Do I raise the dead?Yes.Am I careful not to let anyone know about my special skill?Heck, yes.From a very young age, I’ve known about the dangers of being found out as a necromancer, but when someone starts leaving dead animals on my door step, a dramatic escape and sudden arrival at a place where they teach kids to use magic throws my whole life plan off track. Now I have some kind of extra … use magic throws my whole life plan off track.
Now I have some kind of extra special powers, a really annoying new pet bird and everyone wants me to raise murder victims– something I swore I would never do again.
But as evil lurking in the shadows starts jumping out to make itself known, I can’t exactly keep turning my back on humanity.
Day one of my new life sucks, but a hot vampire might make it suck a bit less. Err, whatever.
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This is the first novel I have read by Jen Pretty, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. A well written YA paranormal fantasy with vampires, witches and warlocks.
Selena is a necromancer. She can raise the dead and have a chat, not that she does it often. She has tried to hide her ability and avoid others of the paranormal world. Until the day she is transported to the sanctuary, a place that teaches youngsters to control their magic, but Selena cannot cope with it draining all her magic and runs, only to come face to face with someone just like her.
Selena meets some great characters, some who turn out to be friends, others of course who are more like jerks. Once she meets another necromancer, she sees what some of the possibilities might be for her future. Murders are happening across the city, and she could help uncover the perpetrator. Although this is a story about necromancers and vampires, it wasn’t overly dark and gritty, the characters and their interactions carried the story more than the mystery.
This story is the first of seven books in the series that are currently published, which is great news, as Selena, Anick, Peran and young Colvin are such wonderful characters that you want to get to know them better. I love the interactions, and the Snappy dialogue. Quite a quick read at 251 pages, but very enjoyable. Roll on book number two, Two for Mirth.
Thrill ride of the paranormal. Liked the premise and the relatable characters. They each complimented each other with good dynamics. Good storyline and I want to read more of this series.
I received this book for review via Authorsxp, and overall really enjoyed it.
Selena is a necromancer who was raised in an orphanage and taught to hide her powers. She works as a mundane human fry cook, living in a shabby apartment and going out with her friends on weekends. But someone is killing women, making it dangerous to go anywhere alone. And when someone starts leaving dead animals on her doorstep, she’s convinced someone knows about her powers to raise the dead.
Enter a wonderful cast of paranormal secondary characters, who come to her rescue and take her to a Sanctuary where children with abilities are trained to use them. Her new guardians want her to work with the police, to help catch the killer by raising and interviewing the victims.
Overall, it was a fun read after a slow start. There was plenty of action and angst to keep the story moving. I loved the characters’ personalities, and how the author designed each separate race and ability. The one issue I had was with Selena herself – there were times when she was a bit petulant and immature, overreacting in a way I didn’t understand. Her group of guardians were rather saintlike, tolerating what someone should have called her out on. But the story was fast-paced and came to a satisfactory conclusion, and I would read more in the series–albeit with a hope to see this memorable and interesting heroine grow and mature.
What is Selena’s tie to the Black Crow? Selena, only nineteen has lived a hard life. Abandoned at an orphanage run by nuns as a baby, she has magic that allows her to raise the dead with her blood. She loves going to the cemetary to talk to the ghosts. Then unexpectedly she comes under the radar of more supernaturals like her. Necromancers, vampires, witches, warlocks, etc. But the Santuary where they want her to train hurts her, drains her of her magic. She runs away, but several of the supernaturals follow her to keep her safe. She doesn’t really know how to channel her magic. And they are on the case of someone in her city killing women. But surprises are in store for Selena. She is more than she thought, and someone wants her super supernatural blood. Can her new friends save her? And can she learn to channel her magic to save herself and find the killer
Jen Pretty writes books with snarky, !likeable heroines that suck you in and take you on a thrilling adventure. In Black Crow she delivers again. Selena is a necromancer trying to blend in with society and hide her powers. When a serial killer targets magic wielding females she attempts to hide. Instead, she is swooped away to a hidden enclave. There she finds a secret society along with learning of new paths open to her. I found a couple of homophone type errors, but it doesn’t detract from the story. The ending hints of the future, so I am hoping that Black Crow is the first in a series. I read it in hours as once I started, I couldn’t put it down.