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An Ambitious Woman and her Very Normal Pet
Adapted from the acclaimed Royal Road serial comes An Ambitious Woman and her Very Normal Pet!
After a devastating invasion, the necromancers of the kingdom of Led are executed for their crimes against the sanctity of life. One such necromancer, Sybil Whitman, finds all of this really, really, really dumb. All she wanted was to have her own farm and work alongside her skeleton constructs, providing food and warmth to the surrounding towns. It just so happens that a sympathetic god is listening in. Can she let go of her past and allow herself to have a future with her loved ones?
Antonio de Cardenas is a young prince fraught with the demons of his country's bleak history. Cainern has long suffered from the Druidic Wars, where his ancestors were pushed cruelly from their homes. Now, he's in a position to take back the land and liberate his people from the wicked rule of necromancers! Only... Is everything really as it seems in Led? Maybe his only hope lies in the hands of Sybil Whitman and her dark magic.
A cozy fantasy about one man rediscovering his birthright, one woman fleeing her duties, and a quiet town called Reisau.
"For a story that is centered on death, it is very life-affirming." - Goodreads reviewer
"Cozy fantasy with necromancers, druidic magic, and some fantastic characters? Yes, please!" - Amazon reviewer
After a devastating invasion, the necromancers of the kingdom of Led are executed for their crimes against the sanctity of life. One such necromancer, Sybil Whitman, finds all of this really, really, really dumb. All she wanted was to have her own farm and work alongside her skeleton constructs, providing food and warmth to the surrounding towns. It just so happens that a sympathetic god is listening in. Can she let go of her past and allow herself to have a future with her loved ones?
Antonio de Cardenas is a young prince fraught with the demons of his country's bleak history. Cainern has long suffered from the Druidic Wars, where his ancestors were pushed cruelly from their homes. Now, he's in a position to take back the land and liberate his people from the wicked rule of necromancers! Only... Is everything really as it seems in Led? Maybe his only hope lies in the hands of Sybil Whitman and her dark magic.
A cozy fantasy about one man rediscovering his birthright, one woman fleeing her duties, and a quiet town called Reisau.
"For a story that is centered on death, it is very life-affirming." - Goodreads reviewer
"Cozy fantasy with necromancers, druidic magic, and some fantastic characters? Yes, please!" - Amazon reviewer
316 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 30, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 18, 2025
An Ambitious Woman and her Very Normal Pet is my latest Willow Wraith Press bookclub read. It was a perfect choice for October because it is both cosy and spooky.
It was written for Inkfort Press’s Publishing Derby. This writing challenge involves an author being assigned a cover and a pen name. Under the new pen name, they must complete, self-edit, and market a novel in 5 months. Knowing the background of this book, I find it easy to excuse the smattering of typos found throughout. The prose is very comfortable to read. The dialogue, character interactions, and descriptions are strong. Even if the story lacks a bit of padding, its skeleton is animated to great effect. Pun fully intended.
The story starts with the MC, Sybil Whitman, at the gallows. It’s no spoiler if I tell you now that she doesn’t make a last-minute escape. She has been convicted of necromancy, which has only recently been outlawed in Led. But in the first few moments of her afterlife, the god of time, Arceme, decides to give her another chance at life. She is returned to a timeline before the war against necromancers started. She retains her memories of all that happened, but too much interference in this new timeline could see her recalled to the afterlife. So she runs.
Sybil takes her unique skillset to a faraway land and starts what she hopes will be a quiet new life. I can best appreciate necromancy or zombie stories in the context of a cosy or humorous book. The fact that the necromancers here cannot revive constructs against their wishes was a nice touch. All the constructs we meet respond to Sybil because they want to work alongside her. And they are some of the most charming characters in the book. I can’t choose between Willard, Jun, Amelia, Lasis or Roderick as a favourite. All the bones retain their original personalities, but not their memories of their former lives. Henry (the clay covered giant on the cover) is Sybil’s first construct. Mysteriously, Henry has been existing untethered to a necromancer for a long time. Their origins a mystery.
