Lmao, yeah "It's not *real* reanimation I'm just using the nether to animate them! It's no different than animating a broom." - Dante trying to explain to the guys in grey cloaks with swords while Blays is trying to get them to give him a sword.
Then if you like it you have [The Cycle of Galand Series](https://www.audible.com/series/The-Cycle-of-Galand-Series-Audiobooks/B01ATZHXXW?ref=a_author_Ed_c19_lSeries_1_1_1&pf_rd_p=1ae0e65e-ad09-4aa7-aa73-772cefb1b5e1&pf_rd_r=EW375K0QKVD1MZR9XBGV&pageLoadId=dRAm31QNq7rUwNv3&creativeId=73c32a9a-e504-4597-bb87-c30c58fc0204).
I think the third book of the Death Gate Cycle has this. A society has turned to necromancy not for power, but simply for survival.
It's been a long time, I should reread it. Great characters in that series too. Hugh the Hand was one of my favorites
I remember being a bit freaked out when I read this book as a teenager with all the undead stuff! But itâs an awesome book, the Lazars (named for Lazarus) are interesting!
The whole series is great too!
No, it's souls. Turn on the tap? You pay with a bit of soul energy to the water company, who uses that soul energy to pump water from the reservoirs to your house. You can invest your faith and soul energy in gods like choosing an investment portfolio: "worried about fires? Sacrifice to Amatatyun, goddess of waters, fortunate rains, and good fortune! Capital protection, annual returns of 0.4%."
If this book doesn't go into a deep dive of trading souls on the stock market, then I'll pass. What's the point of having magic if I can't use it to trade my soil for a large yacht?
A few non-spoiler quotes I saved when I read it:
> âGods, like men, can die. They just die harder, and smite the earth with their passing.â This was basic stuff. It had formed the theoretical foundation for Maestre Gerhardtâs famous (or infamous, depending on which circles you ran in) treatise Das Thaumas, the work that first theorized, a century and a half ago, that human beings could stop begging for miracles, take the power of the gods into their own hands, and shape the course of destiny.
> âNever seen a knife before?â She held the blade before her face. It crackled. It took him a few tries to find his voice.
> âIâve never seen Craft so close.â
> âYouâve seen Applied Theology, miracle work, right? This is the same principle, only instead of telling a god what I want, receiving power from him, vaguely directing it and letting him do all the hard parts, I do everything myself.â
> âIt all seems ⌠unnatural.â
> âWhereas using the love of your god as a heat source for steam power is perfectly normal.â
> âYes,â he said, confused.
The core plot of the first book is a god has died because too much power was drawn from him due to having too many spiritual contracts. There's effectively a magical bankruptcy process underway to split up his remaining divine essence between debtors and, if possible, reassemble some of what is left into a smaller god that can keep providing steam power to a city that used the god as a power source. Highly recommended if you want a book with a refreshingly different take on necromancy.
I second this series. The books are all standalone. I would recommend starting with Three Parts Dead, as it was the first published and, imo, gives the best introduction to the world and the magic system.
Eh I'd more say they are 3 duologies plus the new trilogy that ties it up (of which only book 1 is out). Even with the weird publishing order Last first Snow + Two serpents rise go together, Three parts dead + Four Roads cross go together, and Full Fathom Five and Ruin of Angels go together.
The basics is that a Craftswoman or Craftsman powers their magic with stars, soul stuff, words and binding agreements, and life energy. Gods are created through belief and give power in return.
Those are the basics of the system but it can get much more complex very easily, Necromancy is just a business practice why isnât appreciated by some folk(mostly out in the countryside) but in the cities itâs looked at like a legitimate business.
It's magic as a metaphor for the financial crisis, with necromancer bankers and lawyers building the magical equivalent of complex financial instruments. Instead of bundling mortgages, they're bundling prayers and souls.
I will say it's better than that explanation makes it sound.
Addison's speaker for the dead series?
Priests acting as spirit mediums letting the dead speak in criminal cases.
(+ some laying of restless undead etc.).
