Andrew Ranulf Blankenship is a handsome, stylish nonconformist with wry wit, a classic Mustang, and a massive library. He is also a recovering alcoholic and a practicing warlock, able to speak with the dead through film. His house is a maze of sorcerous booby traps and escape tunnels, as yours might be if you were sitting on a treasury of Russian magic stolen from the Soviet Union thirty years ago. Andrew has long known that magic was a brutal game requiring blood sacrifice and a willingness to confront death, but his many years of peace and comfort have left him soft, more concerned with maintaining false youth than with seeing to his own defense. Now a monster straight from the pages of Russian folklore is coming for him, and frost and death are coming with her.
My review:
Andrew Blankenship is a recovering alcoholic and a practicing warlock.
Reading that hook alone prompted me to pick up this book without having heard anything about it. Christopher Buehlman didn't disappoint me.
This urban fantasy horror isn't an easy read. It's not fast-paced or what you might expect. It's thick, and I don't mean in the actual length. Incredibly written with beautiful and, at times, gruesome detail. It's unique in style and content.
The plot has many dark twists and turns, and the world building is phenomenal. The monsters, the spells, the enchanted items, the house itself! Magic isn't free in this world. It has a price. I don't want to give anything away. You must read it for those things alone. Yet it is the characterization that is phenomenal. Characters so far from the mainstream, so gritty and real. I was wrapped up in Andrew, Anneke, and Nadia. Even Sal enchanted me, and my chest tightened when I learned his story.
Highly recommended. I'll definitely be picking up Buehlman's other books.
Buy THE NECROMANCER'S HOUSE here:
A very enticing blurb indeed! Glad its a good read
ReplyDeleteI don't read adult fiction, but this sounds good. Glad you enjoyed it so much.
ReplyDeleteThanks, new author to me!
ReplyDeleteWhoa That blurb is one strong hook. I will check it out, thanks!
ReplyDeleteI've loved all of Buehlman's books so far. This is my favorite one, though. Happy Monday, everyone!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a pretty cool read. I love that hook.
ReplyDeleteSounds very interesting. I'm pretty picking about my dark fantasy but this one sounds good.
ReplyDeleteOoo, that is a great hook for a story. I really like the cover for it too. Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteYou're so right, Christine. There's a lot about him that's fascinating. Makes one really want to read the book. Thanks for great review. You've hooked me.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a fascinating book!
ReplyDeleteI'd just love a tour of his house. That has to be one amazing place.
ReplyDeleteSo have to get myself a copy of this book....:)
ReplyDeleteSounds great! There aren't enough stories about warlocks (or alcoholic ones). It does sound quite unique.
ReplyDeleteOoh it does sound intriguing, and I don't even really read horror. :-D
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