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The Age of Magic #1
The People's Necromancer
Amidst the darkest days of antiquity, mankind discovers a new kind of hero.
For thousands of years, mankind warred without magic. Peculiar abilities were buried in history along with the storied paladins and the mysterious dark elves who rarely ventured into human towns.
That all changes at the end of the Tranquility Era, when a young man named Ashton accidentally raises his murdered best friend Clayton from the grave. Because of his mistake, Ashton becomes the focus of manhunts, armies, and the King’s judgement, but Ashton is not the biggest problem in the Kingdom of Surdel.
The golden age of man is coming to a close and enemies surround the civilized world. Lulled into a false sense of security by isolation and pervasive peace, human lords hatch petty schemes to weaken their rivals and gain favor with the throne.
Meanwhile, the demon lord Orcus stirs beneath the Great Northern Mountains and the orcish hordes grow restless just beyond the Southern Peaks. Out of the chaos at the end of the Tranquility Era, a new breed of hero arrives to forge an age of sorcery and mayhem. And into this chaos comes the Necromancer!
The four books in the Orcusinian (Book 1 - 4 of the Age of Magic) are available to read. You can enjoy the complete, expansive arc of Ashton Jeraldson, Mekadesh, the paladins, orcs, elves, and dragons in their epic battles with the Lord of the Undead!
Books of the Orcusinian (1-4 of Age of Magic):
Book 1: The People's Necromancer
Book 2: The Dark Paladin
Book 3: The Dragon Prince
Book 4: The Red Poet
For thousands of years, mankind warred without magic. Peculiar abilities were buried in history along with the storied paladins and the mysterious dark elves who rarely ventured into human towns.
That all changes at the end of the Tranquility Era, when a young man named Ashton accidentally raises his murdered best friend Clayton from the grave. Because of his mistake, Ashton becomes the focus of manhunts, armies, and the King’s judgement, but Ashton is not the biggest problem in the Kingdom of Surdel.
The golden age of man is coming to a close and enemies surround the civilized world. Lulled into a false sense of security by isolation and pervasive peace, human lords hatch petty schemes to weaken their rivals and gain favor with the throne.
Meanwhile, the demon lord Orcus stirs beneath the Great Northern Mountains and the orcish hordes grow restless just beyond the Southern Peaks. Out of the chaos at the end of the Tranquility Era, a new breed of hero arrives to forge an age of sorcery and mayhem. And into this chaos comes the Necromancer!
The four books in the Orcusinian (Book 1 - 4 of the Age of Magic) are available to read. You can enjoy the complete, expansive arc of Ashton Jeraldson, Mekadesh, the paladins, orcs, elves, and dragons in their epic battles with the Lord of the Undead!
Books of the Orcusinian (1-4 of Age of Magic):
Book 1: The People's Necromancer
Book 2: The Dark Paladin
Book 3: The Dragon Prince
Book 4: The Red Poet
236 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 7, 2018
282 people are currently reading
308 people want to read
About the author
Rex Jameson
15 books38 followersRex Jameson is the USA Today Bestselling author of the Primal Patterns series, the Age of Magic series, and half a dozen short stories. An avid history buff and an unabashed nerd with an appetite for science fiction and fantasy, he loves to create complex speculative fiction with layered characters. He earned a PhD in Computer Science at Vanderbilt University and researches distributed artificial intelligence in robotics at Carnegie Mellon University. Rex and his wife Jenny live in Pittsburgh where they enjoy hosting family and friends.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
December 16, 2018
The People's Necromancer
The Age of Magic, Book 1
By: Rex Jameson
Narrated by: Adam Gold
This book came at the necromancer a bit different. The opening scene has our hero at a grave site mourning his best friend. He is in such sorrow that he cries out to him in his grief to come back to him...well it scares the daylights out of him when he claws his way out and does just that! Now, this is a turn of events our hero did not expect!
From here on the book really gets wild! He is still his friend! It is a death sentence to be a necromancer so they leave. There is a lot of action, adventure, and dead/undead too! I enjoyed this book! I like the different plot, unique characters, and world building.
Narration was good too.
The Age of Magic, Book 1
By: Rex Jameson
Narrated by: Adam Gold
This book came at the necromancer a bit different. The opening scene has our hero at a grave site mourning his best friend. He is in such sorrow that he cries out to him in his grief to come back to him...well it scares the daylights out of him when he claws his way out and does just that! Now, this is a turn of events our hero did not expect!
From here on the book really gets wild! He is still his friend! It is a death sentence to be a necromancer so they leave. There is a lot of action, adventure, and dead/undead too! I enjoyed this book! I like the different plot, unique characters, and world building.
Narration was good too.
June 5, 2018
I really wanted to like this book but it's lacking. Character depth is hardly there. It is difficult to really feel any sort of attachment to any of the characters. All efforts spent on imagery are wasted on gore only. The lordlings are about as stereotypical as it gets.
November 24, 2020
I read this all in one sitting. It was compelling, and I enjoyed the different takes on old tropes. The army of justice seeking undead was just the right sort of thing to make a difference in a high fantasy setting.
May 17, 2018
Content warning: rape, incest, and violence against children
Ashton is grieving the loss of his best friend Clayton when the unthinkable happens: a hand pressing up from the dirt. Apparently his calls to Clayton to come back actually woke something up. Necromancy is only a vague legend, and Ashton has no idea why the dead respond to his call. But when tragedy strikes, his power offers the perfect opportunity to even the scales . . .
I could have done without the incest. I never liked Julian and his self-hatred doesn't make his actions any more palatable (his sister's even worse). Things like this are why I avoid Game of Thrones (and probably this is what prompted the comparison in the blurb.)
The other major weakness is that Ashton doesn't actually have a method or a cost associated with his raising the dead. He can pull one person or hundreds with no effort. Speaking to them is fine, but he has no idea what in his words is actually working. Given that necromancy isn't something just anyone can do, I would find it more believable if there was some kind of cost or ritual associated.
I did find the whole situation between Ashton and Clayton amusing. Ashton, having no idea why Clayton came back or what his now-dead friend might want with him, can only flee in terror. Which gets him into deeper trouble. And I like how this ties into the larger political situation between the two nobles, though I find their lack of willingness to be political with each other and cut a few deals a little puzzling.
Overall this was mostly entertaining, except for the incest. And it's mostly due to that I'm not interested in pursuing this further. I rate this book Neutral.
See my reviews and more at https://offtheshelfreviews.wordpress....
Ashton is grieving the loss of his best friend Clayton when the unthinkable happens: a hand pressing up from the dirt. Apparently his calls to Clayton to come back actually woke something up. Necromancy is only a vague legend, and Ashton has no idea why the dead respond to his call. But when tragedy strikes, his power offers the perfect opportunity to even the scales . . .
I could have done without the incest. I never liked Julian and his self-hatred doesn't make his actions any more palatable (his sister's even worse). Things like this are why I avoid Game of Thrones (and probably this is what prompted the comparison in the blurb.)
The other major weakness is that Ashton doesn't actually have a method or a cost associated with his raising the dead. He can pull one person or hundreds with no effort. Speaking to them is fine, but he has no idea what in his words is actually working. Given that necromancy isn't something just anyone can do, I would find it more believable if there was some kind of cost or ritual associated.
I did find the whole situation between Ashton and Clayton amusing. Ashton, having no idea why Clayton came back or what his now-dead friend might want with him, can only flee in terror. Which gets him into deeper trouble. And I like how this ties into the larger political situation between the two nobles, though I find their lack of willingness to be political with each other and cut a few deals a little puzzling.
Overall this was mostly entertaining, except for the incest. And it's mostly due to that I'm not interested in pursuing this further. I rate this book Neutral.
See my reviews and more at https://offtheshelfreviews.wordpress....
July 20, 2018
Warning: Review is spoiler-free. Book contains extreme violence, gore, sexual assault, incest, and shocking descriptions of the undead.
Disclaimer: I received a free review copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts. Only I edited and wrote what you'll read below. Review appears on my blog, Goodreads, and Amazon.
Within us all there is a desire to be free and not to be hurt. Oftentimes reality, and all of our interacting natures, make that desire impossible to fulfill. We're injured and we suffer and that is the basis of our need for justice. The People's Necromancer looks at that thirst for retribution and fairness in an unfair world.
Can I also just say that the cover is so beautiful? Whoever made that has an excellent eye for composition and color. Alright, so I'm mixed on my feelings for this novel. There's some good and some bad. Let's get into the review.
Plot
The plot follows a man named Ashton Jeraldson. The book also jumps between varying nobles and knights. A few tropes are subverted, including that of the evil necromancer, but a majority of what we see is stock fantasy.
I will say that the story did a good job of reinforcing the theme of retribution. The need for wrongs to be made right pours very strongly off every page. However, there were a number of pacing issues and the beats of the story were off, leaving many moments coming across as somewhat dull.
Characters
The main character, being a blacksmith's apprentice, acted very much like a real person thrown into a mad situation. He isn't an all-knowing hero and he's just doing the best he can. I enjoyed this.
However, sometimes Ashton's dialogue sounds more like a written speech than something someone would actually say off their cuff. This issue bleeds over into every other character as well.
Additionally, while there are moments when the secondary viewpoint characters can be connected to, for the most part everyone aside from the main character is a bit lifeless. They're very much presented as a means to move the story forward and to reflect on Ashton's actions--and sometimes they're not much more than that.
The demons in the book are awesome though and the undead are equally as interesting.
Writing
The prologue of this book was amazing, it got me so excited to read on. The writing itself is very descriptive and--while it may use a bit too much imagery at times--it tends to paint a picture in one's head.
Nothing beyond the prologue stuck out to me as particularly beautiful, but there were moments where I could certainly appreciate the prose.
The author was definitely trying to world-build, which I'm sure many will appreciate. He seems to have a great mind for the creating of a fantasy world's history and cosmology.
Conclusion
The People's Necromancer was a good read. I'm sure you'll like it if you enjoy darker works and like to see fantasy subversions. Fans of dark elves, necromancers, and paladins might enjoy this novel; the subtle nods to Dungeons & Dragons will also likely be appreciated by fans of R. A. Salvatore and the role-playing game itself.
One will have to look past some less-than-impactful dialogue and a somewhat jarring pacing. The world building of this book, however, makes up for a lot though; it's definitely what makes me look forward to later entries in the series.
Final verdict: 3/5 stars.
Disclaimer: I received a free review copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts. Only I edited and wrote what you'll read below. Review appears on my blog, Goodreads, and Amazon.
Within us all there is a desire to be free and not to be hurt. Oftentimes reality, and all of our interacting natures, make that desire impossible to fulfill. We're injured and we suffer and that is the basis of our need for justice. The People's Necromancer looks at that thirst for retribution and fairness in an unfair world.
Can I also just say that the cover is so beautiful? Whoever made that has an excellent eye for composition and color. Alright, so I'm mixed on my feelings for this novel. There's some good and some bad. Let's get into the review.
Plot
The plot follows a man named Ashton Jeraldson. The book also jumps between varying nobles and knights. A few tropes are subverted, including that of the evil necromancer, but a majority of what we see is stock fantasy.
I will say that the story did a good job of reinforcing the theme of retribution. The need for wrongs to be made right pours very strongly off every page. However, there were a number of pacing issues and the beats of the story were off, leaving many moments coming across as somewhat dull.
Characters
The main character, being a blacksmith's apprentice, acted very much like a real person thrown into a mad situation. He isn't an all-knowing hero and he's just doing the best he can. I enjoyed this.
However, sometimes Ashton's dialogue sounds more like a written speech than something someone would actually say off their cuff. This issue bleeds over into every other character as well.
Additionally, while there are moments when the secondary viewpoint characters can be connected to, for the most part everyone aside from the main character is a bit lifeless. They're very much presented as a means to move the story forward and to reflect on Ashton's actions--and sometimes they're not much more than that.
The demons in the book are awesome though and the undead are equally as interesting.
Writing
The prologue of this book was amazing, it got me so excited to read on. The writing itself is very descriptive and--while it may use a bit too much imagery at times--it tends to paint a picture in one's head.