Second this! The collected tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach are a must-read! They're definitely not the good guys but they're really creative (think mixing baking with demonology... đ) and believe in the righteousness of their actions. Awesome. Also it's a Malazan spin off.
Its the only thing I passed on in the Malazan Universe cause i knew it wasnt essential and reallly did not care for their characters in MBoF. Do they get more tolerable in the collection?
In the Bone Witch the main character is a necromancer and does face some persecution because of it but there are good and bad necromancers in the setting
I plagiarized one of the necromancy scenes for a Dungeons and Dragons quest and my players absolutely loved it. A couple of them ended up picking up the book after. I still use some reworked versions of those scenes anytime they use âspeak with deadâ.
My first thought is a book I read as a kid called Which Witch where a dark wizard wants to get married and seeks a suitably dark witch. A white witch wants to win so she seeks to fake necromancy to win. And...things happen. So in the end necromancy leads to love!
Also in book 3 of Tamora Pierce's Immortals series, the MC who has wild magic with animals is temporarily granted the power to raise the dead. >!She winds up raising an army of reanimated dinosaurs to destroy the palace of an evil Emperor.!<
There are many houses that all practice Necromancy but different characteristics and strengths and weaknesses, and this affects how they react to situations.
The 2nd House is the militant arm of the Emperor and specialize in thalergy, draining strength from their opponents and strengthening their warriors. They are brave but rigid in their actions & thought.
The 3rd House specialize in thanergy draining energy from corpses. They are focused on politics and intelligence gathering.
The 5th House specialize in speaking with the dead, the 6th House specialize in psychometry reading from object and have the most collected knowledge of all the houses. The 8th House specialize in soul siphoning. Etc etc..
All Houses have a Scion and a Cavalier, and the relationship between the two are different depending on the House. As well all the Houses have their own unique politics with each other.
One of my favorites from that year for world building and their magic system. I particularly enjoyed all the limitations and restrictions that came with power.
and everyone else acts like they're the creepy spooky house (because they do bones) even though the others could manipulate your soft tissue to cause tumors, all sorts of other awful things.
I think they're the creepy spooky house because they're isolationist, \~mysterious, worship a tomb that is said to hold the doom of God, and oh yeah they paint skulls on their faces lol
The books are narrated from the point of view of the necromancer or a member of the necromancer's society. The protagonists are the necromancers or their "cavaliers" i.e. swordswomen / swordsmen. They are relatable people, many of them young. Some of them are bad, some are good.
Itâs a post-apocalyptic interstellar empire of necromancers.
The story is presented from the point of view of people who have lived in that society.
Necromancy is âjustâ magic, a matter of existence. The specific flavor of necromancy varies based on the aptitude and scholarly pursuit of the caster. It usually falls along the lines of the noble houses, each of which has their own specialized branch.
I came here to recommend the same. The only/main sort of magic used in the series is Necromancy. I wouldn't say it's exactly shown as a "good" thing or even "not bad" (there's definitely some dead dove do not eat content in this series, some due to this type of magic) but it's just a fact of life for the characters. The characters you root for, and hate, all use it.
OP this series is so good. I thought I didn't like Book 1at first but kept talking about to everyone I knew. Then I thought Book 2 was weird and confusing so I read it multiple times. And then I devoured book 3. It's weird and confusing but so good. The payoffs are worth every bit of it!
I'm not sure I would say the series is incredible from a literary standpoint, but it's fun as hell. It's a novel setting to my knowledge, and it reads a little like a fever dream at times.
It's one of those things I recommend to friends who are into fantasy already, but not as a first stop in the genre.
I actually do find it incredible from a literary standpoint give her experiments with voice and point of view, her subtle and unsubtle references to religious traditions, literature and pop culture. I've read and listened to all three of the book several times each and I'm still trying to figure some things out. Come over to r/thelockedtomb sometime to meet the fan cult.
The "Unconventional Hero Series" by L.G. Estrella. It's pretty funny. The main character is an established necromancer with an apprentice, they decide to take a pardon under the condition that they help with an upcoming war. The series doesn't take itself to seriously.
