This is a dark themed urban fantasy/supernatural fiction novel with some very vivid imagery. Hunt's way of seeing ghosts and through their eyes is distinctive. He's a very troubled character and not easy to like. I'll continue this series.

Reviewed for Bitten by Books. http://bittenbybooks.com

5 fantastic fantastical stars!

Oh dear, this was GOOOD. Color me amazed!


Let me explain why I'm so surprised and blown away by this story, and why I was very hestitant to pick it up. First of all, I am not a huge fan of the cover. I know, I know! Don't judge a book by it's cover. I really don't. But I can't help it, I do tend to pick up a book sooner if I really like the cover. Ergo, when I'm really not happy with a book cover, the blurb has to make up for it or else I'll probably have it sitting on my TBR shelf for a long time. Not proud of it, but that's what it is. Thank god, the blurb here was very good! A former sorcerer, trapped in his self-imposed isolation is forced to face his past, and conquer his future after being summoned by the King.

Which brings me to my second "issue". I like the fantasy genre a lot, but I'm always a little... cautious when I pick up a story written by an author I'm not familiar with in this particular genre. Because fantasy is not easy to write, and I tend to be a little nit-picky. The art of creating a new world, building it in a believable and comprehensible way, AND adding an intriguing plot with three-dimensional characters to the mix, is something that not every author is good at. Especially when they only have a month and a half to do it.

And then there came Kaje Harper. Boy, did she pull it off and pull it off good. This story was absolutely amazing on many different levels. Harper's writing has been a favorite of mine for a long time now. She's just really, really good at what she does, and it always shows. She gets the tone and pace right, every story has its' own style, but you always recognize her hand in it. Her characters are three-dimensional, with flaws and strenghts and weaknesses. So loveable, all of them! What really knocked me over here though, was her ability to create an alternative world that made sense and that I understood, without adding a very lenghty description of every little detail. It all just fell into place as the story wore on and I loved it!

Lyon's story, while absolutely heart-breaking, was very emotional but hopeful at the same time. There are some dark themes included here, but the overall tone of the story was not dark or depressing. On the contrary, the slow and careful development of a relationship and Lyon's hard fight out of his own personal hell were timed perfectly, carefully crafted and so believeable. Tobin, too, was a gem. So patient, sweet and understanding. Full of love, strenght, respect and commitment. I adored him, and I loved him and Lyon together.

I don't want to talk about the story more then I already have, because there are some big surprises here and an unbelievably good Bang! at the end. It's such a pleasure to read the action scenes, because Kaje Harper has them down pat. I can only say: READ IT! Seriously, if you like hurt/comfort, a wonderfully wholesome fantasy world, and the sweetest love between two complex men, PICK. THIS. UP. I promise, you won't be disappointed!

Man, where to begin with this one?


One important thing first: Heed the trigger warning, folks! Of course, I completely overlooked it before I began reading. I wouldn't go as far as saying that it was a mistake, because I got through the scenes intact and still liked the book. But I do think that the description and picturing of self-harm in all its' complexities and backrounds is done very realisticly. They are intense and real. This was not done by an author who had no idea what she was talking about and it showed in a way that might not be as "harmless" to other readers as it was to me. So, again, please heed the warnings.

What else? Yes, Ryder! Ryder breaks your heart - probably more than once. He is so many contradictory things at the same time, it made my head spin and still allowed me to understand him completely. He was so strong, yet felt so weak at times, it was almost impossible for him to bear. He seems so confident, but really has no feelings of self-worth, sometimes not even self-preservation. Hence, the abuse of alcohol and other substances.

And then we have Mason. My problem probably was, that as connected as I felt to Ryder, I didn't quite get the same grasp on Mason. At least not in the beginning, all the more though during the end.

I enjoyed the flow of the story very much. Their battles, their struggles, their communication and their communication problems drew me in and held me captive. And let's be honest, the sexual side of this relationship was pretty damn hot. And that's something I don't say too often in the "porn star" trope, mainly because I don't like "my" sex too porny, which annoyed to me quite often when reading "porn star" books. But it was well done here, so no complaints on that front. Parts of the dialogue and descriptions of feelings might have been a little bit too over the top if you ask me, but not overly so.

I also liked the development around the little "mystery/crime" part, even though it problably wasn't the most believable plot line. But that's when I actually connected fully to Mason.

About Ryder's mother thoough (his father is not worth even that much): Uhm, no. I didn't get her, I didn't believe her and I certainly couldn't forgive her. At all. Her regret didn't faze or touch me. Too little, too late.

All in all a solid read for me, at times a little too much, at times unebelievably intense, but still really good.

"Old Ghosts" is representative of the dark and intense tone of this run of X-Force. I really like this series. I think the art and narrative mesh seamlessly to create an impressive end product. X-Force is about putting everything to the test and committing your very all to the cause. Someone is going to die if you do nothing, so do something and let it be the bad guys who die. While X-Men won't stoop to this level, there needs to be a mutant group who will do the dirty work, and that's where the X-Force comes in. And with enemies like theirs, I don't have a lot of moral misgivings about that. I love this team, and I was jazzed to see Domino show up. She fits right in with these guys. She's actually surprised at how lethal the X-Force has become, but she soon realizes exactly what they are up against.

The action is incredible, and while this book is very violent and bloody, it feels appropriate to the storyline.

I am getting over being kind of burned out on the X-Men, and reading this run of X-Force is helping me tremendously with that. At this point, I am definitely a big fan of the X-Force.

Thumbs way up.

Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.