Published: September 18th, 2012
Necromancing the Stone (Necromancer # 2)By: Lish McBride
Henry Holt & Company
ISBN-13: 9780805090994
With the defeat of the evil Douglas behind him, Sam LaCroix is getting used to his new life. Okay, so he hadn’t exactly planned on being a powerful necromancer with a seat on the local magical council and a capricious werewolf sort-of-girlfriend, but things are going fine, right?
Well . . . not really. He’s pretty tired of getting beat up by everyone and their mother, for one thing, and he can’t help but feel that his new house hates him. His best friend is a werebear, someone is threatening his sister, and while Sam realizes that he himself has a lot of power at his fingertips, he’s not exactly sure how to use it. Which, he has to admit, is a bit disconcerting.
But when everything starts falling apart, he decides it’s time to step up and take control. His attempts to do so just bring up more questions, though, the most important of which is more than a little alarming: Is Douglas really dead?
Review
Sam is just starting to adjust to life in Douglas' mansion, dealing with being a member of the local council and getting a grip on his necromancing powers. He is finally starting to move past the horror of his fight with Douglas and all the pain the other man caused - but he's dead now, so it's over...right? With a betrayer inside Sam's close knit circle, it isn't long before the shit starts to hit the fan again. When strange things start happening and the people he loves begin to be threatened, Sam starts to question if he actually killed Douglas completely. And if not, how do you destroy a ghost once and for all? I was really excited for this book after the hilarity and overall fun of the first one. I wasn't disappointed and the book drops you in right where Hold Me Close, Necromancer left off. Sam is living in Douglas' house, using his wealth to make his friends' lives better. And to hopefully make up for all the pain his secret powers have caused everyone. His relationship with Brid is starting to feel more serious and the disapproval of the pack isn't standing in their way, but it is making Sam uncomfortable. James, the personal servant of Douglas, is having trouble switching allegiances and is making things difficult for Sam, encouraging the other inhabitants of the property to make his life hellish. These inhabitants include garden gnomes, a fierce warrior race, with names like The Darkness Known as Mittens, Gnome ChompSky, Chauncey the Devourer of Souls, Gnoman Polanski, and Chuck the Norriser. Also, there is a minotaur and some nymphs who like to party. My personal favorite was the pygmy chupacabra named Taco that becomes Sam's pet! I liked the buildup between James and Sam's sister Haley, it was very sweet.
My main disappointment was the devillainization of Douglas at the end of the book to make him seem more sympathetic and human. It just didn't ring true with the rest of the book. I mean for chrissakes, the man has a zombie Keanu Reeves as HIS MINION!!! The romance between Brid and Sam, with it's manufactured agnst at the death of her Father was ridiculous and the distrust she suddenly had for Sam was hard to swallow. Overall this managed to avoid second book syndrome with some fairly clever dialogue, interesting new characters and decent plot twists. But it did end up being somewhat mediocre compared to the series' stunning debut.
P.S. The extra half star in the rating is courtesy of Thunder Gnome. It made me laugh so hard I almost cried.
VERDICT: 3.5/5 Stars
*No
money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in
stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.*
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