What do you think?
Rate this book
Boundary Magic #5
Boundary Haunted
Months after her battles in Wyoming, Allison “Lex” Luther is still struggling with the aftereffects of the psychic attack she suffered—and with the new developments in her own magic.
Then Lex’s boss, the cardinal vampire of Colorado, passes along a strange request from her counterpart in Atlanta. Hundreds of Civil War spirits have abruptly vanished in Beau Calhoun’s territory, and he wants Lex to figure out why. In exchange, Beau can help her understand boundary magic, which runs in his family line as well.
Despite her trepidation, Lex journeys to the Deep South, where she discovers that ghosts are everywhere…and that her host’s intentions are more complicated than he promised. It seems his teenage descendant is being hunted, and both Beau and Lex fear the young woman’s boundary blood may have made her a target.
With Atlanta’s history looming over her every move, Lex will have to face Beau’s ghosts—and her own—to prevent a boundary magic attack she never dreamed possible.
Then Lex’s boss, the cardinal vampire of Colorado, passes along a strange request from her counterpart in Atlanta. Hundreds of Civil War spirits have abruptly vanished in Beau Calhoun’s territory, and he wants Lex to figure out why. In exchange, Beau can help her understand boundary magic, which runs in his family line as well.
Despite her trepidation, Lex journeys to the Deep South, where she discovers that ghosts are everywhere…and that her host’s intentions are more complicated than he promised. It seems his teenage descendant is being hunted, and both Beau and Lex fear the young woman’s boundary blood may have made her a target.
With Atlanta’s history looming over her every move, Lex will have to face Beau’s ghosts—and her own—to prevent a boundary magic attack she never dreamed possible.
317 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 3, 2019
680 people are currently reading
1042 people want to read
About the author
Melissa F. Olson
42 books1,737 followersMelissa F. Olson is a writer and film professor. Her work includes the comic ARCHAIC, the feminist horror novel The Other Frankenstein, and more than 20 urban fantasy novels and novellas, including the Scarlett Bernard series and the Boundary Magic novels. Her journalism and academic work has been published in The International Journal of Comic Art, the compilation Images of the Modern Vampire, Tor.com, and the Everyone's Gone to the Movies series.
Melissa has been a writing teacher, English professor, and TEDx presenter, but she now divides her time between writing and conventions, where she speaks about issues related to genre, feminism, writing, and parenting. Read more about her life and work at MFOlson.com.
Melissa has been a writing teacher, English professor, and TEDx presenter, but she now divides her time between writing and conventions, where she speaks about issues related to genre, feminism, writing, and parenting. Read more about her life and work at MFOlson.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 230 reviews
June 23, 2021
The book overall was really good but a little slow starting.
4.5 stars rounded up.
4.5 stars rounded up.
July 18, 2021
When an old vampire who fought for the South in the Civil War notices some of the ghosts in Atlanta are disappearing he calls in Lex to investigate. She agrees but immediately upon arrival is confronted with some attitudes she can't tolerate.
She finds herself not only investigating the missing ghosts but butting heads with the vampire who called her and the community of witches that work for him.
Boundary Haunted is great. It's an entertaining page turner and honestly I think anyone who loves UF will love this series. I've struggled with Melissa F. Olson's Scarlett Bernard series. Every now and then I'll pick one up and read it but I still haven't read them all and I'm honestly not in any rush to. But the Boundary Magic series is on my preorder list. I always know when the next is coming out and it's always on my Kindle the day it's released.
She finds herself not only investigating the missing ghosts but butting heads with the vampire who called her and the community of witches that work for him.
Boundary Haunted is great. It's an entertaining page turner and honestly I think anyone who loves UF will love this series. I've struggled with Melissa F. Olson's Scarlett Bernard series. Every now and then I'll pick one up and read it but I still haven't read them all and I'm honestly not in any rush to. But the Boundary Magic series is on my preorder list. I always know when the next is coming out and it's always on my Kindle the day it's released.
February 2, 2020
Boundary Haunted reminded me why I love Melissa F. Olson’s storytelling!
Lex is suffering from a form a PTSD, after a physic attack leaves her reeling a previous installment. So, when her boss, Maven, asks her to go to Atlanta to help another vampire, Beau Calhoun with a ghost problem, Lex is conflicted. Ghosts are disappearing and its up to Lex and her boundary magic to find them, the same magic she is now afraid to us.
Lex is left surfing through a city filled with ghosts, human interference, witch magic and a difficult vampire on her own, until Maven sends her Tobias.
I found Boundary Haunted highly engaging, with lots of action, intense situations and an amazing original plot that DELIVERS the wow factor every urban fantasy reader is looking for!
I received this ARC copy of Boundary Haunted from 47North. This is my honest and voluntary review. Boundary Haunted is set for publication Dec. 3, 2019.
My Rating: 5 stars
Written by: Melissa Olson
Series: Boundary Magic (Book 5)
Paperback: 317 pages
Publisher: 47North (December 3, 2019)
ISBN-10: 1542000041
ISBN-13: 978-1542000048
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Boundary-Haunt...
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/boun...
Lex is suffering from a form a PTSD, after a physic attack leaves her reeling a previous installment. So, when her boss, Maven, asks her to go to Atlanta to help another vampire, Beau Calhoun with a ghost problem, Lex is conflicted. Ghosts are disappearing and its up to Lex and her boundary magic to find them, the same magic she is now afraid to us.
Lex is left surfing through a city filled with ghosts, human interference, witch magic and a difficult vampire on her own, until Maven sends her Tobias.
I found Boundary Haunted highly engaging, with lots of action, intense situations and an amazing original plot that DELIVERS the wow factor every urban fantasy reader is looking for!
I received this ARC copy of Boundary Haunted from 47North. This is my honest and voluntary review. Boundary Haunted is set for publication Dec. 3, 2019.
My Rating: 5 stars
Written by: Melissa Olson
Series: Boundary Magic (Book 5)
Paperback: 317 pages
Publisher: 47North (December 3, 2019)
ISBN-10: 1542000041
ISBN-13: 978-1542000048
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Boundary-Haunt...
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/boun...
February 20, 2020
Boundary Haunted
Boundary Magic, Book 5
By: Melissa F. Olson
Narrated by: Kate Rudd
Our Boundary Witch is asked to help an elder vampire. Seems someone is taking the spirits that are around items of the Civil War and other items of his personal collection. These are some spirits he knew, and family! He wants to find out who is doing this and stop them. Then when they are showing her around and explaining the situation, a bomb goes off. A bomb only partly of this world! Now she has to deal with this too! Great twist, turns, magic, action, vamps, and new characters.
The narration really added to the story!
Boundary Magic, Book 5
By: Melissa F. Olson
Narrated by: Kate Rudd
Our Boundary Witch is asked to help an elder vampire. Seems someone is taking the spirits that are around items of the Civil War and other items of his personal collection. These are some spirits he knew, and family! He wants to find out who is doing this and stop them. Then when they are showing her around and explaining the situation, a bomb goes off. A bomb only partly of this world! Now she has to deal with this too! Great twist, turns, magic, action, vamps, and new characters.
The narration really added to the story!
December 1, 2019
I was looking for something in the fantasy genre, and the cover of “Boundary Haunted” caught my eye. Not having read any of the first four books in the Boundary Magic series, I wasn’t sure what to expect. As the series seemed well received by other readers, I decided to take a chance.
The main part of the story is a standalone, and it is understandable that there will be a certain amount of backstory. Fans of the series may have appreciated the numerous information dumps in the beginning, but as a new reader to Melissa F. Olson’s series, it was disruptive. The bits of knowledge that had nothing to do with the main story as well as all the names mentioned went on for chapters, and more than once I thought about setting the book down. The plot was strong to carry the book, however, and once I got past the beginning it became a fast and interesting read until the final confrontation, which was a bit rocky in both the dialogue and description.
Ms. Olson’s treatment of an overused theme today (supernatural beings all getting along while remaining hidden from “normal” society) was helped by the concepts of power within that world as well as the differences between boundary witches and other types of magic users. The world-building was the author’s five-star element.
To me, the book falls (mood-wise) somewhere between a cozy mystery and a dark and chilling horror story. I usually don’t mind if a writer chooses to pepper the dialogue with obscenities, though I thought the mood and style made the constant dropping of f-bombs unnecessary as the continual use added nothing of value to the book.
I am sure regular fans will find this to be a fitting end to the series. While there were enough positives to keep me reading all the way to the end, there were enough negatives for me to rate it no higher than three stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and 47North for a complimentary electronic copy of this book.
