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amelia_horseman's review against another edition
dark
funny
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Body horror, Torture, Grief, Blood, Violence, Murder, and Physical abuse
esshgee's review against another edition
3.0
Slow to start but quite enjoyable once things got moving. A bit of fun
janina_reads's review against another edition
4.0
You are looking for a YA urban fantasy that is a bit outside the norm? You are tired of stories only revolving around a lukewarm love interest? You like it a bit macabre? You’re not looking for anything too serious, but simply want to have a good time? I think I’ve found the book for you …
Simply put, this book was lots of fun! Talking heads, waffle-addicted spirits, double-agent next-door neighbours, were-bears, family secrets, powerful necromancers, resurrected Chinese pandas, talking cats, out-of-control werewolves, a tiny bit of romance, friends you can rely on – you name it, we have it. I loved the humour: slightly macabre and sarcastic, laugh-out-loud funny, but never overbearing, over-the-top hilarious. The most refreshing thing: this book does not take itself too seriously.
Also liked the chapter headings inspired by song titles (and how they fit with the plot). The story itself it not necessarily the most original ever written, but the way it is written makes it special. It loses a little bit of its drive around the two-third mark, but I’m not entirely sure if that was the book or my Fever series induced exhaustion …
The male voice was well done and believable in my opinion, and I couldn’t help but like Sam, our unlikely hero. A college dropout working at a fast food restaurant, fiercely loyal to his family and friends, he can’t help but feel overwhelmed by the situation he has manoeuvred himself into. He accidentally awakens his necromantic powers, only to be threatened and beat up by the local necromancer who wants to secure his district. The story is told in alternating points of view, but a majority focuses on Sam and how he handles his newfound and strangely dormant powers …
Definitely recommended!
Simply put, this book was lots of fun! Talking heads, waffle-addicted spirits, double-agent next-door neighbours, were-bears, family secrets, powerful necromancers, resurrected Chinese pandas, talking cats, out-of-control werewolves, a tiny bit of romance, friends you can rely on – you name it, we have it. I loved the humour: slightly macabre and sarcastic, laugh-out-loud funny, but never overbearing, over-the-top hilarious. The most refreshing thing: this book does not take itself too seriously.
Also liked the chapter headings inspired by song titles (and how they fit with the plot). The story itself it not necessarily the most original ever written, but the way it is written makes it special. It loses a little bit of its drive around the two-third mark, but I’m not entirely sure if that was the book or my Fever series induced exhaustion …
The male voice was well done and believable in my opinion, and I couldn’t help but like Sam, our unlikely hero. A college dropout working at a fast food restaurant, fiercely loyal to his family and friends, he can’t help but feel overwhelmed by the situation he has manoeuvred himself into. He accidentally awakens his necromantic powers, only to be threatened and beat up by the local necromancer who wants to secure his district. The story is told in alternating points of view, but a majority focuses on Sam and how he handles his newfound and strangely dormant powers …
Definitely recommended!
jelomath's review against another edition
Read 27 September 2023 - DNF
So, I tried this. I LOVED Curses and thought this would be a similar romp. No. Not only do we start with adolescent boys working in a fast food restaurant, but we have multiple instances of violence against women and I am not here for any of that. No thank you. Not gonna be a romp, unfortunately.
I will, instead, read another collaboration between Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamar, The World Record Book of Racist Stories. Will still involve violence against women, but these two women are so talented in delivering the medicine with some sugar. That is a place I can be comfortable. I mean. That sounds bad. But I can read that book without wanting to skip or avoid or bail. That is what I mean. As a white person, should NEVER be comfortable!
I am going to step aside from this book and just reflect a bit on my reading journey. I spent about the last year, at least a good portion of the last year, prior to being moved into the house, not reading. And agonizing a bit about not reading, but also being pretty complacent about not reading. And then I found a couple things that pulled me back in, real hard. And that is great. There is nothing better than having books to read I am super excited about. I always remember Marian of Anne Bishop looking for something to do during the day and telling herself she could read, but no, a good book is best savored in the evening. I always want to be in a book that has me looking forward to bedtime so I can read more, though I do also read during the day. But still. That is my constant aspiration.
And it’s great when that does all line up. But it makes things frustrating and difficult when I am not in that space. Another thing about me is I often want to have the next book lined up, even before I have finished the current book. But I think that actually makes me rush through things more than necessary. So I need to find more ways to be chill about my “to read” list and what is coming next. There are things I could revisit. That is always there on the back burner. If needed. But also, I should just be content with what is coming. There is this second Amber and Lacey book, which I missed until now. I think it was published a year ago! 🫤 And then there is an Erin Beaty coming next week. Alexis Hall two weeks later. I just need to be content to have what I have.
And, honestly, I been thinking about rereading some portion of Mercy? I have no idea when the next one will be, there is no publication date. But also, stepping back to the beginning is becoming difficult for me. There is so much that is problematic. And I am just happy when Mercy and Adam are together and Samuel is absent. So I might pick a spot later than the beginning? But I am not sure. Because I have done these books so many times, the negative emotions are perhaps more than I can handle. I love the journey and I love the Mercy of it all, of course, but the violence and the evil are perhaps more than I want to deal with. And the vamp of it all is way more than I want to deal with.
So, we will see what happens there. But, more than anything, I just want to find calm and chill about what is coming next. And perhaps look for more things outside the box of my typical fantasy/romance type pursuit. I want some witchy stuff for hallowe’en, but there isn’t much that is good. Perhaps I will re-read the Sangu Mandanna because that one is just classic. Chill and calm. 😐
So, I tried this. I LOVED Curses and thought this would be a similar romp. No. Not only do we start with adolescent boys working in a fast food restaurant, but we have multiple instances of violence against women and I am not here for any of that. No thank you. Not gonna be a romp, unfortunately.
I will, instead, read another collaboration between Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamar, The World Record Book of Racist Stories. Will still involve violence against women, but these two women are so talented in delivering the medicine with some sugar. That is a place I can be comfortable. I mean. That sounds bad. But I can read that book without wanting to skip or avoid or bail. That is what I mean. As a white person, should NEVER be comfortable!
I am going to step aside from this book and just reflect a bit on my reading journey. I spent about the last year, at least a good portion of the last year, prior to being moved into the house, not reading. And agonizing a bit about not reading, but also being pretty complacent about not reading. And then I found a couple things that pulled me back in, real hard. And that is great. There is nothing better than having books to read I am super excited about. I always remember Marian of Anne Bishop looking for something to do during the day and telling herself she could read, but no, a good book is best savored in the evening. I always want to be in a book that has me looking forward to bedtime so I can read more, though I do also read during the day. But still. That is my constant aspiration.
And it’s great when that does all line up. But it makes things frustrating and difficult when I am not in that space. Another thing about me is I often want to have the next book lined up, even before I have finished the current book. But I think that actually makes me rush through things more than necessary. So I need to find more ways to be chill about my “to read” list and what is coming next. There are things I could revisit. That is always there on the back burner. If needed. But also, I should just be content with what is coming. There is this second Amber and Lacey book, which I missed until now. I think it was published a year ago! 🫤 And then there is an Erin Beaty coming next week. Alexis Hall two weeks later. I just need to be content to have what I have.
And, honestly, I been thinking about rereading some portion of Mercy? I have no idea when the next one will be, there is no publication date. But also, stepping back to the beginning is becoming difficult for me. There is so much that is problematic. And I am just happy when Mercy and Adam are together and Samuel is absent. So I might pick a spot later than the beginning? But I am not sure. Because I have done these books so many times, the negative emotions are perhaps more than I can handle. I love the journey and I love the Mercy of it all, of course, but the violence and the evil are perhaps more than I want to deal with. And the vamp of it all is way more than I want to deal with.
So, we will see what happens there. But, more than anything, I just want to find calm and chill about what is coming next. And perhaps look for more things outside the box of my typical fantasy/romance type pursuit. I want some witchy stuff for hallowe’en, but there isn’t much that is good. Perhaps I will re-read the Sangu Mandanna because that one is just classic. Chill and calm. 😐
hollybg's review against another edition
4.0
Thrill Me
It should come as no surprise that I adore this cover, anything bold and graphical will always get my little reader's heart racing, as opposed to the glut of photoshopped glowing half-faces of inexplicably healthy teens which just leaves me, at best, a little cold and, at worst, insulted. But thankfully there are no pouting My Space girlies here, and why would there be? This book is about a boy, a rather hot boy if the dish on the cover is to be believed. And, er, his crow. Apparently.
Kiss Me
Samhain, or Sam to his friends, has led a rather lackluster existence. Dropping out of college and working full time at the local burger joint, Plumpy's, with his only three friends was not on his list of things to achieve in life. So when an ill advised potato hockey match brings him to the attention of one Douglas Montgomery, necromancer and all round power crazed a-hole. Sam is very surprised to suddenly find a whole world of crazy shiz existing right in front of his face. And now all of it is revolving around him. Disembodied heads that can talk, dancing zombies being sucked out of the ground, little girls demanding waffles in exchange for knowledge on the dead and a very cute werewolf girl all come together when Sam realises that Douglas's offer to train him in necromancy, may not be the selfless kind act he insists it is.
Kill Me
Debut! I have to keep reminding myself this is a debut novel. Because it was so good! Where on earth did Ms McBride appear from with this little gem, and why oh why did I have to pick it up now? When there's no news yet of the next book and I have no clue how long I'll have to wait till it's released? I have absolutely no patience when it's comes to waiting for the next book in a series I love, but as we all know (and so I keep telling myself) absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Hold Me Closer, Necromancer feels like a pretty short book mainly due to the fact that we don't get to meat of the story until about halfway through, but Ms McBride is such an natural at weaving interest and humor into the everyday moments I didn't really notice that I had more pages in my left hand then my right when things really began to kick off. Which turned out to be a bonus if you consider the emotional pay back I got from all those pages spent building the characters was huge. Even the characters with the smallest word time were a pleasure to read about and not once did I have any trouble imagining a face or location, Ms McBride has that rare skill with writing that allows you to follow the action perfectly with the bare minimum of words (see also Sarah Rees Brennan and Ilona Andrews).
Sam himself is rather lovable (and, I thought, a bit of a hottie), despite seeming to be a massive dropout and all round failure. His three best friends make up a fantastically dysfunctional Scooby Gang of sorts and I challenge anyone to read this book and not wish Ramon was their bestie for life, everybody needs a friend who wouldn’t think twice about hitting a rampaging psycho with their skateboard for them. I also adored tough-as-dried-on-porridge Brid, she was bright, optimistic and wasn't afraid to take what she wanted regardless of being stuck in a cage for most of the book, and the scenes with her and Sam? I lived for those while reading this.
So in conclusion, it has action, it has funny, it has romance and it has a genuinely scary bad dude. All this filtered through the sharp pen of Lish McBride make this a must read. And if anyone knows anything about when and what the next instalment will be. Please share the love with me?
It should come as no surprise that I adore this cover, anything bold and graphical will always get my little reader's heart racing, as opposed to the glut of photoshopped glowing half-faces of inexplicably healthy teens which just leaves me, at best, a little cold and, at worst, insulted. But thankfully there are no pouting My Space girlies here, and why would there be? This book is about a boy, a rather hot boy if the dish on the cover is to be believed. And, er, his crow. Apparently.
Kiss Me
Samhain, or Sam to his friends, has led a rather lackluster existence. Dropping out of college and working full time at the local burger joint, Plumpy's, with his only three friends was not on his list of things to achieve in life. So when an ill advised potato hockey match brings him to the attention of one Douglas Montgomery, necromancer and all round power crazed a-hole. Sam is very surprised to suddenly find a whole world of crazy shiz existing right in front of his face. And now all of it is revolving around him. Disembodied heads that can talk, dancing zombies being sucked out of the ground, little girls demanding waffles in exchange for knowledge on the dead and a very cute werewolf girl all come together when Sam realises that Douglas's offer to train him in necromancy, may not be the selfless kind act he insists it is.
Kill Me
Debut! I have to keep reminding myself this is a debut novel. Because it was so good! Where on earth did Ms McBride appear from with this little gem, and why oh why did I have to pick it up now? When there's no news yet of the next book and I have no clue how long I'll have to wait till it's released? I have absolutely no patience when it's comes to waiting for the next book in a series I love, but as we all know (and so I keep telling myself) absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Hold Me Closer, Necromancer feels like a pretty short book mainly due to the fact that we don't get to meat of the story until about halfway through, but Ms McBride is such an natural at weaving interest and humor into the everyday moments I didn't really notice that I had more pages in my left hand then my right when things really began to kick off. Which turned out to be a bonus if you consider the emotional pay back I got from all those pages spent building the characters was huge. Even the characters with the smallest word time were a pleasure to read about and not once did I have any trouble imagining a face or location, Ms McBride has that rare skill with writing that allows you to follow the action perfectly with the bare minimum of words (see also Sarah Rees Brennan and Ilona Andrews).
"Ramon and I started a rousing game of "Guess What I Put In The Fryer."
I closed my eyes and leaned against the back of the shake machine. There was a fairly large plop and a hiss from the fryer. "Pickle," I said.
"That's uncanny, Sam" Ramon said.
"Not really. I just helped Frank get the bucket out of the walk-in."
"Damn," he said.
After the pickle, a bun, one set of tongs, a spoonful of mayonnaise, and a hat, Ramon ran out of ideas, and I decided not to eat the fries here any more. I stared at Ramon's spatula.
"Thou shalt not covert thy neighbor's spatula, Sammy.
"I'm pretty sure that's not in the Bible," I said.
"How do you know? Have you ever read it?" He slapped a chicken burger on the grill.
"Not really, but I'm still pretty sure that's not in there"
"Trust me." he said.
"Fine," I said, "what version then?"
"The King Ramon version. Spatulas are considered very sacred in the King Ramon version."
I folded my arms across my chest. "Well, I'm not Christian, so I can covet. I can covet like a fiend."
Sam himself is rather lovable (and, I thought, a bit of a hottie), despite seeming to be a massive dropout and all round failure. His three best friends make up a fantastically dysfunctional Scooby Gang of sorts and I challenge anyone to read this book and not wish Ramon was their bestie for life, everybody needs a friend who wouldn’t think twice about hitting a rampaging psycho with their skateboard for them. I also adored tough-as-dried-on-porridge Brid, she was bright, optimistic and wasn't afraid to take what she wanted regardless of being stuck in a cage for most of the book, and the scenes with her and Sam? I lived for those while reading this.
So in conclusion, it has action, it has funny, it has romance and it has a genuinely scary bad dude. All this filtered through the sharp pen of Lish McBride make this a must read. And if anyone knows anything about when and what the next instalment will be. Please share the love with me?
souleater99's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in this captivating book.
Embarking on my first foray into the realm of necromancy, I was met with an extraordinary experience. Rather than delving into the intricacies of necromancy, the book unfolded as a delightful tale of a teenage boy navigating perilous circumstances, battling with unwavering determination.
The book's charm lies in its simplicity. Some may find fault in its straightforwardness, but personally, I reveled in its uncomplicated narrative. The book maintains a firm grip on the reader throughout, never succumbing to unnecessary complexities. The central character evolves seamlessly, growing more compelling and audacious with each turn of the page. His wit, humor, sarcasm, and goofiness endeared him to me, fostering a genuine connection.
The author skillfully weaves an exhilarating tale with a light touch, and I can't help but yearn for a cinematic adaptation of this captivating adventure. From start to finish, the book exudes a fantastic aura, offering a delightful journey with endearing characters. The humor flows effortlessly, warming the soul with its seamless charm. This book, for me, epitomizes simplicity in its most elegant form—a smooth narrative featuring friendly characters and a story narrated with the comforting warmth of a bedtime tale.
A truly fantastic read, this book is a joyous ride filled with lovable characters. The humor resonates warmly, making it a perfect choice for those seeking a lighthearted and amusing escape. I've fallen head over heels for this book, and I anticipate revisiting it time and again. The central character, with his endearing blend of humor and charm, has secured a permanent place in my literary heart. This funny, cute, and adorable tale is sure to lift one's spirits whenever needed.
And the fact that the chapters names are song names is incredible!
Embarking on my first foray into the realm of necromancy, I was met with an extraordinary experience. Rather than delving into the intricacies of necromancy, the book unfolded as a delightful tale of a teenage boy navigating perilous circumstances, battling with unwavering determination.
The book's charm lies in its simplicity. Some may find fault in its straightforwardness, but personally, I reveled in its uncomplicated narrative. The book maintains a firm grip on the reader throughout, never succumbing to unnecessary complexities. The central character evolves seamlessly, growing more compelling and audacious with each turn of the page. His wit, humor, sarcasm, and goofiness endeared him to me, fostering a genuine connection.
The author skillfully weaves an exhilarating tale with a light touch, and I can't help but yearn for a cinematic adaptation of this captivating adventure. From start to finish, the book exudes a fantastic aura, offering a delightful journey with endearing characters. The humor flows effortlessly, warming the soul with its seamless charm. This book, for me, epitomizes simplicity in its most elegant form—a smooth narrative featuring friendly characters and a story narrated with the comforting warmth of a bedtime tale.
A truly fantastic read, this book is a joyous ride filled with lovable characters. The humor resonates warmly, making it a perfect choice for those seeking a lighthearted and amusing escape. I've fallen head over heels for this book, and I anticipate revisiting it time and again. The central character, with his endearing blend of humor and charm, has secured a permanent place in my literary heart. This funny, cute, and adorable tale is sure to lift one's spirits whenever needed.
And the fact that the chapters names are song names is incredible!
jmitschke's review against another edition
4.0
More funny than scary (which is fine by me), and a totally enjoyable read.
dreizehn's review
4.0
★★★★½ -- Quick reaction: This book was a riot. The snark humor and the tone and the dark situations kind of reminded me of Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, which to me is a very good thing.