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Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
Ghost of Nostalgia by Joanne Hatfield follows Gavril, who lives in the isolated village of Nostalgie, where Phases consume human emotion and threaten anyone they touch. When the barrier protecting the village begins to fail, the mayor arranges Gavril’s marriage to a nobleman from Envie in exchange for a replacement device. She agrees to protect her mother and others in the village. While in Envie, she secretly befriends a Phase named Morrow. After this is discovered, she is arrested and sent to the Capital, Éthéré Coeur, under the escort of Commandant Serein. In the city, she encounters advanced machinery, large information systems, and unfamiliar environments. There, removed from Nostalgie and its controls, she begins making choices of her own, including entering a relationship that redefines the direction of her life.
Ghost of Nostalgia by Joanne Hatfield is smartly constructed and carefully written, with a clear sense of control in both tone and structure. Its magic system is tightly designed as morally gray, strictly governed, and grounded in physical and emotional cost. Gavril is a fantastic character and so thoroughly developed. I just love her. The contrast between intricate technologies and the exploitative systems they uphold is particularly well done, drawing attention to who benefits from innovation and who is left behind. Power operates through formal, familiar means of trial, hierarchy, debt, and enforced roles, giving the setting a sense of credibility. One example of this is Gervais’s influence as a seigneur, which rests not just on fear but on institutional control. Serein’s actions, driven by memory and loyalty rather than any idealized code, give the story weight. Overall, this is a spectacularly ambitious and equally great novel. Very highly recommended.
