
A Whisper of Death
The Necromancer Series
Book 1
Paul Barrett
Genre: YA Dark Fantasy
Publisher: Fiery Seas Publishing, LLC
Date of Publication: December 22, 2015
Cover Artist: Jess Small
Book Description:
Born with the power of ultimate evil, he is the world’s only chance at survival.
Erick Darvaul is a Necromancer, a descendant of the original sorcerers who turned against their dark masters and exiled them. Now these beings have returned, it falls upon Erick and a cadre of newfound allies to rally against these powerful entities and defeat them again.
Through fire, ambush, and betrayal, Erick and his companions claw their way to Broken Mountain to reunite with others who share his ability. There, Erick battles the mortal foe of his ancestors pushing the limits of his Necromantic magic, a force that seeks to corrupt him every time he summons it.
Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/-Bl3pr4javI
Teaser Video: https://youtu.be/fxcuoyDwGDk
My Review
This really is such an interesting story. I love necromancers, so this fit right in there, with magic and mystery and zombies all included. There's a really good world building and the writing is well done so it kept me interested in the whole story. I will say that some of the story made me feel like it was maybe part of a series, but it's a stand alone. I really really loved the world building, but I felt I was missing back story parts from the characters. I loved all the magic and how everything works and comes to be. I liked the characters, and I would definitely read more from them if the author chose to write more. It's got a modern feel with a historical past and I loved the way it meshed so well. I really liked all the characters as well. The main character may be a necromancer, but he wants to fight evil and overcome the bad. I really do hope the author decides to write more from here. I would like to see a little bit more from the characters and maybe a little bit less descriptions. And now with the world building set, there can be some character growth, and more movement based on the characters. overall I liked this one and I would like more. 4 PAWS
Author Interview
First, tell me a little about your book :)….
A Whisper of Death is the story of 17-year-old Erick Darvaul. Erick is a Necromancer, one of only six left in the world. The Necromancers are feared and hated because of what they did to help an evil entity almost take over the world, until ten of them rebelled against their leader and banish him. In so doing, four of the Necromancers were killed. They made a covenant with the gods that there would always be six Necromancers left to guard against the day any of these evil beings, called the Inconnu, returned. They are tolerated, but not loved. As you would expect, the Inconnu return, and Erick has to use his power, which tempts him with evil every time he calls upon it, to fight against this even greater evil. He takes a journey to Broken Mountain to meet up with the other Necromancers to plan a way to fight the Inconnu, but things don’t go exactly as planned.
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated or did you always just know?
My interest in creativity started when I was five and wanted to be an actor. I just knew I wanted to tell stories, even if it was in other people’s words. That eventually transitioned into doing writing, and the first story I remember writing was when I was 8 years old. It was called Ziggy and the Spiders from Mars, which was obviously taken from the David Bowie song that was popular at the time (yes, I’m old) but was about the comic character Ziggy and his hapless attempts to deal with Martian spiders that landed in his yard.
What inspired you to write your first book and what was it?
My first book was in 1982 and it was/is called Knight Errant. It’s a space opera about a group of corporate mercenaries tracking down one of their rogue members. I co-wrote it with a friend who also wanted to be a writer, and he was really the inspiration for doing it. It still exists and I’m reworking it so it will hopefully see the light of day at some point.
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
I raise a dead body at least once a month, so Whisper of Death is practically autobiographical.
No, there really aren’t any of my own experiences in this particular book, although the innkeeper Gert is based almost entirely on my real life friend, Pamela.
How do you chose when/which characters die in your books?
It has to be a natural extension of the story. I sort of have an idea of which characters are eventually going to meet a demise in the sequels to Whisper (it’s not many. I’m not George R.R. Martin) but I don’t necessarily have the specifics of how yet.
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
The newest people to grab me are Chuck Wendig and Delilah S. Dawson. They are both really good writers and have become good friends as well. I’m also starting to enjoy John Hartness, who is a Charlotte NC boy like me and writes southern horror/humor stuff.
Who do you look up to as a writer?
Pat Conroy. If I could learn to wield language in my writing like he does, I would be a happy man.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your book?
Seeing as I just a couple of weeks ago finished the last edits, there’s nothing I’d change at the moment. Ask me this question again in a year, and I’ll probably have a different answer.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
I suspect as I delve into the next two books, keeping track of previous events and also making sure I keep my history and religious facts and philosophies straight and consistent may become an issue, but I’m doing my best to keep copious, almost encyclopedic notes, so hopefully that will help. If nothing else, maybe I’ll get some superfans who will keep me straight.
What book are you reading now? Or what genre?
Currently reading From the Stone by John Hartness and also Zeroes by Chuck Wendig. I have any number of books in my queue, including Star Wars: Aftermath and Wake of Vultures.
Who designed the cover? And do you help with them?
The cover was created by Jess Small, who has done a lot of work for Fiery Seas, my publisher. Since it’s my first published book, I didn’t have much say in the design, but they did take my suggestion to put a skeletal hand resting on Erick’s shoulder.
Did you learn anything from writing your books and what was it?
I learned how to continue getting better and better. I learned that I really need to start plotting things instead of going by the seat of my pants, and I plan to have the next two books plotted out fairly well, so I can avoid some of the narrative dead ends I had to backtrack from in writing the first book.
If you could be one of your characters, who would you chose?
I would be Marcus, the young thief. He has my sarcastic sense of humor, but he’s much more willing to do what he wants and flip the middle finger at authority than I would be willing to do.
Are there any books you think some of us should read, just because?
The Miriam Black series by Chuck Wendig, just because Miriam is such a compelling character who you can like and hate at the same time. And if you like to laugh, read pretty much anything by Christopher Moore.
Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
I hope you enjoy the book and look forward to the next one. My blog is at www.paulbarrettonline, my Twitter account is @producerpaul and I have an Amazon author page where you can feel free to ask me questions and I’ll do my best to answer them quickly. Also, if you like low budget horror movies, check out the two I produced, Cold Storage and Night Feeders.
About the Author:
Paul has lived a varied life full of excitement and adventure. Not really, but it sounds good as an opening line.
Paul’s multiple careers have included: rock and roll roadie, children’s theater stage manager, television camera operator, mortgage banker, and support specialist for Microsoft Excel.
This eclectic mix prepared him to go into his true love: motion picture production. He has produced two motion pictures and two documentaries: His film Night Feeders released on DVD in 2007, and Cold Storage was released by Lionsgate in 2010
Amidst all this, Paul has worked on his writing, starting with his first short story, about Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, at age 8. Paul has written and produced numerous commercial and industrial video scripts in his tenure with his forcreative agency, Indievision. He has two published short stories (As You Sow and Double Cross) and one self-published novel (Godchild). He lives with his filmmaker/graphic artist partner and their three cats.
http://www.paulbarrettonline.com
https://twitter.com/producerpaul
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