My Demonic Ghost 
Banished Spirits Series
by Jacinta Maree

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Dawn

Synopsis:

Rachael has traveled to Whitehaven to visit her father, a trek she can not 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.

Review:

Spoilers!!!!

Rachel lives in a world with banished spirits where humans are their hosts, basically their food. She inherits her father’s ghost after his death. Instead of curling up in a ball or whining about it, she soldiers on trying to make it work for she and Lock. Lock is taken aback when she wants to help him. Rachel insists on an equal partnership as opposed to Lock feeding off her until she dies.

I loved the Whitehaven setting. Maree brilliantly paints a picture of Rachel’s surroundings and of the realms of the dead. I was entranced by the way she writes.

I like Rachel’s character. She’s young but brave. She refuses to be a victim. She and Lock choose a dangerous way to solve the problem of getting Lock admitted into the Third Realm. As their journey progresses we meet some fun characters. I especially liked Sabotage and Betrayal, besides the seven sins. The seven sins are grotesquely frightening.

The most hair-raising character was mother the serpent like creature. I think I would have peed myself if I had to face her.

The hierarchy of the realms is intriguing with Royals and different levels of spirits. It’s a very complicated world and the plot is multi-layered. You have to pay attention to the details catch everything. I often had to go back and reread a page to make sure I was absorbing all of the information. Once I picked up the book, I could not put it down. The complicated plot twists came hard and fast keeping my interest.

Rachel sees something redeemable in Lock. She sets out to help him and herself. Along the way they develop feelings for one another, which isn’t a surprise after all they went through.

What is Lock willing to sacrifice for Rachel?

My Demonic Ghost is not light reading. If you’re tired of ripped off ideas and shallow characters, this is the perfect book for you.

I rarely give a book 5 stars. This story is meaty, filled with colorful characters and I cannot wait to read more from Jacinta Maree.