I could almost navigate the village, Reisau, if I closed my eyes and imagined it. The place has a distinctive feel about it. Everyone there is very welcoming towards Sybil, which makes for a cosy first act. We meet the titular “ambitious woman” but she may not be who you first think she is. There are also some quietly heartrending scenes, like the part where one of Sybil’s skeletons decides that they are ready for a commitment ritual. Sybil releases her constructs to find rest as readily as she animates those who've never really moved on.
Initially, I didn’t like our other pov character, Antonio de Cardenas. He is the arrogant prince who decided to go to war with Led, the land of necromancers and beast men (in both Sybil’s original timeline and this new one). Some hard knocks are sent his way, and his arc is worth watching. This is not a simple story of heroes and villains.
There is a dose of romance and some fade to black spice between some of the living characters. Given the characters’ early reactions to each other, it is sometimes surprising to see which of them come together. I will say upfront that you needn’t anticipate an "enemies to lovers" encounter between the two pov characters. Their paths cross in a different way.
I have no content warnings to hide behind spoilers. If you’re not a fan of zombies or skeletons, you may want to skip this (even though they’re all very decent). There isn’t much in the way of violence either, but war is mentioned.
Towards the end of the book, the story sheds its cosy fantasy skin, and becomes more of a quest with higher stakes. This brings about some resolution, but we’re still left with questions. It feels like a sequel could be called for. About Sybil’s missing brother; about Henry’s origins; about the gods, Arceme and Via.
I’ve been craving a cosy fantasy recently, and this was a very enjoyable read. For a story that is centred on death, it is very life-affirming.
It was written for Inkfort Press’s Publishing Derby. This writing challenge involves an author being assigned a cover and a pen name. Under the new pen name, they must complete, self-edit, and market a novel in 5 months. Knowing the background of this book, I find it easy to excuse the smattering of typos found throughout. The prose is very comfortable to read. The dialogue, character interactions, and descriptions are strong. Even if the story lacks a bit of padding, its skeleton is animated to great effect. Pun fully intended.
The story starts with the MC, Sybil Whitman, at the gallows. It’s no spoiler if I tell you now that she doesn’t make a last-minute escape. She has been convicted of necromancy, which has only recently been outlawed in Led. But in the first few moments of her afterlife, the god of time, Arceme, decides to give her another chance at life. She is returned to a timeline before the war against necromancers started. She retains her memories of all that happened, but too much interference in this new timeline could see her recalled to the afterlife. So she runs.
Sybil takes her unique skillset to a faraway land and starts what she hopes will be a quiet new life. I can best appreciate necromancy or zombie stories in the context of a cosy or humorous book. The fact that the necromancers here cannot revive constructs against their wishes was a nice touch. All the constructs we meet respond to Sybil because they want to work alongside her. And they are some of the most charming characters in the book. I can’t choose between Willard, Jun, Amelia, Lasis or Roderick as a favourite. All the bones retain their original personalities, but not their memories of their former lives. Henry (the clay covered giant on the cover) is Sybil’s first construct. Mysteriously, Henry has been existing untethered to a necromancer for a long time. Their origins a mystery.
I could almost navigate the village, Reisau, if I closed my eyes and imagined it. The place has a distinctive feel about it. Everyone there is very welcoming towards Sybil, which makes for a cosy first act. We meet the titular “ambitious woman” but she may not be who you first think she is. There are also some quietly heartrending scenes, like the part where one of Sybil’s skeletons decides that they are ready for a commitment ritual. Sybil releases her constructs to find rest as readily as she animates those who've never really moved on.
Initially, I didn’t like our other pov character, Antonio de Cardenas. He is the arrogant prince who decided to go to war with Led, the land of necromancers and beast men (in both Sybil’s original timeline and this new one). Some hard knocks are sent his way, and his arc is worth watching. This is not a simple story of heroes and villains.