The main part of the story is a standalone, and it is understandable that there will be a certain amount of backstory. Fans of the series may have appreciated the numerous information dumps in the beginning, but as a new reader to Melissa F. Olson’s series, it was disruptive. The bits of knowledge that had nothing to do with the main story as well as all the names mentioned went on for chapters, and more than once I thought about setting the book down. The plot was strong to carry the book, however, and once I got past the beginning it became a fast and interesting read until the final confrontation, which was a bit rocky in both the dialogue and description.
Ms. Olson’s treatment of an overused theme today (supernatural beings all getting along while remaining hidden from “normal” society) was helped by the concepts of power within that world as well as the differences between boundary witches and other types of magic users. The world-building was the author’s five-star element.
To me, the book falls (mood-wise) somewhere between a cozy mystery and a dark and chilling horror story. I usually don’t mind if a writer chooses to pepper the dialogue with obscenities, though I thought the mood and style made the constant dropping of f-bombs unnecessary as the continual use added nothing of value to the book.
I am sure regular fans will find this to be a fitting end to the series. While there were enough positives to keep me reading all the way to the end, there were enough negatives for me to rate it no higher than three stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and 47North for a complimentary electronic copy of this book.
December 21, 2019
What an awesome book and series.
I love the style of this authors writing for Lex it's just so funny and really helps you stay connect to lex an how she thinks for example :She gives me a look like I accused her of farting in public not forgetting that any time soon.
Lex is a straight shooter and dosn't like to waste time on games and dancing around the subject especially when trying to get to the bottom of something ,which a love an I think people either love her or hate because of this.
I love the style of this authors writing for Lex it's just so funny and really helps you stay connect to lex an how she thinks for example :She gives me a look like I accused her of farting in public not forgetting that any time soon.
Lex is a straight shooter and dosn't like to waste time on games and dancing around the subject especially when trying to get to the bottom of something ,which a love an I think people either love her or hate because of this.
September 20, 2022
$1.99 Kindle sale, March 1, 2020.
October 23, 2019
Still struggling with nightmares after the psychic attack she suffered after the last book, Allison “Lex” Luther travels to Atlanta, Georgia, to fulfill the request of help from the vampire cardinal Abner Beaumont "Beau" Calhoun. Apparently, Beau’s ghosts are missing, and since Lex is a boundary witch, Beau thinks that she can help finding them. Lex is reluctant at first, until her twin-sister Sam, tells Lex in her dream that she is needed. So off Lex goes to the South, alone this time.
It was nice seeing Lex out of Boulder, Colorado, although at the same time, I missed her gang: Quinn, Simon, and Lily. Quinn cannot travel to Atlanta due to ‘family circumstances’ while Simon and Lily are still dealing with the death of their mother. So, it feels like Lex doesn’t have enough back-up this time.
The whole Unsettled ghost of the war in the South is an interesting concept. It’s good that Lex learns more about boundary witch power and history, as well as type of ghosts while she’s in Atlanta. However, there are not a lot of progress – in my opinion – regarding Maven’s plan for the Old World. Being set in Atlanta, Boundary Haunted feels slightly like a slight detour from the main arc.
Having said that, it’s still a great book to read; that epilogue is sweet! I wish that I could read the next book now.
The ARC is provided by the publisher via Netgalley for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.
It was nice seeing Lex out of Boulder, Colorado, although at the same time, I missed her gang: Quinn, Simon, and Lily. Quinn cannot travel to Atlanta due to ‘family circumstances’ while Simon and Lily are still dealing with the death of their mother. So, it feels like Lex doesn’t have enough back-up this time.
The whole Unsettled ghost of the war in the South is an interesting concept. It’s good that Lex learns more about boundary witch power and history, as well as type of ghosts while she’s in Atlanta. However, there are not a lot of progress – in my opinion – regarding Maven’s plan for the Old World. Being set in Atlanta, Boundary Haunted feels slightly like a slight detour from the main arc.
Having said that, it’s still a great book to read; that epilogue is sweet! I wish that I could read the next book now.
The ARC is provided by the publisher via Netgalley for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.
March 17, 2021
I hope this isn't the last Boundary Magic book. I've enjoyed this series and want more. Olson has created an interesting magical world and populated it with great characters. Her plots are well thought out and exciting. I really like how she continues to expand her magical world, building on what we already know in logical and interesting ways.
