The Bone Palace and Kingdoms of Dust - Amanda Downum

Death is no stranger in the city of Erisín-- but some deaths attract more attention than others.

When a prostitute dies carrying a royal signet, Isyllt Iskaldur, necromancer and agent of the Crown, is called to investigate. Her search leads to desecrated tombs below the palace, and the lightless vaults of the vampiric vrykoloi deep beneath the city. But worse things than vampires are plotting in Erisín...

As a sorcerous plague sweeps the city and demons stalk the streets, Isyllt must decide who she's prepared to betray, before the city built on bones falls into blood and fire. 

My thoughts:

Book 1 was meh, I would not have read more if I hadn't had book 2 (and 3). And good thing cos book 2 was nothing like book 1. Book 1 was all confusing, characters getting thrown in, not knowing who was talking ,while here everything fell into place.

I guess first that I should applaud that she had females in male parts, captain of the guard, royal investigator. A woman born into the body of a man and treated as a woman. Eh whatever. I know I am supposed to be all, good! And it is good!! But I care about the story, you can do a thousand fun things if you want but it the story is no good then I do not care. Of course here the story was good. So for those who wants the whole revolution then read this.

Ok back to the story. Issylt is investigating the death of a prostitute. We get to see vampires, more ghosts and a conspiracy. I did not care for cent for her in book 1, here I cared, and wanted her to make it.

The other big Pov is that of the androgynous X (I forget the name and is to lazy to check, Sevadra..Vedra? She is the official mistress the the prince. He would totally marry her too, but you know, she can not bear children. Her reproductive organs are all male. Anyway, she likes his wife (aye she was cool). And Vedra does some investigating of her own when lives are threaten.

Conclusion:

Such a different book than book 1. Good characters, an interesting story. An interesting town. I look forward to book 3 all the sudden.

Cover

nice

Paperback, 469 pages
Published December 1st 2010 by Orbit
The Necromancer Chronicles #2
Fantasy
own

With her master dead and her oaths foresworn, necromancer and spy Isyllt Iskaldur finds herself in exile. Hounded by assassins, she seeks asylum in Assar, the empire she so recently worked to undermine.

Warlords threaten the empire's fragile peace, and the empress is beset by enemies within the court. Even worse, darkness stirs in the deep desert. Ancient spirits long held captive are waking - spirits that can destroy Assar faster than any army.

Accompanied by an outcast jinn, Isyllt must travel into the heart of the desert to lay the darkness there to rest once more. But her sympathies are torn between the captive spirits and the order of mages sworn to bind them. And whichever choice she makes could raze the empire to dust. 

My thoughts:

Book 3 and the last one. Quite a shame really. Because yes there was en ending, life goes on. But there was no Ending. Instead it was left that there can be more adventures. 

In this book Isyllt is in exile. Someone is trying to kill her, and she meets up with old friends. There is also a new adventure. Something old and dark is trying to get loose. Ohhh I liked that part. The more explanations I got the more I liked it. I also liked that we got to know more about this world. It seems that everyone used to live in peace. Jinni, humans, ghouls. So cool. I would love to know even more! So there could totally be another book.

Conclusion:

There are dangers, friendship, and all in all an easy good read.

Cover

Good

Paperback, 371 pages
Published March 1st 2012 by Orbit
The Necromancer Chronicles #3
Fantasy
Own

The Drowning City and The Wayfarer Redemption reviews

Symir -- the Drowning City. home to exiles and expatriates, pirates and smugglers. And violent revolutionaries who will stop at nothing to overthrow the corrupt Imperial government.

For Isyllt Iskaldur, necromancer and spy, the brewing revolution is a chance to prove herself to her crown. All she has to do is find and finance the revolutionaries, and help topple the palaces of Symir. But she is torn between her new friends and her duties, and the longer she stays in this monsoon-drenched city, the more intrigue she uncovers -- even the dead are plotting. 

As the waters rise and the dams crack, Isyllt must choose between her mission and the city she came to save. 

My thoughts:

I do not really know how to review this one, how to rate this one. My problem was that I neither liked or disliked this book. I felt that it was rather forgettable.

What was my issue? See I did not care bout anyone. I got confused way too much. Suddenly someone new was talking. Suddenly someone was dead. And I was all, when did that happen? I also found myself not even knowing what I was reading at the moment. So I did not really care bout the story either.

But it had promise, I still plan to read book 2 as I have it. But, that but again, I just feel meh about it.

As for the story, she was there to cause rebellion. Did not feel she did so. She had some guy who worked for her (meh), some woman (meh). They met someone in the city (meh.) Seriously the only interesting person was this weird man who investigated stuff.

Conclusion:

So I say, meh.

Cover

Cool

Paperback, 351 pages
Published September 1st 2009 by Orbit
The Necromancer Chronicles #1
Fantasy
Own

A millennia-old prophecy was given when the Forbidden Ones were driven from Achar. And now, the Acharites witness its manifestation: Achar is under attack by an evil lord from the North, Gorgreal-his ice demons strike from the sky and kill hundreds of brave warriors in the blink of an eye.

All Acharites believe the end is near.

One young woman, Faraday, betrothed of Duke Borneheld, learns that all she has been told about her people's history is untrue. While fleeing to safety from the dangerous land, Faraday, rides with Axis, legendary leader of the Axe-Wielders-and hated half-brother of Borneheld-and a man Faraday secretly loves although it would be death to admit it. She embarks on a journey, which will change her life forever, in search of the true nature of her people.

This grand and heroic story tells the tale of one woman's plight to learn the truth of her people and change their hearts and their minds forever. She fights against oppressive forces to share this reality and will not desist until everyone knows. . . . . The truth of the Star Gate 

My thoughts:

Sigh. This is not the way you want to book 1 to end. With a feeling that I will not read more. Not even if the library had it!

The first 300 pages has promise. Even with the instalove. Seriously why are those two in love?!?! They did not really talk for a long time, they just are. Whatever.

The world was interesting. Humans pushed out two other races and forgot about them. Because humans are stupid. They all lived in harmony once. And now darkness is coming, and humans are still stupid. Seriously two other races, leave and let the humans rot.

The hero was...confused most of the time.

The heroine was a Mary Sue. Chosen, beautiful *eyeroll*

Then I started to get bored, then I started to skim. 

So for that ok first half it gets an ok. After that it just got boring and ridiculous . I would not recommend it.

Conclusion:

So I did what anyone would do, read reviews of the other 5 books so that I wont have to think about. It seems this is a trilogy that continues with another trilogy 40 years later. And that one sounded effed up, incest and all kind of weird stuff. Not to mention that this trilogy spirals out of control too 

Cover

Cool, but no one looked like that

Mass Market Paperback, 629 pages
Published September 17th 2001 by TOR Fantasy (first published July 5th 1995)
The Axis Trilogy #1
Fantasy
own