#fantasy books about ghosts

[seanalmond]

Welcome to RATHOSA! (Random Thoughts by Sean Almond). Here, we speak about anything and EVERYTHING.

[furiarossa]

Question: What if Vlad was the Ghost King?

This is a really interesting question!

It's interesting to note how most fans focus on alternate universes where Danny Fenton/Phantom becomes the king of the ghosts, when in the canon version of the series it is Vlad, at some point, who possesses the objects of power... and having the Crown of fire and the Ring of rage, in theory he has infinite power. Considering that at the time Fright Night is in his service, Vlad has access to the entire triptych of the objects of power, the ring, the sword and the crown, three things that historically carry enormous symbolic value.

On top of that, Vlad owns also the Skeleton Key, that can unlock any door, realm, case, or prison, even allow access to any realm in the Ghost Zone.

Isn't that enough, to be near-omnipotent?

And despite all this, Vlad never uses the Crown and the Ring at the same time, refusing in a certain sense to become the Ghost King. He does not allow himself to be corrupted by infinite power, because that is not his goal. (As usual, in our analysis we leave out the third season, because there the characters' motives appear too fundamentally altered and unrecognizable. We have an explanation for this too, but it will come in its time!).

Within the series, this is left as an open question, never answered: Vlad could indeed become the King of the Ghosts, but we are never shown the objects of power again after Reign Storm (only once, briefly, in the graphic novel "A Glitch in Time", but in an inconsequential way. Vlad continues to possess those objects, but it is clear that he does not use them directly to acquire power, but rather to seek something else).

So, asking "What if Vlad was the Ghost King?" is... pretty normal. A rather natural consequence of what we have been shown.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that we don’t find it interesting how other fans give this role, that of the king, to Danny Fenton/Phantom: every interpretation is completely subjective and we like to explore every possibility. All this is just a preamble to the real answer, of course: what if Vlad wore the symbols of power? What if Vlad, as you asked, decided to become the King of the Ghosts?

Because that's what it comes down to: his choice to accept that power.

At this point, many things could happen... but we will decide to analyze one path in particular: that of power which, combined with the sadness of an abandoned man, corrupts him.

But let's start from the beginning, shall we?

What does it mean to become a Ghost King?

+ Origins +

The Ghost Zone originates from the remains of the Fallen Ancients, enormous living creatures that were once part of the material plane, but during a fracture of reality descended into a completely empty dimension. The decomposition of their magical bodies created an entire ecto-ecosystem, with a unique spiritual imprint, which quickly gave rise to sentient entities.

One of the first entities born in this way, around the time the first phantomhives were formed, decided to create magical objects that would allow it to control the power of these Ancients, much like mages on the material plane sometimes do with the bones of great magical creatures, which contain a portion of the power of when that creature was alive.

The entity in question, whose identity is debated, is often referred to in texts simply as "Blacksmith".

The Blacksmith did not know that everything within the Ghost Zone originated from the remains of the Fallen Ancients, so they could not have foreseen that these magical objects they had created would not only be of unheard-of power, but also capable of controlling every single being within their plane of reality, be they living or non-living. Possessing the Crown, Ring, and Sword at the same time grants any spirit immediate and total dominion over the entire Ghost Zone.

+ Role +

Among the spirits, a Ghost King is neither essential nor particularly welcome: it is a role created by mistake, directly from the ancient relics, and is not necessary in any way to the functioning of the Ghost Zone.

Long periods of time can pass between one "coronation" and another, mainly because the spirits tend to hide the relics, or to guard them, to prevent other individuals from using the power. There are some "legends" that speak of how the role of a Ghost King makes sense and is necessary to maintain order, but this is mere monarchist and totalitarian propaganda, usually commissioned by other Kings in order to give a semblance of reason to their power and to keep them under control.

Unfortunately, it is impossible to destroy the relics, both because of their robustness and because of their deep energetic connection with the Ghost Zone, which would risk causing enormous cataclysms, and the possible destruction of the entire phantom ecosystem if they were shattered to pieces, so there will always be Ghost Kings.

