I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My stop on the blog tour can be found at Donnie Darko Girl.
Okay, before I begin talking about THE LAST NECROMANCER, here's two facts about me: necromancers are super interesting to me, and I can't resist gorgeous covers. I mean, look at that cover! Isn't it ridiculously fantastic??
I find necromancers to be so intriguing, and the title of the book combined with necromancy combined with the lead character living as a male when really she's female had me dying to read this book. Charlotte, who has gone by Charlie to pretend she's a boy, is a character I loved immediately.
In Victorian London, she's cast out of her father's house (by her own father!!) and is forced to live on the streets. Needless to say, during that period of history, living as a girl would have been extremely dangerous for Charlie. It's dangerous enough as a boy, and she's been basically homeless as a child for five years.
I won't lie - that opening scene was a bit horrifying, but probably not for the reason you might be thinking. It would have been worse if the characters knew Charlie is really a girl. But when she learns about the secret organization, the Ministry of Curiosities, whose members want to use her secret talent, there's no going back for her. She has to make a decision whether she's going to work for the organization or not.
The Ministry operates within the government but also a bit separate from it. The fact that Charlie isn't sure if the Ministry is dangerous or not added intrigue to the novel. I looked forward to finding out how it would be revealed Charlie is in fact the girl they've been searching for. I wanted to know how Lincoln Fitzroy, the one who's been searching for Charlie, would react.
My only issue with THE LAST NECROMANCER was the first third of the novel kind of dragged for me. Don't get me wrong, the opening scene grabbed my attention and pulled me in right away, but after that, it slowed down a bit too much until Charlie learns about the secret organization. But then the story picks back up after that.
Overall, I highly recommend THE LAST NECROMANCER. It's definitely a brilliant read, and you'll love Charlie right away. Plus, necromancy!
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