OBIR: Occasional Biased and Ignorant Reviews reflecting this reader’s opinion.
CLUBHOUSE GUEST REVIEW – by Paula Johanson.
LADIES OCCULT SOCIETY – by Krista D. Ball
Publisher: Krista D. Ball.
Editor: Skyla Dawn Cameron
Cover Art: by Indigo Chick Designs
There are two standards I apply when choosing books to read: Read Canadian SF, and above all, Read What I Like. The newly completed series Ladies Occult Society by Krista D. Ball meets both standards. The last two books were my most anticipated reads of 2024, and they did not disappoint. I recommend the series with enthusiasm to all readers.
That is, particularly to all who like the works of Jane Austen. Ball has created a marvelous series that builds to completion in four short novels that have the cumulative impact of Sense and Sensibility. Readers who are wishing for another book with the interacting characters of Pride and Prejudice, or the personalities of Persuasion will find this series very much to their taste.
As well, the series will be welcomed by readers wanting fantasy that can be finished promptly. In a bookstore filled with epics and repetitive sequels, it’s a relief to find a story in Ladies Occult Society that is told in less time than one of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series. I have read and re-read each book in this series as an ebook on my phone, finding it easy to keep my place in the narrative. There is a different focus for each of the four books in Ball’s series, a sense of completion in each, and satisfaction by the end.
First in the series is A Magical Inheritance, where Miss Elizabeth Knight inherits her uncle’s collection of occult books. When one of the books speaks to her, Eliza learns of the history of women studying this science – a history hidden deliberately by the Royal Occult Society. The magic in the book that lets a ghost speak is fading. Only with the help of trusted friends and new acquaintances can Eliza learn how to let the ghostly Mrs. Egerton speak again.
Trust comes hard to Miss Elizabeth Knight, who hides her most valuable book. She is responsible for her younger siblings, and fears that when her father dies they will be left poor and homeless, along with their young stepmother. In A Ghostly Request, Eliza studies healing magic when she can, to summon another ghost. But her younger sister is coming out into society, and there must be gowns made and accessories bought. Relationships among the sisters are changing, and their stepmother is expecting, and a new young man is moving to their village.
In The Society of Women is the third book of the series. Elizabeth has some confidence now in her ability to face the future, though challenged by family responsibilities and her father’s erratic temper. When she is needed in London to help her aunt, Eliza goes to support her, and to work again on her magical studies. Between her companions and the bickering ghost sisters they summon together, it’s a house full of women! When summoned back to a crisis at home, Eliza expects the worst, hoping she will be prepared.
The series finishes with A Lady’s Choice. As Miss Elizabeth Knight does her duty as daughter and older sister, she hopes for security for her family. But for her own happiness, she has few illusions. Eliza considers herself almost an old maid with no prospects but looking after her younger relatives. She feels shame for not using the dangerous magic of healing. It takes her family and friends working together with the confident ghosts from her books to challenge Eliza’s beliefs.
The magical elements of the series are comparable to the study of modern science emerging from alchemy, among gentlemen and women scholars. I’m reminded of the novels of Eileen Kernaghan. The covers for each book are fine choices, suggesting elements of the works of Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters. The series Ladies Occult Society is also compatible for Young Adult readers. Any ‘adult’ content is presented not as X-rated material but ‘Parental Guidance’ by the central character, who is certainly guiding her younger sisters and who knows how women are vulnerable to attraction and society’s expectations. I found it a relief to be reading these books about magic and responsibility, and feelings both intense and subtle, during a time when my own mother and aunt were in their last illnesses. The story of the series progresses with realism, even though the mysterious science Eliza studies is called occult.
The success of Ladies Occult Society brings me to recommend other series by author Krista D. Ball, all of which can be found at her website kristadball.com including the Spirit Caller series with a modern, realistic setting. I especially recommend The Dark Abyss of Our Sins, which strongly presents the virtues of friendship and responsible leaders when all are threatened by despots and demons.
Ladies Occult Society
Krista D. Ball
Check out all four novels at: < https://kristadball.com/krista-d-ball/ladies-occult-society/ >
About the Guest Reviewer: Paula Johanson is a Canadian writer. A graduate of the University of Victoria with an MA in Canadian literature, she has worked as a security guard, a short order cook, a teacher, newspaper writer, and more. As well as editing books and teaching materials, she has run an organic-method small farm with her spouse, raised gifted twins, and cleaned university dormitories. In addition to novels and stories, she is the author of forty-two books written for educational publishers, among them The Paleolithic Revolution and Women Writers from the series Defying Convention: Women Who Changed The World. Johanson is an active member of SF Canada, the national association of science fiction and fantasy authors.
Paula Johanson website: < https://paulajohanson.blogspot.com/p/fiction.html >
