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The Journals of Octavia Hollows #1
Wake the Dead
With a touch of her hand, Octavia Hollows can restore life. Yet, she couldn’t save the man she loved from the horrific accident that stole him from her. Octavia thought she could outrun the pain, but ghosts from the past refuse to be silenced. Out of options, she chooses to retrace her wayward journey across the country in search of answers. Surrounded by baffling mysteries of the undead, what she learns about herself along the way might become her greatest weapon.Seattle, Land of cloudy skies and a great cup of coffee. Octavia blew into town in search of information, only to get swirled up in a paranormal predicament even she couldn’t fathom. A neonatal nurse is dead, and her young patient is aging at an alarming rate.Can Octavia unlock the secrets to this confusing curse before time runs out?
116 pages, Paperback
Published February 21, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
October 1, 2024
Wake the Dead by Stacey Rourke
The Journals of Octavia Hollows series #1. Paranormal cozy mystery novella. Urban fantasy
Octavia Hollows is a necromancer on call. With the touch of her hand, she can restore life. When the man she loved died and she was t able to save him, she decided to retrace the path for answers.
In Seattle, Washington a neonatal nurse is dead and her young patient is aging at an alarming rate. Octavia brings the nurse back to life, hoping to find the otherworld answers for the family. As Octavia uses her powers, her prior witch coven comes to remind her of the magic rules.
Off the wall crazy cozy. Octavia is chasing down paranormal horror monsters using her necromancer powers to help get answers. While traveling around on her motorcycle with her pet pig. The snarky humor is over the top. In this first story, the nurse that’s brought back to life naked in the morgue thinks it’s just another after party with her sometime hookup mortician. Octavia and the nurse trade quips and insults and go to fight the problem. Octavia’s reanimated corpses are fully alive and cognizant but their time is still limited to the case.
What’s the story with the pig? Hoping we find out in one of the upcoming stories.
Hilarious monster fighting and addictive storytelling.
The Journals of Octavia Hollows series #1. Paranormal cozy mystery novella. Urban fantasy
Octavia Hollows is a necromancer on call. With the touch of her hand, she can restore life. When the man she loved died and she was t able to save him, she decided to retrace the path for answers.
In Seattle, Washington a neonatal nurse is dead and her young patient is aging at an alarming rate. Octavia brings the nurse back to life, hoping to find the otherworld answers for the family. As Octavia uses her powers, her prior witch coven comes to remind her of the magic rules.
Off the wall crazy cozy. Octavia is chasing down paranormal horror monsters using her necromancer powers to help get answers. While traveling around on her motorcycle with her pet pig. The snarky humor is over the top. In this first story, the nurse that’s brought back to life naked in the morgue thinks it’s just another after party with her sometime hookup mortician. Octavia and the nurse trade quips and insults and go to fight the problem. Octavia’s reanimated corpses are fully alive and cognizant but their time is still limited to the case.
What’s the story with the pig? Hoping we find out in one of the upcoming stories.
Hilarious monster fighting and addictive storytelling.
October 16, 2019
The synopsis caught my attention and based on prior experience with the author; I knew I had to read/listen to Wake the Dead. I had no regrets about my decision. I enjoyed my journey with Octavia and her trusty companion, Bacon her resurrected pet pig.
Octavia and her pig sets out on a journey to figure out the circumstances of her fiancé’s death and disappearance of his body. While on her journey she found herself knee deep in a weird mystery investigation.
The characters were a hoot, my favorite being Octavia who is a witch and a necromancer. She is not your typical necromancer, as she possesses the Lazarus effect, where the persons or animals she resurrects are brought back to life in their original form, providing their death was not violent. Growing up had not been easy for her. She lost her parents, spent her life in foster care. She had difficulty making friends, as she was considered weird because of her magic. As a result, she is cautious when it comes to the use of her magic.
The author created an atmosphere infused with humour, sarcasm, magic and action.
Brenda Scott Wlazlo narrated this awesome story. As a new to me narrator, I did not know what to expect. However, she did not disappoint. She did an excellent job. She brought the story to life and she exhibits her versatility in the portrayal of the characters’ voices.
Conclusion/Recommendation
To sum up Wake the Dead was an awesome start to the series and I am looking forward to more adventures with Octavia and Bacon. I recommend this one to fans of Urban Fantasy or Paranormal Cozy Mysteries.
Octavia and her pig sets out on a journey to figure out the circumstances of her fiancé’s death and disappearance of his body. While on her journey she found herself knee deep in a weird mystery investigation.
The characters were a hoot, my favorite being Octavia who is a witch and a necromancer. She is not your typical necromancer, as she possesses the Lazarus effect, where the persons or animals she resurrects are brought back to life in their original form, providing their death was not violent. Growing up had not been easy for her. She lost her parents, spent her life in foster care. She had difficulty making friends, as she was considered weird because of her magic. As a result, she is cautious when it comes to the use of her magic.
The author created an atmosphere infused with humour, sarcasm, magic and action.
Brenda Scott Wlazlo narrated this awesome story. As a new to me narrator, I did not know what to expect. However, she did not disappoint. She did an excellent job. She brought the story to life and she exhibits her versatility in the portrayal of the characters’ voices.
Conclusion/Recommendation
To sum up Wake the Dead was an awesome start to the series and I am looking forward to more adventures with Octavia and Bacon. I recommend this one to fans of Urban Fantasy or Paranormal Cozy Mysteries.
September 16, 2019
This was fun. I am looking forward to listening to the rest.
November 2, 2019
Now that was a fun listen with an awesome narrator. Urban fantasy with snark and fun moments. The undead piglet named Bacon, was an inspired addition to the story. And the reason for some of the lighter moments in the book. Octavia carries him around in a baby carrier attached to her chest. He has to be my favorite part of the book. Well, that and the heroine’s snark. Very short listen. I’ll definitely be looking for the next one. I think they are all novellas and that’s fine as long as they are as witty as this one. Recommended to light urban fantasy readers.
October 1, 2019
When I spotted the title and then read the blurb, I was hooked. New to me author and narrator, a snarky necromancer on a journey quest to find answers including about herself- oh yeah. And, this opener has left me a taste for more Octavia adventures.
Octavia is on the road with her pet resurrected pig, Bacon, to discover the truth of the love of her life's death and disappearance (yes, in that order). She rolls into Seattle when a strange request is brought to her. A grieving family is under a curse of their child aging rapidly beginning right after his hospital nurse is murdered. They beg Octavia to help them and she does knowing she'll have to resurrect the nurse to get some answers.
Octavia's past fails with her magic have left her leery of using her magic. She lost her family, many foster care homes, and was forced to leave another place because she made mistakes with her death magic or scared people because of it. She's a loner now and feel it is best to stay that way so she doesn't get hurt again by someone's rejection. This quest to solve the mystery about the one person who loved her no matter what is what drives her now.
The humor in this first installment and getting to know Octavia had me smiling and rooting for her quickly. Bacon, her resurrected pig, had me chuckling. Her snarky outer shell and need to push back with attitude made me want to hug her poor bruised soul even when I know she would bristle at the thought. For all her bristles, she's a generous, caring person who set out to help strangers in this one and mourned over each loss.
Brenda Scott Wlazlo's narration work was superb and well-matched to the story and as the voice of Octavia. She was also versatile with the other voices in the story and kept up a good pace to whatever was going on in each scene. I hope she is doing the whole series.
To wrap up, it was a sensational first in series and I look forward to more of Octavia's adventures. I think paranormal cozy or urban fantasy fans should give this one a go.
My thanks to Caffeinated PR Services for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange of an honest review.
Octavia is on the road with her pet resurrected pig, Bacon, to discover the truth of the love of her life's death and disappearance (yes, in that order). She rolls into Seattle when a strange request is brought to her. A grieving family is under a curse of their child aging rapidly beginning right after his hospital nurse is murdered. They beg Octavia to help them and she does knowing she'll have to resurrect the nurse to get some answers.
Octavia's past fails with her magic have left her leery of using her magic. She lost her family, many foster care homes, and was forced to leave another place because she made mistakes with her death magic or scared people because of it. She's a loner now and feel it is best to stay that way so she doesn't get hurt again by someone's rejection. This quest to solve the mystery about the one person who loved her no matter what is what drives her now.
The humor in this first installment and getting to know Octavia had me smiling and rooting for her quickly. Bacon, her resurrected pig, had me chuckling. Her snarky outer shell and need to push back with attitude made me want to hug her poor bruised soul even when I know she would bristle at the thought. For all her bristles, she's a generous, caring person who set out to help strangers in this one and mourned over each loss.
Brenda Scott Wlazlo's narration work was superb and well-matched to the story and as the voice of Octavia. She was also versatile with the other voices in the story and kept up a good pace to whatever was going on in each scene. I hope she is doing the whole series.
To wrap up, it was a sensational first in series and I look forward to more of Octavia's adventures. I think paranormal cozy or urban fantasy fans should give this one a go.
My thanks to Caffeinated PR Services for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange of an honest review.
November 26, 2019
This is a great introduction to Octavia and this world. We get to find out about her ability to raise the dead and meet the most adorable sidekick in her pet pig called Bacon. The story starts with Octavia retracing her steps to Seattle looking for clues about Elba's missing body. While there she is asked for help by a desperate family whose children both seem to be dying. Add in a dead nurse, a visit to the morgue and a dangerous curse and Octavia is going to need to keep her wits about her if she wants to survive this adventure.
We only find out a little about Octavia's past here but we start to understand how alone she has been since falling out with the Coven who raised her until she was 16.
We only find out a little about Octavia's past here but we start to understand how alone she has been since falling out with the Coven who raised her until she was 16.
January 24, 2020
I am enjoying kickass, take no prisoners, self doubter and best friend to Bacon the Pig Octavia. This was fast paced, energetic, omg what have I done and and how do I fix this story. When Octavia deliberately brings Nikki back from the dead, she finds herself dealing with a very nasty wraith. She is so determined to fix this on her own, that she works hard to not kill Nikki or accept help from Dina of the Coven. I loved how she stood up to Dina at the end, picked up Bacon and headed out to the next town. I'm definitely going to be reading more about Octavia
February 18, 2019
Octavia is probably one of the funniest and quick-witted characters I've read in a long time! I absolutely loved this first novella in the series and I'm excited to see what happens next on her road of discovery. She's on a mission, and things keep side-tracking her, but she's out to prove that being a necromancer isn't necessarily a bad thing! She's learned a lot, and I love that she's kind of a badass.
April 7, 2019
After being introduced to Octavia and Bacon in How the Dead Lie, I knew I wanted to read more of their adventures.
This is such an easy-to-read, entertaining, and fun series of books. Rourke is brilliant as always and really knows how to capture the humor in her writing. Even battling the darkness and its demons, I still find myself snickering at Octavia and her snarky quips.
I am looking forward to the next books in this series.
This is such an easy-to-read, entertaining, and fun series of books. Rourke is brilliant as always and really knows how to capture the humor in her writing. Even battling the darkness and its demons, I still find myself snickering at Octavia and her snarky quips.
I am looking forward to the next books in this series.
July 9, 2020
Maybe I was just in a bad mood when I read the book, but most of the humor fell flat for me. I never really cared for any of the characters, so it was hard to get engaged in the story.
July 24, 2024
Follow Octavia and Bacon on this hilarious adventure that is just the beginning! The amount of times that I laughed out loud was too many to count! It was a quick and easy read for people who are a fan of magic, humor that is a bit on the darker side and pigs! Highly suggest starting this series, as I am hooked and can't wait to read the rest of Octavia Hollows Story.
October 27, 2023
There was so much about this story that I liked! Octavia was offbeat, but very likeable and she knew how to take care of herself. I loved Bacon the pig in this story. There were a lot of good paranormal elements in this book and I liked the world building! I'm interested in seeing where the story goes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 19, 2024
I freakin’ love Octavia!
This first novella in Book one of the Octavia Hollows series had me rolling. Octavia, her swinekick Bacon, and her undead ally were so much fun. I think I am going to love this series!
This first novella in Book one of the Octavia Hollows series had me rolling. Octavia, her swinekick Bacon, and her undead ally were so much fun. I think I am going to love this series!
April 10, 2024
This one is really quite unfortunate. The writing is actually kind of decent (at least in the audiobook version, idk about spelling obv).
And the story that is being told here is decent as well.
The big problem with this one is that it doesn't build anything. It does the typical rookie thing of going for the payoff without having done any investing. What I am trying to say is that everything is too fast and over the top. Let me illustrate this with one example but this is a problem with basically everything in the book. The MC meets a character that is over-the-top stupid and annoying but in a way that is supposed to be hilarious. It then proceeds to kill her off within maybe an hour of the MC meeting her which is done in an incredibly long melodramatic death scene. It is written as if the reader had read an entire book about these characters which in reality we just met 5 minutes ago.
It's a break-neck kind of pacing that can sometimes work if done as pure absurd comedy with no other point than being crazy and over-the-top funny.
But the story actually tries to be serious and emotional at the same time which is way too much all stacked together.
If you just imagine a reader reading this and expressing the emotions the book wants them to feel they would go from laughing hysterically to breaking down in tears back and forth every minute or so with intermediate 10-second sections of deep introspection and reflection. It's the bad kind of emotional rollercoaster that is just too much and too fast to follow for almost anyone. The book wants you to feel every emotion all at once it seems.
On top of this, many of the tools the author uses to invoke all these emotions are incredibly clichéed to the point of almost reading like caricature.
This might be partially a problem with the length of the book. This one should probably have had at least 200 pages or instead of introducing that much of a plot within the first one, let us get to know these characters first with a much less involved plot.
Judging from the release date and the number of ratings I am probably not the only one that felt this way or similarly.
I have read The Conduit by this author and I couldn't find anything worthwhile there in the past but in contrast, this book shows that the author actually has the potential at least to write something interesting.
So this is probably a question of refining the craft of storytelling and pacing to put all these good ideas into an enjoyable overall package.
And the story that is being told here is decent as well.
The big problem with this one is that it doesn't build anything. It does the typical rookie thing of going for the payoff without having done any investing. What I am trying to say is that everything is too fast and over the top. Let me illustrate this with one example but this is a problem with basically everything in the book. The MC meets a character that is over-the-top stupid and annoying but in a way that is supposed to be hilarious. It then proceeds to kill her off within maybe an hour of the MC meeting her which is done in an incredibly long melodramatic death scene. It is written as if the reader had read an entire book about these characters which in reality we just met 5 minutes ago.
It's a break-neck kind of pacing that can sometimes work if done as pure absurd comedy with no other point than being crazy and over-the-top funny.
But the story actually tries to be serious and emotional at the same time which is way too much all stacked together.
If you just imagine a reader reading this and expressing the emotions the book wants them to feel they would go from laughing hysterically to breaking down in tears back and forth every minute or so with intermediate 10-second sections of deep introspection and reflection. It's the bad kind of emotional rollercoaster that is just too much and too fast to follow for almost anyone. The book wants you to feel every emotion all at once it seems.
On top of this, many of the tools the author uses to invoke all these emotions are incredibly clichéed to the point of almost reading like caricature.
This might be partially a problem with the length of the book. This one should probably have had at least 200 pages or instead of introducing that much of a plot within the first one, let us get to know these characters first with a much less involved plot.
Judging from the release date and the number of ratings I am probably not the only one that felt this way or similarly.
I have read The Conduit by this author and I couldn't find anything worthwhile there in the past but in contrast, this book shows that the author actually has the potential at least to write something interesting.
So this is probably a question of refining the craft of storytelling and pacing to put all these good ideas into an enjoyable overall package.
