Book Review: Necromancing the Stone (Necromancer #2) by Lish McBride

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: September 18, 2012
Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
342 Pages

With the defeat of the evil Douglas behind him, Sam LaCroix is getting used to his new life. Okay, so he hadn’t exactly planned on being a powerful necromancer with a seat on the local magical council and a capricious werewolf sort-of-girlfriend, but things are going fine, right?

Well . . . not really. He’s pretty tired of getting beat up by everyone and their mother, for one thing, and he can’t help but feel that his new house hates him. His best friend is a werebear, someone is threatening his sister, and while Sam realizes that he himself has a lot of power at his fingertips, he’s not exactly sure how to use it. Which, he has to admit, is a bit disconcerting.

But when everything starts falling apart, he decides it’s time to step up and take control. His attempts to do so just bring up more questions, though, the most important of which is more than a little alarming: Is Douglas really dead?

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Review:

The gang is back for round two in Necromancing the Stone! We meet up with Sam, Ramon, Ashley, Brooke, Frank and the wolf pack six weeks after the end of Hold Me Closer, Necromancer. Now Sam's in charge of Douglas' old possessions, which includes his assistant, James, Douglas' house, his cars and the lawn ornaments that want revenge on Sam for reasons he can't understand. As the novel begins, we see that Sam and Brid's relationship is blooming and while it isn't accepted by all of her pack, they are more serious than ever. Let's all swoon at our sweet Sam being happy. I just dreamy sighed all over you guys. 

While book one evoked some emotion, Necromancing the Stone will yank at your heartstrings. Sam just can't seem to catch a break. While going through some issues of his own, he's got to solve a murder, run a household, deal with the aftermath of Douglas' death and try to succeed in love. As if it wasn't rough enough when Douglas was alive.

Sam is just as likable as ever. He's such an easy character to care for. You really see him grow into a strong-willed man throughout these books. It's amazingly fluid. Sam feels like a real person. The reader will want him to succeed and continue to stay strong through all of his troubles. Sam cares for his friends, his family and even wants the best for the people who seem to be out to destroy him. His wit and genuine personality continue to make him a beloved character. As much as I wanted to hate Brid at some points, I found myself unable to. The relationship between Sam and Brid isn't easy and won't ever be, but it's real and impossible not root for. 

…Guys, I have a new favorite character in this series, James. James played a minor role in Hold Me Closer, Necromancer, but he is way more involved in this novel, to the point where I'd consider him a MAJOR character. In Necromancing the Stone, we see many sides of James, but by the end, I'm pretty sure I've got him worked out and I adore him. All of his actions are understandable at the end. The audience will be able to feel his anguish and desperation. He's one of several new characters that we are introduced too and they all fit in very well with the story. The cast of this novel is one of the best I've ever read.

Lish McBride is seriously awesome. She writes a plot that could take less than a hundred pages to resolve, but pulls it into an almost four-hundred page novel without making it drag. If anything, I wished there could've been more. It doesn't take long for you to fall in love with the characters and the plot to the point where you are sad when the book is over. That is a true skill that the author has mastered. And fear not! Ms. McBride is writing a third book! It won't be released until she's finished two other books, but hey, we can't wait… Maybe… 

If you enjoyed the first book in this series, I definitely recommend you immediately picking up Necromancing the Stone. It's the perfect companion. Where Ms. McBride will take us in the third novel is beyond me, but I'm really looking forward to seeing what trouble Sam will get into next. And of course, I want everyone to get their happy ending! (Especially James.) I know that the author will do it justice and continue to write a strong, humorous, awesome, totally cool series.

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FIND EMILY'S REVIEW OF BOOK ONE HERE!