Title: Guardian Spirits
Series: Spirits: Book Three
Author: Jordan L. Hawk
Publisher: Self-Published
Length: 260 Pages
Category: Historical, Paranormal
At a Glance: Guardian Spirits is fantastic. It’s got everything that makes Jordan L. Hawk books a must-read.
Reviewed By: Jules
Blurb: Psychic medium Vincent Night and his lover Henry Strauss have spent months striving to uncover the dark secret harbored by Vincent’s dead mentor, James Dunne. Their only clue comes from a journal: Dunne was seeking to restore the Grand Harmonium, an artifact meant to breach the walls between life and death.
Fate seems to intervene when Henry and Vincent are offered a job investigating the haunted orphanage where Dunne lived as a youth. But the ghosts of the orphanage don’t rest easily, and the lovers soon find themselves in a battle to locate the Grand Harmonium before it falls into the wrong hands—and unleashes evil upon the world.
Review: Wowwww. That. Was. Awesome. I’ve just finished Jordan L. Hawk’s newest addition to the Spirits series, and it was hands down my favorite of the series so far. All of the books have been good; I love Henry, Vincent, Lizzie, and Jo, and the story arc is intriguing. But, the bar was raised in this one. I’m amazed at the growth of this series over the course of the three books. Having read Dangerous Spirits immediately prior to this one, that growth really stood out. I’m always in awe of Jordan L. Hawk’s writing, but Guardian Spirits is even richer, even more detailed, and I love Hawk’s commitment to character diversity, which was displayed even more here. Also, this book was just flat out creepier and scarier! The ride was full-on from start to finish.
The story picks up very soon after the return from Devil’s Walk, where Vincent and Lizzie learned they had been lied to by their friend, Sylvester Ortensi, and perhaps by their beloved mentor, James Dunne, as well. Ortensi and Dunne had been working secretly toward trying to restore some instrument called the Grand Harmonium, which ostensibly can bridge the gap between life and death, all the while keeping Vincent and Lizzie in the dark as to their plan. Vincent and Lizzie are haunted by the idea that Dunne might have been purely using them for their abilities and their loyalty, and have been desperately trying to contact him for answers from across the veil. Henry feels for his lover, who is ever wracked by guilt over Dunne’s death, and for Lizzie, but mostly wishes they could somehow get past it. However, when an opportunity presents itself to possibly get the answers they seek, they of course jump at the chance.
The crew finds themselves at Angel’s Shadow, the orphanage where both Dunne and Ortensi lived as teenagers, working with a team of other mediums and the property’s new owner to investigate the reported hauntings there. Things start to get crazy straight away, as they realize that the ghosts are quite active and seem rather pissed off, one of them extremely so. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time they were at Angel’s Shadow, which was the bulk of the book. There were so many incredibly creepy moments, and even a few jump scares. All the fabulous, descriptive prose fans of Hawk have grown to expect was there, but it was somehow even better, even cooler. And, Vincent’s clairgustance remains the creepiest gift, by far!
I love these MCs so much. Henry is awesomely dry and funny, as always, but is also vulnerable, and so very caring. I adore his relationship with Jo. And Vincent is as particular as ever, and so smitten with Henry. Vincent is actually really put through his paces in this story. I loved his growth, and the different facets of him we got to see. Including a little jealousy at one point! The rest of the characters are also fabulous. Lizzie is a firecracker and constantly keeps everyone on their toes. And, our darling Jo is as brave and brilliant and sweet as always. There is also an incredibly charming newcomer who might just have his eye on Lizzie. 😉
Guardian Spirits is fantastic. It’s got everything that makes Jordan L. Hawk books a must-read. The paranormal and horror components were as awesome and chilling as you’d hope they would be, and everything is perfectly balanced out with that sharp wit and, of course, the romance, which is what I consider to be Hawk’s signature style. I don’t typically do scary, but this series has turned me into a lover of ghost stories.
You can buy Guardian Spirits here:
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