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The Spiderlily Chronicles #1
Ghostwalker
Silhouette didn't mean to die.
Becoming a Ghostwalker, however, was a very deliberate decision.
A twist of fate in the lives of children will take them to the High City of Lydia -a place of wonder on the verge of falling apart. Its Queen is threatened by her disgruntled people, and shadows whisper of dark magic in its streets. When Silhouette finds herself in its darkest places, her mission is clear: protect Alyon, no matter the cost.
The Bastard Prince is the sole hope of restoring order to his home. The only problem is he wants nothing to do with the crown. He finds an unlikely friend in Silhouette, never guessing the weight of the secret she carries, or the fact that her life is running on borrowed time. When Destiny comes crashing down on them, further sacrifices will have to be made.
And the promise that saves him will be her undoing.
Becoming a Ghostwalker, however, was a very deliberate decision.
A twist of fate in the lives of children will take them to the High City of Lydia -a place of wonder on the verge of falling apart. Its Queen is threatened by her disgruntled people, and shadows whisper of dark magic in its streets. When Silhouette finds herself in its darkest places, her mission is clear: protect Alyon, no matter the cost.
The Bastard Prince is the sole hope of restoring order to his home. The only problem is he wants nothing to do with the crown. He finds an unlikely friend in Silhouette, never guessing the weight of the secret she carries, or the fact that her life is running on borrowed time. When Destiny comes crashing down on them, further sacrifices will have to be made.
And the promise that saves him will be her undoing.
362 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 10, 2015
31 people are currently reading
62 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
December 8, 2020
Had to DNF, just not for me.
October 12, 2015
How am I the first person to review this incredible book? Seriously, my vague and very general opinion of all the fantasy fans on Goodreads has just plummeted to a depth it may never rise from.
There are some minor editing issues, and the cover isn’t great, but in terms of plot, characters, magic system etc. I think this book could hold its own when compared to greats such as Lord of the Rings and The Darkness That Comes Before. It may be better than the Fionavar Tapestry. Those sound like heavy claims, don't they? But I mean every word.
Theres's the familiarity of Elves, Dwarves, and Humans, but with a subtle twist. The concept of the Ghostwalker is unique and fascinating. The characters are well-developed, flawed with a touch of tragedy around the edges, and quite likeable for the most part. As much as I'm trying to explain why I liked this book so much, it's impossible to articulate. Just read the book, you won't regret it.
There are some minor editing issues, and the cover isn’t great, but in terms of plot, characters, magic system etc. I think this book could hold its own when compared to greats such as Lord of the Rings and The Darkness That Comes Before. It may be better than the Fionavar Tapestry. Those sound like heavy claims, don't they? But I mean every word.
Theres's the familiarity of Elves, Dwarves, and Humans, but with a subtle twist. The concept of the Ghostwalker is unique and fascinating. The characters are well-developed, flawed with a touch of tragedy around the edges, and quite likeable for the most part. As much as I'm trying to explain why I liked this book so much, it's impossible to articulate. Just read the book, you won't regret it.
November 21, 2016
I was given an electronic version of this book for review purposes by Booktasters.
Sadly, I was unable to finish this book. The premise is really great and I usually love fantasy fiction, but this book couldn't hold my attention.
First, there are too many characters introduced in too short a time.
Second,There is too much jumping around. I couldn't fully immerse myself in any one location in the book because you just don't spend much time in each place. In one chapter, you could jump to three or four different locations with a handful of characters. It is too much and I kept coming out of the story as I had to keep trying to find my bearings with places and characters. I never felt like I got to know anyone or anywhere very well and it became very frustrating to me.
I can handle large books with lots of characters, but the difference is, those books (The Name of the Wind, for example) allows the reader to spend more time with it's main characters and it's main locations so a reader can fully imagine them in their minds and learn them before moving on to the next place. Chapters aren't chopped up into tiny pieces.
The story had so much potential, but it was just too frustrating for me to read.
May 26, 2017
A fantasy that follows a young mage girl Spiderlily grow up and endure severe pain while doing so. She dies, and is resurrected by Feyt, a sort of Goddess, but not exactly as a person either, but verging on becoming a ghostwalker. She sets out to do various things around the town of Lydia, wreaking havoc and . . . My first recommendation if you are thinking of this book, read as much of the beginning as you can. I found it comprises a lot of small scenes that jump around without putting anything in place. There are a number of characters, with various roles and abilities and at the beginning I found it a little bewildering.
