What do you think?
Rate this book
Lilly the Necromancer
Death Lessons
When the dead rise...
...don’t tell anyone it’s your fault.
Lilly is a young child when she helps her first ghost. Turns out, she’s a necromancer. And there’s only one place for a kid like her: The Academy.
From the first carriage ride, Lilly’s life changes. Now, she faces a whole new world of challenges and dangers. And far too often, her greatest enemy is herself.
But if she can stay out of her own way, she just might have a magical seven years.
Lilly’s got a lot of growing up to do...
...as long as she doesn’t end up one of the dead herself.
You’ll love reading Lilly’s adventures because who doesn’t love a story with lots of heart, fun adventure, and a few laughs along the way?
Get it now.
...don’t tell anyone it’s your fault.
Lilly is a young child when she helps her first ghost. Turns out, she’s a necromancer. And there’s only one place for a kid like her: The Academy.
From the first carriage ride, Lilly’s life changes. Now, she faces a whole new world of challenges and dangers. And far too often, her greatest enemy is herself.
But if she can stay out of her own way, she just might have a magical seven years.
Lilly’s got a lot of growing up to do...
...as long as she doesn’t end up one of the dead herself.
You’ll love reading Lilly’s adventures because who doesn’t love a story with lots of heart, fun adventure, and a few laughs along the way?
Get it now.
- GenresFantasyYoung Adult
347 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 20, 2020
30 people are currently reading
30 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 22, 2020
Has it been that long since I last read the Duke Grandfather series? James Maxstadt has vivid, commanding imagination, and it shows.
I'm not sure where he gets his ideas, but he must do a lot of daydreaming.
The only caution I have for readers is that all the Duke Grandfather (and now Lilly -- could never find her last name) series are all a collection of stories, each of which stand on its own. It works well here, however, if you're looking for a book with one single, unifying plot, this would be different from what you're looking for. (come to think of it, maybe Harry Potter is much like the same thing -- a collection of magic escapades one after the other, with some overall theme for each book).
I'm not sure where he gets his ideas, but he must do a lot of daydreaming.
The only caution I have for readers is that all the Duke Grandfather (and now Lilly -- could never find her last name) series are all a collection of stories, each of which stand on its own. It works well here, however, if you're looking for a book with one single, unifying plot, this would be different from what you're looking for. (come to think of it, maybe Harry Potter is much like the same thing -- a collection of magic escapades one after the other, with some overall theme for each book).
April 26, 2020
An exciting, excellent read this one was! It had a real Harry Potter vibe to it, but without an evil villain out for world domination.
The characters were expertly done. They were flawed, imperfect, and dynamic, each character growing and changing across the story (and not always for the better). I liked Lilly a lot, but I think by the end I liked Barret and Abigail the most, though I do wish we could have seen more of their magic.
That’s another thing I liked, the specializations of Magic. The children had different abilities rather than all being under a huge umbrella of magic. And I thought it very interesting and daring to make the main character a necromancer, since necromancy is usually portrayed as evil, and those who practice it the “bad guys”.
The “Abigailias” chapter was probably my favorite for the beauty of it, though the adventures on the Island of Necropolis are a close second.
If I have to say something negative about this book, I thought it ended a little too abruptly for my tastes. I would have liked the final adventure to stretch a little further, and for the stakes to be raised even higher. But I’m grasping at straws a bit to even get this.
Originally I’d listed this as a 4-star read, but after typing out a review, I realized it was extremely difficult to find anything about the story that I didn’t like. It was enthralling, captivating, and endearing, and I have almost nothing bad to say about it. Therefore, I’m giving it 5 stars and a strong recommendation. You fans of Harry Potter will surely find an entertaining read here!
The characters were expertly done. They were flawed, imperfect, and dynamic, each character growing and changing across the story (and not always for the better). I liked Lilly a lot, but I think by the end I liked Barret and Abigail the most, though I do wish we could have seen more of their magic.
That’s another thing I liked, the specializations of Magic. The children had different abilities rather than all being under a huge umbrella of magic. And I thought it very interesting and daring to make the main character a necromancer, since necromancy is usually portrayed as evil, and those who practice it the “bad guys”.
The “Abigailias” chapter was probably my favorite for the beauty of it, though the adventures on the Island of Necropolis are a close second.
If I have to say something negative about this book, I thought it ended a little too abruptly for my tastes. I would have liked the final adventure to stretch a little further, and for the stakes to be raised even higher. But I’m grasping at straws a bit to even get this.
Originally I’d listed this as a 4-star read, but after typing out a review, I realized it was extremely difficult to find anything about the story that I didn’t like. It was enthralling, captivating, and endearing, and I have almost nothing bad to say about it. Therefore, I’m giving it 5 stars and a strong recommendation. You fans of Harry Potter will surely find an entertaining read here!
July 12, 2020
When you write about an Academy of Magic, you risk being in the shadow of Harry Potter. This book, however, was imaginative and unique.
