R.M. Prioleau

"When her mother falls ill, Jasmine and her family are forced to leave home in desperate search of a cure. During their journey, a series of tragic events will change Jasmine’s life forever."

When Jasmine, her older sister, Violet, and her father load their mother into the back of a wagon and head off to find a cure for her mysterious illness, they have no idea what they are heading into. It's not long before they're running for their lives through a forest, heading for the safety of a cave. Unfortunately, the cave isn't safe at all. By the end of the night, Jasmine is the only one left alive, and she's in a very perilous position, shackled to a table in a makeshift laboratory.

This was a very interesting story, about the length of a novella, so it was a quick read. It was definitely unlike anything else I've read recently. It had darker undertones, for one, and an intriguing premise. I would have preferred to have the story more developed, and the characters described in more depth so I could get to know them better. It was hard to connect with Jasmine because she was aloof and distant. I think if the book had been longer and the characters more fleshed out, I would have enjoyed it more than I did. I felt compelled to read it, though, because the story did draw me in and make me want to find out more.

In summary, I liked this book well enough and look forward to reading more from this author.

3.5/5

***I received a copy of this book from NetGalley free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion.… (lisätietoja)

I think the synopsis might have made my expectations a little too high for such a short book. The Necromancer's Apprentice is much more of a novella than anything else. Still, I felt like there could have been a lot more character development and a lot less plot holes.

In terms of things I liked, the story did keep me reading. The mystery surrounding Master Dagg and his sinister experiments was intriguing. I can't say that I liked him as a character per say, but he did add a nice element of suspense to everything that was going on. I also liked that Prioleau wasn't afraid to be a little dark in her writing. The experiments definitely aren't pretty.

The biggest thing I didn't like was actually the main character herself. Jasmine is completely flat emotionally. Although she admits that to the reader, it makes it very difficult to care about anything that happens to her. In her mind, she's already dead and nothing is worth fighting for. The other issue I had was in plot holes. I'd love to see more work on getting everything to flow.

I see definite potential in this story. With more editing and polishing I think Jasmine's story will come through better.… (lisätietoja)