As a Scot, I loved seeing British culture on page, done well, and the acknowledgement that there are so many haunted/creepy places within Britain, worthy of Charlie's journey. these are the children of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah; and these she bore to Jacob—sixteen persons). Charlie reluctantly teams up with fellow seer Sam Harrow and the pair unearth a chilling purpose behind the disappearances. The concept of magic is rather fascinating, our main character can see ghosts and there is this idea of mathemagics that blends magic with something more technical and logical, as well as seers, I also love how Charlie has some ghosts as real friends that are constantly there for him.

Charlie's journey alone was intricate, with a past history of illness, dealing with seeing ghosts, studying for exams, and being a double amputee as a sixteen-year-old. I didn't read the synopsis before reading this because I really like to go into any kind of horror/paranormal books without knowing anything.But Sixteen Souls isn’t a story about being an amputee, in the same way it’s not a book about what it’s like to be a gay teenager. When the north wind batters our salt-licked cottage I often stand in the upstairs bedroom watching the fishing boats heaving with the swell or cutting for the harbour. He teams up with Sam Harrow - the new seer in town - and a rag tag group of spirits to unearth the chilling purpose behind the disappearances.

These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah; and she bore to Jacob these sixteen persons.

The romance is sweet and a bit melancholic, Charlie is a complex character that struggles to open up and obviously has his insecurities that build a wall around him, but the relationship between him and Sam is incredibly cute and all the slow burn is worth it. Being trans FTM, Sam is a character with a lot of layers, yet he doesn't let being trans define him or become a huge plot point, even when Charlie unwittingly makes it a big deal. I was completely in the palm of Talbot's hand throughout both my first read and (now, two years later) my second, feeling every single emotion across the course of the story - sometimes all at once! This really shows when the phantoms assemble at the ghostmoot: to discuss the disappearance of spirits in York and the magical workings of the soul catcher.

This book is about Charlie who, unlike anyone else, can see ghosts – and touch ghosts, respectively can also be touched by ghosts. I also create a lot of extra in-world content, including short stories and artwork, for my monthly newsletter. It's a story about friendship, trust, magic, legacy, and finding courage in a terrifying world, to do something that you know is completely against your nature but needs to be done.I just want this world to keep stretching out and I would DEVOUR novellas on what Heather got up to while Charlie was in Normandy, or fleshing out the backstories of the Mouldy Oldies, or - I don't know - Villiers and Reid smut fic, I'll frankly take anything! I’ve recently finished and adored The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi, an African and Arabian inspired Sapphic high fantasy with morally complex characters and a low burn romance. Not going to lie, my heart almost leapt out of my throat a few times because it’s impossible to not immerse yourself in the story so completely that it feels like you’re there with the characters.

Curtis Brown Creative offered everything I needed – excellent teaching, support, and insider industry knowledge – meaning I came out with more chapters written in six months than I’d ever managed alone, and a much deeper understanding of what I wanted as an author. These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter, and these she bore unto Jacob, even sixteen souls. When another seer by the name of Sam takes up residence in York, Charlie can't continue keeping to himself and his ghost friends. Charlie mostly hates his ability, considering it more of a curse than a blessing, for various reasons that become clear throughout the book. By night, she spends time sewing big skirts with outrageously large pockets and wondering why her family has a suspiciously large collection of cauldrons.York and Edinburgh are two cities with really strong reputations for hauntings, and as I've seen quite a few ghost stories recently set in Edinburgh (and some brilliant ones, I must say), it's nice to see York getting a turn.