The Grey Ones: Book 1 of the Path of the Maiden Series by Yvonne J. Smit Series: Path of the Maiden #1
Published by Independently Published on January 12th 2019
Pages: 326
Format: ebook
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"Mum?" Can you truly see if I am lying?" Fifteen-year-old Mae, the eldest daughter of Yvonne has come across her mum's memoirs. They reveal a hidden past. A life steeped in the Occult and all its aspects... Mae wants her mother to teach her to read the Tarot cards and Palmistry. Reluctant, her mother agrees as long as Mae promises to study the basics first and not to talk about it to anyone. Yvonne grew up seeing the 'grey people', they were as blurred as the people she saw in full colour. It wasn't until she got a pair of glasses that she knew for sure... the 'Grey Ones' were the shades of the dead. They didn't scare her, but... these sad souls attracted something else. The other beings of twilight, darker than the night and dreadfully powerful...It became clear to young Yvonne that not everybody can see the dead or hear their voices. Diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, her Grandad had been committed to an asylum. He heard voices too. Not wanting to follow the same fate, Yvonne learned not to talk about her unwanted gift. The Grey Ones is the first book of The Path of the Maiden series. It tells the true story of a young girl's quest for becoming 'normal'. A path of trial and error and many lies. Through the light-hearted interaction between Yvonne and her family, the Occult mysteries and paranormal phenomena are explained in a basic easy to grasp manner. Learn alongside curious Mae about the Afterlife, the Auric bodies, and the different types of entities that visit us when we least expect it and much, much more...
Yvonne and I connected on Twitter and soon we found we had things in common. She asked if I wanted to be part of her book tour for The Grey Ones since I had shown interest in it. I agreed and received a free copy for my honest thoughts about her debut novel. I’ll tell you right now that I loved it, but it’s a very specific book.
The Grey Ones is a memoir about her experience with the grey ones. Spirits that haven’t passed on after they left their physical body. It’s a crash course into the occult and if you’re not open-minded about the subject, this is not the book for you. I was fifteen when my interest in the subject grew, the same age as Mae. I had opened my mind and experienced things, but never felt a real connection.
I connected with this story on many levels and I don’t think every reader will have that same feeling. Yvonne talks about her childhood in Weesp and other places in the Netherlands. I live close to Weesp and have been to places she mentions. The shop names are familiar, school situations are familiar, even the ideas and attitudes of the elder generation are things I’m familiar with and recognize. It’s weird and comforting at the same time. Weird because I’m twenty years younger than Yvonne and comforting because I can relate so well.
The story itself is well written, but don’t expect to race through this unless you’re familiar with the subject. Yvonne shares a lot of knowledge on the Astral and other beings. It’s not an info dump, and she uses anecdotes to clarify pieces of information, but you still have to process everything. Take your time reading it and you’ll enjoy it more.
I don’t want to comment too much on the characters since they’re based on real people. I do have to say that each of them is well written. They are all written with their own colours and it’s nice to see the growth through the anecdotes.
Overall, I enjoyed The Grey Ones and look forward to the sequel. I give it 4,5 stars and my recommendation stamp with a side note. Only read this if you’re open-minded about spiritual beings. Preorder it now and read it first on April 4.
About Yvonne J. Smit
Yvonne was born on the 25th of August 1970 at Naarden Hospital, The Netherlands. She is the fifth child of an Accountant and a homemaker. The first four years, she grew up in Weesp, a small picturesque town near Amsterdam. Just before she turned five, her parents decided to relocate their growing family. Yvonne and her three sisters and two brothers moved with them to the rural village of Doorn in the province of Utrecht.
Yvonne moved to the UK at the age of twenty-one, hoping to start anew and escape the persistent pull of the Paranormal.
Wanting to take on a tranquil, mundane life, she held a multitude of jobs in varying positions. From Clerk to Manager, Employed and Self-employed. She ploughed herself up in the world of Charity, Fashion, Transport, Events, Craft Markets, Therapy and Security. There were many successful jobs to choose from and to make her own if it wasn’t for this one position. A vacancy in a field of expertise she at first didn’t want to accept: The Occult.
Yvonne has lived and worked in the UK for twenty-six years. She recently relocated with her British Husband and three children to the lovely village of Stiphout in the Netherlands.
