The Death of the Necromancer

Rating:
Summary: Moriarty, The Shadow and Batman
Review: Don't judge this book by its title or cover. I read one other review that was "disappointed" because there was no true horror in the book, as well there should not be because this is a hero, or perhaps anti-hero book. What can I say, it is one of my favorite books read this year, but I would not have picked it up if I hadn't just read the other Wells' books and been impressed with them too.

Our main man came from the wrong side of the tracks years before and when his adopted father was killed, began using all of those old skills in an adopted identity to avenge the death (hello Bruce Wayne). Moving through society and having a loyal set of helpers who he has "saved" in various manners through the years (hello Lamont Cranston), he has a noble heart, but uses whatever methods work for him.

In his role as the great dark figure of the underworld (Moriarty), there is only one inspector who has gained his respect over the years (hello Sherlock) and who he might be willing to grudgingly cooperate with.

Now, someone is using devices very similar to those invented by his late adopted father, and he may have to choose between revenge for the past and justice in the present?

Strong characterization and a gothic (Gotham?) setting, with some magic and mystery thrown in, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Rating:
Summary: Really Enjoyable Fantasy
Review: I didn't choose this book expressly. I was in a shop with a limited selection of English books and it looked like the best option I had. I didn't, frankly, know what to expect from it. It looked a bit like an Anne Perry novel + magic from the back cover. I hoped for reasonably entertaining at best.

I ended up with a book that I couldn't put down. The characters were well-crafted, the world they moved in was richly detailed. The system of magic Wells created was so well worked-out that we didn't need everything explained-- the characters moved through the world in a natural way and everything became clear enough (while still leaving much room for information about this society in later novels.)

Excellent example of the genre. Not great literature, but certainly high entertainment.

Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly Good
Review: I'm not a great fan for mystical magical medieval fiction, but this book had me engrossed. Highly entertaining from the first few pages to the last, it is written in an easy to follow way, and introduces the reader to various concepts of sorcery and regal courts in a way that allows the enjoyment of reading to continue.

The story is well paced, with wonderful detail at all of the right points. The villain is revealed slowly and methodically, giving you time to feel for the other characters as they are built up.

The plot is as shown in other reviews, but what I'd like to add is this. If, like me, you are not a big follower of such tales, don't be put off. Give it a go, it is very good indeed. I'm sure expert readers of this field have a different view, but nobody can argue that the plot, pace and detail in this book is entertainment at close to its best.

Only 4 stars since I wasn't entirely happy with the rushed ending, but otherwise great.

Rating:
Summary: Among the Best Fantasies of the Decade
Review: I've previously read three of Martha Wells' other novels and thoroughly enjoyed them all, but she really outdid herself in "The Death of the Necromancer". This is the one of the most fast-paced, unpredictable, and exciting books ever written in any genre. The hero Nicholas is a thief in the Victorian-era city of Vienne. He and his gang of associates are working on a complex plot to bring down Rive Montesq, the criminal overlord who killed Nicholas' foster father. However, in this story little ever goes as planned. For instance, during the very first chapter, our heroes attempt a carefully organized robbery of a noble house during a party, but things go awry because some other seemingly supernatural force want to carry out a robbery in the same house on the same night. Virtually every plot event in the book has a twist of that sort, thus keeping you truly on your toes for the length of the book.

And how 'bout those characters, eh. Like George R. R. Martin, Wells has the ability to sketch unforgettable personalities in just a few strokes, rather than wasting long passages on character development. Her characters are suave, confident, and sexy, while at the same time being unquestionably real. For instance, leading lady Madeleine is a famous actress, and her experience in the theatre helps her work with disguises and assume different roles as she navigates the intrigues of Vienne. The relationship between Nicholas and Madeleine isn't a typical fantasy coupling where the characters swoon for each other and never experience any problems. It is, rather, and real relationship, complete with bickering and arguments, but there's real love there as well. Wells does a magnificient job with the minor characters as well. I particularly like how Reynard, who is gay, isn't treated as some sort of joke or curiosity, but rather as a three-dimensional human character.

Let's all hail Wells for getting the details right. Descriptions are short and effect, infodumps are nowhere to be found. Martha Wells understands that the reader doesn't need lengthy lectures, and that supernatural elements are actually more creepily effective if they aren't fully explained. Dialogue is sharp, and lines that are supposed to be funny actually are funny. Fantasy, you see, need not be entirely ponderous multi-thousand page bricks of clichéd characters and trite sayings. It is, in fact, possible to have fun with imaginative novels. And though the number of authors with the courage to do so may be small, that can't stop us from enjoying books like "The Death of the Necromancer" when we find them.

Rating:
Summary: Among the Best Fantasies of the Decade
Review: I've previously read three of Martha Wells' other novels and thoroughly enjoyed them all, but she really outdid herself in "The Death of the Necromancer". This is the one of the most fast-paced, unpredictable, and exciting books ever written in any genre. The hero Nicholas is a thief in the Victorian-era city of Vienne. He and his gang of associates are working on a complex plot to bring down Rive Montesq, the criminal overlord who killed Nicholas' foster father. However, in this story little ever goes as planned. For instance, during the very first chapter, our heroes attempt a carefully organized robbery of a noble house during a party, but things go awry because some other seemingly supernatural force want to carry out a robbery in the same house on the same night. Virtually every plot event in the book has a twist of that sort, thus keeping you truly on your toes for the length of the book.

