From Goodreads:

Irresistibly drawn to mysteries, if only to debunk them, reporter Lionel Page exposes supernatural frauds, swindlers, and charlatans. His latest case is an obsession—at least for an ancient and wealthy heiress: verify the authenticity of a lost Edgar Allan Poe manuscript circulating through New York City’s literary underworld. But the shrewd Regina Dunkle offers more than money. It’s a pact. Fulfill her request, and Lionel’s own notorious buried past, one he’s been running from since he was a child, will remain hidden.

As Lionel’s quest begins, so do the warnings. And where rare books go, murder follows. It’s only when Lionel meets enigmatic stranger Madison Hannah, his personal usher into the city’s secret history, that he realizes he’s being guided by a force more powerful than logic…and that he isn’t just following a story. He is the story.

Now that the true purpose of his mission is revealing itself in the most terrifying ways, it may finally be time for Lionel to believe in the unbelievable.

ARC provided to me via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Plot

This was full of twists, turns and devious machinations, and I thoroughly enjoyed it throughout. I love a book that has twists and conclusions that I don’t predict, and this has that in spades. It had a good pace. There was little lull, and when there was, I didn’t feel like it was too much. It was a balance that worked for me. The beginning dropped us straight in the middle of the action, showing exactly what sort of character Lionel was, and the ending was terrific. I read it so quickly, it felt like I wasn’t blinking, just so I could see what was coming next.

The Characters

The characters in this were well-rounded and had strong personalities that helped them to really come to life. Some based in myth and legend, and some, just normal people caught up in occult madness.

Lionel Page

Lionel is our main character in Ghosts of Gotham. He’s a journalist who isn’t afraid to speak out about any injustice he sees, and he’s also very good at his job. Perhaps too good, as he catches the eye of someone he might’ve been better off running away from. Lionel is a main character who is more than capable of carrying this story. The whole plot is intricately woven around Lionel’s life, from things that happened when he was 5, right up to modern day. I put this book down feeling like I knew him, what he was about, and how he’d react to a situation, purely from the few thousand words I’d read. Schaefer knows how to create characters.

Maddie

Maddie, my favourite character in this book. Probably because she’s a strong, badass witch. I feel like anything else I might say about her would be too spoilery, because the things that made her stand out for me are things that are massive spoilers. Just know that Maddie is awesome, and I was cheering her on the whole way. She’s not afraid to do what needs to be done, and I love that in a character.

Regina

Now, Regina is one hell of a character. She’s a tricky one, with lots of power, money and a master ability to manipulate. At first, I thought she was a little eye-roll worthy. A mysterious rich benefactor sort, that was more there to push the characters in the right direction, than really supply anything meaningful herself, but I was so wrong and ridiculously happy to be wrong. Come the end, I wanted to give Regina a high-five.

The World

The magic and its rules and restrictions were great. The negatives of everything Lionel tried to do, the risks that Maddie took doing things incredibly advanced. The balance between myth and real world is what sold this for me. Mixing Greek goddesses, magical powers and undying creatures with modern-day New York in a way that seemed effortless and just worked. That’s not something just anyone can do, and given this is the second book I’ve read of Craig Schaefer’s and thoroughly enjoyed, I’d say I’m definitely a fan!

Would I read it again? It’s going to be a long time before there’s a sequel, I imagine, so yes, I’ll probably read this if there’s another one in a few years.

Will I be picking up the next in the series? Yes! Although this one’s not even out quite yet, and I’m not sure this is a series, but if it is, yes!

Would I recommend it?

Badass witches ✓

Greek Goddesses ✓

Fight scenes ✓

Steamy scenes ✓

What more do you want?

Is it going on my favourites shelf? Yes!

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Created Mar 21, 2019 at 2:00pm • Submit your own review...