Hey everyone! Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Last Necromancer by C.J. Archer! Today I'll be sharing my review of the book with you - and don't forget to enter the great giveaways! To follow the rest of the tour, click on the banner above.
The Last Necromancer (Ministry of Curiosities #1)
Author: C.J. Archer
Genre: YA Historical/Fantasy
Release Date: August 11, 2015
Description:
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.
I really enjoyed this book and I'm already looking forward to the next installment. Victorian London is the perfect setting for the book - it already has the mystical feel that the story needs and it just felt like the obvious setting for the story. Charlotte/Charlie is a fantastic lead character. She's very interesting and has several layers to her personality and self that begin to be peeled back during the novel. I loved learning more about Charlotte - her life and powers - with each new layer that was exposed. She's feisty, intelligent, stubborn, and has a strength and determination that makes it possible for her to live on the streets of London. The necromancer aspect of the story was awesome! I've always thought that the whole concept of necromancy was fascinating and I loved learning as much about it as I could throughout the book. I hope that the next installment delves deeper into the topic. It's such a unique concept with lots of potential for the series - and I can't wait to see where it takes us.
The writing was solid and well done with vivid details and descriptions that made it easy for me to slip inside Charlotte's world right from the beginning of the book. The story is told from Charlotte's perspective - in the first person point of view - which I absolutely loved. I'm a huge fan of books that use the first person POV because the reader gets to know and connect with the character on such a deeper level than any of the other writing styles. We got to see the story through Charlotte's eyes, along with getting a peek inside her mind. Her fears, hopes, emotions, memories, internal dialogue - it all comes together to create a crisp portrait of Charlotte and we, as readers, are able to connect on a deeper level than normal with her. The plot wasn't wholly original, but the author's writing style and the unique spin she puts on various aspects of the story made it very enjoyable to read and helps to set it apart from others like it in the genre. I can't wait for the next book to release so I can see what's going to happen to Charlotte and where the plot will take us. I definitely recommend this book to fans of both fantasy and historical fiction, along with readers who enjoy paranormal fiction, action, adventure, mystery, and those looking for something different than the current trends.
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 RW Australia’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.
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 RW Australia’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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Giveaway: (1) copy of The Last Necromancer - US/CAN winner can choose between paperback or ebook; INT winner will receive an ebook
Great review, Steph! I love the world building in this especially - it sounds so vivid and atmospheric! Glad you liked it! :)
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