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curiousnico's review against another edition
1.0
I stopped reading this before the end, but I still have to rate it and comment because of the reason I stopped reading it. I literally felt like I was reading some sort of porno or something. it seemed like for every two or three pages of like really good paranormal reading, there were four or five well described and in depth sex scene. Don't get me wrong one or two sex scenes in a book doesn't bother me, but this was wayyy more than one or two, I felt like the whole book was one giant sex scene. perhaps if there were more to it than that I would have liked it.. but it didn't seem that way at all.
kblincoln's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed reading this book.
Post-apocalyptic California where after a cataclysmic war/disaster, supernaturals have come out and rule the night. In the day time, the rich congregate in cities and the poor work like serfs in the outlying country. The church plays political games while condemning supernaturals.
One of those serfs, Aisling, a shamaness (one who can talk to ghosts and enter the ghostland; a kind of metaphysical place of death) is taken from her farm by the church and caught up in the struggle for power in San Francisco. She calls upon a demon to help her save a sacrificial victim, and is caught up in not only the mundane struggle for power and influence in the city, but the struggle for the djinn (actually the demon she called up) to stay free of humanity's power to bind and summon them.
The djinn and Aisling are of course attracted to eachother. And as they unravel the mystery of why citizens and other shamans in the city are dying, their relationship develops.
The world in this book is well thought out, the characters real and well-rounded. The tangled political mystery draws you in and challenges you to read the clues, and the romantic relationship between Aisling and the djinn is believable.
This is an erotic novel. Unlike many that I have read, the attraction they feel for eachother is problematical and not an overwheling rush they have to surrender all their will. The sex scenes indeed do further their relationship and character development.
Very nice. Will definitely try to read further books set in the world of Ghostlands.
Post-apocalyptic California where after a cataclysmic war/disaster, supernaturals have come out and rule the night. In the day time, the rich congregate in cities and the poor work like serfs in the outlying country. The church plays political games while condemning supernaturals.
One of those serfs, Aisling, a shamaness (one who can talk to ghosts and enter the ghostland; a kind of metaphysical place of death) is taken from her farm by the church and caught up in the struggle for power in San Francisco. She calls upon a demon to help her save a sacrificial victim, and is caught up in not only the mundane struggle for power and influence in the city, but the struggle for the djinn (actually the demon she called up) to stay free of humanity's power to bind and summon them.
The djinn and Aisling are of course attracted to eachother. And as they unravel the mystery of why citizens and other shamans in the city are dying, their relationship develops.
The world in this book is well thought out, the characters real and well-rounded. The tangled political mystery draws you in and challenges you to read the clues, and the romantic relationship between Aisling and the djinn is believable.
This is an erotic novel. Unlike many that I have read, the attraction they feel for eachother is problematical and not an overwheling rush they have to surrender all their will. The sex scenes indeed do further their relationship and character development.
Very nice. Will definitely try to read further books set in the world of Ghostlands.
tmacfarlane's review against another edition
2.0
I would have given this book 3.5 stars, but the constant sex overshadowed the story.
rclz's review against another edition
3.0
Well, I just don't know. On the one hand the characters and the concept are both good, on the other hand it meanders and goes off to scenes that don't have much to do with the overall plot, although in the one instance I'm thinking of it does introduce us to characters who while not important now, might be in future books.
Then there is the sex. It's well written and unlike other books it doesn't go on for pages and pages where you end up skipping the pages because it's boring. There's a lot of it but it's done within a page or two. My only objection to the sex is it also seems to derail the plot at times. It's such a good concept for the plot and she does write characters I like that I hate to give up on it.
I'll read the next one and hope that it blends a good plot, good characters without the wandering and more depth. I'd like more depth.
Then there is the sex. It's well written and unlike other books it doesn't go on for pages and pages where you end up skipping the pages because it's boring. There's a lot of it but it's done within a page or two. My only objection to the sex is it also seems to derail the plot at times. It's such a good concept for the plot and she does write characters I like that I hate to give up on it.
I'll read the next one and hope that it blends a good plot, good characters without the wandering and more depth. I'd like more depth.
kimster82's review against another edition
1.0
I didn't really care about the story but this is what I know: Aisling is a female shaman, who has a pet ferret and then people came and took her with them so she could leave home, live by herself in the house of the previous dead shaman and solve any kind of mystery that involves the dead, the living, everybody. People just keep asking for her to do stuff. The confusing part was that they seemed to live in a time without electricity but this world is actually post-apocalyptic, and I kept forgetting it's set with more or less modern touches. Cars, blow dryers,... all present. Ever time something like that popped up I was surprised, I don't know why really.
