Unholy Ghosts (Downside Ghosts, #1) in Q&A with Stacia Kane

Feb 12, 2011 MISS VAIN rated it it was amazing

Shelves: stacia-kane, series-that-i-m-obsessed-with

"Debunking often looks like the most appealing of church positions, but very few possess the skill, intelligence and above all, integrity required."
--Careers In The Church: A Guide For Teens, by Praxis Turpin.

My only regret with this book is that I waited so long to read this series. I absolutely LOVE this unique world that even when I'm not reading the book Chess and the Downside World is still on my mind! Fans of the Fever world will fall in live with this world Stacia Kane has created.

Chess ...more

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Feb 12, 2011 Galla rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

I put off reading this one for a while, but I'm glad I finally got around to it. I knew the main character, Chess, was a drug addict and that her addiction would play a strong role in the novel. That's just not a big selling point for me, not so much because I object to drug addiction as fictional content, but because it frankly can be just tedious to read about (Phury, I'm looking at you. You and your Wizard).

It's not tedious here, largely because while it's a big part of Chess's characterizat ...more

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Oct 26, 2010 Francesca the Fierce (Under the Covers Book Blog) rated it liked it

Shelves: books-read-2011, read-audio-books, witches-shaman-magic, genre-urban-fantasy, ghost-spirit-necromancer

3.5 Stars

This review was posted at Under The Covers

This was a completely different read for me! Yes, it's urban fantasy, yes there's ghosts and Chess is somewhat of a ghost hunter, but I was not expecting the storyline to be what it was. To say I was surprised would be an understatement. So I figured the easiest way for me to review this is in a What I liked and What I didn't format.

What I liked:
* The otherness of the story. Really. I haven't read anything quite like it. With so many books out t ...more

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Sep 08, 2010 Amanda The Book Slayer rated it really liked it

Shelves: demons, 1st-books-in-must-read-series, must-read, paranormal-romance, kick-butt-heroine, witches-warlocks

I thought the book was okay on my first read. It took a while for me to really grasp the ideas and setting of the book. I took the ride and couldn't stop from reading the other two books. I have to say the third book was excellent. It made me laugh and cry. Enough about book 3 this is book 1.

Key point: I know the main character Chessie does drugs and I do not support this, but the books have a whole different look on life and I have fallen in love with the characters. I say give it a try. Get i ...more

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Sep 21, 2010 Leigh rated it really liked it

4.5 stars! Wow! What a great first book into what seems like it will be an amazing series and a very neat world! Chess is a Church Debunker, a person who has the magic and ability to banish ghosts from this world, and while she loves being a part of the Church, she has all kinds of problems, the primary one being drug addiction. Even so, I still liked her bunches. Then there is Terrible and Lex, both second-hand men for huge drug dealers in Downside. But even though they are on the wrong side of ...more

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Feb 18, 2011 Mrs.Vishous-Kattalakis-Belikov :::Para Itch Reviews::: rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ghosts, favorites, magic, love-triangles, downside

I love this sooo much I can barely contain myself!! Chess' inner dialog is fecking brilliant:

If Mrs. Morton would stop verbally jacking off her husband and son this would al be done so much more quickly,but then Chess figured it was just about the only sex the woman got.

And her thoughts on Bumps style and decor:

"Bump stood in the middle of the room, wrapped in a heavy fur coat, with a silk top hat covering his fuzzy head and unnecessary sunglasses covering his pale face. He looked like the Abom ...more

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Aug 19, 2010 Danielle Barclay rated it it was amazing

I haven't been this thoroughly engrossed in a paranormal world since I discovered Sookieverse. Unholy Ghosts, Unholy Magic and City of Ghosts are the first three books in the Downside Ghosts series.

Stacia Kane has created a completely fascinating take on Urban Fantasy and she writes a brilliant mystery. Book after book after book! What impresses me the most, this author is not afraid to strip her protagonist down to the bare bones--Chess is vulnerable, lost and real, but she's a survivor. Kane b ...more

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Jul 09, 2010 mrsj rated it really liked it

This book is disturbing but it's really good.
Disturbing because of the heroine's love for drugs.
Good because of many many factors.
It is not called DARK Urban Fantasy for a reason.

A world where there's no religion but only truth and facts, GHOSTS exist and they aren't CASPER, our friendly ghost.
Church of Truth is the only place human is able to go for help to get rid of them.
To determine if it's the truth, they will send in a debunker to investigate on that matter. And this story introduces our d ...more

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Feb 07, 2011 Samina The Story Devourer rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

Unholy Ghosts is the first book in the series called Downside Ghosts by Stacia Kane. This book a a dark urban fantasy which makes you ask questions about yourself.
The characters are quite unusual meaning you don't find them in every other UF book out there. The protagonist is a Debunker working for the Church, banishing ghosts but hides an underlying drug problem. I read many reviews saying some readers found the drug use disturbing. However I am torn on this issue.Yes, the drug use is slight Unholy Ghosts is the first book in the series called Downside Ghosts by Stacia Kane. This book a a dark urban fantasy which makes you ask questions about yourself.
The characters are quite unusual meaning you don't find them in every other UF book out there. The protagonist is a Debunker working for the Church, banishing ghosts but hides an underlying drug problem. I read many reviews saying some readers found the drug use disturbing. However I am torn on this issue.Yes, the drug use is slightly disturbing and slowly starts to make you uncomfortable seeing how highly dependent Chess is on her drugs and the worst is that she doesn't even try to quit. But the drugs is what keeps the story going and the reason why Chess has to be involved in the events hence we even have a story to read. I am still unconvinced why she has to do them , may be to forget the abusive childhood she has had but then on another instant she doesn't want anything else abusing her and using her soul? So it O.K to abuse her own body but not be used by something else? Would I do the same if I was in her situation?

So, without being judgemental I will talk a bit more about the book itself. The plot is well paced and interesting. The mystery as good too and kept the pages turning.The writing was fine too apart from the fact that it would suddenly stop in a scene and another would start straight away. I have come across this type of writing with Ilona Andrews which reduces filler and moves with the plot but somehow it didn't work for with Kane's writing. Moving on to the various side characters,they were interesting enough for me to not wish death on most of them. I was not blown away with Chess and hardly had any sympathy for her but I did like Terrible.What a terrible name but what a terrific hero, if he even be called one. I was surprised how Kane manged to make him attractive and desirable while describing him a ugly. Even when reading his description I just could not imagine him being ugly and repulsive.

I would recommend this book to any UF fan who is looking for a new series. After reading most of the good ones out there I had thought there would not be any left to capture my interest but I got one that did. The drug use can be bothering but give this a go you might end up liking it as I did.My above review is slightly negative but I do tend to say more about the bad points than the good. I have heard the other 2 books are way better then this so I am going to read them too. I am looking for forward to more Terrible ...more

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Jul 26, 2010 Bernard DeLeo rated it it was amazing

'Unholy Ghosts' was easily the best and most surprising novel I've read in years. I'm not gushing because I'm some airhead groupie. If not for one of the marvelous reviews linked to the book I would never have given it a try. I thought it might be a mishmash of drugs, depression and a 'Downside' I didn't want to read. After reading the review, I bought it with no real expectations other than I might like the characters. 'Unholy Ghosts' with Chess and Terrible smashing their way through 'Downside ...more

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Apr 10, 2011 Christen (GoldiloxReads) rated it it was amazing

I am still getting over my surprise that I liked this book so much! This was a unique story, with a unique heroine. I absolutely loved it and am starting the second one immediately! <3 <3 <3

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Jun 01, 2010 Chelsea rated it it was amazing

Shelves: suggested-series-firsts, uf-pnr

This review is also posted at Vampire Book Club

In the Orwellian future of Stacia Kane’s Unholy Ghosts, the Church of Truth runs both the moral and legal elements of society, the afterlife is known and outside the City of Eternity ghosts are evil and bloodthirsty.

The Church, and its staff with magic ability, manages the ghosts. If you are haunted a church employee will come to your home, send the ghost back underground and write you a check for $50,000. These employees are called debunkers for a This review is also posted at Vampire Book Club

In the Orwellian future of Stacia Kane’s Unholy Ghosts, the Church of Truth runs both the moral and legal elements of society, the afterlife is known and outside the City of Eternity ghosts are evil and bloodthirsty.

The Church, and its staff with magic ability, manages the ghosts. If you are haunted a church employee will come to your home, send the ghost back underground and write you a check for $50,000. These employees are called debunkers for a reason: most people fake it.

Chess Putnam is a debunker. (Though, those in Downside just call her Churchwitch.) She investigates reported hauntings, busts the fakers or uses her powerful magic to remove the ghosts. Stacia Kane presents Chess to us in such a way that we can’t help but fall for her. She’s created a hero with more obvious flaws than another other protagonist we can remember.

Her biggest flaw? Chess is an addict. She manages, using her Church bonuses to pay her dealer. Popping uppers and downers, Chess tries to keep herself focused while numbing memories so she can function.

Until now she’s kept the two worlds apart, but her dealer has need for her skills. He thinks he has a ghost problem and expects Chess to solve it or she can owe him triple her current tab. Performing this kind of magic and using Church supplies to investigate, without official sanction could get Chess locked away, executed. But her need for pills and speed is greater than the possible consequences.

The results of her acceptance: banishing real ghosts, dealing with fake hauntings, murder by oil injection, near-death, encountering wraith military battalions and getting put between rival drug dealers.

All the while we’re reminded of the overwhelming presence of The Church of Truth by the excerpts from Church documents that open each chapter.

Unholy Ghosts wraps its bony fingers around readers from the first chapter and pulls us along with an ever quickening pace. It’s gritty, it’s intense and it’s utterly amazing.

Honestly, I've never read anything like this – urban fantasy or otherwise.

...more

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Aug 24, 2010 Jamie rated it really liked it

Shelves: ghosts, addicted-hero-heroine, dark-and-gritty, books-i-obsess-over, favorites, series-i-can-t-wait-to-continue, magic

Loved, loved, loved this book! Chess is a dark, flawed character who I can't help but rooting for. She has a troubled past and is an addict. Her addiction is a main plot point in this book, as well as throughout the series. She makes one bad decision after another, mostly due to her addiction. It's frustrating at times, but I found myself very sympathetic towards her. We don't get too much of her past in this first installation, but keep reading - it's coming.

Terrible and Lex are introduced as ...more

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Oct 15, 2010 Heather Book Savvy Babe rated it really liked it

Shelves: vamped-out, review-on-blog, urban-fantasy

After hearing a lot about the Downside Ghosts series, both positive and negative, I decided that I needed to read Unholy Ghosts and give the series a try myself. I have to say that I was not disappointed, I very much enjoyed the book, and I am looking forward to reading the next books in the series.

It definitely took me a little bit to get into this book, I was not in love with the book from the start, the characters and the setting and the language are all quite different from the average book, After hearing a lot about the Downside Ghosts series, both positive and negative, I decided that I needed to read Unholy Ghosts and give the series a try myself. I have to say that I was not disappointed, I very much enjoyed the book, and I am looking forward to reading the next books in the series.

It definitely took me a little bit to get into this book, I was not in love with the book from the start, the characters and the setting and the language are all quite different from the average book, if you will. The setting is sort of post-apocalyptic. Ghosts had apparently taken over the city, giving rise to "the Church" a group of witches who have power over the ghosts and can send the ghosts back underground. There is no heaven or God or even faith. This aspect of no religion, no faith, well, it was a tough pill to swallow. There is not a lot of hope for the people in this world. Chess, the main character, has no hope herself. She is a witch who works for the church, but lives on her own, and she is very much addicted to drugs. Chess did not have an easy upbringing, she had it really rough. This doesn't excuse her drug use, but as the story goes on, it is easier to understand how she turns to drugs.

In Unholy Ghosts, Chess is caught in a case for the church that coincides with a case she has to work on for her drug dealer. Her dealer forces her to banish ghosts from an abandoned airport, but there is a much stronger supernatural force at work than one mere ghost. The drug dealer has his enforcer, Terrible supervise Chess on the case, and Terrible helps Chess out as well. At the beginning of the book, Chess sees Terrible as just an enforcer, the person who brings the pain to those who anger the dealer. As Chess works with Terrible, she realizes that there is more to Terrible than muscle. This big bad enforcer has a softer side that is buried deep, and I fell in love with this unlikely hero.

The characters in Unholy Ghosts have major problems, they have hang ups, addictions, and their language is foul. However, as you get to know the characters, they grow on you, despite their problems. They are people underneath their issues. So, by the end of the book I was engrossed in the story and invested in the characters. While the world in Unholy Ghosts is cruel, the characters do their best to make their way in that world. They try to live their lives to the best of their ability, despite how they had grown up. They do the best they can with what they have, or they try to. However, I do hope that the characters grow, and maybe their dependence on drugs wanes.

The magic and the paranormal aspects of the book are very interesting. The witchcraft is different, there is no controversy with religious groups. Those with paranormal abilities are accepted for what they can do. Given, the political structure of the church has its own issues, but that just adds to the depth of the story line.

This is definitely a darker book, and if readers take issue with drug use, I don't recommend reading this series. However, Unholy Ghosts is a creative and different Urban Fantasy book. I really enjoyed reading Unholy Ghosts and I am looking forward to reading book 2, Unholy Magic. Urban Fantasy readers, if you like the darker books, definitely read Unholy Ghosts. ...more

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Dec 15, 2010 Cat Russell (Addicted2Heroines) rated it really liked it

Shelves: favorites, highly-recommend

The Church of Real Truth, the shady characters, the imperfect love interests, the grungy hangouts - I loved every minute of it. The book was refreshingly original and it was a welcome change of pace from what I've become accustomed to. Chess doesn't have your typical heroine qualities. She's not the baddest, doesn't have all of the answers, and she isn't fearless, jumping into situations head-on. She isn't even trying to clean up her addiction like you would expect. She's damaged, stumbling thr ...more

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Feb 09, 2011 Alexa (Once Upon a Chapter) rated it really liked it

Shelves: own

This review was originally posted on Pages of Forbidden Love

My Thoughts:
This book is a re-read for me, the first time around I listened to the book on audio and if you would like to see that review it is HERE. I wasn’t really ever planning on reading this book again or even possibly moving on the the rest of the series because the first time around I didn’t really like it. The only reason I picked this book back up and decided for the re-read of the book this time, not the audio, is because a b This review was originally posted on Pages of Forbidden Love

My Thoughts:
This book is a re-read for me, the first time around I listened to the book on audio and if you would like to see that review it is HERE. I wasn’t really ever planning on reading this book again or even possibly moving on the the rest of the series because the first time around I didn’t really like it. The only reason I picked this book back up and decided for the re-read of the book this time, not the audio, is because a bookclub that I’m part of and Miss Vain @ Miss Vain’s Paranormal Fantasy told me I must read this, the series is brilliant in their eyes. So I’m not gonna lie, I fought them and didn’t want to but in the end I decided one last try wouldn’t kill me.

Well I’m glad to say that this time around I felt much more connected with the story. I think it was because I wasn’t a huge fan of audio when I listened to this book, I hadn’t yet figure out what audiobook style I liked. Now I know audio better so I know what to look for but back then I didn’t. So I’m glad I decided to actually read this book instead of listening to it the second time around. I felt connected with Chess this time around. The first time around I didn’t really like her and I certainly wasn’t a fan of her two love interestes, Terrible and Lex. Neither one of them did it for me so the whole thing just bugged me. Plus add in the fact that the characters speak in a language called Downspeak, which is basically broken English. It does take a little while to get use to the broken speak because you want to scream at them to talk normally.

This time around though I actually found things to like in Terrible and Lex, they both have interesting stories and I can’t wait to learn more about them. Plus once I stopped to realize it, Chess is pretty bad ass and she is so flawed that I really like her. Normally I don’t like for female characters to have such huge flaws but I feel they really work well in Chess’s world. Her world was something I really enjoyed. The way that the author describes the city and what goes on with the Church of Truth is just so wonderful. I freakin love the idea of the Church of Truth, that there is no faith, that truth is faith. I’m not big into religion of any kind so this idea just stuck with me the whole book as a brilliant idea. Plus Kane does a beautiful job at describing the Church and Chess’s place in it.

Overall, when I first started to re-read this one I wasn’t really that into it, I felt like it was been there done that. However, once I started really letting go of my past thoughts and focused on the story I really started to enjoy it about half way through till the end. This is when I really started to connect with the story in a way that I never did before. Now I’m happy that people pushed me to read this book again because I think I’m really going to love this gritty adult urban fantasy if given the time to get into the next few books. I really want to pick the second book off of my shelf and read it right now. So this time around this book gets 4 stars from me for a rough start but by the end I was enchanted and I need more.

...more

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Apr 14, 2011 Mona Bliss rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

Total fun...drug addicts, ghosts, a hot punkabilly guy named Terrible, witches, post-apocalyptic world...yeah my kind of fun.

Ok I'm adding to this review because after I read the first three books I realized that I couldn't stop thinking about them...and I still haven't. This world, these characters are...well not get too precious with a theme but...haunting. I think some of that has to do with my personal connection to the main character, Chess, and some of her more destructive behaviors. But i ...more

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Dec 03, 2010 Kathy (Kindle-aholic) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: my-favorites, uf

Really liked this one. The characters were not the nicest people (and I realize the huge understatement here), but they had so much depth that you could still root for them. Fantastic world-building.

I know I have a good read when I don't want to read anything else, when sleep doesn't even sound like a necessity. I HAD to finish this book. And then I HAD to get the next one. I read a lot of books, usually several at a time, so this is not a usual occurrence.

Yes, the MC is a drug addict with a w ...more

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Jul 02, 2010 Kay rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2010-reads, uf-or-paranormal

I really enjoyed this UF. The world that was created in this series was captivating & interestingly unique. I loved Chess, a different type of heroine, who is addicted to drugs. I enjoyed reading about her and her relationships with Terrible & Lex. I can't wait to see how these two men will impact her life in the next book. ...more

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Jul 13, 2010 Lisa rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

Great story! It took a bit to understand the world, but after it got going the action was spot on! Loved the characters, the plot, and the development of more to come in future books!

Chess isn't perfect and it makes it easy to enjoy her triumphs, mistakes and adventures. Can't wait to read the next installment! ...more

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