Nothing beyond the prologue stuck out to me as particularly beautiful, but there were moments where I could certainly appreciate the prose.
The author was definitely trying to world-build, which I'm sure many will appreciate. He seems to have a great mind for the creating of a fantasy world's history and cosmology.
Conclusion
The People's Necromancer was a good read. I'm sure you'll like it if you enjoy darker works and like to see fantasy subversions. Fans of dark elves, necromancers, and paladins might enjoy this novel; the subtle nods to Dungeons & Dragons will also likely be appreciated by fans of R. A. Salvatore and the role-playing game itself.
One will have to look past some less-than-impactful dialogue and a somewhat jarring pacing. The world building of this book, however, makes up for a lot though; it's definitely what makes me look forward to later entries in the series.
Final verdict: 3/5 stars.
July 22, 2018
After thousands of years of war, without magic, magic has pretty much been banned and buries in long lost history and tall tales. Dark elves are rarely seen in mankind’s villages or towns nor are the paladins, those of magical lore. The golden age of man is coming to an end and all the regions are looking for power for themselves. Orcish hordes are attacking the southern borders, a strange darkness in the northern peaks and different human lords running raids on their neighbours to try and curry power with the king, for themselves, and weaken their opponents. Two adjacent lords, Mallory and Vossen are among the worst. The elves are warning of demons coming from the underworld and asking for the assistance of the king of Strudel.
Into this, the book starts with a lifelong friendship between two young men, Ashton and Clayton, both apprenticed to the local blacksmith of their village. Clayton is married to another of their lifelong companions, Riley. Ashton travels to their house to accompany Riley on a difficult day. Her husband was killed the day before by a lord, rushing through the streets in his carriage, as the friends were picking flowers. Something they did every morning, routinely. The body has already been borrowed and this is the funeral service, with the whole village come to show their support for the widow of a lovely young man.
Ashton is left bereft at the end of the service and the last one to leave. But not before he had a rant over the graveside about his friend leaving him all alone and begging him to come back. Unknown to Ashton, he has the power of a Necromancer, His friend’s death and now rising from the grave, is just the start of Ashton’s journey. The chaos gets worse as bandits get involved with the fighting between regions and start to sack and pillage everywhere. Ashton comes across this chaos and meets a dark elf and paladin, who try to give him some advice. But the path is leading to the man responsible for his best friend’s death.
The chaos brings together a new age of sorcery and magical mayhem and the coming of the first necromancer for centuries. Ashton is now wanted by the king and many others for his sins against mankind in raising the dead. But he is not the biggest threat the Kingdom will have to deal with.
I received a copy of this book from Hidden Gems and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
Into this, the book starts with a lifelong friendship between two young men, Ashton and Clayton, both apprenticed to the local blacksmith of their village. Clayton is married to another of their lifelong companions, Riley. Ashton travels to their house to accompany Riley on a difficult day. Her husband was killed the day before by a lord, rushing through the streets in his carriage, as the friends were picking flowers. Something they did every morning, routinely. The body has already been borrowed and this is the funeral service, with the whole village come to show their support for the widow of a lovely young man.
Ashton is left bereft at the end of the service and the last one to leave. But not before he had a rant over the graveside about his friend leaving him all alone and begging him to come back. Unknown to Ashton, he has the power of a Necromancer, His friend’s death and now rising from the grave, is just the start of Ashton’s journey. The chaos gets worse as bandits get involved with the fighting between regions and start to sack and pillage everywhere. Ashton comes across this chaos and meets a dark elf and paladin, who try to give him some advice. But the path is leading to the man responsible for his best friend’s death.
The chaos brings together a new age of sorcery and magical mayhem and the coming of the first necromancer for centuries. Ashton is now wanted by the king and many others for his sins against mankind in raising the dead. But he is not the biggest threat the Kingdom will have to deal with.
I received a copy of this book from Hidden Gems and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
September 2, 2018
Warning: This book contains rape, incest, extreme violence, and the undead.
This book did a good job of creating the setting for more to come, the world is well built and the characters are well written. However it left me wondering what the point was of anything that happened. There was a lot of violence and while some of it was used to provide motivations for other things that happened the whole thing just left me wondering 'why'.
