I just finished reading Spirit Legacy for the second time, after deciding to reread all the Gateway books before picking up the 2 new ones just released this year (2023). The fact that I am rereading a 10 (now 12) book series should tell you something, but I'll go ahead & start things off by stating the obvious: this series is GOOD.
I love books about ghosts & the paranormal, but a lot of times I feel like that type of story crosses the line from spooky to silly. The ghost stuff ends up feeling cheesy, or the final reveal of a gripping mystery leaves you sighing with disappointment. Well, those things are definitely NOT true about Spirit Legacy (or the books to follow)... not even a little bit. Despite a number of eerie experiences & a heavy presence of ghosts, everything that happens comes across as perfectly believable. Author E. E. Holmes does an incredible job of blending the elements of a true ghost story with the sharpest edge of reality, making all the events that occur seem, maybe not PROBABLE, but certainly POSSIBLE.
In general, Holmes is an incredibly gifted author. Every character rings true, from the background characters, to the supporting cast, & particularly with regard to our protagonist, Jess Ballard. Every character has a distinct personality & voice; having previously read the book, I can pick out where a character growth arc is just beginning.
And while this book only scratches the surface of the Durupinin lore that is to come, I can guarantee you that the world building is every bit as immersive & fascinating as any fantasy novel you've ever read. Again, everything within the supernatural side of things comes across as believable. None of it feels forced or crosses a line into eye rolling silliness.
Knowing how the Gateway Trilogy & it's Gateway Trackers sister series (aside from the 2 new ones) turn out also allowed me to pick up on character traits, plot foreshadowing, & worldbuilding elements that I missed the first time around. Honestly, that is one of my favorite aspects of rereading a good book: knowing that you learn something new, or perceive something differently, EVERY TIME you read it! I am very excited to continue rereading the series.
Bottom line, I loved this book (& the world it opens up) the first time I read it, & I still love it now. Holmes writes lovely, detailed, occasionally flowery (but never over the top) prose that easily invokes Jess's feelings & experiences as she learns about her heritage & how it ties her to the paranormal. The story sucks you in immediately & you will find yourself eagerly tearing through pages to find out what happens next. It starts & never stops; be prepared for late nights saying, "just one more chapter..."
TL;DR
If you're on the fence, I STRONGLY urge you to pick up this book. You will be sucked into a flawlessly created paranormal adventure that you don't want to miss!
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Reviews with images
One of THE BEST Ghost Themed Paranormal Books I've Ever Read!
I bought this book on a whim. It was on sale for $.0.99 I believe as a daily deal, and it sounded interesting, so I thought, "Why the heck not?"Holy crow, was I in for a shock of an adventure! It was a little scary at first, when I started reading because ... all of the names in this book are either my name (Jess is the MC, and I'm also named Jess), She has purple hair (just like me), and my husband is named Matt (She goes to a University called St. Matt's) and her Uncle is named Noah (my step son is Noah) and just a lot of what happened in the beginning was eerily related to me...I even think her mother's name might have been the same as my mother, but I don't remember for sure... {I was worried Ms. Holmes was somehow inside my head... }You never really know what to expect when you buy "indie" books because some of them are amazing and others are ... not. I think - and I could be totally wrong, so please correct me if I am - this book started off as "indie" but was picked up by a super smart publishing company, Lily Faire - much thanks to them for that! - because this book is incredible! If you're into the paranormal, like ghosts, ghost hunting, ghost stories, crossing over, Gaelic folklore, dark secrets, plot twists that I didn't even see coming (and I am a writer myself!) and even a little magic, you should definitely read this book, and the two that come after. It's not "scary", but more suspenseful, leaving you wondering what will happen next, and having a really hard time putting it down. Once I was finished with book one on my kindle, I went to the authors website and ordered all 3 books in paperback, with each one signed! (She is also really awesome, and always replies and chats with you on Twitter!)I just started reading book 3 (Spirit Ascendancy) today, and I've been really busy, but I don't want to stop reading! Thank the stars for the invention of the Crockpot, so dinner will be ready and I can read the rest of the night!I highly recommend this book!(Note: It is a little more YA, than adult, but the MC is 19 - 20 years old, so it's kind of on the edge... it's not horribly YA as they are in college.)