And how 'bout those characters, eh. Like George R. R. Martin, Wells has the ability to sketch unforgettable personalities in just a few strokes, rather than wasting long passages on character development. Her characters are suave, confident, and sexy, while at the same time being unquestionably real. For instance, leading lady Madeleine is a famous actress, and her experience in the theatre helps her work with disguises and assume different roles as she navigates the intrigues of Vienne. The relationship between Nicholas and Madeleine isn't a typical fantasy coupling where the characters swoon for each other and never experience any problems. It is, rather, and real relationship, complete with bickering and arguments, but there's real love there as well. Wells does a magnificient job with the minor characters as well. I particularly like how Reynard, who is gay, isn't treated as some sort of joke or curiosity, but rather as a three-dimensional human character.

Let's all hail Wells for getting the details right. Descriptions are short and effect, infodumps are nowhere to be found. Martha Wells understands that the reader doesn't need lengthy lectures, and that supernatural elements are actually more creepily effective if they aren't fully explained. Dialogue is sharp, and lines that are supposed to be funny actually are funny. Fantasy, you see, need not be entirely ponderous multi-thousand page bricks of clichéd characters and trite sayings. It is, in fact, possible to have fun with imaginative novels. And though the number of authors with the courage to do so may be small, that can't stop us from enjoying books like "The Death of the Necromancer" when we find them.

Rating:
Summary: My Favorite So Far
Review: I've read all of Wells' books through Wheel of the Infinite (in order, as it happens) and I believe that she had the most fun with this one. Fast paced, it is more entertaining than plot summaries convey. Give it a try.

Rating:
Summary: Wrongful Revenge
Review: Martha Wells' 1998 book, The Death of the Necromancer, is a story of revenge in Gothic style. The book's title isn't misleading, as you are sent on treks through sewers infested with ghouls, fight off hungry once-dead Fay, and discover rooms filled with vivisected bodies. Necromancy, or using death to assist in divination, is at its nature gothic, ghoulish, and grisly. These are the very adjectives to describe a story set in a make-believe Vienne (not Vienna), lit by gaslights and filled with horse-drawn carriages, thieves, prostitutes, and evil Dukes and Counts. Magic orbs, a painting that acts like a hidden video camera, and a sorcerer named (get this) Constant Macob give the reader much to enjoy. But, like a symphony with amateur players, some of the chords are out of tune. The chief players in the story are Nicholas and Madeline; both are well accomplished in using disguises. Nicholas Valiarde's father figure Edouard Viller was executed some years ago on a trumped up charge of necromancy, but the charge was later found to be false. In great stories, the wronged person must be God's instrument for revenge, as no one else can or will redress the wrong. As in the Count of Monte Cristo, it may take a lifetime to seek out all those who wronged him. But in this story, the father figure's reputation has already been publicly restored. The act of bringing down the wicked perpetrator, Count Rive Montesq, is not justice or restitution, but pure revenge beyond the laws of justice and humanity. We learn that others are preparing a strong legal case against Montesq. The central revenge story is thus flawed. If fantasy is to have a moral component, this story falls short. Gothic tales of Frankenstein, Dracula, Dr. Jykell, or the Wolfman, show us psychological aspects of our own humanity that must be quelled or controlled. We see none of that in this story. Horror stories attempt to bring the lurking fears within us into our conscious lives. There is no true horror in The Death of the Necromancer, as we know that all the bad guys will be stopped. We can close the book, and walk away from ghouls and flawed storytelling.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding World-building
Review: Martha Wells' novels have been uniformly excellent--imaginative, detailed, exciting, strange. This book might be described as a Sherlock Holmes novel, if Holmes were a ruthless criminal, used magic, was a member of the royal family, and had a sex life. Wells' skill in narrative, pacing, and snappy dialog make this an outstanding novel that most scifi and fantasy readers will want to read.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting mix of genres
Review: Nicolas Valiarde is a thief; but is he a thief with a noble purpose? His true goal is to discredit and eventually lead a Count to execution in vengeance for the wrongful death of his foster father. Meanwhile, unexplained deaths are discovered in Vienne--deaths which may have something to do with Nicolas's foster father's experiments into necromancy.

Wells's narrative immerses the reader into her world. The world of Ile-Rien is painstakingly designed and researched, a world not unlike late 19th century Europe. She invokes all of the senses to realize the ruined noble houses, the depths of the sewers, and the activity of the streets.

I can only describe this novel as a mixture of Edgar Allen Poe, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, with a bit of sorcery thrown in for good measure.

Wells reveals hidden information about her characters throughout the novel, thus revealing their motivations and personalities like peeling back an onion. It's not until the end of the book that the reader sees into their core.

I probably would not have picked up this book on my own since I usually read books in the space opera or pure fantasy genres, but this was selected for my SF Book Club. I'm glad I didn't miss this one.

Rating:
Summary: No epic here, just great storytelling
Review: The novels of Martha Wells are a great antidote to multi-volume, universe-spanning, grand panorama stories so common in fantasy these days. All of her novels to date center on a short period of time and a few characters facing an important juncture in their lives. The action is fast-paced, the world-building is fascinating, and the focus is on telling an entertaining and compelling story. This is perhaps my favorite of her novels, because I love the atmosphere: 19th century Vienna at its peak, ghouls, demons, wizards, and scheming men of power. Fun!