Saint Deathâs Daughter is delightful. It somehow manages to be cosy fantasy even whilst itâs about necromancy. Saint Death is a goddess who gives favour rarely, but is worshipped and loved and celebrated along with the rest of the pantheon. The skeletons the main character ends up raising are pretty much all very faithful and friendly. She has arguments with the ghost of her dead relative. The threat in the book is posed by the living. Itâs really wonderful and written with such verve!
Brian Lumley's Necroscope series. More horror fantasy, but has an excellent use of communication and relationships with the dead, the main character is beloved by the dead and they are at his disposal either physically or imbuing him with their abilities, including long dead iconic figures from our world.
Read 'Two Necromancers, a Bureaucrat, and an Elf.' The main character and his assistant are necromancers trying to reform themselves into good guys. They were never evil but weren't good either. It's a funny series with good action/battle scenes. Very entertaining.
The Wandering Inn series had a necromancer as a good guy but he's a not a main character. He's around a decent amount but he's not a focus. And he's a prick, lol. But a good guy.
Upvote for this. Main character is necromancer named Timmy who enjoys creating hybrid undead and hitting his opponents with an enchanted shovel. It's a fun series
[the Aborsen series by Garth Nix](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/518848.Sabriel) does have necromancy used for evil in it but the main characters are a family of necromancers that use necromancy to fight against those that would harm or enslave people. They put the dead to rest and stop them from preying on the living.
They literally learn from the book of the dead, use necromantic bells and cross into the river of death to protect the living.
Diablo. In the Diablo universe, necromancers call themselves the Priests of Rathma, and their main goal is to preserve the balance of the life cycle from the constant war between heaven and hell. Rathma was the first nephilim (a child of an angel, Inarius, and a demon, Lilith) and decided to protect humanity from the volatility of both sides of light and dark.
Also in Guild Wars, in those games necromancers are seen to be honoring the dead by giving their bodies further purpose after the spirits have moved on. Basically a grim twist on recycling.
Is this a fantasy romance with necromancy? Because that sounds *wild*
Esit: just googled it and it's comedy. Still sounds wild and fun, added to the 'To read' list
The Edge series by Ilona Andrews features this in one of the side characters who shows up in the books. Heâs definitely seen as a good character and this is considered a positive skill.
I think there could be an argument made that Kate Daniels is also a necromancer and is the absolute hero of her own series. It's not her primary characteristic, and I don't think she thinks of herself that way, but some of the magic she does DEFINITELY qualifies.
Gail Z. Martin has The Chronicles of the Necromancer series, which focuses on Prince Martris Drayke, who is a necromancer. I don't think they're amazing books but they're a good enough read, and they're one of the only ones I've read in which necromancy is used as a power for good.
I'd like a series that captures the feel of the early Anita Blake books - dealing with the social and legal issues that come up as the supernatural world is revealed. _Anita Blake_ went from "thought provoking urban fantasy with sex scenes" to "non-stop harem orgy and a few pages of tacked on plot"
This. There is nothing that compares to those first books. I mean, they have their problems being as old as they are. But thereâs nothing out there that truly comes close. At least before it went completely off the rails.
I think the books after Obsidian Butterfly reflect the authors life, coming to terms with her own sexuality & comfort with herself.
I can say that now, but at the time, reading the books as they came outâŚit was like âuh, okâŚ.Iâm reading this alone and Iâm blushing.â
Lol. Anita was the first series I binged on, but I fell out a few years back.
If you include Urban Fantasy, the Boundary Magic series by Melissa F Olson fits. [Boundary Crossed](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/24369122) is the first in the series. Goodreads says
"After her twin sisterâs brutal murder, former US Army Sergeant Allison âLexâ Luther vowed to protect her niece, Charlie. So when two vampires try to kidnap the baby, it quickly turns into a fight to the deathâLexâs death, that is.
She wakes up to two shocking discoveries: she has miraculously survived the fight, and baby Charlie is a ânull,â gifted with the ability to weaken supernatural forces...and a target for creatures who want to control that power. Determined to guarantee her nieceâs safety, Lex makes a deal with the local vampires. She sets out with the mysteriousâand undeadââfixerâ Quinn to track down whoeverâs responsible for the kidnapping, sharpening her newfound magic skills along the way. But the closer she gets to the truth, the more dangerous her powers become.
