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The Necromancer
The wind of the North whispers a name, and all who hear it are frozen in fear. It is the name of the Necromancer. And it means death... In the South, Linaera dreams of becoming a healer. A novice at the Academy of Magic, she skips most of her battle magic classes (because who needs battle magic anyway?) When her mentor, Terrin, decides to send her on a quest to the icy North, Linaera will have to learn far more than a simple fire spell to survive the ravenous undead.Even so, Linaera will have to face greater dangers if she is to prevail. There is a dark secret hiding in the depths of the North; a secret that will make her stronger—or destroy her.Magic and adventure beckon in the world of Arachadia. There’s dark humour for the cynics, and a sweet love story for the romantics. If you like stories about mages, bad-tempered ghosts, dragons, elves and thief guilds—you’ve come to the right place. What readers are ★★★★★ “It truly made me feel like I was seeing everything the characters were seeing; the detail is immaculate.” —Ashley Tomlinson★★★★★ “Between the intricate plot, unique and fascinating characters, and a story line that held me riveted to the very end... this was one incredible ride.” —Teresa★★★★★ “The Necromancer is an adventure through an old school fantasy world, and I enjoyed it immensely.” —Jayde Kemsley
514 pages, Paperback
First published October 31, 2014
1 person is currently reading
68 people want to read
About the author
Alex Stargazer
8 books21 followersAlex Stargazer is an author of dark, fantastical tales that snare you in with epic world-building—and keep you reading with funny anecdotes and beautiful love stories. Since publishing his first novel—the Necromancer—at 14, Alex has released a new series comprised of two books: Fallen Love and Fallen Desire. Featuring demons and magic in a strange, scifiesque Ireland, the Fallen series blends contemporary fantasy with LGBT romance.
When not establishing the finer points of magecraft or the peculiarities of dragons, Alex is working hard for his dayjob in machine learning. In his spare time, Alex enjoys exploring the wilderness of Scotland—though Austria, Italy and the Nordic countries fascinate him most
Alex can be found on Twitter @AlexStargazerWE or on Facebook at Alex Stargazer Writes Books. You can get a FREE short story on his website: www.alexstargazer.com
When not establishing the finer points of magecraft or the peculiarities of dragons, Alex is working hard for his dayjob in machine learning. In his spare time, Alex enjoys exploring the wilderness of Scotland—though Austria, Italy and the Nordic countries fascinate him most
Alex can be found on Twitter @AlexStargazerWE or on Facebook at Alex Stargazer Writes Books. You can get a FREE short story on his website: www.alexstargazer.com
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 19, 2016
Dark and Grim.
"I'm the necromancer. I'm the being forgotten; the love destroyed by the ambitions of a fool."
Linaera is at mage school in Renas, when news comes that the necromancer has killed a powerful Silver Mage called Eiliara. Her guardian, the senior mage, sends out a party of Battle Mages to find and defeat the necromancer and insists Linaera goes with them, even though she is still only an apprentice, as it is her destiny. So she sets out with Perrien, Sasha, Harold, Jake, Stella and John.
Meanwhile Great Mage Nateldorth is investigating kidnappings and mysterious, stormy weather in the city of Dresh with the help of his criminal friends.
Neshvetal, the necromancer of the title, sits on his throne and is served by his young apprentice Leira, obsequious and snivelling minions and his army of undead.
This is classic, old-school fantasy - a party is gathered and sets out to go and save the world from evil. There are mage schools and thieves guilds, places called things like: 'The Empty Plains' and plenty of Dark Magic. There are forests full of elves, and ent-like ancient treefolk called Wose. There are ancient prophecies, ominous signposts warning: 'Enter at ye own peril' and magical swamps which suddenly appear. There are mysterious tomes such as: 'A Necromancer's Guide to Making Hexes." There are taverns and people use words like 'mayhaps' and everyone who is not a mage or a noble is a peasant, and X marks the spot on the map our heroes follow.
It has drama, romance, tragedy, monsters and good versus evil.
