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readingjag's review against another edition
4.0
Another charmer from McBride. I liked this one better than the last--the characters were more fully developed and the storyline was complex. I love Sam, he's a total dream boat. Lots of humor, including a very funny glimpse at the world of the Bigfoot. Yes, Bigfoot. Looking forward to the next in this fun, entertaining series.
ashley_choo's review against another edition
5.0
I breezed through this book. It was such a great, fun read, and I was so pleased with the ending, and I just want to read more about Haley and James. I ship them hard.
jenniepicky's review against another edition
3.0
This book, and series, is such a guilty pleasure. It's fun and silly and doesn't take itself seriously. It's Kelley Armstrong if she wrote a teen comedy.
heyjudy's review against another edition
4.0
~4.5/5
This book was so good. Even better than the first one, I think. I can’t believe it took me so long to finally read it. (Also, at first, I was worried about my memory being so fuzzy when it came to the first book, but that wasn’t really a problem. Particularly because of the fact that McBride seems to know what she’s doing with the whole recap thing. Most of it was in the first chapter, and it was done very well—giving a good idea of what happened in the first book, along with a lot of humorous comments from Sam.)
I love the characters, all of them. I love Sam, the necromancer; he’s a rather average guy in personality, he’s sarcastic, he’s new to all this supernatural stuff but he’s handling it rather well. He’s fun, and I like being inside his head. I love all of his friends. Ramon, his best friend and newly been made were-bear, is awesome. He works just so well with Sam, and he’s just so sweet and funny and great. I love Brid; she’s strong and smart, and handles things under pressure, and while she does something not smart in this book, she has her reasons for it. Frank I didn’t remember very much, nor do I have a good handle on who he is, but I liked his part in the book, particularly when he got the job of taking care of the creatures that live on the land and making sure they’re happy. The werewolf pack was fun, and I liked the little insights given about them, particularly Brid’s brothers, and even more so Sean. I like Sam’s family and his relationships with them.
I love the romance between Sam and Brid; they are just so sweet and adorable and fun together. I wouldn’t mind more time between them, really. And I’m not very happy with what happened between them in this book; but I don’t want to spoil too much. Part of me wasn’t hit as hard as I probably should have been, just because I didn’t really believe it would last, but it seriously sucks. I liked how everyone around them bothered them about it, though. And I really want there to be another book now so I can read what happens between them soon.
Next, is Hailey and James. As individuals, I rather like both of them. Hailey, Sam’s little sister, is fun, and very much a character I enjoy. And James is just fantastic and I love him, he’s such a show stealer. He used to work for Douglas, but is now stuck with Sam, and he’s very conflicted with his feelings, and I felt so bad and understood it and wanted to hug him. I love what happened to him at the end, it was… so fantastic. Now, the Hailey and James part. There are very big hints to those things happening, and I am a huge fan of that. I ship them. I ship them completely. By the end of the book, they even had more of my fangirling attention than Sam and Brid did (by a small but still noticeable amount).
Now the Douglas/actual serious plot of the book. That was done very well and was very exciting, and I really like how it all concluded. Plus there was a lot of personal growth for Sam, what with getting used to his powers, taking control of his new house (which, ohmygod, the gnomes are amazing and ohmygod I love them and I want more, ahhhh), everything that happened with Brid and even with Ramon, and then his taking position in the Council and standing up for himself about it.
Every bit of it was just so good. I loved it, and I want more. I believe McBride is writing a related series next, but that she plans to continue this one later, and I cannot wait. I’m very excited for her other series, though, as it sounds good, and I really just think I love her writing and characters and everything. She’s definitely an author that has moved onto my watch list.
This review is also available on my blog, with extras.
This book was so good. Even better than the first one, I think. I can’t believe it took me so long to finally read it. (Also, at first, I was worried about my memory being so fuzzy when it came to the first book, but that wasn’t really a problem. Particularly because of the fact that McBride seems to know what she’s doing with the whole recap thing. Most of it was in the first chapter, and it was done very well—giving a good idea of what happened in the first book, along with a lot of humorous comments from Sam.)
I love the characters, all of them. I love Sam, the necromancer; he’s a rather average guy in personality, he’s sarcastic, he’s new to all this supernatural stuff but he’s handling it rather well. He’s fun, and I like being inside his head. I love all of his friends. Ramon, his best friend and newly been made were-bear, is awesome. He works just so well with Sam, and he’s just so sweet and funny and great. I love Brid; she’s strong and smart, and handles things under pressure, and while she does something not smart in this book, she has her reasons for it. Frank I didn’t remember very much, nor do I have a good handle on who he is, but I liked his part in the book, particularly when he got the job of taking care of the creatures that live on the land and making sure they’re happy. The werewolf pack was fun, and I liked the little insights given about them, particularly Brid’s brothers, and even more so Sean. I like Sam’s family and his relationships with them.
I love the romance between Sam and Brid; they are just so sweet and adorable and fun together. I wouldn’t mind more time between them, really. And I’m not very happy with what happened between them in this book; but I don’t want to spoil too much. Part of me wasn’t hit as hard as I probably should have been, just because I didn’t really believe it would last, but it seriously sucks. I liked how everyone around them bothered them about it, though. And I really want there to be another book now so I can read what happens between them soon.
Next, is Hailey and James. As individuals, I rather like both of them. Hailey, Sam’s little sister, is fun, and very much a character I enjoy. And James is just fantastic and I love him, he’s such a show stealer. He used to work for Douglas, but is now stuck with Sam, and he’s very conflicted with his feelings, and I felt so bad and understood it and wanted to hug him. I love what happened to him at the end, it was… so fantastic. Now, the Hailey and James part. There are very big hints to those things happening, and I am a huge fan of that. I ship them. I ship them completely. By the end of the book, they even had more of my fangirling attention than Sam and Brid did (by a small but still noticeable amount).
Now the Douglas/actual serious plot of the book. That was done very well and was very exciting, and I really like how it all concluded. Plus there was a lot of personal growth for Sam, what with getting used to his powers, taking control of his new house (which, ohmygod, the gnomes are amazing and ohmygod I love them and I want more, ahhhh), everything that happened with Brid and even with Ramon, and then his taking position in the Council and standing up for himself about it.
Every bit of it was just so good. I loved it, and I want more. I believe McBride is writing a related series next, but that she plans to continue this one later, and I cannot wait. I’m very excited for her other series, though, as it sounds good, and I really just think I love her writing and characters and everything. She’s definitely an author that has moved onto my watch list.
This review is also available on my blog, with extras.
lindsayb's review against another edition
5.0
CONTAINS SPOILERS.
I wasn't so sure I was going to like this follow-up to Hold Me Closer, Necromancer. I wanted to, believe you me, and the first chapter was awesome. But then it quickly devolved into mushy domestic bliss that just had no truck with me (albeit causing a slight existential crisis because I was actually feeling adverse to the kissy parts and I almost always love the kissy parts), and I wavered, wondering if Lish could actually lead us astray like that.
Ye of little faith. Once Brannoc was murdered, I found myself in the same state of rabid consumption as with HMCN. I just adored learning about the characters more. Every one of them I loved, even that tiresome meanie Douglas. I especially enjoyed the character development with James and watching him come into the family. Even Frank, who I find a little insufferable, became more endearing with his relationship with the gnomes; and similarly, I enjoyed that the shenanigans of the lawn ornaments and shrubbery were included rather frequently to lighten the plot. And Minion?! Hilarious!
I had a little bit of a hard time with Sam's character and what seemed like a bit too frequent mention of his guilt for dragging his friends into the mess of his necromancy. Hadn't this already been addressed at the end of HMCN? After a while, I really wanted him to grow a pair and move on. And I was taken aback a little with his automatic and fierce treatment towards his Uncle Nick. In all other facets, Sam was so compassionate, and it seemed from the information learned in the first book that Nick's behavior was understood, no matter how aloof. So that left a bad taste in my mouth.
The final fight scene redeemed Sam in the end with how he treated Douglas. I really applaud McBride for how she handled that. It could have turned sappy and after-school-special, but it was such a heartfelt and (wonderfully) still violent interaction, that I maybe kinda started misting up a bit.
I would also like to give a shout-out to McBride for not leaving us with a gimmicky cliff-hanger that happens so frequently in other YA series. Those so often fall short and don't deliver in the sequels. Sure, NTS has little tidbits of what will be addressed in the next book, and I certainly look forward to book 3, but I feel so content with how this book stands on its own (though not to be confused with being stand-alone). HMCN was great in this same way, and I truly hope she continues to treat her novels with this kind of dignity.
I look forward to learning about more of the Council in the following book(s?) and watching Brid come into her own as leader of her pack. James's evolution will be interesting to see, and I hope we get more of Ramon and his new were-bear status than what seemed to be in this book. All in all, I really love this quirky, snarky world we get to be privy to with its limitless bombardment of all things supernatural. Three cheers for Lish McBride for another fantastic novel!
I wasn't so sure I was going to like this follow-up to Hold Me Closer, Necromancer. I wanted to, believe you me, and the first chapter was awesome. But then it quickly devolved into mushy domestic bliss that just had no truck with me (albeit causing a slight existential crisis because I was actually feeling adverse to the kissy parts and I almost always love the kissy parts), and I wavered, wondering if Lish could actually lead us astray like that.
Ye of little faith. Once Brannoc was murdered, I found myself in the same state of rabid consumption as with HMCN. I just adored learning about the characters more. Every one of them I loved, even that tiresome meanie Douglas. I especially enjoyed the character development with James and watching him come into the family. Even Frank, who I find a little insufferable, became more endearing with his relationship with the gnomes; and similarly, I enjoyed that the shenanigans of the lawn ornaments and shrubbery were included rather frequently to lighten the plot. And Minion?! Hilarious!
I had a little bit of a hard time with Sam's character and what seemed like a bit too frequent mention of his guilt for dragging his friends into the mess of his necromancy. Hadn't this already been addressed at the end of HMCN? After a while, I really wanted him to grow a pair and move on. And I was taken aback a little with his automatic and fierce treatment towards his Uncle Nick. In all other facets, Sam was so compassionate, and it seemed from the information learned in the first book that Nick's behavior was understood, no matter how aloof. So that left a bad taste in my mouth.
The final fight scene redeemed Sam in the end with how he treated Douglas. I really applaud McBride for how she handled that. It could have turned sappy and after-school-special, but it was such a heartfelt and (wonderfully) still violent interaction, that I maybe kinda started misting up a bit.
I would also like to give a shout-out to McBride for not leaving us with a gimmicky cliff-hanger that happens so frequently in other YA series. Those so often fall short and don't deliver in the sequels. Sure, NTS has little tidbits of what will be addressed in the next book, and I certainly look forward to book 3, but I feel so content with how this book stands on its own (though not to be confused with being stand-alone). HMCN was great in this same way, and I truly hope she continues to treat her novels with this kind of dignity.
I look forward to learning about more of the Council in the following book(s?) and watching Brid come into her own as leader of her pack. James's evolution will be interesting to see, and I hope we get more of Ramon and his new were-bear status than what seemed to be in this book. All in all, I really love this quirky, snarky world we get to be privy to with its limitless bombardment of all things supernatural. Three cheers for Lish McBride for another fantastic novel!
porgs's review against another edition
4.0
Lish does it again! This series has the same brand of humor as Percy Jackson though it deals with darker themes.
When James wasn’t being aggressive-aggressive, he was being passive-aggressive.
It was hard to sleep after the day I’d had. I mean, I’d had worse. And someone, somewhere, was having an even worse time of it than me. I tried to keep that in mind. No matter how crappy your life, someone will probably beat you in the my-life-is-crap category. Not that I don’t let myself whine a little now and then, but sometimes it’s good to keep your misery in perspective.
“I was too busy trying to figure out why the gladiators wanted to check hockey scores, which just goes to show you how skewed my sense of strange has become,” I said. Frank shrugged, not looking up from the clipboard. “They’re Canadian.”I swallowed my vitamin as quickly as possible, grimacing from the aftertaste. “But they’re gladiators. Wouldn’t that make them Roman or Greek or something?”
“I asked them the same thing. I guess the marble they’re carved from comes from Canada. You can kind of tell if you talk to them long enough. They say eh’ a lot. They don’t seem to have spent much time in their homeland, so I think they are basing most of their culture on stereotypes.” “Maybe we should hold a Canada party or something,” I said.
Spoiler
“I’m so tired of crying,” she said.“I know.” I wiped an errant tear away. “If you need a break, I can cry for you for a bit. We can take turns.”She smiled a little and nudged me. “I just bet you would, sissy.”“Hey,” I said, pretending to be insulted. “That is one of the advantages of dating a sensitive Beta male. We cry for you, we remember anniversaries, and we might even hold your hair while you vomit. Classy with a capital C.”“I’ve never vomited around you, but I seem to remember helping you while you puked.”I gave her a quick kiss. “Hey, why you got to bring up old shit all the time?”She laughed and kissed me back. “Thanks, Sam,” she said. Then she kissed me again. This time she didn’t pull back as fast. When she got up to lock my door, I didn’t stop her.
When you break up with someone, and I’m not talking casual breakups here, it’s hard to take the sudden absence of such an important person in your life. It reminded me of when I’d stopped going to school and the weird uneasy feeling I’d gotten afterward, like I was forgetting to do something. My life until that point had pivoted around some form of education, and all of a sudden, it was gone. Homework, classes, running around, and then—bam—nothing but a life of work stretching out before you. No one prepares you for that feeling or even mentions it. You just suddenly have a gap and have to decide how to fill it.
A breakup is like that gap, only much, much more painful. One day the person you talked to constantly or did stuff with is just absent. Gone. Poof. And even though I’m not one of those people who has to be in a relationship all the time, I was feeling at a loss.Later, one of the many times I went over the breakup in my head, I realized I probably could convince Brid to take me back. The pack didn’t love me yet, but Brannoc and Bridget had given me their blessing. Surely they would overrule the rest? But I couldn’t do it. Oh, I totally wanted to, don’t get me wrong, but if I did, then I’d always wonder why Brid had changed her mind. Was it because she loved me, or was it because Brannoc thought it was a good idea? No, she’d have to choose on her own, and I’d have to be patient.I sucked at patient.
I felt lonely and sad, because I missed Brid something fierce, but I also felt full and happy and loved from the evening’s festivities. Sometimes life offers you up that kind of dichotomy, that soul-shearing rift of two very different things happening at once. My mom refers to them as life’s growing pains, a phrase Brannoc had unknowingly echoed the last time I saw him, and they aren’t pleasant.
maryehavens's review against another edition
5.0
I just love living in this universe. I like all the characters, I like that I don't know what's going to happen next (ex. gnomes riding skunks), I just like everything about it and I will definitely read more of McBride's works!!
banrions's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this pretty much just as much as the first one. The author has a great voice and style, all her characters secondary or not feel fleshed out and real and the plot holds your attention. Loved it:)
b33dubs's review against another edition
4.0
While I enjoyed the story, it didn't have the same urgency as the previous book, because the villain was largely powerless the entire time and there was really no fear that Sam wouldn't succeed in the end. Take away those two things, the plot loses its momentum, and the book basically becomes the story you read (and write) when you want to know what happens after "Happily Ever After." Good in its own way, but lacking the essentials that made me love the first book so much.