Vlad as a Ghost King: how it happened?

(Aka, what if Vlad was a REAL villain? What if he chose the bad path?)

Having the relics is not enough to be the King, you also need to wear them. The Crown of Fire and the Ring of Rage, in particular, need to be used in synergy, amplifying each other's strength, and this is a problem, because wearing the Ring means entering a state of continuous fury, where the individual has no other choice than to pursue a goal in any way, even with extreme violence; Vlad is therefore reluctant to use the relics as they were designed and tries to channel their power in other ways, without much success.

Vlad gives in after a cruel prank: the Fentons' daughter, Jasmine, spends the afternoon with him, giving him the hope of some friendship and human contact, only to reveal that she actually wants to capture him, having discovered thanks to Danny that he is a half human and half ghost (very similar to what happens in 211. "Secret Weapons").

Jasmine wears the ectoskelenton suit, controlled through a neural interface, that allows her to fight on equal terms with him, and to easily overcome this obstacle, Vlad decides to wear the Ring and the Crown.

Once he becomes the Ghost King, unable to control his new and boundless power, Vlad kills Jasmine with a single shot, causing her and the suit to explode.

At first he despairs, for having taken the life of someone so young, but soon he realizes that he is relieved to have gotten rid of her and also a little proud of himself for having managed to overcome the fear (which he defines as "mortal") of killing someone.

The power begins to fill his head with unhealthy ideas and killing (or dominating) those who dared to harm him in the past becomes an obsession with an easily achievable resolution. In a single night, he kills Jack in his bed and kidnaps Maddie, but luckily for Danny, the boy is not at home: he is at a party with two of his friends, Sam and Tucker.

Vlad reaches him, swollen with pride, with his hands still stained with blood and the crown that is burning on his head, and reveals to him that he killed his parents, voluntarily omitting that he only kidnapped Maddie. Danny begs him to spare him, promising him that he would become a diligent student if he survived.

Vlad has no desire to become Danny's mentor, but now only to take his life. In front of him, he kills Tucker without any remorse, strangling him. Danny, to distract the killer and prevent him from doing the same to Sam, insults him, challenges him and starts to run away. Vlad orders a bloodhunt on him: now every spirit in the world, among those who answer to his orders, will try at every moment to capture the fleeing boy. Danny will run away relentlessly for five years, while all the spirits in the world chase him.

+ The Man and the Demon +

Being an halfa, Vlad is an extremely anomalous Ghost King, possessing a human side in addition to his ghost self: the Crown and Ring only feed the latter, making him extremely unbalanced.

His ghost, huge and aggressive, is considerably more capable of taking control of his flesh body, as well as detaching itself from it for long periods of time. Vlad's human side still has some restraint and does not want the harm they are inflicting on others to be so extreme, but the more time passes, the more the ghost side of him, obsessed with power, is able to subjugate him.

Human Vlad had an infatuation for Maddie, a completely normal thing towards the only woman who has ever shown to understand him and who shares interests and passions with him.

After becoming the Ghost King, and realizing that he can achieve anything through force, Vlad captured Maddie and locked her in a cage, where he thinks he can break her will and force her to love him. The woman does not seem to submit to his will in the least, and insults him with sagacity and malice whenever she can, especially when he is in front of an audience.

Vlad continues now to keep her prisoner, not for love, but as punishment: over time, living close to her, he has learned to detest her, but he does not want to let her win and will never release her voluntarily.

+ Powers +

A Ghost King has near-absolute control over everything around them when they are in the Ghost Zone.

Some of the most notable powers of a Ghost King include:

Extended Teleportation: In addition to transporting their body to other places, breaking down their ectoplasm and reassembling it at will in almost any part of their realm, a Ghost King can also transport any other creature/object native to the Ghost Zone;

Supernatural Stamina: A King can sustain prolonged efforts, well beyond human limits, such as running for several days without ever having to stop or without eating. The true limit of this resistance is unknown, as the King's organism is entirely sustained by absorbing the Ghost Zone's energy, therefore it is thought that exhausting his energy is equivalent to mortally draining every single spirit in his realm of all strength;

Summoning: already personally knowing the creature he wants to summon, a Ghost King can summon it almost instantly to any part of its realm, without necessarily using magical sigils or standard summons, but only by pronouncing the name of the entity. This power does not extend to beings that were born outside the realm;

Mind Control: A King can control, as if it were a puppet, the actions of any spirit to which he has affixed the Fire Mark, regardless of the origin of the spirit itself. Unlike other forms of mind control, that imposed by a Ghost King is total and can even force an individual to perform actions that harm their physical and mental safety, to the point of suicide;

Blood Hunt: One of the most iconic powers of a Ghost King is the ability to designate a victim that each "subject" must try to kill on sight. Whoever the designated victim is in a Blood Hunt, they will be chased everywhere by hordes of spirits who crave their blood and who, sooner or later, will surely capture and kill them by any means at their disposal.

We hope that you liked our interpretation! And if you want to know more, feel free to ask ;)

(On an interesting note... it seems like your question is absolutely timely, because right now we're thinking about writing something where the main antagonist is a Ghost King Vlad. Two of the drawings related to this answer are from the early stages of the project, they're concept art! And it's cool that we got to use them for something else, too. The last drawing was done just for this specific ask :D )

All the ghost worldbuilding posts!

The “Ask us about ghost worldbuilding” post

Our ask is open

[rakktoons]

All I need is chocolate and season two of dead boy detectives

[queereads-bracket]

Queer Fantasy Books Bracket: Round 1

Book summaries below:

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

Zachary Ezra Rawlins is a graduate student in Vermont when he discovers a mysterious book hidden in the stacks. As he turns the pages, entranced by tales of lovelorn prisoners, key collectors, and nameless acolytes, he reads something strange: a story from his own childhood. Bewildered by this inexplicable book and desperate to make sense of how his own life came to be recorded, Zachary uncovers a series of clues—a bee, a key, and a sword—that lead him to a masquerade party in New York, to a secret club, and through a doorway to an ancient library hidden far below the surface of the earth. What Zachary finds in this curious place is more than just a buried home for books and their guardians—it is a place of lost cities and seas, lovers who pass notes under doors and across time, and of stories whispered by the dead. Zachary learns of those who have sacrificed much to protect this realm, relinquishing their sight and their tongues to preserve this archive, and also of those who are intent on its destruction. Together with Mirabel, a fierce, pink-haired protector of the place, and Dorian, a handsome, barefoot man with shifting alliances, Zachary travels the twisting tunnels, darkened stairwells, crowded ballrooms, and sweetly soaked shores of this magical world, discovering his purpose—in both the mysterious book and in his own life. Fantasy, portal fantasy, adult, metatextual, romance

Taproot: A Story About a Gardener and a Ghost by Keezy Young

Blue is having a hard time moving on. He's in love with his best friend. He's also dead. Luckily, Hamal can see ghosts, leaving Blue free to haunt him to his heart's content. But something eerie is happening in town, leaving the local afterlife unsettled, and when Blue realizes Hamal's strange ability may be putting him in danger, Blue has to find a way to protect him, even if it means... leaving him. Graphic novel, fantasy, romance, paranormal, young adult

[owlbear33]

I love the InCryptid series by Seanan McGuire, I love these books so much, but I never see anyone talk about them (at least on Tumblr, barely any fanfic on AO3 also)

It's Urban fantasy, fairly kitchen sink, about a family of Monster Hunters turned Monster Conservationists (Cryptozoologists, Cryptobotannists, Crypto Social Workers), it's got fun world-building, it's Chocked full of found family, so much found family, and Y'all should read them

so if that sounds like fun, or you like Urban Fantasy, or you like Seanans other works (October Daye, Wayward Childen, etc) please give them a look

[aroaessidhe]

