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The Knight and the Necromancer #1-3
The Knight and the Necromancer - The Complete Series
Roland is the premier knight of the realm. Sairis is the closest thing Mistala has to a dragon.
Prince Roland comes home from the war to bury his father and see his sister on the throne. He sneaks out to his favorite tavern for nostalgia’s sake. It’s the place where he kissed a man for the first time, the place where he used to carouse with the lover he buried on a battlefield.
Roland expects to enjoy some anonymity and perhaps flirt with a few strangers for old time’s sake. He does not expect to find a fascinating scholar from out of town—a lonely young man with beautiful eyes and an obvious longing to be touched, buried beneath a prickly demeanor. The man clearly has his secrets, but so does Roland, and their unexpected chemistry makes him feel alive for the first time in months.
Roland exerts all his knightly charm and is rewarded by the promise of a second date. He figures he’ll need something to look forward to tomorrow, since he must spend the day in council with his family’s sworn enemy—a necromancer whom his sister has rashly invited to consult about the war.
Sairis is a necromancer with a price on his head. He knows that he will have to bargain for his life tomorrow. He’s never been this far from his tower. He’s good with magic, not people. He’s frightened, although he doesn’t want to admit it.
Sairis knows he’s doing something foolish by visiting a tavern the evening before his meeting with the royals—a tavern that caters to men of certain tastes. But Sairis wants things. Things a hunted outlaw can never have.
He tells himself that he’ll just watch—see what ordinary people enjoy every day. Sairis is confident in his ability to intimidate anyone who comes too close.
He’s shocked when a dazzling mountain of a man is not intimidated in the slightest. Sairis knows a knight when he sees one. He has killed plenty of knights. But this knight is funny and kind. Sairis finds his defenses melting in spite of his best efforts. Maybe he could go on a second date with this person.
Of course, he’ll have to get through tomorrow first…when he must bargain with the hated royals who have persecuted him all his life.
This download includes the entire Knight and the Necromancer trilogy, with satisfying HEA at the end of book 3. Steamy scenes, adults only.
Prince Roland comes home from the war to bury his father and see his sister on the throne. He sneaks out to his favorite tavern for nostalgia’s sake. It’s the place where he kissed a man for the first time, the place where he used to carouse with the lover he buried on a battlefield.
Roland expects to enjoy some anonymity and perhaps flirt with a few strangers for old time’s sake. He does not expect to find a fascinating scholar from out of town—a lonely young man with beautiful eyes and an obvious longing to be touched, buried beneath a prickly demeanor. The man clearly has his secrets, but so does Roland, and their unexpected chemistry makes him feel alive for the first time in months.
Roland exerts all his knightly charm and is rewarded by the promise of a second date. He figures he’ll need something to look forward to tomorrow, since he must spend the day in council with his family’s sworn enemy—a necromancer whom his sister has rashly invited to consult about the war.
Sairis is a necromancer with a price on his head. He knows that he will have to bargain for his life tomorrow. He’s never been this far from his tower. He’s good with magic, not people. He’s frightened, although he doesn’t want to admit it.
Sairis knows he’s doing something foolish by visiting a tavern the evening before his meeting with the royals—a tavern that caters to men of certain tastes. But Sairis wants things. Things a hunted outlaw can never have.
He tells himself that he’ll just watch—see what ordinary people enjoy every day. Sairis is confident in his ability to intimidate anyone who comes too close.
He’s shocked when a dazzling mountain of a man is not intimidated in the slightest. Sairis knows a knight when he sees one. He has killed plenty of knights. But this knight is funny and kind. Sairis finds his defenses melting in spite of his best efforts. Maybe he could go on a second date with this person.
Of course, he’ll have to get through tomorrow first…when he must bargain with the hated royals who have persecuted him all his life.
This download includes the entire Knight and the Necromancer trilogy, with satisfying HEA at the end of book 3. Steamy scenes, adults only.
457 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 14, 2020
68 people are currently reading
227 people want to read
About the author
A.H. Lee
13 books202 followersA.H. Lee writes fantasy under several names. These are her steamier books.
(Source: Amazon.com)
Main Goodreads Author profile: Abigail Hilton
(Source: Amazon.com)
Main Goodreads Author profile: Abigail Hilton
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
August 22, 2021
I underestimated this series. Amazing and rich worldbuilding. I also loved the alternating povs between the MCs, especially in the last book, coz it happened quickly to create more tension and suspense and I was on the edge of my seat. It was exciting.
October 3, 2020
4.5 Stars
I feel like I should've reviewed this series ages ago, even though I finish the third book just last week. Maybe it's because I started the series halfway through September. I read the first two books back-to-back—the first one ended on a cliffhanger, so I had to continue. And I started the third book, but paused a quarter of the way in, for no reason, and read the entire Trouble Brewing series. Then finished The Titan's Curse (for the third time), and only then got back to this one. Though it was very easy to get back into, so it wasn't a problem.
The series, as the name suggests, follows a knight and a necromancer. Only, the knight is also a prince named Roland. His father has just passed away, and he's come back from the border, where there's a war going on, to attend the funeral and to see his sister crowned the queen. He meets Sairis at a tavern. Neither is aware of the other's identity at the time. And there's a connection between them.
But... Sairis and the kingdom have issues. Some years back, the kingdom had a fight with a necromancer. The necromancer was defeated, and he locked himself up in a tower. Knights still go to the tower hoping to kill him. Sairis is the necromancer's apprentice, and he was invited by the queen-to-be to discuss an alliance. Because the enemies at the border are a much more dangerous foe. With unkillable monsters and zombie-like creatures, led by a sorcerer. That said, no one in the kingdom trusts necromancers, so it's a bit of shock when Sair and Roland learn who the other is. Though it doesn't turn into a prolonged conflict like one might expect.
This is a fast-paced series. The slowest book, I'd say, is the second one, and that's only because most of it is spent on the road. But really, all three books are great. And the first book introduces all the important parts of the story, which I'll do as well.
The first is the romance. Sair and Roland need to learn to trust one another. So even though their connection is undeniable from the beginning, the relationship is built slowly throughout the series. Of equal importance is the war at the border. It's an immediate threat that could destroy the kingdom. Then we have the magic system, the world-building, and some familial skirmishes as well.
All of this is build upon as the series goes on. And I think the author did a fantastic job of what and how much information was given at what point. She always gave us enough to paint a picture but never let the book get info-dumpy. She tried to keep the world simple. Yet it was interesting, and she kept the world-building relevant to the plot. Basically, it was all good. Same with the romance, which I loved. Sair and Roland are perfect together, and I was rooting for them so hard.
If I have any issues with the book, it's with a character who was introduced toward the end of the first book and played a very significant part in the second one. He's the kind of character that you're supposed to hate at first and then warm up to. Expect I never did. And I wanted there to be more... repentance to his arc.
