Sunday, December 23, 2012

Book Review: My Demonic Ghost (Banished Spirits, #1) by Jacinta Maree








My Demonic Ghost (Banished Spirits, #1)

Author: Jacinta Maree

Publisher: Darkest Night Publishing (Imprint of Staccato Publishing)

Purchase for Kindle.

Synopsis: Rachael has traveled to Whitehaven to visit her father, a trek she cannot help but dread given his recent descent into madness. Upon her arrival she realizes his deterioration has not only been mental, it’s been physical as well. His death comes as no surprise, but what she discovers soon after, is shocking when his burden becomes hers.
Lock is a banished spirit who must attach himself to a human host in order to hide from those who would drag him back to hell to be destroyed. When he meets Rachael he finds more than a host, he finds an ally.

Together they must defeat each of the seven sins in order to guarantee Lock's safe passage into the Third Realm, a loophole in creation that would allow him to escape hell and have peace at long last. Through their unlikely friendship, other banished spirits flock to them in hopes of a peace they hadn't dreamt possible.


Brought to you by TeamNerd Reviewer Annabell Cadiz

Review: Upon reading the synopsis for My Demonic Ghost, I was instantly intrigued and was excited when I was able to get an advanced copy of the book by the author. As a fan of the supernatural and paranormal genres, I love when a book brings a refreshing and original take into an idea that’s been used before which Jacinta Maree was able to do.

Let’s start off with what worked for My Demonic Ghost. The idea of a demon possessing a human is not a new concept but what if the demon didn’t possess you? What if the demon was more like a ghost who opted instead to chain you to them and use your soul to keep them on the human plane? That is the concept to the book and I really liked it. I also liked the fact that the demonic ghosts aren’t as black and white as one would think. They aren’t just purely evil. There’s vulnerability to their characters, especially to Lock’s, even though they have such great power.

The writing style was beautifully done. The world is vivid and described well. The reader has no problem making out what Maree has created both in the human world and the spirit realm. The spirit realm was one of my favorite aspects of the book. The suspense is pretty well done and the action scenes are fraught with tension.

Betrayal was the best character out of the book. She is beautiful, agile, strong, and jumps into battle with a ferocity I would be afraid to go up against. I loved her scenes in the book. I also liked the Hunters, they hunt down the Banished (the spirits who attach themselves to humans). They are undeniably strong, fast, and worthy of their title.

Lock was another character I liked. He is as young as Rachel and starts off the story filled with snappy retorts, tough attitude, and selfishness. But as the story progresses his character does as well. He is this kid who has been battling stuff few adults would ever be brave enough to and he was used to doing things alone until Rachel. He had this vulnerability to his character and a strong will to keep fighting.

But I did have some issues with the book. Rachel, the main heroine of the adventure into the spirit realm, is too gullible, easily persuaded, and a bit shallow considering any time she saw how gorgeous a demon was she instantly felt at ease with them and wanted to befriend them which didn’t make sense. The narration, which was done by Rachel, was at times over dramatic.

The romance between Rachel and Lock was sub-par. They start off not really being able to stand each other but that ends quickly with Rachel deciding he’s just a misunderstood spirit. I just felt Rachel trusted him too quickly. I did like the ending since it wasn't a cookie-cutter happy ending. It was bittersweet and fit the book. Lock's sacrifice and growth toward the end was a nice touch. It was good to see him attain some maturity and wisdom.

My Demonic Ghost is a nice take on an old concept and the writing, for the most part, is beautifully done. I just wanted a stronger heroine and less dramatics.

I would still recommend any supernatural and paranormal fan to give My Demonic Ghost a chance. There are aspects of the book that are enjoyable. I also would like to see what happens with Lock and Betrayal in the next installment so I will most likely continue the series.

Author Bio: Self confessed chocaholic, Jacinta was born and raised in Melbourne Australia with her loving family of five. Even as a child Jacinta had an itch to write. Writing was the one constant hobby she clung to, also trying her hand at piano, flute, tennis, horseback riding and drama.

Jacinta works full time in the family business and spends her afternoons either playing basketball, reading, writing or hanging out with friends. She is always happy to try something new; getting her real estate license, practicing ninjitshu, Zumba and parkour to name a few.

For her future, Jacinta sees herself writing. It is a large part of her identity and something she hopes to continue. Aside from her love of stories she loves Japan and its unique and beautiful culture and history. From their delicious sushi dishes right down to their wooden sandals and kimonos. She is also a huge cat person and loves to snuggle up in front of the fire for a good movie or book. Her favorite genres are paranormal and fantasy but she also loves anything written by thriller writer, Stephen King.

Where to Find the Author

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