A grandmotherly necromancer seeking resolution for her past with the help of her loyal entourage: an undead cat and a spectral knight.
A girl on the run from the Eternal Empire for the mysterious power she possesses.
When a chance encounter pulls them together, Gam Gam will do what it takes to protect Mina from the rogue sergeant hounding her–including raising the dead. As long as they’re dressed for the occasion.
REVIEW
It was the blurb (and maybe the cover reveal too, that was very adorable) that caught my attention. It’s a little novella, and I could easily read it in an afternoon, so I caved and got a review copy.
This book starts off with a chase sequence, with Mina, a little girl on the run from soldiers of the Eternal Empire, who ends up in an elderly lady’s carriage. Mina is running after the death of her father, and is terrified of what would happen to her if her magical power – neuromancy- is discovered. Little does she know that the sweet old lady who took her in, gave her a place to sleep, and cared for her is a necromancer. The lady, Gam Gam, takes her in since she has nowhere to go and together they decide to tackle the situation that Mina finds herself in, along with the help of her loyal entourage – a cat and a spectral knight.
So, this is a book that I suspect will be loved by many readers, and unfortunately, I’m in the minority. I liked some parts of it, but as a whole, it just didn’t click. It was adorable in parts, and I wish some were done better. I found the first part of it a bit rushed. This is probably the first time I’m saying this in the last two years, but I wish that it were either edited down to a short story, or written up to be a full length novel, and I’d probably have liked the latter better. The first half that led to a conflict simply felt like a placeholder.
“Oh, heavens, no! Killing is horrific. I think a stern talking to will set him straight.”
Now let’s talk positives, for there were many. Since the entire book is written from Mina’s point of view, there’s ample space to view Gam Gam as the protective grandmotherly figure that she was. I love Gam Gam for what she did, because she simply took in Mina and the responsibility to solve her troubles for her own. Both of them are troubled by the loss of their loved ones, and throughout the story, it is revealed that they tried using their respective magics to cope in some way. Gam Gam does also dispense a lot of wisdom to Mina, and interactions in which she displayed her grandmotherly traits were absolutely endearing.
As for the magic system, I wish that I got to see more of it. I really enjoyed how magic came into play in the resolution of the conflict, but what I loved even better was Gam Gam’s idiosyncrasies and display of consideration for the army she raised in a scene leading to the confrontation.
The latter half of the book did not trouble me as much as the first half did, and that’s when I actually got a bit invested in the characters. It was definitely cleaner and clearer, and has set me up to want to read the author’s next work in the future.
Don’t be put off by my review since this is a book that needs very little from you in terms of your time. Lots of other readers loved it, and you might as well. I feel like there were parts that could’ve been better fleshed out, but this did make me eager to get my hands on the next Adam Holcombe. If there’s ever a book written in Gam Gam’s point of view, I’ll be one of the first to ask for it.
I received an ARC of this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review. Quotes, if any, are taken from the ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
LINKS
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