The Ghost of Avalon by Casey P. StJohn

3 stars

This is a review I struggled to write. There are high threes and low threes, and The Ghost of Avalon falls on the higher end of that spectrum for me. I enjoyed it. The dialogue is lively, the characters are engaging, and the story moves at a comfortable pace. Flashbacks can be tricky—often pulling readers out of the narrative—but here they’re handled competently and didn’t disrupt my immersion. I had no trouble finishing the book, and it has several strengths working in its favor.

That said, a few elements held it back. There are logical leaps made in service of pacing that felt unearned: characters occasionally shift or seem to swap personalities; the defense of family comes across as perfunctory, explained away with a line or two rather than grounded in love or loyalty; and the protagonist spends a surprising amount of time shoved against walls or floors, yet forgives the rough handling with little reflection. The ending, in particular, relies more on narrative mechanics to gesture at the villain than on embedded clues that would allow the reader to deduce who did it—and why. I also noticed a handful of typos and a couple of odd word choices (“jilted” where “stilted” may have been intended).

The conclusion itself felt odd and somewhat disjointed, where a bit more narrative investment could have made it flow naturally. The final line is cryptic; I think I understand what the author intended, but I’m not entirely certain—and that’s not a feeling I enjoy carrying out of a story.

Overall, this is a good read with real potential, but the story structure feels shaky as it stands. As a quick, fun read, I can recommend it. For readers looking for greater depth or cohesion, however, it may be worth approaching with measured expectations.