Finn fancy necromancy

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Title:

Finn fancy necromancy

Author:

Henderson, Randy, author.

Series:

Finn Fancy ;

Series Number:

Summary:

Finn Gramaraye was framed for the crime of dark necromancy at the age of 15, and exiled to the Other Realm for twenty five years. But now that he's free, someone--probably the same someone--is trying to get him sent back. Finn has only a few days to discover who is so desperate to keep him out of the mortal world, and find evidence to prove it to the Arcane Enforcers. They are going to be very hard to convince, since he's already been convicted of trying to kill someone with dark magic. But Finn has his family: His brother Mort who is running the family necrotorium business now, his brother Pete who believes he's a werewolf, though he is not, and his sister Samantha who is, unfortunately, allergic to magic. And he's got Zeke, a fellow exile and former enforcer, who doesn't really believe in Finn's innocence but is willing to follow along in hopes of getting his old job back.

General Note:

"A Tom Doherty Associates book."

"A darkly funny urban fantasy"--Jacket.

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

366 pages ; 22 cm

Genre:

Paranormal fiction.

Fantasy fiction.

Subject Term:

Magic -- Fiction.

Ex-convicts -- Fiction.

Dysfunctional families -- Fiction.

Publisher:

Tor,

Publication Date:

2015

ISBN:

9780765378088

Publication Information:

New York : Tor, 2015.

Call Number:

HENDERS

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Writers of the Future grand prize winner Randy Henderson presents a dark and quirky debut in Finn Fancy Necromancy .

Finn Gramaraye was framed for the crime of dark necromancy at the age of 15, and exiled to the Other Realm for twenty five years. But now that he's free, someone-probably the same someone-is trying to get him sent back. Finn has only a few days to discover who is so desperate to keep him out of the mortal world, and find evidence to prove it to the Arcane Enforcers. They are going to be very hard to convince, since he's already been convicted of trying to kill someone with dark magic.

But Finn has his family: His brother Mort who is running the family necrotorium business now, his brother Pete who believes he's a werewolf, though he is not, and his sister Samantha who is, unfortunately, allergic to magic. And he's got Zeke, a fellow exile and former enforcer, who doesn't really believe in Finn's innocence but is willing to follow along in hopes of getting his old job back.

Author Notes

RANDY HENDERSON is the grand prize winner of Writers of the Future Award for 2014, a Clarion West graduate, and member of SFWA and Codex. His fiction has appeared in places like Penumbra, Escape Pod, and Realms of Fantasy, as well as anthologies. He is the author of Finn Fancy Necromancy and Bigfootloose and Finn Fancy Free .

Reviews (3)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 9 Up-Henderson's debut is a hold-on-tight romp through all things weird and fantastical. Finn Gramaraye knows a few things: he is a necromancer, he has been imprisoned for 25 years in the Other Realm for a crime he didn't commit, and he can't wait to go home. There is one thing he doesn't know-who framed him. And just as his soul is about to be transferred back into his body (it's been hosting a fairy this whole time), he and his jailer are attacked by forces unknown. Then the body of the woman he was accused of attacking is found dead on his kitchen floor, and Finn realizes this is not going to be the homecoming he was hoping for. With no memory of the last quarter century, he must rely on the few people who are still talking to him, including his werewolf brother and a berserk Arcane Enforcer, to find out who has it in for him and why. Henderson's take on fantasy feels like an asylum for the dangerously magical and a support group for mundanes (humans) who have been loved, then abandoned, by witches and warlocks. Although Finn's body is technically in his 40s, he still has the mind of a 15-year-old, narrated to perfection by Todd Haberkorn, who also expertly voices Pete the werewolf and girl-next-door Dawn; this juxtaposition leads to awkward moments of self-discovery and loads of Eighties pop culture references. VERDICT Fans of Cassandra Clare's urban fantasy series may want to try this and any sequels to come.-Michaela Schied, Indian River Middle School, Philadelphia, NY © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publisher's Weekly Review

Phinaeus "Finn" Gramaraye entered the family trade of necromancy, was framed for dark magic, and endured a 25-year exile to the Other Realm. Now Finn wants to pick up the pieces of his life, but sinister forces are still at work against him, and a betrayal and murder may send him back into exile forever. Henderson's debut is written from the unusual viewpoint of a teenager full of 1980s memories thrown into an adult body in the present day, and Finn faces peril at every turn. Rife with absurdity, this whodunit tries to make an adventure out of investigation. The comedic combat frequently undermines any sense of tension, risk, or urgency that might otherwise have been built. Henderson also makes his mystery unsolvable by intentionally obscuring facts and misdirecting his characters, so the sleuth work lacks impact. The entertaining style and breakneck pace nonetheless make it easy to fall into Finn's world for a fun, if flawed, getaway. Agent: Cameron McClure, Donald Maas Literary Agency. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Library Journal Review

During his transfer back to the mortal plane, Finn Gramaraye is attacked, and the swap with the fae changeling is botched, leaving Finn without any helpful memories for the 25 years he was in exile. Only 15 when he was framed and convicted on charges of dark necromancy and sentenced to the Other Realm, Finn returns as a 40-year-old man with no real understanding of the modern world. He wants to patch things up with his family; however, the people who set him up are still out to get him-Finn just needs to figure out why. VERDICT Funny and exciting, this first novel does sport some rough edges, especially in the dialog. The family dynamics between Finn and his brothers are well done, and the author (winner of Writers of the Future's 2014 Golden Pen Award) excellently shows Finn as an emotionally stunted teenager suddenly middle-aged and having to deal with the family and friends he left behind. A promising writer to watch. (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.