Let this tale of love and bravery captivate you.
Welcome!
I’m so happy to share with you my review of The Necromancer’s Daughter by author and fellow blogger D. Wallace Peach @ Myths of the Mirror.
Geez, I feel like it’s taken me forever to get here.
First, it took me ages to actually pick up the book.
Reading the work of friends, knowing there’s always a chance you might not like it, is apparently difficult for me.
But I got over myself and here we are.
And can I just say.. Wow.
The Necromancer’s Daughter is everything I hoped for and more than I imagined.
Love fantasy? Beautiful writing and brave characters? Dragons?
Then you’re going to adore this book.
(Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. Any purchases made through my links may earn me a small commission at no additional cost to you.)
The Necromancer’s Daughter by D. Wallace Peach
Publication date: August 25, 2022
Pages: 348
Genre: Fantasy Fiction, High Fantasy, Fairy Tale, Sword and Sorcery, Folklore
Standalone
First line: Barus wrinkled his nose at the poison’s fetid stench, and his stomach bubbled into the hollow of his throat.
Characters: Beautiful. Endearing. Real.
Storyline: Captivating. Absorbing. Immersive.
Pace: Steady throughout.
Writing: Stunning. Intelligent. Quotable.
Cover: 4.5/5
POVs
Aster, Barus, Joreh
Five Stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A
An untried Necromancer.
A child born.. but not breathing.
An act of pure love.
A kind-hearted young necromancer breathes life into a stillborn girl,
setting into motion a destiny that will change everything.
Surrounded by enemies and allies alike,
it’s up to that same girl to claim her birthright and unite kingdoms.
Danger will find them.
Death will follow.
But love—love may save them all..
D. Wallace Peach has followed and supported my blog from almost day one and I’m embarrassed to admit that it was quite a while before I discovered she was an author (Sorry, friend, but it’s true.) And even after curiosity drew me towards The Necromancer’s Daughter it took me forever before I picked it up, concerned by what-ifs like “What if I don’t like it?” “She’s such a nice person.. What if I have to right an unhappy review?”
I shouldn’t have worried. At all.
In the beginning of the book, in the acknowledgements, she states “In 2021, Cathleen Townsend, a wonderful beta reader and editor, challenged me to write a book with one beautiful character, not someone physically stunning, but someone with a beautiful heart, a truly good person.” Well. She may have set out to create a single such character but what she’s created here instead.. Wow. What she’s created is an entire world flush with the beauty of nature, stunning creatures of myth and magic, and people filled with a light and goodness that cannot—and will not—be denied.
It’s my opinion that D. Wallace Peach not only achieved her goal but surpassed it.
“When we enable a person to become the wonder they were meant to be, to follow nascent dreams, and to love, we give a thing of value to the world.”
And while most of you know I don’t typically care for romance or happily ever after’s (and this book has little of either) what it does offer is something I find a great deal of value in.. love. Despite the character’s struggles, pain, sacrifices, and suffering—despite everything—this book is filled to the brim with love.. and not a single part of me was not mesmerized by it all.
There is really only one thing I wish were different. The dragons. Let me explain.. With every page turned I hoped these magnificent creatures would be waiting. They are written with such care, such painstaking detail, that I was surprised (and a little disappointed) that they didn’t play a larger role in the storyline. But it’s my hope that this will not be the last we see of Aster, her companions, and—of course—the dragons.
“Move!”
She held her ground. “You’re frightening it.”
He was frightening the dragon? Was she mad?
Would I recommend this book? Absolutely.
I believe it will be especially appealing to readers who enjoyed Eragon, Echo North, One Dark Window, and many more.
But there’s only one way to find out for sure.. Read it.
Well, that’s all I’ve got..
Thank you so much for taking the time to check out my review, hopefully I’ve convinced you to grab a copy of your own to get lost in!
Have you read anything by this author?
If not, I strongly suggest perusing her Goodreads Author page, I found nearly all of her books uniquely compelling.
Stay safe, be well, and happy reading!
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I do like that book cover.
I do too. Fantasy covers are getting more and more beautiful every year. It’s almost a shame to put books on a shelf anymore. 😅
What a wonderful surprise to find your review here, Sheri. And thank you for your kind compliments regarding the writing and story. I’m thrilled that you took the risk, obviously. Lol. It was an interesting challenge to write “good” characters since I prefer things a little dark, but I grew very fond of this crew. You made my day, my friend. Happy Reading!
I can’t imagine how much time and energy must have gone into TND but I do know you earned every kind word and more.
And I also tend to lean towards the darker characters and stories so I’m really curious to see how your others turned out. Hopefully I’ll get to those soon.
I’m always happy to make someone’s day! My reading has been a lot of “meh” lately, what about you?
A mixed bag. Some stellar reads and a few that I really struggles through. 😀
At least there are the good reads. They tend to make up for the more difficult ones.