Day: October 21, 2020

Review: The Necromancer’s Dance (The Beacon Hill Sorcerer #1) by S.J. Himes

Fantastic world building and an interesting spin on vampires.

5 out of 5 stars

E-book.  Published February 25th 2016 by SJ Himes

Blurb:

In a world where magic is real and evil walks amongst humanity, a young sorcerer is beset upon by enemies, both old and new. Angelus Salvatore is the only necromancer in all of Boston, and his name is whispered warily by the undead and fellow sorcerers alike. He and his brother Isaac are the lone survivors of an attack by an army of the undead, in which Angel used a spell so powerful it forever marked his place in history. Now, years later, Angel struggles to balance his career as a teacher of the higher magical arts, his role as big brother, and a tenuous relationship with an Elder vampire from the local clan. When his brother’s boyfriend is used as a pawn in a mysterious plot to draw Angel out, Angel is once again pulled back into the old hostilities that fueled the Blood Wars and led to his family’s death.

Leaning on others for help is something Angel cannot do, and while he searches for clues into who may be targeting him and his brother, Angel finds his heart steadily growing occupied with Simeon, Elder and vampire. Dealing with death magic and vampires on a daily basis may leave Angel jaded when it comes to life and staying that way, but the more time he spends fending off the ancient vampire’s attention and affections, the more he realizes he wants to give in.

Can Angel find out who wants him dead, and keep his heart safe in the process? How can he fall for a vampire, when his whole family was torn apart by an army of the undead?

Death stalks the streets of Boston’s historic Beacon Hill….and there is no one more suited to battle against death than a necromancer.

MATURE CONTENT Contains graphic violence, male/male sexual contact, a cranky necromancer, a sexy Irish vampire, and a pesky demon.

Likes:

  • The interesting spin on vampires and magic blood.
  • Hooked me fast.
  • Both Angel and Simeon were interesting characters.
  • The romance progressed at a nice pace.
  • Hot smut.
  • Milly.
  • The non-romantic plot.
  • This was everything I wanted from a vampire novel.
  • Angel didn’t know what being in love felt like.
  • The world building.

Dislikes:

  • Isaac.
  • The ending felt fast.
  • Loose strings about the Collins family and Daniel’s father.

I picked this book up on a whim. It was the necromancer aspect that called to me, more than the vampire one. I wasn’t disappointed.

I’m a huge fan of world building, and I generally like when authors take well-known creatures and put their own spin on them. The vampires in this book were typical, except that they couldn’t feed from anyone with magic. That was new, and it immediately hooked me. It was a simple tweak, but one that opened up a lot of new possibilities for the story.

Both Angel and Simeon were interesting characters. Angel’s past was revealed to the reader slowly, but that didn’t bother me. I liked that the men had known each other for years, because the foundation for their relationship was already laid when the book began. That let their feelings take center stage. I also liked that Angel had never been in love before, and he wasn’t sure what it felt like. For such a brave, powerful man, that was incredibly sweet.

The romance progressed at a nice pace, and there was some hot smut. Things between Angel and Simeon aren’t totally settled by the end of the book, but that’s fine because the next book is also about them. However, there were a few things that felt like they were being brushed under the rug instead of being tied up, like the Collins family and Daniel’s father. I hope it get addressed in future books, because they feel like loose threads.

The non-romantic plot was fantastic. Mystery and fighting and illegal magic. It was balanced really well with the romantic plot, melding into a seamless whole.

Milly deserves a mention as my favorite side character. She’s great and I already wish she had her own spinoff. Isaac felt like a childish asshole. As for the vampires at large, they were exactly what you’d expect from vampires – that combination of entitled elite and complete fucking asshole.

The final fight with the bad guy felt like it ended rather fast. It was satisfying, but I guess I’m used to long, drawn out fights.

I am eagerly looking forward to getting to the next book. I’m not entirely sure if the series is finished or not, but I’m glad I don’t have to wait to read more about Angel and Simeon.

Series Review: The Traitor Lords Saga

A low angst historical series that had its ups and downs.

Series rating: 3.5 out of 5

Books:

Likes:

  • Low angst series.
  • Not much focus on homosexuality being immoral or illegal.
  • Each book had a main character who wasn’t wealthy.
  • Great side characters.
  • The difference in how all of the traitor lord’s sons dealt with the scandal.
  • Cozy reads.
  • Some mystery and drama.
  • All the main characters were likeable.

Dislikes:

  • The slow burn was too slow.
  • None of the romances flowed like a typical romance.
  • All of the endings felt abrupt.
  • Would have benefited from epilogues.
  • The acceptance shown towards the relationships felt a little unrealistic.

This was a great series to read in the fall. There was just something about it that made me want to snuggle under some blankets as I read. I think part of that was the low angst nature of the stories. Despite homosexuality being illegal and considered immoral, there wasn’t much mention of that in any of the books, which I appreciated.

I don’t know much about history, but I get the feeling that the author took liberties with many of the side character’s acceptance of the male/male relationships. None of the romances could have come to fruition without the help and acceptance of their staff. I do think the willingness of the staff to look the other way was due in part to how well they were treated, but there were times when it felt a little idealistic.

All the main character were likeable men, and the couples were all a good fit for each other. I liked that all of the couples had one man who wasn’t wealthy. It showed a bit more about how life worked back then, as well as allowing the men to bring different experiences and knowledge to the relationships.

My main problem with the relationships was how they were structured. Because none of the men wanted to risk getting in trouble by blurting out their preferences, all the romances were slow burn. And honestly, they were all a little too slow for my tastes. I don’t think a single romantic thing happened in any of the books before the halfway mark. This made for a lot of pining, which isn’t bad, but does get old after a while. It also means that a lot of the little romantic and physical gestures were missing from the books.

I liked that all three of the traitor lord’s sons was affected differently by the scandal. It led to a lot of variety in their situations and in the books themselves. There was some mystery and light drama involved in all the books, giving the non-romantic plot interest. 

I would have liked to see the men meet or get together at some point, as I have come to expect that in series. This is especially true since all three endings felt a little abrupt, and I think the books could have benefitted from epilogues.

Overall, not a bad series, but not my favorite thing in the world. I’m glad I read the books, and I might pick up more of the author’s historical novels in the future. But I think I’ve had my fill for a while.