Rating: 4🌈
Elric Shaw is a new author for me and I found Shaw’s new fantasy novel a wonderful story and enjoyable start to a new series.
Several elements drew me immediately to this story. A misunderstood necromancer, a Paladin with a mission, and a magical mystery. Yes, please.
It’s actually more complicated than that, the two men, Alistair, Knight of the Church, and Ignatius, necromancer, both has painful, emotionally traumatic wounds from their respective childhoods. Each tragic event that ended up causing the deaths of the other’s parents, while the men not being actually responsible, the Church and magic was.
Shaws made Alistair and Iggie so relatable with their own doubts about the lives they are living, building such depths into their characters. For Alistair, it’s living the life his father and the Church wanted for him without any real introspection. Until the mission, Iggie, and a snowstorm intervened.
The same for Necromancer Iggie, alone, almost starving in his temporary home with his animated skeletons as companions, hating the Church, its Knights for his tragic past and what they represent. Until Alistair charges into his life bringing light and a huge change.
There’s a mystery that needs investigating. A village known for its magical crystals at its heart and a relationship between two men that’s uncertain to resolve until the end.
Just a couple of elements I wish were fully explored. The magic itself here. I loved the crystal elements, and there’s one amazing scene where Iggie sings to a dull solitary crystal bringing it to unbelievable splendor. There was poignancy and wonder. Why? What happened? I wanted more of that.
Alistair was someone whose actions as an indoctrinated Knight of the Church made sense but also frustrating from a narrative standpoint. Poor Iggie.
Shaw just pulls it all together in a smashing (literally) battle and has a satisfying ending, with a touch of the sadness. As it should.
I’m looking forward to the next book and more from this author. It’s a definite recommendation.
Hearts of Allaria:
â—¦ The Immortal Covenant #0.5
✓ The Necromancer’s Prisoner #1
â—¦ The Prince’s Curse #2 – May 2024
Buy Link:
The Necromancer’s Prisoner (Hearts of Allaria Book 1)
Blurb:
Sometimes the real villain isn’t who it seems…
Alistair’s first solo mission as a paladin sounded simple enough: purge the undead terrorizing a remote mountain village and bring the wicked necromancer controlling them to justice. But when he’s captured, he begins to suspect that the village faces a far greater threat than a few skeletons…and that his strange captor might need protecting just as badly.
Paladins have hunted Ignatius his entire life. His crime—daring to be born with the wrong kind of magic. The mountains seemed like the perfect place to seek refuge for the winter…until an obnoxiously handsome paladin arrives on his doorstep. Ignatius expects to loathe Alistair like the rest of his arrogant kin; however, when a harsh winter storm forces them together, he finds himself opening up to the paladin in ways he’d never dreamed possible.
Alistair and Ignatius both have every reason not to trust the other. Yet, as mysterious magic threatens to eradicate the nearby village, they have little choice except to combine forces if they hope to survive.
Can a paladin and a necromancer set aside their differences for the greater good…or will the rift between them prove impossible to ever bridge?
A slow burn, fade-to-black M/M fantasy romance featuring forced proximity, hurt/comfort, enemies-to-lovers, and a hard-won HEA. Every book in Hearts of Allaria is standalone and can be read in any order. Perfect for fans of K. D. Edwards, Tavia Lark, and Ben Alderson.
• Publication date: November 27, 2023
• Print length: 309 pages
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 