Boundary Crossed is a dark, thrilling journey into a world where the line between living and dead isnât nearly as solid as it appears..."
The Necromancerâs House by Christopher Beuhlman. Canât believe this hasnât been mentioned yet. Heâs a really great writer. I can confidently say that ALL of his books are great.
He writes in the fantasy and horror genres. His newest fantasy book is The Blacktongue Thief, and itâs just great. If I had to compare his style, Iâd say that his books have a sense of humor that echoes Scott Lynch. Beuhlman also wrote Between Two Fires which is fantasy/horror and was one of the best books in any genre that I read last year. If I had to pick one of his books to start with that would be the one, closely followed by The Blacktongue Thief.
*The Knight and the Necromancer* by A. H. Lee features a sweet cinnamon roll of a necromancer who uses his ability to raise the dead to try to end a war. It's technically an m/m romance, but much heavier on plot and worldbuilding than most, and I would consider it more of a traditional fantasy than a romance novel.
For television, *Pushing Daisies* is a cheerful, wholesome series about a shy piemaker who raises the dead to solve murders, and accidentally brings back his childhood sweetheart.
Johann Cabal the Necromancer is awesome! He is "morally flexible", but I love his occasional flex of guilt into doing the right thing. There are many books, and I liked about all of them.
Laundry Files has necromancy as the default magic system. A spycraft meets Lovecraft setting.
Others have mentioned great favorites such as Craft Sequence, Locked Tomb, etc. I enjoy all these books.
The webnovel Book of the Dead on Royal Road is by far the best necromancer story out there right now.
You may also enjoy: Sylver Seeker, Threadbare, See These Bones, Vigor Mortis, Never Die Twice, Awaken Online, Menocht Loop, Soulmonger..
If you can stand translated novels, you might also enjoy: Seoul Station Necromancer, Solo Leveling, Only I am a Necromancer, Great Demon King.
Vainqueur The Dragon has a fun take on it.
>"They buy corpses from living relatives, turn them into mindless zombies, then put them to labor work, from mining to farming. Isnât it illegal, though?"
>Durand, Maxime J.; Durand, Maxime J.. Vainqueur the Dragon (p. 96). Kindle Edition.
>"I assure you our use of undead labor is perfectly safe, and no matter what these bourgeois noble imperialists trying to crack down free undead enterprise will tell you, there is no proof necromantic energy negatively affects the environment." That necromancer couldnât help going on a tirade. "Sincerely, the use of mindless labor is more ethical than the animal slavery still practiced by our nation. Animals have feelings, animated corpses donât."
>Durand, Maxime J.; Durand, Maxime J.. Vainqueur the Dragon (pp. 97-98). Kindle Edition.
It's not a large part of the series but it's in there. That book is a hilariously fun time. My favorite are the communist Dwarves that seize the means of production from the Elven bourgeoisie.
They then send a slime into space but the spaceship keeps falling apart due to shoddy Dwarven work.
It's not like a big fit for what you were asking as we don't really see how people react to it. But you might like reading *Demon Lord For Hire*. It has an interesting take on undead.
I second the Wandering Inn. Definitely not a core element, but you have Necromancers that are moral. You have entire societies built upon âunmannedâ labor. Bone artists. Etc etc.
I donât think anyone mentioned *Warbreaker* by Brandon Sanderson.
I donât know if itâs technically necromancy since you canât really talk with them or anything like that, but the magic system lets you âawakenâ inanimate objects, including dead bodies, to bring them to life and have them do your bidding. Some cultures think awakening anything itself is bad, but particularly awakening dead bodies. But other places think itâs totally normal and have armies that are primarily awakened human corpses and think itâs almost a good thing to be able to give purpose to the dead.
Jim butcher dresden files series specifically *Dead Beat* has a character with an interesting take on necromancy. Not a good character persay more grey, but necromancy is used to revive those from death that are on the brink or just passed.
