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Grave Mistakes: A Necromantic Adventure
In a world where the living and the dead are separated by the sinister Crack, dark humor and magical mishaps collide in this uproarious dark fantasy comedy.
Meet Gabriela, a young and naive woman whose life takes a wild turn on her first visit to the city. She accidentally sends Viscount Brynmor Highgate, the Marquess of Melodis, tumbling down a flight of stairs to his untimely demise. But Gabriela is no ordinary girl; she's well-versed in the necromantic arts, and she promises Brynmor that she can fix this - or at least maybe her mother can - as she binds his ghost to her side.
Joined by her loyal and hilariously eccentric knight protectorate, Lord Sebastian, they embark on a madcap journey across the bottomless Crack and through the eerie Deadvale, racing against time to reach Gabriela's home. There, her mysterious mother, Queen Venica Marwol, reluctantly agrees to lead them in a desperate quest to resurrect Brynmor. But secrets from the queen's enigmatic past begin to unravel, and as Gabriela's magic teeters on the brink of failure, an unexpected connection forms between her and Brynmor, or so she thinks.
Their mission is far from straightforward, as they find themselves pursued by the determined Eleanor Lane, a disillusioned magic researcher, and the no-nonsense Commander Valoria Ravell. These formidable women, sent by Duke Highgate, Brynmor's uncle, will stop at nothing to thwart the resurrection and retrieve Brynmor's body.
"Grave Mistakes" is a riotous tale filled with black humor and heartwarming human moments. Follow Gabriela as she discovers her true identity and realizes her formidable powers in a world where the dead refuse to rest. Will she succeed in resurrecting Brynmor, or will her journey through this twisted realm end in grave mistakes of epic proportions?
Meet Gabriela, a young and naive woman whose life takes a wild turn on her first visit to the city. She accidentally sends Viscount Brynmor Highgate, the Marquess of Melodis, tumbling down a flight of stairs to his untimely demise. But Gabriela is no ordinary girl; she's well-versed in the necromantic arts, and she promises Brynmor that she can fix this - or at least maybe her mother can - as she binds his ghost to her side.
Joined by her loyal and hilariously eccentric knight protectorate, Lord Sebastian, they embark on a madcap journey across the bottomless Crack and through the eerie Deadvale, racing against time to reach Gabriela's home. There, her mysterious mother, Queen Venica Marwol, reluctantly agrees to lead them in a desperate quest to resurrect Brynmor. But secrets from the queen's enigmatic past begin to unravel, and as Gabriela's magic teeters on the brink of failure, an unexpected connection forms between her and Brynmor, or so she thinks.
Their mission is far from straightforward, as they find themselves pursued by the determined Eleanor Lane, a disillusioned magic researcher, and the no-nonsense Commander Valoria Ravell. These formidable women, sent by Duke Highgate, Brynmor's uncle, will stop at nothing to thwart the resurrection and retrieve Brynmor's body.
"Grave Mistakes" is a riotous tale filled with black humor and heartwarming human moments. Follow Gabriela as she discovers her true identity and realizes her formidable powers in a world where the dead refuse to rest. Will she succeed in resurrecting Brynmor, or will her journey through this twisted realm end in grave mistakes of epic proportions?
278 pages, Paperback
First published December 5, 2023
8 people are currently reading
2854 people want to read
About the author
Jamie M. Samland
13 books47 followersAuthor also writes under J.M. Samland
Jamie M Samland is a fantasy author based in Canton, MI, USA. He is passionate about creating vivid worlds and compelling characters that transport readers to new realms of imagination. Drawing inspiration from his love of storytelling, Jamie spends his free time playing board games, roleplaying with friends, and indulging in other hobbies like martial arts and home repair. When he is not writing, Jamie is often found lost in thought, dreaming up new and exciting stories to share with readers.
Jamie M Samland is a fantasy author based in Canton, MI, USA. He is passionate about creating vivid worlds and compelling characters that transport readers to new realms of imagination. Drawing inspiration from his love of storytelling, Jamie spends his free time playing board games, roleplaying with friends, and indulging in other hobbies like martial arts and home repair. When he is not writing, Jamie is often found lost in thought, dreaming up new and exciting stories to share with readers.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 7, 2024
3.5 Stars. I liked the necromancy part and Gabriela trying to get her mom to resurrect Highgate. It was a cozy and fun story. If you like YA, and Princess Bride vibes but with dead people, this is a good pick.
February 7, 2025
Think Princess Bride, only with dead people.
How could this work? I don't know, but Samland sure makes use of all the wild and wacky imagination needed to make a world where the living face off against the dead into one where we can also find some heart and humour.
