Twice Dead

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.

This was such a unique read. I couldn't put it down at all.

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.

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.

"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.

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.

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.

A solid YA fantasy book that was also surprisingly unputdownable to me - probably because I like moral conflicts over alliances and ethics, probably also because it puts the romance back in necromancer. Though the love interest takes a backseat in this one, and it's politics' time to shine. Thumbs up for the clever magic system behind the living dead, plus the author's inclusion of diversity. And besides, the book's main venue Belavine reminded me of Lisbon, how nice!

That being said, Twice Dead could be a 4-5 star book for me, if only there was more elaborate worldbuilding and background information. What the reader gets is a mere peek at moral stances, technology and religion that left me with numerous questions. How does their monotheistic religion work? What are the societies of Ceramor's neighbouring countries like? Are Ceramorian wraiths social outcasts after all? Does their presence lead to infrastructure problems? I understand that this is only the first book of a series and that much of the aforementioned blank spaces will be filled in the coming works, but I could have used some of this information earlier on, if only to add a sense of depth to the universe.

In addition to that, most intrigues and decision-making didn't make much sense either, but I could have overlooked that, if the political issues hadn't taken over and become so convoluted by the end. About 2/3 into the novel, there are lots of repetitions, and almost no getting behind. I'm saying this for once: I wish there had at least been more (nec)romancing! *percussive sting* And for some reason I had understood from the blurb that the necromancer resurrecting the heroine would also be the love interest - but this way is fine too. You know what I'm about.

I do want to continue the series, because I'm hoping for more insight, worldbuilding, and the resolution of a certain sad incident - until then, I recommend Twice Dead to readers who don't second-guess plots.

I really enjoyed this book. Naya is a very intriguing character, as she struggles with finding herself resurrected- something deeply against her religious unbringing. As she comes to terms with her abilities and discovers that wraiths are not inherently bad (in fact we never meet a bad one!), she grows so much. The side characters all add to the story, and her love interest - a fellow wraith - is pretty great. I look forward to the sequel!!

I just a love when a good book about necromancers hits the fan in a good way! This was EPIC

I enjoyed this more than I expected! I was just drawn in right away~ The plot is just so unique and intriguing that I didn’t want to put it down!
The world building is really cool. I like the idea of resurrecting through a particular bone, and the ethics of what makes a person a person and what is a soul.
I highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys paranormal fantasy! I cant wait to read the rest of this series when it comes out! I'm excited ^-^

really original premise. I loved the story, plot, characters, pretty much everything about the whole story.

Honestly? This was a solid 4.5/5 star read, and I just am never comfortable rounding up to 5.

The world building is great, and a very interesting and unique world. The characters are mostly well developed. The writing is clear but not plain.

Naya, the main protagonist, is believably naive and has prejudices that are a product of her upbringing that she struggles with in a realistic way. I really appreciated this.

An issue with many fantasy books is they assume the same patriarchy or other social constructs like homophobia as the real world for NO REASON. I very much enjoyed in this fantasy world men and women leaders exist and never is the gender if a character an issue when discussing their role or actions. A same sex couple comes up without fanfare and they give a very plausible reason for why they are a bit secretive about it.

The action is fairly fast paced, which I prefer, and the plot while not mind blowing is not entirely predictable either.

What holds me back from 5 stars? I didn't get completely invested in the protagonist and didn't quite get those feels I need to declare a read a 5 star read. I don't want to include spoilers here, but a few moments didn't ring with the same resonance as the rest of the book.

I definitely will have an eye out for the next book, though! Would recommend for anyone who would like to try some darker less ordinary magic.

In this book, the world building and the concept behind the wraiths and necromancers was something I don't see often in books. I was interested in this book from the cover and I was not let down. I was excited about the idea of this book and I can't wait to see what the author comes up with in the next book. Naya is our heroine was not a bad character for me but I feel I would like to know more about her. The story overall was a good read for me. *This book was given to me for free at my request from NetGalley and I provided this voluntary review.*

Twice Dead is the perfect book for fans of Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows or Marie Lu's Young Elites.

Naya Garth is on her first trade mission for her well respected father until things go awry. She ends up dead. But in the city of Ceramor necromancy is common place and she is resurrected. The only problem? Her ressurectors want to use her for their own machinations and it isn't long before Naya is left wondering exactly where she stands and who she can trust?

Twice Dead is well written and the concept behind the story is brilliant! There's several twists and turns that wrench at your gut and leave you needing more.

Whilst I did enjoy the book I felt a certain loss at the ending was pretty lacklustre and it didn't really hit me as hard as deaths usually do in books. That was my only disappointment as literally everything else about the book was dark, mysterious and engaging.

Overall definitely still worth the read particularly for those who are fans of dark fantasy.

For release September 18th THIS YEAR! 😍 Definitely worth the read 😊

This book is creative. The characters are all well developed and the story is unique. I could not put this book down.

I truly enjoyed this book more than I expected! Twice Dead is the first installment in Caitlin Seal’s new series titled The Necromancer’s Song. I was drawn to this book by the cover. 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, Naya is our heroine was not a bad character for me but I feel I would like to know more about her. The story overall was a good read for me.

I received this book from #netgalley and Publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to them.
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First, lets just admire this book cover!! The cover is what always catches my eye! Loved it.

Second, from just reading the synopsis, I knew I wanted this book and wow, I am glad that Netgalley and the publishing company released it to me.

This book was very interesting and dark I love a good supernatural and paranormal read. Really entertaining. The plot was so unique and dark. It is a fast read. I really enjoyed the world building. This is book one in a new series. Now I just have to wait until the next one releases... OH THE WAIT! I highly recommend this book!

So Twice Dead was quite the interesting read.
It was such a different, unqiue twist on necromancers so I was so excited to read this, but it definitely had a few flaws. The plot at first was hard for me to get into, but about 25% into the book it really picked up pace. The plot is interesting and the ending hit me in the feels and I'm really not happy about it in a crush my feelings good way.
The main character (Naya) was not love for me, but she definitely grew and im excited to see where it goes. my favorite character though was probably Corten he really saved the book for me.
The world building is what I really hope grows I felt like with more writing and growth this series could be amazing not just a good or pretty good read, none the less I will be reading the next ones and would recommend them to others! I'll post a full review of this book in my blog for those interested!

I enjoyed this book way more than I thought I would. It kind of reminded me of my all time favorite book, The Hobbit, which might have made me a little biased. Naya gets killed early on in this story, however for her, death isn't the end. She is resurrected by a necromancer and gets drawn into a plot concocted by an ambassador from her home country. From there, she has to decide which side she is on and who she can trust. Corten is one of the people she has to figure out. He was the former apprentice to her current master and his agenda doesn't match up with her initial one. The romance between the two didn't feel all that real and was really predictable, however he did have good intentions so I admired him for that. Speaking of romance, two of the characters were homosexual. I liked that the author was able to incorporate that into her story. It did end somewhat on a cliffhanger and I will definitely read the next book!

Really enjoyed this book. Naya has very strong character development throughout the book and it does a great job of putting a new spin on the concept of reapers and the undead. Highly recommend.