But even with him in the equation, this was a surprisingly good series. Honestly, I picked it up just for the title (necromancy is so interesting), and I'm glad that I did. Even the "slow" book of the series wasn't actually slow, because it gave us a chance to get to know the characters and world better. And the last book wrapped up all the plotlines very well.
I kinda wish we could get another book or series with these characters, even if they're not the main characters. But that doesn't seem likely. I mean, there's already a spin-off. If only it wasn't set like a 1000 years in the future and practically a different genre... I'm gonna pass on that. But I highly recommend this series. It's a great read, and you should check it out.
I feel like I should've reviewed this series ages ago, even though I finish the third book just last week. Maybe it's because I started the series halfway through September. I read the first two books back-to-back—the first one ended on a cliffhanger, so I had to continue. And I started the third book, but paused a quarter of the way in, for no reason, and read the entire Trouble Brewing series. Then finished The Titan's Curse (for the third time), and only then got back to this one. Though it was very easy to get back into, so it wasn't a problem.
The series, as the name suggests, follows a knight and a necromancer. Only, the knight is also a prince named Roland. His father has just passed away, and he's come back from the border, where there's a war going on, to attend the funeral and to see his sister crowned the queen. He meets Sairis at a tavern. Neither is aware of the other's identity at the time. And there's a connection between them.
But... Sairis and the kingdom have issues. Some years back, the kingdom had a fight with a necromancer. The necromancer was defeated, and he locked himself up in a tower. Knights still go to the tower hoping to kill him. Sairis is the necromancer's apprentice, and he was invited by the queen-to-be to discuss an alliance. Because the enemies at the border are a much more dangerous foe. With unkillable monsters and zombie-like creatures, led by a sorcerer. That said, no one in the kingdom trusts necromancers, so it's a bit of shock when Sair and Roland learn who the other is. Though it doesn't turn into a prolonged conflict like one might expect.
This is a fast-paced series. The slowest book, I'd say, is the second one, and that's only because most of it is spent on the road. But really, all three books are great. And the first book introduces all the important parts of the story, which I'll do as well.
The first is the romance. Sair and Roland need to learn to trust one another. So even though their connection is undeniable from the beginning, the relationship is built slowly throughout the series. Of equal importance is the war at the border. It's an immediate threat that could destroy the kingdom. Then we have the magic system, the world-building, and some familial skirmishes as well.
All of this is build upon as the series goes on. And I think the author did a fantastic job of what and how much information was given at what point. She always gave us enough to paint a picture but never let the book get info-dumpy. She tried to keep the world simple. Yet it was interesting, and she kept the world-building relevant to the plot. Basically, it was all good. Same with the romance, which I loved. Sair and Roland are perfect together, and I was rooting for them so hard.
If I have any issues with the book, it's with a character who was introduced toward the end of the first book and played a very significant part in the second one. He's the kind of character that you're supposed to hate at first and then warm up to. Expect I never did. And I wanted there to be more... repentance to his arc.
But even with him in the equation, this was a surprisingly good series. Honestly, I picked it up just for the title (necromancy is so interesting), and I'm glad that I did. Even the "slow" book of the series wasn't actually slow, because it gave us a chance to get to know the characters and world better. And the last book wrapped up all the plotlines very well.
I kinda wish we could get another book or series with these characters, even if they're not the main characters. But that doesn't seem likely. I mean, there's already a spin-off. If only it wasn't set like a 1000 years in the future and practically a different genre... I'm gonna pass on that. But I highly recommend this series. It's a great read, and you should check it out.
January 9, 2021
4.5 stars
I don't know why I waited so long to read this! I really enjoyed the story and although it didn't quite reach 5 stars, it's still going on my favourite read shelf! I think probably the first and third books were the best at 4-4.5 stars - the second was more like a 3-3.5 stars, but still integral to the story. There were a few niggles, but for the most part I was just drawn into this world and the characters - the magic was really interesting too. Of course I loved Roland and Sairis as the main characters, and we even got a good feel for a number of the secondary characters too, which is often lacking in these kinds of stories.
I think my main issue is just that I really didn't want to leave this world and characters behind. There was a lot of potential for more (and I guess it is open enough that there could definitely be more stories in this world), whilst still coming to a satisfying conclusion, but there were so many more things about the magic that I wanted to see and to understand how Roland and Sairis would make things work once the dust had settled.
Oh and I read all three of these straight through, as although it's split into 3 short books, it is more like one long story just cut up into 3 - so I felt it best to read them all in one go. I'm glad I did, as otherwise the endings of the smaller books might have been annoying, as they just cut off rather than having any real conclusions.
Definitely going to check out any further books in this world and by this new-to-me author. :)
I don't know why I waited so long to read this! I really enjoyed the story and although it didn't quite reach 5 stars, it's still going on my favourite read shelf! I think probably the first and third books were the best at 4-4.5 stars - the second was more like a 3-3.5 stars, but still integral to the story. There were a few niggles, but for the most part I was just drawn into this world and the characters - the magic was really interesting too. Of course I loved Roland and Sairis as the main characters, and we even got a good feel for a number of the secondary characters too, which is often lacking in these kinds of stories.
I think my main issue is just that I really didn't want to leave this world and characters behind. There was a lot of potential for more (and I guess it is open enough that there could definitely be more stories in this world), whilst still coming to a satisfying conclusion, but there were so many more things about the magic that I wanted to see and to understand how Roland and Sairis would make things work once the dust had settled.
Oh and I read all three of these straight through, as although it's split into 3 short books, it is more like one long story just cut up into 3 - so I felt it best to read them all in one go. I'm glad I did, as otherwise the endings of the smaller books might have been annoying, as they just cut off rather than having any real conclusions.
Definitely going to check out any further books in this world and by this new-to-me author. :)
Read
July 4, 20254 stars. Audiobook. Knights, magic, necromancers, princes, light royal machinations. Series of three books, following the same couple, must be read in order. Fantasy, old-world setting with swords, horses and knights. Plot heavy story with romance as the side story.
Story was interesting and kept me coming back for more, good writing. Narrated by Kirt Graves and is middle of the road, the story is read to you, not really acted out.
Overall worth a listen, though it ended a bit flat for me. I went in with some notions on how wars with necromancies could pan out, and this went a different way. The big finale was somewhat outside of the magical scope of the character and felt a little…hmm, whut? What does that have to do with necromancy?
HEA, series, m/m, magic, necromancer, prince, border war.
Story was interesting and kept me coming back for more, good writing. Narrated by Kirt Graves and is middle of the road, the story is read to you, not really acted out.
Overall worth a listen, though it ended a bit flat for me. I went in with some notions on how wars with necromancies could pan out, and this went a different way. The big finale was somewhat outside of the magical scope of the character and felt a little…hmm, whut? What does that have to do with necromancy?
HEA, series, m/m, magic, necromancer, prince, border war.
February 4, 2022
4.5 stars, rounded up.
This was wonderful. Great pacing with a fantastic, captivating plot, wonderful characters and Roland and Sairis have such great chemistry and banter. Truly this book is a delight.
