Despite being the eighteenth book in the series, it's actually the first one that I've read! This is a paranormal series, where men and women have been experimented on by an evil doctor so that they have abilities and talents that make them extra and above, the purpose of which was originally for use in war. There was a lot of time spent in the first part of the book with the world building and giving the extensive history. For someone who hasn't read any of the previous books, this is incredibly useful, but it was also extensive so I did do some skimming of this. I'm a reader that can be dropped into new worlds and I tend to figure it out as I move through a story.

Jonas and Camellia are both survivors from this evil doctor but are only meeting for the first time now. They have a predetermined bond- arranged via the experiments that were done to them. Jonas is in awe upon meeting Camellia, learning all about her and her talents. Camellia has spent the last several years completely alone and is not one to trust easily. Their story is intense, action-packed and I found myself turning pages just to see what would happen next, and how everything would come together. There was a lot going on in this book with an array of secondary characters that most likely had their own books earlier in the series, and I became invested in those storylines, so want to now go back and read those.

The GhostWalkers were men who had volunteered to be enhanced psychically so they would be more use to their country. But Dr. Peter Whitney also performed experimental gene coding on them without their consent or knowledge. But because of his connections and the government who wanted his enhanced soldiers, he was untouchable and continues to experiment on people. Whitney had also experimented on girls and used in vitro to make designer babies he could experiment on. he ended up making enhanced females that were the other half of a pair to some of the enhanced men he had experimented on. The enhanced pheromones in the pair made them attracted to each other.

Jonas and two of the other members of his GhostWalker team had headed into the forest because one of them had a gut feeling something was off in that direction. But Jonas came across more than he could have imagined. An enhanced female who had escaped Whitney's experiments had run and camouflaged herself in the dense mountains. Only another GhostWalker or enhanced person who had very specific gifts would have been able to find her and Jonas ended up being one of those people.

Camellia had been hiding for a while and she knew that GhostWalkers and some of their wives had made their home in a building not far from her. But they had no idea she was there and she had no plans to make herself known to them. So when Jonas was able to find her house and came to talk to her, she wasn't wanting to have anything to do with him but she knew he wasn't going to leave until she did.

At first Camellia had thought that Whitney had sent the GhostWalker team to find her and bring her back to the labs and she didn't trust anything Jonas said. But then they both realized they were a bonded pair and that attraction made her want to talk with him. They could both hear lies so while neither of them trusted the other at first, after talking a little and hearing no lies, they sat down and talked a bit more. Jonas had thought the feeling that he and his team were feeling might have been Camellia but she felt the dangerous threat as well so they knew it wasn't her.

When she, Jonas and his team realize there are other men on the mountain, they go scout to see who they are. They quickly realize that these men are the reason they all have been having bad feelings about a dangerous threat. She helps Jonas and his team find out who they are and why they are there and it's bad news, really bad news. More teams of soldiers are on the way to attack the building where Jonas and his team and families are living. When they find out why the teams of soldiers are sent they think they have it all figured out but secrets are revealed, feelings are hurt and the team realizes they've been betrayed by someone close to them. But then there's a pretty good twist and more questions are raised. All the while Camellia is getting to know Jonas better and they are falling for each other. She is much more than she seems and is able to help out Jonas and his team during the attacks that happen. The action in this book was great.

I've really been loving liking this series but this was definitely one of the best books in the series so far.

Disclosure: I was given an e-ARC of this book via NetGalley but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Camellia has found a way to survive and thrive. Unfortunately she has done it a bit too close to the other Ghostwalkers. Jonas feels danger coming to his team. What he never expected was to find his other half. But can Jonas and Camellia accept all they are and can be together?
Phantom Game is the latest story by Christine Feehan. And she takes us back to the beginning. I love returning to the team that started it all. I love getting to know members that were not the focus in earlier works. I loved seeing that their history while painful was filled with love, at least for Jonas. I enjoyed seeing Jonas accept his connection to Camellia even as she fought to keep her secrets. And what secrets she had. Could Camellia learn to trust again? Could Jonas learn that loving is worth the pain? I enjoyed their journey as Ms. Feehan showed us how to love and trust. Camellia showed her strength even as she accepted her softer side. Ms. Feehan showed that together Camellia and Jonas are a force to be reckoned with. I loved seeing the power Ms. Feehan showed us as Jonas and Camellia protected their family. The compassion that Camellia showed even as she struggled to protect her heart. I loved seeing Camellia's comfort within her skin, at least with regard to her powers. I loved Jonas's growing acceptance as new skills popped up. I loved Camellia's journey to learn to trust in others, a journey fought with betrayal. This story is well written. It was thoughtful and full of love and compassion. Ms. Feehan showed us that love takes work and I love the journey she gave us to hammer that point home.

