Hold Me Closer, Necromancer is probably the first book which I read purely based on reviews; or to be more exact, the glowing review in Fantasy & Science Fiction. Yes, it was a jump to unknown, but after reading the book, well worth the risk.

HMCN could be thought as fiction for young adults - the plot revolves around ever popular paranormal themes, such as werewolves, zombies and necromancy. The main characters are young and at least reasonably beautiful, the main adversaries are obviously bad guys from the very beginning. If you're looking for moral ambivalence, this is probably not the book for you.

The writing is clever, and the dialogue is full of comical soundbites. The plot starts a bit slow, and occasionally jumps around a bit too much, but towards the end, it all starts to come together. Too bad, though, that by that time you've probably noticed there's no way the book can end with a decent closure. The final confrontation is a bit too abrupt, and the final chapters pave too clear a way for the sequel - recognizing this as the first book in a series certainly doesn't require any supernatural powers.

Having said that, if you're in need of something to spend a few hours with, HMCN is as good a choice as any. It probably won't make the list of contemporary classics, but the characters are easy to like and it shows a promise for the future; after all, the sequel is already on the way.