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Rove City #0.5
The Ghost Below
Fia loves her job as an electrician aboard a space-faring city vessel. She is skilled at her work, and appreciates not having too much facetime with other humans.
She just has one problem: a colleague has taken an interest in her—interest she doesn't return.
When she finally works up the courage to tell him no, he takes offense and reports her to her supervisor for insubordination.
Her punishment? Her boss assigns her to repair the conduits in the bowels of the ship, reported to be haunted by a ghostly voice.
As Fia nervously delves into the darkest, most unknown corners of the ship she calls home, she wonders just what she will find down there: friend or foe? Or something else entirely?
This is a short story set in the Rove City universe, set roughly 150 years prior to book 1, Midnight Wings.
She just has one problem: a colleague has taken an interest in her—interest she doesn't return.
When she finally works up the courage to tell him no, he takes offense and reports her to her supervisor for insubordination.
Her punishment? Her boss assigns her to repair the conduits in the bowels of the ship, reported to be haunted by a ghostly voice.
As Fia nervously delves into the darkest, most unknown corners of the ship she calls home, she wonders just what she will find down there: friend or foe? Or something else entirely?
This is a short story set in the Rove City universe, set roughly 150 years prior to book 1, Midnight Wings.
- GenresScience Fiction
44 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 12, 2023
10 people want to read
About the author
Ariele Sieling
71 books91 followersAriele Sieling is a Pennsylvania-based writer who enjoys books, cats, and trees. Her first love, however, is science fiction and she has three series in the genre: post-apocalyptic monsters in Land of Szornyek; soft science fiction series, The Sagittan Chronicles; and scifi fairytale retellings in Rove City. She has also had numerous short stories published in a variety of anthologies and magazines and is the author of children's books series Rutherford the Unicorn Sheep, and a series of books for authors called Writers Reach.
She lives with her spouse, enormous Great Pyrenees dog, and two cats.
She lives with her spouse, enormous Great Pyrenees dog, and two cats.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 30, 2023
3.5 stars
Most of the books in this series are between 100 and 200 pages, so definitely novella length. At 44 pages, this is what I would classify as a short story. I really enjoyed this, but honestly, I wanted more. I liked that Fia was hardworking and good at her job, and I hated that she was afraid of everything. But she was kind and even when she feared most things, she was not afraid of the Ghost Below, something that scared everyone else. This is a sci-fi retelling of Alice in Wonderland, but only loosely. I assumed that Fia was going to be Alice, but her nickname is Little Rabbit, and her hair sticks up like white rabbit ears, so I guess that makes her the white rabbit. Regardless, I enjoyed this sweet little story, but I didn't find it as satisfying as the rest of the stories in this universe in part because it's so short. I really do hope she adds more stories about Fia and Imamu.
One other thing I'll mention is that the villain in this one, Logger, was a bit over the top as a stereotypical villain. I still wanted to kick him in the gonads, but he had no substance. But perhaps that was part of the point. Regardless, I did like this story and I really enjoyed how she merged "ghost" with sci-fi. I was not expecting it and I learned something new about Rove City. I would definitely recommend reading this if you're enjoying the rest of the series.
I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens and the author, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Most of the books in this series are between 100 and 200 pages, so definitely novella length. At 44 pages, this is what I would classify as a short story. I really enjoyed this, but honestly, I wanted more. I liked that Fia was hardworking and good at her job, and I hated that she was afraid of everything. But she was kind and even when she feared most things, she was not afraid of the Ghost Below, something that scared everyone else. This is a sci-fi retelling of Alice in Wonderland, but only loosely. I assumed that Fia was going to be Alice, but her nickname is Little Rabbit, and her hair sticks up like white rabbit ears, so I guess that makes her the white rabbit. Regardless, I enjoyed this sweet little story, but I didn't find it as satisfying as the rest of the stories in this universe in part because it's so short. I really do hope she adds more stories about Fia and Imamu.
One other thing I'll mention is that the villain in this one, Logger, was a bit over the top as a stereotypical villain. I still wanted to kick him in the gonads, but he had no substance. But perhaps that was part of the point. Regardless, I did like this story and I really enjoyed how she merged "ghost" with sci-fi. I was not expecting it and I learned something new about Rove City. I would definitely recommend reading this if you're enjoying the rest of the series.
