Ghost Lips from the Trickster: A Civil War Story

by Dennis Boisvert

Sergeant Victor Peters breaks away from a Rebel prison train running hard from Soldiers with dogs closing fast on his heels. Hopelessly lost in deep woods about to be caught when suddenly a ghost vision of a drummer boy who has shot that morning flashes before him pointing away to a steep hill. Climbing up that hill he shakes off the dogs and runs until dusk to an abandoned copper mine. There he finds a group of women dancing around a huge campfire while protected by a hideous-looking beast. The Rebel soldiers hunting him sees the creature, stops.

Soon an ex-slave Basil tells him he has entered into a bizarre world controlled by a runaway-slave woman Tamar who is a wizard of all witches. She uses some old sacred texts to communicate with the dead and with so many soldiers killed on the battlefield mothers and wives come to her who have a portal to the underworld and can connect by pulling up the ghost of their lost love ones to read their lips. Victor finds himself now trapped by Tamar, a procure of super magical powers who had sent the drummer boy ghost for him to find his way to her. She has plans to expand her occult tribe by having Victor be used as a studmaster.

Victor needs to get home to care for his ill child, Bessie. But he is up against the mystical power of Tamar. Basil tells him his only hope is a beautiful ex-shave girl Autumn who knows Tamar the trickster's secret and the only way to escape is to kill that fearsome beast Tamar controls. Can Victor get Autumn to help him get free from Tamar as the Rebels a mile away saddled well-armed watching ready for action as the creature stands firm? Victor sees danger, and time is running out.

156 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 29, 2020

Reviews

[Harper MOORE · Rating 5 out of 5]

If there's one thing that this book sold me, it’s the fact that I loved the personality and bravery of the characters. Of course, they aren't perfect. They also have their lapses, but that's what makes us humans.

Think about it, Victor Peters, a fishing boat builder who was held captive by the Confederates decided to escape after receiving a letter from his wife, Ann. It says that their daughter has been coughing nonstop and all they could do is give her cinnamon juice with lemon as their remedy. But when Bessie seems to be getting better, her nightmares ruin it all. She has been dreaming of herself being buried alive and the torment has worsened every night. Ann begs for his help, to come home and see their child. He must tell her the secret behind his locket. He's the only one capable of healing her. But then again, when he thought he had escaped, there comes again a woman who's going to detain him in the mining area to ask for his help. Once again, an escape plan has come into action.

Victor is a perfect father to his daughter, his love for her is unconditional and cannot be compared. He's a gentleman encapsulated within the brave man. It was so easy to love this book. Truly a magnificent read!

[Joan Dela · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the first time, I dive into a book knowing nothing about it. Not even a little bit. I picked up this book going in blind. So I was so surprised to love it more than I expected it to be.

The first thing that picks my interest is the way of writing. In this book, it is utterly divine. The book started with a story of a wife who was left behind by his husband for work. She was begging him to come back for their ill daughter. And all the feelings she showed in her letter reflected to me. I felt every bit of it that I ended the letter with tears in my eyes.

I'm really into their escape expedition. I loved how every flip of a page, there's something that awaits me for a surprise. I went in with low expectations and came out absolutely blown away.

I don't think I should keep this marvelous book to myself. So, this review is for everyone to know about it, to encourage all the readers out there. So give it a try. I'm sure once you start, you'll get lost in your own world.

[Juliet Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

I, myself, am surprised at how much I liked this book. Generally, I prefer books that are plot-driven. Now and then, however, a wonderful book comes along built on the characters within. This is definitely a character-driven story.

My heart melted when I found out that Victor has a special locket that he passed down to Bessie, and that he has a special secret story for her. It goes to show how much love he has for his daughter. In this book, all Victor wants is to be reunited with his daughter, even after almost facing death, even after the prospect of staying as a studmaster for a powerful and growing cult. Victor is an honorable man, even though sometimes war wishes to taint that. I love that this book is character-driven, despite the fact that it has such an amazing plot. It really makes me connect with the story more and seeing the word in his eyes makes me empathize more with what he’s going through.

