Geist (Book of the Order, #1) in SOS: Serious Overload of Series

Feb 02, 2013 Patrick rated it really liked it

Shelves: book-series, reviewed

Geist by Philippa Ballantine plays out somewhat similarly to many other urban fantasy novels out there. The storyline seems somewhat familiar: A kick-ass heroine is a type of warrior who specializes in a certain type of monster. I’ve read many books about women who hunt demons and vampires, but hunting geists is somewhat new.

The storyline is fairly straightforward: Sorcha Faris belongs to a group called Deacons which specialize in killing unloving beings known as geists which plague their world Geist by Philippa Ballantine plays out somewhat similarly to many other urban fantasy novels out there. The storyline seems somewhat familiar: A kick-ass heroine is a type of warrior who specializes in a certain type of monster. I’ve read many books about women who hunt demons and vampires, but hunting geists is somewhat new.

The storyline is fairly straightforward: Sorcha Faris belongs to a group called Deacons which specialize in killing unloving beings known as geists which plague their world. Her husband gets injured in a conflict and Sorcha Faris is teamed up with a new Deacon known as Merrick. Later along the way, they happen to meet a man named Raed Rossin who joins their party even though he is cursed with sometimes turning into a deadly lion, Bruce Banner style.

Among all the elements in the story, the use of magic is among the most interesting. In order to battle, Deacons form a Bond with one another, similar to the ones in Pacific Rim, I’d like to think. The magic system isn’t clearly explained step-by-step, but the author seems to assume that the reader would pick up on the details along the way. In that sense, it is a tad confusing, but still interesting. There are a lot of terms that she throws at us such as Actives, Sensitive, Strop and Center which are still a bit vague to me. It would’ve been really nice if she had a guide to her terminology somewhere in the book. Anyways, the other aspect of the magic is that battles are done through runes. I don’t know what each rune does specifically, but Sorcha and the other characters constantly reference drawing power from different runes to put forth different effects. This is my personal favorite aspect of the magic system.

The characters themselves felt like they needed to be fleshed out a little bit. Sorcha Faris was a good heroine who didn’t try to overdo it on trying to be edgy or cool. The other two main characters, Merrik and Raed, didn’t stand out to me quite as much. Personally, I would really wish to know a lot more about the villains in particular. I always love the villains in any story and the ones here felt like they needed more personality and character.

Overall, the story is very easy to read with likeable characters and a cool magic system. Honestly, it doesn’t feel that much different from all the other urban fantasy I’ve read, but it was likeable and entertaining enough for me to approve. It leaves on somewhat of an ominous note, so I’m rather ready for the sequel.

P.S. Jason Chan cover art is always a plus.
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