Review August 15th 2016
Ghost Talkers
By: Mary Robinette Kowal
Review
I would first like to thank the lovely people over at Tor publishing group for allowing me to receive this book early via their NetGalley page. That being said, yes I did receive an e-ARC from the publisher however that will not affect my thoughts and opinions on this book. I cannot thank Tor enough for giving me the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book for them!
AKA The best book of the year so far!
About: Mary Robinette Kowal
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| Copyright 2012 Rod Searcey |
"Mary Robinette Kowal is the author of The Glamourist Histories series of fantasy novels. She has received the Campbell Award for Best New Writer, three Hugo awards, and the RT Reviews award for Best Fantasy Novel. Her work has been nominated for the Hugo, Nebula and Locus awards. Her stories appear in Asimov’s, Clarkesworld, and several Year’s Best anthologies. Mary, a professional puppeteer, also performs as a voice actor (SAG/AFTRA), recording fiction for authors such as Seanan McGuire, Cory Doctorow and John Scalzi. She lives in Chicago with her husband Rob and over a dozen manual typewriters. Visit maryrobinettekowal.com"(From Mary's website)
Plot of Ghost Talkers:
"Ginger Stuyvesant, an American heiress living in London during World War I, is engaged to Captain Benjamin Hartshorne, an intelligence officer. Ginger is a medium for the Spirit Corps, a special Spiritualist force. Each soldier heading for the front is conditioned to report to the mediums of the Spirit Corps when they die so the Corps can pass instant information about troop movements to military intelligence.
Ginger and her fellow mediums contribute a great deal to the war efforts, so long as they pass the information through appropriate channels. While Ben is away at the front, Ginger discovers the presence of a traitor. Without the presence of her fiance to validate her findings, the top brass thinks she’s just imagining things. Even worse, it is clear that the Spirit Corps is now being directly targeted by the German war effort. Left to her own devices, Ginger has to find out how the Germans are targeting the Spirit Corps and stop them. This is a difficult and dangerous task for a woman of that era, but this time both the spirit and the flesh are willing…" (Mary's Website)
Tag Line: "Ghost Talkers reads like silk, and has captivated my attention for hours on end"
Writing Style:
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| Photo From Mary's Website |
- Mary has a very distinct style that is easy to read and elegant as well.
- Her sentences flow flawlessly together, painting a vivid image within your mind of what is happening in the novel.
- Word choice in this novel is elevated to fit the time period that Ghost Talkers is set in, however the rich and luscious language does not inhibit the flow of narrative voice that Mrs. Kowal is creating.
- Rich beyond your wildest dreams.
- this book will grab you by your frock and pull you in to the mystical age of World War One, with a twist. Mediums are vital in the war efforts, something totally original!
- The pacing of a novel is often times crucial to a readers enjoyment of it, Ghost Talkers has a steady pace throughout with key moments highlighted by a swifter pace. The pacing keeps you engaged and invested the whole way through.
- Genius!
General Thoughts:
- Captivating, entrancing, and brilliant are the three words I would describe this novel as!
- I sincerely enjoyed all aspects of this novel, however I felt that the characters and setting is where the book flourished off the page!
- World War One fantastical novel is innovative and very unique to this book.
- The characters came to life on the page. All characters are portrayed in a relatable and fun way that left me gutted because they were not real when I closed the last page.
- Genuinely a new favorite, that rivals Mistborn by: Brandon Sanderson!
Characters:
- Ginger: The spunky and driven main character of this wonderful novel. Ginger has a spice for life that is rarely captured in a character, she is devoted to her loving fiance Captain Hartford. Loving, compassionate, brilliant minded, and sweet to all around her; this is Ginger's persona. I know so many people who have a similar personality to Ginger, and the world is lucky to have them. Her character depth has many layers allowing the reader to truly believe that she is a person that they know.
- Hartford: Hartford has proven that there can be both a stern leader and heart felt gentleman in the same body. His love for Ginger is undying, through thick and thin he will always be there for her which is something I truly admire. He is a great character who evolves into a fantastic spy and presence. He brings the plot to life!
- Mrs.Richardson: Though she is only seen in the second half of the book really Mrs.Richardson fills the gap for a nurturing mother figure in the story with all the war surrounding the time. She truly adds a palpable layer of love to the novel (Motherly love).
- All the characters in this book are brilliantly crafted to represent all the many archetypes in humanity. Though they may be showing all sides of humanity the feel as though you are friends with them by the time the book turns its last page! Truly a treat if you love to love your characters.
Recommendation: I recommend this book to absolutely every person who is able to read! To be specific many people would enjoy this book if they were entertained by mysteries, love, World War One, and the thrilling chase of the enemy. All of these themes are woven together with the utmost craft, allowing the reader to see a different side of the war. The characters who go through these terrible times will share the great message that "Love prevails all.".
Rating: *****/*****
This is sure to be near the top of my favorite books of the year! It will be a long time before I begin to forget Ginger Stuyvesant and Hartford's journey throughout war torn Europe.
Book Trailer:
Book Details:
Publisher: Tor
Publication Day: August 16th 2016
Page Count: 304
ISBN: 0765378256
Links:
I Hope you all go and read this amazing book when it is released tomorrow August 16th!
Happy Reading!
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