Ghost Stations (An Inner Circle Novel), by M. D. Presley

4 Jan 2025

The Book

Ghost Stations
Series: Inner Circle
Pages: 334
Age Group: Adult
Published on 3 Dec 2024
Publisher: Self-published
Genres:
Urban Fantasy

Synopsis:

Corbin James hates NYC. What dowsing detective doesn’t? So, of course his first case, investigating a mysterious new drug targeting fellow magicians, drags him straight there. If that weren't bad enough, he's now facing an invisible assassin, warring wizard factions, and a shadowy magic library.

Desperate to prove himself, Corbin leans on Kirin and her crew of scenesters to guide him through the City, from the heights of Inner Circle society to the depths of the abandoned tunnels beneath their feet. But Kirin's got secrets of her own, secrets she will do anything to keep buried.

Armed with an expired subway token, an arcane ID, and an oversized teddy bear, Corbin and Kirin are in a race against the clock to unearth every lead before they vanish like ghosts.

My Review

Ghost Stations is an Urban Fantasy novel, part of the Inner Circle series, written by M. D. Presley. A fast-paced proposal set in an alternative New York where an outsider will have to find the source of a new design drug that only affects mages, while trying to survive to an invisible assassin and dealing with the different factions that are part of this suburban world.

Corbin's first case in New York won't be an easy one; a new drug appeared a few weeks ago, and it's targeting mages. Desperate to prove his worth to the rest of the Circle, Corbin decides to take the help of Kirin and his band to navigate the complex society that exists in the tunnels behind her feet; however, the own Kirin has her share of secrets that will enter into play.

Our detective will have to navigate a city that is totally unknown to him; if proving his worth wasn't enough at stake, soon, his life will be threatened as the investigation slowly crawls into the correct direction; Presley does an excellent job at portraying how vast NYC feels for an outsider. 

The setting itself is well used, creating a magical layer over the already existing city, with the underground tunnels as the main focus. The pacing is fast, and honestly, you devour this book, even if I feel it could have been better polished at some scenes.

Ghost Stations is a great novel, perfect if you are looking for something that mixes together detective procedural with urban fantasy. It is part of a series, but can be read as a standalone with no problems; fast-paced stories lovers, this is a book for you!

The Author/s

M. D. Presley

M. D. Presley

Never passing up the opportunity to speak about himself in the third person, M.D. Presley is not nearly as clever as he thinks he is. Born and raised in Texas, he spent several years on the East Coast and now waits for the West Coast to shake him loose. His favorite words include defenestrate, callipygian, and Algonquin. The fact that monosyllabic is such a long word keeps him up at night.