Oh, man, this was an excellent to this series! I'm sad to say goodbye to these characters-or at least, of Eve narrating, but yeah, I had a great time reading this book! Loved how everything wrapped up and it was an amazing read!

I love Eve and the rest of the Ghost Precinct members! I adore how close they are, how tight their friendships are, and how well they work together. It's all just so great to read about, and they're all such great characters!

There is still a bit of a slow burn romance with Detective Horowitz, but there are rightfully developments, and they were so sweet to read, and have me picturing a pretty bright future for them. And I'm glad, after what they've been through, they deserve it!

Loved how everything wrapped up with the bad guy! He caused so much damage, and deserved to be taken down, so that was really enjoyable! Yeah, all in all, that ending was really satisfying, and I really enjoyed how everything turned out!

I had such a blast reading this book, and I can't wait to read more by Leanna Renee Hieber!

I'd not read the earlier books and thus was at a HUGE disadvantage with this one. That's my bad because there's clearly been some serious world and character building. I DNF but I suspect that those who know the story will be very happy with this one.

These books a very short. Quick reads. Super fun. If you want a series with out needed to give a log term commitment.

A Summoning of Souls by Leanna Renee Hieber is the last in her Spectral City trilogy. It is a solid last installment, wrapping up many of the story threads from previous books nicely. I breezed through this supernatural mystery about a medium in NYC, and her coven of girls who help the police with crimes including ghosts. I love Eve, the main character, and her budding relationship with Detective Jacob Horowitz is a big draw of these books. They are fast paced and entertaining, full of loveable protagonists. If you’re looking for supernatural detective stories with a romance element, I suggest you check this series out!

What a fascinating book. I was impressed by the storyline and the characters were all well written and complex. Where there are complex storylines combined with intriguing characters the reader experience is magnified tremendously. To have a book that is well written as well as entertaining is a delight. Reading is about escaping your world and entering another one. Here I forgot about my own life and was immersed in the world created by the author. I would recommend this book.

I just adore this author and this series. I love the world and the characters, so I wish there was another book coming, but I understand that all things must end. *SIGH*

An utterly stunning finish to this brilliant, beautiful series. Loose ends were tied, emotions were had. Such a satisfying conclusion to a great series.

It has been such a pleasure, and a privilege, to watch this author develop her talent and her voice. Since the very beginning, I knew that she was something special.

I haven’t been able to keep up with every release, and my new release reading has shrunk during epidemic anxiety. There is plenty to read, but I find myself retreating to old, predictable favorites. The thought of falling in with new characters while I watch them struggle, not knowing how things will end, is too much to bear right now.

Eve and Jacob and all the rest, though, are old friends. Their slow-build romance while they took care of such trifles as saving the world is finally culminated (in a late 19th-century sort of way), and it was worth the wait. They don’t do too badly saving the world, either.

Don’t let anyone get away with saying that they can’t write diversity due to “historical accuracy”, because this series does it truly and well. Here we have a full cast of women (of all ages and varied backgrounds!) who get to be heroes and fighters without falling into any “kick ass women” tropes, as well as a full range of men who run the gamut from stalwart companion to privileged asshole.

It’s a relief to read a book with high stakes (saving the world) without being dredged through a bunch of violence and despair for “realism”‘s sake. Grimdark isn’t my cup of tea, and A Summoning of Souls, in contrast, brims with hope and love.

This series never disappoints and this was an excellent addition.
Great characters and world building, a plot that kept me hooked and a solid mystery.
I strongly recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Book was written well from what I saw BUT I didn’t read too far in as the book wasn’t my cup of tea. No complaints about how it was written or anything.

Leanna Renee Hieber is back with a new book in her Spectral City series! In case you missed it last week, Leanna wrote a lovely guest post for us on the many possibilities of ghost stories in her works and in her life. In her Spectral City books, ghost stories help the psychic ladies of NYPD’s Ghost Precinct to solve mysteries and save lives! A Summoning of Souls is the third book in this trilogy, and it comes out tomorrow, July 21. WORD Bookstores will be hosting a virtual release party on their Instagram page tomorrow at 7:30pm EDT.

In The Spectral City, Eve Whitby and her team start out looking for a missing child and a missing ghost, but soon find themselves embroiled in something much bigger. In the sequel, A Sanctuary of Spirits, the girls uncover a secret society bent on harnessing the souls of the dead through macabre works of art. Now, in A Summoning of Souls, Eve must finally confront the mastermind behind both the organization and the disappearances. Albert Prenze, half of the Prenze family duo that made a fortune selling tonics, has been presumed dead for several years. In truth, he has spent this time honing his mesmeric powers and plotting out a Great Experiment: with the use of electricity and new technology, Prenze believes he can completely rid the world of ghosts forever. Eve will have to gather all of her allies to keep Prenze from destroying her beloved spirit world—without becoming a pawn in his plan, herself.