[Alexa Simmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great story!

The excitement and suspense in this book were astonishing. I held my breath in anticipation of certain things Victor had to do, and then some twist would come out of left field, and I would continue reading in awe.

I had a lot of theories while reading this book. Was Victor really dead and he is now crossing to the afterlife? Was the tribe of women some sort of hallucination? I didn’t know what to expect but in the end, it all wrapped together into one satisfactory ending. Personally, I loved the ending. I love how Victor has grown so much just by his journey of trying to go back home. He is a soldier through and through indeed.

I believe it’s impossible to hate this book, there are so many lessons and symbolisms as well as thrilling scenes that make you think “How did the author write such a thing so perfectly?” This book will surely make you a better person if you decide to read it!

[Tray Girard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This intense action-filled story embedded with fantasy is a must-read! The most wonderful book that I've read and no one can come close.

I wasn't expecting to love this book that much but, fortunately, I did. Entering this fictional world created by Boisvert, I didn't know what to expect. I never knew what was waiting for me inside those 156 pages. But the moment I started it, it hit the home run. The letter was so beautifully written, I felt Ann's emotion right there and sympathized with their young girl.

To be honest, I didn't want the story to end. I was looking forward to more when I got to the last page. The ending has left me hanging and it just begs for a second book. If there would be a sequel, I'd be the happiest. This is certainly highly recommended. I hope many readers love it too, just like how I did.

Surely, one that I would never forget.

[Quinn Clements · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book you can't put down and, when you've finished, you can't stop thinking about. The characters, though sometimes bizarre, are so realistic that you'd swear they were real people.

I have been asking myself a lot of questions about the cult of Tamar and I have been really confused about how to feel. At first, it was hard to think of because I did not understand the motive behind it and it sounded evil and silly. But as I realized it, these people just wanted to reminisce about moments with the people who are already lost. They wanted to reunite with their loved ones through Tamar, and don't we all want that?

The ending of the book left me hanging, and I wished it could've been longer. It all ended suddenly and I am hoping this book could have a sequel. I have been really engaged with the book and I cannot wait to read more from the author!

[Cristine Hughens · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is spectacular. Smart, clever, well crafted, well timed, full of great characters and great scenes.

This story is a different take, where it is situated in a war and the main character, Victor, has a mission to escape the rebel group in order to go home to his family, especially to his daughter Bessie who is dying. His journey was never easy, and there is no way to put it lightly because what he had gone through was really heart-wrenching and full of trials. I like to believe that his dedication to his family and love really made his journey meaningful. The way this story is written is full of action, it does not give you dull moments and gives you different scenes of actions both in the war and in the occult tribe. A different journey yet so wonderful, and I never imagined I would grow to love it!

[Lina Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this story, I was catching my breath because of how thrilling everything was and it was happening so fast. I love the protagonist, Victor, because he really resembles someone who we can all relate to not because of his job or his standing but because of his decisions and his emotions that make him so real and relatable. He is not a perfect character, we can see his flaws, we can see him struggling. And those flaws really make him special and the development meaningful. This is a book that is full of creativity when it comes to the writing techniques and all that but also does not fly you away from reality. A great book to start with fantasy if you are having second thoughts on trying the genre. Fantastic work of fiction!

[Davon Boyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read - devoured the book in a day.
Thoroughly enjoyed the plot twists and turns and the intricate detail of the story and characters.

Dennis Boisvert is a very exceptional author that we are longing for! He just gave us a story in between fiction and nonfiction and had delivered it shockingly. I love his writing style, he pays attention to details and it just comes from spontaneously proving to us that he knows what he is writing about and he knows where he is going and that gives me assurance that this book is going to be not forgotten. All the action scenes to the emotional ones are just written impressively, you will not notice that you are already halfway through the book or even on the back cover. He is one of the many factors that made this book such a great experience.