To make things more confusing: At a certain point they went to some kind of club called Sinners and then there was a voting thing and then Aisling and Zureal were voted out by a couple who asked them to 'come play' before they even had the chance to take of their coats. They turned down the couple and then they got kicked out. Or something. And then fought and went home. And had sex of course. Lots of times.
I almost fell asleep during those sex scenes, that's how bad it was. It's not because wasn't action packed enough. It's not like I was expecting more gymnastics because believe me, both Aisling and Zurael were trying to make it reaaaaally good. How they managed to make intercourse seem boring is beyond me. Maybe it was all the fuss they made about each other's hair. They kept wanting to wash and comb through it for some reason.
While I was reading this book I felt annoyed by how easily both characters were turned on by each other. Yes instant attraction, I get it. But I've never had the pleasure of having my nipples turn into bullets whenever I see a hot guy. Aisling and him didn't even need to be in the same room for it to happen. She: 'Oh hey, that plant over there sorta kinda looks like Zurael if I squint hard enough... OMG I'M SO AROUSED.' He:'Hmmm linoleum... wow look at the bulge in my pants!' (Thank you Xander, I still love that line) And it was like that constantly. In the first chapter or so, Aisling and Zurael are enemies. But 6 lines into the second chapter they are making the neighbors blush. They didn't talk, they just humped each other a lot. And even during that their conversations didn't go any farther than her moaning 'please' 56 times and he grunted and said her name a lot. Aisling kept having a serious case of 'fluids pooling her folds'. I really don't find that sexy. Seriously, it's called a diaper, use it.
Seriously, I'm not making this up. It is just that ridiculous. I didn't read the entire book, so maybe it got better after where I gave up. Again, this is a book I wanted to like, I mean come on, look at the cover! It's gorgeous!
Arlene, I'm sorry to disappoint you with my links, if I do come up with something appropriate, I'll let you know but probably not. It's more fun when you don't know what's coming ^^
To make things more confusing: At a certain point they went to some kind of club called Sinners and then there was a voting thing and then Aisling and Zureal were voted out by a couple who asked them to 'come play' before they even had the chance to take of their coats. They turned down the couple and then they got kicked out. Or something. And then fought and went home. And had sex of course. Lots of times.
I almost fell asleep during those sex scenes, that's how bad it was. It's not because wasn't action packed enough. It's not like I was expecting more gymnastics because believe me, both Aisling and Zurael were trying to make it reaaaaally good. How they managed to make intercourse seem boring is beyond me. Maybe it was all the fuss they made about each other's hair. They kept wanting to wash and comb through it for some reason.
While I was reading this book I felt annoyed by how easily both characters were turned on by each other. Yes instant attraction, I get it. But I've never had the pleasure of having my nipples turn into bullets whenever I see a hot guy. Aisling and him didn't even need to be in the same room for it to happen. She: 'Oh hey, that plant over there sorta kinda looks like Zurael if I squint hard enough... OMG I'M SO AROUSED.' He:'Hmmm linoleum... wow look at the bulge in my pants!' (Thank you Xander, I still love that line) And it was like that constantly. In the first chapter or so, Aisling and Zurael are enemies. But 6 lines into the second chapter they are making the neighbors blush. They didn't talk, they just humped each other a lot. And even during that their conversations didn't go any farther than her moaning 'please' 56 times and he grunted and said her name a lot. Aisling kept having a serious case of 'fluids pooling her folds'. I really don't find that sexy. Seriously, it's called a diaper, use it.
Seriously, I'm not making this up. It is just that ridiculous. I didn't read the entire book, so maybe it got better after where I gave up. Again, this is a book I wanted to like, I mean come on, look at the cover! It's gorgeous!
Arlene, I'm sorry to disappoint you with my links, if I do come up with something appropriate, I'll let you know but probably not. It's more fun when you don't know what's coming ^^
ristaylor's review against another edition
4.0
After reading Ghostland I had to take a breath. A compelling and well written paranormal romance, Ghostland is a unique and fascinating tale of a post-apocalyptic world filled with other worldly creatures and danger in the here and now.
Jory Strong delivers a strong and powerful book about a world in the aftermath of death and destruction; a world where only the rich, powerful and connected have a chance at a life worth living. It is a bleak world, stark and filled with treachery and deceit. The darkness is almost palpable. I had a very strong reaction to the almost oppressive construct of this world and the mythology that Ms. Strong has created. It reminded me a great deal of the world created by Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. Not in any specific sense, but in a more general sense. Ghostland has a pervasive sense of foreboding. This is not a bad thing. As a matter of a fact, I was surprised that it evoked these feelings at all. On the back cover blurb there is much reference to the fact that it is an erotic romance and a ‘passionate story’ with ‘never a dull moment’ where you should be prepared to be ‘in a constant state of arousal’. Now I must say there is a very strong sexual element between the protagonists, and the romance is one of the central foundations of this book. However it was the world that Ms. Strong placed her characters in that really shook me up. It also made me question what I want when I read a romance book. More and more authors are giving us such amazing and well crafted books that encompass so much more than a story whose central focus is one man, one woman and their happily ever after (HEA). The world building in many romances, particularly paranormal romances, has become intricate and intense. Ghostland is that ‘breed’ of book.
