
Russo has created an entire new world in this, the first offering in a series of Necromancer books. In general, I was impressed with much of the world he has created here in Erindor. His scene setting was exceptional and although I don't usually buy fantasy books, I found myself drawn into this book and enjoying it.
Much of the action and explanations of the magic involved was very well done. I did take a lot longer to read this book than I do generally and I would put that down to one particular arc, which took up a large part of the middle of the book. I won't spoil anything by detailing it here, but I found the whole concept difficult to digest and consequently hard to get excited about and slow to read. That having been said, the book itself was fast-paced, exciting and I felt exceptionally well detailed, especially for a first novel.
Plucked out of his home in Austin Texas, our main character Nicholas is transported to the world of Erindor, where he discovers he is the long lost son of the ArchMage, a father he must ultimately battle (Shades of Star Wars here?).
This is a great story and I would definitely consider reading more in the series when it is released. If you are a fan of this particular genre of magic and fantasy, I am certain will thoroughly enjoy the world created within Russo's fertile mind. A great effort and my four stars is more a reflection of the one arc I didn't like and the fact this was outside my comfort zone.