Excuse Me Whilst I Grab My Soapbox: Philippa Ballantine Edition

There is something coming people. This is the First Edition of the Soapbox Special. Please excuse me whilst I stand and review.

Do you want a gripping book, one that holds you to it's pages and grips you as a reader?

A book that wavers wants and longings in front of you and unrequiteds like a child's dangly bed toy?

Something promised and there but just out of reach?

Philippa Ballantine is a genius. I give you SPECTYR.

She weaves this amazing story like gossamer where we see this richly complex world that has all of these opposing forces battling against the characters, keeping them from each other in many ways while they really yearn to be together as they struggle through storm after storm, of whatever is coming.

Now I loved the First book of the Order: Geist
GEIST opened up a world where there are many things that go bump in the night and the only thing between you and a grisly afterlife is the Order. The Order is a varying group of Deacons (magic rune wielding person of good or subversive intent) that is out to protect the public prey. In GEIST we follow our main characters Sorcha and Merrick then we are introduced to Raed, yum. I love a dark tortured character that really wants to do right, but is pulled into the wrong things, or really a underlying condition.

I like that one, Raed, you poor unfortunate soul, you are faced with an underlying condition of "geistlordiness," but we so totally love you and will stay with you at the sickbed. Better known as the bloody aftermath of your affliction.

Now dear readers, if you have not a clue as to what I am alluding to, by gods go run out and grab a copy of this epic fantasy and read it! because it was amazing.

For those of you who have read it, seriously it was good, no great awesomesauce, right?!

For SPECTYR we would all love some lovey downtime for our characters, but NO!

This book grips you in it's claws as you sit on the edge of your seat begging your characters along. When Sorcha is sent to a foreign city to protect Raed from a deathly forseen vision, there is more at stake than herself or her love, or even her partner.

The book ties in past history, future doom, and present dangerous reality into a really great plot.

Blood is spilled and seen into, and characters have to make some ultimate choices that come with devastating results. We meet some new leaders who have their own intentions, while placing in a few old characters with driven intentions. As the plot thickens and our characters are torn apart again, and again we struggle along with them.

What will become of Sorcha, Merrick, Raed ? Will their bond hold them even as everything else is bring torn apart? will it be enough?

That was my soapbox.

This book is fantastic. I encourage both GEIST and SPECTYR to be read. Philippa Ballantine has created a fantastical world with richly complex characters that face insurmountable odds.

These characters carry so many hopes, and dreams, and emotions, while at the same time struggling to keep themselves intact.

Pre-Order it Now: bn.com , amazon.com