REVIEW: "Isn't It Necromantic?" by C. I. Bond

Cassie's a little different than your average chick. She's got all your typical problems (no boyfriend, no family, no real motivation in life), but she's got another problem that isn't the norm: Cassie has no soul. She does, however, have an additional skill that most people don't have, which makes her very valuable to those conspiring to create (or thwart) evil. Since Cassie's not even sure what she really is and who she'd fit in with, she tries to stay low and avoid detection. Unfortunately, that's hard to do- she seems to attract the very creatures she's trying to avoid. As she deals with various "others," ranging from witches and werewolves to vampires and demons (and even several in the "twice damned" category), her special skill becomes known and Cassie finds herself quite popular indeed. Not such a great thing, in this case. With a future that's shaky and a knack for finding trouble, will Cassie come out of this intact?

Written by C. I. Bond, this book reminded me of a Sookie Stackhouse book, but with a slightly darker edge (perhaps more like the TV series adaptation, True Blood). It was a quick and fun read, with plenty of adventure and humor, and introduction to several interesting characters. Cassie's character is zany and hapless in much the same way as Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum. Cassie goes from one crazy situation straight to the heart of another, often with amusing results. She's likable and is developed enough that you get a good feel for her quirks.

Although fairly engaging, the story itself doesn't have a lot of depth to it. The transitions from scene to scene are sometimes awkward, and most of the characters are only as developed as is necessary. The writing style is sometimes clumsy, but it is definitely in line with the quirky nature of the book. I know the author has been actively searching out typos and the like, as she wants to be sure she has an error-free book. I very strongly support that effort; all books should be well-edited, in my opinion, regardless of the type of publishing. That being said, there are still just over a handful of errors in the pages. Not enough to totally detract, but noticeable nonetheless.

Overall, this book achieves its aim; it's a fun, sometimes wacky, ride into a fascinating and crazy world.

3 /5 stars

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