About the Book
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Author:
- Lish McBride
Cover Story: Love It
BFF Charm: Make It Rain
Talky Talk: All Growed Up
Bonus Factors: Garden Gnomes, Dead Celebrity, Family
Relationship Status: The Necromance Is Going Strong
Spoiler Alert: Spoilers ahead for the first book in the series, Hold Me Closer, Necromancer, but I will do my best to remain spoiler-free for this book.
Cover Story: Love It
Normally covers with wolves on them are problematic, because you’ll either be identified as a wolf-moon girl, or as someone trying to be super ironic. But then there’s this cover, which somehow manages to look legit to me. It should also be mentioned that I really love puns.
The Deal
Now that Douglas is dead (or is he?) Sam is doing his best to fulfill his role as head of the council, while getting a crash course in the politics of the magical world — as well as lessons in self-defense — from Brid’s father and brothers. Oh yeah, there’s also the little fact that he not only inherited shiny new powers and a seat on the council from Douglas, but also a mansion — complete with cat/dragon/snooty-man butler and various magical creatures who may or may not want him dead. Things could be worse, though. I mean, he’s got Brid, and his friends have all moved into the mansion with him, so it’s not like he’s alone in the whole thing. Whoops, spoke too soon, because an anonymous someone threatens Sam’s little sister, and while he’s trying to figure THAT out, tragedy strikes in the form of a murder that leaves everyone reeling…
BFF Charm: Make It Rain
I already handed ’round charms to everybody in the first book, but that seems like forever ago, so I was concerned that we’d have some awkward times when we reunited for this book. I need not have worried, because everybody was still their awesome, adorable, hysterical selves. I mean it, Sam may have matured a great deal — what with all of the stress and responsibility — but he’s still his awkward, sweet, underdog self. Ashley still loves her waffles, and being disembodied hasn’t dampened Brooke’s perkiness one iota. I just want to throw my arms around the whole lot of them — yes, even you, James. Even you.
Swoonworthy Scale: 5
Sam and Brid’s relationship is tender and sweet and realistic — considering the circumstances. It’s also fraught with obstacles, and I loved the maturity with which those were handled, making the swoon feel developed and authentic. There were also some nice fade-to-black-type sexy times.
Talky Talk: All Growed Up
Have we not been waiting for FOREVER for this book? Or is it just that I loved the first one SO much, that it feels that way? Either way, Lish McBride did not disappoint. This book is rife with the same slapstick humor — God, that woman is funny! — poignant relationships, and thrilling suspense. But Necromancing The Stone is also even better paced, tighter, and more mature than its predecessor: Sam has grown up a lot in a short time — and continues to mature as the story progresses. And did I mention the funny? McBride continues to fully embrace the camp, the snark, and all of the puns that make this series a treat to read. Sexy Gary, anyone? It’s rare that I can say that a sequel is better than the first book in a series, but with this one, it’s a pleasure.
Bonus Factor: Garden Gnomes
Oh. My. God. The garden gnomes. I mean, if a bunch of garden gnomes came to life OF COURSE they’d all be little tv-and-jam-obsessed barbarians with names like Gnoman Polanski and The Darkness Known As Mittens. I really want to live in Sam’s house.
Bonus Factor: Dead Celebrity
What if there was this actor, and he maybe, like, died a while ago, but had been reanimated by a necromancer so he could finish the film he was working on? Or something? I won’t say anything more, other than that this was Pure. Comic. Genius.
Bonus Factor: Family
Now there’s the family you’re born with, and the family you choose, and they don’t necessarily have to be mutually exclusive. But the important thing is that family loves and trusts and protects each other. They’re there for each other through good times and bad, and as much of a laugh as this book was, it also made a little tear fall up outta’ my eye, because what Sam’s got around him? It’s a family I’d be proud to call my own.
Relationship Status: The Necromance Is Going Strong.
This series and I have been together long enough for me to be able to say that what we have isn’t just some fly-by-night (nec)romance that’ll be over as soon as the sheets cool. No, we’re in it to win it.
FTC Full Disclosure: I received my review copy from Macmillan. I received neither money nor cocktails for writing this review (dammit!). Necromancing The Stone is available now.