I didn't like this enough to want to read the next book, but I also didn't dislike it, perhaps it just wasn't the right book for me.
The character voice were well done, they're clear and easy to tell apart. the narration flows nicely and the intonation helped convey the tension in the book.
I received a free copy of this book from the author and/or narrator and/or publisher and I voluntarily wrote this honest review.
This book did a good job of creating the setting for more to come, the world is well built and the characters are well written. However it left me wondering what the point was of anything that happened. There was a lot of violence and while some of it was used to provide motivations for other things that happened the whole thing just left me wondering 'why'.
I didn't like this enough to want to read the next book, but I also didn't dislike it, perhaps it just wasn't the right book for me.
The character voice were well done, they're clear and easy to tell apart. the narration flows nicely and the intonation helped convey the tension in the book.
I received a free copy of this book from the author and/or narrator and/or publisher and I voluntarily wrote this honest review.
May 11, 2018
I received a free copy of this book from the author. I had the opportunity to review or not.
This is the first book of The Age of Magic series. As an aficionado of magic, sorcery and knights in armor, I looked forward to reading this tale. I was not disappointed. Mr. Jameson set the stage for exciting adventures with undead, mysterious Queens, fire demons and numerous other denizens.
Ashton loses his best friend and somehow revives him from the dead. He doesn’t even know how he did it, but as kings battle for land, knights fight battles for their kings, bandits murder villagers without mercy, the undead become an army fighting back. But there must be a reason for what is happening. And there is. Magic has entered the world.
This is the first book of The Age of Magic series. As an aficionado of magic, sorcery and knights in armor, I looked forward to reading this tale. I was not disappointed. Mr. Jameson set the stage for exciting adventures with undead, mysterious Queens, fire demons and numerous other denizens.
Ashton loses his best friend and somehow revives him from the dead. He doesn’t even know how he did it, but as kings battle for land, knights fight battles for their kings, bandits murder villagers without mercy, the undead become an army fighting back. But there must be a reason for what is happening. And there is. Magic has entered the world.
October 15, 2018
I bought this on promises of "rape, incest, and violence against children", "extreme violence, gore, sexual assault, incest, and shocking descriptions of the undead", "rape, incest, extreme violence, and the undead", etc, you get the gist. I was severely disappointed.
I am still puzzled how this unsettles people in a world where game of thrones is the most popular tv show out there. There's nothing here that's any worse than the first season of GoT (much to my disappointment). That aside, this is a mediocre book at best. The main character is complete bonkers and I stopped reading it after he suggested the zombie just tag along. It doesn't help that the villain is a caricature.
I am still puzzled how this unsettles people in a world where game of thrones is the most popular tv show out there. There's nothing here that's any worse than the first season of GoT (much to my disappointment). That aside, this is a mediocre book at best. The main character is complete bonkers and I stopped reading it after he suggested the zombie just tag along. It doesn't help that the villain is a caricature.
December 22, 2018
If you like dark fantasy full of death, blood and gore along with grand verbose speaking, this is the book for you. At times there MC was like a scared little boy, which was a bit creepy as he was a full adult, a reckless magic user with no idea how he was accomplishing the Magic he was doing and then a long winded public orator. Frankly, the characters were all uninteresting and lacking in depth. I was very impressed with the book cover and purchased this mainly because of how evocative it was. The plot was good, the world building was an overdone nuisance towards the end and the book only picked up at the last. As you can tell, this was not the book for me. There are way too many excellent books out there to choose from to waste your time on this.
May 30, 2018
Another one of those hidden gems. Not sure what drew me to this one but it was totally worth the read. A young man develops much hated and feared powers at the graveside of his friend who had died, bring him back. Fallen heroes of an age past show themselves, hated for their betrayal but not all were bad. A race of elves called the Dark Elves have spent millennia fighting a loosing battle against demon kind as their cities fall one by one. Myths and Legends, heroes and villains, lines start to blur as a new series of events set into motion prophecies long told. I enjoyed the story and the characters and the overall story creation. Look forward to the rest of the series.
