I’m definitely a D. Wallace Peach fan. I’ve come to expect action-packed plots with plenty of inner conflicts and character dilemmas, as well as nuanced worlds drawn with hard-edged gritty description to achingly beautiful prose. Mostly I know I’ll find complex relationships and a story that will keep me turning pages – fully connected to every one.
The Necromancer’s Daughter was no exception to most of these factors, however the characters are less gritty and complex than, for example, those in The Rose Shield series (Which is superb!) Both the necromancer and his daughter are primarily motivated by expansive love and a wish for peace. This somewhat gentle point of view softens the edges of even the most intensely brutal scenes, and their internal stability simplifies the story. It’s quite a different read than the others I’ve read by this author.
Even so, there’s no shortage of action or danger, and the characters we come to love are challenged again and again by the harsh nature of the world and those around them. So while I found the plot twists less intense and the characters less conflicted internally, I still found it satisfying and at several points stayed up way too late reading when I couldn’t put it down.
Recommended for fantasy readers that love beautifully drawn worlds and characters, and prefer happier endings, but are open to a challenging and wild ride along the way. And there are dragons!
Miss LiV Adventures ~A Journey Through Time...and Time Again 
you suggest rose shield set first?
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They are completely separate stories so no need to read that series before this one. I suggest reading them all eventually, and I’m already sold on The Sea Witch and the Ferryman which I’m part way through… another great standalone adventure.
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I suspect you’d personally like Rose Shield better than Necromancer, though this somewhat easier read might be welcome depending on your mood. Rose Shield is one of the best series I’ve ever read. Very different, but right up there with the Vorkosigan saga for me. Yes, it’s that good!
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Thanks so much for checking out Sheri’s review. She’s so kind to me. If you decide to try one of the books, I hope you enjoy it. 🙂
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He’s my brother, Diana, and he searched for it in the 5 library systems he has access to but couldn’t find it. He wants to read The Rose Shield series. I gifted him a Kindle version of Catling’s Bane today, so he’s all set when he gets to it in his TBR. He reads literally 5-10 times faster than I do with better comprehension, so it won’t likely be a year or two wait. 😉
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Nice review. I loved all the books of Diana’s that I’ve read, but this one is kind of special.
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Thanks, Anneli. I love how different books affect different readers. It’s such wonderful feedback. I’m thrilled with Sheri’s review and grateful for your role in getting the book polished up. Yay! Happy Reading, my friend.
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You’ve really given your readers a treat with this book, Diana. You can feel justifiably proud of yourself.
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❤
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I’ve noticed many of her fans are finding this one extra special. I agree it’s unique among her stories and is a beautiful read!
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I didn’t realize you were the one that helped polish the book. It’s so well edited. A joy to read! Thanks for your work to help make it just so for all of us. 🙂
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Anneli edited it for me. I was so pleased, Sheri. She did a great job fixing all my mistakes!
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Thank you, Sheri. That’s very kind of you. For the record, the writing was a joy to work with and it was not badly loaded with mistakes. I just tweaked a few oversights. It’s really a pleasure to work on Diana’s writing.
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I can imagine it would be. Reading her blog is always a pleasure and her writing skill is clear. I do some editing too, so I understand how fabulous it is to pair up with a good writer and story vs the amount of work and trials when the writer has a long way to go on skills or the story is weak or seriously flawed. Glad you had fun with it. And how awesome to get a sneak peek at the book before the rest of us. 🙂
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Thanks so much for the wonderful review, Sheri. I loved your comparison with the Rose Shield series (jumping up and down with your lovely comments about that read too). I was trying something different with this one – writing a story about truly good characters doing something that is culturally viewed as evil. That made Aster and Barus less conflicted than my usual flawed bunch (like the characters in The Ferryman and the Sea Witch). It created some challenges, for sure, and I’m glad it came off well. I’m so grateful that you picked up the book and shared your thoughts here. Huge hugs. ❤
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Yes, I read your comments about that challenge before I read the book. Maybe I wouldn’t have noticed the difference as much if I didn’t know that beforehand? It was less gritty and conflicted without a doubt though.
I agree with the comment above that says it was a special one amongst your works – perhaps for that very reason? I noticed throughout your blog tour many of those who have read multiple stories of yours are appreciating it extra. I think it may be apparent in my review that I lean toward your more wily and wild stories since their complexity takes them to another level compared to other stories I read. But this one is beautiful and rich in it’s own way and is a great addition to your body of work. I’m very glad I bought the paperback as well as the Kindle. 🙂
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I’m totally thrilled with your review, Sheri, as well as your shout-out for Catling’s Bane. And thanks for gifting it to your brother! That’s awesome. I’ll have to check why TND (and other books?) aren’t landing in the library systems. I’m certain it’s my oversight. This one is getting high marks, but it’s less complex, I agree. We’ll see what worms its way into my head next. 🙂 🙂 ❤ ❤
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I suspect a broader group of readers appreciate the plenty complex but somewhat less complex story. You may have noticed I have an over-active penchant for complex and twisty plots and sometimes write myself into crazy puzzles, that take forever to untangle, with my own! 😀 My newest, and simplest, book (Through the Cracks) seems to appeal to a broader group of readers too. But I will always enjoy writing Miss Liv most, I think.
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Kudos to Diana!
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Thanks, Jacqui. So glad you stopped by. Have a good one! One more day until your book drops! Yay.
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