My only qualm with this book is that the trans rep is a little bizarre. I don’t necessarily know that it’s bad. I do think that someone could make a case as such, but I also think that I’m not necessarily the right person to make that case.
This was wonderful. Great pacing with a fantastic, captivating plot, wonderful characters and Roland and Sairis have such great chemistry and banter. Truly this book is a delight.
My only qualm with this book is that the trans rep is a little bizarre. I don’t necessarily know that it’s bad. I do think that someone could make a case as such, but I also think that I’m not necessarily the right person to make that case.
May 7, 2024
This is my second time through this series, and I think I'm going to raise my rating. There are a few issues, but not many, and it kept me on the edge of my seat even though I'd read it before.
May 9, 2021
Ab-sitively Wonderful!
I am in love with Roland and Sairis!
Everyone that loves a good love story, a strong Queen, golems, sorcerers, and necromancer should read this story. The battle scene at the end is fantastically written. Sairis' spirit-walks to the river Styx have an ethereal peace to them.
This is a story to read again and again.
I am in love with Roland and Sairis!
Everyone that loves a good love story, a strong Queen, golems, sorcerers, and necromancer should read this story. The battle scene at the end is fantastically written. Sairis' spirit-walks to the river Styx have an ethereal peace to them.
This is a story to read again and again.
September 16, 2020
I loved this one. And as others have said, it's definitely just one longer book split into three parts as opposed to a series, but I got over that once I got into the story. I started the first part as a Kindle Unlimited read, and I ALMOST deleted it to download something else without even reading it, because the title was a little hokey and I'd let it sit in my library for a while. I'm SO glad I gave it a chance instead. It goes on my Favorites shelf, now. The plot was interesting and engaging, there's a wonderful amount of world-building, and the characters are lovely. I thought it was an especially good balance between the romance and the larger story. My biggest complaint was I wanted more of it when it was over... luckily there's a novella for me to track down!
February 22, 2025
4.5 stars!
RTC
RTC
August 27, 2020
Yikes, I started this series in the middle of an extra-busy workweek thinking I'd have something fun and lowkey to read during my breaks but instead I got one of the best books I've read recently and I couldn't fucking put it down! RIP to my work productivity because I just finished the whole trilogy.
I looooove the romance dynamic here, the main characters Sairis and Rolland represent my FAVORITE romantic dynamic which is, like, big-and-cheerful wears their heart on their sleeve and small-and-untrusting has a tortured past and a hard time trusting. It's about the hurt/comfort.
The political intrigue was very engaging, which really picked up in the second and third books. I loved that magical and necromancy system in this world.
I looooove the romance dynamic here, the main characters Sairis and Rolland represent my FAVORITE romantic dynamic which is, like, big-and-cheerful wears their heart on their sleeve and small-and-untrusting has a tortured past and a hard time trusting. It's about the hurt/comfort.
The political intrigue was very engaging, which really picked up in the second and third books. I loved that magical and necromancy system in this world.
March 7, 2024
I have to be honest: based on the title of this book, I wasn't really expecting much from it. It was a spontaneous download to feel like I was getting the most out of my Kindle Unlimited free trial; I wearily felt like it was a pointless download and I'd just end up returning it in about 20 minutes like so many other KU books.
But I got sucked into this book, this world, and these characters' lives in much less than 20 minutes.
Which is all the more impressive because usually, insta-love/insta-extreme lust is an immediate turn off for me. But Sairis and Roland's first meeting was written so sweetly that in this rare case, I totally bought it, and loved it.
I was immediately smitten with both Sairis and Roland, and my love for them only grew throughout the story as we learned more about them and witnessed their journeys and their growth. Their romance is of course the main, focal point of the novel (and it's fantastic) but everything that was built around it--the other characters, the world, the magic, the wars and political intrigue--was all done deliciously well and with the perfect amount of depth.
No side characters took up too much word count, but each was given enough space to still feel so complete and compelling and relevant--and certainly there were characters I would have loved more of, but it wasn't their story, and perhaps they'll get their own books in time. Too often I'll read a romance and feel like I can barely even name any side characters by the end, but I was so fond of so many of these characters and felt like, despite their much shorter "screen-time" compared to Sairis and Roland, I still knew them well.
The dilemmas of this world--the political bargaining and backroom deals and the wars fought along the borders--all felt like they were given real weight and tension; it wasn't just a lot of background noise to provide the romance with a flimsy plot. I was so invested in all of it, and there were definitely a good amount of intense, nail-biting scenes that had nothing to do with the romance.
And more than anything, I LOVED the magic of this world. It was so unique and fascinating, and it was clear that a lot of thought and care and creativity went into crafting it for this story. There were rules and limitations and a kind of "science" about it, and I couldn't get enough of it. I felt like I really understood the magic, which is kind of rare because a lot of times, it's a very hand-wavey plot device.
Which, unfortunately, this book didn't manage to stay completely away from.
Onto the negatives.
After spending 2.5 "books" (that's another point I'll get back to) so meticulously building up the magic system and seeming to make it very clear what Sairis was capable of, the climax of book 3 kind of just......threw it all out the window to have him do some cool magic shit. Which was definitely cool, but the two (sort of three) epic displays of magic he did came out of NOWHERE. There's a brief line/passage about him reading a lot of books about the fae and how those texts suddenly came back to him just at that perfect moment so he could do some rad spell. Okay. Sure. But then shortly after, he does yet more rad magic that just. Boggled me. Where did that come from?? How could he even DO that?? I don't want to get too spoilery, but we're basically told all throughout the books that no one could do this thing, and then Sairis just.........does it. I guess it's one of those things that you should technically expect of a fantasy main character (I just don't love Mary Sue/Gary Stu types), but the way he pulls it off just doesn't compute in my brain at all. And until that point, I'd really thought I understood how his magic worked. But I couldn't wrap my head around that denouement at all. It came across as a bit of a deus ex machina.
Then there's the fact that this is split into three "books." The ending of "book one" was already rough enough, but the ending of "book two" had me double- and triple- and quadruple-checking my Kindle book because I thought that surely I was missing a chapter or two, this was too weird and inexplicable a place to end a book. Seems pretty clear it was arbitrarily chopped up to milk more money by making one book into a "series." Which I can't really blame anyone for doing, but it's definitely noticeable; it makes the transition from one chapter to the next feel clumsy when, by taking out the title page between chapters, it would've been so smooth. So that's why I keep referring to it as a single book: because that's what it should be, and very likely how it was originally written.
Despite these complaints, they feel small enough compared to how overwhelmingly I enjoyed the book that, screw it, I'm not knocking off any stars!! It's probably more of a 4.5 star read for me, but I'm more than happy to round up since the negative really didn't detract much from the overall experience.
And I can almost guarantee I'll reread it: After finishing "book one" on KU, I went right ahead and just bought the complete series anyway. That's definitely rare for me since I usually want to know how a series ends before committing to having it on my Kindle forever, but I loved it that much.
But I got sucked into this book, this world, and these characters' lives in much less than 20 minutes.
Which is all the more impressive because usually, insta-love/insta-extreme lust is an immediate turn off for me. But Sairis and Roland's first meeting was written so sweetly that in this rare case, I totally bought it, and loved it.
I was immediately smitten with both Sairis and Roland, and my love for them only grew throughout the story as we learned more about them and witnessed their journeys and their growth. Their romance is of course the main, focal point of the novel (and it's fantastic) but everything that was built around it--the other characters, the world, the magic, the wars and political intrigue--was all done deliciously well and with the perfect amount of depth.
No side characters took up too much word count, but each was given enough space to still feel so complete and compelling and relevant--and certainly there were characters I would have loved more of, but it wasn't their story, and perhaps they'll get their own books in time. Too often I'll read a romance and feel like I can barely even name any side characters by the end, but I was so fond of so many of these characters and felt like, despite their much shorter "screen-time" compared to Sairis and Roland, I still knew them well.
The dilemmas of this world--the political bargaining and backroom deals and the wars fought along the borders--all felt like they were given real weight and tension; it wasn't just a lot of background noise to provide the romance with a flimsy plot. I was so invested in all of it, and there were definitely a good amount of intense, nail-biting scenes that had nothing to do with the romance.
And more than anything, I LOVED the magic of this world. It was so unique and fascinating, and it was clear that a lot of thought and care and creativity went into crafting it for this story. There were rules and limitations and a kind of "science" about it, and I couldn't get enough of it. I felt like I really understood the magic, which is kind of rare because a lot of times, it's a very hand-wavey plot device.
Which, unfortunately, this book didn't manage to stay completely away from.
Onto the negatives.
After spending 2.5 "books" (that's another point I'll get back to) so meticulously building up the magic system and seeming to make it very clear what Sairis was capable of, the climax of book 3 kind of just......threw it all out the window to have him do some cool magic shit. Which was definitely cool, but the two (sort of three) epic displays of magic he did came out of NOWHERE. There's a brief line/passage about him reading a lot of books about the fae and how those texts suddenly came back to him just at that perfect moment so he could do some rad spell. Okay. Sure. But then shortly after, he does yet more rad magic that just. Boggled me. Where did that come from?? How could he even DO that?? I don't want to get too spoilery, but we're basically told all throughout the books that no one could do this thing, and then Sairis just.........does it. I guess it's one of those things that you should technically expect of a fantasy main character (I just don't love Mary Sue/Gary Stu types), but the way he pulls it off just doesn't compute in my brain at all. And until that point, I'd really thought I understood how his magic worked. But I couldn't wrap my head around that denouement at all. It came across as a bit of a deus ex machina.
Then there's the fact that this is split into three "books." The ending of "book one" was already rough enough, but the ending of "book two" had me double- and triple- and quadruple-checking my Kindle book because I thought that surely I was missing a chapter or two, this was too weird and inexplicable a place to end a book. Seems pretty clear it was arbitrarily chopped up to milk more money by making one book into a "series." Which I can't really blame anyone for doing, but it's definitely noticeable; it makes the transition from one chapter to the next feel clumsy when, by taking out the title page between chapters, it would've been so smooth. So that's why I keep referring to it as a single book: because that's what it should be, and very likely how it was originally written.
Despite these complaints, they feel small enough compared to how overwhelmingly I enjoyed the book that, screw it, I'm not knocking off any stars!! It's probably more of a 4.5 star read for me, but I'm more than happy to round up since the negative really didn't detract much from the overall experience.
And I can almost guarantee I'll reread it: After finishing "book one" on KU, I went right ahead and just bought the complete series anyway. That's definitely rare for me since I usually want to know how a series ends before committing to having it on my Kindle forever, but I loved it that much.
July 21, 2020
Just finished The Knight and the Necromancer set by AH Lee. It is on kindle unlimited. Fantasy with very interesting worldbuilding. I really enjoyed the character development, not onlt of the leads, but other characters as well. Themes of queer acceptance, but some nasty homophobia from the bad guys. Sort of friends to enemies to lovers arc of the MCs. Throughly enjoyable high fantasy.
November 8, 2024
I’m frankly floored that this book is not more popular and more often recommended. The characters, the world building and the plot are all incredibly rich. The system of magic, while touching on some common tropes, (energy saving/storing, weakness to iron) was unique, brining in multiple types of mythos rather seamlessly. (The styx, faeries, demons, wizards, sorcerer, vampire, and werewolves). Lee gives you just enough information to piece things together but leaves you desperately curious for more. This is a book you can think over a lot. There was not a single moment in the series where I wanted to put the book down, even in the slower moments. (Though admittedly this is a fast paced story.)
The romance is charmingly unconventional but sweet. The series title sets up an expectation of classic enemies to lovers and there are elements of that but really the characters struggle with themselves over their attraction more than with each other directly. (Though there is a nice to fight or to fuck scenario.)
Each characters personality is decidedly solid while leaving natural room for change and growth, which is a storytelling element I have come to appreciate. Friends become villains, villains become friends, the plot elements are well foreshadowed enough that nothing feels out of place but is still surprising within the lens of the narrative. Every character and every piece has its place, I don’t feel there were any loose threads left even by the rather fast conclusion.
The world building really leaves me hanging on to this story. I would read about the magic system, the demons, mirror walking, the styx, the sundering, the shattered sea, all of it throughly if provided. Unfortunately Lee knows the precarious art leaving some things to the imagination and imagine I will.
One thing I really appreciate about this fantasy story is the mirroring of sexuality political issues from our own times into the scope of the narrative. There is neither a complete rejection nor a universal acceptance of queerness in The Knight and The Necromancer. Rather the climate sits in a place in between, same sex marriage is legal, with backlash, with political opinions, with proponents and enemies. I understand that not every story needs to tackle such issues, it’s nice to read a fantasy story where queerness is the norm, period pieces can address rampant homophobia. Here, queerness somewhat accepted but stigmatized. The world is on the cusp of changing but it hasn’t quiet tilted over the edge yet, it’s in the middle of an ongoing process, one strikingly similar to the one I experience while being completely different.
Roland’s speech at the end really struck a chord with me. I’m trying to leave a spoiler free review but, his address made his romance and struggles that much more meaningful to me.
I’ve accidentally written an essay of a review but I truly loved this book. It’s fun, it’s high stakes yet personal, it’s crafted lovingly and with great care, the world is deeply interesting, as are the characters, the plot seamless, well, paced and narratively satisfying. Give this book a read it’s worth it!
The romance is charmingly unconventional but sweet. The series title sets up an expectation of classic enemies to lovers and there are elements of that but really the characters struggle with themselves over their attraction more than with each other directly. (Though there is a nice to fight or to fuck scenario.)
Each characters personality is decidedly solid while leaving natural room for change and growth, which is a storytelling element I have come to appreciate. Friends become villains, villains become friends, the plot elements are well foreshadowed enough that nothing feels out of place but is still surprising within the lens of the narrative. Every character and every piece has its place, I don’t feel there were any loose threads left even by the rather fast conclusion.
The world building really leaves me hanging on to this story. I would read about the magic system, the demons, mirror walking, the styx, the sundering, the shattered sea, all of it throughly if provided. Unfortunately Lee knows the precarious art leaving some things to the imagination and imagine I will.
One thing I really appreciate about this fantasy story is the mirroring of sexuality political issues from our own times into the scope of the narrative. There is neither a complete rejection nor a universal acceptance of queerness in The Knight and The Necromancer. Rather the climate sits in a place in between, same sex marriage is legal, with backlash, with political opinions, with proponents and enemies. I understand that not every story needs to tackle such issues, it’s nice to read a fantasy story where queerness is the norm, period pieces can address rampant homophobia. Here, queerness somewhat accepted but stigmatized. The world is on the cusp of changing but it hasn’t quiet tilted over the edge yet, it’s in the middle of an ongoing process, one strikingly similar to the one I experience while being completely different.
Roland’s speech at the end really struck a chord with me. I’m trying to leave a spoiler free review but, his address made his romance and struggles that much more meaningful to me.
I’ve accidentally written an essay of a review but I truly loved this book. It’s fun, it’s high stakes yet personal, it’s crafted lovingly and with great care, the world is deeply interesting, as are the characters, the plot seamless, well, paced and narratively satisfying. Give this book a read it’s worth it!
September 20, 2020
Unexpectedly good. 4.5/5 stars, but rounding to 5 stars bc I respect the art of writing, especially when it's well executed. I read it on Kindle Unlimited, but I will likely purchase it to own.
I'll just begin by saying the good outweighed the bad in this serialized trilogy.
The bad? Use of exclamation points (this is a personal thing, which is why I didn't let it impact the rating I gave), and the knight was a little too tenderhearted for my tastes. His eyes seemed to get misty over everything. I'm not saying sensitivity is a bad thing (it's not, screw toxic masculinity), but he got teary-eyed over EVERYTHING. I am a big baby myself so I can relate, but I'm also not a knight that kills people? Idk. The dialogue got a little wonky a few times, but I made it through the story enjoying most of what I read.
I would've preferred Sairis to retain at least some of his bitterness and snark toward others, because being kept away from the world for like a decade while your master tells you that the world is against the both of you would seriously make your outer shell tough af. I think Roland should've been a little more suspicious and paranoid of Sairis, but given that everyone around him emphasized how loyal, forgiving, trusting he is, that wouldn't have been congruent with his personality.
Ooooooh. Y'all almost let me end my rambling w/o mentioning the tactfully created Marsden who is actually a trans man. He is more than a side character, but not a main one by any stretch of the term, and the way his traveling companions is in keeping with the weird backward views towards gender and sexuality of the kingdom, but boy was I pumped when I figured out what was happening. No deception, or overt trickery, or shying away from the fact that he "preferred" to be called a man and his "preferred" pronouns are he/him. Yes he uses glamor to present as fully male, but he has magic, and shit, if I could magically remove my breasts in the eyes of others, don't you think I would? Also I'm using quotations because I don't personally use the word "preferred" when discussing homosexuality or gender, but will allow it given the overall message, treatment of sexuality and gender identity in the story.
Woooow, I was like super surprised that I enjoyed this. Ngl. It took three chapters to get fully into it, because I was like ugh insta-love, but there was a little tension there to challenge the immediate attraction, so I kept reading. It's going on my comfort reads list, if that means anything.
Two thumbs up on a job well done.
I'll just begin by saying the good outweighed the bad in this serialized trilogy.
The bad? Use of exclamation points (this is a personal thing, which is why I didn't let it impact the rating I gave), and the knight was a little too tenderhearted for my tastes. His eyes seemed to get misty over everything. I'm not saying sensitivity is a bad thing (it's not, screw toxic masculinity), but he got teary-eyed over EVERYTHING. I am a big baby myself so I can relate, but I'm also not a knight that kills people? Idk. The dialogue got a little wonky a few times, but I made it through the story enjoying most of what I read.
I would've preferred Sairis to retain at least some of his bitterness and snark toward others, because being kept away from the world for like a decade while your master tells you that the world is against the both of you would seriously make your outer shell tough af. I think Roland should've been a little more suspicious and paranoid of Sairis, but given that everyone around him emphasized how loyal, forgiving, trusting he is, that wouldn't have been congruent with his personality.
Ooooooh. Y'all almost let me end my rambling w/o mentioning the tactfully created Marsden who is actually a trans man. He is more than a side character, but not a main one by any stretch of the term, and the way his traveling companions is in keeping with the weird backward views towards gender and sexuality of the kingdom, but boy was I pumped when I figured out what was happening. No deception, or overt trickery, or shying away from the fact that he "preferred" to be called a man and his "preferred" pronouns are he/him. Yes he uses glamor to present as fully male, but he has magic, and shit, if I could magically remove my breasts in the eyes of others, don't you think I would? Also I'm using quotations because I don't personally use the word "preferred" when discussing homosexuality or gender, but will allow it given the overall message, treatment of sexuality and gender identity in the story.
Woooow, I was like super surprised that I enjoyed this. Ngl. It took three chapters to get fully into it, because I was like ugh insta-love, but there was a little tension there to challenge the immediate attraction, so I kept reading. It's going on my comfort reads list, if that means anything.
Two thumbs up on a job well done.
September 29, 2023
I am truly impressed by this masterfully creative and enthralling read!
Admittedly, I chose this complete collection because I enjoy paranormal fantasies just as much as I do historical romances. The idea of a prince who had a proven reputation as a fearsome knight of Mistala allying himself with a untried yet extremely powerful necromancer who chose to help the very country that nearly destroyed his master and beloved teacher intrigued me.
This author has an incredible talent as both a wordsmith and storyteller. She captured my interest first with the hints of magic and historical fantasy involving complete countries involved in a mini-world-war of sorts, and from the first chapter wherein Roland (in disguise) is drawn to Sairus, she hooked me. The main characters were wonderfully likeable from the start, and Queen Daphne, Roland's older sister, proved to be clever, wise beyond her youth, and more than just a little astute and intuitive when it came to judging character, trustworthiness, and making decisions as well as ensuring the protection of not just herself but her brother and her people. What can I do but sing the praises for an absolutely amazing experience? I really, truly, enjoyed this book (though I doubt I would have been anything but impatient reading the individual installments separately. I find the fact that this collective is just under six hundred pages the perfect length of a novel, so yes, the short installments definitely would have been annoying, bit not too bad of a deterrent against finishing all three. This author is an absolutely marvelous writer with a practical yet wildly creative imagination that is irresistible. Her writing flows naturally, from the described settings, characters, magical experiences, and every other nuance she pours into this well thought out storyline. The main characters are well rounded, and the underlying currents of betrayal, royal intrigue, and mysterious menace eludes Roland and Daphne, especially with the dawning awareness that they might not really be able to trust one or more of their father's brothers. Sairus appears to be a key to unraveling the menace and saving Daphne and Roland's legacy -- but I need to stop before giving away too many spoilers. *sigh* There's romance, the excitement of magic ridden battles, demons, sorcery, unexpected betrayal, vengeful ghosts, afterlife -- it's wonderful, a bit spooky, but just. . .really, really mesmerizing. This deserves a thousand stars!