As with all paranormal books the supernatural element is right in the forefront. In this post-apocalyptic world people with supernatural powers are no longer in hiding, yet they are regulated and used by the rich, the powerful and the Church. The book opens with a chapter that immediately gives you a clear sense of the world you’re about to immerse yourself in. You can feel it.
“FEAR rolled through the San Joaquin farmland with the rumble of a heavy truck. Children were called in from their chores and women abandoned their laundry without putting it on the lines. Heavy doors and barred windows were closed and locked as prayers were said to whatever gods might still linger in a world altered forever by war-born plague.”
Aisling McConaughey is one of those people who live on farm in San Joaquin and the truck roaring through the country side is coming for her. Aisling was an orphan left on the front door of a farm, her parentage is unknown but she is a woman with supernatural powers; a shamaness who can walk in the ghostlands. The ghostlands are where the dead wait for “judgments or rebirth …”. It is a place where she can question the dead who are still in a state of limbo and find answers for those still living. The men who have come for her, need her to walk in the ghostlands and find a missing woman.
Going to the ghostlands is not an easy task and always exacts a price. With her familiar by her side, Aisling travels to the ghostlands and sees a vision of the woman she seeks in the midst of a deadly ritual and about to loose her life. Since Aisling has no physical presence in the ghostlands she is powerless to help the woman about to be sacrificed. Her familiar begs her to call upon a spirit, the Djinn prince Zurael en Caym. Zurael answers her summons and saves the woman; however no human as ever had the power to summon him. Her ability to summon him means she holds power over him that could destroy his life. This is Zuarel’s greatest fear, to be bound to the will of human. Throughout his existence Zurael has known that to be called to the will of a human, would mean his destruction. His only recourse is to kill Aisling. However, the plot twists again when he finds out that an artifact that can destroy his race is missing and he must use Aisling if he is to find it. Set on his mission, Zurael appears in the human world to find Aisling, use her to get the artifact and then destroy her.
The mythology and rules of the world Ms. Strong has built are very elaborate and intricate and sometimes confusing. There is a lot of action in this book and many characters are introduced. I had to slow down sometimes and re-group to find the threads. That being said she has created strong characters that follow a through line that adheres to their back story. And while their motivations are not always clear, they do tend to strengthen the story line. Her prose when describing the places and people in it are textured in such a way that you can easily visualize each scene. The relationship between Aisling and Zuarel is at turns both frightening and endearing. She’s created a heroine who has a quiet sense of self that is just awakening. Her youth and inexperience coupled with her sense of right and wrong is a good counterpart to Zurael’s commanding and authoritative power. The book ends with an HEA and on a hopeful note between Zuarel and Aisling but with a big question mark for the world as a whole. It left the door wide open for the next installment. I am curious and eager to find out what happens to the rest of the people in this stark world where a good life has a chance at re-birth.
Jory Strong delivers a strong and powerful book about a world in the aftermath of death and destruction; a world where only the rich, powerful and connected have a chance at a life worth living. It is a bleak world, stark and filled with treachery and deceit. The darkness is almost palpable. I had a very strong reaction to the almost oppressive construct of this world and the mythology that Ms. Strong has created. It reminded me a great deal of the world created by Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. Not in any specific sense, but in a more general sense. Ghostland has a pervasive sense of foreboding. This is not a bad thing. As a matter of a fact, I was surprised that it evoked these feelings at all. On the back cover blurb there is much reference to the fact that it is an erotic romance and a ‘passionate story’ with ‘never a dull moment’ where you should be prepared to be ‘in a constant state of arousal’. Now I must say there is a very strong sexual element between the protagonists, and the romance is one of the central foundations of this book. However it was the world that Ms. Strong placed her characters in that really shook me up. It also made me question what I want when I read a romance book. More and more authors are giving us such amazing and well crafted books that encompass so much more than a story whose central focus is one man, one woman and their happily ever after (HEA). The world building in many romances, particularly paranormal romances, has become intricate and intense. Ghostland is that ‘breed’ of book.
As with all paranormal books the supernatural element is right in the forefront. In this post-apocalyptic world people with supernatural powers are no longer in hiding, yet they are regulated and used by the rich, the powerful and the Church. The book opens with a chapter that immediately gives you a clear sense of the world you’re about to immerse yourself in. You can feel it.
