I really really really enjoyed reading this book! Such an interesting concept and exciting new topic of fantasy to explore. Ugh I need the second one now!

Our main character, Naya Garth, is a sailor on the Gallant and is training for anything and everything that could please her father, the captain of the ship. However, quickly upon her arrival in the foreign country of Ceramor, where evil necromancy runs all but rampant, Naya is abruptly murdered. In a horrifying turn of events for Naya, some men her father is working with hire a necromancer to bring Naya back to life as a wraith, an almost non-corporeal being made up of the individual's soul and tied to the earth through aether, another form of energy that flows through all life forces. All of a sudden, Naya's world is tilted on its axis as she trains to be a spy for her father and his allies, while she becomes the monster she has always feared. She slowly learns, however, that the horror stories she had always been taught about necromancy may not really be true. But what would it mean if they're not?

First of all, this book starts out a teensy bit slow, and I'm not quite sure it starts in the right place. The action almost immediately begins once you start reading, and I wish there was a bit more exposition, which might have made up for the lack of world-building I noticed. Adding on to that, whatever world-building wasn't included didn't matter a whole lot to the story, but it matters to me (haha) because I want to completely understand the world, and I want more description to describe the world beyond Ceramore, necromancy, and the little bit of Talmir we see. There were a couple tiny questions I had about the specifics of wraiths and aether, questions Caitlin Seal might not even have the answers to. They didn't affect my comprehension of the story, but they did make me long for more thorough and intentional descriptions of the logistics of necromancy to make the story seem a tad more fleshed-out.

Those are the only critiques I had, and honestly, they seem kind of bad but are really not. None of them truly affect your reading experience. Speaking of, let's talk about how freaking awesome this book is! I was really hooked with the uniqueness of this whole concept, and I was always so interested to learn more about how everything worked. The plot gets pretty intense, and the characters are just so lovable! There's some sweet sweet romance too, if you're into that, but it's definitely not the main plot line of the story. And that cliffhanger, AAHH! I really cannot wait for the sequel. This book had the feel of an introduction, and the ending set the sequel up with so much potential!

Guess who's gonna be first in line for that one (spoiler alert: it's me ;) ).
Keep calm and au revoir, fellow bookworms!

Here's a special thanks to NetGalley, Caitlin Seal, and Charlesbridge Teen for giving me this amazing novel in exchange for an honest review. Every opinion in this review is my own.

I've been trying to read this book for a month. A straight month. It's been difficult, to say the least.

It wasn't that Twice Dead wasn't interesting, but the reading process was just so long and slow. While Caitlin Seal's writing was decent, I found myself constantly feeling stuck. I didn't make it all the way through because it felt like I was running up an 80 degree slope with a bag of rocks tying my feet together.

I feel like I've been drained. By life, by words, by everything, and nothing seems to be helping with that. If I have renewed interest for this book, I'll definitely come back and redo my review. Until then, happy reading to everyone, and I hope you'll have better luck than I did!

My thanks to Charlesbridge Teen and Netgalley for the ARC :)

Twice Dead is a tale about a young girl named Naya that get caught up and used as a pawn in a political war. There is the walking dead in the form of necromancy and supernatural spells and more. This book was one of the best books that I have read in a long time. Naya's people don't believe in necromancy however after Naya has an accident she is brought back using the very thing that she is against. The book follows Naya as she struggles with herself and what she is while learning to live and survive. This story started off really quickly, slowed down a little but then picked up speed full force. I was kept on the edge of my seat while reading and had to force myself to put down the book at times. I really enjoyed this book. If you like the supernatural and magic you will enjoy this book.

Twice Dead was a very lovely read and it is definitely a very nice debut from the author. It’s also safe to say I am looking forward to the sequel of this book, especially because that ending killed me! While yes I did enjoy the story, I’m not going to say it was anything groundbreaking, because it wasn’t, I’ve read stories like this many many times before (probably too many, but there’s a reason I do and it’s because I obviously like it), but I did find the concept of the book something very interesting that I hadn’t read before.

