“Ghost of Kotoama” by J. Von Swan

Ghost of Kotoama

J. Von Swan               
Independently Published (2026)
ISBN:  979-8198303843
Reviewed by Terri Stepek for Reader Views (07/2026)

Baldur Sigurdson, the Wolf of Vanaheim (as others have named him), is leading a more settled life when we catch up to him in the second book of The Wolf of Vanaheim series.  After saving his world using (ahem) controversial tactics, we find him at the beginning of Ghost of Kotoama serving as the head of the security detail for the stunning diplomatic envoy, Freyja.  It seems he’s left his pirate-style tactics behind him in favor of a more civilized approach.  Fear not; this Wolf may currently be wearing a tuxedo and appearing like he’s listening to his master.  It’s just sheepskin.  He’s still the same feral brute we’ve come to love and appreciate.

‘Diplomacy is for distraction while you load the pistols.’ —  Lord Percy Fountain, Alesia

But he and his crew, known as the Demonaughts by many, are about to find themselves on a new mission.  The leader of Vanaheim, Elin, wants him to go in search of her daughter Syn.  Except Syn is known to be dead.  Video footage of Syn carrying out a brutal assassination, however, suggests otherwise.  In light of this, Elin declares Baldur as her Hersir, a title which hasn’t been used in decades.  A Hersir was the king’s executor; an enforcer and judge who is given a sense of kinship status.  It gives him immense power and largesse to complete this confusing assignment.

Ultimately, this search will lead Baldur’s crew to Kotoama, an amazing planet that evokes a sense of old Japan in the Samurai era.  While they are quite technologically advanced, they still appreciate the ancient steel of blades and the code of the Samurai.  But what Baldur finds at Kotoama is astoundingly disturbing.  The citizens have become a sort of walking dead.  They’re not really dead, but they’re no longer sentient, either.  The city is patrolled by robotic warriors who move at lightning speed with deadly accuracy.  But the first rule of robotics is in play throughout the known universe:  robots are never to be programmed to harm people for any reason.  Making matters even worse, these nightmare androids, derogatorily known as Kage, are being prepared to ship throughout the known universe as gentle household aids.  Baldur’s now got bigger things to worry about than just bringing Syn back to her mother.

Having been fortunate to read the original Wolf of Vanaheim story, I couldn’t wait to pick up Ghost of Kotoama.  The surviving cast of characters from book one are all back, with some exceptional new characters as well.  While this tale is first and foremost a sort of swashbuckling space opera, don’t underestimate the precision with which Von Swan builds his characters.  They are rich, vibrant, diverse, fascinating, relatable, flamboyant, and remarkably complex.  The author’s dark sense of humor frequently comes out, especially in conversations among the Demonaughts, who are irreverent, bawdy knights constantly in search of dragons to slay.  The humor is actually a favorite element of the series as it aids that ne’er-do-well swashbuckling sense of style created by Baldur and his band.

I don’t mind making mistakes.  I just hate living with the consequences.

There is so much about this book I want to share.  Like the inescapable undersea prison where the worst of the damned are housed. Or more about these creepy robots, the planets the Demonaughts venture to on their journey, or about the battles they brave.  But honestly, I couldn’t do it justice anyway.  The best I can do is tell you that the Wolf of Vanaheim series is an amazing blend of genres that sci-fi and fantasy lovers will both devour.  The world-building is at once intricate yet simple, creating worlds that feel strange and new, yet contain elements we’re very familiar with, allowing us to fall into each new planet in the story.  My theory is that Von Swan has so much he wants to get to in his stories that he doesn’t want to bog readers down in creating vast worlds from the ground up.  Whatever his motivation, it works quite well, allowing us to stay in the story while falling easily into his new worlds.

Ghost of Vanaheim is a tale of justice, revenge, loyalty, and choosing to do what’s right even when others are convinced you’re wrong.  I highly recommend both books in this series for those who enjoy space operas, sword and sorcery fantasies, tales of good vs evil, adventure tales, as well as dystopian stories.  While I’ve highlighted the humor that prevails in many places, please understand that this humor is an offset to brutal battles, gory slayings, and ruthless power-mad rulers who hold no life as important except their own.  These are gritty stories full of heart-stopping moments.  For readers like me, this is pure gold.  If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of reading J. Von Swan’s Wolf of Vanaheim, I heartily recommend you start there, then dive right into Ghost of Kotoama, which is even more vibrant and bold than the first book.