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*

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

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.”

------------------------------------------------

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

The Necromancer's Apprentice by R.M. Prioleau - Ashley's Review

*I received this book as an eARC from Patchwork Press on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Title: The Necromancer's Apprentice
Author: R.M. Prioleau
Year Published: 2011

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Synopsis: Jasmine Na'Darod lived a simple life with her parents and older sister on the family’s farm. She never strayed far from home until the ill-fated Blood Moon arose, basking the country of Caristan with a terrible, sickening drought.

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.

With her former life shrouded and forgotten, Jasmine embraces a new path granted by an unlikely stranger, who, ironically, practices the Art of death and undeath.

As Jasmine is drawn to this enigma of a man, she soon realizes there is more to him than what she initially perceived — his true motives are beyond anything she could ever imagine…

Deeply compelling and morbidly intriguing, The Necromancer's Apprentice is a beautifully-narrated gothic fantasy with memorable characters.

*A novella by R.M. Prioleau

-------------------------

Review: The description of this novella sounds fantastic. I mean, who doesn't love a good, mysterious,  Gothic fantasy story with a necromancer who saves the living? Unfortunately, I didn't think the story lived up to all of my expectations. I finished it a few days ago, and still am not entirely sure how I feel. I was left wanting more, but at the same time I wasn't really interested in learning anything else. Most of my questions were answered, but it felt like the answers were just thrown together.

I did think that Prioleau's writing and world-building were beautiful though, and that's part of the reason I kept reading even when I was so confused as to what was happening. I never really got used to the dialect and Jasmine's voice, but I blame that more on myself than on the story. It's very old styled, and reminded me of something I might read in an Austen or Bronte novel  I also felt like the plot moved too quickly, which might have been because it is only a novella. 

I also never really connected with Jasmine. She was just too... weird for my liking. Her relationship with Master Dag is strange and takes a while to develop, but I never could figure out what he thought about her. His secrets were really interesting though, and I did enjoy the spin on a classic mythological creature that Prioleau put into the story.

Overall, this just didn't end up being the story for me. Maybe someone who enjoys dark, Gothic mysteries might enjoy it, but it's just really hard for me to say. I think there's  full novel in there somewhere trying to claw its way out. I can only give this a 2.5/5 as is though. I liked parts of it, but most of it was just too confusing and underdeveloped for me.

--Ashley