Review: Ghosts of Rosewood Asylum by Stephen Prosapio

Ghosts of Rosewood Asylum by Stephen Prosapio

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Back Cover: Zach Kalusky, host of Sci-D TV's Xavier Paranormal Investigators, is ecstatic when he’s given the opportunity to explore the most haunted site in Chicago for a Halloween Special: Rosewood Asylum, a place long made off-limits by the local government, plagued by decades of mysterious fires and unexplained events, and Zach’s dream investigation. But there's a catch: the network forces Xavier Paranormal Investigators to partner with the more dramatic—but less ethical—Demon Hunters. Now, Zach must fight for his show’s integrity and his team’s loyalty while trying to protect his own secret: that he, himself, is possessed.
As they investigate Rosewood Asylum, Zach’s team of college science geeks square off against the showy Goth freak Demon Hunters, and the two teams experience more tangible paranormal activity than either has previously documented—apparitions swirl on video footage, Electromagnetic Field meters zing, and the smell of peaches wafts from room 217. But are the occurrences authentic or staged? Even members of Zach’s team are not above suspicion of sabotage.

With the clock ticking towards the 48-hour investigation deadline, it becomes clear that Rosewood’s actual history differs vastly from the written record. To put the pieces together, Zach must–at the risk of his own life–induce an episode, while at the same time pushing his team to find answers. But once Rosewood’s secret is uncovered, an outburst of supernatural activity threatens the lives of all the investigators–not to mention the surrounding neighborhood. Now, science and entertainment must take a backseat…to survival.

Review: Ghosts of Rosewood Asylum is the first paranormal book I’ve read that has nothing to do with vampires, werewolves, and spirit romance. The story is 100% ghosts and paranormal investigation. There is action, thrills and chills, and a ghost tale that hooks into you from the first page.

Prosapio does a great job at portraying both investigation teams--the serious Xavier Paranormal Investigators, and the flamboyant, dramatic prone Demon Hunters. I liked the dueling team premise and found the plot intriguing. The characters were memorable, and all the players are realistic. I easily fell into stride among the XPI team, and held a little love to hate attitude towards the Demon Hunters. I was also pleasantly surprised by Prosapio’s ability to give an individual voice to each of his characters, as the cast is quite large.

The story is mainly told from Zach’s point of view, and I quickly admired this character’s tenacity, and ethical standards. As someone involved with the paranormal field, my views are of a scientific bent, and Zach’s own beliefs are similar. Even if you’re not involved in the paranormal though, Zach personality is likable but reflects a person who has experienced too much in a short time span. He’s definitely not the typical guy, and that’s not counting the fact that he’s possessed. The possession is only one of many interesting subplots to the story.

The historical aspect and the ghostly story is well thought out and developed. Prosapio is meticulous with crafting a location so real that I couldn’t believe the Rosewood Asylum depicted didn’t exist in reality. This level of diligence to the story made this more than a work of fiction in my mind, and I could easily relate to the situations and locations the characters were experiencing because of it. There is a ton of fine print (details), and I do recommend that readers pay close attention to the little things.

Overall, Ghosts of Rosewood Asylum is a book that I recommend to anyone with a love for paranormal or horror books. It's definitely a good pick with Halloween season being in full swing. With a sequel in the works, I’m anxious for the next haunting challenge that will encompass the XPI team.

Ghosts of Rosewood Asylum is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords. *Clicks the links to head straight there*
To learn more about Stephen you can find him on Facebook (Stephen Prosapio-novelist) or visit his website at http://www.prosapio.com/ 

Also, if you want to know more about this fantastic author and get inside his head a little then join me on my paranormal show The Beyond Natural this Wednesday night at 9pm CST on Paranormal TV Network . I'll be interviewing Stephen, about his book and much more.