Dark Haven

Chronicles of the Necromancer #3

by Gail Z. Martin

The third book in the stunning fantasy series from Gail Z Martin. This novel follows the break out success of The Summoner and The Blood King.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Magic, High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Vampires, Science Fiction Fantasy

606 pages, Nook

First published January 27, 2009

About the author

Gail Z. Martin discovered her passion for science fiction, fantasy and ghost stories in elementary school. The first story she wroteat age fivewas about a vampire. Her favorite TV show as a preschooler was Dark Shadows. At age 14, she decided to become a writer.

She enjoys attending science fiction/fantasy conventions, Renaissance fairs and living history sites. She is married and has three children, a Maltese and a golden retriever.

Gail Z. Martin is also Morgan Brice, which is her pen name for urban fantasy MM paranormal romance.

In addition to the online sites listed below, you can find me on
Facebook.com/Groups/MartinShadowAlliance
Facebook.com/Groups/WorldsOfMorganBrice
Twitter: @GailZMartin and @MorganBriceAuthor
YouTube: YouTube.com/c/GailZMartinAuthor
IG: @MorganBriceAuthorGail & Larry newsletter: http://eepurl.com/dd5XLj
Morgan Brice newsletter: http://eepurl.com/dy_8oL
BookBub for Morgan: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/morga...
Bookbub for Gail: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/gail-...
Amazon profile: https://www.amazon.com/Morgan-Brice/e...?
Amazon profile: https://www.amazon.com/Gail-Z-Martin/...
Pinterest (for Morgan and Gail) www.Pinterest.com/Gzmartin

Reviews

[Dan Rheingans · Rating 1 out of 5]

There are only a few books I have ever read that I would rate a one star, but this work by Gail Martin is one of them. I bought the 4 book series together as part of a sale, and have been increasingly unimpressed as the series has progressed. It is at the point now where I seriously don't know if I can make myself read 600 more pages of Martin's writing just to "finish the series" and "get my money's worth." By the time I was halfway thru this book, my sole motivation for finishing it was so that I could move on to the next book I really want to read that I just picked up. Martin's writing is predictable, formulaic, non-logical, and full of just nearly every fantasy cliche out there. The "disasters" are forced. Character development is spotty at best. Character motivation is even worse. Really I have nothing good I can say about this book, sorry. I would not suggest anyone read this book or this series. There's nothing here you can't get much more well done somewhere else. I have no idea how this managed to rate over 4 stars.

[Ann Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seriously!! OK, I am one of those readers who loves a good cliffhanger in a series. Just thankfully that I already have the next book...

I haven't mailed ordered (anything) since the start of the pandemic. And don't have a reader. If I didn't already have the next book, it would have been one long wait before I could get my hands on it...

I really like this whole series, yet this third book tops as best. This series has all my favorite magics and magical beings: necromancy (of course), and healers, musicians/storytellers and the power of music, shape-shifters, vampires, seers...etc. I mean, this story really seems to have it all.

I could do without the war threats, battle scenes, and such...this storyline does a good job about not dwelling on and on with the fighting. It's there, but not over done. It focuses more on the characters.

There are some mentions of what some might find as sensitive subjects, and the consequences from those happenings. One thing I like about this series is that (so far) it doesn't go into detail with graphic descriptions about such things.

I had originally believed that this third book would be more about Jonmarc and Carina and less about the other characters from the first two books. While I wish there was more scenes based on Jonmarc and Carina, this book does a good job on keeping track on all the original characters. It jumps from character to character as the story unfolds. It is nice to see all their lives lived apart, even while they all continue to fight for the same causes.

I've mentioned before that I absolutely love Jonmarc's character, right? He still has my vote as the best character in this whole story.

Ok, time to dust off book four of this series...

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon · Rating 4 out of 5]

To borrow an invective from the series - "By the Whore - a cliffhanger!" Argh!

But, in all honesty, I don't mind *that* much. Partially because I resigned myself to it when I was a little more than half way through and realized there was no way we were going to be able to resolve all the threads in the pages remaining without a really rushed ending, and I'd rather have the cliffhanger than that...

All in all, I really liked this book. It might be the best in the series... it started well, and has just been getting better - cleaner, faster, slightly less cliched.

There are still some things which annoy me - almost all of which are little nitpicky technical things...

Such as changing words for made up version of them. Like coffee becomes kerif. You can tell it's meant to be coffee... but you also know it's a special made-up word because it's literally in italics. Luckily it's not as annoying here as it was in Magyk with the capitalized, bolded "magyk" words... but it's still a bit annoying and it jars me out of the story a little bit every time I come across it. (The made-up word thing is bad enough, but why does it have to be italicized?)

It's like vayash morou - this worlds term for vampire. In this case I don't necessarily mind the different term but, again, are the italics necessary? It's also overused. When referring to a specific character - Gabriel for instance - she'll say "The vayash morou stepped forward" instead of "He stepped forward". If it were a mortal character, she wouldn't say "The mortal stepped forward" or "The man stepped forward"... she would say "He stepped forward", so why change it just because it's a special italicized vampire man? It wouldn't be so noticeable if it was once or twice, but it's a lot.

And, lastly, there are certain other things which are mentioned too often. Like whem the vayash morou are fighting and they do something to each other which would "kill a mortal man". Yes, yes... we get the point. They're really strong and durable and stuff. They are vampires, after all. We're all familiar with the vampire thing... we don't need to be reminded every single time they fight that they move faster than a mortal, hit harder than a mortal, survive longer than a mortal. I mean, they're the freaking Energizer Bunnies... we get it...

It's not just the vamps, tho... with Tris and his magic, every time, we get the same description of how it feels or what not. We don't really need to be reminded every time - honest.

(Oh, that also reminds me... what is it with fantasy stories and weird looking, hard to say names?)

Some of these are just sort of typical fantasy cliches... and others are just little gripes about writing style and editing... Nothing major - so while it seems I may be beting very critical, I have to state again that the story itself is rather good. I like the characters and how they are portrayed, and the backstories which are given. There were a few little draggy places, but overall the pacing is good, the action is decent, and I look forward to continuing the series...

[Nessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I read the first book, The Summoner, and enjoyed it to a certain degree, I must admit my sole reason for reading the second and third was my interest in SOME of the characters. For me Tris and Kiara are too cliché and very predictable. The plot seemed set and obvious from the very beginning. Tris would win the throne (a little too easily for my taste) and he would fall in love with Kiara, and she with him. Kiara is a skilled fighter but must put that aside and become the queen she had been groomed to be. No surprises there. Jonmark and Carina however, were a completely different story. Although I had a hunch they would end up together, it wasn't certain. Their constant bickering and the clash of their altogether different personalities made their characters all the more interesting. Jonmark is an ex-slave, an excellent fighter and a rough man with a shady past. Carina, with a few bumps along the way of her own, is an amazing healer and a strong minded woman. I can say without any doubt, I continued to read these books just to see what happened to them. Carroway and Soterius are also interesting characters and it would have been good for a more in-depth look into their lives and pasts.
The writing style also bothered me. Some things were expertly explained and in some cases gave you a clear image in mind, whereas others seemed thrown together and did not hold any imagination.
I look forward to the next book for the sole reason I have explained, hoping of course that my favorites come out on top, and that the story takes a few more interesting turns. I would not recommend this book, as my own feelings on the matter are on the fence, but it is a decent story with a good idea behind it.

[Soteris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was frustrated with this the first time around as the book ended and left its readers hanging for a year untill she wrote the conclusion. I hate that. I prefer to wait until they're all written before I buy a book especially when there is not even an end to a subplot. Complaint over, Gail Z. Martin is a master story teller and is somebody who probably grew up loving Halloween as she captures the dark winter feel of spirits and ghosts perfectly. The main characters are highly likeable, even the women in it are no mere damsels in distress and are quite willing to pick up a sword and fight having been trained from childhood for war. The vampire characters are very likable and give you that real goosebump feel thanks to her brilliant descriptions. Much better than the first two in the series, the third is excellent.

[Susan1566 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have one problem with this book - it’s cliffhanger. Fortunately I have the next book o start right away. This has great characters, story and action. A different type of magic is used by Tris which is interesting without the rest of the story. Good reading

[L · Rating 5 out of 5]

This remarkable magical tale that is full of intense drama and action is such an absorbing read, that you loose yourself within the pages!!

I am so impressed by Gail Z Martin’s extraordinary ‘The chronicles of the Necromancer’ series, which has become a firm favorite of mine that stands proudly at the top of the bookshelf alongside other ‘greats’ within this genre – for example JRR Tolkien, Robin Hobb, Raymond E Feist and Terry Brooks. The epic scope of creativity and imaginative fantasy world is mind-blowing to the extreme, in which you are left breathless at the sheer genius and masterful writing that is so extraordinary. This has to be one of the most exciting, nail-bitingly intense adventures set within the most fascinating world where you are not always sure of whom you can trust and where danger lurks beneath every surface. It is fast-paced and thrilling, in which the author cleverly combines exquisite detail and action as to make it so believable and ‘real’. I felt a PART of this series, as I truly lost myself within the Winter Kingdoms and fell in love with the distinctive, compelling characters that brought such depth to this wonderful tale.

Book 3: Dark Haven continues the saga that began with The Summoner and its sequel The Blood King, as Martris Drayke rules the kingdom with an Iron fist now that he is King. The once great kingdom of Margolan now lies in ruin and it is up to the new ruler to rebuild this once mighty realm and restore it to its former glory- piece by piece. But another battle looms on the horizon and the King must be prepared for continuation of heated conflict. Meanwhile Jonmarc Vahanian is now the Lord of the Dark Haven, and there is defiance from the Vampires of the Vayash Moru at the prospect of a mortal leader. But, can he earn their trust and at what cost? Those thrilling adventures that one discovers in book 1 & 2 are continued, as rivalry and enmity rages across the lands and magical beings rule supreme…

This epic fantasy tale is a labyrinth of interconnecting threads that are delicately interwoven and layered on top of one another, making this something so interesting and detailed as to astonish and amaze! I was really able to `stick my teeth' into this series and loose myself within a fantastic world where you constantly are learning more about the different creatures and characters, and the magic that holds such sway over the direction of each individuals' future. As an avid reader of this genre I was so impressed by Gail Z Martin's writing, which typifies everything you desire within great, masterful fantasy - such as bloodthirsty brilliant battles, raging rifts between mighty realms and a concoction of cleverly crafted characters and creatures that bring this tale to life!

This is a unique, epic and totally addictive read that will leave you breathless, and render you speechless...as all I can say is WOW! The phenomenal characterization combined with exquisite detail really makes the story come alive, and the extensive world-building and its history is fascinating. It is a tale of courage and bravery as one fight for all that they hold most dear, it is also a tale of those of mortal flesh in opposition to those eternal beings. If you love the fantasy genre then I strongly urge that you read this book and discover this series!!!

[Chrissy Wissler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another chapter in the Summoner Chronicles, well told especially with all the different subplots going on. I don't know how Martin keeps all the information straight, but she does and succeeds in telling a compelling story.

No one is safe in this story, even after Tris and his friends won the throne from his murderer brother, Jared. I did enjoy seeing the aftermath of Jared's reign. Martin doesn't leave it as a 'happily ever after' but shows readers exactly what happens when a tyrant comes in and rips the land apart. Although the good guys won, they have a many hard battles ahead of them just trying to survive the winter and maintain peace. Add in a few, okay, several assassination attempts, keeps the story hopping.

Fans of epic fantasy tales will enjoy this book and the other two in the series. It's unfortunate that in order to tell such a grand scale political/fantastical novel, readers' ability to connect with the individual characters suffers. We're kept at a distance, but after three books I'm still eager to see what happens next.

[Matthew · Rating 2 out of 5]

Low rate fantasy, much better is out there

I originally had this series recommended to me by a friend of mine, he had just started reading fantasy and said it would grip me, I have been reading fantasy for about 7/8 years now and this may have interested me initially, but it is for beginners or young adults, this in no way competes with the top fantasy series out there, If you haven’t read much fantasy and want to get started with something easy to read, this is for you, If you've read the greats, don't bother, the technical writing skills are all their but there is no drama or gravitas to the series, it just feels like a ant among giants with other novels I have read, had a good start with the first book but should have stopped after the second.

[Chris Hayes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was hoping this book would continue with the excellence of the second one. Unfortunately it didn't.

There was simply too much going on in this book. 3 major storylines, all of which are somewhat interwoven, but too drawn out to finish in one book. And the book suffered for this. I'm glad the story continued, but the author would have been better off splitting it in 3 books. One focusing on the events in Dark Haven, which is what you'd think this book would be about, since that's the title. One focusing on Tris, and one focusing on Kaira.

Instead of focusing on each story & bringing it to the end, the author kept bouncing between stories, leaving the book on not one, not 2, not even 3, but an unbelievable 4 cliff hangers.

[Bear · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I first started this book is was moments (literally) after I finished the second book and I was bored and a little annoyed with all the 'recapping' of what happened in the previous books. mostly because I had just finished them.
So I set this book aside and a few months later I came back to it. And I was glad I did. Once enough time passed I enjoyed the recap, and I got into the story, though there are some (won't say for spoilers) plot points that are getting a little thin and need to be resolved soon, I think this series is still pretty awesome, and I look forward to the next installment! Hopefully sooner than later!

[Ruth · Rating 1 out of 5]

c2009. Okay so I really tried this one - in order to complete the trilogy and to make sure that it just wasnt when I read the last two. Not a chance. Really not for me at all. Tris comes across as such a whingey character and such a limp wristed pumpkin. The dialogue is stilted and - well it's just awful. A real pity as the story arc itself is still interesting - but the characterisation, the action scenes and the love story is just so thin and mawkish. "He fidgeted., knowing that the ring mail he wore beneath his cloak was going to make his shoulder sore by the end of the day." Groan....ugh.......

[Dianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

It seems like everything's blowing up in the faces of the main characters. They're all separated into smaller groups, each doing their own thing, and forces both without and within are plotting their demise. And on top of that, the Flow is about to fall apart so magic isn't really working. When reading the book, it's hard to see how everything is going to end well. And top of that, it ends on a cliffhanger!

[Horizon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Third in the series and my only complaint is how much I hate cliffhangers. Martin has done what so many fantasy writers fail to do and created true to life characters with real emotions as opposed to just magic and muscle. Each book digs deeper the hole for the heroes to escape, yet the solutions are never forced or far fetched. I can't wait for the next.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark Haven is much better than its immediate predecessor, The Blood King, because it wasn't 500 pages of training montage. Not to mention, it focused on something other than relationships, which is a plus. Vahanian is by far one of the most interesting characters, so an installment with a lot of him can't be anything but a good thing. Moving on the the next book soon.

[JJ DeBenedictis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unsatisfying, but that's partly because it's the third book in a longer series, and I haven't read the rest of the series. Some characters get married early on--which people who have read the earlier books might care about--but beyond that, nothing gets settled in this book. A truce is broken (eventually), and a war starts (eventually), and a greater threat is discovered (eventually), but there are no resolutions to any of those concerns in this novel. This very much is a book whose purpose is to say, "Now read the next book."

All that said, the writing is smooth and I found it easy to read and a pleasant world to visit. This was a book I found on a bench just as it was beginning to rain, so I took it home rather than leave it to be ruined. In other words, I did get my money's worth! :)

I probably won't read the rest of the series, but for someone who has read the previous books and is invested in reading the entire series, I think this book was probably a solid addition to the overarching narrative.

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me say the writing is infinately better than The Summoner and still better than The Blood King. Definitely some more surprises and foreshadowing. I enjoyed seeing more internal conflict with Jonmarc as well, also Carroway and Alle and some other side characters and basically both sides struggling with the Flow. One of my absolute favorite things about this series is the religion and lore and legend. Martin does an awesome job incorporating it into the stories and traditions and it's always fun to read about. I enjoyed reading about it during the royal wedding and Winterside.

My only complaints are still how typically heroic Tris is. Also almost every chapter there is someone fainting.

[Celia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about this book - I had enjoyed both The Summoner and The Blood King, but I had been a little disappointed by the second instalment. But I was pleasantly surprised by Dark Haven.
This book is filled with new settings, multiple storylines and enough action to make the story interesting throughout. There were still some of the stilted conversations that frustrated me from the second book, and it’s not full of the depth that some fantasy books have - but the story still held my interest, and at times truly did pull me in. In particular, the final few chapters had me audibly gasp and the cliffhanger... well, I have no choice but to read the fourth book. Overall, this was an entertaining read and is likely one I will enjoy reading again in the future.

[Geoff Battle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Martin's continuation of the Necromancer series continues from where The Blood King finished. The same cast of valiant warriors and healers now separate in to three distinct storylines in an attempt to bring justice and order to their lands. The plot is comprised of standard fantasy components, although the the inclusion of necromancy continues to be the fresh twist. Martin fails to deliver the emotional pull of Terry Brooks and is no rival to the penmanship of David Gemmell, however she is clearly capable of writing solid fantasy fiction. It's not a compulsive read yet you will stick with it until the end.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much as I like the series, this particular book is a bit of a slog to get through. War on the one hand and betrayal on the other is part of it. But really I expect so much more of Kiara. I think her storyline suffers by the author occasionally *telling* us that Kiara is a competent ruler and excellent fighter... But what we are *shown* is Kiara and her ever-shrinking circle of friends sitting in their quarters being alternately attacked and wringing their hands about their lack of clue as to what's going on.
Sometimes I wish I could rewrite that part of the story and have them actually doing something. Like taking Crevan to task for completely overstepping his authority, for instance.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an exciting ending to this book. I read some of the reviews of the first book in the series about it being weak and clique.
Gosh, I'm glad I didn't listen.
When this book first started I wondered how it would break up the characters while keeping the story interesting.
In the case, it's like 3 separate stories of our main characters with Cam having more time this round.
The last 3rd of the book is pretty action packed. I'm excited to continue this to see what happens. And a bit sad that there is only one book left in the series.

[Sarah Ehinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy this series, but cliffhangers are the worst. It has reached a point in the series where the main characters are spread across the world and the story alternates between them. Inevitably the author manages to inspire a groan as the scene shifts to another character just as I am fully invested in whatwas unfolding, only to repeat the process with the storyline we have shifted to. It makes the book fly by, but it is painful. At least the next the book is already published.

[Valerie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This felt like a book trying to describe a movie. It had a well developed plot and what would have been some thrilling scenes were they actually seen, but it failed to get at the feeling behind anything that occurred. The story felt like a long slog on the way to the next book, with no real surprises up until the last 2 chapters.

[☆Ruth☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm determined to complete this series although it has become very repetitive. The main protagonists spend all their time in a permanent state of injury - not to mention constantly fighting against unbeatable odds... somewhat tedious after a while! I'm hoping that the final instalment will bring some resolution to all the ongoing issues, which currently appear to be insurmountable!

[Charul Palmer-Patel · Rating 2 out of 5]

The whole book is a set up for the next one. Very little actually happens in terms of plot development until the last 100 pages. Mostly you’re catching up with the events from the last book.
It’s an easy, quick read. Bit popcorny.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

👍🏻

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

*There are gonna be spoilers for the first two books in the series in this review*

So, after I got that little warning out of the way, I just got to say I was pretty excited for this book! After finishing the second one, I was quite surprised and relieved that our heroes managed to "complete their mission". I mean, you know how these books always have like the main goal and it can take the whole series to reach it. Which is great. But, personally, I found the author's choice in this one pretty refreshing.
We left our main characters with their mission a success at the end of the second book, but the author made it obvious that the story is far from done. They still had a lot of struggles and obstacles to overcome, and I honestly appreciate it so much.
I had such a great time reading about their lives. It felt kind of like watching a drama with serious fantastic elements. I don't know, it's hard to explain. But I would recommend this series to anyone who reads epic/high fantasy (hope you won't mind, but I'm still having trouble differentiating the two), cause I think it's absolutely fabulous and full of great action scenes, and I simply can't wait to read the last book in the series. :)

[Leidy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I super love this series. I love seeing the aftermath of Jared's rule being dealt with and seeing the entire party still having important roles to play in the recovery of the winter kingdoms.

[Kandra Blankman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The saga continues in this fantasy adventure. I feel like I could jump right into this book series and be right at home with the people 🩵🩵

[Alex Connolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though there are no spoilers for this book, this book contains a major (unavoidable) spoiler from books one and two. You have been warned!!! (It's also early on in the review.)

***

This the third in a series of fantasy, sword-and-sorcery novels following Martris "Tris" Drayke but now begins a split narrative that also follow Jonmarc Vahanian who is Mortal Lord of Dark Haven, the Land of the Vampires. Both are at war with one another and we see that though, perhaps, the major events are now ever, their effects are still being felt and the problem lingers still.

In some ways, I wasn't looking forward to this book. I like fantasy because I like magic and mythical creatures, and though Jonmarc is great character, I was initially worried that the magic (which, as I said, is the core fantasy element that I like) would take a back-seat. In some ways this is true, but it still took up half the narrative.

Jonmarc's is based on the fact that he is mortal among vampires, some of which are unwilling to have a mortal Lord. The central elements seem to be that he is rebuilding an ignored land to help its deprived inhabitants, as well as dealing with curbing an uprising and a war between the dead and the undead. Tris now the (SPOILER) King of Margolan is trying to do something similar as he stabilises a country in turmoil, secures the succession (since the Usurper was violently promiscuous) and enters into an inevitable war.

I point both of them out for a particular reason: they are both trying to help people who are starving and they both say how, though a King and a Lord, celebrations should be muted and in-extravagant. Yet it annoyed me to see them eating into heaps and heaps of food, dress up in expensively tailored clothes made for the occasions and basically spend truck loads of money. They proclaim the need to help and defend the interests of the people and say they cannot consider huge extravagance; the needs of the people are more important. It just frustrated me that this seemed persistently ignored.

That aside though, the plots were straightforward, run-of-the-mill stories, but well done such that you probably wouldn't be bored. The things I said earlier about the plot is basically just that in the long run, except with internal dialogue, romance and specifics. Yet the magic in it is that the characters involved are so interesting. Rather than being high and mighty, they are normal people who would fit in easily in a modern age because their outlook is understandable and they themselves are easy to empathise with. There is none of that sickening nonsense about "duty", "honour" and "loyalty" that is the Knight's code. They are still people, despite their rank. And they're interesting too. They come from different backgrounds- Vahanian is very much a rogue and former outlaw- which means that there's diversity between them. And, which I consider a huge bonus, the women are written as being capable alongside capable men. Too often I feel that though a balance is almost struck, few writers get across an idea that the female characters can defend themselves as well as having men who have a vulnerable, soft side. But I see it here (most of the time) and it's nice.

The magic in the book is something which is still important. In previous books it talks about how the flow (source of magical aptitude and power) is becoming unstable and chaotic due to dark magic, and this continued in the book. Tris is actually a spirit mage, so he can summon and converse with dead spirits and all but go to the land of the dead. It means that one of the main characters is constantly aware of the flow and can relay to us what happens concerning it. Again, it's run-of-the-mill stuff, but it's well done.

Romance...I don't know. It's there but I get this feeling that everyone keeps pairing up. Tris and Kiara are still a nice little couple and I appreciate how this isn't mad love but companionship and support: which I like to think is a more realistic relationship. There's also a whole thing involving Kiara as the bride of Tris, but I don't want to give anything away on that front since I found it so interesting. Vahanian has Carina, and their courting continues and develops fairly quickly, which is why I feel like people are being paired off. I like them as a couple too, especially since they were always at odds (though it annoyed me that this has kind of dwindled and been lost).

I'm not doing a very good job of selling this book to anyone, but I genuinely believe in my heart of hearts that this is a good book and part of that the reason is because Gail Z. Martin is such an excellent storyteller and craftswoman for the characters and turmoil. One of the huge boons of this and the other books is that it is so easy and so pleasant to just get lost in this story for a few hours.