This came up as a ‘you might enjoy’, and it certainly intrigued me to try — urban fantasy from the point of view of the necromancer.

What to Expect

A dark and twisting story, with lots of plot twists and rising tensions. Eric is a fallible human mage with a knack for dead things. That makes his views about life and death — not to say his perception of reality — somewhat less rigid then for most of us. Expect visits from various deities of the underworld and death, spell-slinging mages, interesting artefacts, and much collateral damage.

What I liked

I liked the gritty, morbid tone of the book. Eric Carter is all too human, with failings and issues like everyone else. His powers present a refreshing view, as does the hinted-at mythology and supernatural world around him. The plot progresses at a good clip, with many twists and escalations that keep you reading.

What to be aware of

It’s definitely a dark and morbid tale, so read when in the mood. As a first in the series there’s more hinted at, which one hopes would be expanded upon later.

Felix’s Review

Felix felt Eric to be a kindred spirit, what with constantly bumping into dead spirits. He fully understands (without condoning) some of his reactions, though he could have told him about making deals with devils. There’s a bit of a ‘chosen one’ trope hinted at that made Felix roll his eyes (why can’t we just have normal people?), but it’s clearly not something desirable. Felix is keen to see how Carter’s career progresses.

Summary

The novel fits well with the urban-fantasy genre. A recommended read if you like dark urban fantasy, and have enjoyed works like Jim Butcher‘s or Douglas Lumsden.

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Enjoying the reviews, but wondering who the heck is that Felix fellow? Glad you asked! He’s the protagonist of the Togas, Daggers, and Magic series, an historical-fantasy blend of a paranormal detective on the background of ancient Rome.

Come meet Felix and his world on the free short stories and novels!