Mortal Coils: The Necromancer's Apprenticeby Chris Durston

Mara is an apprentice necromancer, not by choice, but because a master necromancer decided to make her his apprentice, and if she refused, her family would pay the price for her refusal. Over time, she has gotten used to the evil nature of her existence and grown in power. They are at the last task she must complete to no longer be considered his apprentice, but will be a full necromancer in her own right, making her family finally be safe from this monster's harm. However, once the task is completed, he kills her, sending her to the realm of the dead until he can master the spell that will bind her soul to him as an undead servant; one with all her awareness and power intact. Not wanting this to be her fate, Mara is in a hurry to find a way to cross over to where her former master cannot call her back from the Sunless Crossing. But she can’t manage this on her own, and soon finds herself as part of an adventuring party for the first time.

I received and read a review copy of this book. It is a tie-in novel to the Black Ballad roleplaying campaign, and like the other Sunless Crossing novels, it is one I enjoyed reading. I enjoyed watching Mara learn to see that friends are not always a weakness. Sometimes, they are what makes life (or in this case, death) worthwhile. It’s not easy to learn to trust when for most of your life, you have had to hide your true thoughts and feelings from those closest to you.

Watching Mara grow as a person after her death made for an interesting story. It’s not often that one learns those lessons after they have died, but before then, she had no one who could show her the value of trust and friendship. And ultimately, the value of putting others’ needs and desires ahead of your own. I truly enjoyed this aspect of the story. The idea that it is never too late to learn to care about others is a very strong and important lesson.

Anyone who enjoys RPG tie-in novels, fantasy adventure stories, or character driven stories about discovering who you truly are and what you want out of life should enjoy this book. It’s a interesting story that I think many will enjoy. I did.

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.

Dusk Walker" by Crystal Wood

Echo's former mentor has gone missing from the realm where the dead souls who have not yet moved on to their final destination reside. No one knows what has happened to him, but Echo is determined to find and help him out of whatever trouble he may be in. Did I mention there seems to be a soul eater on the loose in the realm of the dead as well? So a party of adventurers is gathered to solve this mystery and rescue Echo's missing mentor.

This is the first book in s new series. It also ties to/is set in the world of a new Role Playing Game called Black Ballad. (I will be posting an upcoming review of the RPG as it has not yet been released, so keep your eyes open for both the RPG and my review of it.) I read a review copy of this book, and enjoyed it. It is a complex tale that involves both the realm of the living and the dead, though the majority of the tale takes place in the realm where the dead souls live. Some things may at times seem a bit contradictory, but I promise you that if you keep reading, they are explained in a way that makes complete sense as to why they actually do not contradict what you may have thought was happening. (Sorry that I can’t be clearer here, but I don’t want to include any spoilers in my review.)

I enjoyed this book. It was a fun tale that reminded me of when I was in high school & played a lot of D&D adventures as well as read a lot of the books that tied into those settings. So for me, while the setting was a different realm, the concept had me remembering my high school days & my enjoyment of both the game and the books. 

If you are like me and either both played RPG games & read the books, or if you simply enjoyed the novels associated with the various D&D realms, then you will definitely enjoy this book. And if you've not previously tried either one, but enjoy a good adventure fantasy novel, then give this one a try. I found it fun and entertaining. (And no, you don’t need to have any understanding of the game to enjoy the accompanying novels.

https://amzn.to/3TZbsOL (Link to book on Amazon)

https://4horsemenpublications.com/product/dusk-walker-a-black-ballad-novel-chronicles-of-the-crossing-1/ (Link to the book on the Publisher's website)

https://books2read.com/u/3nMO28 (Books2Read link to other vendors)

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.