What do you think?
Rate this book
Necromancer
Every city has an underworld and St. Louis is no exception. Torrin McGlynne—driven by a selfish, misguided sense of justice—thrives in his dealings with the city’s thieves, murderers, and drug dealers. They supply him with both job security and the financial means to provide a better life for his daughters.
When he runs afoul of a shadowy cabal wielding unimaginable, magical powers, he unwittingly enters into a deadly game of cat and mouse where nothing is what it seems. The stakes continue to rise until Torrin must choose between protecting himself and making the ultimate sacrifice to save those he loves the most.
When he runs afoul of a shadowy cabal wielding unimaginable, magical powers, he unwittingly enters into a deadly game of cat and mouse where nothing is what it seems. The stakes continue to rise until Torrin must choose between protecting himself and making the ultimate sacrifice to save those he loves the most.
223 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 3, 2012
32 people want to read
About the author
C. Bryan Brown
17 books17 followersI hope you like what you read. If so, visit my website where you can find out where to get more of my work!
Find me on Facebook, too! www.facebook.com/cbryanbrown
Find me on Facebook, too! www.facebook.com/cbryanbrown
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 4, 2017
Being a writer of horror myself, I'm always worried that I'll cross the line of believeability. Writer C Bryan Brown does this with such ease and grace. One is swept away into Torrin McGlynne's underworld of crime and the unknown. Torrin McGlynne is an anti-hero. One only feels sympathy for him because he is such a complex character. From beginning to the end, Necromancer is full of drama, suspense--and action. A great read. Alan Zacher
October 22, 2012
3? 3.5? I honestly do not know.
This book started off with a lot of promise. Necromancy, dead bodies, drug dealings and corrupt policemen all wrapped up in one book - Brown could have penned down a winner. Focus here on the 'could' because somewhere between 100 and 150 pages it all went to hell.
This book could have turned out so much better - it had such potential. I had liked Torrin despite his after office activities and was waiting for him to kick some necromancer ass. And I kept waiting. Ad waiting. And waiting... For a book titled Necromancer, it has no mention of Necromancers in the first half of the book.
I lost interest. I skimmed past most of the middle of the book. I even contemplated giving it up once or twice. But I am glad I didn't. Because somewhere near the end the pace picked up again. I absolutely LOVED the ending. Once the bad guys turned up and some ass kicking ensued I was hooked - all over again.
I wish it was a bit creepier though.
This ebook was provided to me by the author through Read It & Reap program of the group Shut Up & Read on Goodreads in exchange of an honest review.
This book started off with a lot of promise. Necromancy, dead bodies, drug dealings and corrupt policemen all wrapped up in one book - Brown could have penned down a winner. Focus here on the 'could' because somewhere between 100 and 150 pages it all went to hell.
This book could have turned out so much better - it had such potential. I had liked Torrin despite his after office activities and was waiting for him to kick some necromancer ass. And I kept waiting. Ad waiting. And waiting... For a book titled Necromancer, it has no mention of Necromancers in the first half of the book.
I lost interest. I skimmed past most of the middle of the book. I even contemplated giving it up once or twice. But I am glad I didn't. Because somewhere near the end the pace picked up again. I absolutely LOVED the ending. Once the bad guys turned up and some ass kicking ensued I was hooked - all over again.
I wish it was a bit creepier though.
This ebook was provided to me by the author through Read It & Reap program of the group Shut Up & Read on Goodreads in exchange of an honest review.
October 23, 2012
Have you ever watched a new movie, something you thought had good direction, good lighting, even good dialogues -- but somehow, somewhere, you got the the feeling that you had seen it all before? That nothing really stood out? Brown's Necromancer gave me that feeling.
Told from various perspectives, Necromancer is the story of Torrin McGlynne, a dirty cop who has sacrificed his morality for greed, but really has a good heart. But while on the hunt for a killer, he stumbles on to something way beyond his control.
The quality of the author's writing is beyond reproach. The dialogues, the seamless blend of various scenes is commendable - it's like a movie. But for a novel to be declared good, there has to be something more.
The characters were mostly uni-dimensional with the exception of Torrin, but then again, that wasn't to his favour. None of the other characters were sufficiently developed for the reader to sympathize with them.
Kara mostly wept. She loves her husband, she doesn't love her husband. that was the extent of her contribution.
Bobby is good. Bobby likes women. Bobby likes Torrin. Done. I honestly couldn't muster any sadness at his death. I barely knew him!
Even the captain was cliched. He was the proverbial pain-in-the-ass boss. he is good to Bobby, not to Torrin. Why? No answer.
Also, the plot themes were completely segmented. In the first part, we have the mystery of Visnic's death and the Torrin's guilt, problems with his wife. Human themes. In the second half, we delve into supernatural themes.
No, not delve, more like sky-dive. Wizards, necromancers, living-dead, spells, fireballs, wizard councils...all come right after the other. Way too hurried to be a good read.
And finally of course, Torrin's guilt and the question of right or wrong. Was that really necessary? It didn't seem to serve ANYTHING to the novel.
It was clear that Brown had a story to tell. But whether that story was a suspense-thriller, fantasy, horror or an after school special - I couldn't tell.
And finally we come to the logic of the whole thing. Mildred decided Torrin needed to be brought to justice because he had murdered someone. Well so do a hundred thousand people. Do I see her bringing everyone to justice? Of course not.
Also by her logic, she herself is guilty. She made Mercury plant the memory in the witness' mind which prompted Torrin to kill her. Do I see her punishing herself? Or when Mercury caused that accident? As Torrin pointed out, lots of innocents died. So where is her chain for him?
Plot holes, unanswered questions and way too many character faults filled the whole novel. I could go on and on.
To sum up, I have to say this - the writing was pretty good. In fact, while reading the novel, you can get through it pretty easily. But the story, as a whole, lets you down. Even then, it could have worked, except that the story had nothing new to offer.
It is not a story I would recommend.
Told from various perspectives, Necromancer is the story of Torrin McGlynne, a dirty cop who has sacrificed his morality for greed, but really has a good heart. But while on the hunt for a killer, he stumbles on to something way beyond his control.
The quality of the author's writing is beyond reproach. The dialogues, the seamless blend of various scenes is commendable - it's like a movie. But for a novel to be declared good, there has to be something more.
The characters were mostly uni-dimensional with the exception of Torrin, but then again, that wasn't to his favour. None of the other characters were sufficiently developed for the reader to sympathize with them.
Kara mostly wept. She loves her husband, she doesn't love her husband. that was the extent of her contribution.
Bobby is good. Bobby likes women. Bobby likes Torrin. Done. I honestly couldn't muster any sadness at his death. I barely knew him!
Even the captain was cliched. He was the proverbial pain-in-the-ass boss. he is good to Bobby, not to Torrin. Why? No answer.
Also, the plot themes were completely segmented. In the first part, we have the mystery of Visnic's death and the Torrin's guilt, problems with his wife. Human themes. In the second half, we delve into supernatural themes.
No, not delve, more like sky-dive. Wizards, necromancers, living-dead, spells, fireballs, wizard councils...all come right after the other. Way too hurried to be a good read.
And finally of course, Torrin's guilt and the question of right or wrong. Was that really necessary? It didn't seem to serve ANYTHING to the novel.
It was clear that Brown had a story to tell. But whether that story was a suspense-thriller, fantasy, horror or an after school special - I couldn't tell.
And finally we come to the logic of the whole thing. Mildred decided Torrin needed to be brought to justice because he had murdered someone. Well so do a hundred thousand people. Do I see her bringing everyone to justice? Of course not.
Also by her logic, she herself is guilty. She made Mercury plant the memory in the witness' mind which prompted Torrin to kill her. Do I see her punishing herself? Or when Mercury caused that accident? As Torrin pointed out, lots of innocents died. So where is her chain for him?
Plot holes, unanswered questions and way too many character faults filled the whole novel. I could go on and on.
To sum up, I have to say this - the writing was pretty good. In fact, while reading the novel, you can get through it pretty easily. But the story, as a whole, lets you down. Even then, it could have worked, except that the story had nothing new to offer.
It is not a story I would recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 23, 2012
After I finish a book, and before I review it, I generally take a look at other reviews to make sure I'm not re-inventing the wheel, so that the author gets the best review (for revisions) and future readers can make an informed choice if they want to read it. So I was deeply shocked to see 2 and 3 star reviews and more shocked to read what they said and why they didn't like the story. Maybe they just didn't get the genre or like the type of story. That said, I have to say I was impressed and loved this book!
First off, its written along the lines of those old gumshoe detective type novels, where you have the stereotypical type characters along for the ride. You have the dirty cop, the dedicated cop, and the hard-ass police chief. Yeah! But this book had a twist. On the surface it seemed your normal cop/detective novel, but with a supernatural twist. We have a really weird murder mystery, that when poked starts yielding really determined zombies out to get our not really likable detectives. This leads into the secret supernatural world underlying the mundane. Next we have really scary wizards and manipulation on a global level. Very interesting and unexpected.
Pros: Love the twist on the detective/cop/murder mystery type novel. It read like Mickey Spillane, and the author's style was spare and right to the point. Brilliant story telling on an old theme. Loved the anti-hero, our love to hate him dirty Irish cop, McGlynne. He starts off killing an innocent 8 year old girl, and you know there is no way he will achieve redemption in your eyes, yet at the end, you want him to get away, get the girl and live happily ever after. Mainly, because he's the one guy you know will do what has to be done. Loved him! Next, loved the world and the wizards. They were spooky, too powerful and basically unchecked. At the end there wasn't one of them you could like.
Cons: Not many, it dragged a bit at the beginning, but that was me just wanting the supernatural stuff to show up. I forgot about it after a while though and just enjoyed my read. I guess you can argue some characters were one-dimensional, but it fit the genre the author was using so it wasn't distracting, and the depth put into McGlynne made it worth it.
I'd recommend this to lovers of dark fantasy, mystery with a supernatural twist, and detective novel lovers. Not for you paranormal romance people. Way to fun.
First off, its written along the lines of those old gumshoe detective type novels, where you have the stereotypical type characters along for the ride. You have the dirty cop, the dedicated cop, and the hard-ass police chief. Yeah! But this book had a twist. On the surface it seemed your normal cop/detective novel, but with a supernatural twist. We have a really weird murder mystery, that when poked starts yielding really determined zombies out to get our not really likable detectives. This leads into the secret supernatural world underlying the mundane. Next we have really scary wizards and manipulation on a global level. Very interesting and unexpected.
Pros: Love the twist on the detective/cop/murder mystery type novel. It read like Mickey Spillane, and the author's style was spare and right to the point. Brilliant story telling on an old theme. Loved the anti-hero, our love to hate him dirty Irish cop, McGlynne. He starts off killing an innocent 8 year old girl, and you know there is no way he will achieve redemption in your eyes, yet at the end, you want him to get away, get the girl and live happily ever after. Mainly, because he's the one guy you know will do what has to be done. Loved him! Next, loved the world and the wizards. They were spooky, too powerful and basically unchecked. At the end there wasn't one of them you could like.
Cons: Not many, it dragged a bit at the beginning, but that was me just wanting the supernatural stuff to show up. I forgot about it after a while though and just enjoyed my read. I guess you can argue some characters were one-dimensional, but it fit the genre the author was using so it wasn't distracting, and the depth put into McGlynne made it worth it.
I'd recommend this to lovers of dark fantasy, mystery with a supernatural twist, and detective novel lovers. Not for you paranormal romance people. Way to fun.
October 18, 2012
Well I wasn't sure what I made of this book, it had a few problems that I found annoying.
Firstly the storyline was just lacking in imagination, it didn't grip me and the only reason I carried on is because I wanted to know if he would be caught. It started of slow and seemed to be full of useless information that in my opinion had nothing to do with the story or advancement of the storyline.
When the dead started walking on wizards were introduced I thought this is picking up and the pace seemed to pick up and it flowed rather well.
There was still too much information that wasn't needed and I felt that did ruin it as well as things that needed more information not been given.
I found Torrin to be an annoying character to a point. In the first half of the book he came across as a self centered no it all who thought he was untouchable, witch grated on me then nearer the end he became more likeable.
Bobby was a little more likeable but at times his goody nature got a bit much.
The characters that were the wizards I felt so much more could have been done to have these characters grow instead of quick introductions and nothing else, I would have liked more on the wizards and less on Torrin's after school activities.
Has for the bad guys Faust and Mueller well not alot was told of them and what there intentions were it was a kinda work it out yourself storyline and maybe guess the motive.
I found the ending to be disappointing, there was some build up thaen it ended. This big bad ass wizard who brought hundreds of dead people to kill Torrin was killed too easy and I felt that it let down the book. It just seemed to end and then a rush explanation has to how it happened and what happened after ward.
I felt that this could have been a really good book but it was lacking . The wizard angle should have been there from the start and not half way into the book.
Firstly the storyline was just lacking in imagination, it didn't grip me and the only reason I carried on is because I wanted to know if he would be caught. It started of slow and seemed to be full of useless information that in my opinion had nothing to do with the story or advancement of the storyline.
When the dead started walking on wizards were introduced I thought this is picking up and the pace seemed to pick up and it flowed rather well.
There was still too much information that wasn't needed and I felt that did ruin it as well as things that needed more information not been given.
I found Torrin to be an annoying character to a point. In the first half of the book he came across as a self centered no it all who thought he was untouchable, witch grated on me then nearer the end he became more likeable.
Bobby was a little more likeable but at times his goody nature got a bit much.
The characters that were the wizards I felt so much more could have been done to have these characters grow instead of quick introductions and nothing else, I would have liked more on the wizards and less on Torrin's after school activities.
Has for the bad guys Faust and Mueller well not alot was told of them and what there intentions were it was a kinda work it out yourself storyline and maybe guess the motive.
I found the ending to be disappointing, there was some build up thaen it ended. This big bad ass wizard who brought hundreds of dead people to kill Torrin was killed too easy and I felt that it let down the book. It just seemed to end and then a rush explanation has to how it happened and what happened after ward.
I felt that this could have been a really good book but it was lacking . The wizard angle should have been there from the start and not half way into the book.
October 5, 2012
C. Bryan Brown's Necromancer started with a bang and never slowed down. The steady rise of tension was masterfully orchestrated to keep me flipping pages long past when I meant to put the book down. This is a gritty crime novel that will ease you into the supernatural realm with cleverly planted hints along the way, before smacking you upside the head with the otherworldly.
Torrin McGlynne made for a fascinating and multi-faceted main character. Scenes in the outside world show me his determination, his quick wit and sarcasm, and his strength. But inside the home, with the people that matter most to him, we are allowed to see what really makes the man tick -- what makes him do the things he does, what gives him that strength to push on.
As serious and dark as Necromancer is, the story was not without its funny moments. Multiple pop-culture references had me chuckling more times than I can count, and the banter between Torrin and his partner Bobby mixed just the right amount of dry humor into this heavy, dark atmosphere.
I tried and tried to think of anything I could offer up in the negative on this book, and in the end, I came up almost empty-handed. The only scenes I could have lived without were the two sex scenes -- but honestly, that's just personal preference. Still, C. Bryan Brown managed to keep these scenes brief and not over-done.
All in all, Necromancer nailed the balance between all aspects: the balance between the characters' flaws and their strengths, between Torrin's despair and hope, and between the story's darkness and humor.
Torrin McGlynne made for a fascinating and multi-faceted main character. Scenes in the outside world show me his determination, his quick wit and sarcasm, and his strength. But inside the home, with the people that matter most to him, we are allowed to see what really makes the man tick -- what makes him do the things he does, what gives him that strength to push on.
As serious and dark as Necromancer is, the story was not without its funny moments. Multiple pop-culture references had me chuckling more times than I can count, and the banter between Torrin and his partner Bobby mixed just the right amount of dry humor into this heavy, dark atmosphere.
I tried and tried to think of anything I could offer up in the negative on this book, and in the end, I came up almost empty-handed. The only scenes I could have lived without were the two sex scenes -- but honestly, that's just personal preference. Still, C. Bryan Brown managed to keep these scenes brief and not over-done.
All in all, Necromancer nailed the balance between all aspects: the balance between the characters' flaws and their strengths, between Torrin's despair and hope, and between the story's darkness and humor.
October 16, 2012
I just finished reading the book Necromancer and I liked it. The ending of the book was great! The author Had me guessing right up until the end and still left me wanting more after the final sentence. It was kind of tough to get started with the book at first. It was a little slow and at times, to me, kind of hard to follow. The characters, however, did have great depth and the author did a brilliant job of making you feel like you were in the situation with them. I do like that it was different from most books of this genre. Usually when you see a book titled something like Necromancer, you expect magic from beginning to end. On this aspect it veered from the expected and had more of a real life feel to it at first. Although, these kind of books are not really my cup of tea this one was, for the most part, a pleasant read.
June 24, 2013
Necromancer is a great boilerplate noir story with a delightful supernatural twist. Though detective stories aren't my usual cup of tea, the supernatural element really hooked me and I enjoyed seeing all of the hardboiled detective tropes be turned on their head by the revelations about 2/3 of the way through. My only complaint is that I feel like Brown gave a little too much away too early. The title of the book is a bit of a spoiler in and of itself, and a few sections from the POV of the evil henchman early on spoil any sense of mystery over who the bad guy actually is.
Otherwise, a great summer read.
Otherwise, a great summer read.
February 7, 2016
Likes:
-Solid writing. I never had issues understanding what happened in a scene, and clearly pictured what was described. The dialogue was great and easily sounded like real people having a conversation.
-Intriguing story. I have a thing for "average human getting caught up in paranormal secret society" story lines, and I like how that was tied together through solving a murder case. The pacing is solid; nothing feels like it drags, and the plot consistently advances. I appreciated the third person omniscient POV, even with the mystery and case going on. There are some characters I would have liked to visit more with the changing POV and would have liked to see developed more, Kara especially, but I liked what we saw.
Dislikes:
-As much as I think the story is good, the first half and second half feel almost like different genres. There are hints leading up to Torrin finally having his run in with the paranormal, but it takes about half of the story to get there, and then from that point on it feels like a shift from mystery/crime with sprinkles of paranormal to urban fantasy/horror rather abruptly. I would have liked seeing Torrin's introduction to the magical underworld much sooner and then have more page time spent on getting to know the major players in the plot, and considering the title of the book is Necromancer, I felt like it took too long for the story to actually introduce the actual necromancer. It's almost as though the first half is very centered on Torrin and solving the case, and then the second half is more like he is a tool being used by those with powers, which was still fun to read about, but I think the story would have been stronger had that transition been less abrupt.
Overall
This is a solid 3.5 stars from me. My con is mostly nitpicking. It was a good read, and for a story involving necromancy and magic, the author doesn't shy away from real-world, human consequences and reactions, which I appreciate. I look forward to reading more of Brown's work and seeing where he goes from here.
-Solid writing. I never had issues understanding what happened in a scene, and clearly pictured what was described. The dialogue was great and easily sounded like real people having a conversation.
-Intriguing story. I have a thing for "average human getting caught up in paranormal secret society" story lines, and I like how that was tied together through solving a murder case. The pacing is solid; nothing feels like it drags, and the plot consistently advances. I appreciated the third person omniscient POV, even with the mystery and case going on. There are some characters I would have liked to visit more with the changing POV and would have liked to see developed more, Kara especially, but I liked what we saw.
Dislikes:
-As much as I think the story is good, the first half and second half feel almost like different genres. There are hints leading up to Torrin finally having his run in with the paranormal, but it takes about half of the story to get there, and then from that point on it feels like a shift from mystery/crime with sprinkles of paranormal to urban fantasy/horror rather abruptly. I would have liked seeing Torrin's introduction to the magical underworld much sooner and then have more page time spent on getting to know the major players in the plot, and considering the title of the book is Necromancer, I felt like it took too long for the story to actually introduce the actual necromancer. It's almost as though the first half is very centered on Torrin and solving the case, and then the second half is more like he is a tool being used by those with powers, which was still fun to read about, but I think the story would have been stronger had that transition been less abrupt.
Overall
This is a solid 3.5 stars from me. My con is mostly nitpicking. It was a good read, and for a story involving necromancy and magic, the author doesn't shy away from real-world, human consequences and reactions, which I appreciate. I look forward to reading more of Brown's work and seeing where he goes from here.
October 26, 2012
Originally posted on my blog Urban Fantasy Review
I received a copy of Necromancer from the Read and Reap group on Goodreads, so thanks to the author and moderators for making this possible. I don't know where to begin, Torrin McGlynne is a crooked cop working as a homicide detective in St Louis and honestly he's is worse than most of the bad guys he chases. While investigating the homicide of local bank president Torrin and his partner stumble on world of wizards and necromancers they never knew existed.
Torrin was pretty much a sociopath and had not much in the way of redeeming qualities. While he did love his family, shooting a child in the head because she saw you kill her father to steal his drug money so you can send your kids to college pretty much makes you a monster. It doesn't make you an anti-hero or troubled or conflicted it just makes you a monster. This happens in the first chapter or two and I couldn't stand the guy after that. The supporting characters were really one dimensional, there was nothing there to make you root for anyone. No backstory really either why did the captain like Bobby but hate Torrin, why was Kara suddenly convinced Torrin was having an affair.
The story started as a basic murder mystery with a weird cause of death. The book was described as dark urban fantasy and while it was, I was more than half way through before you see any of the urban fantasy elements and god help me I hate zombies. I didn't find the plot engaging enough to really keep my attention and the characters didn't have a lot going for them so this book was a miss for me.
I received a copy of Necromancer from the Read and Reap group on Goodreads, so thanks to the author and moderators for making this possible. I don't know where to begin, Torrin McGlynne is a crooked cop working as a homicide detective in St Louis and honestly he's is worse than most of the bad guys he chases. While investigating the homicide of local bank president Torrin and his partner stumble on world of wizards and necromancers they never knew existed.
Torrin was pretty much a sociopath and had not much in the way of redeeming qualities. While he did love his family, shooting a child in the head because she saw you kill her father to steal his drug money so you can send your kids to college pretty much makes you a monster. It doesn't make you an anti-hero or troubled or conflicted it just makes you a monster. This happens in the first chapter or two and I couldn't stand the guy after that. The supporting characters were really one dimensional, there was nothing there to make you root for anyone. No backstory really either why did the captain like Bobby but hate Torrin, why was Kara suddenly convinced Torrin was having an affair.
The story started as a basic murder mystery with a weird cause of death. The book was described as dark urban fantasy and while it was, I was more than half way through before you see any of the urban fantasy elements and god help me I hate zombies. I didn't find the plot engaging enough to really keep my attention and the characters didn't have a lot going for them so this book was a miss for me.
October 21, 2012
Necromancer
By C. Bryan Brown
Torrin McGlynne is what some might consider a “Dirty” cop, he steals from the drug dealers, murders, and thieves to secure his twin daughters future in the world. Soon Torrin finds himself in a world that is unlike his everyday normal existence when his investigation leads him straight into a magic wielding villain unlike any other.
The first half of this book starts off a bit differently than you would expect, the main character starts off by killing not only a drug dealer but his daughter who bears witness to his crimes. When I picked up this novel I thought it would be full of paranormal activity, but the magic is subtle until about sixty percent through the novel when the real fun begins. The one question that this novel left me with was, “Who are the good guys?” We start off with Torrin the one, who begins the novel by murdering a little girl, then you have the partner who seems to be the only upstanding person in this book and he soon becomes a victim to the ways of the magical world. I always thought a novel needed a hero and a villain but C. Bryan Brown managed to write an entire novel where you have no clue who to actually root for, it was interesting to read though it leaves you feeling a bit lackluster when you are done.
For More Reviews be sure to visit my blogs at:
http://reflectionsofabookworm.wordpre...
http://bookwormrflects8.blogspot.com/
By C. Bryan Brown
Torrin McGlynne is what some might consider a “Dirty” cop, he steals from the drug dealers, murders, and thieves to secure his twin daughters future in the world. Soon Torrin finds himself in a world that is unlike his everyday normal existence when his investigation leads him straight into a magic wielding villain unlike any other.
The first half of this book starts off a bit differently than you would expect, the main character starts off by killing not only a drug dealer but his daughter who bears witness to his crimes. When I picked up this novel I thought it would be full of paranormal activity, but the magic is subtle until about sixty percent through the novel when the real fun begins. The one question that this novel left me with was, “Who are the good guys?” We start off with Torrin the one, who begins the novel by murdering a little girl, then you have the partner who seems to be the only upstanding person in this book and he soon becomes a victim to the ways of the magical world. I always thought a novel needed a hero and a villain but C. Bryan Brown managed to write an entire novel where you have no clue who to actually root for, it was interesting to read though it leaves you feeling a bit lackluster when you are done.
For More Reviews be sure to visit my blogs at:
http://reflectionsofabookworm.wordpre...
http://bookwormrflects8.blogspot.com/
October 12, 2012
Disclaimer: I recieved a copy of this book for free in return for a review
I did not expect to like this book as much as I did. I had only scanned through the synopsis and thought this was a bit outside my normal genre range and thus worth a read (apparently I missed the title of the book!).
The author is very good at setting up characters - the book is mainly told from three peoples points of view and within a few lines you get an excellent sense of the character - be it an old school banker with the 'traditional' old school likes of gin, wood and leather or a cop who prides himself on his job and appearance. The only character that I felt had been a bit skipped over was Kara - she seemed to jump between all trusting, all loathing and awfully confused
I was a tad surprised at the outcome of the story, it certainly fits with the way that it has been written, but it almost felt like things... fell into place a bit too neatly .
I would definitely recomend this book and would be interesting in reading other books by this author.
I did not expect to like this book as much as I did. I had only scanned through the synopsis and thought this was a bit outside my normal genre range and thus worth a read (apparently I missed the title of the book!).
The author is very good at setting up characters - the book is mainly told from three peoples points of view and within a few lines you get an excellent sense of the character - be it an old school banker with the 'traditional' old school likes of gin, wood and leather or a cop who prides himself on his job and appearance. The only character that I felt had been a bit skipped over was Kara - she seemed to jump between all trusting, all loathing and awfully confused
I was a tad surprised at the outcome of the story, it certainly fits with the way that it has been written, but it almost felt like things... fell into place a bit too neatly .
I would definitely recomend this book and would be interesting in reading other books by this author.
October 22, 2012
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my review.
I really didn't know what to expect from this book. To be honest, I confused it with another of the same title. I was disappointed when I realized my mistake. I didn't expect to like the book whenI read the synopsis of the book. But I agreed to read and write a review so I read it.
I was pleasantly surprised that the book was so well written and actually grabbed me and forced me to finish it. The characters are well developed and the story moves at a good pace. It is a crime novel with a hint of wizards and magic mixed in. The story had me guessing and turning pages trying to figure out the ending. Which brings me to my only complaint, the ending felt rushed and too easily tied up in a nice neat bow.
If you are a fan of mystery and the unexplained this is a book for you. A quick read, and enjoyable. Pick it up.
I really didn't know what to expect from this book. To be honest, I confused it with another of the same title. I was disappointed when I realized my mistake. I didn't expect to like the book whenI read the synopsis of the book. But I agreed to read and write a review so I read it.
I was pleasantly surprised that the book was so well written and actually grabbed me and forced me to finish it. The characters are well developed and the story moves at a good pace. It is a crime novel with a hint of wizards and magic mixed in. The story had me guessing and turning pages trying to figure out the ending. Which brings me to my only complaint, the ending felt rushed and too easily tied up in a nice neat bow.
If you are a fan of mystery and the unexplained this is a book for you. A quick read, and enjoyable. Pick it up.
November 29, 2012
Much of this novel reminded me of some of my favorite old detective shows, making the characters very real for me through their dialogue. This made for crisp characters and helped to turn this novel into something intriguing and gripping. I was hooked by the horrid details in the opening chapters. And whatever it may have lacked to move the story on in the middle, the ending was quite clever and packed a punch. This is a well written dark fantasy book which should appeal to many and a job well done as a first effort for Mr. Brown.
May 27, 2015
This one blasted out of the gate, then slowed down for me a tad. Then around the halfway point, it starts firing on all cylinders again, and you hear that voice telling you to keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times. The story takes you on one hell of a ride. Any problems I may have had with the pace early on were quickly forgotten. The writing is top notch, and I recommend this book to anyone who likes their fiction on the gritty side. Recommended.
December 27, 2013
I am not one to give a good review when it isn't earned. For this book I found it enjoyable and that it takes the reader into a world that could be the one you currently live in without knowing.
The characters could easily be pictured and a voice given to them as you read on. You find yourself torn on who you want to win and in which way.
The characters could easily be pictured and a voice given to them as you read on. You find yourself torn on who you want to win and in which way.
May 4, 2014
It takes a lot to get a 5 star review from me. Rest assured, this book is incredible. Brutally dark, amazingly personal, and wonderfully written. C Bryan Brown left his mark on the world of horror / mystery with Necromancer. A fantastic read that I highly recommend.
May 19, 2014
A gritty and dark combination of noir and supernatural, underscored with the lone wolf sense of justice that made stories like The Maltese Falcon so much fun. When you are looking for a hero somewhere between Sam Spade and the Winchester Brothers, this would be the book.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews