I have mixed feelings about this book. I have tremendous respect for Thorn and I’m a big fan of her nonfiction magical writing. I wanted to love this story, but two things kept gnawing at me.

The first was the awkwardness of the descriptions, especially of people. They kept coming across like a stilted creative writing class exercise. And how many times do we really need to hear about Cassiel’s glorious red hair and pale skin? The second, more serious problem was the degree to which the ghost was able to manipulate the material world, including electronics. I realize this is fantasy, but this seemed to jar with the book’s own internal consistency. If this ghost can accomplish these things, why can’t the ones in Cassiel’s past who needed her to speak for them?

On the plus side, I did enjoy reading about the coven and their work. I’m sure some details were enhanced for story purposes, but I also felt like I was getting a glimpse into how a healthy, experienced group worked together. I enjoyed and appreciated the diversity.

As a light read, it was a good way to spend a couple of hours. I’m going to try the next one, but if it’s not better than this one I won’t continue. ( )