The preface tells us that this book was written by a fourteen year old and as such it is a remarkable effort. Not many children that age could write a full length novel with a structured plot and it suggests that this is a young person with a potentially great literary career ahead of them.
But not with this book as it stands.
At least I get to do something useful, she thought. I really am sick of doing nothing.
This is not an easy thing to say, but this book is not well written. The story itself is fairly solid and I enjoyed it, even if the end stretched my credulity a little past its limits and the frequent use of ungarnished tropes grated at times.
Pace is poorly managed. Much of the book consists of long passages where not much happens at all for pages at a time. The author describes a 'journey of ceaseless monotony' and this book often is, whether someone is rambling on about simplistic philosophy or rambling slowly through mountain passes. There are only the occasional bursts of interest and action to hold the reader's attention.
Language use is poor. Past and present tense get mixed and matched at will. Words and phrases are misused or inappropriately over complex, as if the author is straining to be sophisticated and literary. But it comes across as over-worked and often slightly comic: "Linaera scratched her forehead. A nervous tick had made its roost there...". At the other extreme we get: 'he was a dick' and 'you muppet', which stand out as equally unfitting to the overall mood of the story.
Characterisation is poor. The descriptions we get of the people our heroes meet made me think of a table-top role-play session, in fact come to think of it there was a lot of the RPG feel to the whole story. We are told someone is brave and another is clever rather than seeing them do much to demonstrate those qualities. The author even begins to refer to the party as, well, 'the party'. Even the main characters come over as very little more than two-dimensional variants on classic fantasy stereotypes.
Time went past, along with its companion, distance. The landscape gradually changed as the characters continued on.
I think it is really sad that the author decided to hit the publish button on this book. He is clearly a young man with great talent, but that talent is nothing close to being realised as yet and needs a lot of work. As a result the amount of bad completely overwhelms the pretty good YA fantasy story which he is trying to tell. All that said, it is an excellent book for a young teen to have written and if he learns and matures from this base line of raw potential in storytelling, I believe he will be a truly awesome writer in a few years time.
"I'm the necromancer. I'm the being forgotten; the love destroyed by the ambitions of a fool."
Linaera is at mage school in Renas, when news comes that the necromancer has killed a powerful Silver Mage called Eiliara. Her guardian, the senior mage, sends out a party of Battle Mages to find and defeat the necromancer and insists Linaera goes with them, even though she is still only an apprentice, as it is her destiny. So she sets out with Perrien, Sasha, Harold, Jake, Stella and John.
Meanwhile Great Mage Nateldorth is investigating kidnappings and mysterious, stormy weather in the city of Dresh with the help of his criminal friends.
Neshvetal, the necromancer of the title, sits on his throne and is served by his young apprentice Leira, obsequious and snivelling minions and his army of undead.
This is classic, old-school fantasy - a party is gathered and sets out to go and save the world from evil. There are mage schools and thieves guilds, places called things like: 'The Empty Plains' and plenty of Dark Magic. There are forests full of elves, and ent-like ancient treefolk called Wose. There are ancient prophecies, ominous signposts warning: 'Enter at ye own peril' and magical swamps which suddenly appear. There are mysterious tomes such as: 'A Necromancer's Guide to Making Hexes." There are taverns and people use words like 'mayhaps' and everyone who is not a mage or a noble is a peasant, and X marks the spot on the map our heroes follow.
It has drama, romance, tragedy, monsters and good versus evil.
The preface tells us that this book was written by a fourteen year old and as such it is a remarkable effort. Not many children that age could write a full length novel with a structured plot and it suggests that this is a young person with a potentially great literary career ahead of them.
But not with this book as it stands.
At least I get to do something useful, she thought. I really am sick of doing nothing.
This is not an easy thing to say, but this book is not well written. The story itself is fairly solid and I enjoyed it, even if the end stretched my credulity a little past its limits and the frequent use of ungarnished tropes grated at times.
Pace is poorly managed. Much of the book consists of long passages where not much happens at all for pages at a time. The author describes a 'journey of ceaseless monotony' and this book often is, whether someone is rambling on about simplistic philosophy or rambling slowly through mountain passes. There are only the occasional bursts of interest and action to hold the reader's attention.
Language use is poor. Past and present tense get mixed and matched at will. Words and phrases are misused or inappropriately over complex, as if the author is straining to be sophisticated and literary. But it comes across as over-worked and often slightly comic: "Linaera scratched her forehead. A nervous tick had made its roost there...". At the other extreme we get: 'he was a dick' and 'you muppet', which stand out as equally unfitting to the overall mood of the story.
Characterisation is poor. The descriptions we get of the people our heroes meet made me think of a table-top role-play session, in fact come to think of it there was a lot of the RPG feel to the whole story. We are told someone is brave and another is clever rather than seeing them do much to demonstrate those qualities. The author even begins to refer to the party as, well, 'the party'. Even the main characters come over as very little more than two-dimensional variants on classic fantasy stereotypes.
Time went past, along with its companion, distance. The landscape gradually changed as the characters continued on.
I think it is really sad that the author decided to hit the publish button on this book. He is clearly a young man with great talent, but that talent is nothing close to being realised as yet and needs a lot of work. As a result the amount of bad completely overwhelms the pretty good YA fantasy story which he is trying to tell. All that said, it is an excellent book for a young teen to have written and if he learns and matures from this base line of raw potential in storytelling, I believe he will be a truly awesome writer in a few years time.
October 30, 2014
*Received copy from author in return for honest review, all opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review*
This was a fantastic read, I blew through it in five hours today and enjoyed ever single magically action packed minute of it! Alex Stargazer managed to include everything a book of this nature should and some things that I wasn't expecting. Don't believe me? Read the synopsis, then go get the freaking book and read it, cause it is great! The only reason I didn't give this five stars is because I honestly don't normally read books with this setting or time line, but beside that I fell as if this would have been just that much better if it were set in our era instead of in a land in which we once have known aka a land of Stargazer's imagination. But then again who the hell am I to mess with a wonderful thing?!
Stargazer did a fantastic job with the characters, relationships and details through out all the twists and turns in this unpredictable plot line. Stargazer wove a very unique and complicated plot line and I was thoroughly impressed by the outstanding talent that this amazing sixteen year old has shown. I was constantly on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next and who it would happen to. The mages, fae, elves, ghosts, humans, the undead and one complicated and misunderstood necromancer were a great mix and the lightly woven in romance was a great little addition as well.
I was highly entertained, completely captivated, and entirely sucked into this amazing novel from the very start. The mystery, magic, action, romance, and complicated plot kept me hooked and reading all the way through. I definitely recommend this novel to anyone that likes all the aforementioned. Please go pick up this amazingly well written novel, like I said you will be completely entertained all the way through and absolutely in awe of the fact that it was written by a SIXTEEN year old!!
This was a fantastic read, I blew through it in five hours today and enjoyed ever single magically action packed minute of it! Alex Stargazer managed to include everything a book of this nature should and some things that I wasn't expecting. Don't believe me? Read the synopsis, then go get the freaking book and read it, cause it is great! The only reason I didn't give this five stars is because I honestly don't normally read books with this setting or time line, but beside that I fell as if this would have been just that much better if it were set in our era instead of in a land in which we once have known aka a land of Stargazer's imagination. But then again who the hell am I to mess with a wonderful thing?!
Stargazer did a fantastic job with the characters, relationships and details through out all the twists and turns in this unpredictable plot line. Stargazer wove a very unique and complicated plot line and I was thoroughly impressed by the outstanding talent that this amazing sixteen year old has shown. I was constantly on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next and who it would happen to. The mages, fae, elves, ghosts, humans, the undead and one complicated and misunderstood necromancer were a great mix and the lightly woven in romance was a great little addition as well.
I was highly entertained, completely captivated, and entirely sucked into this amazing novel from the very start. The mystery, magic, action, romance, and complicated plot kept me hooked and reading all the way through. I definitely recommend this novel to anyone that likes all the aforementioned. Please go pick up this amazingly well written novel, like I said you will be completely entertained all the way through and absolutely in awe of the fact that it was written by a SIXTEEN year old!!
