What do You think about Haunted (2005)?
For pacing and plot line I think this has been the better book of the series so far.I was a bit prejudiced in the beginning, because the ghost angle didn't appeal to me. When a protagonist can't interact with the physical world the story seems to be less powerful, but it worked very well in this story because Eve moves through many different planes. The author always gives a darker edge to her stories, and both the good and the bad guys don't shy away from violence and deeds that are quite repulsive. It's the best quality of this series, I always know I'll get punched in the guts sooner or later in the story.I really liked Eve. She's unapologetically herself. In her life she made questionable choices and her reputation was earned, but she is simply a woman who decided to take her life into her hands, protecting herself and her daughter in the only way she deemed possible. Even when she is not forthcoming, when she knows she's being selfish, she admits it without inventing excuses. I think she's simply a realist.The romantic part was even less prominent than in the other books of the series, but there was love. The relationship between Eve and Kristof calls to me very much. They are older than the average romantic protagonists and I think the author did a wonderful job in portraying a sentiment which has been weathered by time and which has come out stronger for it, a love which is deeply rooted in Eve and Kristof. It was there in the comfort they gave each other, in the comfortable way they asked for help and showed their weaknesses. It was refreshing.The world building was very rich and interesting and Eve's enemy, the Nix, was a worthy opponent, especially because she was deliciously deranged.A surprisingly enjoyable read.
—Emanuela ~plastic duck~
I had some problems with this installment as it has been happening to me with the last books I have read in this series, specifically the very same thing that happened to me with book 4. First half of the book boring and very VERY slow. Many times I just wanted to stop with the book and read something else, but then the second half of the book was so amazing that it only took me 4 hours to read it,lol.But first I think the most important thing is to answer this question: Is it necessary to read the books in order? Do I have to read book 5 or can I skip it? Well, the answer to this questions are: Yes, the first 4 books should be read in order but you can DEFINITELY skip book 5 because (seriously) NOTHING important happens in this book. NOTHING. You could totally go straight to book 6 and you would not loose any important information, any, just what happened to Eve. But that's all, so if you feel like not reading this book just send me a private message asking me what happens with Eve and in a couple of lines I'll let you know and you can go on with the series and come back later when you feel like reading Eve's book. This book is only about Eve, the other characters of the series almost don't appear at all and nothing related to what has been happening in the rest of the series appears again.Now talking about the book, I just want to say that it definitely was better that what I expected it to be. Sure, the beginning was way too slow and annoying most of the time, but then the second half of the book was so good that I almost forgot how bored I was and believed this could actually become an amazing read. The ending was great too. I don't regret reading this book, it was really nice to know what happens with Eve, but right now I just can't wait to get back to the series. This just felt like a huge pause.
—valee
I have a reeeeally hard time rating this book. On the one hand, it is very well written. On the other, I did not like it. Since I rate books based on their enjoyability, three stars it is. For now. First of all, Haunted starts real slow and the snail pace continues for the first part of the book, then slowly picks up and, finally, towards the very end, it gets all action-packed and awesome. It was hard to get sucked into this book and it felt like a slow read, even though it wasn't. But this was not a problem for me.My biggest issue is the world. It is, as usual when it comes to Armstrong, brilliant. But I discovered that I have an issue with the afterlife. Zombies I can take any time. Ghosts? They bore the heck out of me. Add some angels to the mix and I won't be able to enjoy the book, no matter how good everything else is. Funny thing is, I have no problems with demons and hell, but I have yet to read an angel book that will rivet me.I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the villain and tiny snapshots of the Nix's life provided a much needed break from first person POV. The plot, however, took its sweet time to appeal to me and by the time it did, I already gave up on it and mostly concentrated on enjoying the characters.Oh the characters! If only all books had such amazing character development and realistic relationships. I found myself head over heels in love with both Eve and Kristof, even though I never cared for them before. Eve is a very strong woman with a peculiar sense of moral. She is also a dedicated mother, who doesn't want to let go. But Eve being Eve, she forces all her fears straight on. Kris, on the other hand, is one wonderful man. He's patient and understanding, and despite having his own demons and regrets, he's dead set on helping Eve and getting her back. And once he does, he won't let her go ever again. Oh, and he's a smooth talker. This is one of those couples that leaves you utterly satisfied, with a big grin on your face. They simply click. That's why, despite detesting the world and its creatures, I was able to enjoy the book and am currently having a hard time deciding between three and four stars.
—Ju
