I received this free eARC novel from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

This has been on my TBR pile for so long, and I'm glad I finally got around to it. I really enjoyed the storyline and seeing the characters change throughout the story was a great character development. The plot was great and kept my attention. I'm glad I got the chance to read this and will be on the lookout for more in the future!

Elea had done what she did not want. She has become a Grand Mistress Necromancer. She was happy being that simple girl on a farm that used her necromancy magic when the need arose to do chores and the such. That was until she needed learn as much as she can and as quickly as she can to make a difference. The road was long and the journey brought to her friends with the common purpose of defeating the one that just could not allow for the course of the world to flow. This time around she must save her sisters from a very despicable man, Vicomte Gaspard. He wants to kill her sisters for their magic while at the same time draining their life force.

Elea was not alone in this rescue mission and the chemistry coming off of her and Rowan were felt. She was the grand mistress and he not. The road before them will be long and tested often. There were twist to this tale that was exciting. The new incantations that Elea used were fun. The friendship from book one carries over and makes for a strong backdrop of all that goes on in this one. This one holds more magic, more betrayal, stronger friendships, intenser connection, and a few confusing spells that make a lot of things happen just in time.

Elea was a strong willed young lady. She fought hard and proved that she deserved the title she had. She was no helpless little miss in the corner waiting for someone else to come save the day. She took on adventure. I loved the way the world was coming together, the characters (both secondary and primary), the background information that allowed for a deeper connection to Elea, and the build in direction of the story. I do look forward to the next book of this series.

I didn't read the first book in the series but dived in with this one. Which was a mistake. Although it wasn't too hard to get the general drift of what was going on, I had trouble relating to Elea in the first chapters, and I'm pretty sure this would have been avoided if I'd read book one.

Elea is searching for her fellow Necromancer sisters, who have been taken by the Vicomte for—what Elea fears—very evil reasons. She discovers the first real clue of where they might be held, but time is running out. Even with the help of the powerful Castor, Rowan, Elea might not find them before its too late.

Boring is not the word for this read. It's packed full of intrigue, surprising turns and all sorts of dark, tense moments. Elea is quite the character. She packs an attitude and knows what she wants. Her determination and magical aptness make her a kick-butt heroine to cheer for the entire way through. Her very direct personality caught me a little off guard at first, cheeky and not friendly. But as time went on, I warmed up to her and couldn't put the story down. I had to go back a couple times to verify that this is really classified as a Young Adult read. Elea's a bit too mature for YA, the relationships also edge toward an older audience and there is a brief scene with slight nudity. All of this taken into account, I'd push this one up to the New Adult category.

The writing grabs and doesn't let go. It's a darker tale and holds all the suspense and tension a story like this should. Hope shines through every now and then, but it's not always a sure thing. There's a broad array of characters, some to trust and some not so much. It keeps the reader guessing much of the way through. Even the romance, which seems a sure thing through most of the book, takes interesting twists and turns and insure an exciting book three.

I can't wait to dive into the next installment, not only to see what will happen with Elea, but also to discover the answer to several questions which appear to have been left open since book one. Because the ending is sure to be exciting and packed with surprises as well.