I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens and the author, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 8, 2023
This sci-fi world is one of the most intriguing worlds I've ever encountered. I love how the author shows us new parts of the world in every book. In this book we get a glimpse into the past. The plot and the story are short and therefore relatively simple and yet the author managed to make it easy to bond with the characters, even though some are only making brief appearances. The book is very loosely based on Beauty and the Beast and when you know that you recognize a lot of elements, but even without knowing it's a retelling it's still an enjoyable short story with a very satisfying end.
May 29, 2023
2.75 ★
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"The Ghost Below" es una historia corta que forma parte de una saga mayor. A pesar de eso, al ser una precuela que sucede cientos de años que el primer libro, es muy fácil de entender.
Es una lectura rápida y entretenida, a pesar de eso, me cuesta darle una puntuación porque, aunque lo disfruté mucho, le estoy dejando pasar bastantes cosas.
La descripción dice que la historia tiene componentes de "La Bella y la Bestia", lo que genera expectativas que no cumple. Diría que es más cercano a "Alicia en el País de las Maravillas": a la protagonista la llaman "Conejo Blanco", se cae por un túnel a un mundo subterráneo desconocido y se encuentra con personajes “particulares”.
Dejando de lado a qué cuento usa de inspiración, el ritmo es desparejo, hasta la mitad es muy lento y de pronto suceden muchas cosas juntas y termina. Al punto tal que nos enteramos lo que le pasó a los villanos en una línea.
Los personajes funcionan bien, para el poco tiempo que tienen, Fia y Ghost se presentan como amigos, sus personalidades son bastante básicas, pero funcionan en el todo y el final se siente aceptable.
De nuevo, el problema es que hay muchos secundarios que ocupan espacio sin aportar nada y los villanos son solamente malvados. Se podía llegar al mismo punto sin enemigos, manejando más ordenadamente el argumento.
En general, es una buena lectura, quiere abarcar mucho sin dedicarle tiempo, pero es posible que sean pequeños guiños que tengan más contenido en los otros libros de la saga.
ARC proporcionado por BookSirens a cambio de una review honesta.
---
"The Ghost Below" is hard to rate.
It has a very interesting setup and the author's voice it's great. Once I started this novella, I couldn´t put it down. But it's so short that there are no nuances in the plot. I wish it was more tightly written.
Still, the sci-fi elements are great, I loved the world building and it was clear that it was to a bigger world.
The blurb and the foreword says is loosely based on "The Beauty and The Beast" but for me. it was closer to an "Alice in Wonderland" retelling.
For starters, our heroine's nickname is "White Rabbit", she's going down to a hole and finds a group of weird -but friendly- people. Maybe they were just coincidences, but they seem too obvious. It's the kind of detail that someone should have mentioned while the book was in the editing process.
Leaving that aside, it's a nice story. I wish the pacing was better. The first 40% felt really slow and suddenly it was over.
Since it's such a short read, I think some things could be left out to give the main plot more depth (the sister, the prison, the father, all things mentioned in passing).
The situation with the "villains" is resolved in one line and out of the page. We know Logger is a bad guy, but everybody except our MC loved him. I couldn´t understand why the rest of the ship was so oblivious. Maybe showing him being deceitful would have helped in his characterization. That being said, I don't think this story needed a villain, the same result could be achieved by others means.
Regarding the characters, I liked our main couple. I enjoyed their friendship and that's why the end felt earned.
I hope other books in this series answer the questions this book left open (What's going on with the prisoners, what happened to the Hippos, what´s the status of the virus). I know "Rove City 1" takes place more than a hundred years later, but I'm not giving up hope.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
ARC was kindly provided by BookSirens in exchange for an honest review.
---
"The Ghost Below" es una historia corta que forma parte de una saga mayor. A pesar de eso, al ser una precuela que sucede cientos de años que el primer libro, es muy fácil de entender.
Es una lectura rápida y entretenida, a pesar de eso, me cuesta darle una puntuación porque, aunque lo disfruté mucho, le estoy dejando pasar bastantes cosas.