Boy meets girl. Girl accidntally kills boy. Girl's mother is a necromancer so all should be fine what with the raising of the dead thing. Right?
Wrong.
Gabriela and her unexpected ghostly passenger Brynmor are bound together on a quest to reunite his soul with his body. With the help of a snarky animated suit of armor, a flighty ghost, and a stoic pony (to carry the body, natch) she might just be able to do the magic her mother hints at. That is if they can gather the reagents, reach a place of power, avoid an angry warrior and magical hunter out to catch them, and master magic that's not been seen since before the world cracked in two, all before the oncoming solstice that will weaken the dead's hold on reality.
I loved this humorous fantasy. It's not your laugh out loud type of comedy, more a knowing poke at fantasy tropes while telling a very odd little story. While it could feel a little quick at times (rapidfire dialogue, characters without descriptions, the "romance" mostly glossed over with a few outside observations), the gentle back and forth of Gab's boundless enthusiasm, Lord Sebastian's oddball humor, and Brynmor's disbelief makes for a fun, innocent, YAish sort of read.
I went into this without reading the prequel Cracking the World: A Grave Mistakes Prequel, and am glad I did as it would have given away a lot of the plot reveals towards the end of the book. It looks to be the perfect side dish to those who have polished off the main story and want more of the world's history.
Cute, innocent, fast and fun.
How could this work? I don't know, but Samland sure makes use of all the wild and wacky imagination needed to make a world where the living face off against the dead into one where we can also find some heart and humour.
Boy meets girl. Girl accidntally kills boy. Girl's mother is a necromancer so all should be fine what with the raising of the dead thing. Right?
Wrong.
Gabriela and her unexpected ghostly passenger Brynmor are bound together on a quest to reunite his soul with his body. With the help of a snarky animated suit of armor, a flighty ghost, and a stoic pony (to carry the body, natch) she might just be able to do the magic her mother hints at. That is if they can gather the reagents, reach a place of power, avoid an angry warrior and magical hunter out to catch them, and master magic that's not been seen since before the world cracked in two, all before the oncoming solstice that will weaken the dead's hold on reality.
I loved this humorous fantasy. It's not your laugh out loud type of comedy, more a knowing poke at fantasy tropes while telling a very odd little story. While it could feel a little quick at times (rapidfire dialogue, characters without descriptions, the "romance" mostly glossed over with a few outside observations), the gentle back and forth of Gab's boundless enthusiasm, Lord Sebastian's oddball humor, and Brynmor's disbelief makes for a fun, innocent, YAish sort of read.
I went into this without reading the prequel Cracking the World: A Grave Mistakes Prequel, and am glad I did as it would have given away a lot of the plot reveals towards the end of the book. It looks to be the perfect side dish to those who have polished off the main story and want more of the world's history.
Cute, innocent, fast and fun.
November 4, 2023
I had the great honor to receive an ARC ebook and I can’t tell you how grateful I am. This is my first time reading anything written by this author and - I LOVED IT!!! From the first chapter to the last, it had me hooked.
This is a character driven story and oh boy! were they an intriguing, whimsical, weird and wonderful bunch! It’s a dark comedy however banter, witty dialogue and tongue in cheek humor was in endless supply.
We follow Gabriela or Gab a naive young lady in kind of a coming of MAGE story!!
While visiting a local town accompanied by Lord Sebastian a talking suit of armor, who describes himself as…
”Masterfully manipulating minds with misdirection and mirth, mysteriously mischievous. I’m a mischief-making maven” and Aura a ghost/ poltergeist and some times pain in the you know where, she makes a couple of little mistakes:
A: She uses dark magic on a spoiled apple and is seen by a nobleman Brynmore Highgate, Marquess of Melodis!!!
B: She accidentally uses her magic on Brynmore and it results in “his untimely demise”
She is convinced her wonderful mother (or is she!) can and will be able to fix this, and so begins a journey home with Bryn’s ghost that is almost like a comedy of errors. Further chains of events lead to Gabriela setting off on a quest to put right what she did wrong, and on this quest growing into her dark powers and becoming a strong young woman.
This is a well written story that reels you into this enthralling dark world of magic, mayhem and mystery with dialogue and a fantastic cast of characters. At times they will make you laugh, feel their sorrow, feel their frustration and become fully invested in them, it has satisfying plot twists and turns, a little bittersweet moment, but ultimately comes to a pleasing ending. This is an excellent must read. Don’t miss out on this book!!!
This is a character driven story and oh boy! were they an intriguing, whimsical, weird and wonderful bunch! It’s a dark comedy however banter, witty dialogue and tongue in cheek humor was in endless supply.
