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Ghosts Are Good #1
Ghost King
Before he was resuscitated, Kasper Kloven fell in love with a ghost. Electric blue eyes and a touch so cold it felt hot, Oliver, the ghost boy, never left Kasper’s mind. Though his search for ghosts in the years following proved fruitless, it wasn’t until Kasper accidentally stepped out in front of a car did he learn that he had been right. Ghosts were real, and they had been watching. Not only that, but they had been moved by his belief in them, and had chosen him to be their king. Atop his new throne, Kasper is given the opportunity to compete for one higher, that of the Almighty Ghost King. To earn that crown he must impress the kingdom, outshine the other candidates, and court the ghost factions. He’s competing with one goal in mind, to create a realm that embodies what he knows to be true: ghosts are good. With Oliver by his side, eternity before him, and trials to win, Kasper has but one weapon: his heart. Can Kasper withstand the weight of his crown once he learns what it really means to become the Ghost King?
- GenresFantasy
369 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 3, 2021
10 people are currently reading
144 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 26, 2021
This is my new favorite book! This is an amazing novel that follows the main character Kasper through his adventures in the ghost world. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves action, adventure, fantasy, paranormal, LGBTQ+ romance. There is a part of the book for everyone. The characters are well thought out and you can really connect with them. I can't wait for more novels to be published by Valentyne. If you loved this book please check out his other books.
January 28, 2021
This was an amazing read, there were times where I couldn't bring myself to put the book down. I found myself relating to quite a few of the characters, and it was amazing to see a queer fantasy where the LGBTQ+ community wasn't fetishized. It was definitely a book worth reading, I can't wait to see where the second book takes the story.
January 16, 2021
I found the author on Tiktok and loved the concept of this book! It read very much as middle grade to me (with some f-words), and is something I would’ve liked at 12 (but thought was a little cheesy at 14). Fun little book!
May 10, 2021
“Ghosts Are Good” and so is this book.
The main character of Ghost King is Kasper Kloven, a lonely and bullied teenage ghost-hunter who dies and wakes up as a ghost and becomes the King of the Boggle, a ghost kingdom. He soon learns he must complete three trials to prove himself worthy of being king to all ghosts. Along the way, he meets a number of different characters and gains the approval of various ghost factions.
Ghost King explores many interesting themes. First and foremost, it’s the story of an underdog kid who comes out on top by trying his best, being himself, and gathering the support of people (or ghosts) around him. Kasper overcomes his trials by just being himself, and not bending under the pressure of expectations. The book also explores coping; for example, with death, with the expectations of others, with anger, and with struggles in a new, confusing world. Ultimately Ghost King is about following your heart and being true to yourself. We see a protagonist who undergoes great change: from a lonely, obsessive, and downtrodden kid to a confident king surrounded by loved ones.
I personally enjoyed the story for several reasons. Kasper was a relatable character as someone who has gone through "trials" and learned about themself, and the relationship between Oliver and Kasper was adorable. The plot was interesting and well-written. It was attention-grabbing, but still made me feel comfortable--there were struggles but they were dealt with positively, and it was not over the top with angst. The dialogue felt natural, and not awkward. The ghost world was cool and interesting, easy to engage imagination and picture what things would look like. The story is a manageable size and could be read over a weekend or two.
There are a few things that could be improved. There are a couple of grammar and spelling issues that pulled me out of the story a bit. There are some issues with world-building, as it wasn't always clear why things were happening. For example, why was the most important ghost event of 1,000 years centered around the main character's hometown?
Overall though, it’s a quite good book; something to read on weekend afternoons.
The main character of Ghost King is Kasper Kloven, a lonely and bullied teenage ghost-hunter who dies and wakes up as a ghost and becomes the King of the Boggle, a ghost kingdom. He soon learns he must complete three trials to prove himself worthy of being king to all ghosts. Along the way, he meets a number of different characters and gains the approval of various ghost factions.
Ghost King explores many interesting themes. First and foremost, it’s the story of an underdog kid who comes out on top by trying his best, being himself, and gathering the support of people (or ghosts) around him. Kasper overcomes his trials by just being himself, and not bending under the pressure of expectations. The book also explores coping; for example, with death, with the expectations of others, with anger, and with struggles in a new, confusing world. Ultimately Ghost King is about following your heart and being true to yourself. We see a protagonist who undergoes great change: from a lonely, obsessive, and downtrodden kid to a confident king surrounded by loved ones.
I personally enjoyed the story for several reasons. Kasper was a relatable character as someone who has gone through "trials" and learned about themself, and the relationship between Oliver and Kasper was adorable. The plot was interesting and well-written. It was attention-grabbing, but still made me feel comfortable--there were struggles but they were dealt with positively, and it was not over the top with angst. The dialogue felt natural, and not awkward. The ghost world was cool and interesting, easy to engage imagination and picture what things would look like. The story is a manageable size and could be read over a weekend or two.
There are a few things that could be improved. There are a couple of grammar and spelling issues that pulled me out of the story a bit. There are some issues with world-building, as it wasn't always clear why things were happening. For example, why was the most important ghost event of 1,000 years centered around the main character's hometown?
Overall though, it’s a quite good book; something to read on weekend afternoons.
July 21, 2022
Ghost King, written by talented writer and paranormal enthusiast Valentyne DeBudge, is a story about Kaspian 'Kasper' Kloven. Being the town's resident believer isn't easy for our 18 year old hero especially after a near death experience throws his life onto a track he can't, and refuses to, step off of. Chasing the image of the man he fell in love with at first sight he sets off to prove two things and two things only:
Ghost are real.
and
Ghost are good.
