Ghosts of Empire

The long-awaited sequel to Ghosts of Karnak (reviewed here), book four in George Mann’s Ghost series, is a disappointing read. I’ll just come out and say it from the start.

I’ve been a fan of his works so far, even though I will admit I have not read all of them, and I have especially enjoyed his Newbury and Hobbs series.

Whereas I previously didn’t feel I was missing out from not having read the first two installments in the series, I felt like I was missing big chunks by only having read Ghosts of Karnak with this latest book. Luckily I did read that one or I would have been clueless and enjoyed it even less.

Even though I quite liked the plot — a foreign entity unleashing horror on London from days long gone, with the Ghost as a The Spirit meets The Rocketeer-style vigilante setting matters right — the execution was not something you generally get from a George Mann novel. I was left with a lot of questions, partly from not having read two of the three previous books and partly due to a few plot holes. His other works are much, much better.

The Newbury cameo felt forced and, to be honest, it was unnecessary. It was just an excuse to draw in more readers, and as a fan of the Newbury and Hobbs series I felt disappointed by his empty appearance. I would much rather not have had him part of the book than pop in for what is essentially a non-contribution to the storyline.

If you have read all the Ghost books, you might as well read this one, because otherwise you will probably be wondering about events in the next book. But if you’re not into Mann’s Ghost series, give this one a pass.