La descripción dice que la historia tiene componentes de "La Bella y la Bestia", lo que genera expectativas que no cumple. Diría que es más cercano a "Alicia en el País de las Maravillas": a la protagonista la llaman "Conejo Blanco", se cae por un túnel a un mundo subterráneo desconocido y se encuentra con personajes “particulares”.
Dejando de lado a qué cuento usa de inspiración, el ritmo es desparejo, hasta la mitad es muy lento y de pronto suceden muchas cosas juntas y termina. Al punto tal que nos enteramos lo que le pasó a los villanos en una línea.
Los personajes funcionan bien, para el poco tiempo que tienen, Fia y Ghost se presentan como amigos, sus personalidades son bastante básicas, pero funcionan en el todo y el final se siente aceptable.
De nuevo, el problema es que hay muchos secundarios que ocupan espacio sin aportar nada y los villanos son solamente malvados. Se podía llegar al mismo punto sin enemigos, manejando más ordenadamente el argumento.
En general, es una buena lectura, quiere abarcar mucho sin dedicarle tiempo, pero es posible que sean pequeños guiños que tengan más contenido en los otros libros de la saga.
ARC proporcionado por BookSirens a cambio de una review honesta.
---
"The Ghost Below" is hard to rate.
It has a very interesting setup and the author's voice it's great. Once I started this novella, I couldn´t put it down. But it's so short that there are no nuances in the plot. I wish it was more tightly written.
Still, the sci-fi elements are great, I loved the world building and it was clear that it was to a bigger world.
The blurb and the foreword says is loosely based on "The Beauty and The Beast" but for me. it was closer to an "Alice in Wonderland" retelling.
For starters, our heroine's nickname is "White Rabbit", she's going down to a hole and finds a group of weird -but friendly- people. Maybe they were just coincidences, but they seem too obvious. It's the kind of detail that someone should have mentioned while the book was in the editing process.
Leaving that aside, it's a nice story. I wish the pacing was better. The first 40% felt really slow and suddenly it was over.
Since it's such a short read, I think some things could be left out to give the main plot more depth (the sister, the prison, the father, all things mentioned in passing).
The situation with the "villains" is resolved in one line and out of the page. We know Logger is a bad guy, but everybody except our MC loved him. I couldn´t understand why the rest of the ship was so oblivious. Maybe showing him being deceitful would have helped in his characterization. That being said, I don't think this story needed a villain, the same result could be achieved by others means.
Regarding the characters, I liked our main couple. I enjoyed their friendship and that's why the end felt earned.
I hope other books in this series answer the questions this book left open (What's going on with the prisoners, what happened to the Hippos, what´s the status of the virus). I know "Rove City 1" takes place more than a hundred years later, but I'm not giving up hope.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
ARC was kindly provided by BookSirens in exchange for an honest review.
April 20, 2023
I received a free ARC (advanced review copy) of this book from Booksirens. This is my honest review.
This is an interesting take on (I assume: neurodivergence,) interpersonal and societal conflict in context of a post-disaster sci-fi survival story. I enjoyed the setting and Fia's character. I thought her role patching up the decrepit technology and her positive attitude towards it was great. I really liked the aspects of what they were doing and the interesting effects it had on the society overall, with the sombre overtones and impressions of decay and loss. Some strong Fallout vibes, which is no bad thing in my opinion.
Although I don't have true empathy for their situation, but being an 'adjacent ally' (if you will) I felt like I learned a lot and got a much closer understanding of what their life is like, and how I might improve my relationship with similar people I know. Although it's very easy for neurotypicals to tell others to "just get over it, and deal with it" or "have you tried not...?" it's not that simple at all as m Sieling shows us. If I felt a bit uncomfortable about the exposure, maybe that is a good thing.
The story is quite interesting, and I would have liked to hear more about the last great ship of mankind sailing in the darkness (this is a Rove City series prequel), very reminiscent of Battlestar Galactica with the people extremely mistrustful of high technology, integral to The Fall. I could quite easily read more about this - there's a lot of interesting threads that are teased, but not resolved in this work.
Well worth a read and I'd be positively inclined to further work by the author. The only negative comments I have is that the ends seemed all too neat, quick and preordained, perhaps inevitable in novella format. I would have liked to see a more messy, naturalistic conclusion myself as it felt a touch forced. Also the text specifically states, "She was the fastest of the runners and wore white, so they called her the White Rabbit. Plus, her white hair, in sharp contrast to her dark skin, often stuck up like the towers of the Great Rindal Palace and looked a bit like short rabbit ears." This doesn't gel at all with the cover art at all and lessened my empathy for Fia a bit. It's pretty minor, but a small obstacle to get over.
This is an interesting take on (I assume: neurodivergence,) interpersonal and societal conflict in context of a post-disaster sci-fi survival story. I enjoyed the setting and Fia's character. I thought her role patching up the decrepit technology and her positive attitude towards it was great. I really liked the aspects of what they were doing and the interesting effects it had on the society overall, with the sombre overtones and impressions of decay and loss. Some strong Fallout vibes, which is no bad thing in my opinion.
Although I don't have true empathy for their situation, but being an 'adjacent ally' (if you will) I felt like I learned a lot and got a much closer understanding of what their life is like, and how I might improve my relationship with similar people I know. Although it's very easy for neurotypicals to tell others to "just get over it, and deal with it" or "have you tried not...?" it's not that simple at all as m Sieling shows us. If I felt a bit uncomfortable about the exposure, maybe that is a good thing.
The story is quite interesting, and I would have liked to hear more about the last great ship of mankind sailing in the darkness (this is a Rove City series prequel), very reminiscent of Battlestar Galactica with the people extremely mistrustful of high technology, integral to The Fall. I could quite easily read more about this - there's a lot of interesting threads that are teased, but not resolved in this work.
Well worth a read and I'd be positively inclined to further work by the author. The only negative comments I have is that the ends seemed all too neat, quick and preordained, perhaps inevitable in novella format. I would have liked to see a more messy, naturalistic conclusion myself as it felt a touch forced. Also the text specifically states, "She was the fastest of the runners and wore white, so they called her the White Rabbit. Plus, her white hair, in sharp contrast to her dark skin, often stuck up like the towers of the Great Rindal Palace and looked a bit like short rabbit ears." This doesn't gel at all with the cover art at all and lessened my empathy for Fia a bit. It's pretty minor, but a small obstacle to get over.
April 19, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. It was actually very enjoyable with interesting characters and an interesting setting. The pace moved pretty well, and while there were a few plot holes, they weren't large enough to be distracting or to take away from the enjoyment of the story.
However, there were a few things that would have made the story much better. The main character, Fia, is much too shy and timid. I know she's supposed to be both of these things, but she seems to be to an extreme that is a bit unbelievable, especially if she is going to find a backbone by the end without a much greater challenge to build it through. She is also described to wear white and then to wear dark clothing. This was extremely for me as a reader.
The pacing was also just a bit too fast-paced. I liked that the book was short, but I felt that this story was a much longer one packed into that short book. Show us Fia's life on the ship. Show us Logger getting scared by Imamu. Show us people getting scared by the Voice. Show us the culture of the ship. There's so much here and so much more that can be done!
Also, explain some of the science for how things work. Not in detail, but why is Imamu appearing as he is despite being as he is? How does he appear where he does? And how was he stuck that way so long? And if he had a "cure" for the virus, why did his own fleet die? Wouldn't they have had it? Why was it created in the first? Not just who created it.
I really enjoyed this book! But I'd love to read a longer version of it! Especially with some ghosty romance in there. ;) Thank you for sharing!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
However, there were a few things that would have made the story much better. The main character, Fia, is much too shy and timid. I know she's supposed to be both of these things, but she seems to be to an extreme that is a bit unbelievable, especially if she is going to find a backbone by the end without a much greater challenge to build it through. She is also described to wear white and then to wear dark clothing. This was extremely for me as a reader.
The pacing was also just a bit too fast-paced. I liked that the book was short, but I felt that this story was a much longer one packed into that short book. Show us Fia's life on the ship. Show us Logger getting scared by Imamu. Show us people getting scared by the Voice. Show us the culture of the ship. There's so much here and so much more that can be done!
Also, explain some of the science for how things work. Not in detail, but why is Imamu appearing as he is despite being as he is? How does he appear where he does? And how was he stuck that way so long? And if he had a "cure" for the virus, why did his own fleet die? Wouldn't they have had it? Why was it created in the first? Not just who created it.