Amid all the fighting and chaos, one thing that Leanna is particularly good at is making time for romance. Eve and the handsome Detective Horowitz have spent the last two books in a slow-burn romance that at last comes to a head—and let me tell you, when they do finally kiss, it is absolutely worth the wait! But this book also introduces a new and rather unusual romantic pair: the ghost of the young socialite Maggie Hathorne and the exorcist-in-training Reverend Coronado. Now, you might think ghosts and exorcists go together like roaches and Raid, but in the case of a friendly ghost like Maggie, it’s always good to have an exorcist on hand while learning how to use the ghostly power of possession without harming her host. Possession tends to be the most terrifying type of ghost story, and I’ve only rarely seen it played for comedic effect, like in the film Beetlejuice. But Leanna manages to write possession scenes that are both humorous and have an underlying layer of compassion for the person whose body is being manipulated beyond their control. Maggie and Coronado get to engage in some playful flirting while treading gently around the interesting questions of consent raised by the act of possession.

As I’ve spoken about in my previous posts, romantic relationships aren’t the only important type of relationship in the Spectral City series. In my review of A Sanctuary of Spirits, I touched briefly on the complicated yet loving relationship between Eve and her paranormal-averse mother. A Summoning of Souls delves into this relationship much more deeply. Natalie had been rather scarred by her youthful encounters with the paranormal (which you can read about in Leanna’s Magic Most Foul series). So when Eve decided to embrace channeling ghosts as her life’s pursuit, a distance opened up between mother and daughter that has been difficult for them to bridge. In this book, Natalie finally confronts her past trauma and opens up a dialogue with her daughter that leads to greater understanding. I love the way that Leanna often defies Gothic genre conventions that tend to be rooted in sexism—in this case the trope of the absent mother. In many Gothic novels, the heroine is an orphan or otherwise separated from her mother, in order to set her up as an isolated, vulnerable woman who can easily fall under the control of dangerous men without the comfort and guidance of a mother. Eve Whitby, though, is anything but an isolated Gothic heroine. She has a whole network of powerful women around her, from a host of female ghosts to her colleagues at the Ghost Precinct and mentors like Gran and Clara Bishop. But even with all of this female support, Eve still craves a closer relationship with her mother. And she gets it. By opening up a dialogue and facing her discomfort with the supernatural, Natalie rejects the role of the absent mother and commits to being a supportive presence in Eve’s life.

I read the entire series over the course of a few weeks. The final book (A Summoning of Souls) was the best book out of the series, but it still was a disappointing read to me. I usually love urban fantasy and historical fantasy so I thought I would love this book, but it didn't excite me the way I thought it would.

First of all, the characters are very flat. The diversity in this book seems to just flesh out the supporting characters' backstories and adds little to the overall story beyond having Eve's precinct and the Detective bond over how badly most people treat them. The side characters could have made a bigger impact or brought their traditions into the story in a more meaningful way. In some ways, their biggest contribution was to have conversations with Eve about how much they respect each other and value their friendship. This was my second biggest pet peeve with this book. It was like reading a children's book where love and friendship save the day, except it was supposed to be a dark fantasy book written for adults. These conversations or notions in Eve's head derailed the pacing a lot and detracted from the overall plot. This book did a much better job than the two predecessors of keeping the story moving, but it still fell into the same bad habits of the previous books.

It was really hard for me to care about the characters or the story. The sensitives in this book were too sensitive and it felt like the story was mostly brooding and situations that were supposed to seem dark and dangerous but were really just kind of ok. Several times I had to put the book down because I was tired of Eve getting emotional and insecure the entire time. The book didn't get under my skin (in a creepy, but intimate way) or really make me connect with anyone in the story. It was hard for me to continue on, but I wanted to give it an honest shot. I just don't think I'm the audience for this book.

A Summoning of Souls by Leanna Renee Hieber is the third installment of the Spectral City series and I enjoyed seeing these characters again. The series is quickly becoming a favorite of mine and I'm so lucky to have been approved for them. I have a soft spot for historical fantasy and this novel, and the series as a whole, hits almost all the right notes. I love the ghostly and creepy elements as well as the notes of real life history that are interspersed throughout. The level of detail that Hieber puts into her work makes the world of early 1900s NYC feel incredibly real. The same goes for the cast of characters. Eve and all of the members of the Ghost Precinct are quite unique and have their own key strengths to bring to the table. As with each previous installment, it was always delightful to get to see Detective Horowitz. The budding relationship between the detective and Eve is so sweet. Overall, I highly recommend this entire series especially to fans of historical fantasy, paranormal ghost stories, just a dash of romance, and turn of the last century New York City. I need to read more of Hieber's work, and I'm really hoping that we get to see more of Eve, Detective Horowitz, and the Ghost Precinct in the future.

