Subject: Review: The Death Of A Necromancer, MarthaWells

From: [email-masked] (Harriet Klausner)
Date: 22 Jun 1998 15:56:17 -0400

The Death Of A Necromancer by Martha Wells
	Review Copyright 1998 Harriet Klausner

In Ile-Rien, nobleman Nicholas Valiarde has only one passion in life: to
kill Count Montesq. The count deceitfully set up and then accused
Nicholas' godfather of being a necromancer, a crime punishable by death.
To fund his quest, Nicholas has become a thief, but he is not just an
ordinary criminal. Nicholas is the master thief Donatien, who seems to be
just one step ahead of the great Inspector Ronsarde.

The police have a bigger problem than a master thief. People are
disappearing at an alarming rate. Some corpses have turned up with parts
of the body missing and even bones have been found to flow through the
sewage system. Overwhelming evidence indicates that necromancy is being
practiced.

Meanwhile Nicholas is robbing an estate when he meets ghouls and a
sorcerer in the cellar of his intended victim. He soon becomes partners
with his "enemy" Ronsarde in an attempt to uncover the identity of and
stop a necromancer who has no moral boundaries.

In her third fantasy novel, THE DEATH OF A NECROMANCER, Martha Wells
continues to demonstrate tremendous writing talent.  Like her first two
books (CITY OF BONES and THE ELEMENT OF FIRE), her third work of fiction
is filled with wondrous characters and a fully developed setting. The
necromancy rings true as a form of science on this world.  However, what
makes this novel a cut above most others is Ms. Wells' ability to make her
environment extremely complex and genuine without taking away from a well
written fantasy.

Harriet Klausner

%T The Death of the Necromancer
%A Martha Wells
%I Avon
%D Jun 1998
%O $23.00
%P 359 pp.
%G ISBN 0-380-97334-0