The writing is reasonably clear, and the world building was excellent. However, in my opinion, the whole needs strict structural editing. It is long, which I do not object to, but it is written in small scenes where characters give their opinions as to what is going on, and these jump around so continuity is difficult. The action itself is largely off stage; we learn about it through conversation, and only too often, different people have different opinions, and on top of that, they get introspective and repetitive. Accordingly, I felt the pacing was too slow. For me, it felt long, and note that Tolstoy is one of my favourite authors. I would have preferred the scenes to be more outlined prior to the action so we can see ourselves why the characters do things, and not be told later the character's interpretations. When we finally do see action on stage, so to speak, our ghostwalker sets out to do something, and is thwarted, but she never tried to do anything. I tis one thing to fail, but credibility goes when intent is allegedly there, but nothing happens. To summarize, there is a lot of potential here, but a good editor would have done wonders to improve the story-telling technique.
The writing is reasonably clear, and the world building was excellent. However, in my opinion, the whole needs strict structural editing. It is long, which I do not object to, but it is written in small scenes where characters give their opinions as to what is going on, and these jump around so continuity is difficult. The action itself is largely off stage; we learn about it through conversation, and only too often, different people have different opinions, and on top of that, they get introspective and repetitive. Accordingly, I felt the pacing was too slow. For me, it felt long, and note that Tolstoy is one of my favourite authors. I would have preferred the scenes to be more outlined prior to the action so we can see ourselves why the characters do things, and not be told later the character's interpretations. When we finally do see action on stage, so to speak, our ghostwalker sets out to do something, and is thwarted, but she never tried to do anything. I tis one thing to fail, but credibility goes when intent is allegedly there, but nothing happens. To summarize, there is a lot of potential here, but a good editor would have done wonders to improve the story-telling technique.
February 7, 2018
OMG
If you like Throne of Glass, you will love this so much more. This world and the characters a very well thought out. It’s an enigmatic tale, I could hardly put down.
I can’t wait to see how the next one goes.
If you like Throne of Glass, you will love this so much more. This world and the characters a very well thought out. It’s an enigmatic tale, I could hardly put down.
I can’t wait to see how the next one goes.
September 30, 2016
The story was very compelling and grips you into the story to see how Feyt will play a role in the life of a half elf who just wanted to keep her promise to her dear friend.
April 19, 2019
Ghostwalker is Book 1 in the Spiderlily Chronicles. Nicole Martinsen is a new author for me. She has a wonderful imagination. The story was extremely well written and the characters well developed and interesting. There are a number of characters and gets confusing at times but by the end you have learned why and that they are all connected and necessary. Our MC Tera (aka Silhouette/Spiderlily) as a child has a near death experience as she tries to change destiny and as a result has a terrible childhood. She makes a promise to a childhood friend that shapes her life. You will need to read the book to see why she has three names. The story flows well and keeps you interested and reading. We have a bit of a cliffhanger, but for me it just made me want to continue to the second book in the chronicles. I highly recommend this book. Received an ARC from Hidden Gems and this is my voluntary and honest review. Enjoyed it so much, I purchased a copy.
May 11, 2017
Nicole Martinsen writes of the next heroes and ruler of the city of Lydia. This magical city has lost its soul after the mysterious death of Kendra. Now Lyssa must rule this city as its queen, but rebellion between the nobles and commoners are at hand and she wishes to prepare her son as the next ruler.
Children of the next generation have wisdom of their own, with their own ideas. Lyssa’s twins Jade and Alyon are rejected by most because they are half elf. Alyon despises the trials he will face as the next ruler of Lydia. Jade is sent away to train how to use the unique gifts she had when she was born. Tera becomes a ghostwalker, which allows her to see Feyt. Feyt is from an ancient people, but somehow Kendra’s death is connected with her. They set out on their own paths, making their own mistakes, but somehow continuing works their parents have started.
Children of the next generation have wisdom of their own, with their own ideas. Lyssa’s twins Jade and Alyon are rejected by most because they are half elf. Alyon despises the trials he will face as the next ruler of Lydia. Jade is sent away to train how to use the unique gifts she had when she was born. Tera becomes a ghostwalker, which allows her to see Feyt. Feyt is from an ancient people, but somehow Kendra’s death is connected with her. They set out on their own paths, making their own mistakes, but somehow continuing works their parents have started.
January 16, 2019
**RECEIVED A FREE COPY FOR HONEST REVIEW**
This book reads like an epic fantasy novel. It is very slow going. There is action but almost like an afterthought. The story follows Spiderlily who is a half elf that died as a child. This child is a mage and is brought back by Feyt who is like a Goddess.
The thing about this book is there is great world building and character building. The city of Lydia is under social/civil unrest and prejudices abound. Seriously you meet so many players and the story is told by each character so it goes back and forth so much. With very little action this makes for a long winded story.
Truly a unique story in my opinion. But it could have been more put together, not so many voices, more action to go with the telling; and not feel so huh? Where are we? Who is this? What is going on?
A+ for effort
A+ for story idea
C- for story telling
This book reads like an epic fantasy novel. It is very slow going. There is action but almost like an afterthought. The story follows Spiderlily who is a half elf that died as a child. This child is a mage and is brought back by Feyt who is like a Goddess.
The thing about this book is there is great world building and character building. The city of Lydia is under social/civil unrest and prejudices abound. Seriously you meet so many players and the story is told by each character so it goes back and forth so much. With very little action this makes for a long winded story.
Truly a unique story in my opinion. But it could have been more put together, not so many voices, more action to go with the telling; and not feel so huh? Where are we? Who is this? What is going on?
A+ for effort
A+ for story idea
C- for story telling
July 18, 2018
The rating is solely based on personal taste.
In general the book was well written, the world building nice, but the story.... I don't know ... it felt like reading some masochist bible. We follow Tera from the age of five, experiencing a cascade of sacrifice, torture and abuse. All of that because of a promise she made when she was FIVE. People she knew simply let her suffer, and the guy in question doesn't seem to know or care.
This is just wrong in so many ways, I couldn't finish and will not continue.
In general the book was well written, the world building nice, but the story.... I don't know ... it felt like reading some masochist bible. We follow Tera from the age of five, experiencing a cascade of sacrifice, torture and abuse. All of that because of a promise she made when she was FIVE. People she knew simply let her suffer, and the guy in question doesn't seem to know or care.
This is just wrong in so many ways, I couldn't finish and will not continue.
February 4, 2017
Ghostwalker reads like an epic fantasy. Silhouette, kidnapped as a child, grows up in the High City of Lydia. Her kidnapper views her as a substitute for her mother, Kendra, who chose another over him. It spans three distinct time periods, starting when Silhouette is a child, jumping forward to her as a young teen, and wrapping up when she is an older teen.
One thing I liked was the complexity of most of the characters. Many of the good guys make some really terrible choices, and I found it hard to figure out whether to like or dislike some of them. Then again, the bad guys didn’t seem to have any redeeming qualities, making them rather one-dimensional.
Besides the characters, I liked the complex plot. However, it’s a bit much at first, and I can see how some folks might get lost and decide to give up. My opinion is that the author purposefully made the main plot hard to spot. Underlying the prominent conflicts that take over the story is a mystery. When I began to perceive that mystery, I began to find it hard to put the book down.
One thing that bugged me was that many of the undead and dead are almost the same as the living. It kind of muddies the impact of certain tragedies, giving them an “oh, well, they’ll be back soon enough” sort of feel. I have mixed feelings about it because I liked some of the characters that came back, even though their return didn’t quite make sense.
Overall, I really liked the story. It’s a bit complex, but the writing is solid and the world and characters are interesting. It reads a lot like epic fantasy, so I think folks who like that genre might like this as well.
I picked up Ghostwalker while it was a freebee. I wrote this review for my blog.
One thing I liked was the complexity of most of the characters. Many of the good guys make some really terrible choices, and I found it hard to figure out whether to like or dislike some of them. Then again, the bad guys didn’t seem to have any redeeming qualities, making them rather one-dimensional.
Besides the characters, I liked the complex plot. However, it’s a bit much at first, and I can see how some folks might get lost and decide to give up. My opinion is that the author purposefully made the main plot hard to spot. Underlying the prominent conflicts that take over the story is a mystery. When I began to perceive that mystery, I began to find it hard to put the book down.
One thing that bugged me was that many of the undead and dead are almost the same as the living. It kind of muddies the impact of certain tragedies, giving them an “oh, well, they’ll be back soon enough” sort of feel. I have mixed feelings about it because I liked some of the characters that came back, even though their return didn’t quite make sense.
Overall, I really liked the story. It’s a bit complex, but the writing is solid and the world and characters are interesting. It reads a lot like epic fantasy, so I think folks who like that genre might like this as well.
I picked up Ghostwalker while it was a freebee. I wrote this review for my blog.
December 5, 2016
“The Tapestry of Fate is absolute. If a Thread determines that one will lead a life of fortune, then it will happen. If a Thread determines that one will lead a life in vain, it is inescapable.”
Ghostwalker is beautiful, magical and wonderfully intricate. The writing pulls you in and takes you on an amazing journey of survival.
I found myself totally engrossed in Silouette's life and by extension a host of other characters. Tera is a great an in-depth character who is put through so much.
Amazing characters, lots of plot twists, as well as so much emotion throughout the whole book. You will laugh and cry. I enjoyed the shear number of characters and how the story would jump around, it keeps the reader on their toes!
Thank you to Booktasters on Twitter for connecting me with Nicole Martinsen for a copy of this book to review. I really did enjoy it!
Ghostwalker is beautiful, magical and wonderfully intricate. The writing pulls you in and takes you on an amazing journey of survival.
I found myself totally engrossed in Silouette's life and by extension a host of other characters. Tera is a great an in-depth character who is put through so much.
Amazing characters, lots of plot twists, as well as so much emotion throughout the whole book. You will laugh and cry. I enjoyed the shear number of characters and how the story would jump around, it keeps the reader on their toes!
Thank you to Booktasters on Twitter for connecting me with Nicole Martinsen for a copy of this book to review. I really did enjoy it!
November 18, 2016
*I received a copy of this book for an honest review*
Magic, friendship, not so friendly-ships, love, betrayal. It's got it all. And I was engaged and invested enough that the thread of sadness/melancholy throughout was tangible, and I was kind of in a down mood until I finished haha.
I won't be able to make my top list this year like I usually do, but you can bet that this is one of my favorite reads of 2016! This is one that I fully intend to re-read, and I don't often do that. As soon as I have a chance, I'll be grabbing the second in this series and digging in.
Bob says: 5 Platypires
Magic, friendship, not so friendly-ships, love, betrayal. It's got it all. And I was engaged and invested enough that the thread of sadness/melancholy throughout was tangible, and I was kind of in a down mood until I finished haha.
I won't be able to make my top list this year like I usually do, but you can bet that this is one of my favorite reads of 2016! This is one that I fully intend to re-read, and I don't often do that. As soon as I have a chance, I'll be grabbing the second in this series and digging in.
Bob says: 5 Platypires
October 21, 2016
This book was amazing. While it was confusing on certain parts, like the time jumps, it was easy to figure out what had happened. Tera is a great an indepth character who is put through way too much! You like her, yet she wants you to not like her throughout the entire story.
It's a very dark tale with amazing characters, a sad story, and an interesting plot twist. I can not recommend this book enough! If you read this book a few years ago, definitely check it out now because it's been re-edited and re-written and it's epic!
It's a very dark tale with amazing characters, a sad story, and an interesting plot twist. I can not recommend this book enough! If you read this book a few years ago, definitely check it out now because it's been re-edited and re-written and it's epic!
November 2, 2015
Ghostwalker is one of the most amazing books I've read. It can be considered so beautifully tragic that I want to cry and laugh at the same time. The depth of character, of emotion, setting, and story is a once in a lifetime achievement by the author. A full ensemble cast set in a backdrop of a world gone astray when the impossible happens… a Ghostwalker… I don’t dare say more, you have got to read it for yourself. You won’t believe it…
March 19, 2016
I loved this novel! It was so intricate! How do you come up with it all?
March 13, 2016
I couldn't even get halfway through the book. There was nothing keeping my interest.
January 22, 2019
This story is epic both in size and in style. The hero is tragic on so many levels, the most notable being that her trials start at such a young age (5 or 6) and by the end she has yet to turn 20. That being said, the story does not fit into a neat compact of 15 years nor is it told in a straight timeline. I must admit I found it challenging to maintain the storyline with an onslaught of characters and plot lines. At some point they merge together, or become easier to follow and understand the interjections of alternate characters and their storylines, how it effects the main storyline. Till that point, the reader must concentrate, perhaps go back and review off and on to clarify points.
All that being said, the tale is amazing. A new world is created by the author. Although beings seem familiar: elves, dwarves, mages and more, that’s where the similarities end. This world has its own creation myth and the characters and plot are a part of these legends. There are surprises at every turn and some of them are so “what the f—k?” You are compelled to go back into the story for clarification.
Ghostwalker is far from a light read. One needs to concentrate add focus to capture all the details and all the nuances of the tale. There are breaks in the flow that I found frustrating and frequently had to review aspects. By the time I got to the end, the threads started to make sense... then ... SMACK! You will have to read the book to understand and I recommend that you do if you enjoy Fantasy, intrigue, magic, new worlds and a great epic tale. I was given a copy of this book, at my request, in exchange for an honest review,
All that being said, the tale is amazing. A new world is created by the author. Although beings seem familiar: elves, dwarves, mages and more, that’s where the similarities end. This world has its own creation myth and the characters and plot are a part of these legends. There are surprises at every turn and some of them are so “what the f—k?” You are compelled to go back into the story for clarification.
Ghostwalker is far from a light read. One needs to concentrate add focus to capture all the details and all the nuances of the tale. There are breaks in the flow that I found frustrating and frequently had to review aspects. By the time I got to the end, the threads started to make sense... then ... SMACK! You will have to read the book to understand and I recommend that you do if you enjoy Fantasy, intrigue, magic, new worlds and a great epic tale. I was given a copy of this book, at my request, in exchange for an honest review,
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