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The Wayward Haunt

door Cas E. Crowe

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In a war-torn world, teenage prisoner, Zaya Wayward, is conscripted into the Haxsan Guard, but when malevolent forces haunt her, she suspects her ability to see the dead is the key in a sinister plot to annihilate human existence.
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Toon 4 van 4
The Wayward Haunt was a completely different novel from what I expected. To be fair though, I think I just looked at the cover, saw a spooky old castle, and didn't even bother reading the blurb to see what the book was about, thinking this would be another haunted house book. So, imagine my surprise when the main character, Zaya, is a prisoner in a labour camp, on a future Earth that has undergone a catastrophic environmental disaster far in the future? I was like, boy did I ever read this one wrong. Then, I was hooked. I devoured this book, enjoyed the world building, and liked the interactions between the characters.

Zaya was a formidable main character and I enjoyed her tenacity, strength, and daring. But I also liked her vulnerability, something the author built into her character very well without making her seem pitiable. Having lost her parents at a very young age for reasons she can't remember, Zaya struggles with the possibility they may have been dissenters in the centuries-long war destroying her world. Conscripted into a ten-year service for the opposite side, she constantly questions her loyalties and the choices being made for her as well as the loyalties of those around her. Can they be trusted? And as she learns more, she beings to question where to put her own loyalties. This is the kind of emotional struggle I like as I want to see characters deal with difficult decisions and choices as very few things we deal with in life are black and white. Zaya is dealing with multiple traumas and betrayals, so the emotional roller coaster she is on makes her so much more relatable as a character.

The plot itself is definitely a science-fiction dystopian novel, an Earth far in the future, destroyed by cataclysmic events. The science and the magic balanced each other out so you've got the futuristic transport systems and weapons mixed in with lycanthors, magic, and necromancers. And I wasn't too disappointed as we also had the ghosts. Written in rich detail without leading the reader, but allowing the reader to discover the world along with the characters, I enjoyed the world-building and thought it was well done. The balance of fun and clever dialogue with sharp and poignant scenes of death and destruction made this book hard to put down. The author also gave us clever hints built into the prose about Zaya and her family as well as some of the other characters, enough to be tantalizing and making you want to learn more. And personally, I am so glad there was love triangle, no insta-love, or any of those other tropes that destroy this kind of book for me. There is possibly something starting to happen between Jad and Zaya, but at this point we'll have to see where that leads.

Verdict
The Wayward Haunt was a pleasant surprise featuring a dystopian landscape of war, destruction, and darkness, but also magic, mayhem, fantasy, ghosts, friendship, secrets, and betrayal. There is a complex backstory to the main story, and all the threads fit together even if you don't quite understand all of them at this point. Because there are a large amount of characters, only a few of them seem more than one-dimensional, but there are two more books in the series, so we'll see what happens in those books. In the end, this was full of action, fast-paced, and Zaya was a great character to get to know. I definitely recommend this book to those of you who enjoy a mix of fantasy, sci-fi, and dystopian fiction. ( )
  StephanieBN | Sep 3, 2023 |
Deze bespreking was geschreven voorLibraryThing lid Weggevers.
I was expecting to enjoy this book, but didn’t think I’d absolutely fall in love with it! I was hooked from the very beginning, and now I can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel.

Zaya Wayward lives on a future Earth abounding with magic and dangerous mythical creatures. Her power is supposed to be a secret, but someone is hunting her down and she needs to figure out why before it’s too late.

The world building is amazing and there were multiple twists that I didn’t see coming. Although I was often frustrated with Zaya, she’s an incredibly relatable character and I’m very invested in her now.

If you like dark, paranormal fantasy, Wayward Haunt is a wonderful choice! ( )
  Kelim24 | Dec 1, 2021 |
Deze bespreking was geschreven voorLibraryThing lid Weggevers.
The Wayward Haunt, Cas E. Crowe (2021, 378 pps.)
Reviewed by: Patricia M. Muhammad
Date: June 18, 2021

*I received a free copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review

*CONTAINS SPOILERS* (Read only the first and last paragraphs to avoid major spoilers)

The Wayward Haunt is a crossover new adult novel which contains dystopian, magical realism, suspense elements. Other than the Free Zones where the privileged of "casters" and humans live, the author incorporates other regions and settings causing the characters to use futuristic transport and weapons in order to travel to them. One object that is often mentioned is a "cast-shooter" that has the ammunition of both advanced technology and magical spells. In these instances, the book becomes a sort of science fiction novel wrought with action sequences that balances other aspects of the book. The initial setting of Zaya's journey in a labour camp at Gosheniene. Zaya is falsely accused of using her magic to kill another girl at the Brendlash Orphanage. Multiple traumas cause Zaya to suffer from amnesia. She makes several attempts to escape Gosheniene and each time fails. Zaya is a rebellious young woman named who is known to not follow the rules and often finds herself in verbal and physical conflicts with others. Zaya has magical powers but has not mastered them and often relies on her curt tongue, wit and ability to outmaneuver others to survive her arduous sentence. Zaya also have dreams. She believes these ghosts are a taunt which only compounds the present state of her miserable life. One recurring dream or vision she experiences is that of a ghastly being which she cannot distinguish between human or creature. This character's obstinate nature reflects the turmoil and difficult life she has had since she was child. Her retorts and quips which manifest her tough exterior heavily contribute to the bouts of unexpected humour throughout about two-thirds of the story. The author interweaves a plethora of characters, several of whom are not what they seem, figuratively and literally. After Zaya incurs several infractions at the Gosheniene labour camp, she is brought before a panel and is ordered transferred to a military based called Tarahik. This is where the unraveling of her history, her importance to several people—and possibly this world's future begins.

As a new cadet, Zaya's presence at the dorm garners immediate attention from both her peers and commanding officers. Yet her transfer does not prevent her from having dreams or odd experiences. The main building where offices are and classes are held is a castle which holds secrets. It knows the nature of each entrant and teases them with echoes, shadows and possibly spells. This only contributes to Zaya's tendency to not trust anyone and keep to herself as a means of survival wherever she may be. There are several characters introduced at the military base compound, some of them include:

Captain Mascalan: She is the primary authority figure that Zaya becomes acquainted with at Tarahik and likely for the first time actually respects. Captain Mascalan, however, does not hesitate in reprimanding the protagonist for her penchant to disobey the rules. Zaya often uses the defense of fairness to justify her actions. At this point, she has yet to understand friend from foe.

Senator Kerr: He appears to be a diplomatic character though Zaya is suspicious of him. He appears a few times before Zaya. The first is when she is informed of her transfer from Gosheniene to Tarahik. On another occasion is when she is at Tarahik and must present herself at a welcoming ceremony for new recruits. Although Zaya suffers from bouts of amnesia, she remembers him, but does not know whether her encounters with the senator hold much significance.

Council of Founding Sovereigns has an alliance with the Infinite Eye whose primary purpose is to protect humans. They have a profound interest in the stability of the Tarahik military base. Several of the successful cadets become members of the Haxsan Guard and are deployed to the Free Zones to protect the privileged—whether human or "caster". The Council is not what it seems and profits from heightening the tensions and ongoing war between the casters and humans.

ULD: The United League of Dissenters is an extremist group who seeks to use people with magical powers in order to bring forth a great devastation in which black magic and pure casters reign. Their primary purpose is to murder full (non-magicals) and half-magical humans in order to fully establish their reign. They use deceit, connivance and conspire with those of the Council who purport themselves as the established authority necessary to maintain peace between human and casters. It is later revealed that the Council is a "front" organization and that their alliance is with ULD whose ultimate goal is the permeation of black magic as the supreme and only force. They use children and those unaware of their scheme to accomplish their ends. Jad was one of their victims. He was tricked by the ULD to cause harm to innocent casters, but found his previous path, involuntarily curated by someone close to him. The ULD now consider Jad their enemy, yet even they cannot destroy him. He is able to redeem himself and be with Zaya.

Lainie: is able to read emotions and has a form of power that contributes to balance and healing. She and Zaya generally do not get on well. Lainie's appearance is reminiscent of Goth popular culture, dark hair, heavy eyeliner and unconventional hair styling.

Talina: She is of a wealthy family, with a bubbly personality and appears to be a sensitive person. Talina is a healer and is training to be a nurse. She acts as mediator between Zaya and Lainie, who has no qualms that she is not fond of Zaya. Zaya is initially mistrustful of both of her roommates, but eventually allows Talina to befriend her.

Captain Jad Arden: He is one of Zaya's training supervisors. He initially mocks her unfortunate circumstances and threatens to disclose her origins. This is one of the incidents in which Zaya loses her patience and temper and begins a physical altercation with Jad. Jad let it slips that he has orders to watch her. When Zaya is seized and presented before Captain Mascalan, she is surprised to see Jad and others present. More secrets begin to unfold as it seems they are trying to protect Zaya, not to punish her.

Melvina Raskovitch: This hybrid between a human, evil spirt and creature is the black veined woman who has haunted Zaya since she was a child. She and others surveilled Zaya since her youth to understand her powers and plan the perfect moment to abduct her and use it for their own sinister purposes.

Vulcan Stormouth: He is the father of Trajan Stormouth and a high member of the ULD. He appears to be nearly second in command to the ULD's founding leader, Morgmouth. Vulcan allowed himself to be experimented on and within him flows the blood of a Lycanthor (a type of beast)

Morgmouth: The founder of the United League of Dissent. He is able to travel through realms of existence and seemingly through the living and the dead. Morgmouth is the strongest and greatest caster known to their history.

Zaya continues to have dreams while at Tarahik. Her room is provided with a binding spell and a dreamcatcher. Bit by bit, Captain Mascalan provides details of how they sought to protect Zaya. Through realms, the use of magic and those who have betrayed the rightful cause that she and a few others at the base work for, Zaya continues to be tracked wherever she goes.

When she is sent to the detention centre for one of her infractions, she escapes to the Wailing Woods and is followed by two of her roommates. All three of their absence is known—but only for a while. Talina nearly dies after their leap into the frigid cold waters to stave off the hound trackers. Lainie and Zaya carry her until they encounter a small and unexpected cottage situated in the woods. They meet an elderly blind woman who is able to heal Talina through a potion. All three gather to listen to stories and more secrets are revealed, this include Macha's revelation that she had siblings, one of which upheld the aims of the ULD. This sister was wicked and willing to sacrifice Macha in order to use her powers and gifts to further the ULD's sinister plans. In this respect, Macha's life mirrors that of Zaya. Both fled because they were hunted. Both possess magical powers and refuse to allow them to be used to further the presence of evil. Though Macha's cottage was dilapidated and she lived with meager means, she further reveals that she is the descendant of the king and queen who reigned before this overturn of sovereign authority. Macha is thus a royal and lives in a form of concealment for her own protection, though she still possesses much of her power. She discloses even more secrets that overwhelms Zaya, further traumatizes Lainie and keeps Talina in her state of shock. From the metaphorical mirror to an ethereal one, Macha provides an escape for the three cadets to return to the base unscathed from the military air onslaught.

Through haunting revelation and ghosts, Zaya understands why certain casters were being killed. She Protagonist encounters Lunette who speaks cryptically and is a telepath. Zaya is later able to decipher a clue from the recently deceased Lunette, a telepath, who tried to escape the base before her untimely death. She was one of the casters Melvina is "collecting" of the five, a number which some have argued represents power. These five magical types are: illusionist, trickster, telepath, clairvoyant and necromancer. This revelation has the familiarity of one of the 'Twilight' movies in which the strongest vampires (a council) recruits others who has powers they do not possess into their fold. There are two important objects that both sides seek for two opposing reasons. One is a map and the other is a special magical sabre whose magic can only be wielded by a necromancer. Zaya sneaks aboard a military aircraft that is headed towards the island of Essida where the sabre is located. It just happens to be the same craft that Jad is to command. Throughout the book, the author crafts a tale in which Jad and Zaya continuously encounter each other. She foreshadows their fate that they would be together regardless of what happens external of them. However, Jad often displays anger towards Zaya due to her consistent insubordination. It seems that he was conflicted with his initial attraction towards Zaya as much as she was, yet destiny easily dissipated this barrier by bringing them together by unexpected circumstances. Yet this never weakens her obvious attraction and her then secretive fondness of him. Zaya considers his reproach of her as a hindrance to the primary mission. Jad reluctantly allows her to remain aboard the aircraft. Ironically, it is she who discovers the map whose contents is revealed only after an incidental form of blood magic has occurred. Zaya is confronted by the cross breed Melvina. Certain casters can survive severe or normally fatal blows of specialized weapons, and Melvina, the black veined woman is one of them. Although Zaya is able to escape her grasp, she confronts another enemy where the sabre lays—Vulcan Stormouth. He explains what he knows of her history and how members of her family were willing to sacrifice her for the ULD cause—in order to bring forth the permanent rule of evil. ULD is aware that humans are evolving into casters. This is reminiscent of one of the X-Men movies in which "mutants" have dormant genes that manifest themselves in different generations or lie dormant. Nonetheless, members of the ULD are extremists and do not want to wait for this transformation to naturally take place. Instead they seek humans' total destruction. Zaya believes she is on her own. It was Jad who told her to continue with her task. Zaya believes he is about to die, only for Jad to reappear and save her from Vulcan's grip. Zaya is not the only one who had a nebulous past. Vulcan reveals some truths about Jad's own history and shoots him with a cast shooter. Most of those on the Tarahik base believe Jad is dead. A memorial service is held. Others are aware of what is real, including Jad's survival. It appears this had to appear so in order to secure Zaya. She is guided to a portal in one of the offices at the base. Zaya is conflicted and feels responsible for others. As she enters the portal, she witnesses one of the people whom she respects, Captain Mascalan being seized. Her future lied with Jad and elsewhere—and that is exactly whom she traveled to be with. The true war has begun and both sides seek to access the ultimate power for one reason or another—and Zaya holds the key.

The Wayward Haunt is written with rich detail alternating between simplistic dialogue, heightened vocabulary. There are poignant moments in the story where the author emphasizes the abuses and trauma of war. One of which she states: "If you wanted to re-educate somebody and make them hate your enemy, it worked best when the mind was tortured and the body in agony." The author's ability to write with moments of interactive composition prompts the reader to ponder over recent events and piece together the enigma of why Zaya has undergone these events, including several strangers who have a keen or unsavory interest in her. It is a magical realism, paranormal mystery in which Zaya's journey unravels her history, the special gifts contained within her as well as her vulnerability that she primarily exhibits in the presence of "Jad". Initially, they both internally acknowledge their affection for one another. Yet, both demonstrate that they would die or do anything to save each other as the ward between two factions, the blurring of lines between good and evil, and others' actions that interfere with their being together. In the end, the story provides Zaya her freedom and Jad his redemption. Though the author leaves the reader in suspense, Jad and Zaya are reunited with one another. ( )
  pmmuhammad | Jun 18, 2021 |
Deze bespreking was geschreven voorLibraryThing lid Weggevers.
The Wayward Haunt is a complex fantasy novel that contains elements of gothic horror, mystery, and war fiction. It tells the story of Zaya Wayward, a seventeen-year-old orphan living in a post-apocalyptic world where humans have become only one of several warring races. This is a world where science and religion are largely replaced by powerful magic. Distinctions between the living and the dead as well as dreams and reality are blurred. Immortal beings, rather than being wise and benevolent, are often cruelly violent. It is in this setting that Zaya finds her life imperiled in a quest whose purpose and significance is a mystery that is slowly revealed to her during the progression of the plot.

While the novel is likely to appeal mainly to those in their late teens and early 20s, it is by no means light reading. There are a lot of characters, settings, and relationships to keep straight. Some of the descriptions of the battles and the villain’s physical appearances are graphic and unsettling. It’s not the sort of book a person should read when too tired to concentrate or when hoping to get a good night’s sleep. Some parts of the book are eerie and mysterious while other sections are frightening or could even be described as gross. Fortunately, the intensity of the action and the unsettling descriptions of battles, violence, injuries, and characters who have partially decomposed bodies is off-set by sections of the novel that portray a nearly normal life of a teenaged girl, fussing with clothes, hair, and make-up and engaging in gossip and cattiness. The occasional use of irony and sarcasm expressed both in Zaya’s thoughts and words also provide some comic relief.

This review was done based on an advanced reading copy version of the novel. It is possible that there were some mistakes in the compilation of the PDF. There were a few places where chapters appeared to end abruptly or sections of the plot seemed to fall out of sequence. It is possible that this was done on purpose to create some sort of disorienting effect. If so, it was disorienting but not in a way that positively added to the mysterious tone of the novel. It is likely just a mistake that will hopefully be corrected in future printings.

While the purpose of Zaya’s quest is eventually revealed and her goal was attained, the plot is not completely resolved at the end of the novel. This appears to be done purposely as Wayward Haunt is the first book in a series. While it is very common for fantasy and horror novels to be written as books in series, the lack of resolution may be unsatisfying for some readers. However, regular readers of this genre will likely not be concerned by the ending. ( )
  DonnaEFrederick | Jan 31, 2021 |
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In a war-torn world, teenage prisoner, Zaya Wayward, is conscripted into the Haxsan Guard, but when malevolent forces haunt her, she suspects her ability to see the dead is the key in a sinister plot to annihilate human existence.

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