[Tristan Cameron · Rating 4 out of 5]

With lots of twists and turns and well-written characters, I am now officially a fan of Dennis Boisvert.

Victor is a leader and he is a soldier determined to come home. While he does wish that he holds no responsibility for the people he's with, he protects them with all his capabilities. This book gives us a fair view of what war is like and what are the situations that the people suffer from. Our main character is a soldier trapped in warfare. And in those times, he sees a lot of human things being done in a supposed war and it allows him to realize that war does not defeat the spirit of humanity. Aside from that, he also meets a cult that both intrigues and disturbs him. And while he is thrown into a new world, all he thinks about is his dying daughter and how to reach her.

[Sam Fournier · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is like something taken out of a dream, it's creative and I believe it's never been done before, like mixing genres! While I do admit that this book takes time to settle and lay down the foundation with the characters and setting, I assure you that once it’s all finished, it becomes one of the greatest books that you could ever read. It’s fairly straightforward and concise, yet it gives us good imagery of what the characters are going through.

Dennis Boisvert is a spectacular writer, he is able to write something that goes alive in a reader’s head and I believe that it’s an important aspect when it comes to writing! High praises and I’m already on the lookout for more of his works!

[Miller Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is inarguably a nice fantasy comfort read, and I really loved it.

One particular thing that made me fall in love with this book was when Victor was leading soldiers to safety and he became hesitant because of the responsibility he has over them, it read: “Victor looked at the other two strangers and saw the concerns and fear on each of their faces. Their eyes were glued to him for he was their Moses, who would lead them to the Promised Land.” It really shows that Victor is just human and he isn’t some sort of savior for his only desire is to go back to his daughter.

Overall, this is such a sweet book. And I don’t know how I was able to get through it because of all the emotions it managed to get out of me. 5 stars!

[Zane Hayes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I cannot get enough of this book by Dennis Boisvert! He just made a new genre for readers and I am sure many people will love this. I am a person who loves to read fiction, and wants to meet strange characters, with unique and special plots, but I also want to be able to feel reality and do not want to go further into it. I am sure there are a lot of readers out there that are like me. And if you are one of those people, you should probably give this book a read! It was so modernly written, it mixes up creativity with common instances of reality and it really makes it more meaningful and relatable to the readers. Such a great read and I will not get tired of sharing this book with other readers.

[Wilmer Simmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel honored to have been given a chance to have read this book.

The author writes in a way that conjures up real images in your head, you will be able to see everything he writes and there is not a single moment where you get caught off guard and come back to the real world. Ghost Lips from the Trickster shows us in a setting where the main character is desperately trying to get to his daughter after receiving news that she is terminally ill and needs him. His journey is full of a lot of setbacks and what keeps him going is the thought that he will see his family again. I love the way this book is written, it’s a great narration that involves us spectating the character while still feeling everything he’s going through. It takes a good author to write that way.

[Ada Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ghost Lips from the Trickster is a gripping, emotional journey through war, loyalty, and the mysteries between life and death. What touched me most is Victor’s fierce love for his daughter, Bessie. Even in the chaos of war and supernatural forces, his heart beats only for her safety. The book blends Civil War grit with spiritual intrigue in a way I didn’t expect. Tamar and her ghostly powers bring a haunting layer that makes you question fate and destiny. It isn’t just a war story — it’s a father’s fight for hope. I felt my chest tighten as Victor runs, escapes, and battles unseen forces. Beautiful storytelling filled with suspense, emotion, and unforgettable moments. This book will stay with me for a long time.

[Adam Martinez · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who loves historical fiction, this novel fascinated me from the first page. Dennis Boisvert transports readers straight into Civil War America — not only through battles and escapes, but through fear, desperation, and a yearning for home. The supernatural twist is refreshing and unique. Tamar, Autumn, and the mystical tribe add a sense of wonder that sets this book apart. The pacing feels like reading a hidden legend pulled from forgotten wartime diaries. What impressed me most is how the author combines real historical pain — illness, loss, and war’s uncertainty — with powerful spiritual elements. It made me think about how people of that era clung to hope, faith, and belief in unseen worlds. Simply unforgettable.

[Alexandra Heart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is a testament to imaginative storytelling and emotional depth. The writing is vivid and rich, placing you inside the mud, fear, and survival instinct of a Civil War soldier. Yet what surprised me is how poetic and mystical the story becomes. Victor isn't simply running from Confederate pursuers — he’s running toward love, redemption, and purpose. The supernatural elements felt symbolic, like echoes of trauma and longing that haunt both the living and the dead. Tamar’s power, Autumn’s secret, and the world between spirits and mortals are masterfully woven. This book is more than adventure or history; it’s a haunting exploration of love, sacrifice, and faith. Highly recommended for readers who love depth, emotion, and imagination.

[Aliyah Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Victor’s desperate determination to return to his sick daughter made me think of my own childhood. When I was little and sick, I always waited for my father to come home from work — and somehow, everything felt better when he arrived. That same emotional thread runs through this book. Victor’s courage and exhaustion are real, and you feel every mile he travels. But then the story surprises you with mystical forces, ghostly encounters, and a powerful woman who commands spirits. It’s heartbreaking, suspenseful, and magical at the same time. The blend of family love, war danger, and otherworldly mystery makes this novel unforgettable. A beautiful tale of how far a parent will go for their child.

[Daniel Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a long-haul truck driver who reads during rest stops and overnight breaks, and this book kept me entertained on the road — it’s exciting, scary, and hopeful all at once. Victor’s battle isn’t just against soldiers or mystical forces; it’s against fear, despair, and fate itself. His love for his little girl gives him strength beyond limits, and that message is powerful. Tamar and her supernatural world challenge him, test him, and force him to confront both the living and the dead. But even in darkness, there is always a light — and that light is love. This book reminds us that even in the darkest times, faith and determination can carry us through. Inspiring, emotional, and beautifully written.

[Elena Dube · Rating 4 out of 5]

In desperate need of a sequel! This book has set the bar for the future fantasy books that I will read. This book took me on an adventure that I wasn’t able to get out of until the last chapter, with characters that I have grown to be fond of. This book has all of the great characteristics of a good fantasy book, and what’s great is that it’s also a book that talks about a soldier’s life amidst war and the dangers of a growing cult. This may not be your typical fantasy book, but I assure you, it’s better and easier to process. I am still shocked even after reading this book and it’s now one of my favorite books of all time!

[Trisha Gagne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dennis Boisvert just gave us a world to venture and indulge ourselves in. The summary of the story really pulled me close and really raised my interest in giving it a shot because it was just unique and new to me at first. Upon reading, I realized that there was more to the story than what the author really tells us, it was also about symbolism and deeper implications. You will relate to the characters and, most importantly, you will grow with the characters. This book really gives us more, gives us something between the words and the lines. This is the first book that I have read from the author but I am sure this will not be the last!

[Lovely Caron · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book by Dennis Boisvert gives us a balance in reading. It does not overwhelm you with facts right in front of your face. At the same time, it does not let you drown in a fantasy world. The fact that the author had made this just right is such a skill because not everyone can pull out like this and he did it with greatness. The scenes were very realistic, the war had impacted a lot of people and they are coping in different ways with their loss. This makes it so meaningful and relatable especially for people who have been affected by events such as this. Very impressively written, the plot is very well-thought-out and I absolutely love how he portrayed the overall story.

[Stella Landry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who would think a book could be such a fantastic approach and, at the same time, seem very real? Dennis Boisvert had just created a new genre and I am loving it! This book, Ghost Lips from the Trickster, is a fast-paced story that gives us a variety of amazing characters and plot, making us jump from one page to another without stopping the energy and excitement. I have lived with Victor, with my heart beating faster in each of the encounters with the enemy soldiers and Tamar herself. Everything just happens so fast, I feel like I am not blinking as the events unravel. A great reading experience and one that I will cherish and share with others as well.

[Kathy Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I believe that there are books that are meant to be known by the world and this is one of them. Ghost Lips from the Trickster is a book about a man and his journey towards saving his little girl from dying of consumption. Throughout his journey, he is met with a lot of strange things, like a ghost drummer, a wizard trickster who wishes to use him as a stud, and a slave girl named Autumn who has the talent of using herbs to heal.

In this book, you will never know what to expect, and every chapter is something to look forward to. This is now one of my favorite fantasy books and I’m hoping that a lot more people will be able to discover this masterpiece

[Pierre Owen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dennis Boisvert gives us a captivating tale that will make all the fantasy book readers change their standards! The story is set in a war, where Victor has to escape a rebel train to go back to his wife and dying child. On his escapade, he witnesses death and finds himself faced with a trickster who has a hidden agenda up her sleeve. Guided by a slave named Author, he tries to get away from the enemy forces and the occult tribe who wants to use him to expand their community.

Absolutely breathtaking, I had to stop mid-way when I read because of how much thrill this book managed to deliver. Everything from the writing style to the characters is on point!

[Ben Simard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the kind of book that you will definitely look for in the fantasy genre. Ghost Lips from the Trickster is a book that you won't regret reading. You will really crave it even after reading it, making you wish it was longer and ask for a sequel. Victor is unlike other book characters, he really knows his reasons and his intentions on his mission.

I immediately have grown a connection with him, as well as the other characters, as they also cope with their own adversities in life that are not that much highlighted in the book but gave us an overview. This book has all of the great characteristics of a good fantasy book, I did not expect that this book had impacted me this much

[Luna Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, this book by Dennis Boisvert was a new experience for me. I never even bothered to read the synopsis or the description because I thought I would just be scanning the first few pages for a while and will end up tossing it to my to-read list. However, things really turned out differently and I managed to finish the book with awe and excitement, hanging and craving for more!

The start, how it started with a letter that builds readers’ curiosity, and how it slowly built the plot and then turned into fast-paced action, it was too much and I could not ask for more from the author. This is a highly recommended book that everyone should know about and read.

[Helen Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want to read fiction but you don't want to commit to complex world-building and a long list of characters, I guarantee you that this is the best book to test the waters. Ghost Lips from the Trickster tells a story of a soldier who goes through a lot of horrors to save his daughter from succumbing to consumption. On his journey, he comes across a tribe of women led by a powerful wizard. Driven by his love for his daughter, he bands up with a slave to escape the wrath of Tamar the trickster.

Absolutely phenomenal and one of a kind, this book is now living rent-free inside my head. I am already on the lookout for the second book!

[Princess Poole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ghost Lips from the Trickster is a fiction story that revolves around the story of a soldier who is on a journey of going home to his ill daughter, and his journey has never been easy. He had met a lot of people like the ghost drummer, the trickster wizard, the slave girl. And even though all these things sound silly to you, this will change when you get to meet them in the story. This story has no dull moments, it has a lot in store for us that will surprise us and will make us look forward to every page. These characters are just some of the many that you will meet, characters that are intriguing and really interesting to meet.

[Emma Wells · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ghost Lips from the Trickster is a very unique book that talks about a man who wishes to see his daughter amidst war. He is faced with obstacles that make him question his sanity. But in the end, he learns a lot of lessons that make him a better man. The first thing you should know before reading this book is that it is a mix of contemporary and fantasy. It’s a type of story that you won’t think you’ll like at first but the more you read it, the more it grows on you.

This book is worth every second I spent reading it. From the concept to the execution, it’s all perfection. And I would give up my soul in order to read it again for the first time!