Present Company (The Necromancer's Apprentice #0.5) by R.M. Prioleau - Ashley's Review

*I received this book as an eARC from R.M. Prioleau on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: Present Company
Author: R.M. Prioleau
Year Published: 2013

My Review of The Necromancer's Apprentice

Synopsis: A master of the Dark Arts searches for his prized experiment. A commoner woman with a torn past seeks a new life. The story of death’s love and life’s fate, “Present Company” chronicles events preceding R.M. Prioleau’s novella, “The Necromancer’s Apprentice.”

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Review: I'm not really sure what I expected from this Flash Fiction story, but I actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Since the story is so short, I don't know how much I can tell you about it without spoiling it, so this review will be pretty quick.

Since reading The Necromancer's Apprentice  this summer, I've been wondering about what the Necromancer was like before he met Jasmine. What did he do with the other "assistants?" Did he experiment on them, or did he treat them like Jasmine? Although this story is very short, we still get a glimpse into how he was before. And it's not pretty.

The commoner woman is also an interesting character. We know next to nothing about her, but I somehow felt like I could still connect with her. There are still a lot of questions I have, and even some new ones that this story brought up, but it was really interesting to see a little bit of the events leading up to The Necromancer's Apprentice.

I actually think I liked this story a little bit more. It's mysterious and dark, and there's quite a bit packed into only a few pages. If you're looking for a quick little Gothic fantasy, you should definitely check this one out. And if you read The Necromancer's Apprentice, this is one you won't want to miss! 3/5

--Ashley