It is set in a world where people can be resurrected, yes they’re zombie, cool right? Except these people that are resurrected can live normal lives and don’t go around trying to eat people, but there’s still people who don’t like the work of the necromancers (those who bring the dead back) or the ones who were brought back and out MC is one of those people, except fate has different plans for her because she is turned into a Wraith (one of the undead) and that sparks a series of events that were definitely interesting. I did like how the book touched in a trope I like, which is the whole ‘these people aren’t what you thought they were’ and it was nice how that was explored. I really enjoyed the characters and I found myself rooting for Naya and Corten to be together. My one main complain is that while it doesn’t seem like a long book, I felt that I read and read and read and yet it seemed like I wasn’t getting any further in the book, which sometimes can be if you’re enjoying the book, but it wasn’t in this case, but it wasn’t enough for me to drop the book! (Also, I know this is an arc, but I do hope it goes through another round of edits, since there’s some mistakes here and there (like lack of space between words) but since it is an arc, I wouldn’t really say this bothered me, actually even if it wasn’t an arc it wouldn’t, it’s more of a comment on the whole thing).

I did like that it had a bit of a steampunk and doctor Frankenstein and his monster vibe to it, which are two things I absolutely love and I hope we get to learn more about the world in the rest of the series.

This was a strange book for me because typically books tend to be a bit of a slow page turner in the beginning and then about 40% in you're dying to read every last printed word. This was the opposite for me. The build-up to about the half-way point of the book was great and interesting. The plot seemed promising and different than anything I have read and I enjoyed the necromancy aspect of the book. However everything else was just....flat. I lost interest about 60% of the way in though because I didn't feel as though I made a connection with any of the characters and I didn't really care for any of them except for Lucia. I thought the romance factor of the novel was just "blah" - rushed, instant and unbelievable.

The book flowed well and was well-written, but I don't think I'll be reading the next one.

Starting this book I was very intrigued because there was such great detail that allowed for amazing world creation and the idea of necromancers. I was thrilled because in YA books it gets so hard to find books that allow you to emerge yourself in the world so fully. On top of all of that this was one of the most unique books I have read this year it had such a wonderful concept but this is where the greatness ended for me. It was a bit predictable and the characters just sort of fell flat for me. I wanted them to be as wonderful as the world I was drawn into and I was let down when they weren't. Because of this fact it was very difficult for me to get through to the end.

"Twice Dead" was a very solid teen fantasy novel, with some horror and thriller elements to it The story revolves around a girl called Naya who dies and is resurrected whilst completing an errand for her father. Naya is enlisted by an influential politician working with her father to spy on the citizens of Ceramor for Talmir (her home country). In this (fantasy) world the dead can be resurrected as 'Wraiths' and can live relatively normal lives my sucking the life force from living humans. They can do this without causing much in the way to the humans they unwittingly 'borrow' from. Naya, does not want to do this and struggles with her new life as a 'wraith'.. Although I enjoyed it, some teens may struggle getting into this book, as it takes a while getting going, setting the scene in a well drawn fantasy world.

The politics of the world is complex. Talmir doesn’t like Celamor because they practice necromancy (creating wraiths etc) and they had a mad king who tried to raise an undead army, so there is alot of suspicion between these two lands.. Naya agrees to spy on them but quickly finds the tables turning against her as those she thought she could trust are not as sincere as she believed. For a spy (even untrained and dead) Naya is very dumb and this wasn't one of the stronger strands of the plot. Once it got going it was pretty good, but there is so much good fantasy novels out there I'm not sure this title has enough going for it to separate it from the pack. Having said that I will happily buy it for my school library when it is released. Aimed at teens 13/14 or older.

this was a very enchanting book to read, Naya was killed and bought back to life for a sole purpose. the author delved into wraith's and needing ether which i haven't read about before, i found this a very original concept and look forward to book 2.

i was not drawn into that story at all. it was complicated, lacked à lot of emotions and the writing was not the best...

Sorry but I couldn't get into the book at all. I tried though, I'm so sorry for my ADD brain.

** This ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

Twice Dead was well written and packed with action, magic, and political conspiracies. Other than a bit of dragging around 2/3rds in, I thought the pacing was easy to follow and I was able to finish this all in a day!

I didn’t do much reading about this book before I started, but I had a feeling pretty early on that this was going to be a multiple book installment. Mainly because the world building seemed to be on a pretty big scale and, although interesting, pretty vague. The city where the book is set was clear enough, but the building of the neighboring countries seemed a bit flimsy and skipped over. But, to be fair, I thought worked because we got to focus on the necromancers and magic and the people they bring back. I liked Seal’s take on necromancy, and it was fun seeing a city where this magic is accepted and the walking dead are common place.

With all that said, the plot felt all too familiar.

It was good. But apart from the necromancer magic, not much different from several other YA fantasy series that have recently been released. I did enjoy the necromancers against the backdrop of warring kingdoms, and I clung to the things that made this unique: necromancer magic and exploration of its capabilities, such as the creation of wraiths and reapers. I really hope that this continues to be relevant and becomes the central focus, mainly because I feel like all the fantasy books with warring kingdoms are all starting to blend together.

As for the characters, I liked them… but truthfully, didn’t find myself too invested in them. I did like Naya and her growth throughout the story. Corten is sweet and while I liked his role as a mentor in the story, I didn’t develop much of an interest in him. In my opinion, Lucia was the most intriguing and promising character, and the ending has me really hopeful for what’s next.

TL;DR
I didn't love Twice Dead, but I definitely didn't hate it. It was well written and packed with action, magic, and political conspiracies, but the plot of war felt all too familiar. It sets itself apart with its take on necromancy and magic, so I do have some hope for this series!

This was an interesting story with a unique plot line. I enjoyed reading it.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*

I'm a huge fan of fantasy and supernatural stories, so I was beyond excited for Twice Dead once I read the synopsis. I haven't read a good book surrounding the idea of necromancy since The Darkest Powers Trilogy by Kelley Armstrong. Needless to say, I had extremely high hopes for this book.

This story is about a girl named Naya who is killed running an errand for her father and is brought back to life as a wraith. She then finds out that she is to become a spy for her country, Talmir, so that they can make sure Ceramor, a country known for their necromancy, upholds their side of the treaty. After the big war, a treaty was made to ensure that the necromancers did not abuse their powers and create weapons, essentially, rather than resurrecting people who were killed before it was their time to die.

Naya is our protagonist/heroine. The majority of this novel is spent on Naya's arc and growth throughout the story. When we meet Naya she is completely against necromancy and believes it is a sin. Throughout the story we see her begin to wonder if she has only ever considered one point of view in regards to wraiths and necromancy. However, I believe that Naya's character still needs some depth and development--as do the other characters. I see where the author is going, but it didn't feel all that genuine. It's hard to put into words. I feel that this novel's pacing was slow yet rushed. It took awhile for the plot to become interesting, yet I feel a lot of the development of the characters was rushed. As a result of this, I don't feel too attached to any of the characters in this novel and I almost wanted to skip some pages so that I could find some more exciting scenes.

Don't get me wrong, the idea behind this story is phenomenal. I'm definitely a fan of the idea. I just think it all needs a bit more of development to make it an amazing story. Right now, it feels like an average story which makes me sad because I know it has the potential to be better. That being said, I will definitely read the next book because I have faith that it will be better.

I was excited about this book and I really tried to get into it.
The premise was great. It was just the execution which turned me off a little bit. The pacing was too slow for my liking but I still enjoyed the story.
I will certainly be giving the second book a try since there is a lot more story to tell. Plus I want to know what happened to Corwen.
The world building was also great as was the the character building. It was just a little too wordy without much being said.

Seal, Caitlin Twice Dead, 336 pages. Charlesbridge, SEPTEMBER 2018. $18. Language: PG (10 swears); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (death, battle)

Naya has been trying to find a place for herself at her father’s side, helping him with his contacts at the various ports he visits in his sailing adventures. She is running an important errand for him at their latest port, when she is struck down and killed. When she regains consciousness, she has become a wraith – a spirit given form through necromancy. Necromancy is anathema in Naya’s own country, but her it is common place. As she tries to come to terms with her new existence, her father’s contact has a spying job for her. Everything is a confusing, but she has a huge learning curve and if she doesn’t figure this out, her option will permanent death.

As much as I enjoyed following Naya’s story, I caught myself about 2/3rds of the way through wondering – what’s the point? The book is mostly character development – well-written character development – without a plot to hang it on. Well, there is some plot, but it is served up in little bits, which makes it feel unimportant. I am thinking there will a second book – hopefully it will be a better balance of plot and character.

MS, HS – OPTIONAL. Cindy, Library Teacher

I enjoyed reading this book. It may not be my favorite to-be-released-book, but it definitely will capture the readers imagination. The plot was very unique, the idea of necromancers and the the idea of second life for those who died and resurrecting them as a wraith or a reaper is very interesting. But in teems of the flow of the story, I could say that everything is a little bit predictable, and I bet you would have guess who killed her even at the first few chapter. The idea and description on how the “resurrecting” part is a little bit confusing. And even after I finished the book, it is still a little bit confusing for me to understand the terms and steps how the resurrection was being done. The Characters are also okay.

Overall, the book is good. I will have it recommended to my friends. Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

I think this story was interesting and unique, and people who like to read YA. Will definitely like this one.

I loved this book. I will admit that the MC could be a bit annoying in her bias towards wraith but then I just had to remind myself that she never knew any better. When she started to learn the truth and change for the better I really found myself loving it more and more. I'm ready for the next.

Loved the first 20% or so, but couldn't keep reading. Though I realized going into a book dealing with wraiths and necromancers that death would be a recurring topic, I did not know that one of the characters is a knowledgeable lady named Lucia. My mother, Lucia, passed away a few years ago and I just couldn't read her name on the same page as death so many times. Sorry.

I received this book pre-release from Netgalley.

This book was somehow both exactly what I thought it would be, and yet, not. The story is about a girl called Naya who dies and is resurrected whilst completing an errand for her father. Naya is enlisted by an influential politician working with her father to spy on the citizens of Ceramor for Talmir (her home country).

Talmir doesn’t like Celamor because they practice necromancy and they had a mad king who tried to raise an undead army. Naya agrees to spy on them but quickly finds the tables turning against her as those she thought she could trust are not as sincere as she believed.

Overall, I found that there were a lot of predictable elements within this book. For example, as soon as Corten was introduced I knew he would be the love interest and as soon as he was described as throwing a weak punch during the battle, I knew what his fate was going to be.

However, I did think the story was a very original concept and put an interesting spin on necromancy that I hadn’t read before. I think Seal successfully created her own little world and believable characters, and I definitely squealed inwardly during Corten and Naya’s first kiss!

The writing wasn’t overly complicated and I’d say this book is probably suitable for about 13+, though it does have some mature themes at times. I did feel the writing was a little clunky, but this wasn’t frequent enough to make the book much less enjoyable.

I didn’t particularly like the ending, though I can see that it has been left in such a way that the writer can continue the series; and I did like the final line. I just wish it were less predictable because I instantly now know what the next book will be about - which is fine, but a little mystery and intrigue really works up readers.

I don’t know if I’d read the sequel as I’m pretty sure I could tell you what will probably happen, but who knows, I didn’t expect Lucia and Naya’s plan at the end so I could be pleasantly surprised.