2024 reads / storygraph

The Liar’s Knot & Labyrinth’s Heart

books 2&3 in a fantasy trilogy set in a Venetian inspired city full of political intrigue

follows a young woman who conned her way into a noble family, a masked vigilante, and a crime boss, who eventually become allies while juggling multiple identities

and trying to save their people and city by joining a secret society to find origins of a corrupting curse, to eventually destroy the powerful magical objects at the heart of it

tarot magic & sigil/geometry magic, dreamworlds, sentient magical disguises

[unnonexistence]

just started reading book 3 in this series and page 1 is taking no prisoners hgdshdslk

[trans-yllz]

I'm watching a youtube video and they started talking about all the shit in harry potter that just didn't make any fuckin sense, and while I don't believe that the "the books have actually been bad this whole time" sentiment is helpful in the argument against jkr, it is sort of insane that for the like 20 years before she went fully mask off terf everyone just didn't question any of the wild inconsistencies in the books 😭

[ghostbustermelanieking]

ok seriously ask me about books and/or authors. like pretend this is an ask meme, i have been reading SO much and i have things i want to Talk about, and also i love talking books!

[seanalmond]

'A new lease on death,' by Olivia Blacke! It seems like a fun read with an interesting premise. The human-ghost duo angle, no doubt will be interesting to explore.

[jeezypetes]

Personally I think mysteries/psychological thrillers with supernatural plot elements that show up after the first act should have a little ghost or something on the cover to indicate that this book takes place in a universe where magic is real. So i can take that into my calculations and not get annoyed when they show up

[featherymainffins]

Sci-fi worldbuilding is like a thing that really hates you and wants you dead

[buckyalpine]

18+ Minors dni. Buckys innocent neighbor who bakes him cookies and muffins just cause. The girl next door who has the coziest apartment he's ever been in. Shelves filled with books along with plenty of comfy blankets decorating the couches. Bucky has his own place right across but home is with her (even if she doesn't know it yet).

She's the type of girl he's going to take his time with, asking her out on a date, just coffee and a walk in the park. Nothing more than a kiss on her cheek at the end of the night. Another date. Dinner. Another kiss to her other cheek. He wouldn't dare rush anything, especially not someone as soft and sweet as her.

He feels like such a dirty little pervert when he thinks about her afterwards when he's alone in bed, all the blood in his body rushing south, and fuck he's so hard. He tries to ignore it, he didn't want to do something so debauched by thinking of her like that, he even tries to think about his grocery list, laundry, he'd probably wash his arm later, it would probably be fine in the dishwasher-

Nothing worked.

He groans, shuffling and kicking his sweats off, hissing when his hand goes down to tug at his aching cock, relief flooding his veins at the sensation. He lets his mind wander to how adorable she'd be, the way he'd take her apart in the most gentle way. Lay her against the pillows while he holds those soft thighs apart, giving her the most feather light suckles on that perfect clit, basking in all the sounds she'd make. He strokes himself faster thinking about the way he'd get her ready to take all of him. How he'd make it so good for her-shit he was going to blow-maybe if he was lucky, one day she'd let him put his cock in her mou-

"Fuck!!" Bucky threw his head back, spurts of cum shooting from his sensitive head, his post orgasm haze leaving him feeling like a filthy old man. She were here making him baked treats and he was jerking his dick off like a sick fuck.

Then the night finally comes. Bucky is ready to cuddle and nothing else but he's thrown off because never in his wildest fantasies did he expect this.

She is the girl who sends him reeling the first time he takes her clothes off one by one revealing dark ink on her back and hips. He has to suppress a growl, his eyes growing wide at the scantily clad lace that covers her body.

"Like what you see, Sergeant?" she practically purrs in his ear while he lets his han ghost over her bare skin, his chest heaving when his eyes fall to her perfect breasts, hints of silver peeking from under her lingerie, there was no way-

"Can I?" He asks breathlessly, his hand reaching behind to unclasp the bra, those pretty pierced nipples begging to be sucked.

Bucky who turns into a fucking menace, his entire world flipping upside down when she grinds down on his crotch not hiding exactly what she needs from him. He doesn't even have the ability to hide how feral he is, letting all his inhibitions slip.

-

"My little bunny's a slut, fuck, c'mere" He grabs you and tosses you over his shoulder, hauling you over to his bedroom like an untamed beast, tossing you onto his bed with no remorse. You're in nothing but your panties which he rips right off, your thighs squeezing together at the way he stalks over to you, his hungry eyes raking up and down your body without an ounce of shame. He tugs his sweats down to reveal his leaky cock, stroking it at the edge of his bed after tossing his shirt off.

"See this baby? Been fuckin' stroking and touching myself like a fuckin' teenager because of you-" He throws off his pants before climbing onto the bed and kneeling between your thighs, spreading them apart with his knees, "-and you've been here lookin' like God damn sin under those cute little sweaters"

He flicks his cockhead against your clit, humming at the clear beads of his arousal that drip onto your cunt.

"Fuck James, need more, pl-"

"Nuh uh, what was that you called me earlier, sweets?" He lets out a dark chuckle, the veins in his cock throbbing as he tightly holds the base, waiting to hear it again.

"Sergeant" you whine with mischief in your eyes and Bucky is a goner. He'll taste you later and most definitely feed you his cock another day but right now he wants to be nowhere else other than your pussy. He wants to watch you take every bit of him, rolling over to lay on his back while you straddle him, his length slotted against your cunt. He holds it up for you with a cocky look on his face, moaning when his tip breeches your tight pussy, your walls gripping his swollen, pink head.

"That's just the tip baby, c'mon, sit on it, wanna put all of my dick in you, that's it, good girl-shittt"

"Oh fuccckk,s'big" You moan feeling the stretch as you sink all the way down, panting and staying still while you adjust to his size.

"That's it bunny, that's it, ride me, ride your Sergeant" He grabs you by the hips, guiding you to grind down on him, making you feel his entire cock in your stomach. "You're a slut for big dick aren't you baby, acting all cute and shy when all you really wanted was the winter soldier's cock"

Bucky wasn't even sure where all the filth spewing from his mouth was even coming from but he couldn't stop.

"S'that it bunny? Say it baby, tell me how much you wanted my fat cock in you"

"Wanted it! F-cuk Sergeant, wanted your cock s-o-so bad!!"

"Fuck yes!!" His feet plant to meet your bounces, his hips thrusting up, slamming his entire length into you. "M'close, fuck bunny, gonna cum already, I can't hold it-

He doesn't have time to be embarrassed. You feel to good. He rubs your clit needing you to cum all over him so he can let go.

"Please, cum all over Sergeants cock baby, give it to me, be a good girl n'cum, c'mon, cum on my dick, yes, oh fuck yes I can feel it-milk it, shit touch my balls-"

You nearly collapse as your orgasm starts to wash over you, his sponge head hitting the most sensitive parts against your walls while he toys with your clit. His voice is muffled as you start to feel waves of pleasure consume you but you head just enough to reach behind, rubbing his heavy, so full of cum ba-

"FUUUCCCCKKK" He grabs you and wraps his arms around your body while he relentlessly thrusts up, biting down on your shoulder while he lets out the sluttiest, loudest moan with 0 remorse. It feels too good and he's sure the neighbors can hear but honestly, everyone should know how amazing it feels.

-

"I got you pretty baby" Bucky coos as you nuzzle into the crook of his neck, a shiver running through you while you float in bliss. Bucky pulls the covers up, deciding to cuddle up with you for a bit before running a shower, his previous demeanor replaced with the far less debauched version of him.

Anyway, just an idea. Also, it's past my bedtime.

[asterdeer]

bg3 is reminding me that secondary world fantasy is actually my one true love in the whole wide world and that i almost never read it anymore because i feel like i should read Better Shit than high fantasy because somehow i, writer who has dedicated their life to writing fantasy of varying heights, has swallowed the "fantasy is the lowest form of fiction" bullshit and i'm not being a good person if i read a lot of it. anyway i'm reading the eragon books again because i've a massive headache, i am not beholden to make good reading choices at all times, and because one of the angst-causers in later books is a magical grammar mistake gone rogue. i remember tons of people bitching about that but i think it's one of the funniest damn things i've ever read and also if i could do magic i would also be terrified of doing a Heinous Thing because of tenses or whatever. my GOD imagine ruining a child's life because of magical grammar. you can tell he was in college when he wrote this. favorite bad series of all time. BBEG's legend includes being kicked in the balls. nasuada's there. what else do you want? the writing to be good? grow up

[kelsingra-by-night]

Something you'd like to tell us Beloved ???

-carpenter

-he's the real thing people just don't believe him

-full of wisdom

-has to die in order to save the world (is aware of this, dreads it)

-gets crucified and crowned mockingly

-dies

-is resurrected

[paarksunghoon]

what about childhood best friend hoon who has always seen you as the sweet and innocent kind until he accidentally stumbles upon your dirty mind and fantasies

this just did something to me

***

“What the fuck?!”

“Sunghoon!” your cheeks and neck feel like they’ve been set on fire. You mumble a quick apology and goodbye into your phone and end the call. “What the hell are you doing in my apartment?”

“Your mom said you’d be home and I just got back into town.” He looks at you, frowning.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Sunghoon steps through the threshold of your bedroom wearing a black muscle tank and sweatpants. It’s a bit unfair how beautiful your best friend is with perfect biceps and an abdomen that can be seen through the fabric of his tank top. Sunghoon doesn’t have to try that hard and people will still fawn over him.

He looks at you like he’s seen a ghost. You see his duffle bag still in his hand but his grip seems to loosen the longer he looks at you. Sunghoon gulps and hesitantly takes a step inside of your room.

“You…I overheard you talking.”

“Why did you talk to my mom before coming come?” You ask, deflecting Sunghoon’s words in an attempt to pretend he heard nothing. “Did you drive home from school? Why is my apartment the first place you go to instead of your parents’ house?”

“Y/N.” Sunghoon’s throat feels a little too dry.

“You’re awful for not texting me before coming over.” He watches you turn around and put your phone on your table. “Anyway, how was your drive?”

Sunghoon drops his duffle bag. “I thought you were a virgin.”

You sputter. “A-A virgin? Why in the world would you think that?”

A part of you already knows this answer. Unlike you, Sunghoon’s not afraid to talk to you about his sex life and started hooking up with girls the second he left for college. He told you he lost his virginity the second he got home and updates you every so often about his sexual escapades, though not in great detail. He doesn’t press on about your sex and you don’t make it a point to bring it up because you aren’t as shameless as him.

The two of you don’t really have the dynamic where talking about sex is on the table. Or rather, he’s more open to the idea and doesn’t pry any information out of you because you’d shot him down when he asked about your virginity before you had sex for the first time. Sunghoon, for the fear of making you uncomfortable and losing his best friend, kept his mouth shut and generally always thought of you as a pretty innocent person.

You get a bit warm in the face when a sex scene in a movie comes on or whenever he plays songs that have sexual undertones to them in his car. Sunghoon has always thought you were a bit on the innocent side and figures the farthest you’ve ever gone was kissing Lee Heeseung in the eleventh grade.

But right now, his perception of you is distorted. Upon coming over after your mother told him where the spare key was, Sunghoon stood outside hoping to surprise you when he overhead you talking to your friend about a recent hookup.

“No amount of porn or book smut could really describe the feeling of a guy cumming inside of you. I had to practically beg him to take the condom off because he was worried it would be risky. But I’m on the pill so he agreed and fuck, it felt so good.”

He stands there, dumbfounded by the revaluation but can’t stop picturing you with your legs spread open for him on the bed next to you like he has for the past few weeks. Sunghoon’s face is red, no doubt.

“You’re looking at me funny.”

He whips his head to look at you. “I’m not acting funny. You’re acting funny.” Sunghoon watches you scoff and get up from your desk.

“I don’t know why you’re surprised that I fuck, Hoon.”

He sputters. “I don’t think about it.” That’s a lie.

“You don’t have to.” You shrug it off like it’s no big deal. “Do you use condoms?” Sunghoon chokes.

“No.”

Your wicked grin makes his cock jump.

“Me either.”

***

comments and reblogs are appreciated! xx