Admittedly, I chose this complete collection because I enjoy paranormal fantasies just as much as I do historical romances. The idea of a prince who had a proven reputation as a fearsome knight of Mistala allying himself with a untried yet extremely powerful necromancer who chose to help the very country that nearly destroyed his master and beloved teacher intrigued me.
This author has an incredible talent as both a wordsmith and storyteller. She captured my interest first with the hints of magic and historical fantasy involving complete countries involved in a mini-world-war of sorts, and from the first chapter wherein Roland (in disguise) is drawn to Sairus, she hooked me. The main characters were wonderfully likeable from the start, and Queen Daphne, Roland's older sister, proved to be clever, wise beyond her youth, and more than just a little astute and intuitive when it came to judging character, trustworthiness, and making decisions as well as ensuring the protection of not just herself but her brother and her people. What can I do but sing the praises for an absolutely amazing experience? I really, truly, enjoyed this book (though I doubt I would have been anything but impatient reading the individual installments separately. I find the fact that this collective is just under six hundred pages the perfect length of a novel, so yes, the short installments definitely would have been annoying, bit not too bad of a deterrent against finishing all three. This author is an absolutely marvelous writer with a practical yet wildly creative imagination that is irresistible. Her writing flows naturally, from the described settings, characters, magical experiences, and every other nuance she pours into this well thought out storyline. The main characters are well rounded, and the underlying currents of betrayal, royal intrigue, and mysterious menace eludes Roland and Daphne, especially with the dawning awareness that they might not really be able to trust one or more of their father's brothers. Sairus appears to be a key to unraveling the menace and saving Daphne and Roland's legacy -- but I need to stop before giving away too many spoilers. *sigh* There's romance, the excitement of magic ridden battles, demons, sorcery, unexpected betrayal, vengeful ghosts, afterlife -- it's wonderful, a bit spooky, but just. . .really, really mesmerizing. This deserves a thousand stars!
October 10, 2022
I gulped this series down in about 2-1/2 days, which says a lot for A.H. Lee's storytelling chops. I especially liked the take on necromancy here -- Sairis draws magical power from people or animals dying in his vicinity, and it's generally assumed that necromancers commit a lot of murders. The whole magical system is well thought out, really, from the mirror walking to Sairis's visits to the banks of the Styx. (I'm not sure about the borrowing from Greek mythology; I found it a little jarring, but not enough to throw me out of the story.)
A special strong point is the first interaction between Sairis and Roland, at the gay bar the Tipsy Knave (ha!). They flirt convincingly & I believed in the growing attraction between them, which you so often can't because dialogue is generic, the MCs' looks are generic, the language that narrates the meeting is generic. None of that applies here! The mutual appeal established in their conversation is credibly strong enough that I could also believe in it sustaining itself through the initial trials R & S face.
The climactic battle scene is wonderful. It made me think, somewhat perversely, of Stephen King. I haven't read his books in a while but I remember having the repeated experience of being shit-scared right up until King started describing the monster or whatever, and then the shadowy dreadful force I had been so scared of was pinned down in description -- with its form made visible it was flattened out and lost much of its power to frighten me. Whereas Lee describes the resolution of the battle quite clearly and explicitly but doesn't flatten it out -- it's a pretty awe-inspiring set piece.
4.5 stars, really; dinging half a star because the writing was a little rough here and there, and because the identity of the traitor was obvious from the get-go.
A special strong point is the first interaction between Sairis and Roland, at the gay bar the Tipsy Knave (ha!). They flirt convincingly & I believed in the growing attraction between them, which you so often can't because dialogue is generic, the MCs' looks are generic, the language that narrates the meeting is generic. None of that applies here! The mutual appeal established in their conversation is credibly strong enough that I could also believe in it sustaining itself through the initial trials R & S face.
The climactic battle scene is wonderful. It made me think, somewhat perversely, of Stephen King. I haven't read his books in a while but I remember having the repeated experience of being shit-scared right up until King started describing the monster or whatever, and then the shadowy dreadful force I had been so scared of was pinned down in description -- with its form made visible it was flattened out and lost much of its power to frighten me. Whereas Lee describes the resolution of the battle quite clearly and explicitly but doesn't flatten it out -- it's a pretty awe-inspiring set piece.
4.5 stars, really; dinging half a star because the writing was a little rough here and there, and because the identity of the traitor was obvious from the get-go.
October 27, 2024
I adored this novel! I love convoluted plots, secondary characters that are in the story for a reason, and well done world building. I have already read other books by this author and I expected adventures, no little clue left unresolved, and an immersive world - and I got it!
Furthremore, it was great to see necromancy as something actually terrifying. It uses the energy of dead things and traps their spirits and ghosts, which is seen as something inhumanly cruel. Sairis has no remorse in killing what he needs to or using the death of those around him for his magic. Furthermore, necromancy is associated with spirit-walking in the world of the dead where the ghosts lose themselves into the Styx, the river of the death. So there is always a risk of getting lost in this world and slowly dying. The novel describe quite well the risk of someone being an ambitious necromancer, both the possible loss of compassion for living things and the possible loss of interest for the living world.
At the same time, the novel also explores Sairis' slow realization that he was lonely, that he does want to live without ever making any judgement on necromancy itself. Magic is neutral, and the narrative treats it as such.
The enemies to lovers side of the story was also lovely. I am usually more of a "personal enemies to lovers" fan, as in I prefer when there is hatred and distrust and dislike driven by past actions, but I still liked this relationship. Roland and Sairis are more of a "external circumstances enemies to lovers" plot, with Roland being part of a kingdom which considers necromancy dangerous and an abomination, and of course Sairis being a necromancer who considers Roland's kingdom cruel and oppressive. The animosity between the two rises and falls multiple times, but even when the two characters are in love and working together their different worldviews are not immediately reconciled. I thought it was a nice change of tune to have characters who get along, love each other's, not immediately forgetting why they used to be enemies.
Furthremore, it was great to see necromancy as something actually terrifying. It uses the energy of dead things and traps their spirits and ghosts, which is seen as something inhumanly cruel. Sairis has no remorse in killing what he needs to or using the death of those around him for his magic. Furthermore, necromancy is associated with spirit-walking in the world of the dead where the ghosts lose themselves into the Styx, the river of the death. So there is always a risk of getting lost in this world and slowly dying. The novel describe quite well the risk of someone being an ambitious necromancer, both the possible loss of compassion for living things and the possible loss of interest for the living world.
At the same time, the novel also explores Sairis' slow realization that he was lonely, that he does want to live without ever making any judgement on necromancy itself. Magic is neutral, and the narrative treats it as such.
The enemies to lovers side of the story was also lovely. I am usually more of a "personal enemies to lovers" fan, as in I prefer when there is hatred and distrust and dislike driven by past actions, but I still liked this relationship. Roland and Sairis are more of a "external circumstances enemies to lovers" plot, with Roland being part of a kingdom which considers necromancy dangerous and an abomination, and of course Sairis being a necromancer who considers Roland's kingdom cruel and oppressive. The animosity between the two rises and falls multiple times, but even when the two characters are in love and working together their different worldviews are not immediately reconciled. I thought it was a nice change of tune to have characters who get along, love each other's, not immediately forgetting why they used to be enemies.
August 16, 2021
4.5 Stars, rounded up to 5 because WOW, I enjoyed this series.
I very much enjoyed this story. The three books are definitely one story, don't read book one unless you're ready to read all three.
I like how A.H. Lee built this world. I found the magic very unique and believable. The only thing I had trouble with was figuring out exactly where locations were in the world. The grand scope of it was pretty clear, but I found myself lost in some of the finer details, but I'm also terrible at geography, so that may have contributed.
The two main characters were outstanding. It's pretty much an insta-love kind of situation, but I really enjoyed seeing their relationship blossom and grow as the story went on. The side characters were very well written, and it was easy to map out their personality and motives, making this a delightfully eclectic cast. Lots of internal thoughts happening in here that kind of felt like fluff. It wasn't really necessary for the story, other than the thoughts that explored a character's background.
The only teeny tiny issue I had in the beginning, is that Sair's personality is presented a little differently than what he actually expressed in the story. I quickly forgot about it though, as I found myself really loving him as a character.
Great, great story. If you're thinking of picking this up, get the 3 combined, you'll definitely want to read one after the other right away.
I very much enjoyed this story. The three books are definitely one story, don't read book one unless you're ready to read all three.
I like how A.H. Lee built this world. I found the magic very unique and believable. The only thing I had trouble with was figuring out exactly where locations were in the world. The grand scope of it was pretty clear, but I found myself lost in some of the finer details, but I'm also terrible at geography, so that may have contributed.
The two main characters were outstanding. It's pretty much an insta-love kind of situation, but I really enjoyed seeing their relationship blossom and grow as the story went on. The side characters were very well written, and it was easy to map out their personality and motives, making this a delightfully eclectic cast. Lots of internal thoughts happening in here that kind of felt like fluff. It wasn't really necessary for the story, other than the thoughts that explored a character's background.
The only teeny tiny issue I had in the beginning, is that Sair's personality is presented a little differently than what he actually expressed in the story. I quickly forgot about it though, as I found myself really loving him as a character.
Great, great story. If you're thinking of picking this up, get the 3 combined, you'll definitely want to read one after the other right away.
Read
October 21, 2021A H Lee is an author new to me. This was a very good introduction.
I loved the dynamic between Sauria and Roland, drawn to each other even as they struggled with their own demons. Both of them were just as engaging with the secondary characters, which made their individual personalities shine through. The character building here was great and how the characters transform from what they believe themselves to be, to whom they truly are is amazing.
The plot and both physical and internal character conflict held me throughout and I was eager to see how the end would resolve itself. It was satisfying, though for me personally, it felt a tad anti-climatic? I think that had less to do with the actual story and lay more with the author’s style. This happened a few times as one scene transitioned into another. It felt unexpected, like a slip before you right yourself.
The only other thing I would have liked, would be a prologue. To be privy to what the areas were like pre-Sundering, I think the story would have benefited and gone a long way to making this world more concrete and imaginable as all the factions came into being.
This gets 4 🌟🌟🌟🌟 from me. It was a lovely escape.
I loved the dynamic between Sauria and Roland, drawn to each other even as they struggled with their own demons. Both of them were just as engaging with the secondary characters, which made their individual personalities shine through. The character building here was great and how the characters transform from what they believe themselves to be, to whom they truly are is amazing.
The plot and both physical and internal character conflict held me throughout and I was eager to see how the end would resolve itself. It was satisfying, though for me personally, it felt a tad anti-climatic? I think that had less to do with the actual story and lay more with the author’s style. This happened a few times as one scene transitioned into another. It felt unexpected, like a slip before you right yourself.
The only other thing I would have liked, would be a prologue. To be privy to what the areas were like pre-Sundering, I think the story would have benefited and gone a long way to making this world more concrete and imaginable as all the factions came into being.
This gets 4 🌟🌟🌟🌟 from me. It was a lovely escape.
August 18, 2023
Got my favorite dynamic: Strong but too trusting Golden retriever, and the mistrusting and reclusive black cat.
Gotta be honest, there's bit too much smut and not enough story sometimes, especially in book 3. It made the romance somewhat repetitive and stale around 70%. It's like they can't have a deep conversation without getting horny.
Once the story picked up a second time I enjoy myself again. The dual POV was great at creating tension and I started preferring the chapters of the MCs separated, probably because their relationship was getting too cheesy for my tastes. By the end I didn't feel a ton for them anymore, but in the first 2 books they were really, really cute.
The story made it worth it though, it all came together quite nicely.
Also love the inclusion of trans and gender nonconforming side characters. Not enough fantasies have those. Speaking of which, I really like the world building and magic system. I think some of the remaining mysteries are explored in other parts of this series? Might read those in the future, but not right now.
Content Warnings: death, violence, homophobia
Gotta be honest, there's bit too much smut and not enough story sometimes, especially in book 3. It made the romance somewhat repetitive and stale around 70%. It's like they can't have a deep conversation without getting horny.
Once the story picked up a second time I enjoy myself again. The dual POV was great at creating tension and I started preferring the chapters of the MCs separated, probably because their relationship was getting too cheesy for my tastes. By the end I didn't feel a ton for them anymore, but in the first 2 books they were really, really cute.
The story made it worth it though, it all came together quite nicely.
Also love the inclusion of trans and gender nonconforming side characters. Not enough fantasies have those. Speaking of which, I really like the world building and magic system. I think some of the remaining mysteries are explored in other parts of this series? Might read those in the future, but not right now.
Content Warnings: death, violence, homophobia
October 13, 2021
Interesting couple with a very naturally-growing relationship between them, great world-building without any heavy-handed exposition, a plot of sufficient complexity, interesting and colourful secondary characters. Lively dialogue, plenty of gentle humour and laugh-out-loud sex jokes. What's not to like!
From the romance angle, I loved the pairing of one very (deservedly!) cautious guy with a confident, kind and sex-positive one. And I was really pleased when the author threatened the couple with bad twists in their relationship - for a while it looked like they might end up with some twisted secrets and a bad power imbalance between them - but the story never actually went down that road.
From the fantasy angle, I'm really happy to read about a world that fundamentally makes sense. The world's geography has been magically changed, and that affects climate, which in turn affects the economy and politics, and leads to wars. Rainfall patterns, well construction, the feeding of horses, the slowness of an army on the march through mountains - all is so well thought through.
From the romance angle, I loved the pairing of one very (deservedly!) cautious guy with a confident, kind and sex-positive one. And I was really pleased when the author threatened the couple with bad twists in their relationship - for a while it looked like they might end up with some twisted secrets and a bad power imbalance between them - but the story never actually went down that road.
From the fantasy angle, I'm really happy to read about a world that fundamentally makes sense. The world's geography has been magically changed, and that affects climate, which in turn affects the economy and politics, and leads to wars. Rainfall patterns, well construction, the feeding of horses, the slowness of an army on the march through mountains - all is so well thought through.
April 7, 2021
Well, this was different. The good kind of different, though.
All the characters are fleshed out, some in surprising ways, other with love to detail. There are family dynamics, love, betrayal - and, of course, death. Oh, and magic.
I love the world, the deep history, the show not tell way the author has, and the quirky people that seem to be at every corner.
And the Necromancer. Seriously, I LOVE them on principle. Dark magic, anyone? Especially if it remains DARK!
Their relationship is surprisingly realistic for a fantasy setting, something that grows and trembles, that wanes and spreads until it is as dependable and real as everything else.
A sweet romance in a not so sweet world, a fantasy world that feels as vast and colorful as Diskworld.
Recommended for: Fantasy fans that like mm romance
All the characters are fleshed out, some in surprising ways, other with love to detail. There are family dynamics, love, betrayal - and, of course, death. Oh, and magic.
I love the world, the deep history, the show not tell way the author has, and the quirky people that seem to be at every corner.
And the Necromancer. Seriously, I LOVE them on principle. Dark magic, anyone? Especially if it remains DARK!
Their relationship is surprisingly realistic for a fantasy setting, something that grows and trembles, that wanes and spreads until it is as dependable and real as everything else.
A sweet romance in a not so sweet world, a fantasy world that feels as vast and colorful as Diskworld.
Recommended for: Fantasy fans that like mm romance
October 13, 2022
This series was adorable - absolute KU win. Opposites attract, lovers to enemies to lovers, interesting magic, badass female supporting character, queer representation...loved it.
I sometimes read books where I am so deeply in love with where things are going or where things left off in book one that I get anxious about reading any further because I don't want the overall mood of the story to change for me. That absolutely happened with these books - I LOVED book 1 to the point that I had to take a break shortly into book 2 because I was afraid of where the storyline might be going
This was a perfect read for me right now - light (but not mindless) and super engaging/distracting. I read book 1 in one sitting and finished book 2 and book 3 within a few days.
I sometimes read books where I am so deeply in love with where things are going or where things left off in book one that I get anxious about reading any further because I don't want the overall mood of the story to change for me. That absolutely happened with these books - I LOVED book 1 to the point that I had to take a break shortly into book 2 because I was afraid of where the storyline might be going
This was a perfect read for me right now - light (but not mindless) and super engaging/distracting. I read book 1 in one sitting and finished book 2 and book 3 within a few days.
July 13, 2025
This cover is atrocious but this books are more like novellas than full lenght books and I prefer to put all three in single entry.
I don't have much to say. It was okay.
The character development and the romance were both made with much haste and I understand it since this was, as trilogy, rather short. Still I would've enjoyed more if the author had taken more time developing Roland's character since he overcame his prejudice and fell in love rather swifly without much thinking on his part.
Whatever, this was an enjoyable read the magic system was intriguing and I wish I could learn more about it.
I don't have much to say. It was okay.
The character development and the romance were both made with much haste and I understand it since this was, as trilogy, rather short. Still I would've enjoyed more if the author had taken more time developing Roland's character since he overcame his prejudice and fell in love rather swifly without much thinking on his part.
Whatever, this was an enjoyable read the magic system was intriguing and I wish I could learn more about it.
June 7, 2022
I read so many books in this genre that most have mixed up in my head and I can't tell one from another.
But if the book was really good I would remember the plot instantly and my overall feeling towards it.
This was one of the standouts because at the end of the first chapter I remembered almost the entire plot and how enamored I was of the writing and the worldbuilding.
I liked it so much that I went and re-read the series.
An excellent penmanship, so now I need to check the author's backlist.
But if the book was really good I would remember the plot instantly and my overall feeling towards it.
This was one of the standouts because at the end of the first chapter I remembered almost the entire plot and how enamored I was of the writing and the worldbuilding.
I liked it so much that I went and re-read the series.
An excellent penmanship, so now I need to check the author's backlist.
January 14, 2021
Don't wait
I've had this series in my tbr for awhile and I regret waiting so long. What great storytelling! Its true that all three books will need to be read immediately back to back. This actually is just one large story that immediately continues from one book to the next reading as the next chapter. The story, characters, and world building are excellent and its an intense read that leaves you wanting more.
I've had this series in my tbr for awhile and I regret waiting so long. What great storytelling! Its true that all three books will need to be read immediately back to back. This actually is just one large story that immediately continues from one book to the next reading as the next chapter. The story, characters, and world building are excellent and its an intense read that leaves you wanting more.
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March 31, 2021This is A. H. Lee. Attention Audiobook listeners: You can get the complete trilogy direct from me for $11.99. That's about 1/3 what Audible charges. It's 18 hours, narrated by Kirt Graves, delivered by Bookfunnel.
https://payhip.com/pavoninebooks
The books are absurdly expensive from Audible, and I barely get paid. When you buy them from me, they're much cheaper, and I get paid a lot more, even at those lower prices.
https://payhip.com/pavoninebooks
The books are absurdly expensive from Audible, and I barely get paid. When you buy them from me, they're much cheaper, and I get paid a lot more, even at those lower prices.
January 21, 2021
I loved the audiobook version of this series. I read the ebooks previously and really enjoyed them. Kirt Graves can be hit or miss for me, but I really liked the way he narrated this series.
As for the story, there was enough action and intrigue to keep me on my toes, even during a second read, but not so much that the angst was overwhelming.
As for the story, there was enough action and intrigue to keep me on my toes, even during a second read, but not so much that the angst was overwhelming.
September 12, 2021
4.5 stars.
Surprised by how much I enjoyed this series. I liked the writing style and found it an easy read to get into. As easy as my ghost would flow down the River Styx.
I like both of the MC’s and I liked how the chapters were split between both their POV’s.
Their was also a good range of supporting cast as well. Only downside was that I want more. 😂
Surprised by how much I enjoyed this series. I liked the writing style and found it an easy read to get into. As easy as my ghost would flow down the River Styx.
I like both of the MC’s and I liked how the chapters were split between both their POV’s.
Their was also a good range of supporting cast as well. Only downside was that I want more. 😂
January 29, 2024
Really enjoyed this book, read the complete series in one book. Excellent character and story-line development. Fast paced, action packed and just the right amount of some really hot and steamy MM love action to keep you up late burning through the pages.A.H. Lee
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