure their PTSD. He wants each of them to confront their fears and memories in a strange environment he believes will help overcome their trauma.
Things start off well enough, with the four veterans attending group therapy together, and listening to the doctor's instructions. The only problem is that the house has other plans for the new occupants...
I really enjoyed this! The creepy vibes never stop coming, and I was happy to be there for every second.
As soon as I started, I was sucked into this haunted house adventure, and really liked all the characters. Not to mention that the book starts after something has obviously gone wrong, which serves as a total tease and certainly dragged me deeper.
Another thing I enjoyed was the horror element because it was so unexpected, and there's no holding back. Things are moving along at a good pace, the characters are introduced, their personal problems exposed, and then: BAM! Horror strikes.
The imagery is vivid and totally wicked.
The characterisation is also great. There are quite a few POVs included in this book, but each one is portrayed so well and moves the story along at such a great pace that the freaky tapestry of war veterans trying to overcome their PTSD starts to unravel. For different reasons, I felt so bad for Samantha, Brad, Andy and Marcus.
And what the house does to them is even worse. Yikes!
I also have to mention the illustrations at the beginning of each chapter, because they change and grow with the story.
Palace of Ghosts turned out to be an atmospheric, freaky story featuring a bunch of sympathetic and likeable characters. I instantly connected with the veterans, and felt so sad for the mental scars they're left with after serving in war.
And that's another awesome thing about this book. Not only is it a horror tale that totally gripped me at every step, but it's also a very raw study of how the human psyche deals with trauma, and how it can be used against you. Even by someone who is honestly trying to help.
Besides, have you seen that creepy, colourful cover?
Doctor Frederick Peters is an experimental psychologist who invites four veterans to Amon Palace because he thinks being inside a rumoured haunted house will help cure their PTSD. He wants each of them to confront their fears and memories in a strange environment he believes will help overcome their trauma.
Things start off well enough, with the four veterans attending group therapy together, and listening to the doctor's instructions. The only problem is that the house has other plans for the new occupants...
I really enjoyed this! The creepy vibes never stop coming, and I was happy to be there for every second.
As soon as I started, I was sucked into this haunted house adventure, and really liked all the characters. Not to mention that the book starts after something has obviously gone wrong, which serves as a total tease and certainly dragged me deeper.
Another thing I enjoyed was the horror element because it was so unexpected, and there's no holding back. Things are moving along at a good pace, the characters are introduced, their personal problems exposed, and then: BAM! Horror strikes.
The imagery is vivid and totally wicked.
The characterisation is also great. There are quite a few POVs included in this book, but each one is portrayed so well and moves the story along at such a great pace that the freaky tapestry of war veterans trying to overcome their PTSD starts to unravel. For different reasons, I felt so bad for Samantha, Brad, Andy and Marcus.
And what the house does to them is even worse. Yikes!
I also have to mention the illustrations at the beginning of each chapter, because they change and grow with the story.
Palace of Ghosts turned out to be an atmospheric, freaky story featuring a bunch of sympathetic and likeable characters. I instantly connected with the veterans, and felt so sad for the mental scars they're left with after serving in war.
And that's another awesome thing about this book. Not only is it a horror tale that totally gripped me at every step, but it's also a very raw study of how the human psyche deals with trauma, and how it can be used against you. Even by someone who is honestly trying to help.
March 4, 2019
Readers of author Thomas Flowers' SUBDUE Trilogy know how clearly he delineates the horrors of war and the enduring suffering of those who survive its depredations. The author demonstrates subtly but powerfully and enables readers without the experience can peer into that world. Here again in PALACE OF GHOSTS he brings us the sights, sounds, smells; the terror, the anger and aggression; the guilt of survivorship, the trauma and the subsequent PTSD. So not only is PALACE OF GHOSTS tragic and compelling, it's also inordinately SCARY! Gentle Readers, the Terror here is implacable. In addition to a psychiatrist "who ought to know better," the Amon Palace located on Galveston Island is TERRIFYING, unavoidable, and scared the living daylights out of me! I know I find Lovecraft under every rock, but there are scenes here and characters that resonate with me in a Lovecraftian vibration. But they're still beyond frightening!
March 18, 2019
Palace of Ghosts was filled with a great cast of characters. My review can be read here https://wp.me/p5t5Tf-1Nx
December 22, 2019
Excellent psychological horror with a Lovecraftian twist.
May 6, 2019
Normally I turn my nose up at books with less than 400 pages (size queen), but I am so happy to have stumbled across this work. Thomas S. Flowers is an engaging writer who really knows how to pull on the heartstrings before ripping them out. I’ll definitely be on the lookout for his other projects.
You can read Jennifer's full review at Horror DNA by clicking this link.
You can read Jennifer's full review at Horror DNA by clicking this link.
July 13, 2019
*I was given a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for my fair and honest review.*
Palace of Ghosts by Thomas S. Flowers is a Gothic haunted house novel that is as disturbing as it is heartbreaking. Shining a light on the reality of veterans and the trauma they deal with after coming home from war, Flowers points out that maybe trauma can manifest into something that can haunt you- metaphorically and realistically.
Palace of Ghosts takes place in a supposedly haunted house in Galveston. Dr. Frederick Peters is desperate to prove that his exposure theory hypothesis can cure Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He brings together four people who have all served in Iraq: Samantha, a former K-9 handler looking for a way to put her loss behind her; Brad, a former Military Police Officer severally wounded in the war and wants nothing more than a good night's sleep; Andy, a former drone operator who once watched the war from above now questions who he has become; and Marcus, a Marine who desperately wants a dead friend's forgiveness. They are joined by the doctor's assistants, Tiffany and Dexter. At first, their stay seems to conjure up nothing more than a few spooky encounters. But Amon Palace is gathering it's powers and soon it will reveal that these veterans are not who they seem.
This is an extremely powerful and haunting novel. The topic of Mental Health and our veterans seems to be such a taboo, yet these men and women are suffering in silence. This book does an amazing job at shedding light on PTSD and the devastating and different effects it can have on someone. I feel the author did the soldiers justice in my opinion. They were characterized fairly accurately. And his descriptions of the soldiers were deep. You could feel the terror, the guilt, the trauma, the pain. I'm not an expert, but I personally suffer from PTSD, not from being in the war, but I have a close family member who was in special ops/black ops for 20 yrs. These people are trained to not talk. They are not allowed to. And the effects of not being able to share what you have seen or done, not getting the proper psychological help can truly be horrific. And that is definitely well depicted in this book.
Now, are there actual scares? Absolutely! The author's description of the house in itself is creepy- the sights, the sounds, the smells. He is able to bring Amon Palace to life. I think there were a few nods to Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House scattered through the book. The intensity starts at the very beginning of the novel and is slightly ramped up, chapter by chapter. And the spookiness of the house is always present in every situation..
I also enjoyed how Flowers threw the norm out the window and decided to sort of “Tarantino” the story by starting the novel at the end and working backwards. The pacing was steady and strong and I think telling the story from multiple points of view was done incredibly well and helped the story progress. You can see and hear things through the veterans POV and how their therapy begins to unravel into a living nightmare.
I also have to mention the subtle Lovecraft influences that are here and there throughout the book, which I loved!
Palace Of Ghosts packs quite a few punches, some straight to your gut, some to your heart. This is a phenomenal ghost story that seems to be a very personal tale to Thomas S. Flowers. It's apparent that there was a lot of love, pain, understanding, and empathy put into this book. I applaud his vulnerability that helped create such a well rounded Horror story, with a strong, real world message behind it.
Palace of Ghosts by Thomas S. Flowers is a Gothic haunted house novel that is as disturbing as it is heartbreaking. Shining a light on the reality of veterans and the trauma they deal with after coming home from war, Flowers points out that maybe trauma can manifest into something that can haunt you- metaphorically and realistically.
Palace of Ghosts takes place in a supposedly haunted house in Galveston. Dr. Frederick Peters is desperate to prove that his exposure theory hypothesis can cure Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He brings together four people who have all served in Iraq: Samantha, a former K-9 handler looking for a way to put her loss behind her; Brad, a former Military Police Officer severally wounded in the war and wants nothing more than a good night's sleep; Andy, a former drone operator who once watched the war from above now questions who he has become; and Marcus, a Marine who desperately wants a dead friend's forgiveness. They are joined by the doctor's assistants, Tiffany and Dexter. At first, their stay seems to conjure up nothing more than a few spooky encounters. But Amon Palace is gathering it's powers and soon it will reveal that these veterans are not who they seem.
This is an extremely powerful and haunting novel. The topic of Mental Health and our veterans seems to be such a taboo, yet these men and women are suffering in silence. This book does an amazing job at shedding light on PTSD and the devastating and different effects it can have on someone. I feel the author did the soldiers justice in my opinion. They were characterized fairly accurately. And his descriptions of the soldiers were deep. You could feel the terror, the guilt, the trauma, the pain. I'm not an expert, but I personally suffer from PTSD, not from being in the war, but I have a close family member who was in special ops/black ops for 20 yrs. These people are trained to not talk. They are not allowed to. And the effects of not being able to share what you have seen or done, not getting the proper psychological help can truly be horrific. And that is definitely well depicted in this book.
Now, are there actual scares? Absolutely! The author's description of the house in itself is creepy- the sights, the sounds, the smells. He is able to bring Amon Palace to life. I think there were a few nods to Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House scattered through the book. The intensity starts at the very beginning of the novel and is slightly ramped up, chapter by chapter. And the spookiness of the house is always present in every situation..
I also enjoyed how Flowers threw the norm out the window and decided to sort of “Tarantino” the story by starting the novel at the end and working backwards. The pacing was steady and strong and I think telling the story from multiple points of view was done incredibly well and helped the story progress. You can see and hear things through the veterans POV and how their therapy begins to unravel into a living nightmare.
I also have to mention the subtle Lovecraft influences that are here and there throughout the book, which I loved!
Palace Of Ghosts packs quite a few punches, some straight to your gut, some to your heart. This is a phenomenal ghost story that seems to be a very personal tale to Thomas S. Flowers. It's apparent that there was a lot of love, pain, understanding, and empathy put into this book. I applaud his vulnerability that helped create such a well rounded Horror story, with a strong, real world message behind it.
December 12, 2019
Review to come. Highly recommended.
March 12, 2019
This is a haunted house story on steroids. This was a great story. I love how the illustrations on each new chapter just changes a little bit from the last one, pretty cool. I love that the character Sam goes to her safe and happy place and has The X-Ray Spex playing somewhere in the background. I really love that one of the other characters Marcus listens to Tool, and that it’s one of my favorite songs. I don’t think haunting house exposure therapy is something I would ever want to participate in. It would be scary as hell. The doctor wants to make sure this type of PTSD treatment works or he is afraid he will be a laughing joke to his esteemed colleagues. He pushes and pushes until some of the patients almost break for good. His treatment seems counterintuitive to helping these patients. The writing is very detailed, in one section where the doctor is trying hypnotherapy, I found myself breathing in and out like the doctor is telling his patient. You have a little “The Haunting Of Hill House”, a little “Body Snatchers”, a little “The Thing”, and a classic gothic style ghost story. Put these elements together and add some incredible backstories of the characters and the palace itself and you have one extremely terrifying, unnerving story. I think it is fascinating that the story begins at the end of the week of therapy. You have the doctor at the local Police Station with all 6 missing persons cases thrown across the desk he is sitting at with two Police Detectives who are interrogating him to try and figure out what the hell happened at the palace. Then from there the doctor works backwards to tell the full story. There might be some “triggers” in this story for certain readers, please just be aware of this.
Read
March 14, 2019Palace of Ghosts is the first book I have read by Thomas S Flowers. It is to say the least a very creepy book. I loved it. I am all about haunted house books. And Thomas Flowers gave me a great one.
The books starts off actually with the ending but then switches to the beginning to fill you in on all the details. At times the "details" and descriptions of places and things in the story were a bot drawn out for me but I still enjoyed it.
Doctor Frederick Peters has some new ideas on how to treat PTSD. He gathers 4 volunteers to help him with his experiment. All 4 are Veterans of the Iraq War and all suffer from some form of PTSD.
Andy Lovejoy flew drones in the service and watched from above as the war raged on, now he wonders what type of person has he become afterwards.
Samantha Green was a K-9 handler who lost her beloved K-9. She is not able to cope with his loss.
Brad Myers was a Military Police Officer and lost his leg due to an IED. /he would just like to be able to sleep now.
Marcus Pangborn is consumed with guilt after not being able to save the life of a close friend.
These 4 along with Doctor Flowers, his assistant, and a male nurse arrive at Amon Palace. rumored haunted house in the middle of no where to start their treatment. Doctor Flowers thinks that taking these patients of everything that is comfortable and giving them solitude will help them over come their PTSD. Great idea. Right? But the House has other ideas. At first some of them see or hear things. But as the house gets stronger so does the horror.
The books starts off actually with the ending but then switches to the beginning to fill you in on all the details. At times the "details" and descriptions of places and things in the story were a bot drawn out for me but I still enjoyed it.
Doctor Frederick Peters has some new ideas on how to treat PTSD. He gathers 4 volunteers to help him with his experiment. All 4 are Veterans of the Iraq War and all suffer from some form of PTSD.
Andy Lovejoy flew drones in the service and watched from above as the war raged on, now he wonders what type of person has he become afterwards.
Samantha Green was a K-9 handler who lost her beloved K-9. She is not able to cope with his loss.
Brad Myers was a Military Police Officer and lost his leg due to an IED. /he would just like to be able to sleep now.
Marcus Pangborn is consumed with guilt after not being able to save the life of a close friend.