For starters, the protagonist is a necromancer, a character usually featured as creepy and evil. But since the very beginning you connect easily with Lilly: she is kind, smart, funny, but also flawed, which makes her more real.
Another thing that surprised me is the magic specializations. For instance, Lilly’s best friends, Barret and Abigail, are a druid and a diviner, respectively, and they took their magic classes separately. In addition, they also learned the typical courses found in any other school, and that makes sense for not being ignorant in the real world.
You don't find a continued plot, but rather a collection of stories that follow the same narrative line. The story I liked the most was the one in the Island and I loved the last spells of the Slavanich Manuscript and the beauty of Abigailia.
The writing was great, and the descriptions totally introduced you to this magical world. I would have liked to know even more about it and all the other stories that went from the first to the seventh year at the Academy.
When I got to the end, I didn't think it was the end because it was at the same level as the other stories in the book, and I guess I expected something more compelling to show that it was the very end, at least of book one. On the other hand, that would have been difficult to achieve and so it leaves you wanting to read the next book in the series.
A recommended reading for those who like fantasy, or a magic touch in school life!
For starters, the protagonist is a necromancer, a character usually featured as creepy and evil. But since the very beginning you connect easily with Lilly: she is kind, smart, funny, but also flawed, which makes her more real.
Another thing that surprised me is the magic specializations. For instance, Lilly’s best friends, Barret and Abigail, are a druid and a diviner, respectively, and they took their magic classes separately. In addition, they also learned the typical courses found in any other school, and that makes sense for not being ignorant in the real world.
You don't find a continued plot, but rather a collection of stories that follow the same narrative line. The story I liked the most was the one in the Island and I loved the last spells of the Slavanich Manuscript and the beauty of Abigailia.
The writing was great, and the descriptions totally introduced you to this magical world. I would have liked to know even more about it and all the other stories that went from the first to the seventh year at the Academy.
When I got to the end, I didn't think it was the end because it was at the same level as the other stories in the book, and I guess I expected something more compelling to show that it was the very end, at least of book one. On the other hand, that would have been difficult to achieve and so it leaves you wanting to read the next book in the series.
A recommended reading for those who like fantasy, or a magic touch in school life!
April 27, 2020
Fans of Harry Potter will likely be drawn to this novel, which stars a necromancer named Lilly, undergoing seven years of magical training at a special school. The prose is tight, and the author never dwells on any scene for too long. I'll also give him credit for writing flawed characters, and not going for predictable "world domination" villainous schemes. If you're into fantasy or clean all-ages material, it's worth your time.
February 24, 2022
Lilly is from a family of wizards. She inherited the gene so as a child was shipped off to boarding school with the other magical children.
Right of the bat there is an issue here and it's not the one you think. Yes the book is trying to be HP AFTER that book and it's author fell from grace but that's not my issue.
The problem is quite literally the basic four Ws of writing Who, What, When, and Where.
Who
The story opens with Lily and her family... Except we are never told anything about any of them. We don't know a thing about her family except for one single line from her father once Lily starts showing random magical abilities. That line, a full chapter in, is "well, I'm a wizard by trade." and the kid was shipped to boarding school.
Who were her parents? How was she treated up to that point? What kind of person (nature/nurture) was lily? What about the other people she meets later?
Nothing. We get nothing.
What
What is the story about? Lilly is not born with magic but specifically a necromancer. Ok... and? No that's it. That's the entire story. Because she has no characteristics she has no story either, no arc to complete or obstacle to overcome or even a goal to aim for. The story meanders after that with forced scenarios to fill up the pages with endless tween drama.
When
The one that confused me the most. This is told from Lilly's POV as a grandmother reminiscing and it jumps back and forth between child Lilly and grandma Lilly but when is this? There is no time marker anywhere, not even a vague one. Is child Lilly in present day? In the past while grandma Lilly is in the present? The future or medieval times? How did they ship her off to school almost immediately instead of at the start of the school year?
It's fine to want your story to be timeless but markers are necessary as I have no idea how old child Lilly even is! At first I thought 5 as she passes the time drawing with chalk on the pavement but suddenly she's in school and having boyfriends so.... what?!?
Where
The most basic question of all. Where is all this happening. Nothing, we don't even get a country or a region.
A part of me thinks the author was just a fan of how successful Harry Potter was and figured the creepy pasta (lily Madwhip) was obscure enough that if he used the basic character from there and placed it in HP it would work... it doesn't.
Right of the bat there is an issue here and it's not the one you think. Yes the book is trying to be HP AFTER that book and it's author fell from grace but that's not my issue.
The problem is quite literally the basic four Ws of writing Who, What, When, and Where.
Who
The story opens with Lily and her family... Except we are never told anything about any of them. We don't know a thing about her family except for one single line from her father once Lily starts showing random magical abilities. That line, a full chapter in, is "well, I'm a wizard by trade." and the kid was shipped to boarding school.