Twice Dead is a great debut YA fantasy novel set in a world where necromancy is commonplace and political intrigue abounds! This was a very enjoyable read that is appropriate for younger teens and gives some thought to death and the morality of bringing people back. Naya has grown up in a country that vehemently opposes the use of necromancy, viewing the undead as evil monstrosities. When she embarks on her first mission in Ceramor (where the undead are an integral part of society) she is unexpectedly killed and brought back as a wraith. She is asked to become a spy, but the world of intrigue may be more than she bargained for.

I really enjoyed the development of the magic system in this world. We learn quite a bit about the different kinds of undead and the ways they can use aether. The twists of the plot were pretty easy to figure out, but I'm also not sure they were supposed to be surprising in the first place. It seems more about Naya's arc of growth as a character, and her discovery of these twists. There is also a very sweet friendship turned romance in the story. Overall I thought this was a solid 4-star read in the YA fantasy genre and a strong debut. I would be interested in continuing on with the series! Thank you to the publisher for sending me an unsolicited early copy of this book.

Gosh why did I wait so long to read this? It's sat on my shelf for a while now and I NEEEEEEEED the next book. It reminds me a lot of Sarah J Maas - similar style, slightly dark, very twisty, and you just get lost in the characters they're so vivid. I genuinely loved this book, and while I found the ending frustrating (I need some closure, so I need the next book) my heart wrenched over C, I hated her father as much as she did, and I empathized so much with the split personality she was developing between her two aliases. I can't find one bad thing to say about this book it was that good. More please.

Seal has a knack for description and the ability to move the plot along at a decent pace. At times, it seemed that the book offered more questions than answers, and spent too much time answering questions that I didn't really care to have answers to in the first place. There is some decent world building in this first book, but I wonder if the lack of coherence is due to it being part of a series of if the lack is just a fault of the author. I think I will read the second book to see if things improve. Overall, a decent start to a series with an interesting premise.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the electronic ARC in exchange for my honest review.

-- I received a free e-review copy of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions are my own. --

Sent into a strange city on an errand, Naya wakes up, unexpectedly resurrected. She had never expected to die, and even less to be returning as a wraith. The story tells of a prospective war, complicated romance, and her coming to terms with her new life and existence, against everything she had believed.
I really enjoyed reading this complex tale, despite it falling into known YA-tropes and being predicable at times. While there is a clear 'right' and 'wrong' side in this story, pretty much all of the characters have their detours into morally gray and conflicted territory, which makes for a great read. I am very much looking forward to reading the next book in this series and finding out how the story goes on.

Twice Dead is Caitlin Seal’s debut novel and is a luscious and delightful fantasy novel perfect for fans of Susan Dennard and Maria V. Snyder!

The daughter of a sea merchant trader, Naya is undertaking her first solo mission in the necromancer friendly country of Ceramor near her homeland when she is struck down on her way to meet an associate. Murdered in an alleyway, death is not the end for Naya as she awakens a wraith--a ghostly creature bound by runes carved into the bones of her former corpse. Brought back by a necromancer, Naya is recruited to be a spy for her native country and assumes the identity of a servant in order to discover political secrets. Becoming involved in kidnapping and murder isn’t what she signed on for and neither is betraying the young man she’s become to care about. Naya is soon struggling to see out with her mission, but with things not what they seem, the danger to those in Ceramor may be bigger than she ever anticipated…..

I was really impressed with Twice Dead, the first novel in what will be The Necromancer’s Song series by Caitlin Seal. Twice Dead was beautifully written and well-paced, introducing readers to a fantastic paranormal fantasy world of magic and resurrection. The world within the novel was well constructed and the concept of necromancy and the way people were resurrected and tied to their bones through runes and bonds were intriguing. It was fresh concept on Seal’s part and I think it was implemented wonderfully.

The heroine of Twice Dead, Naya, comes from a land that considers the undead monsters and those that resurrect them messing with what the Creator intended. It was intriguing to follow her through her transition from an ordinary girl who wakes up as something she has always thought an abomination to being comfortable in who she now is. Loyal to her country to a fault and a product of the society she was raised in, Ceramor and its inhabitants open Naya’s eyes to the true nature of the undead; making for a lot of confliction and inner turmoil as Naya wages a battle against herself and what she has been taught to be believe.

Personally I liked Naya and thought she was easy to follow. Naya wants to do the right thing and make her father proud, however as the novel progresses she learns a lot and begins to question what she has always known. It’s the growth in Naya that I really appreciated. She shows a lot of promise as the protagonist as she begins to master her abilities as a wraith and embrace who she is.

Naya’s lifeline to her new reality as a wraith comes in the form of Corten, a former necromancer and fellow wraith who helps Naya learn how to harness her abilities and how to survive her needs. Corten becomes a friend to Naya and of course romance blossoms between the two. Honestly, I thought Corten and Naya were really sweet as a couple. They connected well and there was as innocence and sweetness to their relationship.

Twice Dead comes to a heartbreaking ending with hard choices made and developments pushing forward the course of the story. I for one cannot wait to see what Caitlin Seal does next and will be eagerly awaiting the release of the next novel to see how Naya helps those she loves!

Title: Twice Dead (The Necromancer’s Song #1)
Author: Caitlin Seal
Pages: 336

Released: September 18, 2018
Publisher: Charlesbridge Teen
Format: Hardcover

Genre: Fantasy
Goodreads Rating: 3.22 (of 82 ratings)

What a cover! What a summary! The moment I saw Seal’s novel floating around NetGalley, I jumped at the chance for an ARC copy. I’m a fanatic for books with magic and fantastic new worlds, and on this Twice Dead did not disappoint.

As the summary states, Naya is murdered and becomes a wraith. Since the reader knows this going into the book, not a lot of time is spent on exploring not-undead Naya. Very quickly she enters the world of necromancy and wraiths and “aether,” the energy-like substance that wraiths live on. Seal is clear in her explanations on the workings of necromancy and does a good job of showing the way magic works in this society, instead of always telling the reader with dragging paragraphs. I was satisfied with her unique construction of Ceramor and the Powers, the necromancy-hating Talmir and the deep history to the last war. My only issue was how many new names/cities were introduced — I wouldn’t have minded a glossary, because I did confuse terms sometimes.

From the beginning Naya is wrapped up in a political plot that is slowly revealed to be full of traitors and liars. I enjoyed the story but for one thing: at times I didn’t know where the story was headed. About fifty percent into the book, I actually thought everything was concluded, and was entirely confused about why there was more to the book. I had no problem continuing on, because I liked Naya’s character, but the plot could drag sometimes. Otherwise, the entire political plot is really well crafted and had me scratching my head trying to see what could be coming up next.

Naya is a fun to read along with. I wouldn’t classify her as one of my favourity badass heroines, but she still kicks butt. I will say I had no interest in the (very minor) identity struggle she had near the end of the book, though. Just because it’s focused on “who am I, the Naya who was alive or the Naya who is undead???” But as a reader I never knew her as alive so… The struggle lacked real power to me. But undead Naya really knows how to play the game! Naya kept things interesting throughout the book, moving pieces together and honestly saving the entire city. Because what can’t girls do.

However, I’m said to say a biiiig down moment for me in the book was the romance. I was nooooot vibing, I’m sorry to say. For me, it was like two platonic friends were kissing from time to time and I was supposed to be cheering and feeling feels? Which is a bummer because I can tell the romance plays a key role in book two. The love interest read like a two dimensional character to me, offering no real interesting qualities or additions to the book.

The book wraps up really well, with a clear set-up for book two. No deadly cliffhangers if you’re not into those!