February 28, 2019
There's those awesome characters again. Stacey Rourke truly has a gift for creating incredible characters and Octavia is one of them. She is street smart with a heavy dose of biting sarcasm. She is a rather unexpected hero considering her past. She learned early that she could only count on herself but at the same time she can fiercely protect and defend others. I love that she is also extremely clumsy, a trait she and I have in common. That clumsiness has a tendency to get her into trouble and it is such an awesome detail. It makes Octavia so much more relatable. Bacon is hands down one of the best sidekicks ever. I love that Octavia has such an unconventional pet. My one and only complaint about this book is that I want more!! This novella is part one of an old school serial, meaning a group of short works, sometimes chapters of longer works, that were typically published in newspapers or magazines but in this case are being published as individual books. The original Sherlock Holmes books were often printed as serials with each chapter printed either weekly or monthly. The good news with "Wake the Dead" is that it is a complete story with a conclusion (ie no cliffhanger). I can't wait until the next installment comes out because I am seriously loving Octavia and Bacon.
February 16, 2019
I received an ARC to give an honest review.
I can see this series is going to be amazing just like all the other series. If you haven't read the previous book I would totally recommend it. That way you can learn more about Octavia and why she took this road trip. I have to say I found myself just a laughing with the whole nurse thing, like wasn't expecting that part of the story. I really like how Octavia can hold her own and though she has always taken care of herself she is always willing to help others. That just screams awesome hero status right there. I do eventually see that Octavia's stubbornness might hurt her in the future with Dina as it seems that Dina knows Octavia is bada** and might be a little bit worried about that. I really love the humor that is within this story not only with Octavia and what she gets herself into but also with Bacon. A necromancer carrying around a pet pig like it is something normal just screams out laughter. Another thing I liked within the book was that while Octavia is trying to get answers for herself she is also helping people that needs it. I can't wait to dive into the next book. Wake the Dead is a quick novella that you can sit down and devour with 30 minutes to an hour!
I can see this series is going to be amazing just like all the other series. If you haven't read the previous book I would totally recommend it. That way you can learn more about Octavia and why she took this road trip. I have to say I found myself just a laughing with the whole nurse thing, like wasn't expecting that part of the story. I really like how Octavia can hold her own and though she has always taken care of herself she is always willing to help others. That just screams awesome hero status right there. I do eventually see that Octavia's stubbornness might hurt her in the future with Dina as it seems that Dina knows Octavia is bada** and might be a little bit worried about that. I really love the humor that is within this story not only with Octavia and what she gets herself into but also with Bacon. A necromancer carrying around a pet pig like it is something normal just screams out laughter. Another thing I liked within the book was that while Octavia is trying to get answers for herself she is also helping people that needs it. I can't wait to dive into the next book. Wake the Dead is a quick novella that you can sit down and devour with 30 minutes to an hour!
February 14, 2019
Wake the Dead is the continuing adventures of the snarky, pink-haired, motorcycle riding necromancer Octavia and her piggy sidekick Bacon after they depart Havenwood Falls following the events of How the Dead Lie. While I don't think it's necessary that readers have read How the Dead Lie to follow what's going on in Wake the Dead, I highly recommend picking it up because it's awesome. Octavia is easily in my top five favorite book characters. Ms. Rourke did an amazing job not just developing her as a character, but giving her an entertaining story. As readers will discover, Octavia isn't your average necromancer, which tends to get her in trouble. In Wake the Dead, she is brought in to solve the mystery of a young boy who is aging rapidly and his nurse who may be able to help answer some questions as to why, but is unfortunately dead. What's a necromancer to do? Highly entertaining read that made me laugh with the snark and sarcasm. I am really looking forward to getting to know Octavia and Bacon in future installments in this series.
I received an ARC copy of this book from the author.
I received an ARC copy of this book from the author.
February 28, 2019
Where do I start...honestly I just wanna write in all caps "this book is awesome read it now" but I feel that nothing really does justice to how amazing this novella truly is! I first met Octavia in the Havenwood Falls book "How The Dead Lie" and I was instantly hooked! This is the first book in the breakaway novella series by Mrs. Rourke and it did NOT disappoint. Octavia left HWF to find answers about herself and her dead fiancè. I plowed through this book and before I knew it it was over. It really sucked me in and I giggled through the entire book. I don't know if Mrs. Rourke intended this outcome but Octavia, her antics and sass mouth and her never ending companion Bacon are hysterical and how they deal with the situations they find themselves in. Please get this first novella and join me in my love for Octavia and all things Bacon. #bestpigever #Bacon #bestpet #OctaviaRocks #troublefindsher #snarkqueen
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 30, 2019
Second chances
A good read. Strange but good although several questions were unanswered. One is who dropped the phone and the other main one is what does she do for money? A read about a necromancer who brings back the dead. Not as mindless zombies but as full functioning humans. The characters are starting to take up a life of their own but need a bit more fleshing out.
She and her pet pig (a pet she picked up when working in a butchers shop) are searching for the body of her dead boyfriend. Stopping for a rest, she knocked into by a guy and is shocked when a phone starts ringing. A distraught woman begs her for help. It appears that her newly born baby and her teenage son got switched into different bodies just as the baby was dying. Whilst the nurse looking after the family died. Now they need help. Add in a wraith, a talisman, a coven leader and a mob trying to stop her. Can she get the children switched back? Can she find out why it happened?
A good read. Strange but good although several questions were unanswered. One is who dropped the phone and the other main one is what does she do for money? A read about a necromancer who brings back the dead. Not as mindless zombies but as full functioning humans. The characters are starting to take up a life of their own but need a bit more fleshing out.
She and her pet pig (a pet she picked up when working in a butchers shop) are searching for the body of her dead boyfriend. Stopping for a rest, she knocked into by a guy and is shocked when a phone starts ringing. A distraught woman begs her for help. It appears that her newly born baby and her teenage son got switched into different bodies just as the baby was dying. Whilst the nurse looking after the family died. Now they need help. Add in a wraith, a talisman, a coven leader and a mob trying to stop her. Can she get the children switched back? Can she find out why it happened?
August 20, 2024
This fantastic novella is the first installment of The Journals of Octavia Hollows Collection. Octavia Hollows is a necromancer who is on a mission to find out more about her fiancé, Elba’s, mysterious death. Along for the ride is her adorable sidekick, Bacon, who happens to be a little pig she accidentally brought back to life. Her travels bring her to a family that needs help that only she can provide. Will her powers be strong enough to help this family and fight a possible evil that has leached into this world? Will Octavia find out more about Elba’s death and why his body disappeared? Read and find out.
Loved this novella! I can’t wait to read the rest of Octavia’s journals! This story had such an easy flow, lots of humor, and the cutest little undead pig you will ever encounter!! I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy with a touch of mystery, especially if you like to read about necromancers.
Loved this novella! I can’t wait to read the rest of Octavia’s journals! This story had such an easy flow, lots of humor, and the cutest little undead pig you will ever encounter!! I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy with a touch of mystery, especially if you like to read about necromancers.
March 4, 2019
Kindhearted, undead nurse with deep relationship problems? Check.
Mysterious force threatening to wreak havoc on all mankind? Check.
Unlikely solution brought to you by an endearingly clumsy and unsuspecting heroine? Double check.
Wake the Dead is a quick, fun read with a quirky and witty lead. The story follows the life and misadventures of Octavia Hollows and her sidekick: a curious and mischievous undead pig named Bacon. Octavia is a necromancer of an unusual sort, and when she gets a call to solve a problem befitting her strange talents, she winds up with more than she bargained for.
Wake the Dead is a definite must-read for fans of Terry Maggert's Halfway Witchy series and Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. If you enjoy fun and quipy mystery, Stacey Rourke is the author for you.
Mysterious force threatening to wreak havoc on all mankind? Check.
Unlikely solution brought to you by an endearingly clumsy and unsuspecting heroine? Double check.
Wake the Dead is a quick, fun read with a quirky and witty lead. The story follows the life and misadventures of Octavia Hollows and her sidekick: a curious and mischievous undead pig named Bacon. Octavia is a necromancer of an unusual sort, and when she gets a call to solve a problem befitting her strange talents, she winds up with more than she bargained for.
Wake the Dead is a definite must-read for fans of Terry Maggert's Halfway Witchy series and Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. If you enjoy fun and quipy mystery, Stacey Rourke is the author for you.
January 18, 2024
Audiobook Review:
Overall – 4
Performance – 4
Story – 5
I enjoyed this story.
Wake the Dead was a very good story. I think this was my first necromancer story and it was pretty interesting. Bacon is a very cute sidekick and I like how Octavia resolved the situation with Nikki. I do have to comment on the audiobook. The quality of the audio was poor with the sound being very different at times. This indicates that the audio was recorded at different times and in different environments. The author did a good job of narrating her own story but the quality of the playback left a lot to be desired. There is software that could have helped to even out the sound level. Still, to end on a positive note, I will continue to listen to this audiobook because I need to know what happens next in Octavia's quest to find out what happened to her boyfriend.
Overall – 4
Performance – 4
Story – 5
I enjoyed this story.
Wake the Dead was a very good story. I think this was my first necromancer story and it was pretty interesting. Bacon is a very cute sidekick and I like how Octavia resolved the situation with Nikki. I do have to comment on the audiobook. The quality of the audio was poor with the sound being very different at times. This indicates that the audio was recorded at different times and in different environments. The author did a good job of narrating her own story but the quality of the playback left a lot to be desired. There is software that could have helped to even out the sound level. Still, to end on a positive note, I will continue to listen to this audiobook because I need to know what happens next in Octavia's quest to find out what happened to her boyfriend.
January 25, 2024
Octavia is struggling with the mysterious death of her finance Elba. Octavia is a necromancer with the power to bring back the dead – something she would have done for Elba, but his body was never found. Octavia is determined to figure out what happened to Elba by backtracking to all the places she has been before she met Elba. She is bumped into by a mysterious man in a Maine Black Bear hat and he puts a burner phone on her that brings her to the Dew family and the sadness of having a sick child. Octavia does her best to help the family, staring with bringing back the nurse that was in the room when things changed with their children. Nikki is a hoot and does her best to help Octavia. This reanimation brings Gina, from the coven where she was happy but felt she had to run from. Great start to the series.
January 23, 2019
Octavia Hollows is on a mission. Find her dead boyfriend’s body to bring him back. But on the way she gets a mysterious phone call. She answers to find a distraught set of parents with two children suffering from different mysterious things. She sets out to help the family by waking their nurse and getting some answers, but when the flighty nurse brings even more trouble Octavia knows she has a big supernatural problem.
I am totally loving Octavia and Bacon! Octavia is so fun to read and bacon is adorable! She meets some new characters in this one and they are fun too. Nikki the bad decision maker is a blast to read and Dina is fun to dislike. This story was a quick, exciting story and I can’t wait to see what trouble they get into next!
5 stars for Waking the dead
I am totally loving Octavia and Bacon! Octavia is so fun to read and bacon is adorable! She meets some new characters in this one and they are fun too. Nikki the bad decision maker is a blast to read and Dina is fun to dislike. This story was a quick, exciting story and I can’t wait to see what trouble they get into next!
5 stars for Waking the dead
February 5, 2019
I loved this story right from the beginning. Who wouldn’t love a life resurrecting neceomancer toting around an undead pig named Bacon. I mean come on, this was an awesome read. The main character Octavia is funny yet a bit of a loner. She’s not used to helping others yet when Nikki comes into her life that all changes. Don’t let me get started on Nikki. OMG! That girl was a huge HO but she owned it and that’s one of the many things I loved about her. This story is full of crazy and maybe a bit freaky things but as a whole I loved every minute of it. Looking for something different and a quick read, this is totally your next book. Stacey Rourke NEver fails to make me laugh even in the midst of all hell breaking loose.
February 28, 2019
What an awesome ride!!
The characters were phenomenal. I loved Octavia's attitude. She is an amazing character that knows how to get to the bottom of each mysterious investigation that she finds in each town...well, except for the one she really wants to solve that is. And of course, I can't forget about Bacon!! He really livens up the story and makes me crave for more!!
The story-line is incredible! Rourke has a knack for drawing in her readers and keeping us guessing from beginning to end and this story is no different. I mean who doesn't want to read about a fuchsia haired necromancer with a pig named Bacon as her sidekick? This is a memorable, fast paced read that I highly recommend!! I can't wait to read more about Octavia Hollows!!