I originally looked this author up to find Watch Me, another book written by this author, but somehow found myself buying this one instead. I can't say i'm disappointed though because this book had me enthralled from the very first page as I cheered Kasper on every step of the way, wanting him to get the happy ending. He's a very easy to like protagonist that is easy to relate to. The supporting cast were especially fun to get to know, putting a spotlight on Gaston since I enjoyed him the most only second to Kasper, himself.
There were definitely some dialogues that raised more questions than they offered to answer that also didn't get cleared up in the the sequel, Phantasmal. But with how much I love this series I don't mind too much because it gives me an excuse to keep rereading the books.
Speaking of reading the books, I loved how easy it was to read them! I have dyslexia so big blocks of words are nerve wracking for me but the story flowed smoothly, only knocking me back an inch when a new question would pop up in my head or a typo threw me off.
TLDR: all in all, its a captivating story about a brave heart underdog growing as he comes into himself more in death than he had in life, finding love, friends, and a goal to fight towards achieving which pushes the readers to cheer for him on every page. A book definitely worth every moment spent reading it.
Ghost are real.
and
Ghost are good.
I originally looked this author up to find Watch Me, another book written by this author, but somehow found myself buying this one instead. I can't say i'm disappointed though because this book had me enthralled from the very first page as I cheered Kasper on every step of the way, wanting him to get the happy ending. He's a very easy to like protagonist that is easy to relate to. The supporting cast were especially fun to get to know, putting a spotlight on Gaston since I enjoyed him the most only second to Kasper, himself.
There were definitely some dialogues that raised more questions than they offered to answer that also didn't get cleared up in the the sequel, Phantasmal. But with how much I love this series I don't mind too much because it gives me an excuse to keep rereading the books.
Speaking of reading the books, I loved how easy it was to read them! I have dyslexia so big blocks of words are nerve wracking for me but the story flowed smoothly, only knocking me back an inch when a new question would pop up in my head or a typo threw me off.
TLDR: all in all, its a captivating story about a brave heart underdog growing as he comes into himself more in death than he had in life, finding love, friends, and a goal to fight towards achieving which pushes the readers to cheer for him on every page. A book definitely worth every moment spent reading it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 6, 2022
Fun story with a new take on limbo and ghosts
This was definitely a cute story and I read it as more of fantasy story with a sub plot of teen romance rather than a true YA or adult romance. I think because I recognized it that way I was able to enjoy it more since I wasn’t looking for a defined romance storyline.
I also loved that everyone was a king despite gender and I enjoyed how the author split the kingdoms. It was definitely something I hadn’t read before and it was fun! The author brings equality to the page in a subtle way that I really appreciated, whether that was intended or not. :)
Suggestions and thoughts: There were some things I noticed that could have been easily fixed with an editor. Time jumps that could have used breaks so the reader knew what was happening or sentence structures that were a little confusing. But that didn’t deter me as a reader, I only mention it because I know there are people out there who like warnings about that lol.
Overall, it was a very enjoyable read and I recommend it!
This was definitely a cute story and I read it as more of fantasy story with a sub plot of teen romance rather than a true YA or adult romance. I think because I recognized it that way I was able to enjoy it more since I wasn’t looking for a defined romance storyline.
I also loved that everyone was a king despite gender and I enjoyed how the author split the kingdoms. It was definitely something I hadn’t read before and it was fun! The author brings equality to the page in a subtle way that I really appreciated, whether that was intended or not. :)
Suggestions and thoughts: There were some things I noticed that could have been easily fixed with an editor. Time jumps that could have used breaks so the reader knew what was happening or sentence structures that were a little confusing. But that didn’t deter me as a reader, I only mention it because I know there are people out there who like warnings about that lol.
Overall, it was a very enjoyable read and I recommend it!
December 10, 2021
I picked this book up purely because I thought the cover looked nice and the premise seemed to have potential. While the groundwork was there for a good story I feel it lacked a few things, one of which kind of ruined the reading experience for me. I couldn't connect to or form any attachment to any of the characters. The book was easy enough to read, but I didn't really feel anything about what was happening or to what the characters were going through and feeling. Maybe it just wasn't a book written for me, but I didn't really enjoy it. It wasn't bad, but I feel it was a bit lacking.
January 19, 2021
Perfect storyline and very nice MC, if it didnt have such a weak romance...
Spoiler ahead
Why was Olivers love not strong enough to NOT kill Kasper while he was possessed? Yes, the knight appeared to be in love, but then he couldtn fight his instincts too murder Kasper??? I dont get it and this twist just destroyed the love story for me... And Oliver didnt even blink and just accepted it, that the love of his life didnt love him enough to protect him. Just sad
Spoiler ahead
Why was Olivers love not strong enough to NOT kill Kasper while he was possessed? Yes, the knight appeared to be in love, but then he couldtn fight his instincts too murder Kasper??? I dont get it and this twist just destroyed the love story for me... And Oliver didnt even blink and just accepted it, that the love of his life didnt love him enough to protect him. Just sad
January 25, 2023
I found this book on TikTok about a year ago and really enjoyed it! The characters were all entertaining, I loved the main romance and the idea of a guy who just really likes his silly little ghost friends, and I found the overall story very rewarding. There were some typos here and there that made it past any beta reads, but other than that it was great and I'd definitely read it again!
February 22, 2021
DNFed very early because like most of the sentences are not actual sentences. Like, they don't have nouns or verbs. I'm really confused.
January 22, 2023
It was amazing. I can't put how much I love this book into words! It's so amazing! I love it so so much!!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews