Unholy Ghosts (Downside Ghosts, #1) in Dangerous Hero Addict Support Group

Aug 24, 2011 Jen rated it really liked it

Shelves: kane

Chess and Terrible/Lex

Very interesting book. Different from anything I have ever read. A heroine with a drug addiction? Not sure how I feel about Chess but the book kept my attention.

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Aug 25, 2013 Amy Nielsen rated it liked it

Shelves: romance-and-then-some, naughty, mystery, 2013-booklist, i_just_dont_know_what_to_say, most_like_fever, urban_fantasy

read this book because I happened upon a Goodreads group about the Fever series. I guess I'm not the only one in search of more of THAT asesomeness. This book was recommended by a few people as perhaps a good alternative.

I remember that DarkFever (the first book in the 7 book Fever series) was not super awesome. It was all the books after it that swept me into a cyclone of fever-stupor. So, I will cut this book a little bit of slack when I say that I'm not sure it's "Fever-caliber"...yet.

I'm tel read this book because I happened upon a Goodreads group about the Fever series. I guess I'm not the only one in search of more of THAT asesomeness. This book was recommended by a few people as perhaps a good alternative.

I remember that DarkFever (the first book in the 7 book Fever series) was not super awesome. It was all the books after it that swept me into a cyclone of fever-stupor. So, I will cut this book a little bit of slack when I say that I'm not sure it's "Fever-caliber"...yet.

I'm telling you right now most likely when you read this book, you'll need to completely step out of your comfort zone and personal behavior models- because this book runs in an altered universe of standards and once you can put them aside and realize that nothing this girl does will likely coincide with your visions of normalcy, you can just read for content. It's such an extreme reality that it's easier just to remove your preconceptions and read the story.

So that's easier said than done for a person whose standards are pretty high. If I go with my gut, I probably shouldn't have even read this book; it's pretty trashy. It's absolutely 100% chuck-full of terrible language, violence, drugs, sex and imagery that you'll never get rid of. Not exactly sure I want that in my brain forever and ever. Good thing I forget 75% of what I read immediately.

It's dark...really dark. Nothing enlightening or uplifting whatsoever. Ghost fighting, ghosts that kill, drug lords that wield their power over the addicts, prostitutes and anyone else they can control, complete demolition of any high power, and Chess at one point even states that the best things worth living for in this "new & improved" world are drugs and "smoke" which is just another form of ...drugs.

I'm pretty lost too during the fighting scenes where Chess is using her magic, spells whatever. The writing is kind of disjointed and doesn't adequately explain what the heck is going on. I've never read a book much like this before so if witchery is something you learn as you read more about it, I am at a disadvantage.

Also, I think the reader is supposed to start feeling something for Terrible. Nothing exactly happens between him and Chess in this book but it's being set up to happen in the next book maybe? In any case, his horrible grammar and weird street-talk is so distracting. We know he's not stupid but that's the thing about grammar...grammar is one of the best ways we can tell others we're not stupid. And so, Terrible is not stupid but he sounds stupid. Not to mention that this destruction of the world as we know it has only recently happened, can't remember exactly but it was within 20 years. This is not long enough for a language to go through such a change, a fact based upon thousands of years of linguistics. I don't think this adds to the story at all. I can't at all figure out its purpose.

As for the story, it's ok. Its darkness is what sets it apart from others in this bursting-at-the-seems genre. It's not your typical read. I read the excerpt from the next book and I will probably read it but only in hopes that it gets closer to its similarities with Fever. I'm not especially interested in Chess, Terrible, Lex or the story itself at this point. If it weren't on that "Fever" list, I'd probably abandon it...I don't really like to be so immersed in filth. ...more

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Aug 05, 2012 Ally rated it really liked it

Shelves: ebook, urban-fantasy, 2012

The world is not the way it was. The dead have risen, and the living are under attack. The powerful Church of Real Truth, in charge since the government fell, has sworn to reimburse citizens being harassed by the deceased. Enter Chess Putnam, a fully tattooed witch and freewheeling ghost hunter. She’s got a real talent for banishing the wicked dead. But Chess is keeping a dark secret: She owes a lot of money to a murderous drug lord named Bump, who wants immediate payback in the form of a danger The world is not the way it was. The dead have risen, and the living are under attack. The powerful Church of Real Truth, in charge since the government fell, has sworn to reimburse citizens being harassed by the deceased. Enter Chess Putnam, a fully tattooed witch and freewheeling ghost hunter. She’s got a real talent for banishing the wicked dead. But Chess is keeping a dark secret: She owes a lot of money to a murderous drug lord named Bump, who wants immediate payback in the form of a dangerous job that involves black magic, human sacrifice, a nefarious demonic creature, and enough wicked energy to wipe out a city of souls. Toss in lust for a rival gang leader and a dangerous attraction to Bump’s ruthless enforcer, and Chess begins to wonder if the rush is really worth it. Hell, yeah.

I purchased Unholy Ghosts by Stacia Kane on Friday for 99p via Amazon Kindle UK. I bought it primarily because it was such a bargain but also because I've heard a lot about the series, mainly about Terrible and Chess and at 99p I really had no reason to turn it down.
I read the first few chapters of this different new world and was instantly hooked, I carried on reading late into the night but eventually had to put my kindle down because sleep was required for a full weekend at work (damn working in retail!). I picked it back up on my lunch break and was instantly hooked again but I couldn't explain why I was hooked when my work colleague asked.

It could have been because it was such a different world in Urban Fantasy than anything I've come across to date and I doubt I'll come across anything like it again. It could also have been because the character's we're so different and complex yet happened to drawn you in, especially Terrible. It could be because I was engrossed with the writing style and the world Ms Kane created. Or because it's centred on the real world but with a twist and a great big hint of being set in England as well as America.

I'm most likely going to tick all the boxes above and leave an empty one for other unknown reasons too as there's something else about it that tickles at my brain and constantly brings my attention back to it whenever my brain gets some down time.
Which is most likely why, after finishing it Saturday evening I've already bought the second book and will start reading it sometime tomorrow.

Chess works for the Church of Real Truth, the only Church left after ghosts rose in 1997 and killed a great deal of people. Chess's job is to get rid of real ghosts and work out if people are really hunted or not. But Chess has a bit of a drug habit and she's being blackmailed by her drug lord called Bump into wiping out her debt by helping him. Bump gets Terrible to watch Chess' back while she helps him on his task. But there's a rival drug lord who really doesn't want Chess to help Bump achieve his goals and will do anything to persuade Chessie not to help him. Add in some sexual tension from the rival drug lord and Terrible and Chess has herself a little problem.

Overall, Unholy Ghosts is a really great book but I felt I couldn't really give it a standard review because it's something so different and even two days after finishing it I still can't make my mind up about the characters but as I've already said Unholy Ghosts is a brill book and I'm super excited to get started on the next one. ...more

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May 19, 2010 Colette rated it it was amazing

When a book starts out with a sentence like this:
"Had the man in front of her not already been dead, Chess probably would have killed him. Damned Ghosts." You just know it's going to be good. Stacia Kane did not disappoint. I think that this book should have come with a do-not-read-before-going-to-bed-or -you-will-be-up-all-night disclaimer. I didn't want to put this book down once it got going. There were so many twists and turns! There just aren't any boundaries in this book.

In 1997 something When a book starts out with a sentence like this:
"Had the man in front of her not already been dead, Chess probably would have killed him. Damned Ghosts." You just know it's going to be good. Stacia Kane did not disappoint. I think that this book should have come with a do-not-read-before-going-to-bed-or -you-will-be-up-all-night disclaimer. I didn't want to put this book down once it got going. There were so many twists and turns! There just aren't any boundaries in this book.

In 1997 something happened that the world religions, governments and people weren't prepared for-ghosts awoke and went on a killing rampage on a scale that no one was prepared for or could stop. The governments and religions failed to protect the people-in fact the only thing that was able to control the ghosts was the Church of the Real Truth. Before the uprisings from the ghosts began was just a little cult-but now because they were able to stop the killings and get the ghosts under control they are the ones the people turned to for help and just control everyone and everything. They have sworn to protect the people from ghosts, and if they have a haunting the church will pay them money because they failed to protect them. This created a new position in the church-De Bunkers. (Think of the show Ghost Hunters on the SyFy channel) The Debunkers are responsible for finding out if people are really being haunted like they say they are.

The church also outlawed magic expect for a select few-Chess Putnam is both a Church Witch and a De Bunker which makes her pretty powerful. Here's the thing that gets Chess into trouble-she also happens to be addicted to drugs. She owes a lot of money to her drug dealer Bump, but he makes a deal with her: Prove that his airport isn't being haunted (because the ghost stories are costing him money) and he'll forgive her debt to her. However Chess didn't expect both her private and work worlds to collide, or feel attraction to a rival drug dealer that wants to put her dealer out of work, or run into some very nasty black magic and a mystery to solve with the Church that might just have to do with her work case and personal case.

If you like your Urban Fantasy light and sweet, this isn't the book for you...in fact I can't believe I liked it as much as I did because I normally love light and sweet and stay away from the dark and gritty. I read so many great reviews on this book that I knew I had to give it a shot. I'm glad I did, because this book is utterly compelling.

The characters shouldn't be likable, but they are. I kept saying to myself: "Chess isn't doing that-*gasp*she is so going there! Terrible is well, terribly likable. He's one of those guys who aren't nice-he's an enforcer to Bump, Chess's drug dealer. He's assigned to follow Chess around to make sure she does her job, and the two sort of become friends, and I loved the tug of war with Chess over letting someone into her life. Then there is Doyle-a guy from work who won't leave her alone, whom sadly I kept picturing like Doyle on the Gilmore Girls (even though his description was nothing like that characters) There's also Lex the rival gang leader from her dealer-who is so not very nice, but brings some hot scenes along with him. I just loved Chess's worlds colliding with each other, and how the good aren't so very different from the bad. I also liked how Chess's problems weren't solved in one fell swoop to make for HEA. (Happily Ever After) Which tells how good the writing is, because I normally don't like books without a HEA, but it just wouldn't have worked with this one. I got this one from the library, and I so didn't want to give it back. I can't wait for the next book in this series to come out! This was another outstanding debut author book. ...more

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Jan 17, 2012 Carrie rated it liked it

Shelves: guilty-pleasures

Dark gritty Urban Fantasy. Lots of drugs, some sex and tons of emotionally disturbed people - in other words, my kind of book. The "Downside" speech is what put me off this series at first. I'm so so glad I came back to it. Books keep getting better as series progresses. ...more

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May 31, 2010 Cyndi rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, own, science-fiction, witches-wizards

I really liked this book. Downside is a dark, gritty, different world and I liked being transported into a different world. The characters were fantastic - Chess, Terrible, Lex even Doyle had good and bad qualities - making them very realistic. I truly enjoyed the changing dynamic with Chess and Terrible. I'm hoping their relationship develops into something more. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series! ...more

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Jul 15, 2010 Meredith Barrons rated it did not like it

Okay, so I HATED this book.... I couldn't even bring myself to finish. It seems like everyone else really likes it but I just couldn't get past the drug use and the annoying language use!!!! ...more

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