Necromancer

Necromancer #0.5

by Lish McBride

This short story is included in "Necromancer", along with an excerpt from [ Me Closer, Necromancer|8041873]. It is also available for free from various places, detailed on the author's website.

DEATH AND A Short Story by Lish Bride, author of HOLD ME CLOSER, NECROMANCER

Matt’s childhood friend, Ashley, has been stopping by a lot lately. That might seem pretty normal, but Ashley died years ago and now she’s Death.

And tonight she wants waffles and fries.

INCLUDES AN EXCERPT OF HOLD ME CLOSER, NECROMANCER…

Sam leads a pretty normal life. He may not have the most exciting job in the world, but he’s doing all right—until a fast food prank brings him to the attention of Douglas, a creepy guy with an intense violent streak.

Turns out Douglas is a necromancer who raises the dead for cash and sees potential in Sam. Then Sam discovers he’s a necromancer too, but with strangely latent powers. And his worst nightmare wants to join forces . . . or else. 

With only a week to figure things out, Sam needs all the help he can get. Luckily he lives in Seattle, which has nearly as many paranormal types as it does coffee places. But even with newfound friends, will Sam be able to save his skin?

Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Short Stories, Novella, Horror

69 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2011

About the author

Lish McBride is the author of funny and creepy Young Adult books such as Hold Me Closer, Necromancer; Necromancing the Stone; Firebug; and Pyromantic. She has published short stories in the Normal School, Tor.com, and the anthologies Cornered, What to Read in the Rain, Freaks & Other Family, and Kisses & Curses. She got her BFA in creative writing from Seattle University and her MFA from University of New Orleans. Lish is also currently a bookseller and event host at Third Place Books, a giant thriving indie bookstore just outside of Seattle. Her first book, Hold Me Closer, Necromancer, was an ALA Best Book for Young Adults title, Morris Award finalist, and won the Scandiuzzi Children’s Book Award. While she has no long term goals for world domination, she would like her own castle.


http://us.macmillan.com/author/lishmc...

Reviews

[Flannery · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a free short story related to Lish McBride's first novel, Hold Me Closer Necromancer.

After reading HMCN, I was so excited to hear that there was a short story telling us a little more about Ashley, the waffle-addicted harbringer of death from the book. I was even more excited when I was halfway done on my Kindle and ready for more...but then it ended and an excerpt of Hold Me Closer filled up the second half. Blerg! I guess it is my fault for not realizing that half of it was an excerpt but I can still be OUTRAGED:-)

Anyway, this shorter-than-I-thought novella explains how Ashley passed away and gives us a glimpse into how she became a harbringer after death. The story is worth reading because McBride covers several questions I had during the book: Why does Ashley wear a Catholic schoolgirl uniform? How did she die? Can she change how she looks? How does the process of her work go? Why does she love waffles so much? (besides them being awesome)

This story basically explains the friendship Ashley and her neighbor Matt had before she died and how that friendship continues beyond her death. It was really cute to see how they treated each other...but overall what I wanted to know was this: how long ago was this story set and how long was it until Sam's story was told?

You can tell that this was written before McBride wrote her novel. It is less polished (understandably) and lacks the awesome factor that was such a large part of her novel. However, I still enjoyed her writing style and learning more about Ashley.

[Sabrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

EDIT 9/1/2012:

I was finally able to get my hands on a copy.

But let me say this: it's ridiculus that I had to pirate a copy of something that's distributed for free.
And it's ridiculus that we are in 2012 and still something as "geographical restrictions" or "we can't bill this for non-US residents" still exists for digital products.



--------------------


I've tried to get this from B&N:



And then on Amazon:




Well, I love you too.

[Michelle Kenneth - PerfectionistWannabe.com · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good sampler to help you decide if you want to read Lish McBride's books. I was so into the Necromancer story that when it abruptly ended, I thought, "What the...???" That's when I realized this wasn't a novella or short story. It was just the first couple of chapters into the Necromancer series. You also get a little bit of a glimpse into her Firebug series in this novella.

I will say that I immediately ran to download the Necromancer books first. I will read Firebug after that.

I really love what she's doing here with the supernatural aspect.

[Bonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I obtained this little novella free!
http://www.amazon.com/Necromancer-A-N...

This is a super short novella by the author of 'Hold Me Closer, Necromancer.' I think I made the mistake of reading this novella prior to reading her full-length novel, but oh well.

This story revolves around Ashley (who is apparently introduced in 'Hold Me Closer') and her childhood friend Matt. Regardless of me not knowing more about the characters prior to reading it was still a fun little enjoyable read.

[Jillian -always aspiring- · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, Ash wasn't Death-death, but she was as close to it as I had come.  Still, I've always wondered if people are surprised when they see her instead of the traditional Death with the scythe.  Are they disappointed?  Relieved? -from the short story, "Death and Waffles"

As soon as I finished Hold Me Closer, Necromancer, the debut novel from Lish McBride, I knew I had to read the short story about Harbinger Ashley entitled Death and Waffles. Ashley was one of my favorite characters in the novel, so I definitely wanted to glean a bit more about her character and her past. Of course, I was not disappointed -- even though I wish the story had been longer since the friendship between Ashley and her childhood friend Matt was so bittersweet! How can such a friendship like that end, when she is a servant of Death and he's still a human boy, now a teenager? Needless to say, I hope McBride will visit Matt again in the pages of one of her novels because there is more of a story there, I guarantee it!

Also, for any of you waffling (no pun intended!) on reading Hold Me Closer, Necromancer, this free novella also contains the first two chapters of the novel for those people who want a taste but don't want to commit (yet) to the full meal. Honestly, if the first two chapters can't hook you, I don't know what will, so I hope you look into the novella if you're even the tiniest bit interested in the actual novel.

So, yes, I think this is a win-win read for any existing Necromancer fans wanting a bit more insight into one of the characters and any readers thinking of taking the plunge and reading the book. Enjoy.~

[Stacia (the 2010 club) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did they know, on some level, that my Catholic-schoolgirl-looking companion was a harbinger of death? Nobody screamed and pointed, so I guess not.

This was a fast little pit stop on my "anticipation for Necromancing the Stone" tour. I'm excitedly looking forward to book 2 in the Necromancer series, so I figured I'd squeeze in a short to keep my excitement level going. There isn't much to say about this novella (really, it's more like a chapter) other than it provided a random look at the life (death?) of one of the characters we met in HMCN. I'm glad I read it, but you're not missing anything if you skip this and go right for book 1.

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer was one of those books which took me by surprise when I read it last year. Given the dark humor and quirky characters aplenty (one being a talking head), I was hooked from the getgo.

This is one of the few Mature YA/New Adult series dabbling in the paranormal that features a male lead character and a vibe which will appeal to a broad audience - both male and female, young and old. There is a romance element, but it doesn't choke out the story. The fun is in the bizarre happenings that take place in this world.

With that said, I'll wrap this up and try to contain my excitement over book 2 coming out in the very near future!

[Yolanda Sfetsos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yesterday I read the prequel-prequel, so this morning I decided to read the prequel. 😁

In this short story we meet Ashley and Matt. Two friends who like to spend time together. The only problem is one of them is dead and has some pretty freaky responsibilities as a psychopomp. Oh no, wait, management changed that title to Harbringer...

I really enjoyed this shortie and liked the characters. I also think it's a cool way of opening up the world in a totally different direction. There's some pretty cool imagery, too. And the writing style was great.

Although the previous story was a lot of fun and included some pretty goofy characters and situations mixed with all the violence, this one's more bittersweet. And even quite sad.

Their friendship is nice, but also puts Matt in a place where he's withdrawn from everything and everyone. He seems isolated and only deals with Ashley, and what she's become affects him in a strange way.

I know Ash is in the book, but I'm not sure if Matt is. Hope he is!

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A feisty old-soul harbinger who appears as a ten-year-old girl with pigtails and saddle shoes? I'd like to read a series about her instead. Ashley is McBride's best character and I hope we get a lot more of her in the future.

This is set in the same universe as Hold Me Closer, Necromancer and focuses on one of the side characters, but this stands alone and won't spoil anything. Read this short story for free here.

I also have reviews for the other short story and the full novel in this series that McBride wrote: Heads Will Roll (Necromancer, #0.1) and Hold Me Closer, Necromancer (Necromancer, #1).

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short story about Ashley, Harbinger of Death, and her friend Matt. Ashley may have been dead for several years but she's still hanging around with Matt, going out for waffles, and waiting for Matt to move on with his life. I was sorry it was only 19 pages long. I would love to read more about Ashley's personal life or see her "at work" dealing with upper-management and the other schlubs at the office.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well hello Georgie Ashley. Have I been looking for a story like yours. I hope to get more of the harbingers later but for the moment you had me at "reminds me of Dead Like Me". Anyone who knows anything about me knows I was a HUGE fan of the show oh and Bryan Fuller is a god. Anyway since this is just a teaser of sorts I'm going to have to wait until Monday to start the audiobook but I'm pumped.

[Shannara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a funny and engaging short story. My only complaint is that I want to read more!!! Now I'll have to read Hold Me Closer Necromancer as soon as possible!!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ashley was one of my favorite characters in Hold Me Closer, Necromancer, so it comes as no surprise that I loved getting more of her in "Death and Waffles." It was really nice to see her in her professional capacity as a Harbinger of Death, but it was even better to get a glimpse of her personal life -- pre-death.

I guess my primary dissatisfaction comes from, yet again, an incredibally passive protagonist. Only, with Matt, I don't get enough time to really love him despite his inaction. Thankfully, Ashley calls him out on this! (Dare I hope that she will do the same for Sam in future books?!)

I also wonder what implications "Death and Waffles" has for the rest of the series. What does it mean for Matt to be waiting around forever for a 10 year old ghost? Will Matt be worked into the next books (if Ashley is spending this much time with him?) It made me sad for him if this is his future.

Review also appears on Chronicles of a Book Evangelist.

[Crowinator · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

Much shorter than I expected, this short story about Harbinger Ashley and her (still living) friend Matt is light but bittersweet. It's nice to get a closer glimpse at Ashley and see a little bit about her life before she died, though since the story is told from Matt's POV, we don't get as close as I'd thought we were going to. I also liked reading the author's brief comments on the origin of the story and how she worked Ashley into her novel.

And this has nothing to do with the story itself, but I would have liked it better if the excerpt of Hold Me Closer, Necromancer came AFTER the short story, not before. It was annoying to click past pages and pages of the novel I've already read to get to the reason I downloaded the story to my Kindle in the first place. The Kindle doesn't really make it easy to skip ahead, so yeah. Yes, I took off half a star for that.

[Cydni Perkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm Kind Of Torn About This

Maybe because the subtitle said it was a novella. It is a pretty decent, lighthearted short story, and then sneak peaks of two other books. So after I finished the short story I kept reading, thinking the new characters that were being introduced would relate back to what was going on in the first chapter, but then the book unexpectedly kicked me out just as the story was getting good. I didn't know I was starting another book, and now if I want to keep reading I have to buy another book. So. Read the first story, which is pretty cool. If you keep reading after that, you're being hooked. And the story only comprises twenty percent of this volume.

[Magila · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

Rounded up again because I'm a fan. Much more of a short story than novella, which is my major gripe. (You do have to applaud an author for making a grad school creative writing assignment available to the masses though.)

I actually would not mind reading similar treatises on all the characters in the books. This one follows Ashley. It's clear the author has a rich backstory and tale to tell for each character, regardless of their level of "importance" in the novel featuring the same group.

Find a free copy, read it, smile, and think about life and death for a second. Just don't pay for it.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the short story (Death and Waffles) a lot but I do wish it had been a tad bit longer. I get this bad feeling that Ash is a minor character in the series and now that I got to know her a little, I doubt I will get to know her better...ever. The teaser for Hold Me Closer Necromancer certainly left me wanting to read the rest of the book. I will be adding more Lish McBride books to my every growing list. Engaging story and worth the read.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a short, hence the novella part in title, story that gives us insight into Ashley. One of the most memorable characters from Hold Me Closer, Necromancer. Which by-the-way if you haven't read --- slap yourself 3 times and correct immediately. It's got humor, action, lovable MCs and told through the eyes of a SAM a guy you'd love to spend time with :)

[Yzabel Ginsberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short 'n sweet. It didn't answer some of the questions I had about Ashley after reading HMCN, but that story was a nice little read all the same. Somehow I think it'd be worth developping into a longer story featuring Ashley and Matt.

[Thalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read the review on my blog:
http://thaliasbooks.tumblr.com/post/6...

[Matthew · Rating 2 out of 5]

The short story “Death and Waffles” was fun and interesting. But then I started what I thought was an actual novella, but it’s not, it’s the first 2 chapters of Hold Me Closer, Necromancer”. And while I am going to read that book because the blurb is intriguing enough, those 2 chapters alone are not enough to make me keep going. Also, as a tease for the book, those are two very confusing chapters. While there is action, there is no genuine foreshadowing and utter confusion about what we are getting with this story.

[Nancy Hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short story along with an excerpt from Hold Me Closer Necromancer. Very well written! And funny! I need to find the full novels for the Necromancer series as I was hooked by the excerpt and wanted more! I thought it was going to be a novella based on the title but it was not.

The short story, Death and Waffles, was cute and very original. A 10 year old girl who is addicted to waffles like I am, who dies and becomes a harbinger for death keeps in touch with her best childhood friend who is now 17 and sort of feels dead inside. Lots there to explore. Very ingenious writer.

[Jayda]

I read this for Lish's short story, Death and Waffles. It almost made me want a full book digging deeper into Matt's life and his relationship with Ash. I remember Ash being an interesting character that showed up briefly in HMCN. Necromancer also features the first two chapters for both Hold me closer, necromancer and Firebug and is a good introduction for those who are just being introduced to Lish's stories.

[Fay Tannerr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this. It was fun and exciting, something you'd definitely expect from Lish McBride.
I Liked Matt and Ashley's friendship and it was nice to learn more about Ashley.
Great for fans of Hold Me Closer, Necromancer.

[Noh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is so much better than Necromancer #1. I wish it was longer. I do have a question semi-related to this book. Why is this and #1 available as singles but #2 is sold as a package deal with #1? Because I might read #2 if I didn't have to buy it along with #1.

[Kylie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very short novella, which tells Ashley's story. No need to say more, or else the review will be longer than the story ;)

[Mo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intriguing enough to make me read Hold Me Closer, Necromancer.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have no idea what's going on. I knew I should have stopped at the end of Death & Waffles instead of reading the beginning of the book. Must find a copy...

[Amanda Kendall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really sweet

[Derek R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprise monster hit for me...

[Rogue Blackwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm happy that I get to know these characters more in the next books. Really enjoyable characters and tone for a short story. I'm starting the next one this week!