The Necromancer's Rogue

Underground City #2

by Icy Sedgwick, Daniel Hugo (Illustrator), Nerine Dorman (Editor)

Can a young mage mend a broken heart that's made of stone?

Apprentice mage Jyximus Faire has seen what lies beyond death. Now he's back among the living, he just wants a quiet life. But his home will be razed to make way for a rich prince's playground. And a Lord of Death wants to tear open the Veil between the worlds and destroy the living.

The Academy's end-of-year exams would have been easier.

Except he's supposed to be dead and his tutor, the necromancer general, is locked in a notorious prison. And she wants him to work with a Shadowkin, one of a race reviled as thieves and spies.

Can Jyx go rogue to stage a jail break? Can he wake an ancient goddess and save his home? And can he keep the dead among the dead?

281 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 7, 2018

About the author

Fantasy with a Folklore Twist

Icy Sedgwick is a writer based in the north east of England. She writes Gothic-tinged not-quite-YA fantasy novels and Gothic short stories. Icy is also working on a series of experiments in historical fiction with Australian composer AJ Moon, combining spoken word stories with originally composed music. When she's not writing fiction, she's blogging about folklore and the supernatural.

Elsewhere, she's working on a PhD in Film Studies, looking at the use of set design in contemporary supernatural films. She also knits up a storm, enjoys poking around old buildings, and takes more photographs than she probably should.

Reviews

[Susie · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read The Necromancer’s Apprentice (the first book in the Underground City series), I immediately liked Jxy, the hero for his impatience, and watched with equal parts of glee and horror as the mummy chaos unravelled. (I mean, if you’re surrounded by mummies you may as well bring them back from the dead, right?) My only complaint then was that the book was too short.

But now Icy Sedgwick has just released the second instalment of her Underground City series, The Necromancer’s Rogue. It’s a great expansion of the Underground City, in which we meet new characters and get embroiled in the world of the city and the people and creatures that live in it.

The new characters are wonderful, from the very creepy Mr Gondavere (what is he up to? It can’t be any good) to Vyolet the kick-ass Shadowkin. The Necromancer General Eufame is back too, and this book starts with Jyx having to rescue her from the dreaded House of Correction, before they can stop Mr Gondavere and his wicked plans.

Icy Sedgwick is a wonderful writer. The descriptions are rich and vivid, bringing this fast-paced tale to life. Read the Necromancer’s Rogue for a whole lot of fun.

[Lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the first book in the series but it had been a short novel, however this 2nd book is a full length novel full of action and surprises. Jyx is taken out of his perpetual death spell, which Eufame Delsenza, his necromancer mentor, had put on him. Her Wolfkin guards broke the spell because whilst Jyx was dead, she had been imprisoned for treason and the Wolfkin wanted Jyx to break her out of the House of Correction. The underground city was in danger of being eradicated and the crack which everyone had heard was more significant than any of them interpreted the noise to be! A Lord of the dead was seeking an ancient relic hoping to gain control of the twin cities however Jyx and his new friend Vyolet the Shadowkin fought with all their might to save the twin cities by resurrecting an ancient Goddess and facing dangers such as that posed by Mr. Gondavere, Dreadguards and numerous city guards including those who pursued Shadowkin however, they did not fight alone as both the Wolfkin and Bastet where never far from where they were needed most. I loved this book even better than the first one, Jyx has really come into his own now, and Vyolet is a lovely new character who I hope we will see more of in the next book, Eufame seems to be showing her kind side more and appreciating Jyx for what he was becoming. I am dying to read about Jyx as a fully fledged mage in the next book. the dark and gothic aspect of the novel is in full swing as we enter the House of Correction which is a nightmare in itself and as we roam through the dungeons and sewers below the underground city itself!

[Di Paterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Totally enjoyable. This story follows on from 'The Necromancer's Apprentice', but can be read as a stand-alone book. But don't; they are so enjoyable, read them all. I'm now awaiting the third in the series. Icy Sedgwick has a lovely sense of humour, which is reflected in the tongue-in-cheek nature of these books, while still maintaining drama and suspense as the plot unfolds. Despite being fantasy creations, her characters are relatable, and she manages to touch on social issues without preaching in any way.

[Shane Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much better follow up

The first book was way to short to be called a book, but this was a much more enjoyable read. Well done and I look forward to seeing this series continue to improve