Today I want to share a book series that’s been really warming me up in the past half a year or so. A Summoning of Souls is book 3 in the Spectral City series, a story about the living working with the dead on a common goal – ensuring the safety of New York. The books focus on the first Ghost Precinct of the Metropolitan police, entirely run by women who are all sensitives and have a great respect for the souls of the departed. The series is filled with such warmth and love, as well as respect for cultures and people’s stories, that it makes for an especially encouraging read in the year 2020.

The Summoning of Souls is the perfect closer of the story that’s been unfolding in the first two books, The Spectral City and A Sanctuary of Spirits. I don’t know if it’s the last book in the series (I hope not!), but I know I would still love to hear more about these lovely characters the story is about.

It's About...

The first two books start us off with the Ghost precinct having just opened and solving its first cases. However, things don’t go very smoothly, and with the first serious villain, the precinct has to close and the operatives go into hiding.

But that won’t stop Eve and her colleagues – in this last book, A Summoning of Souls, they’re ready to deal the final blow. Not only will the ugly history of the Prenze family and their ghosts be explored, but the final touches will be put on the romance we’ve all been waiting for! In A Summoning of Souls, everything spins off to a close in the most perfect way possible.

A Summoning of Souls Is Like A Time Machine

So the first reason to read this series that I’m going to tempt you with won’t be about the story itself – but rather, about the mood. To me, the books in The Spectral City series are just like a time machine! That’s definitely one of the reasons I enjoy them so much.

The Spectral City, A Sanctuary of Spirits and A Summoning of Souls are full of descriptions of New York in the time of 1899, as well as people’s customs and even clothing. (I spend a particularly great amount of time googling the dress names and clothing styles to see it all better in my head.) Leanna Renee Hieber really does bring this spectacular decade of the turn of the century to life.

Slow Burn Super Soft Romance

If you follow my blog, you may know that I’m VERY particular about my romance – and often, I’m not a big fan of it in general. Well, that’s just because apparently, I was born in like the 1850’s and my idea of how romance should be presented to me is from way back in the day! (Hah.) Which is why I am a HUGE fan of the romance in A Summoning of Souls and the other books in the series. It’s a soft, slow and very cautious romance, which would have fit the social mores of the times – the scanty chance of intimacy, the idea of ‘less is more’ and all of the blushing in the world. (Plus, this is a romance that started as fake dating. Any fans here?)

The slow burn love affair between Eve and detective Horowitz continues! I am a big fan of this pairing, and I can’t help falling in love with them both. In A Summoning of Souls, Eve and the detective finally become ready to face the facts – that there IS something between them, and it’s not just a sham to get their respective parents off both of their heads. The romantic tension between them electrified me! And they were both so sweet.

Detective Horowitz is the kind of soft gentleman that I especially liked seeing as a love interest in a book. He is sweet, gentle, a perfect gentleman, smart and also discreet. He will not rush Eve, but at the same time he comes across as mature – not childish, as you may assume from my earlier description. I love his character! It was such a pleasure to read more about their blossoming relationship and the respect they afford one another.

A World With Hope

Perhaps what I liked most about these books though, is the central idea that they have – that despite all measure of hardship, the evil will be overcome. And despite how powerful the bad guys may be, there’s always an equal or even bigger opposition of good guys who will fight them.

In 2020, when the everything has been quite a hot mess all year so far, THIS is the notion I want to have of the world. Reading this kind of story brings the hope back. And I can tell that the author truly believes such a world is possible, because she writes it with great conviction. It really steadies me to read stories like that.

But that’s not all – yes, it’s a world with hope. But also, all the characters who are fighting for good are just so full of integrity and so wonderful. I can see how some people might say, “oh, they’re all just too good – real people are never like that”. That may be so, but this is fiction – and you know what, I want to read about characters who are full of honor, humility, self-control and compassion. I want to believe that maybe, to some people, this is a reality. It makes me feel better about the world. I wish more fiction existed that was like this.

The Spectral City Series Is Great At Recaps

Whenever I read a series and there are large gaps between the books, I worry about remembering what happened in the previous books. I read a lot of books and my memory generally isn’t that great. But with A Summoning of Souls, there was nothing to worry about. Leanna Renee Hieber catches you up with the story so well! But at the same time, it’s just so natural and seamless that it wouldn’t get boring even for a person reading all the books straight in one go. Writing story recaps in this manner is a huge talent.

Overall...

I really enjoyed the whole Spectral City series, as well as its ending, A Summoning of Souls. I really can say that I recommend this series to you wholeheartedly! It’s full of warmth and hope, and it’s just a book that may give you back some belief in the world. It is respectful, diverse, soft and very, very sweet!

I loved being swept into Leanna Renee Hieber''s paranormal world. I will caution if you haven't read the other two books in the series, it's a bit hard to understand what's going on. I realized that a couple of chapters in so I went back and bought the other two books, a wise and lovely reading experience. I enjoyed reading about Eve and Jacob and their growing relationship; the ghosts and their pasts; the mystery and just the romantic way Hieber describes victorian New York City.

A Summoning of Souls, the third installment in the Spectral City series, by award-winning author Leanna Renee Hieber will be released on July 21, 2020.

Continuing the story of Eve Whitby and her all-female Ghost Precinct colleagues, A Summoning of Souls finds readers once again immersed in the gas lamp version of late 19th century New York City where ghosts go about their business alongside the living, assisting Eve and her fellow mediums in solving crimes committed against both the living and the dead. Eve uses the supernatural gifts at her disposal to battle a formidable enemy with his own paranormal abilities bent on the destruction of all ghosts and willing to sacrifice the living in order to achieve his aim.

This latest book in the series followed the dark thread that began to unravel in deeper detail in the second book, A Santuary of Spirits, using the dead for the purpose of art. Despite being a little unnerving, it was utterly unique and compelling, as far dark deeds are concerned. The antagonist and his cohorts took the concept of Arte Uber Alles (“art above everything”) to disturbing depths.

I appreciated the creative premise of the story, along with Hieber’s diverse characters. Each character is uniquely strong and interesting in and of herself, to the point where I would gladly read spin-off series about each of their backstories. I particularly enjoyed the gothic Victorian-like world created by Hieber. Teens and young adult fans of paranormal romance will likely enjoy the romantic tension and evolving love story between Eve and Detective Horowitz.

My one criticism would be that some details of the writing was a bit repetitive. For example, the concept of the cost of paranormal gifts is reiterated and spelled out for the reader multiple times in each book of the series thus far. However, it was a small distraction to the otherwise fantastic world created, and the overall pace of the story still had me eagerly turning pages.

"Eve had grown up quickly due to necessity. Her nineteen years of life were entirely haunted. But that didn’t mean she was inured to spectral chill or the threats brought on by certain paranormal experiences. There were things even seasoned minds and old souls should fear. The whispered phrase that distinctly emanated from the stone arch directly before her was one such thing; a recurring warning of late, from the spirit world to hers."

“Don’t let anything in!”

– From Chapter One of A Summoning of Souls by Leanna Renee Hieber

This third book in the series continues the storyline with its preexisting antagonist and leader of the group Arte Uber Alles, whose identity we discovered towards the end of the second book, A Santuary of Spirits. While it brings this story arc to a satisfying close, it leaves room for future Spectral City adventures.

Thank you to Kensington Publishing for sending me this advance reader copy (along with the entire Spectral City series) for the purpose of an impartial review.

This review was first published on the Damian Daily blog.

"As the twentieth century dawns in NYC, the top-secret Ghost Precinct pursues justice beyond the earthly realm in this paranormal historical mystery series.

The ethereal denizens of New York owe a great debt to Eve Whitby, the young medium who leads an all-female team of spiritualists in the police department's Ghost Precinct. Without her efforts on behalf of the incorporeal, many souls would have been lost or damned by means both human and inhuman.

But now Eve faces an enemy determined to exorcise the city's ghostly population once and for all. Albert Prenze is supposed to be dead. Instead he is very much alive, having assumed the identity of his twin brother Alfred, and taken control of the family's dubiously acquired fortune. To achieve his vicious ends, Albert plots to twist Eve's abilities into his own psychic weapon--a weapon that not only poses a threat to spirits but to everyone she cares for, including her beloved Detective Horowitz..."

I mean, in all seriousness, if you aren't totally excited about a spiritualists police force than we can't be friends. Sorry.

Excellent addition to the series, but not a book to read if you haven’t read the first one. This series is essentially a turn of the century era crime thriller with a paranormal twist. I like Eve, I like Jacob and the Ghost Precinct. I think Leanna Renee Hieber is a good author but my generation may not be the target audience. I don’t say that as criticism, but if YA isn’t for you, you may not like this series.

Full review to come closer to publication date.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

ghosts, mediums all of these are in this book

it was nice to visit again this group of characters and to see how they have progressed...the fight against evil is still ongoing with albert trying his best to get rid of ghosts

does he prevail well you have to read to find out

I was given a free copy of this book. I am leaving my honest review.

This is a cleverly written, paranormal mystery. The author evokes the Victorian era remarkably well. The world building is excellent and the characters well defined.