The Prophet – Amanda Stevens

"Twilight...when greedy, grasping entities drift through into our world, seeking what they could never have again."

Following The Kingdom, The Restorer, and prequel, The Abandoned, The Prophet continues with Amelia Gray's adventures in graveyard restoration and romance (both to a lesser extent this time), and explorations of the unseen plane, where ghosts are seen and less material events are happening.

Amelia really caught my attention this time around. I loved her character! During the opening chapters, even her self-talk about rush hour traffic was interesting, and I just wanted to jump into her world, her living room, feeling my own experience through her. Made for a very relaxed and curious read.

Although I didn't find the storyline as frightening as the other novels, I found the topic of African root magic even more interesting.  It reminded me of The Serpent and The Rainbow.

I read a review that complained that Amelia's relationship with John Delvin was a little tiresome this time around. I didn't think so, initially, but even the last lovemaking scene was disappointing in a way. It didn't hold my attention like in the previous novels. I can't pinpoint exactly why.  Maybe I sensed a lack of love from Delvin, a very essential element missing (yet, he was haunted). Or maybe it was just my mood this time around.

Still, this novel was just what I needed on a cold, spring night. I'm so happy to have started the series.
Preview Book Four, The Visitor on the author's website.

The Kingdom – Amanda Stevens

“He extended his hand, and I thought at first he meant to introduce himself, but instead he uncurled his fingers, and I saw my necklace coiled in his palm."

This is the second book in the Graveyard Queen series, following The Restorer (and there’s also the prequel, The Abandoned).

Amelia, graveyard queen, is summoned to South Carolina, Asher Falls, to restore a wealthy family’s graveyard. There’s another graveyard in town which is completely underwater due to flooding, and this is not the only strange thing about Asher Falls....  With a beautiful landscape, history, and a man who’s seductive (and possibly untrustworthy...), and a strange and evil force amidst - Asher Falls captivates Amelia.  She feels she’s been brought here for a reason.  What she discovers about the place and herself is beyond her wildest imagination or nightmare.

I found The Kingdom to be less frightening than The Restorer, but more intriguing in many ways – especially the characters! I felt like I was in a game of Clue, where the storyline was not predictable and the characters, so sinister! I loved the town’s landscape and cemetery – especially the creatures who roam about the forest and graveyard.  The cover was the least appealing to me of all the novels, until I noticed the statue's hand – so Asher Falls ;)

I have to mention (again) when I’m reading these novels I really do feel a deeper connection and understanding to and of the otherworld. I don’t know what it is, but it’s there every time, and as I read through the pages, I’m absorbing something. That’s why I like them so much!

The Kingdom ended on a suspenseful and romantic note, and I am excited to find out what will happen when Amelia returns to Charleston in The Prophet. 

The Restorer - Amanda Stevens - Kobo

“Listen to me, Amelia. There are entities you’ve never seen before. Forces I dare not even speak of. They are colder, stronger, hungrier than any presence you can imagine.”

I was wondering how the last story would connect with this one, despite having only a few of the same characters.  I started to get a glimpse of how a few chapters in when Oak Grove Cemetery (the cemetery in The Abandoned) is investigated because of several dead bodies found there (ones that shouldn’t be there).

Just like The Abandoned, The Restorer is beautifully written, is a great mystery and ghost story, and has intriguing, dimensional characters.  It is also a bit of an exploration of the occult/black magic and those who practice it (including vampires). And for some reason - of all the novels, movies, and thoughts I’ve given to the occult over the years - these novels seem to leak out a deeper understanding instantly and effortlessly in comparison, without really going into much laborious detail.  This was much appreciated and made for a very entertaining and enjoyable read.

This time, Graveyard Queen (and restorer), Amelia, and police investigator, John Delvin, join forces and dive deeper into a scandalous and murderous secret society and its connection to Oak Grove Cemetery. The romantic chemistry – again – is simmering below the surface and is touching and realistic as it includes real obstacles, such as being haunted ;)

The difference between The Abandoned and The Restorer is that the latter is downright CREEEPY at times and really came close to crossing my boundaries in terms of how much horror (and subsequent fright) I prefer and can handle in a novel. Somehow the author manages to do this in good taste, so all was well, but I felt I had my fix of the dark side and wanted to slow down the adrenaline at one point. Regardless, I couldn’t stop reading – I was too enthralled by the story.  

I’m hooked and look forward to the next in the Graveyard Queen Series: The Kingdom!

Great romance, horror and suspense author!  I would recommend these novels to anyone who likes this type of genre. Fall is coming, and there’s no better time for a ghost story!

The Abandoned - Amanda Stevens - Kobo

The Abandoned is a suspenseful, romantic, and a little horrific ghost tale about a psychology student who works at a psychiatric hospital.

After the death of her favorite patient, Violet, Ree Hutchins starts to sense the undead around her.  Because of her concern and suspicion of ill treatment, she is forced to investigate a secret society to uncover a centuries old secret and bring clarity to the present.

What she discovers brings her deep into the merging worlds of paranormal psychology, graveyards, the dead, the living, and a somewhat unconventional justice system. With the help of her friends, including deemed Graveyard Queen, Amelia Gray, Ree is escorted through the dangerous and sad terrain of past and present to help an elderly lady and her mother who suffered for a lifetime.

It’s no surprise to me that Amanda Stevens has written several romantic novels.  The romance between Ree and her paranormal investigator/lawyer friend, Hayden, is believable, sensual, inviting, and is a wonderful companion to the suspense of the novel. The suspense holds its own, regardless, and is unpredictable, delivering a great ghost story with lively characters. But it’s not just a ghost story; it’s also a scenic exploration of unknown energies and the motives of the living and the dead.

I have never been a lover of graveyards, but I did recently visit one a few weeks ago. I took these photos of tombstones.  They now mean more to me as I wonder about the lives of the owners.

The prequel, The Restorer, is Amelia Gray’s story.  The Graveyard Queen series continues with The Kingdom and The Prophet.

I will be reading more of this series!