A really good urban fantasy novel. The world building was top notch, and the plot was fresh and original. The characters were well written. Ruby, the main character was pretty awesome. A necromancer unsure of her power trying to maintain a normal human life and not get too involved in the supernatural world around her. She was a little attutidey, but not over the top bitchy. Smart and likeable and not over the top powerful. Granted she was supposed to be very powerful but she was unsure of herself and didn't flaunt it, needing to be rescued on a few occasions before coming to terms with her abilities.

I found the take on demons in the supernatural world here really interesting. Generally speaking I always tend to think demons = bad guys. But while they're certainly not the good guys, the hierarchy is interesting and there's some definite grey areas. The love interest Ewan was a great flawed demon hero. Again, not completely a good guy, but not a bad guy either. He had really good chemistry with Ruby and the romance scenes were spicy and hot.

The plot twists were well executed, the story was faced paced and even nicely gory in bits. A satisfying ending leaving the possibility for a sequel. I know I would love to see more from this world.

A very good read. ( )

Review to come as part of the book tour. SO ENJOYABLE. I'm so glad I signed up for this one. The ending leaves it open for more books and HELL YES I WANT MORE. Okay, that's it. Review to come! *******************

I'm a supernatural/paranormal/fantasy/romance/crime junkie. I admit it. This book satisfied every itch of my needs. From a bitchy witchy dear friend to a sexier than hell demon to the gore of zombies, this book kept me turning the pages to read on. I liked all of the characters from Adam to Kara to Ewan to Ruby. I even liked the character we only see from Ruby's memories, Cora, her grandmother.

While it's a recognizable quirk that the heroine is more powerful than she knows, it was still enjoyable to read as Ruby discovers her power and learns more about her grandmother from her new supernatural contacts. I liked how Ruby is, in the human world, unassuming, quiet, and seemingly frustrated/bored/annoyed with the status quo, and yet she is still denying her true nature and self. I couldn't imagine teaching a class while some dead thing is lurking at me!

I enjoyed watching Ruby grow from timid to strong, her anger growing as she realizes that she's being duped/kept from knowing the full truth of anything. I liked listening in on her conversations with herself as we observe the revenant and zombies. She keeps this thread of humility and compassion that endear her to the reader.

I can't talk about the ending without giving something away, but I will tell you this: I keep searching goodreads/amazon/the web for any tidbits/glimpses of the next book. Whoa, baby... that is not how I expected her relationship to turn and ... I want MORE.

I received my copy of THE NECROMANCER'S SEDUCTION from the publisher via Netgalley, for this book tour. The above was my honest, unsolicited opinion. ( )

I’m a huge fan of the paranormal genre, yet this is the first book I have read that focuses on the magic of necromancy. Ruby is a well-known necromancer among her supernatural community.
Since both her grandmother and mother were also necromancers, Ruby knows about her powers and has grown up among other supernatural entities secretly living among humans: witches, demons, vampires, and werewolves. Necromancers are a rarity in this world and differ from other paranormals because they have never been fully accepted by other supernaturals or “supes,” who also fear their unnatural powers.

When the story opens, we learn that Ruby refuses to embrace her magical gifts and keeps her distance from other “supes.” As a college professor, she lives as ordinary a life as possible. However, after the death of her grandmother, Cora, leaders of the supernatural community solicit Ruby’s help in finding out who is responsible for the recent murders of other paranormal members within their community.

Ruby not only has moral objections about the repercussions of raising the dead, she has also experienced some trauma and pain in seeing how necromancy affected her mother. The mystery behind her mother’s death isn’t revealed until later in the book, but it certainly justifies her unwillingness to put her abilities to use. Ruby has the potential to be a danger to everyone around her if her powers are abused, and we see examples throughout the story of the damage she can wield when she becomes a pawn used by others in their quest for power.

