Can You See The Dead? • Spirits Rising

Spirits Rising by Krista D. Ball

Series: Spirit Callers #1
Publisher: Self-published
Publication Date: January 3, 2012

Source: Author (Thanks!) || e-book

[I received this book from the author. This in no way affects the thoughts in my review.]

Rachel Mills has one wish in life: for the spirit world to shut up and leave her alone. She thought her move to a remote fishing village in Northern Newfoundland would help.

Population: Twenty. What could go wrong?

Instead of peace, however, she relocates to a land of superstitution, the air alive with the presence of others.

When a local teenager accidentally summons the spirits of the area, including those from a thousand-year-old Viking settlement, all supernatural breaks loose. As the spirits stalk her and each other, Rachel finds herself in over her head. With the help of Mrs. Saunders, her 93-year-old neighbour, Rachel has to put aside her own prejudices long enough to send the spirits back to rest, or risk being caught in the midst of a spirit war.

I liked Spirits Rising – it’s a nice, linear story with a simple plot and an interesting, if stereotypical, set of characters. While I didn’t necessary love it, I did think it was an overall enjoyable and quick read. 

It’s not too far out of my comfort zone to read about people who communicate with spirits - they’re a staple in paranormal YA. It’s curious that there’s no further exploration into Rachel’s abilities, apart from her fight to banish the spirits. There’s something meaty there, and I hope it gets explored further in the next book.

The story was predictable to some extent, although I was surprised a few times here and there. It actually felt more like a short story to me, than an actual novel. Spirits Rising was enjoyable however, and I’m certain that Krista D. Ball has even more of the story to share in the next installment.