Geist

Geist - Philippa Ballantine Geists have been plaguing humanity but humans have their champions against this infestation. Deacons, one active (who actively engage the geists) and one sensitive (who enhance and gather information through their senses) work together to fight the geists and send them back to the otherworld. Sorcha, a powerful active deacon, and Merrick, a powerful sensitive, are paired to help out the citizen's of Ulrich who have an unusual distrust of deacons. They are joined by Raed an ousted former prince who lives with a curse deeply connected to the geists. These three find themselves within a conspiracy that may shake everything they believe.

You are thrown immediately into a riot at the beginning of the story so I admit it took me a minute to really get into things. Having to sort out who did what and who was who. After that minute, however, I was absorbed into this world and the relationships of the characters. Sorcha could be a hard character to connect to as she is all angles and no soft edges, but as we get into her mind, we find some of those soft edges to connect us. Merrick, who is both in awe of Sorcha and irritated with her, also takes a bit to connect to but in the end we are rooting for him and feel that he is a trusted friend. So, yes, I enjoyed the growth of the characters and the interesting world in which this book resides.

As for the mystery and what that holds for this world... you should know by now I will not spill a thing. So, I will add a... *evil laugh* to any curiosity you may have now. I will also give this book 4 stars. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good adventure, fantasy, a smidgen of steampunk, and a bit of romance. You will enjoy this book.