I really enjoyed this book! But I'd love to read a longer version of it! Especially with some ghosty romance in there. ;) Thank you for sharing!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 19, 2023
First of all - that is cover excellence right there, it drew me right in.
The story itself is a sweet one, of a reserved and shy main character finding her voice after having an adventure in the lower decks of her city-ship. The sci-fi elements were fun and the story behind the "ghost" of the title was interesting. It was enjoyable enough, but only three stars for me.
The thing with short stories is that to be really excellent they need to be extremely tightly written - you have to pack in a lot within a short amount of words, and still make it believable and real. The Ghost Below just wasn't quite tight enough for me; the villain was too over-the-top (which made other characters not seeing the same side of him unbelievable), and the main character's relationship with the ghost didn't have enough of a foundation to support the ending.
Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The story itself is a sweet one, of a reserved and shy main character finding her voice after having an adventure in the lower decks of her city-ship. The sci-fi elements were fun and the story behind the "ghost" of the title was interesting. It was enjoyable enough, but only three stars for me.
The thing with short stories is that to be really excellent they need to be extremely tightly written - you have to pack in a lot within a short amount of words, and still make it believable and real. The Ghost Below just wasn't quite tight enough for me; the villain was too over-the-top (which made other characters not seeing the same side of him unbelievable), and the main character's relationship with the ghost didn't have enough of a foundation to support the ending.
Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 8, 2023
Loosely based on the archetypes of Beauty and the Beast, this was a cute, sweet story that give a bit of a peek into some of the earliest history of Rove City and its inhabitants. This explained some of the quirks of the ship and its inhabitants. I enjoyed getting to know Fia and the ghost and seeing this buried and closed off part of the ship. As with the other books in this series, Sieling has come up with creative sci-fi twist on fairytale tropes. My only complaint is that I wish it were a bit longer and more filled out. I hope there will be a follow on with these characters as there have been with others in the series. It really felt like a teaser, which I suppose prequels are supposed to do.
April 6, 2023
This was well written and the description of "short story" is very apt. It was a very quick and easy read that left me feeling like the story and character development would have been better had it been longer....but that is a personal bias and not a negative for other readers who prefer short fiction. However, it was fun and a creative blend of sci fi and fairy tale, perhaps aimed at a younger audience. I will go read the book that is linked at the end, it is longer and the same intriguing combination of fairytale and science fiction.
I received an advance review copy from Book Sirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy from Book Sirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 9, 2023
The Ghost Below is a short story prequel in the Rove City world which I liked but wished had been longer.
Fia is an electrician aboard the Rove City Space-Faring vessel who after rejecting the unwanted attentions of a co-worker is banished to the vessels lowest level to work as penance.
While there she discovers some extraordinary revelations which provided some nice background to the Rove City storyline in future books. Good writing and creative world building are as always an excellent foundation of this author’s work!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Fia is an electrician aboard the Rove City Space-Faring vessel who after rejecting the unwanted attentions of a co-worker is banished to the vessels lowest level to work as penance.
While there she discovers some extraordinary revelations which provided some nice background to the Rove City storyline in future books. Good writing and creative world building are as always an excellent foundation of this author’s work!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 4, 2023
The Ghost Below is a prequel short story, that can be read without having any knowledge of the series.
First off, i want to take a moment for everyone to look at how STUNNING this cover art is! That definitely helped convince me to read it!
With under a 100 pages, this is definitely a quick read, but it's written in such a way that you still get to know the main character, Fia, and live with her feelings. Nothing to over the top, but just a lovely and comforting short story!
( Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. )
First off, i want to take a moment for everyone to look at how STUNNING this cover art is! That definitely helped convince me to read it!
With under a 100 pages, this is definitely a quick read, but it's written in such a way that you still get to know the main character, Fia, and live with her feelings. Nothing to over the top, but just a lovely and comforting short story!
( Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. )
April 7, 2023
This is a short story attached to a much larger world. I tried to keep this in mind while reading but... There are lots of great little tidbits about her job but I just didn't get the whole picture and it left me feeling like I am missing something special. I will have to talk myself into continuing the series so only 3 stars.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 10, 2024
I agree with another reviewer that this story needed tightening. The characters were there but the foundations and motivations were not. What I did find interesting was the idea of humanity living on generational ships even though we aren't given a reason for it.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews