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Patty Jansen

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Innocence Lost (Ghostspeaker Chronicles Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Patty Jansen (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

3.6 193 ratings

Book 1 of 6: Ghostspeaker Chronicles

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A young woman, evil magic, demons, and a kingdom in deep troubleAs the only child of a successful merchant, Johanna has her wits and a sense for business.The royal family is in deep trouble: ever since the crown princess died of illness, the king has attempted to educate his son to become king. However, the prince is "not good in the head" and quite unsuited to the task. In his grief for his daughter, the king has run the coffers dry: he hired dubious magicians for even more dubious tasks. Those magicians circle like vultures waiting for the kingdom to fail. The king must get his son on the throne, preferably supported by a smart and well-off wife.He holds a ball in his son's honour. Johanna has agreed to a dance. But the guests include a number of magicians who are not there for the festivities.

From the Publisher

ghostspeaker, ghost, dark fantasy, demon, kingdom, dark fantasy with audio

fantasy with narration, chronicles, fantasy series, dragon, mystery, evil

mad prince, king, necromancer, alternate history, historical fantasy, merchant's daughter

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

Sign up for my mailing list to be informed when the next book in this series appears. (copy & paste this into your browser window: pattyjansen.com/fbv1) There will be at least four books in this series, with book 3 set to release in September 2014.

About the Author

Award-winning author Patty Jansen lives in Sydney, Australia. She writes science fiction and fantasy mainly for adults, but sometimes for children. Besides self-publishing, she has sold fiction to genre magazines such as Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Redstone SF and Aurealis.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00J491ERQ
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Capricornica Publications (March 19, 2014)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 19, 2014
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1594 KB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 200 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #17,800 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #101 in Historical Fantasy (Kindle Store)
- #188 in Dark Fantasy Horror
- #343 in Sword & Sorcery Fantasy eBooks

Customer Reviews:
3.6 193 ratings

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Patty Jansen

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Patty lives in Sydney, Australia, and writes both Science Fiction and Fantasy. Her best-known works are the trilogies set in the Icefire world, and the popular and addictive Ambassador series.

She has published over 60 novels and has sold short stories to genre magazines such as Analog Science Fiction and Fact.

Patty was trained as an agricultural scientist, and if you look closely at her stories, you will find bits of science sprinkled throughout.

Want to keep up-to-date with Patty's fiction and get four books free? Join the mailing list at pattyjansen.com

Find more information about Patty including how to get four free books at https://pattyjansen.com

Customer reviews

3.6 out of 5

193 global ratings

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darswords

Warning: Cliffhanger!

Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2015

Verified Purchase

Having finished Crux, then the prequel to this book, Whispering Willows, I was still not ready to go to sleep. So I thought I'd get started on this one. Yet, it was too short to do the job. I mean it did a good job getting me involved in the story and wanting to know more...then it ended. And the worst kind of ending! Yes, a cliffhanger! Argh! I hate those! Just as I finally am invested in the characters and outcome, it ends. The sad part of that trick is that if the next were free or even $.99 I would have grabbed it up and started reading. But this is just beyond my reach right now. By the time I remember that I need to read book two, I won't care. Especially if it is long enough away to require a reread of book one. Note to self: Don't do this when publishing my own books!

Now the story itself isn't about the girl in the prequel, Loesie, though she plays a very pitiful part. I mean, you will pity that poor girl. Rather, it stars Johanna, a girl lucky enough to be a merchant's daughter and high enough on the status scale to be invited to the ball. But Johanna wants nothing to do with frills and fashion of the day. She wants fun and adventure. Be careful what you wish for? She asks the question, if the aim for a young woman is to be married, why are so few of the married ladies happy. That attitude makes it well worth the read! Johanna is strong and cares about others. Cliffhanger be damned, she is worth learning more about. AND Johanna can 'hear' the willows just like Loesie. And she has more opportunities to do something about the warnings.

This is a bit of a cautionary tale about organized religion and reflects our own history of the witch trials. I found Ms. Jansen's take on the subject refreshing. Again, that makes it worth the read. All in all, I think, if you can afford it, that this is a fun adventure and worth pursuing through the series.

6 people found this helpful

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Sheriff Al

Johanna, Roald, Nellie and Loesie

Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2019

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Johanna is rebelliously wearing her clogs to church, scandalizing her maid Nellie. When Johanna goes to the market she finds her friend Loesie is mysteriously unable to speak, perhaps from magic. Johanna's father is determined that she attend the royal ball to dance with Roald, the crown prince.

Excellent plotting and characterization.

Helpful

Janelle Bowman

Good book, but incomplete.

Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2014

Verified Purchase

Good plot. Good characters. Great writing. Would have given it a 5 star rating if the book had not stopped (note that I did not say "ended") in the middle of the story. I am just old fashioned enough to believe that a book should tell the story start to finish. Sequels are nice for new adventures for the same characters, but not to finish the first story! Cliff hangers are ok, but after the first plot has been completed, not in the middle of it. Price was right (free) but it was a teaser, not a complete book. So many authors are doing that these days. I definitely try to avoid "those" books.

40 people found this helpful

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MelHay

Slow start with potential to a series.

Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2018

Verified Purchase

*I have listened to this book for my own enjoyment.

This is the first time I've listened to Genevieve. Genevieve did a good job at reading through the story clearly. But, right off the bat I heard lots of space in the recording. There is a metal twang to her voice as well. With the sound of the background, you can hear where the stream was cut, either because she was done or because cut out a section. The sound of the background stops then starts again, leaving it feeling as it's not a constant flow. It sounds like she's in a large empty room, with wooden floors.

The story is a big build up for the King's ball. A lot of world building in the beginning. There is something with Johanna's friend and a potential danger coming to their city, but trying to find a way to tell people without telling about how she learned is a problem for Johanna. With this, most of the beginning is focused on getting to know Johanna and how she doesn't want to marry or go to the ball. Both things her father is saying she must do.

With getting to know Johanna and the buildup to the ball, I found the beginning to be rather slow. If it wasn't for being audio, I probably would have put the book down. Although, I'm not very taken with Genevieve's narration or voice acting as Johanna, and that might be part of the problem. Johanna sounded like a spoiled brat at the age of twenty-four with Genevieve's vocal innuendos.

As we go, the story of going to the ball felt like it was going to turn into a Cinderella type story. But it doesn't. When we get to the ball, things take a turn that draws me into the story. To meet Prince Roald and see how things come together. Now I can enjoy this. I liked the turn things made with Johanna after the ball.

The writing style didn't hit the beat with me. Others may enjoy it more, but wasn't for me. At times I felt that the emotions used were repetitive, and when I wanted emotions they weren't there. I definitely think the narrator could have done a better job, or picked a different narrator. Genevieve was a bit bland or to much attitude that gives Johanna a stuck up feel, which she's not by her actions.

I'm curious about the characters and where they end up next because there is a cliffhanger ending, but I'll likely pass on the series with all others I have to listen to.

Helpful

Charles A. Ray

Good, but it left me hanging

Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2015

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Johanna Brouwer wants to take over her father’s shipping business. She wants a place where she doesn’t have to hide her magic. The problem is, her father wants her to marry the prince—who is a half-wit—and improve the Brouwer family fortunes. Fate intervenes, though, when her home city is invaded by bandits who are supported by demons, and the king and queen are killed, leaving the half-wit, Prince Roald, the only living heir to the throne.
In Innocence Lost: A story from the kingdom of Saarland by Patty Jansen the reader is treated to Johanna’s story as she, the half-wit prince, her maid servant, and her closest friend (who has been bewitched), flee the invaded city and try to survive long enough to restore the crown and save her homeland.
Johanna’s worries about getting married pale in comparison to the trials she must face, the sole sane member of her motley crew. Jansen’s a master at creating a believable world and authentic characters. If you like your characters sassy and independent, Johanna fits the bill. A thoroughly enjoyable story, except for the ending which leaves too many questions unanswered.

2 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Tanyawriter

wow

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 18, 2017

Verified Purchase

all she wanted was to run her fathers shop and not marry a mad prince but it all goes to pot. even her little bit of magic is nothing compared to the troubles that have now arrived so she goes on the run trying to do what she can to save her town. a great read which was fun to read and i couldnt put it down