Sharon Lynn Fisher

What if Jane Eyre was a witch and also of mystical origin? What if Rochester was actually tormented by a curse upon his family and not just a crazy wife? This is the story that tells that version of the classic tale. Those that know me will know that Jane Eyre is one of my favorite classics, if not my favorite, so I was excited but skeptical about a retelling, let alone one so short in page number compared to the original.

That said, I really enjoyed that the author maintained the essences show more of Jane & Rochester while injecting witchy and spooky goodness. What I did not care for, however, was that the author condensed what is a lovely months long development of a relationship between the leads into maybe a week of acquaintance before the book ended and they decided they were desperately in love and that they were going to get hitched (spoilers for both this book and Jane Eyre?).

Anyone who has read the original will catch on the pertinent beats as well as the ways the author has changed certain characters to suit her own narrative. Overall, this was really fun but cannot stand against the original classic on its own. With that said, it is a fun and quick retelling for the perfect October vibes. show less

"Retelling of Jane Eyre set in 1847 England. Jane Aire, an herbalist and witch from Lowood School, is hired by Edward Rochester to break a curse haunting Thornfield Hall, where staff report supernatural "fairy pranks" and ghostly shadows." Witchy elements were great. I'm not sure the resolution made a ton of sense. Page turner because of the mystery. Don't think I was sold on the romance.

Science fiction romance the way it should be done. Complex and fully developed world building. Having each human settler be spontaneously bonded to an alien was good. Having that alien be the host of the consciousness of a dead human who doesn't realize they are not still human was brilliant. The fact that the ghosts were copies of a settler's loved ones added depth and pathos particularly since in order to keep the settlers from mental breakdown, they were not supposed to interact at all show more with the ghosts. All of this affected the natural balance of the colonized planet as it had suddenly begun to terraform itself soon after the arrival of the first humans, making itself over into a new Earth.

The romance here was also very strong. Elizabeth has come to the ghost planet to work as psychologist. She meets up with her new boss only to discover that she had met him once in Ireland many years before. At the end of a nice afternoon together chatting and catching up and flirting, they realize that Elizabeth died on the trip to the planet and is actually a ghost who is now attached to Murphy who can no longer talk to her.

Elizabeth refuses to be a ghost and uses her brains and intellect to try to comprehend what has happened to her and the other ghosts. She cannot get more than a couple dozen yards from Murphy before she gets in pain so he is sucked into her research. He cannot stand to treat her like a ghost and they fall in love against all the rules creating trauma that eventually involves the whole planet.

Murphy is a wonderfully drawn kind and noble but charming Irishman. I loved the way he loved Elizabeth. He is a wonderful hero. All of the secondary characters were well drawn and fully realized.

I cannot wait for more from this author and hopefully more from Ghost Planet! show less

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë is an eminent, classic work of fiction. It speaks of an English teacher who falls in love with a wealthy landowner, only to encounter inevitable obstacles. An early ode to feminism, Jane finds happiness by being herself, not conforming to a social ideal. It’s one of my favorite stories from the early Victorian era. In this retelling, Sharon Lynn Fisher recasts this intriguing story in modern language, only with the twist that Jane is a teacher of witchcraft.

I show more always enter into retellings of classic stories with both an eagerness and a wariness that it might not live up to my expectations. While Salt & Broom certainly falls far short of the original (and what retelling wouldn’t?), it did meet my expectations. The persistent use witchcraft became a little hokey and gimmicky by the end, but by recasting the female protagonist as a witch, Jane Aire – the retold name – becomes an even stronger symbol of outcast. In many ways, this marginalization makes her plight and journey more admirable.

I’m no fan of Victorian language, which seems inaccessible to my modern ears, and this book’s accessible language was most welcoming to me. The essential parts of the story are thankfully preserved, only with enough of a twist to keep us turning the pages. The witchcraft seems well-researched and congruent with the historical setting. Although the tale employs a darker spirituality, it does so without taking itself too seriously. That is, one needn’t be involved in or sympathetic to witchcraft in order to appreciate the plot. (For instance, I’m a Christian Sunday School teacher and was not offended.)

I hope this book finds a special audience with those who appreciate classic literature but struggle with the archaic language constructs. It has the same narrative outlines without being the exact same story. Jane Eyre is a timeless classic that should be read by any cultured English speaker, but accessibility is not its strong suit. High school students might appreciate this retelling. (Hey, it’s better than buying a summary.) Even experienced readers will encounter enough novelty to entertain them throughout. It was worth my time. show less