Elizabeth Davies (1)

I was given this book in place of an honest review.

Synopsis of book:
Ruby died nearly one hundred years ago. She saw spirits of the dead when she was alive, and now she is dead she has become a guide who helps ghosts pass on. When ghosts start being taken by darkness instead of the light, Ruby is forced to seek help from a handsome and unwilling medium, who awakens emotions she never knew she had.

Alright so when I picked up this it engrossed me immediately, which is rare for ghost books. show more However I could only give this books 4 stars but it's more like 3.5 but on the higher side of that. The reason for this is because, I didn't like the main character, some may have loved her but I didn't I think she's selfish, and a total whiner. So it totally turned me off, the saving grace was that I enjoyed the book as a whole. The storyline was excellent, I didn't get who was the bad guy until it was disclosed in the book itself, and the side characters were a hoot. show less

I was first interested in this novel from the description and my first understanding of what it was, a historical romance with elements of seeing the dead and survival against threats of witchcraft accusations. What I got was so much more!

My favorite part was the actual supernatural elements to the novel. The author has interwoven the ability to see ghosts and a fascinating system of the dead all within one great book. I was intrigued with the whole concept of spirit guides, how ghosts show more became bound to Earth rather than passing on, how Seren perceived these lost souls, and the fate of some of these souls when the baddie got involved. That by itself would have kept me reading.

But the author does a wonderful job in the characterization and romance departments as well. I enjoyed feeling Seren's and George's connection and reading about their doomed romance. I felt like the ending was a bit hocky, but the overall story in getting there was sweet and emotional, exactly what a romance should be.

Now the characterization department, though, is where this author really shines. Everyone is so real and alive to me. My favorite was actually the baddie, Vaughan. The author does an incredible job in making him creepy as any self-respecting villain should be; yet that's not all he is. We're shown various glimpses of maybe not a softer side, but a side that is capable of feeling. Throughout the book, he gets Seren out of tough spots, and I'm able to see glimmers of regret and emotion in him. Just a wonderful job all around with characterization; Vaughan is just one great example.

The author has also taken the time to do her research on the time period, both in the political situation, in how she incorporates real historical figures, and in the overall lifestyle of 12th century Britain. I really felt like I was experiencing the intensity of conflict between Welsh and English, the tyranny that John was spreading in his time as king, and the very intimate fear that Seren felt as she hid her abilities from everyone, abilities that could very easily get her burned or drowned.

This novel was a wonderful experience. It has all the elements of a great novel: fantastic characterizations, a sweet romance, a real understanding for the time period and a ability to convey it to readers, as well as a very unique and fascinating supernatural system. I don't think I can keep it classified as a historical romance; it's more a historical fiction in which romance plays a part. Either way, it's a lovely introduction to this author and comes highly recommended!

Note: Book received for free from author in exchange for honest review. show less

I was given the opportunity to read/review this book by the author; I had done the same with the first book in this series. I really enjoyed that exploration of her unique supernatural system and intriguing storyline. Davies meets those expectations again in this sequel. Yet, this second volume didn’t have the same magic as the first.

The author’s distinctive take on the world of ghosts with its spirit guides, how crossing over into the light works, the different levels of ghost power, show more and mediums makes for a unique mix. I found it interesting to tell the story through a spirit guide as the main storyteller this time rather than the medium like in the first volume.

The reader gets more of an in-depth view of what being a spirit guide entails and the various pitfalls of that position. To constantly be exposed to the rapture of crossing into the light to hardly ever get the chance to do so oneself just tears at the heart of the reader as well as the spirit guide.

Spirits being taken by darkness, a stealer of souls on the loose, and a young woman who died young and in tragic circumstances trying to find equilibrium as a spirit guide keeps the reader engaged. From scene to scene, I was always eager to find out what was going to happen next. The author went to some truly individual, unexplored realms as she spins a suspenseful story.

Yet, for all that strength, this book seemed to lack the draw that the first had for me after finishing. I loved the first, maybe it was being exposed to the unique supernatural system, forbidden romance, characters, and historical setting all for the first time.

However, this time round, I found the ending to be almost anti-climactic. Though definitely suspenseful with characters fighting for their lives/afterlives and not always succeeding, I found myself a bit hollow after finishing. I couldn’t care less what ultimately happens to them after finishing and almost didn’t care during that finale, either.

I think a big part of this might be attributed the characterization that the main character starts to display in the last third of the book. She starts to display a callousness and self-interest that was very off-putting. She seemed willing to throw her fellow spirits under the bus to obtain her own goals. Maybe it was the circumstances in which she was existing at the time, an influence from outside herself may have played a part. I don’t know if that was what the author was trying to portray or not. Once she started acting the way she did, though, I lost all empathy I had for her and couldn’t care less what happened to her.

Despite a strong storytelling skill and a special take on ghosts, I found this book to be a sub-par follow-up to the first. I was intrigued enough by the story to finish the book; some of the secondary characters were actually pretty strong. Yet, how the main character changed in that last part and some of her motivations turned me off big time. The ending was somewhat lack luster in my opinion and not what I was craving at all. So this follow-up to the original might work for another reader, but I wasn’t as in love with it as the first.

Note: Book received for free from author in exchange for honest review. show less

I am usually not one for historical reads but I was glad that I was asked to review The Sprit Guide. I love reading novels about ghosts and this is why I decided to read it.

Seren is a great character, she sees ghosts and talks to them although this may be good for her it makes the town she lives in think she is a bit of freak and so she chooses to hid her ability.

After marrying Rolf, something she really didn’t want to do her marriage is bad Seren meets George who is a spirit guide, he is show more not a living person but Seren can touch him. She falls for him, but would it even work? Added to everything Seren is already going through her father in law is a sorcerer dabbling into dark magic. This is an intense novel and I feel so much for Seren, living in the twelfth century and being able to see spirits, they would either lock you up in an asylum or deem you a witch and you all know what happened to witches.

I have not read anything from Elizabeth Davies before but I am now a huge fan of hers, her writing style, plot, fast pacing it was all there and never a dull moment. I really enjoyed reading this and will definitely look out for more from Ms Davies. show less