Carole Cummings

If there is one pet peeve I have when reading, it is when an author has created so many different terms and names that you NEED a glossary just to keep track of everything. I much prefer when an author builds the world around you, rather than throwing you into the deep end without a flotation device.

That being said, I really enjoyed the story that Carole Cummings has written in Ghost, the first book in the Wolf’s-own series. It is a well planned and wonderfully executed fantasy novel. The world building happens from page one and is hyper-speed-paced, which is why you need the glossary, but it is also a vivid world with characters, locations, religions, and more that drew me right in!

Now, fantasy is one of my all-time favorite genres to read, but Ghost has a refreshing complexity to it that I just can’t get out of my mind. Even when I wasn’t actively reading about Malick and Fen, I found myself worrying about the events happening around them and how things would turn out in the end.

One of the Jin people, it was foretold that Fen would become an Untouchable (Ghost). As an Untouchable, Fen is able to hear the voices of his people’s Ancestors and can only wait for the day that those voices inevitably drive him insane.

Taken from his family as a child, Fen is trained as an assassin by Asai, the man who rules his life and who is also a powerful member of the Adan people (who keep the Jin). But Asai’s plans for Fen and his people are darker than anything he could ever have imagined. When he discovers just how far Asai is willing to go, Fen rushes to rescue and hide his twin brother and younger siblings, but is unable to save his mother. Soon afterwards, Fen is ambushed by Malick and the group of mercenaries/assassins that he leads.

Unable to escape, Fen is pulled into Malick’s scheming and will soon have to decide if he wants to forever be a pawn in the games of others or if he will choose his own path and embrace the power that only he can wield.

An interesting part of the story is that Fen has learned that he can ignore the voices of the Ancestors by cutting himself. As someone who lives with a diagnosis of self-injury, cutting in particular (though I’ve been SI free for years now), this was something that made Fen all the more real to me. I was able to connect with his character, because I know what it’s like to want the voices to stop.

Ghost pulled me right in and made me want desperately to know what would happen next and how Fen and Malick’s relationship would grow. However, be warned that this book ends in a cliffhanger and you’ll be dying to read book two. Make sure you have it on hand!… (mehr)

Strange crimes aren't new to Constable Dallin Brayden. But as he sits across from Wilfred Calder and hears the story of the incident he was involved in, something doesn't add up. And Wil's reaction to Dallin leaves him even more surprised.
The truth of the matter is that there's an entire history that Dallin doesn't know. At the same time, the truth that Wil has been given isn't exactly accurate. What is certain, though, is that Wil is on the run. And Dallin is more connected to him than he could ever have imagined.

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I enjoyed the world that Carole Cummings created here. There's a rich history, and the unexpected connections between Wil and Dallin makes for an interesting set up. And it gives us, as readers, some great insight into Dallin's character.

What I would have liked to see, though, is a bit more of the relationship development between these two. I'm guessing this is a set up for more in later books in the series, but there's just not that much to find in this first book.

But if you're looking for an interesting and engaging fantasy story with intrigue and rich world building, you'll find it here.… (mehr)

This was the first book of the series where I began to have the feeling that the characters MAY one day become their own people, rather than someone else's pawns. They still have a long way to go, but I continued to be fascinated enough to keep reading. I still cannot get myself to like the books, but the epic fantasy-feel is good and the tone and feel of the series is coming together well. The language is sweeping, and things happen slightly more quickly, but much of what goes on is still extremely confusing for me. Some people may like this mystery, but I need some clarity. I am still not getting it at this point.

Still recommended for people who like epic fantasy, enjoy being swept away by lyrical, almost poetic language, and those who prefer their stories a little vague, mysterious, and somewhat confusing.… (mehr)