The Death of the Necromancer

I liked the Murderbot Diaries and decided to read something else by the same author, so here I am. Although it was obvious from the start that this would be nothing like the Murderbot Diaries, and indeed it's hard to recognize that it comes from the same author.

Instead of the fairly distant future, we're in an alternative magical 19th century world, with a queen and aristocrats and sorcerers. And Nicholas Valiarde is plotting revenge against Count Montesq, who arranged the unjust execution of his foster father.

The only resemblance I can see between this story and the Murderbot Diaries is that both feature a protagonist who is dangerous and somewhat irritable, but basically good.

I'm not quite sure what to make of it on first reading. Initially it's not very compelling, I could easily put it down; it gradually becomes more exciting as the story unfolds, but I'm still unsure how much I'll want to reread it in future.

The characters are quite varied and distinct, agreeable enough, but I haven't become a devoted fan of any of them. The plot is busy. The magic is mysterious. I prefer disciplined fantasies in which magic is treated as a branch of science: it follows laws and operates within limits. But, if there are any laws or limits here, they're not explained.

I may be able to come to more definite conclusions after a second or third reading.