I received a copy of this book for review from NetGalley. I have been reading this series for several years now, and Phantom Game took me right back to the beginning. I felt like I probably should have re-read the first book, because I did not remember Jonas at all, but as I got further into the book, I cared less about that. While technically I suppose you can read this as a standalone, I would not recommend it. There are so many threads to the rest of the series, that you would feel left out of some of the backstory. After 17 other books, there is simply too much history to squeeze into the book without it being one giant info dump, so that is somewhat to be expected, but I would not just jump into this as your first experience.
That being said, I did enjoy getting to know Jonas and Camellia. They are both profoundly scarred by their pasts, and their journey to trust is not an instant event, which I appreciated. This book has a theme of betrayals, and it would have been unrealistic for both of them to dive headfirst into instant trust and love. Jonas believes that he is a monster, and Camellia has been burned almost every time she trusted someone, so they have a lot to work through, but watching them get to that point is satisfying. They are a complementary pair, and they are sweet together.
There are only two real negatives to this story; first, this book feels a bit unevenly edited. A full 30% of the book is one on-going conversation that takes place over an hour or two, and then the other 2/3 is several days crammed into the remaining space. Second, (and this may be more me than anything), the continuing theme of betrayal and trust issues as played out with characters from previous books actually made me really anxious. I know now that there was a reason for it (teensy spoiler), but at the time, it felt out of character, and it threw me for quite a loop. Besides those two issues, however, I did enjoy this book. I love the series, and while this is not my very favorite, it's solidly in the middle of the pack. I can't wait to see what she does next!

A match made - well, a match made by a mad scientist. The premise for this series is so unique. I mean, we've all at least heard stories about enhanced super-soldiers, but this one takes it a step further and includes a made for him mate. Camellia and Jonas have terrific chemistry, a chemistry they can't deny no matter how hard one of them may try. The beginning of this one was a little bit slow to start, but once things get going, it's fast-paced and the tension is through the roof. There is also some catch-up time with past series favorites for those who have followed the series. The whole thing has a found family vibe, which I love, and the characters are likable and interesting. There is a lot happening here, but rather than get too far into spoiler territory, I'll just say I thoroughly enjoyed the action, the romance, and the storyline.

I learned so much from Phantom Game. Christine Feehan introduces us to botany in a very unique way. I should say a Ghostwalker way. (chuckle).

I knew plants could be used as weapons, but Feehan puts a whole new spin on it with Camellia and Jonas. I love the interplay between the characters. Jonas respects Camellia before he even meets her so there is a connection before Whitney’s interference can happen. Something is always an issue when it comes to love for these Ghostwalkers.

“Loving someone was grounded in who they were. Their character. The traits that made them who they were.” (Loc. 4490)

I love the friendship between the guys (Jonas, Kyle, and Jeff) and how no matter what they have each other’s backs. Camellia is a head-strong heroine because she has had to be. I find her to be a bit more withdrawn than Feehan’s other characters in this series, but her trauma sits in the forefront of her mind.


There isn’t as much intimacy as there has been in Feehan’s other books, but this is probably because they are on the run all the time in the forest. Showers were not available at that time (chuckle).

I love seeing how everyone and Feehan throws a huge monkey wrench into a long-time couple that we get to see on the sidelines. (popcorn and heart hurt moment all at the same-time) All Phantom Game has done is made me want more. There is nothing like a Ghostwalker hero.

I received an ARC of this book and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily.

Bedazzled! Book 18 was so much, it was new, it was familiar, there was snark there was sorrow. This intrigued and gutted me. I sniffed up tears and laughed out loud. After I finished this book I had to google Middlemist. Sadly even if it wasn't rare, there is no way for me to grow some where I live *sniffle* This book also befuddled me in an intriguing way as information on Camelia's ability was slowly shared. There is a lot going on in this book, pretty much full steam ahead - igniting all the neurons of suspense, family, war, love and betrayal. (no - not cheating) I highly recommend this book with our tortured enhanced super soldiers who and the women they were paired with, who were tortured and experimented. Thank you for the arc, I freely volunteer my thoughts and opinions. Photo courtesy of Maureen Gianinio - if I get it attached :ha

I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This is the 18th book in the Ghost Walker series. We are introduced to one of the Ghost walkers, Jonas “Smoke” Harper who meets Camellia and makes an instant connection and feels that she is his perfect mate. Camellia has lived on her own in the mountains for a long time relying on her abilities to keep her safe and away from people. Jonas and her feel that there is a greater threat looming over both of their lives. Camellia doesn’t believe in this connection and has decided to run once the threat has been taken care of. Jonas feels that Camellia is going to run and he tries everything to show her how they are perfect for each other. I struggled to get into this book and to make connections with the characters and the story. Since this was the first book that I read in the series that might have contributed to why I couldn’t really get into this book. I plan to go back and read the first book in the series to see if that would make a difference.

GhostWalker Jonas Harper knows that as an enhanced super soldier creation by the whack job scientist, Dr. Whitney, he may very well have a perfect mate fashioned for him under the same program. Jonas has seen several of the other members of his team with connected ones find their mates and even have children. He sees himself as too much of a monster to ever really have the same chance. Jonas’s special enhanced instincts tell him not only that a threat is coming to their compounds, but high up in the mountains is a woman who calls to him specifically. Camellia is his other half in every way including psychically which is most important for them to have any kind of relationship.

Camellia grew up under the evil doctor Whitney’s prison-like care being experimented on, literally tortured along with several other young girls and women like her. Once she escaped, Camellia has lived alone surviving on her unique skills connected to plants and animals in an intrinsic way. She has some very deadly skills which will work well for combating their common enemy who is threatening Jonas and his two companions’ Ghostwalker unit as well as their families in the compound down the mountain where Camellia lives.

Camellia and Jonas are very drawn to each other even beyond the engineered part of their shared biology. Because of her past experiences and betrayals, Camellia trusts no one so she plans to high tail it as soon as the battle is won. Jonas as an elite hunter with animal DNA, never lets his prey go; he has Camellia in his sights. She brings him a peace and a joy that Jonas thought he never could have because of all of his struggles to stay sane with raging instincts fueling aggression as well as the urge go ballistic in stressful situations. With the adversaries at their doorstep, Camellia and Jonas have little time to truly get to know each other before they are under pressures from both his team in the compound and their opponents.

What is interesting about this story is Camellia’s connection to the flora and fauna including the underground mycelium which is a vast network of very abundant life including wide spread fungi. She can change the environment around her in a nearly magical way as well as communicating with the animals who protect her. Jonas believes he is beyond redemption weighed down by guilt and grief for all his has done so after they come together, he sees Camellia as his own personal miracle. At book #18 in the long running GhostWalker tales, most readers will know what to expect from the action and relationship of these paired main characters as well as Ms. Feehan’s style and pacing which can get verbally lengthy at times, but these stories continue to be an enjoyable series.
1 like

Feehan knocked it out of the park again!!

It’s been a long time since we visited the original Ghost Walker Team. I’ve missed them. After being away for so long it was like hearing from a long lost friend.

Jonas “Smoke” Harper has always felt like he was way to different than his other teammates. Always alone in a crowd.

He was a phantom, unseen. He’d disappeared into thin air, and he could outwait anyone or anything.

Camellia Mist has escaped the nightmare that was her childhood. She’s been betrayed before so she doesn’t trust anyone.

Who knew that when he’d set out to find the source of the threat to their team, he’d find his other half?

Together they join forces to fight against the evil that wants to wipe them out.

He didn’t know how she managed to fill every dark, ugly crack and crevasse in his mind with something beautiful, as if she made memories of the two of them and inserted them where he had been ripped apart.

Great character interaction with sexual tension through the roof. Everything that made me fall in love with this author and more.

I’d advise we’d just leave your stubborn, knife-wielding a”right here in Creepy Hollow.”

Christine Feehan is one of the most creative authors! Her latest novel brings together two Ghostwalkers and their connection to each other and to botany and the world of plants. Now if you are a plant lover, a gardener, and a Ghostwalker fan you will love this book. Unsuspecting of who is living up the mountain from the Ghostwalker Team 1 settlement, little did Jonas Harper expect to find and fall head over heals in love with Camellia Mist. And of course the attraction is originally due to good old Whitney but his original intent ends up to be a whole lot more than lets make offspring. As always Feehan offesr the best characters so well developed you feel you are right there in the story with them. Her descriptions and development of the reasons characters match must take a wee bit of research because there an opportunity to wonder what could be feasible when we know how far science has come already. At least it leaves you questioning. The extra special add in to The Phantom Game (you'll have to dig in as to why phantom) is the inclusion of the members of Team 1, their wives who Carmellia knew at one time, and the special power of friendship and support the Ghostwalkers provide each other. Don't miss the latest Feehan novel!

What a brilliantly mind-bending adventure! Phantom Game will sizzle and entrance as it guides you into a deliciously deadly trap. What you think you see is obscured, and what you feel can't possibly be. When you can't trust your senses, what is left to lean on? Can there be more to this world then meets the eye, ear, nose, or emotion? Stick around and you just might puzzle it out.

Jonas is a part of a team of men who shouldn't exist. They have skills and abilities unlike any other, but they came at a very steep price. Now, they do what they can to fight for and protect the innocent. When Jonas begin to feel a threat to the safety of his team, he takes a couple friends with him to check it out. What he finds breathes new life into his very being, upends his world, and defies all logic. Camilla has found a safe place to stay for a time. When the greatest threat to her existence stumbles across her, she has a huge decision to make. Does she dare to open her bruised and battered heart, or will she decide to find another safe place to hide away? As one battle rages over two hearts, another battle begins for the future of Jonas and his team.

I was in awe of Jonas and Camilla. They were both truly extraordinary and full of surprises at every turn. They exemplified the very essence of humanity in their fight for peace, harmony, and happiness. No matter what it took, they would fight to bring hope and safety to their friends. Everyone deserves to be free and content.

Christine Feehan has blown me away with her latest brilliant masterpiece! She never fails to deliver the very best in unimaginable creativity, unrelenting passion, and unwavering sense of community. I walk away from her books with my heart utterly obliterated, my mind bursting with hope, and my soul refueled to face the world again. Her stories are my own personal piece of Heaven.

Phantom Game was ... wow! I have not been as engrossed in a GhostWalker's book in a long time as I was this one. I have always loved the members of Team 1 and 2 and am beyond thrilled that we got to see them again. Jonas and Camellia had so many things in common, and they are able to anchor one another, and Camellia can bring Jonas out of his rages easily which was nice to see. The chemistry between these two characters reminds me of Gator and Flame, where their enhancements were sound, Jonas and Camellia's abilities essentially tie them to nature. Which I think is amazing. It was nice to see this series basically get back to its roots, and watch the GhostWalker's in action. I hated that after all they have been through they are still dealing with traitors in their midst. After working together they were able to come out on top and protect their home, allowing Camellia to find more of her family that Whitney had took away from her. I loved this book and highly recommend the book and the series.

While Ive only read the first half of this series picking it up at this point felt like returning to visit old friends. I think that while its possible to read this as a standalone, you should have at least read the first few books in the series to really understand alot of the undercurrents, and why our characters are feeling and acting the way they do.

This series follows Ghostwalkers who are genetically enhanced men, and the women they fall in love with while trying to take down the maniac that did horrible experiments on them all..
This book follows Jonas a member of our original Ghostwalker teams. He and a couple others are headed up to the mountain because he can sense something that could be dangerous.. However he ends up finding Camilla, one of the women who was rescued in a previous book that Dr. Whitney (the man who did the experiments and made the Ghostwalkers) also kept prisoner from the time they were children.. Doing horrible experiments on them, making them special, and genetically pairing them off with one of the Ghostwalkers he made.
Turns out that Camilla and Jonas are a pair.. As soon as they meet they know they were literally made for one another. but before they can spend any real time together they have to deal with the danger they can both feel.. Camilla knows that as much as she wants to be left alone in her little mountain hidey hole, that she needs to help the other women in the Ghostwalker compound., many of whom she grew up with.. So she decideds to help and see where the feeling between her and Jonas will go.
Ttheir chemistry is on fire, and while I don't love the instalove/ lust trope, I do like them as a couple. Especially after they have managed to spend some more time together and start really sharing about themselves.
While the very beginning the story is a bit slower as Jonas and Camilla meet each other and hes trying to talk her into coming with him, but after that the action starts and is pretty much nonstop until the very end.
I really loved getting some peaks at how previous couples in the series are doing. Gator and Flame witll forever be my absolute favorite!!
I think ill read the previous books that Ive missed so I can see what led us to this point, and Iam curious as to where this series is going to go from here.

This is a beautiful story of love and loyalty and betrayal. Jonas is so full of self-hatred and guilt. He is all about control and protecting those he loves as friends and family and he feels a major threat coming towards them and knows he has to find it. What he finds is a complete shock and a gift.

Camellia has made herself an oasis in the forest. She is at once all about finding peace but she can also hold a grudge. She knows what Whitney is capable of and has he oasis protected until Jonas. She trusts no one and certainly not the ghostwalker teams far below. When her alarms are tripped she thinks she's been found and knows her time is up.

Read the journey of Jonas and Camellia. It is beautiful.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've followed the Ghostwalkers series for a long time, it was one of my beginnings into PNR and always a favourite - I did lose track somewhere in the middle though. I requested this book to check back in with my beloved Ghostwalkers, mostly for nostalgia and to see developments and was not disappointed! Unlike other long-running series Ms Feehan keeps things fresh and interesting, there was nothing repetitious about the storyline and her heroes were not recycled carbon copies from old characters. I particularly like the mycelium angle on this one, it was an interesting and very clever idea. Enjoyed this book immensely and in fact I'm going backwards to read the installments I've missed in the meantime! Thank you!

First Impressions
Phantom Game is the most recent addition to the Ghostwalker series and this was purely delightful, I had quite a bit of fun with this one. It was quite interesting because we got to see some unique dynamics that we don’t normally see here and I really loved seeing a couple come together like what we have in Jonas and Camellia. We also have some other involvement from some of our old favorites that was the icing on the cake and if you are a fan of the series then you will come to really love how Feehan handled these interactions and see what all of the factors make sense and the manner in which they come together. And there is an overarching plot to the series where we get further answers as well and I really had such a fun time with the quick-witted bantering that comes into play here. I will admit that I didn’t know where Feehan was going to take this story, but I really admired the development of the plot and the depths of growth we see in the romance.

Summary
Jonas “Smoke” Harper is a phantom walker and has always felt different from the other and in many ways feels like he is a monster and not worthy of living at times. But seeing the way his brothers have found their mates, he has always had the hope for finding that for himself. When he walks into a garden, he never expected to find his other half and even though he knows that Whitney paired them, he feels a connection to her that no manipulation of genes could develop. She is a woman that steals his breath and inspires him to be a better man. Camellia has always had an affinity for growing nature, she connects to it in a way that is purely magical. She has been on the run from Whitney, hiding a valuable plant that is rare and if Whitney knew of its abilities, would destroy in order to possess it. Camella knows whose compound lives close, including those sisters she developed a bond with as a child. But she is a lone wolf and prefers her solitude. What she doesn’t expect is a male to enter her domain, a man she can’t determine if he is good or not. But when she feels the connection to Jonas, she knows that he is different. But when its discovered that they are all in danger and a team is being sent out to destroy them all, Jonas and Camellia join forces with the others to bring a stop to the force that would murder innocent children with their vendetta. But a powerful love will be formed between Jonas and Camellia, one with epic proportions of desire and true depths.