December 21, 2016
A teenage magic-wielder, Linaera, comes into her own in this dark fantasy, adventure novel.
It begins with the murder of a Silver Mage by the title character in a distant part of this mythical land of Arachadia. A group of well-trained Battle Mages are sent out on an expedition with Linaera to find the necromancer. The search party leaves their magic school accompanied by a non-magical guide.
Their journey takes them to villages in the mountains where they encounter all manner of undead creatures which attempt to capture or kill them. Thus sets up the basic quest section of the story. But the author has layered in a number of twists to keep the reader guessing what’s around the corner. Some of the turns were a bit more predictable than others.
There are a host of colorful characters who enter and exit the main action at various parts of the story. Including an elf named Derien who doesn’t care much for humans. So naturally after rescuing an injured Linaera -- when she flees the Necromancer, he falls for her.
In the book the author has a habit of using parentheses around subordinate clauses that makes it seem like he’s giving the reader a juicy tidbit about the character or making a snarky remark. I found it rather distracting at first and discovered that the practice diminished as the story went on. I didn’t hate it, but it was a bit annoying.
The story is good. It did seem to go on an on though. I think after the last big battle there was ample momentum for an ending. But it seemed that Linaera had yet another ‘challenge’ to complete which ended up feeling rushed. That’s the only reason I mentioned it.
While I enjoyed the changes in POV, there were a couple of chapters where the tenses changed too which as a reader took me out of the story. And there were also some minor proofing issues.
Technical issues aside, it’s a well developed tale with lots of interesting battles and events to keep readers interested and rooting for Linaera and her comrades.
It begins with the murder of a Silver Mage by the title character in a distant part of this mythical land of Arachadia. A group of well-trained Battle Mages are sent out on an expedition with Linaera to find the necromancer. The search party leaves their magic school accompanied by a non-magical guide.
Their journey takes them to villages in the mountains where they encounter all manner of undead creatures which attempt to capture or kill them. Thus sets up the basic quest section of the story. But the author has layered in a number of twists to keep the reader guessing what’s around the corner. Some of the turns were a bit more predictable than others.
There are a host of colorful characters who enter and exit the main action at various parts of the story. Including an elf named Derien who doesn’t care much for humans. So naturally after rescuing an injured Linaera -- when she flees the Necromancer, he falls for her.
In the book the author has a habit of using parentheses around subordinate clauses that makes it seem like he’s giving the reader a juicy tidbit about the character or making a snarky remark. I found it rather distracting at first and discovered that the practice diminished as the story went on. I didn’t hate it, but it was a bit annoying.
The story is good. It did seem to go on an on though. I think after the last big battle there was ample momentum for an ending. But it seemed that Linaera had yet another ‘challenge’ to complete which ended up feeling rushed. That’s the only reason I mentioned it.
While I enjoyed the changes in POV, there were a couple of chapters where the tenses changed too which as a reader took me out of the story. And there were also some minor proofing issues.
Technical issues aside, it’s a well developed tale with lots of interesting battles and events to keep readers interested and rooting for Linaera and her comrades.
January 25, 2015
I was happy to read this book, it has so many elements I love in a book. I was first drawn to it because of the name, The Necromancer. I know from other readings that it means someone that can raise the dead, literally and not because they have a loud speaking voice — I've heard that a time or two in my life. The book did not disappoint at all, it greatly surpassed my expectations for it.
Another thing that drew me to it more was the author himself. He wrote the first draft when he was fourteen! The only thing I did when I was fourteen was listen to emo music while fighting with my mom about everything. It may not have gotten published until a couple of years later but still he wrote it when he was fourteen and that is beyond impressive to me. It gives me hope that one day I can actually finish writing my book and be published as well! I loved the little note from the author at the beginning, those are usually something I skip over but I read his. I'm glad I read it because it made me laugh and feel like I understood the book better.
Before I even got to the Prolouge there was a list of helpful tips to better understand The Necromancer. There was a Map, an Almanac, a Language guide and an Epigraph: The Necromancer's Poem. A lot of people like maps at the beginning of their books, I don't really have an opinion about them. I neither like or dislike them, in fact I usually don't even look at them. I was thankful for the almanac because I knew some of those terms but not all, it was a good refresher as well.
The amount of detail in this book is immaculate. It truly made me feel like I was seeing everything the characters were seeing. I love that, I felt like I was strolling along with them on their journey to kill the necromancer. Speaking of characters there were a lot of them and some of them had bizarre names. For instance: Neshvetal, Nateldorth, Elrias – just to name a few.
Unfortunately with there being so many characters sometimes I got a little bored. Especially parts with Nateldorth being the main focus, I know he was a very important part of the book but I much enjoyed Linaera's parts better. Her parts made up for all the other parts I had to endure to get back to her. Especially when she was being snarky towards Neshvetal – I loved how even though she should have been scared when dealing with the necromancer she was still her snappy self.
I am finding myself loving books that let me inside the villains head more and more. It helped me better understand Neshvetal, and why he was the way he was. But it didn't make me hate him, quite the opposite happened – I really liked him. I ended up liking him more than some of the "good" guys. I loved how he pushed Linaera. One of my favorite scenes was when he was talking to her about "why he was evil" – he made her think about everything she believed in and everything she had been taught.
Now lets talk about that plot twist about halfway through! I kind of expected something like that since Linaera was having those psychotic dreams and major blasts of power but reading it still shocked me. Linaera was not as excited about the news as I was – I think I'm just an evil person because I would have been all over that.
Linaera meeting and falling in love with Deriën was a sweet surprise. I really liked him so I was happy for it. They complimented each other well, at first he was a douche and then he became a lovable douche – like some men in real life. I wonder if she was more attracted to him because of the fae blood coursing through her veins, I'll never know but it's something to think about.
The ending made me drop my jaw, I'm not going to lie. It was shocking to see the necromancer sacrifice everything he worked for, for Linaera. I understood why and was some what happy he did – it was a very bittersweet moment. I was happy to see Linaera's reaction to him at the end though. Overall I loved this book! I am so beyond thrilled that I got to read it and I'm hoping there truly is a sequel...soon!
For more of my reviews go to http://www.hyperashley.com/
Another thing that drew me to it more was the author himself. He wrote the first draft when he was fourteen! The only thing I did when I was fourteen was listen to emo music while fighting with my mom about everything. It may not have gotten published until a couple of years later but still he wrote it when he was fourteen and that is beyond impressive to me. It gives me hope that one day I can actually finish writing my book and be published as well! I loved the little note from the author at the beginning, those are usually something I skip over but I read his. I'm glad I read it because it made me laugh and feel like I understood the book better.
Before I even got to the Prolouge there was a list of helpful tips to better understand The Necromancer. There was a Map, an Almanac, a Language guide and an Epigraph: The Necromancer's Poem. A lot of people like maps at the beginning of their books, I don't really have an opinion about them. I neither like or dislike them, in fact I usually don't even look at them. I was thankful for the almanac because I knew some of those terms but not all, it was a good refresher as well.
The amount of detail in this book is immaculate. It truly made me feel like I was seeing everything the characters were seeing. I love that, I felt like I was strolling along with them on their journey to kill the necromancer. Speaking of characters there were a lot of them and some of them had bizarre names. For instance: Neshvetal, Nateldorth, Elrias – just to name a few.
Unfortunately with there being so many characters sometimes I got a little bored. Especially parts with Nateldorth being the main focus, I know he was a very important part of the book but I much enjoyed Linaera's parts better. Her parts made up for all the other parts I had to endure to get back to her. Especially when she was being snarky towards Neshvetal – I loved how even though she should have been scared when dealing with the necromancer she was still her snappy self.
I am finding myself loving books that let me inside the villains head more and more. It helped me better understand Neshvetal, and why he was the way he was. But it didn't make me hate him, quite the opposite happened – I really liked him. I ended up liking him more than some of the "good" guys. I loved how he pushed Linaera. One of my favorite scenes was when he was talking to her about "why he was evil" – he made her think about everything she believed in and everything she had been taught.
Now lets talk about that plot twist about halfway through! I kind of expected something like that since Linaera was having those psychotic dreams and major blasts of power but reading it still shocked me. Linaera was not as excited about the news as I was – I think I'm just an evil person because I would have been all over that.
Linaera meeting and falling in love with Deriën was a sweet surprise. I really liked him so I was happy for it. They complimented each other well, at first he was a douche and then he became a lovable douche – like some men in real life. I wonder if she was more attracted to him because of the fae blood coursing through her veins, I'll never know but it's something to think about.
The ending made me drop my jaw, I'm not going to lie. It was shocking to see the necromancer sacrifice everything he worked for, for Linaera. I understood why and was some what happy he did – it was a very bittersweet moment. I was happy to see Linaera's reaction to him at the end though. Overall I loved this book! I am so beyond thrilled that I got to read it and I'm hoping there truly is a sequel...soon!
For more of my reviews go to http://www.hyperashley.com/
December 4, 2016
Title: The Necromancer
Author: Alex Stargazer
Publisher: Stargazer Industries Inc.
ISBN: B01N3UGDEQ
Buy Link: http://alexstargazer.blogspot.co.uk/p...
Reviewer: Teresa Fallen Angel
Blurb:
In the frozen heartlands of the north, a dark force is reborn; his power is great, and his army swells with every monstrous recruit. In the Arachadian capital, Dresh, a string of mysterious kidnappings leaves the Great Mage puzzled. And in the mage academy of small town Renas, an unwitting apprentice is plunged into a quest: it will prove a fight for her life, a fight for the man she loves, and – ultimately – a fight for the future of the land.
Delve into this dark world of mystery and magic; of beings that walk the great forests and haunt the alcoves of the night. The necromancer awaits you…
Total Score: 5/5
Summary:
Between the intricate plot, unique and fascinating characters, and a story line that held me riveted to the very end this was one incredible ride. What was even more inspiring is that the author now eighteen wrote the original story at the age of fourteen. To create a story as unique as this one at such a young age gives this reader hope that this is just the beginning of books by this author.
Linarea's life has been a good one learning at the Mage Academy, but things abruptly change with the death of Eiliara, a powerful Silver Mage. Before her death, Eiliara sent of a mental message to warn the Academy about a powerful necromancer who has vowed to destroy everything they stand for. Linaera, an apprentice, is sent with others on a mission to uncover the truth, but one persons truth may not be the same as another person. Linarea's journey is filled with suspense, danger, and drama as she is forced to uncover things about her past that she never even imagined and powers beyond her imagination.
I would highly recommend this to anyone how enjoys a story filled with adventure, suspense, magic, and a love story that exists beyond time.
Author: Alex Stargazer
Publisher: Stargazer Industries Inc.
ISBN: B01N3UGDEQ
Buy Link: http://alexstargazer.blogspot.co.uk/p...
Reviewer: Teresa Fallen Angel
Blurb:
In the frozen heartlands of the north, a dark force is reborn; his power is great, and his army swells with every monstrous recruit. In the Arachadian capital, Dresh, a string of mysterious kidnappings leaves the Great Mage puzzled. And in the mage academy of small town Renas, an unwitting apprentice is plunged into a quest: it will prove a fight for her life, a fight for the man she loves, and – ultimately – a fight for the future of the land.
Delve into this dark world of mystery and magic; of beings that walk the great forests and haunt the alcoves of the night. The necromancer awaits you…
Total Score: 5/5
Summary:
Between the intricate plot, unique and fascinating characters, and a story line that held me riveted to the very end this was one incredible ride. What was even more inspiring is that the author now eighteen wrote the original story at the age of fourteen. To create a story as unique as this one at such a young age gives this reader hope that this is just the beginning of books by this author.
Linarea's life has been a good one learning at the Mage Academy, but things abruptly change with the death of Eiliara, a powerful Silver Mage. Before her death, Eiliara sent of a mental message to warn the Academy about a powerful necromancer who has vowed to destroy everything they stand for. Linaera, an apprentice, is sent with others on a mission to uncover the truth, but one persons truth may not be the same as another person. Linarea's journey is filled with suspense, danger, and drama as she is forced to uncover things about her past that she never even imagined and powers beyond her imagination.
I would highly recommend this to anyone how enjoys a story filled with adventure, suspense, magic, and a love story that exists beyond time.
January 8, 2017
This book has a good story. Unfortunately, it has little else to recommend it.
The writing style is technically subpar, and overwrought and pretentious, similar to a Regency style without the art or craft. In many cases, the showoff vocabulary is applied improperly. Dialogue is formal and stilted. Odd internal rhymes and careless repetition throw off the prose. Much of the prose is written in passive voice, and verb tenses shift frequently. Parenthetical asides fall flat. Rampant anachronisms destroy immersion, as do the overuse of semicolons and excessively verbose descriptions of everything, including every single character's eye color.
Pacing is off. Scenes in which nothing happens and no new information is revealed are played out while scenes with critical plot or character development are glossed over in an explanatory paragraph. Character backstories are revealed in unnatural dialogue infodumps. Sections of inaction have too little character development to hold interest. For most of the book, aside from actual battle sequences, the story has little tension, and not enough builds up the climax.
The characters are two dimensional cardboard cutouts with implausible arcs. Female characters are idealized and perfect while male characters conform to stereotypes. The conversations between women are especially unrealistic. Nateldorth and Neshvetel are the most fleshed-out characters, and even they seem fake.
The main character, Linaera, decides if people are nice or not by some unknowable measure. A character is a jerk because she says so, not because of anything he's shown to do or not do. She insists upon everyone being polite to her despite her inability to show them the same. Her romance with one male character sticks out as artificial and sterile.
Overall, this is a first draft with potential. It has good bones, but needs a thorough edit. Despite that, some will enjoy this book. I recommend reading the sample before committing, as, in my opinion, the writing style is its biggest problem.
The writing style is technically subpar, and overwrought and pretentious, similar to a Regency style without the art or craft. In many cases, the showoff vocabulary is applied improperly. Dialogue is formal and stilted. Odd internal rhymes and careless repetition throw off the prose. Much of the prose is written in passive voice, and verb tenses shift frequently. Parenthetical asides fall flat. Rampant anachronisms destroy immersion, as do the overuse of semicolons and excessively verbose descriptions of everything, including every single character's eye color.
Pacing is off. Scenes in which nothing happens and no new information is revealed are played out while scenes with critical plot or character development are glossed over in an explanatory paragraph. Character backstories are revealed in unnatural dialogue infodumps. Sections of inaction have too little character development to hold interest. For most of the book, aside from actual battle sequences, the story has little tension, and not enough builds up the climax.
The characters are two dimensional cardboard cutouts with implausible arcs. Female characters are idealized and perfect while male characters conform to stereotypes. The conversations between women are especially unrealistic. Nateldorth and Neshvetel are the most fleshed-out characters, and even they seem fake.
The main character, Linaera, decides if people are nice or not by some unknowable measure. A character is a jerk because she says so, not because of anything he's shown to do or not do. She insists upon everyone being polite to her despite her inability to show them the same. Her romance with one male character sticks out as artificial and sterile.
Overall, this is a first draft with potential. It has good bones, but needs a thorough edit. Despite that, some will enjoy this book. I recommend reading the sample before committing, as, in my opinion, the writing style is its biggest problem.
January 31, 2017
This book was a great story, and had a thrilling plot line. It's definitely a dark book, and one of the most entertaining I've read in a while. I highly suggest this work to lots of people of all different reading preferences! Fantastic book by an up-and-coming author.
November 29, 2016
The Necromancer is an adventure through an old school fantasy world, and I enjoyed it immensely. For me it was a trip down memory lane that allowed me to revisit character types and creatures I had not seen in years. I often came across particular monsters and races that immediately brought forth memories of adventures I shared with friends at those late night Dungeons & Dragons binges parties.
The story mostly follows the path of a young mage who is intricately tied to the title character, the Necromancer. As the Necromancer drives his undead army forward, there is more than one surprising turn awaiting him and the young mage. The cast also included a good number of minor characters that caught my interest and gave me the occasional chuckle. As for the style of the writing, I found it consistently action-centered, and this worked well to hold my interest throughout the book.
As noted in other reviews, the book does contain some technical errors. However, the author mentions in the preface that the book was written when he was just fourteen years old. For a work by someone of that age, this is truly outstanding. I wish I had had such talent when I was that young.
The story mostly follows the path of a young mage who is intricately tied to the title character, the Necromancer. As the Necromancer drives his undead army forward, there is more than one surprising turn awaiting him and the young mage. The cast also included a good number of minor characters that caught my interest and gave me the occasional chuckle. As for the style of the writing, I found it consistently action-centered, and this worked well to hold my interest throughout the book.
As noted in other reviews, the book does contain some technical errors. However, the author mentions in the preface that the book was written when he was just fourteen years old. For a work by someone of that age, this is truly outstanding. I wish I had had such talent when I was that young.
April 30, 2015
I can't tell if the other reviews are sarcasm; I'm not sure we read the same book! The book I read was extremely tedious, and every sentence sounded like a pretentious 12 year old who'd been given access to a thesaurus and thought they sounded amazing and oh-so-clever, so I wasn't at all surprised when it turned out that the "author" was only 14 when he wrote this (it definitely shows).
I would suggest that Alex focus his efforts elsewhere; to put it mildly, I don't think making a career out of writing would be a good idea. However, the amount of effort that was put into this is impressive, and I guess it's the taking part that counts.
To any other potential readers; this book is not worth the effort it takes to struggle through it. You get hardly any rewards for your hard work (apart from an unintentionally amusing sex scene). Don't be fooled by the professional looking cover - underneath it, this book is recognisably the work of an amateur. Definitely look elsewhere for fantasy books.
I would suggest that Alex focus his efforts elsewhere; to put it mildly, I don't think making a career out of writing would be a good idea. However, the amount of effort that was put into this is impressive, and I guess it's the taking part that counts.
To any other potential readers; this book is not worth the effort it takes to struggle through it. You get hardly any rewards for your hard work (apart from an unintentionally amusing sex scene). Don't be fooled by the professional looking cover - underneath it, this book is recognisably the work of an amateur. Definitely look elsewhere for fantasy books.
October 30, 2016
I daresay I liked writing the Necromancer. Though it took two years (six months writing as if deranged, another half year getting feedback and revising, then research, querying and more revising) and there were times when I felt I could never do it—the quintessential writer fear—I did, in fact, finish it.
And I’m glad I did.
I’m not sure if this book has changed my life; but what I am sure of: I won’t look at it in quite the same way. If the Necromancer is to teach you anything, anything at all, let it be this: life is a gift. And an existence in Death’s embrace? Not as fun as it sounds.
So, there you go. Two years of work—and a new beginning. All I can say is: I hope you enjoy it. It was a hella of a ride.
And I’m glad I did.
I’m not sure if this book has changed my life; but what I am sure of: I won’t look at it in quite the same way. If the Necromancer is to teach you anything, anything at all, let it be this: life is a gift. And an existence in Death’s embrace? Not as fun as it sounds.
So, there you go. Two years of work—and a new beginning. All I can say is: I hope you enjoy it. It was a hella of a ride.
January 31, 2017
This book was a great story, and had a thrilling plot line. It's definitely a dark book, and one of the most entertaining I've read in a while. I highly suggest this work to lots of people of all different reading preferences! Fantastic book by an up-and-coming author.
February 12, 2018
Awful. Like absolutely awful. This reads exactly how you’d imagine a child using unnecessarily large words to write poor fan fiction to read. The plot feels diluted and drawn out & I can’t seem to accept that anyone could think of this as an actual piece of work. Please find a new hobby.
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