There is a dose of romance and some fade to black spice between some of the living characters. Given the characters’ early reactions to each other, it is sometimes surprising to see which of them come together. I will say upfront that you needn’t anticipate an "enemies to lovers" encounter between the two pov characters. Their paths cross in a different way.
I have no content warnings to hide behind spoilers. If you’re not a fan of zombies or skeletons, you may want to skip this (even though they’re all very decent). There isn’t much in the way of violence either, but war is mentioned.
Towards the end of the book, the story sheds its cosy fantasy skin, and becomes more of a quest with higher stakes. This brings about some resolution, but we’re still left with questions. It feels like a sequel could be called for. About Sybil’s missing brother; about Henry’s origins; about the gods, Arceme and Via.
I’ve been craving a cosy fantasy recently, and this was a very enjoyable read. For a story that is centred on death, it is very life-affirming.
October 18, 2025
Cozy and excellent with some dark overtones
There’s a lot to love here. I’ll admit, I had no idea what to expect when getting started, but it ended up a wonderful read. Prose is very impressive - more so with the duel first-person POV’s. I generally don’t enjoy multiple first-person but the main leads are so different it never becomes an issue. I’m fairly confident I could open any random page and immediately know which POV it is.
Without going into spoilers, I found the ending very fair and well done. I was a bit worried at first I would hate Tony and dread his chapters, but the man grew on me, and I’ll shamelessly admit I found him the more interesting character by the end
There’s a lot to love here. I’ll admit, I had no idea what to expect when getting started, but it ended up a wonderful read. Prose is very impressive - more so with the duel first-person POV’s. I generally don’t enjoy multiple first-person but the main leads are so different it never becomes an issue. I’m fairly confident I could open any random page and immediately know which POV it is.
Without going into spoilers, I found the ending very fair and well done. I was a bit worried at first I would hate Tony and dread his chapters, but the man grew on me, and I’ll shamelessly admit I found him the more interesting character by the end
November 1, 2025
I read this as part of the Willow Wraith Press monthly indie book club. I went in blind without knowing any of the circumstances behind the writing of this book.
Basically, the author was given a cover and a pen name and had to create a book without spending any money in just a matter of months. With this in mind, I can easily look past the typos and errors. I mean, I'm a writer and I'm sure my attempt would be a disaster so kudos to the author on the feat!
As for the story, if you're a fan of cozy fantasy with a found family of skeletons, this will be right up your alley. This isn't a genre I typically read, and I enjoyed the dynamics between the two main POVs. It's set up perfectly for a sequel, so here's hoping we'll get one!
All in all, a very thought provoking and fun story.
Basically, the author was given a cover and a pen name and had to create a book without spending any money in just a matter of months. With this in mind, I can easily look past the typos and errors. I mean, I'm a writer and I'm sure my attempt would be a disaster so kudos to the author on the feat!
As for the story, if you're a fan of cozy fantasy with a found family of skeletons, this will be right up your alley. This isn't a genre I typically read, and I enjoyed the dynamics between the two main POVs. It's set up perfectly for a sequel, so here's hoping we'll get one!
All in all, a very thought provoking and fun story.
October 10, 2025
A cosy fantasy with magical touches.
First of all, I want to praise the author for writing this book as part of the Inkfort Publishing Derby. To create such a complex world from the inspiration of the front cover and write such an accomplished book is a marvelous achievement.
I really loved the world building and magic systems in this book. The Necromancer magic and how they could talk to the bones was so well described. I loved the druids, Necromancers and beast men. I found the war so interesting.
Unfortunately, the great hook and the really interesting world building made me long for a much more epic tale. This story is most firmly cosy fantasy, and people who like that genre will love this book. It is full of vibes and quiet moments and sweet personal things. It deals with the dilemma of war in its own way. It’s a complex and complete story.
First of all, I want to praise the author for writing this book as part of the Inkfort Publishing Derby. To create such a complex world from the inspiration of the front cover and write such an accomplished book is a marvelous achievement.
I really loved the world building and magic systems in this book. The Necromancer magic and how they could talk to the bones was so well described. I loved the druids, Necromancers and beast men. I found the war so interesting.
Unfortunately, the great hook and the really interesting world building made me long for a much more epic tale. This story is most firmly cosy fantasy, and people who like that genre will love this book. It is full of vibes and quiet moments and sweet personal things. It deals with the dilemma of war in its own way. It’s a complex and complete story.
October 13, 2025
An Ambitious Woman and Her Very Normal Pet is the cozy necromantic romance I never knew I needed. It is a story of rebirth, reincarnation, and growth in the face of self failure. There is something pure about this story. Also, that title is just so fun.
I want to start with explaining that An Ambitious Woman was part of the Inkfort Press Publishing Derby, an annual event where 100 authors are given a pre-made cover, a title, and a pen name, and they must write, edit, and publish a story within 4 months. Everything is done anonymously and without spending money. (Therefore, Lily Greene is not the author’s real name, but is the work of AJ Alexanders). So despite some editing mishaps, the fact that this story is so cohesive and fun and done within a 4-month period is just awe-inspiring!
The story starts off with Sybil Whitman’s hanging. She’s a necromancer put to the noose after a long war. But a curious god gives her a second chance, the only caveat is that she will not be able to change the past regarding the war, nor can she talk about it, even though she keeps all the memories of the war. With her second chance, she heads to a far-off town where she starts a farm with her skeletons. There she meets the very man, Antonio, who was instrumental in the war, but he’s been deposed and thrust into a second life of his own. Ensue cozy romances (not between them, though, spoiler alert, not really).
I think my favorite part of this story is the second chance given to Sybil. The entire premise is really neat and keeps some of the tension this story needs because she knows what happens to her family and friends during this war, and she cannot do a damn thing about it. It keeps Sybil and the reader on their toes. I also really liked how this plays with the necromantic magic as necromancers just don’t revive dead people, the deceased has to want to keep ‘living’ for them to be brought back as constructs. Sure their bonds can be transferred to another necromancer, but they can also choose to go to the afterlife whenever they are ready to be committed. It was such a neat change to necromancy. There is a very raw scene when Sybil commits one of the constructs to the afterlife, very emotional.
Sybil and Antonio are the dual 1st POV protagonists, and both are compelling in their own way. Sybil’s voice is quite witty but with great personal depth, and she has a melancholy about her because she knows her second chance can end at any time. Her arc is very enjoyable to follow. Her interactions with her revived constructs were great, because each has their own personality. Antonio, on the other hand, starts as an semi-antagonist, but as the story unfolds, his biases are destroyed as he learns to accept. His budding romance with a beastman (part of his biases) was lovely. Sybil and Antonio are great foils.
Aside from there being necromantic and druidic magic, this world has some fun concepts. The aforementioned beastmen are plenty. There are centaurs, satyrs, fox-looking people, driders (which are half human, half spiders). Goddesses in zombie-child bodies. Massive skeleton giants. Glamour potions. So there are a lot of fantastical beings within these pages.
This story is very cozy, so while the thread of final death and a potential rebellion is visible, the stakes are all very personal for Sybil and Antonio. The pace is steady, the prose accessible. There are some editing errors due to the nature of the Derby, but they were never egregious. If I had a quibble, it’s that we spend the final sixty pages in Antonio’s POV with no switch to Sybil. I would’ve liked some scenes from her POV. But the ending does have a nice reveal.
All in all, I had a very fun time with An Ambitious Woman and Her Very Normal Pet. If you are looking for a cozy romance in a queer-normative world with necromancers, give this book a look!
I want to start with explaining that An Ambitious Woman was part of the Inkfort Press Publishing Derby, an annual event where 100 authors are given a pre-made cover, a title, and a pen name, and they must write, edit, and publish a story within 4 months. Everything is done anonymously and without spending money. (Therefore, Lily Greene is not the author’s real name, but is the work of AJ Alexanders). So despite some editing mishaps, the fact that this story is so cohesive and fun and done within a 4-month period is just awe-inspiring!
The story starts off with Sybil Whitman’s hanging. She’s a necromancer put to the noose after a long war. But a curious god gives her a second chance, the only caveat is that she will not be able to change the past regarding the war, nor can she talk about it, even though she keeps all the memories of the war. With her second chance, she heads to a far-off town where she starts a farm with her skeletons. There she meets the very man, Antonio, who was instrumental in the war, but he’s been deposed and thrust into a second life of his own. Ensue cozy romances (not between them, though, spoiler alert, not really).
I think my favorite part of this story is the second chance given to Sybil. The entire premise is really neat and keeps some of the tension this story needs because she knows what happens to her family and friends during this war, and she cannot do a damn thing about it. It keeps Sybil and the reader on their toes. I also really liked how this plays with the necromantic magic as necromancers just don’t revive dead people, the deceased has to want to keep ‘living’ for them to be brought back as constructs. Sure their bonds can be transferred to another necromancer, but they can also choose to go to the afterlife whenever they are ready to be committed. It was such a neat change to necromancy. There is a very raw scene when Sybil commits one of the constructs to the afterlife, very emotional.
Sybil and Antonio are the dual 1st POV protagonists, and both are compelling in their own way. Sybil’s voice is quite witty but with great personal depth, and she has a melancholy about her because she knows her second chance can end at any time. Her arc is very enjoyable to follow. Her interactions with her revived constructs were great, because each has their own personality. Antonio, on the other hand, starts as an semi-antagonist, but as the story unfolds, his biases are destroyed as he learns to accept. His budding romance with a beastman (part of his biases) was lovely. Sybil and Antonio are great foils.
Aside from there being necromantic and druidic magic, this world has some fun concepts. The aforementioned beastmen are plenty. There are centaurs, satyrs, fox-looking people, driders (which are half human, half spiders). Goddesses in zombie-child bodies. Massive skeleton giants. Glamour potions. So there are a lot of fantastical beings within these pages.
This story is very cozy, so while the thread of final death and a potential rebellion is visible, the stakes are all very personal for Sybil and Antonio. The pace is steady, the prose accessible. There are some editing errors due to the nature of the Derby, but they were never egregious. If I had a quibble, it’s that we spend the final sixty pages in Antonio’s POV with no switch to Sybil. I would’ve liked some scenes from her POV. But the ending does have a nice reveal.
All in all, I had a very fun time with An Ambitious Woman and Her Very Normal Pet. If you are looking for a cozy romance in a queer-normative world with necromancers, give this book a look!
November 2, 2025
I went into An Ambitious Woman and her Very Normal Pet pretty blind, it was the book club pick for October by the Willow Wraith Press book club so I decided to join in the fun, and oh what fun it was. This is a cosy fantasy about Sybil, a necromancer given a second chance at life provided that she does not change the timeline given her knowledge of the war that is about to devastate the country. The reason for that war, Prince Antonio, is determined to invade, defeat the evil necromancers and take back the country his druidic ancestors were ousted from centuries before. All Sybil wants is a quiet life on her farm surrounded by the skeleton constructs she has raised, but Antonio's ambitions threaten to take all that away from her.
This was an absolutely charming tale, with an opening that immediately grabbed my attention and before long I found myself so invested in the story that I just did not want to put the book down.
There was so much heart in the characters and their relationships, reading the book felt like a warm hug. First person perspectives, especially with two POV characters can be a tricky thing to pull off, but it works incredibly well here , and the character voices are really distinct. Besides the main characters there were so many great secondary characters, from the Henry, the first construct that Sybil bonds with in her new home to Soleil, a drider- a character that physically resembles a spider in many ways and is so beloved in the community that they will risk war for his safety. The world is wonderfully Queer normative too, something that we could do with more of in all genres of fiction and I really loved that while both the main characters had romantic relationships, it was not with each other, instead their relationship grew from an understandable mistrust to a wonderfully balanced almost sibling like relationship. There is a lot of character growth in this book, in fact Antonio may have one of the best redemption arcs I have read in quite a while.
It might seem strange to have a cosy fantasy about necromancy but it works incredibly well. the author definitely subverts our expectations. In this world necromancy requires the consent of the dead party before their bones can rise, and that consent can be withdrawn at any time if the construct feels like their work is done and they are ready for their final rest. In fact one such moment in the book was so moving it brought tears to my eyes.
On another note, I have seen mention of editing issues with this book, and yes there are definitely some problems that could use a second look but I put that down to the unusual way in which this book was written, as explained by the author in the introduction - it was produced as part of a derby process and was completed in just a few months from an assigned cover and title. None of these errors in any way impacted on the story being told or my enjoyment of the book and I really hope to see more from this world and this author soon. I am so glad that I picked up this book on a whim and I would encourage more of you to do so if you can.
This was an absolutely charming tale, with an opening that immediately grabbed my attention and before long I found myself so invested in the story that I just did not want to put the book down.
There was so much heart in the characters and their relationships, reading the book felt like a warm hug. First person perspectives, especially with two POV characters can be a tricky thing to pull off, but it works incredibly well here , and the character voices are really distinct. Besides the main characters there were so many great secondary characters, from the Henry, the first construct that Sybil bonds with in her new home to Soleil, a drider- a character that physically resembles a spider in many ways and is so beloved in the community that they will risk war for his safety. The world is wonderfully Queer normative too, something that we could do with more of in all genres of fiction and I really loved that while both the main characters had romantic relationships, it was not with each other, instead their relationship grew from an understandable mistrust to a wonderfully balanced almost sibling like relationship. There is a lot of character growth in this book, in fact Antonio may have one of the best redemption arcs I have read in quite a while.
It might seem strange to have a cosy fantasy about necromancy but it works incredibly well. the author definitely subverts our expectations. In this world necromancy requires the consent of the dead party before their bones can rise, and that consent can be withdrawn at any time if the construct feels like their work is done and they are ready for their final rest. In fact one such moment in the book was so moving it brought tears to my eyes.
On another note, I have seen mention of editing issues with this book, and yes there are definitely some problems that could use a second look but I put that down to the unusual way in which this book was written, as explained by the author in the introduction - it was produced as part of a derby process and was completed in just a few months from an assigned cover and title. None of these errors in any way impacted on the story being told or my enjoyment of the book and I really hope to see more from this world and this author soon. I am so glad that I picked up this book on a whim and I would encourage more of you to do so if you can.
November 11, 2025
Sybil, the last of the necromancers, has chosen to fight. A choice that has inevitably landed her in hangman's noose. But as she dies, a curious god grants her a second chance, which she promises to lead a simpler life, that of a farmer, while not interfering with any of the politics that doomed her the first time around.
Antonio, a prince with a chip on his shoulder, finds a new kingdom to conquer. A kingdom that desperately needs cleaning up; full of awful beings, necromancers being the worst of them. Through a fresh start of his own, he is granted the opportunity to live among the people that he never truly understood.
An Ambitious Woman and her Very Normal Pet is half a cozy farming experience and half a military fantasy, expertly blended together to make a cohesive story. It is a refreshing take on necromancy and the responsibilities of those who raise the dead and a harsh critique of powerful oppressors.
I really resonated with the struggles of Sybil and her constant struggle to maintain a simple life while being pressured to stand up for what is right. There's so much to love about An Ambitious Woman: from the necromantic magic, to the motley characters, and the looming conflict that threatens all that they've built.
My favorite scene was the ritual at then end of act three. Both sorrowful and hopeful, it gave depth to the magic system and beautifully tied the two story arcs together, setting the stage for the climax.
A small gripe: at times the relationships between the characters felt saccharine; almost too easy and devoid of the smaller conflicts that are ever-present in real life. It gave an almost fairy tale feel to the story. But in the end that didn't take away from my enjoyment of Ambitious Woman.
If you've ever found yourself wishing for a fresh start, yearning for a simpler life, An Ambitious Woman and her Very Normal Pet is for you. Magical and cute and a deep look at ideal society, it is both hopeful and sorrowful, altogether an ambitious story.
Antonio, a prince with a chip on his shoulder, finds a new kingdom to conquer. A kingdom that desperately needs cleaning up; full of awful beings, necromancers being the worst of them. Through a fresh start of his own, he is granted the opportunity to live among the people that he never truly understood.
An Ambitious Woman and her Very Normal Pet is half a cozy farming experience and half a military fantasy, expertly blended together to make a cohesive story. It is a refreshing take on necromancy and the responsibilities of those who raise the dead and a harsh critique of powerful oppressors.
I really resonated with the struggles of Sybil and her constant struggle to maintain a simple life while being pressured to stand up for what is right. There's so much to love about An Ambitious Woman: from the necromantic magic, to the motley characters, and the looming conflict that threatens all that they've built.
My favorite scene was the ritual at then end of act three. Both sorrowful and hopeful, it gave depth to the magic system and beautifully tied the two story arcs together, setting the stage for the climax.
A small gripe: at times the relationships between the characters felt saccharine; almost too easy and devoid of the smaller conflicts that are ever-present in real life. It gave an almost fairy tale feel to the story. But in the end that didn't take away from my enjoyment of Ambitious Woman.
If you've ever found yourself wishing for a fresh start, yearning for a simpler life, An Ambitious Woman and her Very Normal Pet is for you. Magical and cute and a deep look at ideal society, it is both hopeful and sorrowful, altogether an ambitious story.
October 24, 2025
This was the first derby novel I've ever read and it was so much fun!
It being a derby book(read the foreword it explains the concept - basically authors get a book cover and a couple of months to write a story to fit it) is only relevant in that there are the occasional typo but the book is honestly so well realised I wouldn't even have known it was speed-written if not for the foreword.
I adored all the characters - even though I didn't like Antonio at first and was sure I'd never grow to do so, by the end I rooted for him just as much as I did Sybil and everyone else.
While the story starts with Sybil's death and has war themes and trauma, it's actually quite cosy and just so lovely. The concept of the bones/constructs was wonderful with each of the bones having their distinct personalities.
I also LOVED how queer normative the world was. I really wish that was a staple in fantasy, if we're making up worlds why do we keep upholding the same bigotry existing in our world? And this doesn't mean there weren't conflicts around other-ness and conformidty, it being queer normative just allowed for those other conflicts to be given enough breathing space it felt realistic and well-rounded for the world building.
I didn't read the blurb or anything else before I dove in and I must say having no clue what I was in for only made me enjoy the ride even more. So in short, just go read this book, it's lovely and cosy and full of emotional depth.
**I read this book as part of the WWP monthly book club pick**
It being a derby book(read the foreword it explains the concept - basically authors get a book cover and a couple of months to write a story to fit it) is only relevant in that there are the occasional typo but the book is honestly so well realised I wouldn't even have known it was speed-written if not for the foreword.
I adored all the characters - even though I didn't like Antonio at first and was sure I'd never grow to do so, by the end I rooted for him just as much as I did Sybil and everyone else.
While the story starts with Sybil's death and has war themes and trauma, it's actually quite cosy and just so lovely. The concept of the bones/constructs was wonderful with each of the bones having their distinct personalities.
I also LOVED how queer normative the world was. I really wish that was a staple in fantasy, if we're making up worlds why do we keep upholding the same bigotry existing in our world? And this doesn't mean there weren't conflicts around other-ness and conformidty, it being queer normative just allowed for those other conflicts to be given enough breathing space it felt realistic and well-rounded for the world building.
I didn't read the blurb or anything else before I dove in and I must say having no clue what I was in for only made me enjoy the ride even more. So in short, just go read this book, it's lovely and cosy and full of emotional depth.
**I read this book as part of the WWP monthly book club pick**
August 1, 2025
Decent book, needs an editor to look it over
Overall, it's a decent book. Not a romance, thank goodness, when the male POV appeared I got apprehensive about the idea.
There's a number of typos, like "endentured" when it should be "indentured", and words with the letters mixed up.
There's also CONSTANT issues with using "-" in the wrong places and without spaces, when they should be using " – ".
There's issues with the end quotation marks being after the end of the quotes:
"...in the grass, He said," taking a breath.
That one ^^ I made up the words to show the format of the error.
There's issues with spacing, where it'll be like:
"...grass,"He
There's issues with capitalization.
There's issues with using the wrong form of a word- nouns instead of adjectives, adjectives instead of adverbs, etc.
There's issues with sentences that don't make sense, because part of it has been deleted but not replaced, or lacks one of the necessary building blocks of a sentence.
Overall, the base story is solid, but it REALLY needs to be looked over by an editor before people start flagging the errors and Amazon flags it.
I'll see if I can send the author my flags somehow, as a band-aid measure, but I'm no professional and they really ought to get this looked over by one.
Overall, it's a decent book. Not a romance, thank goodness, when the male POV appeared I got apprehensive about the idea.
There's a number of typos, like "endentured" when it should be "indentured", and words with the letters mixed up.
There's also CONSTANT issues with using "-" in the wrong places and without spaces, when they should be using " – ".
There's issues with the end quotation marks being after the end of the quotes:
"...in the grass, He said," taking a breath.
That one ^^ I made up the words to show the format of the error.
There's issues with spacing, where it'll be like:
"...grass,"He
There's issues with capitalization.
There's issues with using the wrong form of a word- nouns instead of adjectives, adjectives instead of adverbs, etc.
There's issues with sentences that don't make sense, because part of it has been deleted but not replaced, or lacks one of the necessary building blocks of a sentence.
Overall, the base story is solid, but it REALLY needs to be looked over by an editor before people start flagging the errors and Amazon flags it.
I'll see if I can send the author my flags somehow, as a band-aid measure, but I'm no professional and they really ought to get this looked over by one.
October 24, 2025
This was read as Willow Wraith Press's October book of the month. I bounced between 4.3 and 4.5 on this, but I think it lands solidly at 4.5 for me.
Occasionally, I enjoy low-stakes fantasy, and the premise here was solid enough to keep me engaged. Necromancers and druids, death, life, and the cycle of both, and meddling gods made this a fun read. The world-building felt organic, the characters well-realized, and the plot easy to follow.
Some elements of it could've been sharper, editing mishaps caused by the specific way this novel was crafted (Inkfort Derby), and bits of the plot that were either a little too convenient for my taste, or not explained well enough. But these quibbles never impacted me enough to say I wasn't having a good time.
All in all, I did really enjoy this novel, and I've heard rumor that more works in this world will be coming.
Occasionally, I enjoy low-stakes fantasy, and the premise here was solid enough to keep me engaged. Necromancers and druids, death, life, and the cycle of both, and meddling gods made this a fun read. The world-building felt organic, the characters well-realized, and the plot easy to follow.
Some elements of it could've been sharper, editing mishaps caused by the specific way this novel was crafted (Inkfort Derby), and bits of the plot that were either a little too convenient for my taste, or not explained well enough. But these quibbles never impacted me enough to say I wasn't having a good time.
All in all, I did really enjoy this novel, and I've heard rumor that more works in this world will be coming.
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