Three and a half stars for this read, and I would recommend for any fantasy/magic fans. This book loses rating points because the romance fell flat and the love interest even as a character was not interesting. Also, the plot had slower moments that made it just too easy to put the book down … which I did, several times, and I usually finish books in one sitting. But the romance does not make this book, so if you’re still down for an original fantasy read (I l-o-o-o-ve how Seal develped necromancy in this world!) I highly suggest.

Review to be posted on Goodreads Sept. 10 2018 (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/82147023-sha)
Review to be posted on blog Sept. 13 2018 (https://bookprincessreviews.wordpress.com/)

Twice Dead
Caitlin Seal
Oh my goodness this book had me on the edge of my seat. Love that this book worked with necromancy because you don't see that very much and I really liked that she went into that. I seriously need the next book because the way this book freaking ended, such a cliffhanger!! I really enjoyed the characters and the world. The writing was great as well. A very awesome book.

I want to thank NetGalley and Charlesbridge Teen for the digital ARC which was given to me in exchange for my honest review.

In the past year I have read a few books that deal with necromancy, The Bone Witch being the first that comes to mind. It is a relatively new concept in my typical fantasy reads and Twice Dead had some twists to it that I have not yet seen so that was interesting enough to keep me reading and wanting more. There is a lot of plot and world building in the very first part of the book and it hooked me right away.

There was a good mix of political tension, love interest, betrayals, moral disagreements, discussion of sexuality, and other currently common themes that balanced out the more unique concept of necromancy. Some parts of the novel are quite predictable, which isn’t necessarily a negative for me. I often find that predictable storylines with unique world-building can be even more enjoyable than big twists and turns that sometimes feel contrived just for the sake of shock value.

The characters are fairly well-developed. I would like for Naya to be a little stronger of a lead as a female character. However, there is something also to be said for her uncertainty because that is actually a more relatable trait to most readers than a fully confident and self-assured bad*** heroine.

I would recommend this book to lovers of paranormal fiction and fantasy.

This book is only just over 300 pages, which I thought was a good length. I am glad that it wasn't longer because then it definitely would have dragged!

I loved the romance in this book, it was really well done and Corten is my absolute FAVE! It was not super rushed, though I wouldn't call it slow burn either. It found a good middle ground which I thought was really good!

Naya was a character I grew to love more as the book progressed. At the start of the book I was dubious, but having finished I really like her now!

None of the plot really blew my mind. It did feel like a typical YA fantasy. But I was still entertained, so that's something!

The world idea was very clever, but not introduced super well. I had trouble following at the beginning. But it was such a good concept!! If only it'd been executed better!

But I still really enjoyed the writing and the story.

Plus, Corten made the book well worth reading!!

I enjoyed Twice Dead! It was imaginative and original and I will definitely checkout the sequels in this series. Naya was raised in a place that strongly believes that necromancy is wrong and evil and so was upset to find out that she was brought back as a wraith.
I definitely enjoyed the magic system and the development of right vs. wrong. The romance was also cute and sweet and enjoyable. This would be a fun and exciting read for a younger age group than I initially thought it would be. So as a Young Adult novel, I did have some issues with it (primarily plot development/world building and character depth. I just felt as though it fell a little short of what I was expecting)… I think it would be a really strong book for the Juvenile Fiction / Middle Grade age group!! Definitely something I would have enjoyed at a younger age and could see my younger relatives really liking!!

Rating: 3.5

Great start to a series with a very intriguing premise! I loved the world building and rune magic. I hadn’t read a book with runes since Cassandra Clare’s series (although this book takes them in a completely different direction.) I liked Naya and she grew as a character throughout the book but I feel like I still didn’t quite know her well enough. Perhaps this will change in book 2? I really liked Corten. He actually was my favorite character and there’s promise of a romance there which I hope will pick up in the second book. Overall I enjoyed the story but It started to drag a little for me at about 75% and I got anxious to finish it. But it does end with a nice set up for the second book. I’m interested to see what happens.

Overall I enjoyed it (despite any minor annoyances I had) and it has a lot of potential which may be better realized as the series continues. I hope so anyway....Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was very different from any books I've read before. I liked the main character, and the story was interesting with necromancy and twists. It wasn't fast paced, but I was kept intrigued to the very end. I will probably continue the series to see what happens to the characters. And also, heads up for a huge cliffhanger at the end!

I received in ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Naya the main character goes through a big change in her life where she becomes a wraith. As hard as it is for her to come to terms with what happened to her, with the help of Corten a young man she befriends. She understands what she can do and a special relationship forms. But she has a part to play in the towns politics now that shes a wraith, what will sneaking around and lying cost her?
The description of Twice Dead got my attention and I knew I had to read it. And I was right! It had me captivated from the very beginning and I couldn't put it down. The world building is incredible and I'm looking forward to reading what's next for this wonderful series.
4.5/5 stars

What makes a person a person? Is it their soul? In a world where necromancers can “sing” a person back to life, Caitlin Seal takes us into the world she has created with TWICE DEAD, a tale of intrigue, betrayal and political machinations as one girl must struggle to discover who she can trust, as well as who can trust her.

Naya thought she was on a merchant’s mission for her father when she is murdered. The land of Ceramor practices necromancy, something abhorred in her land, but Naya awakens to discover she has been brought back to life. Is she now the very monsters her land has feared? Is she a soulless creature of darkness or has she become a pawn in an evil game of deceit and political machinations?

Caitlin Seal has created something different in the young adult fantasy genre with main characters that are likable, relatable, but not as fleshed out as they could have been. I absolutely loved the concept, the twists and how unique this tale is and I see this series becoming something to be sure to follow, even though there were times when I wanted more information, then again, I’m not the target audience.

There is a lot of story between these pages and a lot of movement going on, for sure, enough that I know I’ll be back for more political intrigue, moral dilemmas and a budding romance that may or may not get off the ground as we watch these characters develop more depth and the plot thicken!

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Charlesbridge Teen!

Series: The Necromancer's Song - Book 1
Publisher: Charlesbridge Teen (September 18, 2018)
Publication Date: September 18, 2018
Genre: YA fantasy
Hardcover: 336 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com

I received a Copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Though I am an adult I still find myself looking for YA novels from time to time. And you can find true gems every once in a while. And Caitlin Seal's Twice Dead has the potential to become one.

Naya Garth is a simple girl, living with his father traveling on his ship, because she wants to be like him. Then she dies. Not too many main characters die at the beginning of a book. But I thought why not. Let's see what happens.
And I'm glad I continued. Obviously Caitlin Seal has planned more than just this one book. Because we're just getting started. Naya gies through some very serious emotional changes. Life changing ones. She has to grow up. I'm sure that the next book will take the reader deeper into her character.

The plot was good. I actually liked Naya's little naiv soul and I enjoyed her adventures.
And the best books have romance and adventure so I really recommend this book.

Naya, the daughter of a sea merchant captain, nervously undertakes her first solo trading mission in the necromancer-friendly country bordering her homeland of Talmir. Unfortunately, she never even makes it to the meeting. She's struck down in the streets of Ceramor. Murdered. But death is not the end for Naya. She awakens to realize she's become an abomination--a wraith, a ghostly creature bound by runes to the bones of her former corpse. She's been resurrected in order to become a spy for her country. Reluctantly, she assumes the face and persona of a servant girl named Blue.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for a review. The title really intrigued me, as did the concept of the country full of the reanimated dead. It sounded like the author had created a new and interesting concept, beyond the over-used zombie narrative. I was excited to see what Naya's story hold and what this new world and undead species would bring to the table. 

The world of Ceramor, in which Naya finds herself captured in, was an exciting new place to explore. The political drama with Naya's home country of Talmir and the people's relationship with necromancers and the undead added greatly to the setting and tone of the book. I also loved the magic the author created, which is based on runes and deeply integrated into the technology of the world. This setting was a nice change from the medieval/urban fantasies I see so often. 

The plot of the this book was enticing and exciting. I enjoyed the way the author dropped me immediately into the plot and didn't let up. The tension and action is constantly being ramped up as the stories continues. However, I did find the supposed plot twists fairly predictable. From the moment a plot element was introduced, I was able to predict what would happen by the end of its arc, almost exactly every time. 

Much like the plot elements, I found the characters of the Twice Dead predictable. They were all fun and likable characters, or unlikable for the antagonists, but they were one dimensional. Their motives were transparent, even as the author attempted to conceal them. They didn't seem complicated or especially memorable for me. Naya was a fun protagonist, but I didn't miss her once I'd finished the book.

Twice Dead is the first book in Caitlin Seal's new series. The world created is beautifully complex and unique. The plot was predictable but entertaining. I enjoyed the characters, including the protagonist Naya, but they were one-dimensional and unmemorable. I'll look forward to the next book in Seal's series, so I can learn more about this world.

"The stories varied, but one fact remained the same: the undead weren't human anymore, no matter how well they faked it."

Besides being drawn in by the cover, I was initially pulled into the story by the unique summary. There's not many Young Adult books that dabble in the paranormal, in the sense of wraiths and reapers and necromancy. I've always been interested in the world of necromancy, and to me, it's no surprise that my favorite part of this book was the concept of necromancy.

Necromancy is communicating with the dead, which is part of Lucia's specialty. Lucia is the one who brings Naya back from the dead. Well, brings her back in the form of a wraith, an undead being that needs aether to basically live. Raising the dead in this story involves runes that are etched onto bonds, or even solid objects, such as a furnace. The concept of runes and aether were a delightful surprise. Both had a strong presence in the novel, as both played a huge role in Naya's new life (and secret life). There were not a ton of scenes that involved raising the dead, but there was enough to satisfy the reader while also staying true to Naya's story.

Naya, the main character, after being raised from the dead, finds out that she was only raised for one thing: to be a spy for her country. She never wanted to become a wraith, nor did she wanted to get tangled up in murder and dangerous plots. She never expected to die. The idea of using a wraith as a spy was very intriguing and definitely different from many stories. Being undead fit well for Naya, as I feel if she was still alive, there would not be a need for her story. As the reader, I saw her struggle with coming to terms of what she has become, while also staying linked to her past. Even so, I unfortunately did not see a lot of character development on her end. Naya was interesting, but there were times where she focused more on doing what she was told instead of following her instincts. Or she would do something drastic without weighing the consequences, which are mistakes we all made, but she seemed to make them over and over. She has a vast amount of potential, just like the story, so I hope to see more of her development as an individual in the second book.

Corton, though, was a great character. He had a lot of backstory and played a huge role in Naya's life, even if she was not aware of it. Him being the love interest was pretty obvious, but nothing wrong with that. I thought the two characters worked well together and had strong chemistry. There were a few scenes where you could feel the tension between Naya and Corten; those are some of my favorite scenes in books because it truly captures what it's like to interact with someone who emotionally affects you.

Overall, the storyline is strong. There are some areas where it will feel like the story is dragging on, but I promise, there are some really amazing scenes in Twice Dead. The political plots and necromancy are two sturdy topics in the book, which really make for a fun and unique story. The world building is absolutely breathtaking and very descriptive; it's a world unlike any other. Even though I wasn't the biggest fan of Twice Dead, I do plan on continuing this series. I love the idea of necromancy and I want to see how Naya develops in the second book.

I recommend this book for those who enjoy paranormal and unique stories in the YA genre.

An interesting story with a unique magic system, Twice Dead is about a young woman who has to become a reluctant spy for her kingdom Talmir, when she is resurrected as a wraith. Initially trusting and obedient, she soon realizes that maybe the people she is working for don't exactly have honorable intentions towards the kingdom (Ceramor) she is being asked to spy upon. Also, coming from a place that hates necromancy to being in a place where necromancy is considered a way of life is a cultural adjustment for her, which fuels her initial enthusiasm for her missions, but soon she has to accept that she is now one of the undead.

The book's highlight is the way it describes the world - the author builds it subtly yet concisely. The four kingdom system, the balance of the power between them, and the different values that led to the original conflict and what is threatening the peace now. The magic system works on runes that enable things to channel aether, or to raise the dead as undead bodies, or as wraiths, who have much more powers and can affect the flow of aether. Coming from Talmir, Naya views the latter use as abominations to nature, and she slowly comes to accept herself as a person, and not just a monster. Additionally, she also has to realize the negative propaganda that Talmir spreads against Ceramor. Besides her, the other characters of significance are Lucia and Corten - the former is the one who raised her, and whom she has a contentious relationship with, and the latter is another wraith who guides her through her new way of life, and who she falls in love with.

The disappointment came with the actual spying - it isn't until halfway through the book that she even goes on her first mission that, well, doesn't exactly go as she had thought. The first half is just her learning how to wraith, and being a dutiful daughter and countrywoman by learning combat and spy skills. And after that, her skills come to use, but she is not exactly a spy - a person to help break and enter, at most? The relationship between the two countries is also mostly painted in broad strokes, and is very black and white about things - Talmir is the intolerable one itching for another war, and Ceramor is the victim that is still recovering from the last one and chafing against restrictions. For a political plot, it was pretty straightforward, and I expected more to it. The other two countries are pretty much footnotes, and used to wrap up the ending. Speaking of the ending, it felt like it was dragging on after the climax just to set up events for the next book - something that could have been built up before instead of leaving it after an anxiety-inducing battle.

Overall - it is an interesting plot, and has solid world-building, but it needed a better flow to it. Nevertheless, it is a good start to the series.

Twice Dead was an enjoyable, quick and easy read. In this story we meet Naya, who is a young woman who returns from the dead after a mission for her father goes wrong. Basically in her world, there are people called necromancers and they can bring people back from the dead. I really loved the concepts of death and bringing people back from the dead with the magic system. Not many fantasy YA books deal with this topic and I found myself captivated by the premise behind it. It was an intriguing magic system to learn, with runes being sources of power and aether or energy binding it all together.

The romance in this book was sweet and great to read. It didn’t seem overly forced and wasn’t insta love. There was quite a bit of politics in this book, and scheming. I thought that even with the all the rebellion and plotting in the book, it was a nice mix but at times hard to keep up with. There were lots of names and people to keep track of.

The one thing I didn’t enjoy about this book was the ending. It felt rushed and left me feeling a little unsatisfied. With the way things were at the end of the book, I think the intention was to create a feeling of longing for the next book, but I was left disappointed. It was not what I expected to happen and it was such a different ending to the rest of the book that I’m not sure if I want to pick up the next one. I want to know what happens but also don’t want to.

Overall this book was easy to read, had an awesome magic system and plot with a really sweet romance. If you love dark magic themed books and sweet romance this is for you.

Twice Dead by Caitlin Seal

NetGalley eArc - 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

First and foremost a huuge thank you as always from NetGalley and Publishers for the opportunity to review Twice Dead by Caitlin Seal!! 

About the book: Nayas world is very different, one where the dead walk unnaturally and wraiths as well. Naya always knew about them, dont bother them they wont bother you. However, her fathers work takes them there, Naya is given the chance finally to prove her strength and brilliance to her father. So much for that now of course. Upon searching for what her father needs she is murdered. Then she is brought back!! Using magic that had been forbidden Naya is turned from the dead to the undead. Being brought back as a wraith, which means she almost looks alive and she can speak and function normally...for the most part that is. Her charms were also done differently running along the bones of her hands. 

Sorting through the lies and truths of the living and the undead both. As well as political intrigue, dark magic, friendships tested, relationships made and broken. This tale had it all, and with twists from every corner it keeps you flipping to the next page with anticipation!!! A reccomendation for anyone liking dark magic, alchemy, and twisted plot turns!!

This book drew me in right away! A world where necromancy isn't all evil and hated. Naya, our main character, is murdered on her way to a meeting... but this is not the last we see of her.
It did suffer from a saggy middle, however, it picks up again near the end. Which was an ending I wasn't fully expecting. I still have a lot of questions but I look forward to reading the second book.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. **any quotes in this review are subject to change in the final publication**

Twice Dead is a pretty epic opening to a series? trilogy? duology? I'm not sure how many books are planned for The Necromancer's Song yet. But if you're looking for an information (and action)-packed opener, you've found it.

Twice Dead follows our main character Naya as she learns to live (there's a joke in here somewhere...) with being brought back from the dead, even though it's something her people are very much against. As the tagline reads, "her death was only the beginning," Naya learns soon after her resurrection that her father was not who she believed him to be and she is sucked into a world of political espionage and plotting against the government she is currently ruled by. There's several twists and turns and who do I trust? moments as we follow Naya (also known as Blue to hide her identity), the Necromancer who brought her back, and the Wraith who trained her through this epic series introduction.

I am much more of a character-driven reader than a plot-driven and also not much for deep political turmoil, so there were times when I wasn't super into this book. I'm almost willing to say it should be classified as New Adult rather than YA because it's a little more intense of a plot that requires a good deal of concentration and knowledge of how politics/espionage work and it might fall flat for someone who's a bit younger or who enjoys reading a bit younger.

I really enjoyed the romance (and the plot twist involving the romance!!), I liked Naya's character, I didn't feel too much for the other characters. It's a possibility that I'll continue with the series, but it's not high on my 'must-have' list.

Also enjoyed the writing style. At times Caitlin delivered beautiful prose and I wish every description flowed as nicely as some. For example, "she could just feel the icy tides of death lapping at her calves" BEAUTIFUL!

My favourite genre of book is fantasy I love to be taken away to magical and mysterious places where anything is possible and nothing is mundane and this book certainly delivered that.  I enjoyed it that much that I was actually shocked when I got to the end, I wasn't ready for it!    

The book begins with Naya, who is a Talmiran, going on an errand for her father in the city of Belavine, which is in the neighbouring country of Ceramor.  A country where necromancy is normal and the undead walk amongst the living.  This is something that Naya has been brought up to frown upon so you can imagine how she feels waking up as a wraith after being murdered in the city,

So begins her life as Blue masquerading as a servant girl while secretly becoming a Talmiran spy, she meets Corten a fellow wraith who helps her accept what she has become as the book takes you on a journey of espionage, politics, kidnapping, murder, death and love.  

I love how the book is written, slow and easy to start with building into a fast paced and exciting plot and so descriptive that you're drawn right into the book, like you are there watching it happen which I personally think is the mark of a good fantasy book.  

I can't wait to read the next book! 

Thank you to Netgally for the ARC

Twice Dead is the first in a new series titled The Necromancer’s Song. It has a nice fantasy aspect and romance! I am new to the necromancer world, but I found it very enjoyable and I would recommenced this to other who love the genre.
Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for and unbiased review.

Disclosure: I received an advance copy via Netgalley. All opinions are my own
..............

Those that have become bored of the traditional fantasy tropes may find themselves invigorated by this under utilized twist of the story line. Finding herself newly dead, resurrected and full of self-loathing, the main character spends the story rediscovering who she is and also what is going on.

It’s a pleasant read and it will be interesting to see how the resurrection aspect will play out with dead/“vanquished” characters

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Twice Dead by Caitlin Seal is a slow-building political thriller masked as a fantasy story--and I mean that in a very complimentary way. This book wasn't what I expected, and I ended up liking it better for it. Honestly, I'm very much side-eyeing the unflattering reviews and the amounts of DNFs I'm seeing for it.

When Naya is sent on a delivery for her merchant father, she is mysteriously killed and resurrected as a wraith, an undead being who doesn't require food or sleep and who can change her form at will. The land of Ceramor is rife with necromancers and the undead thanks to a treaty that legalizes it, something that Naya and her fellow citizens of Talmir reject as being evil. It's unheard of for a Talmiran to be resurrected, and now Naya has to struggle with accepting her newfound existence. At the same time, Talmiran Ambassador Valn entreats Naya for a special purpose: she must use her powers as a wraith to protect her homeland and spy on necromantic sympathizers who are bent on starting another war. However, all is not what it seems, and the closer Naya gets to discovering the truth, the less she's certain where her loyalties lie.

Naya was by far the strongest, most well-written character, and her character arc was the most believable to watch unfold. Her fatal flaw was being too hesitant and thinking too much during moments of truth, and talk about how relatable that was. I felt that Corten, her love interest, could have been developed a bit more and made more interesting, but their romance wasn't too slow or too rushed or sloppily done, making the finale of the book that much more impactful. 

I also came to love Lucia, the necromancer who brought Naya back to life. She started off a little flat but really bloomed the longer the story went on, and her relationship with Alejandra is what opened Naya's and the reader's eyes to seeing Lucia had more depth of character than Naya had been paying attention to. After that, Lucia took on more and more agency and emphasis as a character.

While not terribly complex magic-wise, I enjoyed the use of necromancy throughout the story and its reliance on runes and bones in order to operate. Necromancers having to "sing" a soul back to their body or to their bones, depending on the form of resurrection, was fascinating to watch, such as in the case of Lucia resurrecting a little girl for an ailing family. Even those minor characters had fascinating and complex reactions, to say nothing of what was going through Naya's head at the time.

I mentioned this book is more of a political thriller than a fantasy, and I stand by that. Truly, at its heart, it's a spy story, and spy stories tend to go one of two ways for most people: either they're immensely action-packed and fascinating, or they're terribly boring. Compound that with how political the world-building was and Naya's own mission/character arc, and I can see a lot of YA readers dropping off fast. (But I mean... If you've managed to get through a Sarah J. Maas book where literally nothing happens for 500+ pages, then Twice Dead should be easy to read by comparison. But that's none of my business...) 

Fortunately, I love politics in art, so I was never bored by the pace, and I felt that the action scenes that were in the book were well-placed without being over the top. I also loved Naya, and it never felt like a chore being in her head, thanks to the third-person limited POV, but also thanks to Seal's ability to balance Naya's feelings with her reactions to events happening around her. 

I will say that there was a lot of exposition about the other lands involved with the treaty--all that political talk, you know--and I wished I had seen characters in action who actually represented those lands rather than listening to other characters just talk about them. But the setting was limited here; the ending strongly implies it won't be in the sequel, and I'm interested to see Naya's journey continue.

This was such a refreshing Young Adult read. I haven't been reading much YA lately because I got tired of the same story been told again and again, so when I read the blurb for Twice Dead a few months ago I was excited. And it did not disappoint!
I really liked the main characters, they all had a special part to play for the story to work.
Naya has been told her whole life that the undead and wraiths are abominations, things that should not exist. So when she wakes up one it takes some getting used to. But for her father and her home she does, she is important for their plans and is determined to help.
What she didn't count on is finding out that maybe wraiths are not as bad as her father believes or on falling in love for one.

The plot progressed at a good pace and it unfolded well. There was plenty of action, plot twists, political turmoil, and sweet moments. It was in many ways a typical YA: easy to read, some childish behavior, some growing up for the main characters, sometimes a little predictable... But story concept was unique! YA books focusing on necromancy are far in between and this one had an original take to it, it was refreshing.

And of-course I love a good romance. Corten, Naya's love interest was absolutely adorable. Their slow burn romance was perfect, friends first, more later. I very much look forward to finding out what will happen to him (if anything) next, that ending was heartbreaking!

Naya, the daughter of a sea merchant captain, nervously undertakes her first solo trading mission in the necromancer-friendly country bordering her homeland of Talmir. Unfortunately, she never even makes it to the meeting. She’s struck down in the streets of Ceramor. Murdered. But death is not the end for Naya. She awakens to realize she’s become an abomination–a wraith, a ghostly creature bound by runes to the bones of her former corpse. She’s been resurrected in order to become a spy for her country. Reluctantly, she assumes the face and persona of a servant girl named Blue. She never intended to become embroiled in political plots, kidnapping, and murder. Or to fall in love with the young man and former necromancer she is destined to betray.

The premise of it reminded me vaguely of Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor, another YA book that deals in the slightly morbid. I understood Naya pretty quickly, which I enjoyed. Too often, amateur writers seek to grab readers from the get-go with dramatic scenes and decisions that range from the hard-to-understand all the way to bizarre. It’s a good writer who can start a book off with a bit of quick characterization, revealed by how Naya interacts with her father, then plunge into the “inciting accident” (her murder), and follow that through with reactions that make sense AND keep the plot advancing smoothly and quickly. Seal does that with this book.

Who Would Like Twice Dead, and Why?
This is the type of book you read on a stormy afternoon, snuggled up with a cup of hot chocolate and a blanket. It’s a little moody, and there’s romance.

What’s the Deal?
On Amazon, it was $17.99 (whew!). It’s now $12.32.

Twice Dead is the first in a new series titled “The Necromancer’s Song.” It has a nice fantasy aspect and romance! I am new to the necromancer world, but I found it very enjoyable and would highly recommend this to others who love this genre.
I was pulled to this book by its cover. Twice Dead is one of the most distinctive books I have read. I really enjoyed the world building and the concept behind the wraiths and necromancers. I was really drawn into this book and the ending left me in complete surprise. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

Book Review
Title: Twice Dead
Author: Caitlin Seal
Genre: YA/Fantasy/Romance
Rating: ****
Review: So, I didn’t know much about Twice Dead, but the synopsis sounded very interesting, we are introduced to Naya, whose father is a merchant of some sort, but they live in a world where the dead can be reanimated. Her father sends her on her first solo outing to collect a signature for a trade deal from quite a tricky customer. However, Naya runs into trouble along the way when she learns she is being followed and has an encounter with one of the undead. For an opening chapter this certainly was gripping and given that I didn’t know much about the book going into it, I felt I made a good choice here.
When Naya awakens she learns that she died after being attacked and has been resurrected but not as one of the dead but as a wraith. Things take a stranger turn when she learns that her father has left her in the care of Ambassador Valn, a very important man where she is from, who has condoned her transformation despite the fact that necromancy is illegal. Naya learns from Valn that her father is a spy working to help uncover evidence to prove that the necromancer’s are planning another uprising like one that happened in the past and Naya was supposed to join them before her attack which is the reason they brought her back. Valn has arranged for Naya to take the place of a dead servant girl named Blue in order to make her work as a spy.
As we approach the ¼ mark in the novel, Naya is struggling to adjust to life as a wraith and the things she must do in order to survive but she trusts her father and is willing to go along with whatever he had planned for her, wraith or not. However, she is a strong-willed girl and I fear she might not adjust to the life of a servant and the restrictions this demands. She is introduced to Corten; a former apprentice of Lucia who teaches her to draw in the aether she needs to survive as a wraith as he is one as well. Naya really struggles with this as she still sees it as killing someone else rather than borrowing the energy they give off naturally, but she eventually gives in and takes what she needs. Despite forming a kinship with Corten, Lucia warns her to stay away from him as he will ask questions that could blow her cover but the problem Naya is having is that she doesn’t trust Lucia at all and that is making things extremely difficult.
As we cross the ¼ mark in the novel, Celia assesses Naya’s progress and she has improved greatly although it seems she is nervous about changing her appearance. However, we do learn that the necromancers they have been monitoring have improved the security around their homes from some reason. Against Lucia’s advice Naya visits Corten again and learns more about wraiths and learns that she has some unique abilities that aren’t wraith abilities but the abilities of a reaper that haven’t been seen since the time of the Mad King, making her even more adamant that Lucia is up to something and Corten isn’t sure what he is going to do about it just. Knowing she is a reaper and that Lucia made her one without Valn’s knowledge sets Naya even more against her creator.
As we approach the halfway mark in the novel, Corten begins teaching Naya some basic wraith abilities like fading and changing their appearance and she slowly finds herself developing a much deeper bond to him than friendship. A month after her resurrection Celia gives Naya her first job and she is both part excited and afraid, and her relationship with Corten is developing at a rate that is alarming to Naya. Corten also seems to have feelings for Naya or Blue as he tells her that if she considers leaving to tell him first. During her mission, Naya realises that even though she has these reaper abilities she can’t use them without giving herself away, but she does impress Celia enough to prove herself useful. However, her relationship with Lucia isn’t getting any better, in fact, it is getting worse as Lucia barely speaks to her and ignores her most of the time, but she finds some solace with Corten.
As we cross into the second half of the novel, Naya has run into some problems that have left her fearing for her life and on the run. The only person she can turn to for help is Corten, but she isn’t sure despite Lucia’s assurance that he will help her when he realises how she has lied to him. While Corten doesn’t trust Naya anymore he does agree to contact the Council and find someone to help repair her bond, but before they can see Jalance they need her bones and Lucia’s notes from her workshop, but it is surrounded by guards. Naya uses a stupid plan to get the notes and bones and while she is almost caught they manage to escape but the damage to Naya bond need to be repaired quickly. Jalance after confirmed their story agrees to help them but he isn’t sure how long it will take to send work to the Council and repair Naya’s bond so for the meantime she and Corten are stuck in hiding. Their relationship is also falling apart in the absent of trust but Naya wants more than anything to repair their relationship.
As we approach the ¾ mark in the novel, nothing has happened since they meet with Jalance, but Corten has admitted that he was falling in love with Naya as Blue but now he isn’t so sure how he feels and while Naya wants to work on their relationship she understands that there are bigger problems that need dealing with right now. As Naya prepares to meet the Council she still isn’t sure who she can trust as everyone she has trusted up until this point except Corten has betrayed her in some way. The necromancers, wraiths, undead and the single reaper of the Council decide they have to act when their captured friends are to be killed and Naya is determined to go with them. However, she must have her bond fixed first, but something goes wrong in the process and Naya’s bond is more unstable than ever despite having a new bone in place, but she is still determined to go to the palace despite the fact using too much aether could kill her again.
As we cross into the final section of the novel, Naya is captured due to another traitor and she learns the true motives of those behind the plot, that they plan to send two nations to war against and as one is completely undefended, many people will be slaughtered, and she can’t think of a way out this time. During her captivity Naya comes across Lucia and together they form a plan especially since Naya’s bones seem to be healing themselves which is impossible for a wraith but then again Lucia experimented with the bond she carved into Naya.
The group sacrifices much to escape from Valn but now they either need to prove their innocence or fight in order to stay alive although they are the same thing in essence. Despite loving most of this novel, I was very disappointed with the way it ended and while I felt something were necessary, some weren’t. However, there is a brilliant opening for a sequel and I hoping for a continuation of this novel very soon.

Wonderful book that for me personally, was kind of a coming-of-age story in th esense that the protagonist has to grow up, has to accept herself and learn to navigate a totally new world with skills she has yet to fully understand.
The writing style was very compelling and appropriate for the age group and the characters in the story. I hope to see more amazing books like Seal's!
It's a perfect mix of coming-of-age, mystery, magic and romance!

*I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.*
Twice Dead focuses on Naya Garth who comes to Ceramor on her father’s ship. Her father sends her into the town on a trading mission but she is killed in the process. This, however, does not signal the end of the story, but the beginning.
Naya is turned into a wraith, a creature from her childhood nightmares. A wraith is someone who died but is resurrected and their soul bound to their bones. Kind of like a ghost, but she can become corporeal. She is enlisted by a friend of her father’s to become a spy against Ceramor and for her cover she is apprenticed to the necromancer who brought her back from the dead.
While undercover she makes some new friends and falls for another wraith named Corten. With his help she discovers that she is more than just a normal wraith, but that she is in fact a reaper. The reapers are stronger and can project energy where normal wraiths cannot.
Naya soon discovers that she may be spying for the wrong side. Then it is a race against time to stop the plot to overthrow the King of Ceramor and plunge their country into a war.
I really enjoyed this book. The writing was fantastic and the world building was awesome. I will definitely be picking up the next installment in this promising series.

Available now wherever books are sold.

The problem with the story is the lag. There’s so much going on in the story, and yet there is insufficient character development. The story focuses too much on world-building than the characters. The story presents a world steeped in political intrigue, espionage, and magic, and yet the story takes too long to develop, and it takes too long to develop the plot of the story.

Following Naya, the unexpected happens to her, when on a mission for her father, she dies…and then comes back from the dead. It is an exciting way to start off a story, a compelling way to lure the reader in, but past that, the story does not focus enough on the exciting aspects of the story that would keep the reader interested. It is full of unnecessary detail regarding the world building, except it fails to make the story interesting. There’s history here, a history that buried for half the novel, which is regrettable because it is fascinating history, and does serve to make the last half of the novel compelling and tension driven. It also saves the characterization because, for the first half of the novel, Naya is not that likable, in fact, she is written as a somewhat two-dimensional character.

Many ideas are going into this novel, and they are many ways in which it can work, but the problem is the novel does not have a clear focus. The narrative should have a clear focus on the political Intrigue in the novel, turning the narrative into a more character-driven one, and yet it fails to create a captivating character. Naya is not a captivating character, she is bland when she is supposed to come off as angsty on some level, but the tone failed to capture that. She is a rather unlikable character in the beginning, and the narrative does not capture her conflict instead of sort of sidesteps many of the tension driven scenes I could have evolved into something but ended up falling flat. There’s one thing with her in a necromancer, and it seems like it could be a potent scene to showcase the internal pains of each character and the overlaying tension, but it is left undeveloped. Naya’s anger comes to the forefront and blinds her, diminishing what could have been an excellent scene for development and character dynamics. The scene and many after fizzle out. Much of the first half of the book is like that a lot of these tension driven scenes are just fizzled out without any development.

The last half of the novel is really where the story starts to pick up and comes together. The political Intrigue and espionage finally gets to shine. Naya gets to develop, finally, and through her, the character dynamics as well. The ending of the novel does draw interest to the sequel, so it at least does create energy and curiosity for the story’s future. Again the first half of the novel is very lackluster it has so much detail that isn’t important to the story or interesting to the reader and just weighs the story down. It is unfortunate because the concept is interesting, except it is weighed down by dull unessential detail, However, again that is only for the first half of the novel if the reader can tough it out they will be impressed by the second half of the novel which starts to get itself together.

I love character driven stories and this one is amazing. The plot is so unique with wraiths, pirates, murders and a former necromancer! Such an outstanding fantasy novel.

Riveting plot.
Amazing world.
Fresh characters.

What's not to love?

I would recommend Twice Dead to anyone who is intrigued by Necromancy and is interested in a flawed, deeply human main character who doesn't disappoint. Also, a side romance is always a nice plus.

One Sentence Synopsis: Necromancers, secret missions, and the realization that EVERYTHING is not what it seems.

Why You Should Be Reading: You get the opportunity to watch Naya, the daughter of a sea captain, grow, push past her prejudices, and come into herself after her death and resurrection. The fact that she’s not perfect, that she stumbles, and that she puts her foot in her mouth every once in a while, makes her feel honest and relatable. Oh, and I didn’t mention the love story yet. The connection that she has with a certain young man (No names cuz those are spoilers.

But trust me, you’ll know who he is) is grounded in love and loss. And the more time they spend together, learning about the other, the more they understand how this second chance at life isn’t something they should squander.

Take all this and mix it in with a looming war, lies, and the real reason why Naya died and you’ve got the makings of a great book!

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, POC Lead

Learn more about the author HERE.

Buy Twice Dead HERE.

Add Twice Dead to your Goodreads HERE.

An excellent YA book and hopefully the next one will be out soon as it leaves you wanting more and not all the strings are tied up by the end. It has the feel of Shadow & Bone, a petite female who learns through adversity that she is strong and capable and usual world saving. While most heroines are dying to do good and help others Naya aka Blue literally died before she even had a cause. Back stabbing, spy trade, necromancers, lies, first love, and political unrest. What more could one want in a story. Can't wait for Necromancer's Song Book 2!

This had a great plot and great characters! I felt immediately drawn into the story and totally think this will be a big selling hit when it is released! I cannot wait for other works by this author and recommend this wholeheartedly!

Oh my goodness this book!

I found myself on the edge of my seat at times.

There were ai many twists and turns that took place in this book. And so many discoveries and mysteries to be made and solved.

And I just couldn't put it down until that last page was read.

Would recommend to any fantasy fans looking for a 5 star read

This book was an interesting interpretation of necromancy, especially with the main character, Naya Garth, as a newly-turned wraith. I felt like the author creatively expressed her own interpretation of necromancy and made it much less dark of a topic than I’ve seen in most other situations. However, I think the romance between Naya and Corten wasn’t really necessary in this story, but I would like to see it develop in further books in the series. Although I am not sure if there are other books coming soon, I do think this series would be much stronger with the characters and political machinations flushed out in additional books. As a standalone novel, the story needs more details.

This is not my usual genre, so I was excited to dive into something new. While I am not as familiar with necromancy, the book did a good job of setting everything up well, especially the different aspects of the war and how the characters all intertwined together. The magic and world in this book did take me a bit to grasp, but once I did, I felt like I was able to keep up and enjoy the story. It was such an interesting read and I look forward to reading the next book in the series. I would recommend this book to a friend.

I have never read a book from Caitlin Seal and I was pleased with this gothic novel. I love when a book can cause me to look over my shoulder and want to keep the light on. A perfect read to keep you riveted to each page.

Kill Me Once, Shame on You…Kill Me Twice, Shame on Me
When Naya leaves her father’s ship on the day she is killed, he warns her to trust no one, because the city is full of liars. But at the time, she has no idea how true those words are, and that one of the biggest liars may be her own father. Twice Dead starts out at a fast pace, with Naya being murdered within several pages, and then slows down to a crawl as she struggles to accept her new reality as an unwilling member of the wraith community. She has been taught her whole life that such beings are monsters, worthy of scorn and fear. Yet her own government’s ambassador has ordered her turned into a wraith, to use her as a spy and operative, even though this will surely result in the damning of her soul. Despite the slow unfolding of events through the middle of the book, I found it engaging and thought provoking, due to Naya’s inner battles to reconcile the world she sees with the world she was taught to see.

Naya’s quest for self acceptance stems from the fact that her people (the Talmirans) view wraiths as souls trapped on earth, and more specifically as evil abominations. Meanwhile, the Ceramoran necromancer’s believe that only souls with unfinished business can be successfully resurrected. Therefore, rather than going against the will of the Creator, as the Talmirans see it, the necromancers believe they are providing a valuable service. While I’m not sure if it is what the author intended, Naya’s predicament had me pondering on religious rifts throughout history, including the modern day suspicion of Muslims in some segments of American society. As Naya begins to understand, religious views are often very similar, varying in certain historical details and views on mortality more so than morality. She begins to realize that the Talmirans and Ceramorans have more in common than they might want to admit, and that the question of right and wrong when it comes to war, and the state of the soul, is far more complicated than she had been led to believe.

See the source imageSince this is a YA book, part of her revelation involves falling in love with the very likable Corten (I’ll take this as the opportunity to say that Naya is not at all likeable until about 60% through the story…don’t give up on her!). Corten is kind for the sake of being kind, and it is his innate goodness that makes Naya realize that wraiths can’t all be monsters. More conflicted is Naya’s relationship with Lucia, the necromancer who sang her soul back from death. At first, Naya loathes her. But then, when she sees Lucia heal patients for free, and tend to the families of the recently deceased, she is again forced to question her beliefs. Woven through this story of human relationships, is a growing tension of political intrigue, as Naya struggles to understand why the Talmiran ambassador had her turned into a wraith, and whether her unquestioning loyalty to her people is the correct path.

See the source imageThe finals chapters of Twice Dead are as fast paced and frantic as the opening sequence, and possess a rather soul crushing climax. It is this climax, centering around the fate of a soul that is twice dead, that promises to lead Naya deeper into the world of the necromancers in future installments of this series. I’m waiting with bated breath!

Twice dead was a very refreshing read and i found the plot and consept very original and creative. I loved it and would recomend it.

Disclaimer: I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher and then bought my own copy. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Twice Dead

Author: Caitlin Seal

Book Series: The Necromancer's Song Book 1

Rating: 3/5

Publication Date: September 18, 2018

Publisher: Charlesbridge Teen

Recommended Age: 16+ (romance, violence, gore, death)

Synopsis: Naya, the daughter of a sea merchant captain, nervously undertakes her first solo trading mission in the necromancer-friendly country bordering her homeland of Talmir. Unfortunately, she never even makes it to the meeting. She's struck down in the streets of Ceramor. Murdered.

But death is not the end for Naya. She awakens to realize she's become an abomination--a wraith, a ghostly creature bound by runes to the bones of her former corpse. She's been resurrected in order to become a spy for her country. Reluctantly, she assumes the face and persona of a servant girl named Blue.

She never intended to become embroiled in political plots, kidnapping, and murder. Or to fall in love with the young man and former necromancer she is destined to betray.

Review: Overall, this was a good book. It's your typical ya fantasy but with a dead twist. I liked their inclusion of wraiths, as I haven't seen that before in books and because I just fought one in my monster of the week campaign, so it's nice to see a nice wraith. I liked the plot and the characters were also fun.

However, I did wish that the book had more world building and detail. I also felt that the book heavily leaned into the romance aspect and not so much the action bits. Also, I do have a concern about the use of a wraith. Lore wise wraiths are basically revenge spirits from once alive evil beings, so it confused me greatly to see a sweet character be a wraith but I think more lore in this book would have combatted that. Also, they don't normally retain their bodies from what I know of them, that's more of a wight in lore sense.

Verdict: A decent start to a series but needs some work.

Twice Dead by Caitlin Seal is a YA paranormal fantasy that brings a unique story about a young girl named Naya who is murdered and becomes a wraith. It's intriguing and worth a read.

I quite enjoyed this book, it was a bit predictable, but I didn’t mind that so much. Twice Dead had a lot of really cool elements - spies and necromancy for the win. This was easy to read, and very fast paced. Lots of twists and action packed.

I received this arc from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

"I felt like a lifeboat caught in a tempest, her ship already smashed by the waves."

I wanted to love this book for the beautiful haunting quotes like the one above but I just never felt truly engaged in the story. I felt like the pacing was completely off and moments I wanted drawn out were rushed but other moments/chapters were so drawn out. Drawn out to the point that I wanted to skim huge sections which I never ever do.

I felt like editing and pacing would have allowed this book to hit the next level. I would still be interested in what else the author writes because I feel like the talent is there.

The beginning of the book was a little confusing but once I figured out what was going on, the book picked up pace quickly. The magic system introduced in Twice Dead has a unique twist from the "normal" presentation of necromancy. Along with runes carved into the body's bones, the soul must be sung back into the body, which is definitely something I've not encountered before in fantasy stories. There is a budding romance in the story--as is typical of YA novels--and well written. All the political intrigue and action had me turning pages until I reached the end. Overall, Twice Dead is a different spin on the spy novel and well worth a read from any fan of thrillers and fantasy alike.

This book has such an interesting premise! When Naya, daughter is a sea merchant, is murdered, a handsome necromancer brings her back from the dead as a wraith and a spy. I loved that the POV was from a character who’d come back to life. That part of the story feels fresh and unique.

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. And so here it is:

The concept of necromancers was interesting and caught my attention immediately. I thought it would be a 5 star read and unfortunately I was disappointed. I didn't care much about the protagonist, Naya or even her love interest, Corton. I mean, the characters were....bland. There was no character development, which is an important aspect of any book.

The author kept describing things I didn't really care about and there wasn't anything worth admiring. But yes, the world she made was AMAZING. And her writing style was bedazzling too but there was no....SUBSTANCE. Y'all know what I mean, right? I couldn't bring myself to care about the characters or invest myself in them as much as I should.

Would I read the sequel? Maybe but I'm not very excited about it.

Anyways, I expected a lot from this book but I just couldn't love it.