Posted on by Jacquie Biggar

#Bookreview- The Necromancer’s Daughter by @DWallacePeach, The Haunting of Chatham Hollow by @StaciTroilo and @MaeClair1


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It’s been a busy week with my mom’s birthday and a surprise visit from some family members, so I’m going to jump right into reviews for two page-turning reads you won’t want to miss.

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D. Wallace Peach is on my list of auto-buy authors, but I have to admit I wasn’t sure about the premise for her latest creation, The Necromancer’s Daughter, about a healer who can bring people back to life. That is until I opened this immersive fantasy and lost myself in a story filled with dragons, power-hungry zealots, a love worth dying for, and a lovable anti-hero who needs a book of his own (hint, hint).

When the king’s wife is hemorrhaging upon the birth of her stillborn daughter, the healer Barus is brought in to save the child but it’s too late and the king is counseled to let them go.

Barus is enchanted by the ethereal baby and sneaks her out of the castle and back to his dilapidated cabin where he breathes life into her body, naming her Aster for the flowers that cover the fields.

Aster grows up aware of her second chance at life but not who her true parents were until her eighteenth year when everything she’s known changes and her life is thrown into turmoil.

There are layers of betrayal, loyalty, love & war in this story that glued my attention to the pages. The author has a beautiful, lyrical way with words I admire so much. A couple of my favorite lines illustrate this perfectly.

The brisk winter night wrapped around his body as the sky wept frozen tears for the folly of men, covering their blood as it buried their sins.

The Necromancer’s Daughter- D. Wallace Peach.

…deep faith is difficult to teach. It flourishes in the garden of our hearts only when tended by experience.

The Necromancer’s Daughter- D. Wallace Peach.

If you haven’t tried this talented writer’s work yet, I urge you to do so soon- you won’t regret it.

One founding father.
One deathbed curse.
A town haunted for generations.

Reporter Aiden Hale is given the society event of the year to follow, a séance at the infamous Chatham Manor- too bad he’s not interested. His family has a long, complicated history with Chatham Hollow’s founding father, and though Aiden’s grandmother purports an ability to call up spirits, he is not a believer and thinks it’s all a waste of time.

A research team is planning to film the entire fiasco, hoping to learn the secret to a decades-old mystery of the hidden treasure that disappeared upon Ward Chatham’s death. No one could have envisioned the terror they are about to unleash on the town.

Fire was his home. His deepest compulsion, constant companion, and greatest reward. His god and salvation. It purified him.

The Haunting of Chatham Hollow- Mae Clair & Staci Troilo

This story opens with a complex cast of characters who have their own agendas for attending the Founder’s Day celebration planned for Chatham Hollow, some with revenge on their minds.

One of my favorites is Aiden’s eccentric grandma who drugs him ‘for his own good’ on our introduction to her.

“You’ve been so grouchy lately. I’m not sure how to start.”
“I haven’t been grouchy.”
“Oh?”
“Maybe a little touchy. But in my defense, you poisoned me the last time I ate at your house.”
“I didn’t poison you. I gave you something to help you relax.”
“When that happens to girls in bars, the guys who drugged them go to prison.”

The Haunting of Chatham Hollow- Mae Clair & Staci Troilo

Written in two timelines by the talented team of Clair & Troilo, the story moves along seamlessly at a fast pace, with plenty of twists and unexpected discoveries that make this an easy five-star, recommended read.

The roses are putting on a nice fall show.

64 Replies to “#Bookreview- The Necromancer’s Daughter by @DWallacePeach, The Haunting of Chatham Hollow by @StaciTroilo and @MaeClair1”

  3. Great reviews, Jacquie! I’m currently reading The Necromancer’s Daughter and just finished The Haunting of Chatham Hollow. Both are fantastic reads.

    Happy belated birthday to your mom!

    Liked by 5 people

  5. Those roses are gorgeous! Two fabulous reviews for two fabulous books! I’ve read and loved both if these, and both are in my top reads of 2022. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Jacquie. Congrats to Staci, Mae, and Diana! Hugs 💕🙂

    Liked by 4 people

  6. I’m reading The Necromancer’s Daughter rigtht now and it is so good!

    The Haunting of Chatham Hollow is on my TBR (as if that shelf could hold anymore! LOLOL). It just looks like a book I would devour because if there is a séance, well, I’m there.

    Happy birthday to your mom! xo

    Liked by 4 people

  13. Oh, goodness, your pictures are gorgeous. I started reading The Necromancer’s Daughter. Like you, D. Wallace Peace is becoming an auto-buy author. I’m not a fantasy reader, but I love her writing. Thanks for sharing all of your reviews today, Jacquie.

    Liked by 4 people

  15. Thanks for the wonderful review of Chatham Hollow, Jacqui. So glad you enjoyed it!

    And I positively loved The Necromancer’s Daughter. Diana really outdid herself on that one.

    I hope you had a wonderful time with family and that your mom had a spectacular birthday! 💕

    Liked by 3 people

  16. Thank you so much for the wonderful review, Jacquie, and for taking a chance on the read. I’m so glad it overcame your trepidation. I loved your (hint hint). Lol. You warmed my heart with your kind comments. And I’m delighted to share the space with Mae and Staci and their wonderful book. What a treat that was to read. Seamless writing. Happy Birthday to your mom,and enjoy the final days of summer in your beautiful garden. Huge Hugs ❤

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Sorry, I’m late getting to the comments today. My cousin from back home showed up with her family for a surprise visit today. So nice to see them. I don’t regret the move, but I do miss my family and friends.
      I loved your book, especially the building romance between Aster and Jorah (ha, you made a mash-up of your own, lol), along with the majestic dragons.
      I’m so grateful I met you. Your beautiful imagery spurs me to spread my wings and write with my heart instead of my head. ❤

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Awww. Thanks, Jacquie. Your romance mash-ups are rubbing off on me! I had to chuckle as I wrote the book, but that’s where the characters wanted to go, and it was a big part of Joreh’s transformation. And I’m delighted to hear that you took the time to visit with your family – way more important than replying to comments, which can happen at any time. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, and I wish you many many hours of enjoying your writing wings. ❤ ❤ ❤

        Liked by 1 person

  17. Good to see this book getting the props it deserves. I had a massive wave of Diana’s supporters appear on my blog when she was over there, and I’m sure others are seeing the same thing.

    Liked by 3 people

  18. Happy birthday to your mom. That gorgeous rose seems the perfect sign for a worthy celebration of her life. And I’m so glad you had a family visit, too. Those opportunities should always be enjoyed and treasured.

    Thank you so much for the kind words about the book. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. And to share today’s post with a superstar like Diana? It’s humbling. Many, many thanks, Jacquie.

    Liked by 2 people

  20. Love your reviews, Jacquie. You say things that are in my head but I can’t get out on the paper! Absolutely agree with this assessment of Necromancer’s Daughter–“layers of betrayal, loyalty, love & war in this story that glued my attention to the pages”.

    Liked by 3 people

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