A Ballad of Phantoms and Hope requires the reader to be familiar with The Fabric of Our Souls as it follows some of the characters introduced therein. Albeit it deals with the same topics as the first book in the Harlow Sanctum series, it introduces a paranormal aspect to the story rendering it different from its prequel. The narrative focuses on Lanston after he was so tragically robbed of a kind and happy future. In the tale, not all who perish find peace instantly but rather find themselves in an in-between - a purgatory of some sort - unable to rest. It is unclear what distinguishes those who linger from the ones who pass on. The story takes us along as Lanston attempts to solve this mystery. I adored Lanston in the first book, the injustices he had to endure were heartbreaking and I was utterly devastated when it became clear towards the end that he was no longer. While I was overjoyed that Lanston finally got a shot at the happy ending he deserved, his and Ophelia’s story did not captivate me as much as the first book in the series. I cannot pinpoint what exactly was making the story fall short for me. I spent pages upon pages aching, hurting and crying my eyes out, but I did not get the insatiable itch to press on. Maybe it was the dread of knowing deep down that further sorrow awaited me in the pages to come. Or maybe it was the undeniably slower pace compared to the prequel. Either way, it was infuriating as I had the feeling of letting Lanston down. On a different note: The physical book is ingenious - each chapter is supplemented with gorgeous artwork and interspersed with tiny clues pertaining to the symbolism of the butterfly and the moth. Brilliant!