We follow Gabriela or Gab a naive young lady in kind of a coming of MAGE story!!
While visiting a local town accompanied by Lord Sebastian a talking suit of armor, who describes himself as…
”Masterfully manipulating minds with misdirection and mirth, mysteriously mischievous. I’m a mischief-making maven” and Aura a ghost/ poltergeist and some times pain in the you know where, she makes a couple of little mistakes:
A: She uses dark magic on a spoiled apple and is seen by a nobleman Brynmore Highgate, Marquess of Melodis!!!
B: She accidentally uses her magic on Brynmore and it results in “his untimely demise”
She is convinced her wonderful mother (or is she!) can and will be able to fix this, and so begins a journey home with Bryn’s ghost that is almost like a comedy of errors. Further chains of events lead to Gabriela setting off on a quest to put right what she did wrong, and on this quest growing into her dark powers and becoming a strong young woman.
This is a well written story that reels you into this enthralling dark world of magic, mayhem and mystery with dialogue and a fantastic cast of characters. At times they will make you laugh, feel their sorrow, feel their frustration and become fully invested in them, it has satisfying plot twists and turns, a little bittersweet moment, but ultimately comes to a pleasing ending. This is an excellent must read. Don’t miss out on this book!!!
November 25, 2023
Jamie did it again!
This book starts off like any romance does: boy meet girl, girl pushes boy down stairs, boy wakes up as a ghost looking at his corpse.... that old song and dance.
This story started off with a bang and quickly sucked me into the world full of death magic. I easily became attached to the FMC, Gabriela, she very much reminded me of a small town girl who is not quite sure how the world around her woks. Gabs (Cause we're close friends now) is accompanied by some enchanted armor, Lord Sebastian, and another little ghost, Aura. Viscount Brynmor is now part of this rag tag group, by no choice of his own.
We get to follow Gabs and her crew as they are on a quest to get to the queen, Gab's mom, to help put the viscount back into his body. Of course there is trouble along the way. We get to meet another unlikely Duo, Eleanor and Valoria, who's job is to bring back the Viscount, dead or alive.
This story has several twist that I was not prepared for and some funny Easter Eggs sprinkled in for those who are comedy buffs.
This book starts off like any romance does: boy meet girl, girl pushes boy down stairs, boy wakes up as a ghost looking at his corpse.... that old song and dance.
This story started off with a bang and quickly sucked me into the world full of death magic. I easily became attached to the FMC, Gabriela, she very much reminded me of a small town girl who is not quite sure how the world around her woks. Gabs (Cause we're close friends now) is accompanied by some enchanted armor, Lord Sebastian, and another little ghost, Aura. Viscount Brynmor is now part of this rag tag group, by no choice of his own.
We get to follow Gabs and her crew as they are on a quest to get to the queen, Gab's mom, to help put the viscount back into his body. Of course there is trouble along the way. We get to meet another unlikely Duo, Eleanor and Valoria, who's job is to bring back the Viscount, dead or alive.
This story has several twist that I was not prepared for and some funny Easter Eggs sprinkled in for those who are comedy buffs.
February 21, 2024
Thank you to JM Samland for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was my first time reading anything from Jamie M. Samland and I will say this is a great introduction to his world!
This novel is a fast-paced, character-driven paranormal adventure. Gabriela is our main character, we meet her as a young adult finally allowed to come out on her own with minimal supervision for supplies. When she accidentally does dark magic in front of Lord Sebastian hijinks ensue. Leading to an adventure where truths are revealed, mysteries are solved and the past is resolved.
I will say that, because of how fast-paced of a read this way the ending didn’t feel as conclusive and solid as I would prefer which made me hope for an epilogue or something to wrap everything up in a nice bow, however since we did not get that I hope that means a book 2 👀, or a novella, o I’ll even settle for a bonus chapter haha.
This novel is a fast-paced, character-driven paranormal adventure. Gabriela is our main character, we meet her as a young adult finally allowed to come out on her own with minimal supervision for supplies. When she accidentally does dark magic in front of Lord Sebastian hijinks ensue. Leading to an adventure where truths are revealed, mysteries are solved and the past is resolved.
I will say that, because of how fast-paced of a read this way the ending didn’t feel as conclusive and solid as I would prefer which made me hope for an epilogue or something to wrap everything up in a nice bow, however since we did not get that I hope that means a book 2 👀, or a novella, o I’ll even settle for a bonus chapter haha.
November 9, 2023
4.5/5
I wasn't sure with the writing in the prologue, but once i to present day (chapter 1), I was pleasantly surprised with the writing/ vocabulary and the way the story unfolded. The surface story was a fun spooky season read without being scary. The underlying takeaway being to not jump to conclusions on people/things you don't know or understand.
"This is my home. This is my family and friends. You say magic spins the wrong way here, but that's the only way I've known it. Why should we surrender our way of life because it goes against someone else's?"
- Gabriela
I wasn't sure with the writing in the prologue, but once i to present day (chapter 1), I was pleasantly surprised with the writing/ vocabulary and the way the story unfolded. The surface story was a fun spooky season read without being scary. The underlying takeaway being to not jump to conclusions on people/things you don't know or understand.
"This is my home. This is my family and friends. You say magic spins the wrong way here, but that's the only way I've known it. Why should we surrender our way of life because it goes against someone else's?"
- Gabriela
November 25, 2023
Do you like Princess Bride? If so, this story will give you the same fun. There is a serious story but the pure innocence keeps the joy the main emotion in the story. This was such a fun read. I wish I had read his Chronicle series before this so I would understand the Easter Eggs within. I would recommend if only to have even more fun with this book. I’m a huge fan of J. M. Samland’s books now. Each one is just pure joy to read.
December 4, 2023
This was a creative and intriguing adventure into the world of necromancy, ghosts, and resurrection.
The characters are fun and quirky, and interact with banter and dark humour, and It's a well paced story with twists, revelations, magic and mystery.
There's some powerful messages woven within the story, character growth, and imaginative worldbuilding.
Overall this was a fun read with drama, comedy and adventure.
Honest and Voluntary ARC review
The characters are fun and quirky, and interact with banter and dark humour, and It's a well paced story with twists, revelations, magic and mystery.
There's some powerful messages woven within the story, character growth, and imaginative worldbuilding.
Overall this was a fun read with drama, comedy and adventure.
Honest and Voluntary ARC review
July 21, 2024
Young Adult. Written very good but… still YA. With a naive gullible and a bit dimwitted protagonist. Where old men took fancy in her simply because she’s young and dumb. Took me a while to finish since I had to be in the mood, and I had to rewind chapters from my mind wandering because I really really hate YA books, but I kept pushing because… well… it’s well written lol and I don’t find that too often :)
November 5, 2023
Very interesting and unique book. It’s super clean, no spice and a little bit of humor. I’ve not read a book anything like this take on ghosts and magic. The story gets a little long on their journey, but thankfully the author puts some excitement through out the trip. I look forward to reading more by this author.
I received an ARC of this book and voluntarily leave this review.
I received an ARC of this book and voluntarily leave this review.
May 16, 2025
There’s something oddly comforting about this morbid little adventure. Between the undead mishaps, a mysterious queen, and a bottomless Crack (I mean, come on, that’s genius), "Grave Mistakes" promises not just laughter, but introspection and surprising tenderness. It’s Tim Burton meets Diana Wynne Jones.
December 11, 2025
The cover alone may draw you in. The saying is don't judge a book by it's cover. In this case you can because it is as good as the cover!
What a delight. A fanciful story of a sheltered girl and her path to independence. Her companions on this quest are a source of fanciful and humorous interection. And there are twists that keep the reader on their toes.
What a delight. A fanciful story of a sheltered girl and her path to independence. Her companions on this quest are a source of fanciful and humorous interection. And there are twists that keep the reader on their toes.
December 13, 2023
This book was very fun and a joyous experience to read. Lots of humor. I definitely recommend if you’re looking for something light, fun and humorous.
February 2, 2024
The Audiobook was fantastic, I will update with a full review in the next few days!
January 1, 2026
This book was a fun and charming read! Full of whimsy and delightful characters!
December 11, 2023
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with this one. A necromantic adventure? But I am so glad I had the opportunity to read it - and I will be reading it again. I can see myself in Gabriela, and I’m sure I know at least one Aura in my life. Lord Sebastian is the faithful companion every Princess needs, and Brynmor is every bit what I expect to start. The growth and transformation of the characters kept me pulled in, and I want to know what happens next!
January 6, 2024
A cozy adventure, and I know that sounds strange given it's a necromantic adventure as stated on this cover. Well written characters that each have their own story and personality. The main character, I adore, and several others I found very entertaining. The main character learns more about her family and herself along the way. A lovely constructed world of dead and alive with a team of interesting personalities. Together they work to fix a mistake leading to much larger issues that unravel as they progress. A sweet adventure that's definitely worth a read.
August 4, 2024
This book was wonderful. The comedy and drama were perfectly balanced and I will definitely be getting the audiobook once it's finished.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews