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    Necromancing the Stone
    Necromancing the Stone
    Necromancing the Stone
    Audiobook10 hours

    Necromancing the Stone

    Written by Lish McBride

    Narrated by Jonathan Todd Ross and Chris Sorensen

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Lish McBride's urban fantasy debut Hold Me Closer, Necromancer garnered rave reviews from critics and fans for its hilarity and madcap action. In this brilliant sequel, neophyte necromancer Sam LaCroix is still getting used to being on the local magical council, not to mention having a werewolf girlfriend and a shapechanging feline butler. When his sister begins receiving threatening messages and a dead body surfaces, Sam wonders if his old nemesis Douglas is responsible. There's only one problem- Douglas is dead.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateSep 18, 2012
    ISBN9781470328061
    Necromancing the Stone
    Author

    Lish McBride

    Lish McBride grew up in the Pacific Northwest. It rains a lot there, but she likes it anyway. She spent three years away while she got her MFA in fiction from the University of New Orleans, where she managed to survive the hurricane. She enjoys reading, having geek-laden conversations about movies, comics, and zombies with her friends, and of course trying to wear pajamas as much as humanly possible. She lives happily in Mountlake, WA, with her family, two cats, and one very put-upon Chihuahua. Her debut novel, Hold Me Closer, Necromancer was named an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults and was a finalist for the YALSA William C. Morris Award.

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    Reviews for Necromancing the Stone

    4/5

    127 ratings19 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Sam has not lost his sense of humor or his kindness in this sequel to Hold Me Closer Necromancer. But after Brannoc, head of the werewolf pack and father of his girlfriend is murdered, Sam discovers that even in death, Douglas Montgomery has a very long reach.
    • 5/5
      Loved it almost as much as the first one. I almost gave it 4 stars but Sam is such a likable character and it is populated with other likable characters that the minor problems I had with it (bringing up characters from the first book without much reintroduction? I might have missed it) fell to the wayside.
    • 3/5
      I finished Hold Me Closer Necromancer, and then immediately (as in less than 12 hours later) read this sequel. As a result the two are a bit mashed together in my head. I liked this book, although maybe not as much as the first book. The story didnt seem to come together quite as well, and there were a lot of characters that I ended up either wanting to know more about or forgetting who was who. Once again though it was a good mixture of funny and scary, and I never got bored with it. Worth reading if you enjoyed the first book.
    • 5/5
      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!
    • 2/5
      I much preferred the first book in the series. The plot here seemed to ramble a lot, and the story didn't pick up until the climax. There were a lot of memorable new characters, however. I especially enjoyed the gnomes. And I absolutely fell in love with James. What a cutey. His plight of being torn between two families what the heart of this story, and I wish it had been given more attention.

    • 3/5
      Irreverent, full of pop culture references and jokes, and utterly hilarious, Sam is back again, this time as a full-blown necromancer and living on a newly inherited estate with his friends, some helpful agents of the dead, and a house spirit who is equally disdainful and despairing of his new master. Oh, and the gnomes who campaign for beer and internet access.

      As Sam adjusts to his new circumstances, new things keep conspiring to keep him off balance: his new position as Council member (he has no idea what he's doing), his new money (he has no idea what to do with it), and, naturally, a murder that he must solve before he gets torn to shreds by a pack of angry werewolves. So, situation normal then.

      If the previous had shades of Reaper, the TV show, the sequel is Reaper meets The Dresden Files - Sam riffs quips off of his friends, there are gnome-related puns, Canadian gladiators, and Sexy Gary to contend with in this novel, and everything is amped past the point of ridiculousness. Our sarcastic hero is lovable and sympathetic, and thankfully McBride chooses to have an outside villain to contend with, rather than the tired "I mustn't let my friends know of this cool new superpower!" which crops up so often in these types of stories (when, really, wouldn't calling your friend immediately to tell them be the first thing most people would do?). Her characters are immensely likable, and though some of the jokes can feel a little forced, more of them hit true.

      The plot resolution is telegraphed fairly early, but the ride is immensely entertaining, and the new character McBride introduces are fun and off-beat. Additionally, McBride shows the sort of savvy for audience satisfaction; yes, Sam is woefully outclassed in some matters, ignorant in most, but occasionally he gets that kickass moment that makes you put the book down on your lap and sigh in utter contentment.

      While the first was fun, this one amps everything up and adds in liberal amounts of ridiculousness, culminating in a very fun, very entertaining sequel.
    • 4/5
      This review may contain spoilers for the previous book [Hold Me Closer, Necromancer]. Read at your own peril.Sam is starting to get used to his role as a necromancer. Sure his werewolf girlfriend's pack would love to tear him into tiny pieces half the time, his best friend is a were-bear (and it's Sam's fault), and the gnomes at the house he's inherited may kill him in his sleep but on the spectrum of how things are going it's pretty decent on the whole. Until someone close to Sam is killed and no one can figure out who it was or how they did it. Now Sam needs to prove himself to the whole magical community, try to keep his friends and family safe, and find a murderer. Nothing like an impossible ask.It's been a few years since I read the first book but I was able to pick up this book and not feel like I was missing details. Sam's voice is still sarcastic and delightfully charming and the magical world that McBride has created is just the right level of dark. I giggled out loud at several points (I adore the warrior gnomes), which is always a good sign. I also felt pleased every time I knew the song that is referenced in each of the chapter titles. While I knew how the larger conflict would be resolved at least thirty pages before it happened, it didn't diminish my enjoyment of the narrative. If you liked the first book, definitely pick up this one.
    • 4/5
      So many crazy weird characters but some how it works. A great continuation of the first.
    • 5/5
      4.5*Book source ~ Local librarySamhain ‘Sam’ LaCroix defeated Douglas ‘Uber Psycho’ Montgomery in Hold Me Closer, Necromancer and he’s trying to adjust to his new life of being the resident Necromancer. He has inherited all that Douglas owned including his seat on the Council. Sam, who until six weeks ago didn’t even know he was a necromancer, has no clue what is going on or what he’s supposed to be doing. And since necromancers are pretty rare he doesn’t really have anyone to learn from. Well, he could probably learn from his Uncle Nick, but even if he could find him, Sam is still mad at him. So, he stumbles and bumbles his way through his new way of living until a death throws a wrench into the works. Now, Sam needs to find out who and how they committed the murder as well as discover who is threatening his sister. Some days he wishes he was still flipping burgers for a living.This story is fast-paced and well-written with humor aplenty. The plot is on the thin side, but frankly I don’t care. I was highly entertained with everything going on in Sam’s life. The characters, for me, really make the story. The gnomes and all of the garden security, the Council, James, Ramon, Frank and Ashley as well as many others are fun to read. The ending was a tad cheesy, but again, I don’t care. I loved this book and would definitely read more about Sam’s adventures.
    • 3/5
      Necromancing the Stone was enjoyable but I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the first. I thought that Sam would learn how to use his newfound powers but he spends most of the book struggling to grow into his new role as Council Leader. The last few chapters of the book are the best because you can see Sam is much more mature and self aware. He seems to be comfortable with his powers and realizes he doesn't have to lead the same way as Douglas did, he can have his own style and techniques. Overall, this was well written and humorous but it seemed more filler than filling. 3 stars
    • 4/5
      These books are like wonderful, nerdy hugs. Hilarious, empathetic, good, silly characters who care about one another. It's enough to make you sick, with snorts and awws. I read it in a single day and still want to hang out with these paranormal slackers.
    • 4/5
      Great second book. Love how the characters evolve over the story. Also like the new characters, were worked into the world very well.
    • 5/5
      Loved this. I particularly enjoy how McBride thought outside the box for her conclusion. I sincerely hope there's going to be more of these, because they are just too much fun to be done already.
    • 3/5
      Better than the first book, though little things about it annoyed me.
    • 4/5
      Although I enjoyed the first book in this series, Hold Me Closer, Necromancer, I must admit that Necromancing the Stone was so much better! I was worried it would fall to the second book trap, too much back story and too much setting up for the next book, but it did not do that at all. Of course, there is some back story, but not so much that you felt as if you were rereading the first book. Majority of the book is from Sam's POV, with a few chapters dedicated to Brid and Douglas' POV. I do wish the author would have had one or two chapters from Sam's sister, Haley, or James' POV. Maybe next book? I really love the relationship between Sam and his younger sister, Haley. I wish we would have seen more of their interaction in this book. I really hope we see more of Haley in the next book, then we did in this one, because I do believe she is a great character. And of course, more of the gnomes. They are my favorites so far! I would definitely recommend this series to anyone who enjoys paranormal books with a great sense of humor!
    • 4/5
      The second installment of this snarky series finds Sam LaCroix and his friends living in Douglas' estate. I very much enjoyed the antics of the gnomes in this one. Sam is called on to use his necromancing skills and take a roll on the Council to investigate the murder of his girlfriend Brid's dad and Blackthorn clan head, Brannoc. I found the storyline of James particularly interesting as a boy raised to serve torn between two masters and allegiances. The narration switches between Douglas and Sam and through that readers get a view of the past and present. Much like the first book the chapter titles are riffs on song lyrics. Quirky characters and situations abound as Sam comes to term with his growing, otherworldly powers.
    • 4/5
      Note: There are mild spoilers for Hold Me Closer, Necromancer, and no spoilers for this second book, Necromancing the Stone.Although this is a sequel to Hold Me Closer, Necromancer, the author has the protagonist explain right on page one what he has gone through lately, and by this means, we get all caught up without having to re-read.I was quite surprised at how much I liked the first book in this series, because after all, it features necromancers, satyrs, vampires, werewolves, gnomes, furies, and every other sort of paranormal creature you can imagine (and some you can’t!). But the author's clever puns and hilarious send-ups delighted me, so I quite looked forward to this follow-up book. My expectations might have been too high, however.Sam LaCroix, a funny and likable college dropout in Seattle, found out in Book One that he is actually a necromancer (which is someone who can communicate with the dead, either by summoning their spirits or raising them bodily). In a fight for his life against another (but evil) necromancer, Douglas Montgomery, Sam’s best friend Ramon was turned into a werebear, his friend Brooke was decapitated, and he fell in love with the half-werewolf, half fey-hound heir-apparent to lead the local werewolf pack, Bridin Blackthorn. It was quite a year for him.In Book Two, we find Sam living, along with his friends Ramon and Frank, in Douglas Montgomery’s old house. He has the services of James, the resident house spirit (or “pukis”); Brooke, who is now Sam’s “ghostly girl Friday”; and Ashley, a “Harbinger” who serves as a go-between for souls. (She renders occasional help to Sam in exchange for waffles with whipped cream and real maple syrup.) Sam is being trained by Brid’s brothers in self-defense; he is still dating Brid; and he is contemplating his interesting life when everything changes.Evaluation: Although Lish McBride again adds plenty of wit to her ongoing story of Sam and his paranormal companions, I liked the first book better. I came to this sequel expecting the same sort of zaniness that prevailed in Book One. In this book, the author spends more time developing the characters and exploring moral dilemmas. Yes, McBride evinces skill in her warm portrayal of love and loyalty and friendship, but at the same time she tries to maintain the first book's tone of a very humorous burlesque featuring quirky paranormals of every stripe. I found this odd mix of whimsy and solid stuff a bit disconcerting. That said, who can resist such characters as Stanley, the affectionate (albeit dead) elk with the velvety nose? I’ll definitely be back for book three!Rating: 3.5/5
    • 4/5
      Sam has not lost his sense of humor or his kindness in this sequel to Hold Me Closer Necromancer. But after Brannoc, head of the werewolf pack and father of his girlfriend is murdered, Sam discovers that even in death, Douglas Montgomery has a very long reach.
    • 5/5
      Delightful. Pure, witty fun, with one of the best cameos ever, though I'm not sure many teens would catch it...which makes it even better, since it makes me feel like less of an old fogey if I'm in on a hilarious in-joke.Sam is uncomfortably settling into his dead nemesis' home and power, trying to make his way through his new life as a powerful necromancer, complete with a spot on the supernatural governing board, The Council. When a shocking death seems to suggest Sam as the culprit, he has to swallow his discomfort and start acting like the leader he needs to be in order to solve the murder and protect his friends and family.Sam is a great character - reluctant, yes, but because he's worried he'll screw up, and in the awesome world McBride has created, screwing up could mean death. Luckily, he's got some of the coolest friends to let him know he's being a big baby and sometimes you just have to do what needs to be done.Highly recommended - start with Hold Me Closer, Necromancer.