The Ghost in the Hall by KM Avery

KM Avery’s The Ghost in the Hall, the first book in the Beyond the Veil series, is set in a post-apocalyptic world that has been decimated by a magic-infused covid-like virus called the Arcanavirus. Those who’ve survived fall into three categories: normal humans, Arc-humans (many are seers or can commune with the dead), and Nids (those that have been turned into monsters such as vampires, ghouls, or orcs).

The first three books in this series follow awkward emo medium Ward Campion and professor-turned-orc historian/gardener Mason Manning.

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The Ghost in the Hall (Beyond the Veil Book 1)

🥭🥭🥭.5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
(you can find my rating and spice system here)

POV & Tense: Singlel POV, first person, past tense
Genre: MM Monster Romance/Urban Fantasy
Tropes/Themes: Post-Apocalyptic World, Haunted House, Ghosts/Malevolent Spirits, Virus, Orc Historian, Emo Medium, Speaking with the Dead, Mystery, Who hurt you? (I will end them), Hurt/Comfort, Grumpy Cat / Sunshine Dog

Synopsis:

It should have been a simple job: contact the deceased to find the lost will. But medium Ward Campion is pulled into a life-or-death mystery involving one severely haunted house and sixty-seven restless spirits trapped within its walls. Not to mention Mason, the hot orc gardener, who keeps crossing his path…

The Ghost in the Hall by KM Avery (Beyond the Veil Book 1)

 

My Review:

The Ghost in the Hall smushes together two of my favorite subgenres: monster romance and haunted house stories. So naturally, I’ve been looking forward to this book for months.

The main plot involves the haunted Fitzwilliam estate, and Ward’s desire to free the spirits trapped within. But there are complications, unsolved murders, and malevolent spirits who refuse to cross over.

My favorite things about this story are the characters, the spooky elements, and the way the author deals with racism and human nature.

Desperate and evil is a terrible combination.

Characters

Ward is an adorable hot mess with a string of shitty ex-boyfriends. He needs someone to love him just the way he is. Mason is a solid stand-up guy who used to be a history professor pre-virus, but now is an orc who nobody will hire. He helps his family in any way he can, including doing the odd gardening job. They meet at the Fitzwilliam estate and quickly become drawn to one another. Emotionally weighed down by his previous relationships, unconditional love is new to Ward. Mason cannot believe that Ward can see past his orc exterior and love the man within. Their relationship is both fluffy and spicy.

I adore cantankerous, elderly characters, so the ghostly Lady R is a personal favorite. She’s a delight throughout the entire novel, swiftly becoming more mischievous than grumpy upon getting to know Ward.

Peverell, Ward’s grumpy cat, and Alma, Mason’s dog, get plenty of page time along with witty anecdotes that kept me smiling. 

Captain Hart, the elf chief of police, is a standout character that I can’t get enough of. He’s brash and unafraid to throw around his weight or his opinions, and I adore him. Books four through six follow him as a main character, and I can’t wait.

I was about to habitually apologize for my cat’s standoffishness, but Pevs was in full-on cat-slut mode, having splayed himself out on one of Mason’s feet exposing his furry belly for petting.

Spooky Elements

I love a good haunted house story, and this one doesn’t disappoint. I loved the air of mystery surrounding the haunting and the sense of history, both of the estate and the circumstances and characters within the antebellum era. There was so much tragedy. Avery kept me guessing who the real big bad was, and I loved the metaphysical elements.

The point is, mediums in general are just really attractive to the dead. Like a bug light. Spirits can’t help but be interested in whatever it is you’re doing, especially once you start paying attention to them.”

Racism

Racism is a tough topic to handle, and KM Avery does it very well. I enjoyed the anecdotes about the disappointing nature of humankind, and how post-virus there’s the old-fashioned kind of racism and now the new kind against paranormals. And Mason gets it from both sides, being black and an orc. I really enjoyed the commentary throughout the novel.

Final Thoughts:

While I’ve rated this a 3.5 out of 5 mangoes, it’s a very enthusiastic 3.5. There are pacing issues, but I loved it. I’m completely invested and can’t wait to read the next book, The Boy in the Locked Room.

Beyond the Veil series by KM Avery

 

Author Stalking (but not in a creepy way):
KM Avery is the author of the Beyond the Veil series and has a new Fae series in the works called Threadbound.
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Banner Image Credit: Spooky Trees

~~If you like spicy books with orcs, check out my Orc Rec List ~~