Monday 29 November 2010

FANTASY REVIEW: The Necromancer Chronicles 2: The Bone Palace - Amanda Downum

Release Date: 02/12/10

BOOK BLURB:

Death is no stranger in the city of Erisin, but some deaths attract more attention than others. When a prostitute dies carrying a royal signet, Isyllt Iskaldur, necromancer and agent of the Crown, is called to investigate. Her search leads to desecrated tombs below the palace, and the lightless vaults of the vampiric vrykoloi. But worse things than vampires are plotting in Erisin - a long-dead sorceress is making a bid not only for renewed life but for the throne as well, and Isyllt's former lover is caught in her schemes. As a sorcerous plague sweeps the city, Isyllt must decide who she's prepared to betray - the man she still loves, or the royal family she's sworn to defend.


REVIEW:

Whilst I originally had problems with the first novel in this series (The Drowning City) I had high hopes that the author would learn from the errors of the first. In short, the lack of characterisation in a world that had obviously had a huge amount of time and attention lavished upon its construction.

Here in this title, Amanda has gone back and done her homework to create a more likeable character as well as to allow the reader the chance to revist her world a few years after the original is set. The dialogue is pretty good, the characters a hell of a lot better than their original outing and to be honest its gone to show that Amanda is an author who learns from past errors and picks herself up, looks at the problems and fixes them in later offerings. Definitely a shining star in the making and one that I really will look forward to reading in her next outing. Overall this is a title that is a lot more accomplished for the reader to enjoy and one that will leave them clamouring for more. A great title.

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