An Author Milestone
In which Bev gets her first Trade Review
Updates
I’ve got some very exciting updates to share with you all!
The Necromancer’s Apprentice received a positive review from Kirkus! That’s right! The Kirkus!
A quick explanation for those who don’t know: Kirkus is one of the biggest names in publishing. They’ve been around since 1933 with the primary goal of reviewing books for the general public / publishing professionals. If you grab a book from your shelves, you might find their name on the back of some of your more buzz worthy books in the company of Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, etc. It’s a big deal.
Due to the nature of Snowy Wings being not only an author co-op but also acting as a small press, this meant that The Necromancer’s Apprentice was allowed to be submitted.
I sent the book and then immediately did my best to forget about it. Even when I was anxiously looking at the calendar and realizing that, Oh. Oh, the review might show up soon.
Thus, imagine my surprise, when I glanced at an email from Lyssa at Snowy Wings while at work on Saturday to the subject header of ‘Kirkus Review!’
Without further ado - The Review!
Twelve-year-old Georgie Smith would do anything to help his father, the Blacksmith, even if it means learning Necromancy.
Georgie doesn’t really remember his mother, but he’s witnessed the years of grief her death has caused his father. He does his best to help around the house and the forge, but Georgie still doesn’t feel like he’s doing enough. When a special commission he delivers for his father turns out to belong to a Necromancer, Georgie has an idea: If he can learn the art of Necromancy, he could bring back his mother, and his father would be happy again. The Necromancer agrees to take Georgie on as an apprentice but cautions that, when it comes to restoring Mum’s life, “I cannot help you. Not with this…But I can teach you.” Despite this warning, Georgie knows that there’s more to Necromancy—and the Necromancer—than meets the eye, and he’s intent on using his training to find an answer to his family’s grief. This character-driven story explores poignant themes of grief, loss, and family through the lens of fantasy and magic. The interesting, complex characters with compelling narrative arcs make up for the somewhat lackluster worldbuilding. Though the core themes are sad ones, this isn’t a heavy read but rather a well-rounded exploration of moving forward in the face of hardship. Major characters read white.
An effective, well-characterized exploration of grief set in a fantasy world.(Fantasy. 9-13)
-cue Beverly tea kettle screeching with glee-
I’m still trying to wrap my head around it all. It’s been amazing to be able to share such good news with friends, family, and my book community. It feels so surreal. I cannot understate how validating this feels for me. I’ve been doing this writing in pursuit of publication thing now for nearly thirteen years. I’ve written many words, a couple of books, received many rejections, and ultimately took this big leap into indie publishing.
It’s this warm fuzzy feeling of ‘Wow. I was right. I am ready. I can do this.’
I will be bludgeoning my imposter syndrome with this good news for the foreseeable future.
Next Steps
It’s full speed ahead with Launch Day prep!
I’ll be ordering books, making sure various markets have what they need in order to sell them, setting up a Square account, and finalizing plans for a Launch Party so that I can get as many RSVPs together. I’ll probably order even more books after that.
I’m feeling a little drained from all the promo, even when now is the time needed for the hustle to continue! I’m very much looking forward to having a shorter window for my next book.
I’m also putting together some Teacher Discussion Questions for The Necromancer’s Apprentice as an added bonus for bookclubs, libraries, teachers etc. On top of that, I’m brainstorming ideas for Presentations that I can offer in the hopes of getting my book into even more libraries / schools. I’m very excited to take my neurodivergent hobby of ‘giving speeches to no one’ about my book and actually use it in front of an actual audience.
Writing Updates
You’ve probably guessed it by now, but with the launch, discussion questions, presentation brainstorming etc. I haven’t made a lot of progress on the Forest Book. Someone said to me that it seemed as if I was moving right along, but honestly, I feel a bit like the Tortoise trudging along while the Hare runs circles around me.
However, it’s been nice to still feel Productive and Do Writing Things even if it’s not new words on a new project. I’ve found that even when my energy is at my lowest, I can still putter around with the Admin side of things.
The Cats
I am happy to report that Banjo is finally fully functional, healed, and back to his bossy self after a round of antibiotics. It was a long month but my little buddy is feeling much better. He was NOT a fan of his twice daily meds, and is still a little leery of me calling for him during certain times of the day. However, he is much better, eating regularly, and snuggling again. Let’s hope he stays this way and that we can avoid the vet for a good long while.
Next Steps for You!
There are still a few spots open for an Advanced Readers Copy of The Necromancer’s Apprentice over on BookSirens!
You can add The Necromancer’s Apprentice to your TBRs on both Goodreads and The Storygraph App.
If you’ve already acquired / read an early copy, thank you so much! Please consider leaving your reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, and Barnes and Noble’s website. It doesn’t have to be a long, drawn out thing. Every little review, even if it’s just a ‘this had skeletons in it’ will be a big help in making sure readers can find the book.
That’s all for now, folks! Happy reading!