What I Loved
Phantom Walker was such a pure delight and I had such a fun time with this one here. It won’t be a story that you will expect, in some ways, it was quite different but it definitely follows the lines of similar Ghostwalker books so if you are a fan of the series as I am, you will have a good time with this one. It was quite interesting to see this pair come together. I really have always liked Jonas, he has always had an air of mystery surrounding him and I was so happy when I learned that he would be the focus of the story. But we also get some fun stuff with all of our past favorites (if you loved the earlier books in the series you will adore seeing all the characters we get to see like Ryland and Lily, Gator, the Twins and their mates and they all play a vital role) We also get some side action of a marriage drama between Ryland and Lily and I had such a good time with how this played out in the story. I had such a fun time with the romance as a whole between Jonas and Camellia. They are both so unique in their talents, and I especially enjoyed seeing how they build their relationship. They have such strong personalities so it’s not an “all in” from the getgo type of romance. It does take time for trust to be built, and I really liked the slow burn smexy aspect of it. It was quite refreshing in many ways. As for the suspense arch of the plot, I will say that Feehan knocked it out of the park. I was on the edge of my seat throughout so much of the book because I was really curious how our team would fight and defend themselves and some factors built into the story which I didn’t expect.

What I Struggled With
There was a couple of things. The pacing was off in some ways and the ending was way too abrupt and I wanted a more detailed focus on solving the crisis that forms between Ryland and Lily as it was built to a crescendo and wanted more from that than what we see at the ending.

Overall View
Phantom Game is a fiery hot of a read that is bound to keep you enthralled with the vibrancy of romance, the familial connections of this brotherhood, and the intensity of thrills that will bring such delights to the reading experience of it. FEEHAN DEFINITELY DOESN’T DISAPPOINT.

Let me first say that when it comes to blending DNA with animal and plants, Ms. Feehan is one of the more creative writers. I really enjoyed this one specifically because of our heroine, Camellia. Can we say Poison Ivy if she was a good guy? I always felt Poison Ivy in Batman was given a bad rap. In this book, I am happy to say that Camellia may have been questionable for some, but she is all in for healing the land and growing her amazing flora.

As a gardening enthusiast, the botany parts of this story appeal to me. The story is richer as I am enamoured of each little detail Ms. Feehan delves into with how the mushroom network works all the way through to the special flowering shrubs. This story takes on a view that perhaps plants are more sentient than humans believe. I have read studies where people try to prove this. Whether this is true or not, it still makes for a wonderful story and plot device.

As with all the books in the series, this is a fated mate tale. Camellia's mate is Jonas Harper who embodies version 1.5 of Camellia's specialty. Although, I would venture that Camellia is more powerful and in tune with her psychic abilities. Or perhaps she is the full version whilst Jonas is a refined diluted version. Regardless, these two matching up is not as hard as some of the other matchups because they have a little help from an outside source. In some ways, Camellia's gGarden of Eden can be seen as a dangerous "Little House of Horrors". I love it and kind of wish that I had Camellia's green thumb. I would be through the moon with happiness.

I'm not the only one who covets Camellia's talents. The adversaries in this book are multi-prong which makes it more complex to figure out. I liked how it worked and I also enjoyed how it all tied in. I liked seeing how a strong team can be splintered when trust is broken. When people begin to suspect others, this division can bring down even the best of teams. There are several conflicts in this story that are well written and I liked seeing how soldiers in battle need to make tough choices. This tale shows how past actions and decisions can come back to haunt us.

For me, the courtship between Jonas and Camellia took a backseat to Camellia's powers. It also took a back seat to the conspiracy working against the GhostWalkers team 1. I am okay with this because I enjoyed the plot-driven story better than the romantic element. This romance is nicely written as a supporting thread to bring a softer edge to the grim situations in the story. This paranormal romance is recommended to romance readers who love powerful women with unique abilities.

** spoiler alert **

Captivating and tense, a fun read. It's been a while since we've been back to Team One, so it took me a little bit to remember Jonas. I liked seeing familiar faces, and Jonas and Camellia's powers were intriguing and new. Her gift felt similar to Libby Drake and Seychelle Dubois, except she seems to have a little more control over it, but only barely.
The antagonists felt a little weaker in this story, but the action was strong and the found family theme prevalent. Overall, a great addition to the series.

Christine Feehan is one of my favorites! I requested Phantom Game because of my love of her writing. This book is a series, but it may be read as part of its intended series or as a standalone. I didn't read the rest of the series, but I still enjoyed this book!

I can't wait to read the rest of this series!!