In Boundary Haunted, Lex goes to Atlanta to help the cardinal vampire there with a ghost problem. Still suffering PTSD symptoms from her overwhelming encounter with ghostly remnants in the previous books, she's reluctant to help, especially since Quinn can't go with her. Once in Atlanta, she finds out that the problem is that large numbers of ghosts are missing. She also learns that these ghosts are a type she didn't know about, called the unsettled. Beau, the cardinal vampire, believes someone is trying to hurt him, and perhaps his niece Odessa. Beau can see ghosts because he is from a family of Boundary witches, although they have not been active witches for many generations.
The plot picks up speed quickly and is almost as much about Lex coming to terms with her fears as finding the culprit behind the disappearing ghosts. While the mystery/suspense plot for this book is solved, we are still left with some questions from the previous book, so I'm hopeful we'll get to see more in this series in the future.
As before, Kate Rudd has done a great job with the narration. I've really enjoyed these books on audio.
In Boundary Haunted, Lex goes to Atlanta to help the cardinal vampire there with a ghost problem. Still suffering PTSD symptoms from her overwhelming encounter with ghostly remnants in the previous books, she's reluctant to help, especially since Quinn can't go with her. Once in Atlanta, she finds out that the problem is that large numbers of ghosts are missing. She also learns that these ghosts are a type she didn't know about, called the unsettled. Beau, the cardinal vampire, believes someone is trying to hurt him, and perhaps his niece Odessa. Beau can see ghosts because he is from a family of Boundary witches, although they have not been active witches for many generations.
The plot picks up speed quickly and is almost as much about Lex coming to terms with her fears as finding the culprit behind the disappearing ghosts. While the mystery/suspense plot for this book is solved, we are still left with some questions from the previous book, so I'm hopeful we'll get to see more in this series in the future.
As before, Kate Rudd has done a great job with the narration. I've really enjoyed these books on audio.
October 16, 2019
While I greatly enjoyed this entire series, this 5th book in the Boundary Magic series was just awesome. Being from the South and having spent a lot of time in the Atlanta area, I could imagine much of the scenery and of course in my mind, Beau, the Atlanta cardinal vampire, has this wonderful old southern accent that I could hear as I read. The setting, culture, and old Civil War history was done perfectly. I was pleasantly surprised at the accuracy as I have visited many of the landmarks in the book and it was spot on. Lex really shined in this book despite all the obstacles in her path. I have enjoyed all of these Old World stories and would love for there to be more!
January 22, 2020
Boundary Haunted is the fifth book of the Boundary Magic series by Melissa F. Olson. In this book, Allison goes down to Atlanta and deals with missing Civil War ghosts.
I liked this book a lot and thought it was very good. It was nice to see Lex go to Atlanta. I liked Lex a lot as a character.
Will have to read the other books in the series to get caught up. This is the first book I read of the series.
I received an ARC copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I liked this book a lot and thought it was very good. It was nice to see Lex go to Atlanta. I liked Lex a lot as a character.
Will have to read the other books in the series to get caught up. This is the first book I read of the series.
I received an ARC copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 3, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. I liked how Lex has to take herself out of her comfort zone on this assignment and deal with things she's not really used to. The history woven into this story was an added bonus. As I was reading this, I could picture the places like I was there along side the characters
February 7, 2020
Brilliant book
Well this book certainly kept me gripped, I couldn't put it down until I'd finished reading it. Lex has to find out why spirits are disappearing and who is making spirit bottles. She gets shot at and someone tried to poison her. There is plenty of action in this book and witches, vampires and a werewolf.
Well this book certainly kept me gripped, I couldn't put it down until I'd finished reading it. Lex has to find out why spirits are disappearing and who is making spirit bottles. She gets shot at and someone tried to poison her. There is plenty of action in this book and witches, vampires and a werewolf.
April 15, 2020
Such a great series. Lex travels in this one, but great new characters, a bit of a mystery, new information on boundary magic...
February 26, 2020
The Boundary Magic series has become my favourite series by Melissa Olson. Reading "Boundary Haunted", the fifth book of the series, was like settling in to watch a new series of a favourite show: I knew it would pull me back into a familiar world, with rules I understood and characters I cared about, and I trusted that it would surprise me with something new that moves all the characters along. It gave me a couple of days of solid entertainment and still left me hungry for more.
Part of the appeal is that I like Lex, the ex-soldier who discovered late in life that she was a Boundary Witch when she kept coming back from the dead, because, apart from being able to wield magic that allows her to press vampires, interact with ghosts, kill with a thought or raise the dead, she's a down-to-earth person, doing the best she can. She's tough but not invulnerable. She carries the scars of her past experiences with her and she tries to do what needs to be done.
My enjoyment was enhanced by the fact that "Boundary Haunted" takes Lex out of the now-familiar context of Boulder, Colorado and takes her to Atalanta, Georgia, which is pretty much like moving her to another planet. "The Old World" (vampires, witches, werewolves) here is very different from either Boulder or Los Angeles.
Melissa Olson makes very effective use of the huge scale of killing that took place in Atlanta during the Civil War history to get Lex involved with large numbers of a new type of ghost. She also builds a twisty mystery for Lex to solve about who it is who is attacking the ghosts and, via them, the Cardinal Vampire, who is a Confederate veteran. I became engrossed as Lex came to terms with the culture and personalities in the Atlanta Old World and slowly unmasked the threat to them.
As usual, Kate Rudd does a great job as the narrator of the series. Click on the SoundCloud link below to hear a sample.
https://soundcloud.com/brilliance-aud...
Part of the appeal is that I like Lex, the ex-soldier who discovered late in life that she was a Boundary Witch when she kept coming back from the dead, because, apart from being able to wield magic that allows her to press vampires, interact with ghosts, kill with a thought or raise the dead, she's a down-to-earth person, doing the best she can. She's tough but not invulnerable. She carries the scars of her past experiences with her and she tries to do what needs to be done.
My enjoyment was enhanced by the fact that "Boundary Haunted" takes Lex out of the now-familiar context of Boulder, Colorado and takes her to Atalanta, Georgia, which is pretty much like moving her to another planet. "The Old World" (vampires, witches, werewolves) here is very different from either Boulder or Los Angeles.
Melissa Olson makes very effective use of the huge scale of killing that took place in Atlanta during the Civil War history to get Lex involved with large numbers of a new type of ghost. She also builds a twisty mystery for Lex to solve about who it is who is attacking the ghosts and, via them, the Cardinal Vampire, who is a Confederate veteran. I became engrossed as Lex came to terms with the culture and personalities in the Atlanta Old World and slowly unmasked the threat to them.
As usual, Kate Rudd does a great job as the narrator of the series. Click on the SoundCloud link below to hear a sample.
https://soundcloud.com/brilliance-aud...
January 1, 2020
It was an entertaining read. Too bad the author didn’t do research on Chloroform before suggesting in a minute of breathing it, you would pass out. That’s an untruth. It takes five plus minutes.
Also, I’m weary by the Simon thing. The author has already destroyed the Scarlett Barnard series (second trilogy with bad romance choices).
This is urban fantasy. Let sleeping dogs lie and let Lex be happy with Quinn. If this author changes that, she will be on my no read author list. I already don’t read Scarlett. I won’t read anything else ever if she destroys this series romantically.
Also, I’m weary by the Simon thing. The author has already destroyed the Scarlett Barnard series (second trilogy with bad romance choices).
This is urban fantasy. Let sleeping dogs lie and let Lex be happy with Quinn. If this author changes that, she will be on my no read author list. I already don’t read Scarlett. I won’t read anything else ever if she destroys this series romantically.
January 16, 2020
I stayed up late finishing this -- sooooo good! The plot is nicely paced and the storyline is interesting. Lex is such a wonderful character! She's prickly, deeply flawed, and her passion for doing what is right overtakes everything else.
Cover: Fits well with the series and all of Olson's Old World books.
Narrator: Kate Rudd is terrific as Lex.
Hogwarts Sorting Hat: Oh, she's definitely a Gryffindor. She just doesn't admit it.
Themes: boundary witch, paranormal, Boulder CO, Atlanta, vampires, Civil War
Cover: Fits well with the series and all of Olson's Old World books.
Narrator: Kate Rudd is terrific as Lex.
Hogwarts Sorting Hat: Oh, she's definitely a Gryffindor. She just doesn't admit it.
Themes: boundary witch, paranormal, Boulder CO, Atlanta, vampires, Civil War
January 10, 2020
Thrilling and informative
Nice Civil War trivia that worked so well with the story. Lex always seems so human in her dealings and comes across as naive and clueless but determined. I love that about her. She makes mistakes but always seem to get to her goal no matter the cost to her body and soul. Sometimes I am so sorry for her that I get mad. This was another great story about an unlikely hero whose only fault is trying to do the right thing. Absolutely fantastic!
Nice Civil War trivia that worked so well with the story. Lex always seems so human in her dealings and comes across as naive and clueless but determined. I love that about her. She makes mistakes but always seem to get to her goal no matter the cost to her body and soul. Sometimes I am so sorry for her that I get mad. This was another great story about an unlikely hero whose only fault is trying to do the right thing. Absolutely fantastic!
November 4, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. I liked how Lex has to take herself out of her comfort zone on this assignment and deal with things she's not really used to. The history woven into this story was an added bonus. As I was reading this, I could picture the places like I was there along side the characters
March 4, 2020
Excellent Book and Superb Performance
This review is based on listening to the audio book available through Audible. The narrator is Kate Rudd.
I have become a great admirer of Kate Rudd’s narration and this series has been part of that. She is an incredibly skilled actor who clearly differentiates between characters at the flip of a switch, which is not an easy task. It’s easy to forget that it is only one person reading the book sometimes. I found it difficult to stop listening to this audio book because her performance was so engaging.
The book itself was superbly constructed. This author never fails to deliver an excellent piece of fiction. Her world building is always fascinating and her characters are wonderfully engaging. I really love Allison ‘Lex’ Luther, a former Sargent in the Army. She is also a Boundary Witch, a witch who’s magic relates to the boundary between the living and the dead. It’s a very specialised type of magic and the witches who perform it were hunted down and killed over the centuries because of the nature of their magic being distasteful and because they have the ability to control vampires in the same way vampires control humans. This magic also means that Lex is someone who can see ghosts and help them move on to where they were originally supposed to go when they died. This is why she is called in to help the Cardinal Vampire of Atlanta, Beau. Beau is well known for eccentricities and he requests help to find his ‘missing’ ghosts. This have disappeared from all over Atlanta and Beau doesn’t want them to be gone as he is able to see them, unlike most vampires.
Lex is reticent to travel to a city packed full of ghosts after her recent run in with a tunnel filled with aggressive wraiths. However, her sister tells her to go to help her get over her fear. When Lex arrives she finds a much more complex situation than some missing ghosts, and she digs her heels in to find out who is stealing the ghosts and why..
There were several points during this book that I was sure I knew what was going on, only to change my mind a chapter later. This author is very good at dropping breadcrumbs that lead to a dead end, only to reveal a trap door hidden under the rug. The reader is kept on their toes all the way through as the plot is a complicated dance through vampire and witch culture in Atlanta. Lex is on her own as an investigator because her normal partner in these sorts of matters, Quinn, was unable to go with her. It meant that Lex’s character had a chance to grow and challenge her own capabilities.
One of the things I love about these books is that Lex is not an all powerful magical being. She has very real limitations and her magic is incredibly specific. In a narrow set of circumstances she is extremely powerful, but nudge one of those circumstances out of alignment and she’s forced to rely on her training as a soldier and her friends and allies. Lex nearly always works with a team and I love that, because her limitations force the author to plot creatively. It also adds extra dimension to her relationships with other characters.
I really hope that this author continues to write about Lex, because I think it will be a very long time before I get bored of this character and the wonderful world in which she lives.
This review is based on listening to the audio book available through Audible. The narrator is Kate Rudd.
I have become a great admirer of Kate Rudd’s narration and this series has been part of that. She is an incredibly skilled actor who clearly differentiates between characters at the flip of a switch, which is not an easy task. It’s easy to forget that it is only one person reading the book sometimes. I found it difficult to stop listening to this audio book because her performance was so engaging.
The book itself was superbly constructed. This author never fails to deliver an excellent piece of fiction. Her world building is always fascinating and her characters are wonderfully engaging. I really love Allison ‘Lex’ Luther, a former Sargent in the Army. She is also a Boundary Witch, a witch who’s magic relates to the boundary between the living and the dead. It’s a very specialised type of magic and the witches who perform it were hunted down and killed over the centuries because of the nature of their magic being distasteful and because they have the ability to control vampires in the same way vampires control humans. This magic also means that Lex is someone who can see ghosts and help them move on to where they were originally supposed to go when they died. This is why she is called in to help the Cardinal Vampire of Atlanta, Beau. Beau is well known for eccentricities and he requests help to find his ‘missing’ ghosts. This have disappeared from all over Atlanta and Beau doesn’t want them to be gone as he is able to see them, unlike most vampires.
Lex is reticent to travel to a city packed full of ghosts after her recent run in with a tunnel filled with aggressive wraiths. However, her sister tells her to go to help her get over her fear. When Lex arrives she finds a much more complex situation than some missing ghosts, and she digs her heels in to find out who is stealing the ghosts and why..
There were several points during this book that I was sure I knew what was going on, only to change my mind a chapter later. This author is very good at dropping breadcrumbs that lead to a dead end, only to reveal a trap door hidden under the rug. The reader is kept on their toes all the way through as the plot is a complicated dance through vampire and witch culture in Atlanta. Lex is on her own as an investigator because her normal partner in these sorts of matters, Quinn, was unable to go with her. It meant that Lex’s character had a chance to grow and challenge her own capabilities.
One of the things I love about these books is that Lex is not an all powerful magical being. She has very real limitations and her magic is incredibly specific. In a narrow set of circumstances she is extremely powerful, but nudge one of those circumstances out of alignment and she’s forced to rely on her training as a soldier and her friends and allies. Lex nearly always works with a team and I love that, because her limitations force the author to plot creatively. It also adds extra dimension to her relationships with other characters.
I really hope that this author continues to write about Lex, because I think it will be a very long time before I get bored of this character and the wonderful world in which she lives.
December 3, 2019
There are authors I read who when I read them after a while between books, I’ve forgotten just how good they are. This is one such author. I was immediately drawn into this book, the characters just like returning to old friends. Lex is a great character who suffers from PTSD from both her time in service and the events of last book, but she must try to not let it interfere in her latest assignment for Maven, especially when her sister tells her she really must go. I loved the new characters introduced, and even though I did guess who the perpetrator was, it too me longer than usual to figure it out. This was a great addition to the series, and I really hope there will be more even though this is supposedly the last book. Give the series a try! Highly recommend this book, and I received a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.
October 21, 2021
4.5 Stars - expanding on the world and its intracies
A new location. A departure from the previous books, but one that has allowed the world to feel fuller.
I love how she dealt with the Confederacy and the men. The Civil War is a VERY touchy subject, but the author did a very good job riding that line.
Also, the expansion of the world's magic, who can use it, and the limitations were really well defined in this story.
I also liked that Lex was put in the "fish out of water" trope, but also didn't always "land on her feet". She's capable, but not impervious to danger.
Some really impressive ideas of how to use magic, though not fitting into the three major boxes, Witches, Vampires and Werewolves. Love the worldbuilding.
So, I'm caught up in this series. I do hope that she writes more from this protagonist's POV. Now, I am going to go back and read the other series within the greater universe.
I've become a BIG fan of her style of writing. I haven't mentioned it before, but I love how she is able to put pop culture references within her books. Most often, they make me chuckle and sometimes even outright laugh. Thank you.
A new location. A departure from the previous books, but one that has allowed the world to feel fuller.
I love how she dealt with the Confederacy and the men. The Civil War is a VERY touchy subject, but the author did a very good job riding that line.
Also, the expansion of the world's magic, who can use it, and the limitations were really well defined in this story.
I also liked that Lex was put in the "fish out of water" trope, but also didn't always "land on her feet". She's capable, but not impervious to danger.
Some really impressive ideas of how to use magic, though not fitting into the three major boxes, Witches, Vampires and Werewolves. Love the worldbuilding.
So, I'm caught up in this series. I do hope that she writes more from this protagonist's POV. Now, I am going to go back and read the other series within the greater universe.
I've become a BIG fan of her style of writing. I haven't mentioned it before, but I love how she is able to put pop culture references within her books. Most often, they make me chuckle and sometimes even outright laugh. Thank you.
January 7, 2024
I seem to be in the minority on this one, but the villain of the story was just so obvious to me from early on that I found it annoying and distracting that all these supposedly smart characters were so clueless to it until the very end of the book - and then they were shocked, just shocked. So I think I didn’t enjoy this story as much as I might have otherwise. I love Lex, but would have preferred to see her interacting with the developed cast of characters back in Colorado that we have gotten to know over a number of books now, versus a bunch of randoms as we did in this story. Just didn’t care as much about the new players, so this book didn’t engage my interest as much. 3.5 stars.
December 18, 2019
I am usually ambivalent about the Lex series, Lex just isn’t a very interesting person to me.
But this book is very good. She was out of her city, dealing with new people, and it was more interesting as a result. And with absolutely no whining about “my niece Charlie”, this is a four star read.
This is the first book in this series that I would read again.
But this book is very good. She was out of her city, dealing with new people, and it was more interesting as a result. And with absolutely no whining about “my niece Charlie”, this is a four star read.
This is the first book in this series that I would read again.
February 25, 2022
Series back to 4 stars after DNFing the previous book.
July 30, 2025
Change of scenery for Lex, as she's headed to Atlanta to look into the cause of hundreds of ghosts suddenly vanishing from the area. I quite enjoyed getting her out of her usual surroundings and interacting with a whole new cast of characters, and the story was fastpaced and entertaining as usual though I guessed the villain fairly early on.
December 6, 2019
Totally forgot I preordered but so glad I did
This book was awesome. I worried about needing to reread some of the previous books but the writing flow made it so easy to drop back into this world and remember where Lex’s life had last dropped off. A great plot twist and interesting adjustments of power and friendship bloom in this book. Can’t wait to see what happens next.
This book was awesome. I worried about needing to reread some of the previous books but the writing flow made it so easy to drop back into this world and remember where Lex’s life had last dropped off. A great plot twist and interesting adjustments of power and friendship bloom in this book. Can’t wait to see what happens next.
January 30, 2020
I have enjoyed this series. I hope it goes on. I love the characters and any author that makes me suspend reality and care about the characters has done their job.
December 26, 2019
This volume in the series is more mystery adventure. It could have benefited from a little more romance in the Quinn side story.
November 20, 2019
To read more reviews, check out my blog keikii eats books!
85 points, 4 ½ stars
Quote:
Review:
Boundary Haunted was so just much fun to read. I loved the entire setup for the book. There is a vampire master, who works out of a cemetary, who sees ghosts, and when he was turned, he also turned his friends and named them the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Seriously. This vampire, named Beau, wants Lex to help him. This vampire doesn't want Lex to get rid of his ghosts. No, that is too common for this eccentric vampire. His ghosts have gone missing, and he wants Lex to find them. Perfect. I'm down for this.
This really was just so much fun. Even if Lex was away from home and most of her crew for most of the book. I hate being away from home and crew, so I'm really glad the book made up for this. Some heavy shit went down in the previous book, Boundary Broken, and it left Lex fighting some inner demons, alone, away from home, and with a problem on her hands. Good book. Good setup. Good read.
Unfortunately, Boundary Haunted was incredibly predictable, which was really the only true downside in the book. I knew who had done it instantly as soon as they showed up - and so did Lex who talked herself out of it. I knew the ending from very early on, and I just had to read through it. Oh well, it made up for this by being fun.
I'm looking forward to reading more in the series quite a bit.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Melissa F. Olson, 47North, and Netgalley for providing this copy for review!
85 points, 4 ½ stars
Quote:
"You want to send me to Atlanta," I said slowly, "because a cardinal vampire is worried that his vampire social event is missing its ghosts?"
Review:
Boundary Haunted was so just much fun to read. I loved the entire setup for the book. There is a vampire master, who works out of a cemetary, who sees ghosts, and when he was turned, he also turned his friends and named them the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Seriously. This vampire, named Beau, wants Lex to help him. This vampire doesn't want Lex to get rid of his ghosts. No, that is too common for this eccentric vampire. His ghosts have gone missing, and he wants Lex to find them. Perfect. I'm down for this.
This really was just so much fun. Even if Lex was away from home and most of her crew for most of the book. I hate being away from home and crew, so I'm really glad the book made up for this. Some heavy shit went down in the previous book, Boundary Broken, and it left Lex fighting some inner demons, alone, away from home, and with a problem on her hands. Good book. Good setup. Good read.
Unfortunately, Boundary Haunted was incredibly predictable, which was really the only true downside in the book. I knew who had done it instantly as soon as they showed up - and so did Lex who talked herself out of it. I knew the ending from very early on, and I just had to read through it. Oh well, it made up for this by being fun.
I'm looking forward to reading more in the series quite a bit.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Melissa F. Olson, 47North, and Netgalley for providing this copy for review!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 230 reviews