These 4 along with Doctor Flowers, his assistant, and a male nurse arrive at Amon Palace. rumored haunted house in the middle of no where to start their treatment. Doctor Flowers thinks that taking these patients of everything that is comfortable and giving them solitude will help them over come their PTSD. Great idea. Right? But the House has other ideas. At first some of them see or hear things. But as the house gets stronger so does the horror.
June 9, 2019
my second Thomas flowers audiobook of 2019 and he doesn’t disappoint
A great mix of the horrors of war and a haunted mansion
I really liked the characters each one of the ptsd stories kept it interesting
Well narrated with a creepy setting highly recommended
I received a free review audiobook and voluntarily left this review
A great mix of the horrors of war and a haunted mansion
I really liked the characters each one of the ptsd stories kept it interesting
Well narrated with a creepy setting highly recommended
I received a free review audiobook and voluntarily left this review
October 6, 2020
Palace Of Ghosts, by Thomas S. Flowers is a damn fine book. I’ve said this a few times in other reviews, but for me, haunting books are very hit or miss. This one was a hit for me.
I really enjoy the premise of this ones, and I’ve got to say, flowers really nails PTSD and coming home from the military, and what it does to a person. Not surprising, considering the author is a veteran, but this is the first time someone wrote it where it connected with me. I understood what these characters are going through.
There are some legit scares and creepy scenes here. There were a few lulls in the action, but again, I think that’s more due to me generally not liking haunted house stuff.
I highly recommend this book. The same day I started reading it, I picked up two more books from the author, so that should tell you how I felt about this one. Pick it up and have a good read.
I really enjoy the premise of this ones, and I’ve got to say, flowers really nails PTSD and coming home from the military, and what it does to a person. Not surprising, considering the author is a veteran, but this is the first time someone wrote it where it connected with me. I understood what these characters are going through.
There are some legit scares and creepy scenes here. There were a few lulls in the action, but again, I think that’s more due to me generally not liking haunted house stuff.
I highly recommend this book. The same day I started reading it, I picked up two more books from the author, so that should tell you how I felt about this one. Pick it up and have a good read.
Read
November 25, 2019Review coming soon!
August 11, 2019
I don't know...This was a really weird one and it took some persistence to get through. I'm not entirely sure it made sense and parts were just too far out and poorly written. I am not inspired to read anything else by this author.
October 30, 2020
A doctor who treats veterans with varying degrees of PTSD arranges for a sort of shock-therapy session in a purportedly haunted house for a group he's treating in Thomas S. Flowers Palace of Ghosts.
This is a smart, creepy supernatural horror novel, one of the better ones I've read this year. While I did find the basic structure hewed close to a familiar formula - if you've ever read The Haunting of Hill House or any other stories about a group of people staying in a haunted house, the structure here is going to feel very similar - the quality of the writing elevates the material.
Flowers handles his prose with a deft hand, with rich descriptive passages weaving the plot in confident strokes. The author knows the story he wants to tell and how he wants to tell it. Even better is that this is the rare horror story presenting veterans as real, flesh and blood human beings trying to deal with the damage caused by their experiences, as opposed to unstable lunatics ready to snap and murder everyone in the room. Flowers delivers a well conceived, relatable cast of characters here and in doing so sheds some light - based on his own background in the military - on the very real struggles many veterans experience upon returning to civilian life.
Definitely an upper tier entry in the haunted locale genre, I highly recommend Palace of Ghosts. This was one of my favorite reads of 2020. I'll definitely be reading more of Flowers work moving forward. Highly recommended.
May 9, 2019
A dash of Lovecraft, a smidgeon of Legend of Hell House, and a lot of experience inside the U.S. military come together in this haunted castle tale. Flowers does a wonderful job of setting up the premise. I thought the third act chapters became a tad tedious in some places, but overall it's a wonderful tale, obviously a very personal one for the author, and worth the read.
September 9, 2019
Audible:A new twist on 'people staying in a haunted house' theme. PTSD sufferers are there to face their fears.Things never turn out as planned in these scenarios. Matt Weight was a fine narrator. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
February 7, 2021
This is the most disgusting book I have ever read. No story. Made no sense. If you want to read for enjoyment, do not bother with this trash.
I kept hoping this book would develop into something I could make sense of. No way! I do not recommend this book or the author.l
I kept hoping this book would develop into something I could make sense of. No way! I do not recommend this book or the author.l
April 25, 2019
Not a Page Turner
Experimental treatment for PTSD gone bad. I never fully understood any of it, much less finding it a psychological thriller.
Experimental treatment for PTSD gone bad. I never fully understood any of it, much less finding it a psychological thriller.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews