Ghost Apparent by Jelena Dunato

Publisher – Ghost Orchid Press

Published – Out now

Price – £9.99 paperback £2.99 Kindle eBook

Betrayed, deposed and presumed dead.

When her father is killed in a bloody coup and her uncle seizes the city, Orsiana pleads for help with the only power still willing to listen, unaware that the gods will use her as a pawn in their own game.

Thrown back on the streets of Abia, armed with the gods' double-edged gifts, Orsiana must thwart her uncle's plans and learn what it takes to rule a proud, stubborn city that thrives on artifice and wit. She will plot, fight and use lethally tuned verse to stir a rebellion. But just when her uncle's Machiavellian schemes start to topple, a new player will enter the game, and the gods will raise the stakes. It's easy to fight an enemy you hate, but how about an enemy you fall in love with? If she wants to win, Orsiana will have to risk the last precious thing in her possession: her heart.

A story of revenge and recovery, Ghost Apparentblends the history and folklore of the Eastern Adriatic with the bloody treachery of the Renaissance courts and is a perfect read for the fans of dark political fantasy.

We use the expression ‘their life was a fairytale’ almost as a blessing it signals happy endings, light shining down from the heavens on the lucky ones and just possibly a joyous musical number. But stories often just have that at the last page, and we forget the darkness that usually takes place before. Cinderella is for years mistreated and Snow White poisoned. Also, in the real world how much can any fairytale life actually exist? In Jelana Dunato’s intricate and lyrical Ghost Apparent we have a fantasy novella whose central character discovers this truth as she faces a desperate battle to save herself and her beloved city.

Eighteen-year-old Orsiana is the only surviving heir to the city-state of Abia. Her father Orsolo is the city’s Lord but recent years the loss of his sons and wife have made him quite introverted and distracted but he is still teaching Orsiana how to rule a complex city. Orsiana an avid reader is less focused on ideas such as political marriages but just possibly has seen a young poet who makes her heart soar. All of these daily joys though are taken away in an instant when Orsiana’s kindly Uncle decides to brutally take power for himself. Orsiana is taken to be sold as a slave but dives into the sea and her only chance for survival is that the pantheon of the gods have taken an interest in her and while they can’t turn back time, they offer bargains with prices that may offer Orsiana a chance to get her home back.

An advantage of a novella is that they allow for focus of a theme and in this story, we have a wonderful duality of light folk tale meets dark real-politik. In the first chapter Dunato gives us an insight into Orsiana’s life, wealth, happiness, concerns over her father’s mental health and a lovely relationship where her father encourages Orsiana to think for herself and even explore romances ahead of any formal betrothals. The light is then switched off in a stunning scene of brutal violence that jumps straight out of many a real city’s states bloody intrigue. A reminder that medieval periods were less honour focused and more about whatever it takes for gaining power. A kind grief-stricken nobleman may be sympathetic to us but is perhaps walking blindly into danger when power is a daily battle. That duality of light and dark runs throughout the tale.

Dunato’s writing is lyrical, picturesque and lush really brings this city and its people to life. We also get quite a host of unusual unearthly gods appearing starting with a visit to the seabed and an underwater kingdom here one such deity lurks and Dunato hear allows the fantastical side to shine. They’re all both awe-inspiring and yet never fully human often feeling like Orsiana is more a device to aid their agendas and we humans will not understand until its too late. Dunato uses the familiar idea of the magical bargain in these encounters where Orsiana has to learn to ask for something that helps her but she still finds that each ‘gift’ also comes with a cost. This neatly sets up each part of the story and then adds in new challenges as we go along.

This then sets up the part of the story I really appreciated. In some ways we have the folk tale idea of brain versus brawn – its Orsiana versus Caril, his wealthy noble supporters and his military might. But this is also a story that uses actual historical examples well. A key idea is how a city’s bigger population still needs to be won over when nobles battle. Caril just takes over while Orsiana spots that a much loved nobleman and his lost daughter still offer a powerful story that could win people over if . The use of propaganda in the form of poetry, secret printings and mass communications really does speak to how cities were hotbeds of scandal and ultimately a numbers game that could sway people to support one faction over another – how little has changed! Orsiana has a steep learning curve but watching her use her knowledge to this purpose is really impressive and cements our desire to see her succeed.

Another aspect of this duality is discovering characters and the world itself have hidden sides to them. Caril is least suspected as he seems so loving and joyful, but we soon see his other side. . Orsiana’s young poet that she is smitten by reveals a very different side to his nature and Orsiana’s father is shown to have his own secrets that make her appreciate him in a very different way. The ending of the story really encapsulates this. An eighteen-year-old smart nobleman in a medieval city state has few options to get all that she wants, and any victory will she finds still have a cost to be paid. It may not make you sigh with joy, but I think it will feel true to life and we know the lessons Orsiana has learned here could put her in good stead for many battles to come.

Ghost Apparent is a beautiful and intelligent novella weaving folk tale and historical examples into a compelling tale. Dunato’s writing style once again is entrancing and brings their world and characters to life and the mix of light and dark stands out as a story that knows no happy ending is forever. It is strongly recommended!

If you enjoy this I must also tempt you to read a tale set in the same world a little later Dark Woods, Deep Water