The Necromancer's Bones

by Deby Fredericks

Chimi Has a Secret Young and pretty, Chimi dreams of a bright future. She also has a secret: Chimi sees ghosts. Restless spirits follow her everywhere. They recognize her as a true necromancer, mystically called to right the wrongs that won’t let them rest in peace. Desperate to escape her unwanted destiny, Chimi turns to her older sister for help. Shenza is a magister, trained to investigate crimes with her magic. Responsible and reliable, Shenza insists that Chimi accept her new gift. Shenza Has a Secret, Too A fisherman’s daughter elevated to high rank, Shenza has met the perfect man and knows he can never be hers. First Lord Aspace is about to get married, but his bride’s family may be connected to a grisly unsolved murder in Shenza’s past. Worse, someone has offended the mighty nature spirits. They demand retribution. If Shenza fails, they will raise a volcano to destroy the town and everyone in it. So Many Secrets, So Little Time Can the sisters, so much at odds, work together to save their home and their loved ones?

322 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Deby Fredericks has been a writer all her life, but thought of it as just a fun hobby until the late 1990s. Her first sale, in 2000, was a children's poem under the byline Lucy D. Ford.

Fredericks has long been involved in SF fandom. She was among the organizers of Spokon (1981-1983) and InCon (1990-2005). Currently she is Director of Programming for SpoCon (2016-present). She also served as RA and ARA for the Inland Northwest SCBWI.

Reviews

[Ned Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Necromancer's Bones is a subtly slow-burning fantasy novel that is set in a unique and creative world. Instead of the same-old medieval English worlds we're familiar with (from Game of Thrones to Name of the Wind to Tolkien), Fredericks gives us a fascinating Arabic and Chinese-influenced milieu replete with head-scarves, familial strife, political subltety and unexpectedly Asiatic sorcerous twists.

Women and women's concerns are also at the forefront in this fascinating novel. Chimi is the younger sister who wants to avoid her necromancer calling, while her older sister Shenza is a city magister who hides her love for a leading prince under her mantle of justice. I loved the characters, and I found them quite compelling.

Yet Deby Fredericks puts the lie to the idea that feminine-focused fantasy fiction is somehow less powerful in its plot construction or in any capacity less fully framed in its approach to magic and ideas. The Necromancer's Bones has a set of conflicted, complicated characters. The story rockets along a clear and interesting arc, and the execution is tight and compelling. The Arabic/Middle Easter milieu adds an original perspective to the often well-trodden fantasy tropes and makes the turns of the story less predictable and more nuanced.

I enjoyed the book very much -- the story will be enjoyed by readers who also enjoy Martha Wells Ile-Rein books (The Element of Fire, Death of the Necromancer), and Barbara Hambly's (Bride of the Rat God).

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

An odd little book that turned out to be rather wonderful. Interesting take on sibling interaction, death, and a fairly intriguing world.

[N.E. White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story. Quick read. Proper review to come later.