Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Review: The Last Necromancer by C.J. Archer




The Last Necromancer
The Ministry of Curiosities #1

C.J. Archer

YA Historical Fantasy
August 11, 2015

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Victorian London: For five years, Charlotte (Charlie) Holloway has lived as a boy in the slums. But when one theft too many gets her arrested, her only means of escape lies with a dead man. Charlie hasn’t raised a spirit since she first discovered she could do so five years ago. That time, her father banished her. This time, she brings even more trouble upon herself.

People are now hunting Charlie all over London, but only one man succeeds in capturing her.

Lincoln Fitzroy is the mysterious head of a secret organization on the trail of a madman who needs a necromancer to control his newly “made” creatures. There was only one known necromancer in the world – Charlotte – but now there appears to be two. Lincoln captures the willful Charlie in the hopes the boy will lead him to Charlotte. But what happens when he discovers the boy is in fact the young woman he’s been searching for all along? And will she agree to work for the man who held her against her will, and for an organization she doesn’t trust?

Because Lincoln and his ministry might be just as dangerous as the madman they’re hunting.


Review: I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review

The Last Necromancer was an interesting historical paranormal with a great plot and lots of intriguing characters. I loved where the author started the story-- had me rallying behind Charlie and feeling for her plight immediately.

My favorite thing about this novel was the interaction between the characters. The dialogue was amazing and fun to read. Ms. Archer really brought her characters to life to the point that they practically leaped off the page. I loved Charlie. She was witty, intelligent, strong, everything I like in a kickass female lead. I also loved Seth and Gus-- fantastic secondary characters.

Lincoln Fitzroy was odd. His relationship with Charlie/Charlotte was also confusing at times. This is going to be a slow burn relationship, if there is one at all. So if you're looking for romance, look elsewhere. I loved who the author chose as the villain but was disappointed since I figured it out the first time his evil antics were described. So fitting, it just had to be...

Colorful descriptions bring the story and setting to life. My only complaint was a few slow times where I was skimming to get to the next part (or some more dialogue-- definitely one of Ms. Archer's strong points). Overall, this is an enjoyable read and a great introduction to a new series. In closing... I really want that lantern on the cover :)

About the Author

C.J. Archer has loved history and books for as long as she can remember and feels fortunate that she found a way to combine the two with her writing. Under her other name of Carolyn Scott, she has published contemporary short stories in women’s magazines, and she also writes romantic mystery novels under this name.

She has at various times worked as a librarian, IT support person and technical writer but in her heart has always been a fiction writer. She has won and placed in romance writing contests including winning RWAustralia’s Emerald Award in 2008 for the manuscript that went on to be released under the title HONOR BOUND. C.J. spent her early childhood in the dramatic beauty of outback Queensland, Australia, but now lives in suburban Melbourne with her husband and two children.

To be notified when C.J. releases a new book, subscribe to her newsletter from her website. She only sends out the newsletter when she releases a new book, and never spams.

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5 comments:

  1. Great review! I love it when the romance is slow moving and not the whole point of the book - I like romance as much as the next but I like a good balance. Glad you liked it! :)

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  2. It's hard to imagine a romance between Charlie and Lincoln. It will be interesting to see where the author takes it.

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  3. Thanks for the review, Kimber Leigh. I'm glad you liked it. If you're after more romance, then book 2 won't disappoint. Just sayin' ;) Book 2 is already out BTW. All the best ~ CJ

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  4. Spot on with this write-up, I truly think this website needs much more consideration. I’ll probably be again to read much more, thanks for that info.

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