Haunted Waters

The Phantom #3

by Laura C. Reden

★★★★★
"A dark psychological fantasy dive into the mind’s ability to create and control" --PT


The thing about lucid dreaming is, you’re playing a game against yourself. Against the inner workings of your own twisted mind .

My friends always said I was my own worst enemy . It’s true. I am. I see it all around me.

It’s chilling to be both the predator and the prey . But when you hunt yourself, who do you root for?

I want nothing more than to stay in Baylor, but to win this fight, I’d have to let myself die .

Genres: Horror, Fantasy

374 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 1, 2022

About the author

I never considered myself a creative person, until a sudden spark of inspiration left me writing my first book. The endless possibilities for creativity and imagination have kept me dedicated to the craft ever since.

I find myself captivated by mixing real life with the unknown, a perspective glimpse on what lies beyond our reality. And driven by deep, unrefined emotions, that are at the heart of life’s beauty and tragedy.

If my work has resonated with you, I would be thrilled to hear about it. Please consider leaving a review, subscribing to my email list, or reaching out to me directly. Thank you for reading and I hope to hear from you soon.

Reviews

[chiara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got an advanced copy but my opinions are my own!!

love this series and I'm so happy that I got the ARC and chance to review this book! I read it back in 2022, but for some reason the review isn't here anymore. this book gives off really eerie, intriguing vibes that you'll love, but start with book one. just imagine a group of friends who go to a lakeside house for a fun trip, but it goes wrong in ways they could never have thought of. the lines between real, fake, the supernatural and the natural blur as the series go on, and had me really hooked. not going to lie, books like these are the reason I like arcs because I find books I would never have found otherwise...!

[Diana✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seemed a lot stronger than the previous ones, it shows the excellent work that the author did to perfect the setting and the characters. It wasn't as boring to read as the second one. The ending felt a little bit rushed, but left me craving for more.
In general, an excellent step-up for the saga. I definitely recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Piper]

he Phantom Series, Book 3
by Laura C. Reden

Pub Date 01 Dec 2022 | Archive Date 30 Nov 2022
ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op
You Like Them
Horror | Sci Fi & Fantasy | Teens & YA
This is the third book in the series and the storytelling and depth go from strength to strength. Kinsley's story of finding self-confidence and worth, and continuing her struggle to control and master the environment of her dreams, explores the dark psychological fantasies of her mind's ability to create and control. I'm here. Her body in the hospital draws her to her home, but her newfound love for Walker means she wants to stay.

#NetGalley #bookstagram #bookreview #scifictionandfantasy #bookseries
39s

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book in this series and the story telling and depth just keep getting stronger. A dark psychological fantasy dive into the mind’s ability to create and control is wound into Kinsley’s story as she continues to struggle to find self-belief and worth and to control and master her dream environment. Her body in hospital is drawing her home, but her new found love for Walker means she wants to stay. We are often told when we talk to ourselves we get the answer we want, in this story this is very far from the truth. Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

[Sue Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haunted Waters by Laura C. Reden.
The Phantom Series, Book 3.
The thing about lucid dreaming is, you’re playing a game against yourself. Against the inner workings of your own twisted mind.
My friends always said I was my own worst enemy. It’s true. I am. I see it all around me.
It’s chilling to be both the predator and the prey. But when you hunt yourself, who do you root for?
I want nothing more than to stay in Baylor, but to win this fight, I’d have to let myself die.
Brilliant read. Love this series.5*.

[Taryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't get enough of this series! After I finished the first two books, a couple months ago, I was so excited to find out the the 3rd one would be out in December! Reden has done a great job of weaving such an interesting paranormal story in with a little romance.

By the 3rd book, Kinsley has learned more about her fate but she still is learning how it all fits into the town of Baylor and what is continuing to happen to her friends. She also is trying to figure out how she can find Layla and help her, even though that may mean sacrificing her relationship with Walker, which she is not so keen to do. Seeing her battle with her conflicting emotions and then seeing how those emotions impacted her environment was a nice twist and I've just really enjoyed all of the different layers that have been pealed back as the series has progressed.

I think the only frustration I really felt was when Kinsley sometimes just kept saying the same things over and over to herself, but it was minor and didn't interrupt my enjoyment of the story. Overall, the book was great! Well written and well paced. Very consistent with the first two and has left me dying to know what's going to happen in the 4th and final book! At this point, I feel like there are so many different ways the story could end, that I'm going to be waiting with bated breath!

[C.L. LaVigne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t read the first two books in this series, but Haunted Waters certainly stands on its own with hints to important details contained in the previous books.

The protagonist struggles between reality and the magical dream world she created for herself and friends. The author weaves magic and metaphors so that the reader feels they have plunged into the same world, joining Kinsley on a rollercoaster of emotions, indecisions and angst as she determines if she should stay in Baylor or return to her real world. Either decision has consequences.

The author’s brilliant descriptions of the characters and the various scenes within this realm carry the reader forward at an easy pace. The ending is fast-paced but not hurried and left me thirsting for the next book in the series.

** I received a free copy of this book courtesy of the author. This did not impact my review in any way. This is an honest, spoiler-free review, and all opinions expressed are solely my own.

[Gee · Rating 3 out of 5]

The third in this series, this is definitely not a stand alone read. It follows Kinsley, trapped in her hospital bed between life and death, and in her own dark reality. This is excellent world building, with Kinsley struggling to control the world that she is in, within her own mind which can be a really dark place. In fact for me this book is slightly too dark, and more twisted than I really wanted to read. I found I wasn’t quite as invested in the characters as I have been in the previous books which I felt had a better pace to them. However, it’s the sort of book that grips you, whether or not you want it to. It’ll be interesting where the plot goes next.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Kim_reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fabulous continuation of this series. Although I found it a little repetitive at points, I still enjoyed myself. I like the growth of the characters and the relationships between them. I just want Walker and Kinsley to find their happy ending. I like the atmosphere. It’s seems dark and you can really see the world. Part of me really cannot wait to read the last in the series but I feel it could be a heartbreaker.

[Laura Reden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haunted Waters took me a while to write, but it might be one of my favorites (don't tell the others). I hope you enjoy it.