Initially, Ruby stubbornly refuses the Supernatural Coven’s request to raise Adam, a witch who has just been murdered and bring him back to life as a supernatural revenant so that he can provide information about the killer. Revenants differ from typical zombies because their souls, intelligence, and supernatural strength remain intact when they are raised from the dead. They can blend in with humans and are much more difficult to control. Only a powerful necromancer can bring them back to life. Although Ruby has had little practice in using her magic, she finally agrees to perform the blood ritual on Adam after learning her grandmother may have been targeted for assassination as well.

At first I had hard time accepting Ruby’s name. Ruby just didn’t seem like an appropriate name for a necromancer. The gemstone ruby is shiny and vibrant, but necromancers work in a realm of darkness and death. Yet, after further reflection, I realized that the name Ruby is symbolic of a necromancer’s power. Rubies are red, the color of blood, and it is Ruby’s blood that has the power to raise the dead. Sebastain does a good job of describing the actual ritual of raising the dead and the feeling of ecstasy that Ruby gets when she “plugs into” that power source.

As the plot develops in the ongoing search for a killer, a burgeoning relationship forms between Ruby and a very handsome demon named Ewen who is given orders by the Coven’s demon leader, Malthus, to protect her. Ruby has done her best to stay away from Ewen in the past because of her intense attraction to him and her refusal to be a part of his world.

The entire story is told from Ruby’s point-of-view which limits readers’ knowledge and understanding of the overall situation. Yet, I was able to form an emotional connection with Ruby and could relate to her worried and frazzled state through much of the book. Her dry humor in the midst of danger kept me engaged and provided a bit of relief from the tension raised in the story.

On the other hand, there were instances later in the book, where I felt Ruby’s thoughts and actions were incongruent with the way she was earlier portrayed. In the beginning, Ruby seems to be a calm, rational, polished professional who proceeds with caution. Yet, her later thoughts and actions show a woman in emotional disarray whenever she’s in Ewen’s presence, and, as complications develop, her reactions are based more on emotion and impulse rather than logic. Even her language becomes crasser as the conflicts intensify. However, if I were forced to raise the dead, control multiple “super zombies,” search for my grandmother’s murderer, and resist the advances of a tempting demon then I might react much in the same way. Hopefully, I’ll never find out.

Ruby’s resistance to learning about her past and her abilities now put her at a disadvantage and force her to wing it much of the time. She is still learning about her powers and doesn’t have full knowledge of her capabilities. Her pride also jeopardizes her safety because she won’t admit that at times she doesn’t know what she’s doing and, even more importantly, she doesn’t always have complete control over her revenants. At times she puts herself and other humans in danger of being attacked.

The book’s title implies a romantic seduction, and Ewen is determined to be the one to seduce both Ruby’s mind and body. He is strong, passionate, and possessive. However, unlike other typical alpha male characters, he doesn’t force his protective nature on Ruby; instead, he gives her space to make her own decisions. At this point in the overall story, they primarily have a physical relationship without the emotional depth needed to have a relationship. Ewen’s deception and demon honor also keep them apart when the truth about Ruby’s real identity and powers are revealed.

However, romance isn’t the only type of seduction in the book. Ruby is also conflicted over her increasing desire to use her abilities. The more she uses her magic, the more of a temptation it becomes, and the infusion of power she experiences when she performs rituals only heightens this form of seduction. I like the dual meaning behind the title.

The supporting paranormal characters are powerful in their own right and it isn’t always clear to Ruby or readers what their motivations are and whether they are allies who can be trusted. Even though they behave in a civilized manner, it remains clear that each has a monster lurking just below the surface ready to emerge when necessary. For the first time, I actually found a zombie character likeable, but, then again, Adam is also a zombie with a conscience. He is the voice of truth and reason that Ruby needs when she questions her actions.

The story’s plot is well-executed and provides a nice blend of mystery and suspenseful action that kept me absorbed, especially in the second half of the book when truths are revealed and characters become expendable. The story left me with a comfortable reprieve until the second book is released and I look forward to seeing what’s next in this new paranormal series.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ( )