The characters were phenomenal. I loved Octavia's attitude. She is an amazing character that knows how to get to the bottom of each mysterious investigation that she finds in each town...well, except for the one she really wants to solve that is. And of course, I can't forget about Bacon!! He really livens up the story and makes me crave for more!!
The story-line is incredible! Rourke has a knack for drawing in her readers and keeping us guessing from beginning to end and this story is no different. I mean who doesn't want to read about a fuchsia haired necromancer with a pig named Bacon as her sidekick? This is a memorable, fast paced read that I highly recommend!! I can't wait to read more about Octavia Hollows!!
March 4, 2019
Sometimes opportunity knocks... other times it uses a data plan!
Bacon is the pig we didn’t know we needed, but one we all deserve!
Octavia is a hilarious smart a**. She is a complete mood! You will find yourself laughing hysterically! She literally has no filter and laughs and jokes at the most inappropriate times! Which honestly makes me love her more! If you haven’t read any of Octavia Hallows journals... you really should! Just wait until you hear how she acquired bacon! I laughed harder during this book than I’ve laughed in a long time!
Stacey.... you are goals, girl! You wrote such a beautifully flawed and relatable character with Octavia! I could literally envision that being me... especially with my clumsiness!
Bacon is the pig we didn’t know we needed, but one we all deserve!
Octavia is a hilarious smart a**. She is a complete mood! You will find yourself laughing hysterically! She literally has no filter and laughs and jokes at the most inappropriate times! Which honestly makes me love her more! If you haven’t read any of Octavia Hallows journals... you really should! Just wait until you hear how she acquired bacon! I laughed harder during this book than I’ve laughed in a long time!
Stacey.... you are goals, girl! You wrote such a beautifully flawed and relatable character with Octavia! I could literally envision that being me... especially with my clumsiness!
December 25, 2023
Octavia is a necromancer who was unable to raise the person most important to her, her boyfriend Elba. Octavia is retracing her steps across the country trying to find information about Elba. In Wake the Dead she is in Seattle when someone slips her a phone. When the phone rings, the couple on the other end tell her they knew Elba and want to meet her. Octavia definitely can’t turn down the chance to get information about Elba so she agrees to help the couple find information about their children. I love Octavia and her undead pig Bacon and I’m all in for continuing their adventures. I highly recommend this book/series.
I listened to the audiobook which is narrated by the author. I am not usually a fan of author narrations, but Stacey Rourke does a fantastic job.
I listened to the audiobook which is narrated by the author. I am not usually a fan of author narrations, but Stacey Rourke does a fantastic job.
January 30, 2019
This is the first time I’ve read a book about a necromancer. I love Stacey Rourke’s take on it. I absolutely CAN NOT WAIT for the next one. I’m addicted to this series like I am to Bacon 🐖 💕.
I’ve had a book hangover for awhile and I honestly thought it'd never go away but this “delightful display is what’s known as a Cosmic Bitch-slap” and has restored my love for reading again.
This story has the bad ass, Octavia, find out who she really is and learn not to go by what others think she is or will become. She becomes comfortable with herself and her powers and I think we all need a bit more of THAT in our lives.
I’ve had a book hangover for awhile and I honestly thought it'd never go away but this “delightful display is what’s known as a Cosmic Bitch-slap” and has restored my love for reading again.
This story has the bad ass, Octavia, find out who she really is and learn not to go by what others think she is or will become. She becomes comfortable with herself and her powers and I think we all need a bit more of THAT in our lives.
February 8, 2019
Absolutely amazing! I laughed my ass off reading this book! Amazing story, fast paced, and emotional. For such a short book, the attachment you get to these characters is strong! The emotions were flowing right out of my eyeballs big time. After meeting Octavia in How the Dead Lie, a Havenwoood Falls book, I new I was never gonna get enough of this girl! I'm over the moon excited to know I will be getting a new Octavia adventure every month! Everyone needs to treat themselves to this goodness. You can sit down and get the most excellent adventure, a complete story, so well told that the novelty of the novella loses it's power because you never want it to end!
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