Who were her parents? How was she treated up to that point? What kind of person (nature/nurture) was lily? What about the other people she meets later?
Nothing. We get nothing.
What
What is the story about? Lilly is not born with magic but specifically a necromancer. Ok... and? No that's it. That's the entire story. Because she has no characteristics she has no story either, no arc to complete or obstacle to overcome or even a goal to aim for. The story meanders after that with forced scenarios to fill up the pages with endless tween drama.
When
The one that confused me the most. This is told from Lilly's POV as a grandmother reminiscing and it jumps back and forth between child Lilly and grandma Lilly but when is this? There is no time marker anywhere, not even a vague one. Is child Lilly in present day? In the past while grandma Lilly is in the present? The future or medieval times? How did they ship her off to school almost immediately instead of at the start of the school year?
It's fine to want your story to be timeless but markers are necessary as I have no idea how old child Lilly even is! At first I thought 5 as she passes the time drawing with chalk on the pavement but suddenly she's in school and having boyfriends so.... what?!?
Where
The most basic question of all. Where is all this happening. Nothing, we don't even get a country or a region.
A part of me thinks the author was just a fan of how successful Harry Potter was and figured the creepy pasta (lily Madwhip) was obscure enough that if he used the basic character from there and placed it in HP it would work... it doesn't.
May 25, 2023
BLUF: Good for kids and YA audiences, interesting characters and good character development, jilting writing style that evens out by the end of the book.
This was an entertaining read, though a little frustrating. I'm not sure what I expected, but the prose threw me off at the start. It reads...simplistically? Not sure; it definitely isn't a complex story structure, and is probably geared towards YA audiences. Nothing is terribly deep or complicated, the stories progress linearly without a ton of detail about the world or magic. By the midpoint of the book either I had gotten used to how the author writes or the writing style smoothed out.
I don't think you can help but make a Harry Potter comparison. It's definitely there (a hidden school, divided by years, students learning from teachers, a trio of friends with some additional characters thrown in, teenage angst/conflict/romance), but the author takes his own path with it. Characters have their own magical specialties akin to schools of magic from D&D.
Overall, four stars. It was well enough written for the target audience, though it leaned heavily on some well established tropes. The narration between stories could have been smoother (or replaced entirely), and the first few chapters could stand some more thorough editing, but the end result is an enjoyable read that leaves you wanting to hear more about Lilly and her future endeavors.
This was an entertaining read, though a little frustrating. I'm not sure what I expected, but the prose threw me off at the start. It reads...simplistically? Not sure; it definitely isn't a complex story structure, and is probably geared towards YA audiences. Nothing is terribly deep or complicated, the stories progress linearly without a ton of detail about the world or magic. By the midpoint of the book either I had gotten used to how the author writes or the writing style smoothed out.
I don't think you can help but make a Harry Potter comparison. It's definitely there (a hidden school, divided by years, students learning from teachers, a trio of friends with some additional characters thrown in, teenage angst/conflict/romance), but the author takes his own path with it. Characters have their own magical specialties akin to schools of magic from D&D.
Overall, four stars. It was well enough written for the target audience, though it leaned heavily on some well established tropes. The narration between stories could have been smoother (or replaced entirely), and the first few chapters could stand some more thorough editing, but the end result is an enjoyable read that leaves you wanting to hear more about Lilly and her future endeavors.
September 28, 2021
I love the way this book is written. The fact that the POV is written from the same person but from different time periods in her life is just about seamless. Lilly as a child and as an adult is funny. The way her outlook is on life itself and discovering how things make her feel when she does something horrible makes her more believable. The determination and stubbornness can be a fault and plus in each category depending on the situation that she is presented with.
I will say Lilly would kill me when she would give a story and although it was incomplete it was complete in some small way. I can only imagine the other stories she has to in her repertoire. One thing I am curious about is whether or not the grandson has a bit of necromancy in him since he was able to hear the other person's voice that she was conversing with at the beginning of the book.
I will say Lilly would kill me when she would give a story and although it was incomplete it was complete in some small way. I can only imagine the other stories she has to in her repertoire. One thing I am curious about is whether or not the grandson has a bit of necromancy in him since he was able to hear the other person's voice that she was conversing with at the beginning of the book.
December 14, 2020
I really enjoyed this book, it was fun and entertaining, and had me hanging on every word. The protagonist Lilly is a strong and capable girl, and a very talented necromancer, together with her academy friends they take on a variety of problems with bravery. I can't wait to start the next book and try more by this author, the narration was good. I received this book in exchange for my honest review.
July 22, 2022
I loved this book. Read it in 3 days. I love thats its in Firat person point of view. Learning about Lily and her days through the Academy. I cant wait to start the second one. Abigail and Barret are my other favorites. Will definitely be buying the Duke grandfather series next. I am in love with this one. It caught my attention. I couldn't put it down.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews