The Death of the Necromancer
Ratings11
Average rating3.8
Nicholas Valiarde is a passionate, embittered nobleman with an enigmatic past. Consumed by thoughts of vengeance, he is consoled only by thoughts of the beautiful, dangerous Madeline. He is also the greatest thief in all of Ile-Rien. Under cover of darkness on the streets of the gaslit city, he assumes the guise of a master criminal, stealing jewels from wealthy nobles to finance his quest for vengeance: the murder of Count Montesq. Montesq orchestrated the wrongful execution of Nicholas's beloved godfather Edouard on false charges of necromancy, the art of divination through communion with spirits of the dead, a practice long outlawed in the kingdom of Ile-Rien.
But now Nicholas's murderous mission is being interrupted by a series of eerie, unexplainable, fatal events. Someone with tremendous magical powers is opposing him, and traces of a necromantic power that hasn't been used for centuries appear. And when a spiritualist unwittingly leads Nicholas to a decrepit old house, the truly monstrous nature of his peril finally emerges.
Tags
Series
Featured Series
5 primary books6 released booksIle-Rien
Ile-Rien is a 6-book series with 5 primary works first released in 1993 with contributions by Martha Wells.
Reviews
Popular Reviews
Reviews with the most likes.
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.
