2.5/3

I didn't love this...but I didn't hate it either. For the most part I was bored for about 70% (maybe even 80%) of the book. Nothing really happened and the pace was rather slow and really predictable. The ending made it partially worth reading, and perhaps it means that book 2 will be less slow and will hopefully just pick up and keep going.

The Good

I liked the world building. It was different and interesting and I wanted a lot more of it. I like a story with some good politics and a world on the brink of war over the question of morality. The necromancy was a different kind of magic than I wouldn't normally read, and I did not hate it. It was complex and interesting. Also, I REALLY liked that there was no annoying love triangle or brooding love interests that would have been nauseating. Nor were the main characters described as overly attractive. It made it seem more real and normal. Corten was a good character as well, he showed layers and has the potential to be more complex and ended up being my favorite.

The Bad

Most of the characters were mehhhh. There weren't very layered or complex and it left me wondering, well who exactly is Valn, and Celia and Naya's father. Valn is suppose to be the villain, but he is not scary AT ALL .

I found Naya, however, incredibly annoying and selfish. She nearly ruined this book for me and I didn't want to finish it. There were so many instances where she would make a rash choice that ended up hurting others. And her treatment of Lucia was a bit appalling. She acted like a spoiled child through most of this book. Her only redemption was Corten who seemed to call her out on some things and whom she actually listened to. I am suppose to like the MC, but I just don't. Now that Corten is out of the picture, I don't know that I could handle reading a second book where she tries to get him back.

I unfortunately cannot get in to this book, mainly the fact that I'm not a fan of the main character, but I do like the premise and the ideology behind the story, Truly unfortunate as I was looking forward to this book,

**2.5 but rounding up**

This is probably one of the more unique books I’ve read recently in terms of world building and the concept of necromancers using this particular ideology, but other than that this book is pretty predictable making it somewhat fall flat as it works it’s way through the plot.

“Twice Dead” tells the story of Naya a young girl who is sent on a mission by her father in a city where the dead walk among the living and if that wasn’t bad enough her simple task goes awry when she is murdered in the street by an unknown assailant and resurrected as a wraith and forced to play the part of a spy in order to help her people but things aren’t always what they seem and soon she must make a decision that could cost her her life and this time for good.

The entire necromancer and resurrection idea was pretty interesting but once they get down the mechanics of how the process works things start to get a little fuzzy and once I thought I understood the process something would happen and I would have to start all over in order to keep up with the action.

Sadly there wasn’t any real connection to any of the characters and I honestly couldn’t tell you why other than the plot having the bare bone structure of something we’ve all read a dozen times with more likable or at least memorable characters moving things forward and in this case not one of them in this book even came close to holding their own amongst them.

This book is just kind of alright in that it’s neither good or bad and could work as a filler if you’re between novels and want to give it a try.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**