New Necromancer on the Block

After tearing through Bayou Born, I knew I had to continue my Edwards fixation. With so many options, it was hard to choose, but I finally settled on her Beginner's Guide to Necromancy series.

So far there are two books, and I (along with her facebook fans) am eagerly waiting for the third.

What more could any reader want besides mysterious necromancy powers, the handsome boy next door, and a dangerous and alluring magical tutor? Very little, I assure you.

One of the things I liked most about this series is that it stands alone from Bayou Born. I didn't feel like I was reading about an old character thrown into a different book. Grier stands apart from Luce, and her story and family are unique, sarcastic, and oh so much fun.

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How to Save an Undead Life

I enjoyed this book; in fact, I bought the sequel right after I finished and stayed up much later than I should have in order to continue the story.

Grier Woolworth has recently been released from a prison for magical offenders. She's reclaimed her home aka Woolly a sentient house that she inherited from her guardian. Now that she's home, she has to start to reclaim the other pieces of her life including finding her place in a world that showed her no mercy or support when she most needed it.

Helping her with this seemingly impossible journey is her best friend, Amelie, a member of Low Society, and Amelie's brother, Boaz, Grier's longtime unrequited (though maybe not anymore) crush.

I thought the Pritchard siblings were fun supporting characters. Boaz is a ladies' man with no shame about his past. He shamelessly flirts with Grier, and the banter between the two of them is fun, flirty, and lets us see a lighter side of Grier.

It was surprising how much personality Woolly had, and I thought it was a pretty cool concept for the house to have a full-fledged sentience. Woolly worries about Grier and even has her own relationships and attachments to the other people in her owner's life. That was a bit of creativity that made the series stand out for me against others I had recently read.

I've looked at a few of the other reviews, and I can't help but agree that the worldbuilding would probably be my biggest negative. There were definitely times when I felt a little confused about how their Necromantic society worked, and I was wondering if I had missed some kind of short prequel that should have plugged in some of the blanks about Grier's imprisonment and what happened to her guardian.

Overall, a lot of the blanks about how their world works gradually get filled. A lot of those questions were answered enough that I wasn't distracted by any confusion. There's still a lot left to learn about Grier's past and imprisonment, but those blanks are still there because Grier is, in part, an unreliable narrator. Due to circumstances beyond her control, she's had cause to doubt her own mind and memories. Despite my curiosity, I'm willing to learn along with Grier.

How to Claim an Undead Soul

When we last left Grier, she was dealing with the aftermath of her kidnapping and had been assigned an unwanted teacher/babysitter/spy of the Grand Dame's.

As Grier is left having to pick up the pieces again (poor girl can't catch a break), she also has to figure out how to move forward with Linus, her "cousin" (her deceased-guardian's nephew) and teacher. Even though he's supposed to fill in the gaps of her magical and necromantic knowledge, she has to figure out if she can really trust him, be vulnerable with him. Is he more than his mother's spy?

Boaz and Amelie stick with Grier in this follow-up, and we get to see a bit more of Neely as well. While Boaz and Grier's relationship progresses, it seems like Amelie and Grier's friendship is a bit stuck. Throughout the story there seems to be a bit more tension and, like Grier, the reader can't be too sure of the source. Many times it seems like Amelie's bitterness and helpless at her Low Society ranking is rearing its ugly head, but it turns out to be much more than that.

Edwards also adds something that I think hooks many readers in- the prospect of a love triangle. Although Boaz seems to finally be awake and realizing that Grier is truly who he wants in his life as not only a friend but a romantic partner, we start to see a competitor possibly rising up.

Although Grier remembers Linus as a solemn child, studious and not full of much personality, he has grown up in their time apart. He's complicated, intelligent, and maybe even a little dangerous. Honestly, I loved his character. I think that he's got his fair share of trouble to deal with (with a mother like his, who wouldn't?), but he seems to have an honest affection for Grier, and she sees a side of him that others don't get to.

In the midst of the personal drama and story movement, there's also a mystery. Ghosts seem to be disappearing, and no one knows why. As she readjusts to her post-kidnapping life, Grier starts to get caught up in the mystery that winds up touching everyone that she's included in her little family.

By the way, #TeamLinus