“FEAR rolled through the San Joaquin farmland with the rumble of a heavy truck. Children were called in from their chores and women abandoned their laundry without putting it on the lines. Heavy doors and barred windows were closed and locked as prayers were said to whatever gods might still linger in a world altered forever by war-born plague.”
Aisling McConaughey is one of those people who live on farm in San Joaquin and the truck roaring through the country side is coming for her. Aisling was an orphan left on the front door of a farm, her parentage is unknown but she is a woman with supernatural powers; a shamaness who can walk in the ghostlands. The ghostlands are where the dead wait for “judgments or rebirth …”. It is a place where she can question the dead who are still in a state of limbo and find answers for those still living. The men who have come for her, need her to walk in the ghostlands and find a missing woman.
Going to the ghostlands is not an easy task and always exacts a price. With her familiar by her side, Aisling travels to the ghostlands and sees a vision of the woman she seeks in the midst of a deadly ritual and about to loose her life. Since Aisling has no physical presence in the ghostlands she is powerless to help the woman about to be sacrificed. Her familiar begs her to call upon a spirit, the Djinn prince Zurael en Caym. Zurael answers her summons and saves the woman; however no human as ever had the power to summon him. Her ability to summon him means she holds power over him that could destroy his life. This is Zuarel’s greatest fear, to be bound to the will of human. Throughout his existence Zurael has known that to be called to the will of a human, would mean his destruction. His only recourse is to kill Aisling. However, the plot twists again when he finds out that an artifact that can destroy his race is missing and he must use Aisling if he is to find it. Set on his mission, Zurael appears in the human world to find Aisling, use her to get the artifact and then destroy her.
The mythology and rules of the world Ms. Strong has built are very elaborate and intricate and sometimes confusing. There is a lot of action in this book and many characters are introduced. I had to slow down sometimes and re-group to find the threads. That being said she has created strong characters that follow a through line that adheres to their back story. And while their motivations are not always clear, they do tend to strengthen the story line. Her prose when describing the places and people in it are textured in such a way that you can easily visualize each scene. The relationship between Aisling and Zuarel is at turns both frightening and endearing. She’s created a heroine who has a quiet sense of self that is just awakening. Her youth and inexperience coupled with her sense of right and wrong is a good counterpart to Zurael’s commanding and authoritative power. The book ends with an HEA and on a hopeful note between Zuarel and Aisling but with a big question mark for the world as a whole. It left the door wide open for the next installment. I am curious and eager to find out what happens to the rest of the people in this stark world where a good life has a chance at re-birth.
keyboardscoffee's review against another edition
4.0
So far, it is pretty good. I love the plot line, which is saying a lot for the type of book it is. I picked it up thinking it was a Supernatural type book (love!) but as I flipped it over and read the quotes, it appeared to be Erotica. And it lives up to that genre title EXTREMELY well.
I love how strong has created the different worlds, especially the 'human' world and its nastiness, which I feel is definitely a reflection of the humans living in it.
All in all, it plays out like some really good foreplay, and really, what can go wrong with that?
I love how strong has created the different worlds, especially the 'human' world and its nastiness, which I feel is definitely a reflection of the humans living in it.
All in all, it plays out like some really good foreplay, and really, what can go wrong with that?
reginaexmachina's review against another edition
There was some interesting world building in this book but it was not for me.
cgirl98's review against another edition
4.0
I picked this book up from the romance section expecting it to be one of the prevalent paranormal romances that are out there these days...and it was, but I also got a whole lot more sexing that I bargained for. I would call this book, Paranormal Erotica because the two main characters got it on often, and the writer provided lots of details. Not that I was complaining.But despite that portion of the book....everything else was great. This book was set in a world where fantastical creatures: demons, angels, werewolves ,vampires...all exist and share what remains of the earth with humans. Humans of course live in fear and poverty unless they are the lucky few that have money and privilege. The main characters Aisling is a shamaness who is pulled from her home and asked to perform a task for the Church and the Mayor of Oakland: going into the "ghostlands" to find a missing girl. During that Task she summons a Djinn and the romance begins...along with a lot of action and gruesome deaths. I liked the female characters. She was strong without being annoying, but also had had a good amount of vulnerability. throughout the book she struggles with her power and legacy and the mystery of who she is...some she discovers in this book...but the ending of the book promised more exploration of the world created...and I look forward to it. This was a great example of world building.
pussreboots's review against another edition
2.0
Due 10/14/12
I mostly liked it for its Bay Area setting but the multiple switches in POV between Aisling and the djinn weren't well done.
I mostly liked it for its Bay Area setting but the multiple switches in POV between Aisling and the djinn weren't well done.
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