October 10, 2019
This is an average, decent story about a young man who finds himself an unwitting necromancer in a typical medieval fantasy fictional world. He raises the dead but doesn't know how he got the ability. As the story progressed, I found I didn't connect or want to cheer for the MC. There's nothing remarkable or notable about him, his personality is pretty straight forward and a bit on the boring side. But, the story included the undead, battles, and the last part of the book it really began moving forward with more 'creatures' (can't say or spoiler) being introduced. I'm going to read book 2, hoping it improves. If you want a quick fantasy read, this should suffice to keep you entertained.
August 28, 2018
Hmmm. A little gory for my taste.
This was an okay read for me. There was a lot of action in it. However, it was a bit gory for my taste. I also don’t understand why a town just up and burned a grieving widow thinking she either stole her late husbands body or was a necromancer. They had no proof of either other than the dirt under her nails which happened when they buried him. That was a bit much to me. The whole town turned against the poor girl. I didn’t care for that part myself. The rest was ok but a bit gory in some of the details.
This was an okay read for me. There was a lot of action in it. However, it was a bit gory for my taste. I also don’t understand why a town just up and burned a grieving widow thinking she either stole her late husbands body or was a necromancer. They had no proof of either other than the dirt under her nails which happened when they buried him. That was a bit much to me. The whole town turned against the poor girl. I didn’t care for that part myself. The rest was ok but a bit gory in some of the details.
October 2, 2018
This book is actually a hidden gem. Though it is somewhat slow, the author sets the books tone and stage right with exciting adventure, turmoil, undead, fire demons, and "The Queen".
It can be a bit gory for some people's taste. Story had good character development with the main character, Ashton. Had me really seeing how he felt and what would be like if something like that happened to me. The character development was lacking for the other supporting cast but believe it will pick up in the next book.
It can be a bit gory for some people's taste. Story had good character development with the main character, Ashton. Had me really seeing how he felt and what would be like if something like that happened to me. The character development was lacking for the other supporting cast but believe it will pick up in the next book.
January 21, 2021
While this is really only half a book, it shows promise. The world-building is nuanced and mostly original, and the characters are engaging.
There's something missing though but it's difficult to pinpoint. I suppose I haven't found much in the world that I feel needs to be saved. Thus I'm not that invested in the fight to save them. Most of the people, aside from the three-and-a-half protagonists, range from petty to selfish.
I'm not sure that I want to continue... the story may turn into something truly good - or it may not.
There's something missing though but it's difficult to pinpoint. I suppose I haven't found much in the world that I feel needs to be saved. Thus I'm not that invested in the fight to save them. Most of the people, aside from the three-and-a-half protagonists, range from petty to selfish.
I'm not sure that I want to continue... the story may turn into something truly good - or it may not.
February 1, 2025
I enjoyed reading The People's Necromancer. I would recommend this book to a friend or lover of Fantasy and Adventure books. This books gives you necromancy, dark elves, Kings, Lords, paladins, and magic. Rex Jameson does a decent job world building and setting the story up for an even bigger adventure.
Trigger Warning:
The People's Necromancer has Mature themes. I would not encourage young adults read this. Throughout the story you will see mentions of the following: r*pe, incest, violence against children, gore, and extremely shocking descriptions.
Trigger Warning:
The People's Necromancer has Mature themes. I would not encourage young adults read this. Throughout the story you will see mentions of the following: r*pe, incest, violence against children, gore, and extremely shocking descriptions.
September 7, 2018
What I enjoyed the most about this book was the ancient world this book sets up and the political and magical intrigue that sets the events of the book and series overall in motion. It has a lot of potential to be a good fantasy series with the different levels of conflict between characters, groups, and good vs multiple evils. I am looking forward to seeing where a second book takes this series.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
June 14, 2018
Left me ready for more
Overall the story was very interesting although felt lacking in the development of the other major characters, something that will begin to be addressed in the second book at least I am hoping as much. The development of Ashton in this book has been a very juicy beginning in what I hope is the start of an exciting series.
Overall the story was very interesting although felt lacking in the development of the other major characters, something that will begin to be addressed in the second book at least I am hoping as much. The development of Ashton in this book has been a very juicy beginning in what I hope is the start of an exciting series.
May 25, 2018
What a great storyline, I don't think that I've ever read a necromancer figure that was on the side of good before, but Rex pulled it off with flair. I can't wait to see what happens in the next novel.
July 3, 2018
Im hooked
Very interesting plot with strong characters. Took on a different angle in which the undead are used in stories and gave them an unusally noble purpose soaked in darkness. Im looking forward to moving on to the dark paladin next. Worth every penny spent.
Very interesting plot with strong characters. Took on a different angle in which the undead are used in stories and gave them an unusally noble purpose soaked in darkness. Im looking forward to moving on to the dark paladin next. Worth every penny spent.
July 12, 2018
It is an interesting book.
It's an interesting view on Necromancers in fantasy. It's pleasant to see Necromancers as the good guy in the story. Some of the writing throws me off a bit though.
It's an interesting view on Necromancers in fantasy. It's pleasant to see Necromancers as the good guy in the story. Some of the writing throws me off a bit though.
Read
July 3, 2018Not a dead read
I really enjoyed this book. It was original. It has a mix of laughter and darkness. Could relate to characters. Can't wait to read book 2.
I really enjoyed this book. It was original. It has a mix of laughter and darkness. Could relate to characters. Can't wait to read book 2.
June 9, 2018
Awesome!
By turns brutally gritty and surprisingly light hearted, this novel was a pleasure to read and I look forward to the next installment!
By turns brutally gritty and surprisingly light hearted, this novel was a pleasure to read and I look forward to the next installment!
September 14, 2018
I liked it better before the MC turned whiney near the end, or I would have given it 4 stars
September 14, 2018
Not as good as I thought but at the end it gets interesting, maybe book 2 will be better. The characters need to have more depth and flavour to them.
December 19, 2018
Compelling plot, intriguing characters, and a narrator that brings the world to life more than anyone I've seen. Adam Gold delivers a masterpiece.
What's better than a good-guy necromancer? This story has a very unique twist for a high fantasy. This necromancer isn't bad. In fact, he wants to do good. He brings people back from the dead, and they go village to village to stop the Red Army, who have been attacking villages. And the main character is aided the whole way by his undead friend.
This promises to be an excellent series, and I look forward to reading the rest of it!
What's better than a good-guy necromancer? This story has a very unique twist for a high fantasy. This necromancer isn't bad. In fact, he wants to do good. He brings people back from the dead, and they go village to village to stop the Red Army, who have been attacking villages. And the main character is aided the whole way by his undead friend.
This promises to be an excellent series, and I look forward to reading the rest of it!
April 20, 2020
I bought the audiobook on special. I wasn't expecting much. I enjoyed it. I'm not clamouring for the next in the series but I might give it a look.
October 30, 2020
I didn’t like it. Just me maybe but...nah.
July 3, 2021
Unexpected gem
While it sometimes feels a little tropey, I enjoyed this. But it does seem to have some tonal and pacing issues, there were a few times that I wasn't sure how seriously Jameson intended for it to be taken. But over all I found it enjoyable .
EDIT: I just reread this to get ready to read the third book. I've changed my mind about much of this book. Its actually a very good story, I could see myself accidentally raising my best friend as a ghoul so he could avenge himself if he were killed by a negligent incestuous nobleman. I could also see things going as horribly wrong afterward as they do for the main character. The tone isn't a problem, I was just in a different mood the first time i read this and had probably just finished something with a less serious tone, so I got confused.
While it sometimes feels a little tropey, I enjoyed this. But it does seem to have some tonal and pacing issues, there were a few times that I wasn't sure how seriously Jameson intended for it to be taken. But over all I found it enjoyable .
EDIT: I just reread this to get ready to read the third book. I've changed my mind about much of this book. Its actually a very good story, I could see myself accidentally raising my best friend as a ghoul so he could avenge himself if he were killed by a negligent incestuous nobleman. I could also see things going as horribly wrong afterward as they do for the main character. The tone isn't a problem, I was just in a different mood the first time i read this and had probably just finished something with a less serious tone, so I got confused.
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