Afterlife

Ghostland 2.0 (Ghostland Trilogy, Book 2)

By: Duncan Ralston

Narrated by: Joe Hempel

Length: 14 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

Sinister forces gather in Duck Falls. Soon, this small American town will become a battleground for the future of humanity.

Six months after the "Ghostland Disaster", Duck Falls has become a reluctant tourist trap and a new home to the activist group Ghosts Are People Too. When the Return to Ghostland televised event ends in yet another tragedy, ghosts once again fall under scrutiny...along with the effectiveness of the Recurrence Field.

Away at college, survivor Lilian Roth has discovered she's able to communicate with spirits. She and her best friend, Ben Laramie, use the skills they've acquired to free ghosts from their hauntings.

But Rex Garrote, the mastermind behind the Ghostland Disaster, is raising an army of ghosts to slaughter every living person on Earth. Left with no choice but to fight, Ben and Lilian must recruit their own army of freed ghosts and prepare them for war.

Will it be enough to save the world?

©2020 Duncan Ralston (P)2021 Tantor

A Spectacular Sequel

Months have passed since the dramatic cataclysm at Ghostland, and the world has not yet come to an end…but the once tranquil life for people living in Duck Falls is over, as the town becomes a beacon for both activists and curiosity-seeking tourists. Ben Laramie has become a hero following the sacrifice of his life to get his best friend, Lilian Roth, to safety…and to keep Rex Garrote and the monstrous etherials he commands trapped within the confines of the former amusement park.

While Ben may have died, that hasn’t stopped him from striving to fulfill his mission to stop Garrote, as he and Lilian work alongside Ghosts Are People Too in order to assemble an army capable of fighting Garrote when the inevitable war arrives. With each day that passes, fewer people believe in Ben’s prediction of a coming battle or the danger Garrote still poses…but nothing will sway him from the mission at hand, not betrayal, torture, or even the convincing manipulation of Rex Garrote himself, as he shows Ben they may have a common enemy in Garrote’s former benefactor.

When a ghost-hunting reality television crew ventures into Ghostland, the true danger of the place becomes painfully obvious to people everywhere. Events are set in motion that could bring Garrote closer to achieving his ultimate outcome, but if Ben can’t find trustworthy allies, the war may be lost before it begins.

Taking the story out of the amusement park was a bold and necessary move. Ralston introduces us to a whole new cast of compelling characters while we follow Ben and Lilian in their quest to save the world from a threat it refuses to acknowledge exists. The frustration is palpable, and the stakes feel higher. Ralston guides us through a narrative replete with twists and turns, stumbling blocks, and dead ends…making it feel as if the haunted house aspect has simply grown to encompass the surrounding environment. In all ways, this is an excellent follow-up to the fantastic tale the author brought us with Ghostland.

As always, Joe Hempel provides excellent narration, a voice with richness and tone that brings the story to life for the listener.