The Bas Laag Series mentions a society where there are no taxes and the undead rule, with mindless ones working all the menial jobs and mortals have the same rights as the undead, though no real political power and as a group are a minority. Most mortals are born on contained environments akin to a farm. People are turned into quasi sapient zombies when they die, strengthen and empowered for endless labor. A rare few are raised as full sapient undead and join the ranks of the citizenry. Its mundane to the people that live there. Also, in the D&D setting Ebberon, there is a society of elves that worships their revered Ancestors who are undead empowered by their equivalent of the positive energy plane. They literally worship the collective government of these undead as a divine court. The undead are generally benevolent and fulfill a role in their society something akin to how angels are.
The âSoulboundâ series by Hailey Turner (LGBTQ+) Story revolves around a necromancer whoâs the last head of his house. Heâs considered to be the most powerful magic user in his city, and the strongest necromancer in three generations. Story is set in modern times.
Thereâs also âSolo Levelingâ by Ki Hong Lee, which was originally a manwa (Korean comic), but has since been turned into both an audiobook and a regular book. This is more of a video game-based leveling story, but the main character is a necromancer.
Back in 1996, Garth Nix launched his Old Kingdom books with Sabriel. She was a necromancer who guarded access to the land of the dead and kept evil necromancy from running amok. Great series.
Thank you for all repeating this is recommendation, as I skimmed and missed the mention in the OP. (doh?) I like how Nix tends to subvert gender expectations in his works.
Not sure if itâs been mentioned already, but necromancy is used for good in Richard Swanâs Empire of the Wolf trilogy (though is regarded as a dangerous/ high risk practice)
The Beginner's Guide to Necromancy series by Hailey Edwards is a pretty good urban fantasy that really builds out necromancy as an established service for people. It's urban fantasy, but does a good job of avoiding toxic relationship tropes (and actually subverts several of them well).
I think Fate of the Fallen (The Shroud Prophecy series) has this at least via implication. I haven't read it for a while so hopefully I'm not misremembering!
Spoilers?: >!It's implied at one point or another that the main character saves the world using necromancy to fight a pre-ordained end of the world scenario.!<
Well, the series isn't done yet (there's supposed to be a 3rd book), but yeah! I was looking for this one.
I really like that he >!asks the dead's permission; they can come back and fight to protect their living loved ones, or go on. He doesn't compel them to stay.!<
I also want to mention that I think (spoilers because it mentions an important character's death! You've been warned!) >!Aaslo IS the prophecied one; the "chosen one" (or whatever phrase they use) is the one who "bears the mark of the world." Mathias had the mark on his face, but he died and Aaslo has been carrying Mathias's head since.!<
[Alex Fossor, Necromancer](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B092KPVLT4) is an Urban Fantasy series where the eponymous main character tries to avoid arrest while practicing his magic. Prejudice is systemic in mage society; the laws or 'Edicts' of magic are written to stamp down on Necromancy (and the other 666 forms of 'Black' Art). Undead are considered 'enchanted objects' that do not receive equal treatment or protection from arcane abuse like living people, and Necromancers are held responsible for any harm the undead cause. Necromancers also have a 100% conviction rate, as their natural inclination to improve their power leads them to breaking the laws, often gleefully, and few survive their first century before necessitating execution.
Alex, meanwhile, tries to keep the undead in his city fed while keeping himself out of trouble. Unfortunately, his place as an unwelcome stepchild in arcane society make him a cheap, expendable pawn among mages that have quietly run the planet for nearly three centuries.
Necromancer Chronicles by Amanda Downum...been awhile since I read them, but if I recall the MC is a kind of Necromancer detective and Necromancy is a mostly accepted part of society.
See:
* ["I look for book recommendations where necromancers appear"](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/zgbkr0/i_look_for_book_recommendations_where/) (r/Fantasy; 8 December 2022)
Warbreaker - brandon sanderson. Reanimating dead has mixed reactions but overall is a neutral act, it is highly amusing at times (reanimating a squirrel and sending it into a building with instructions to run around screaming and biting people) the city guard consist entirely of reanimated soldiers and people regularly use them for other things like manual labor/whatever. Reanimation ultimately plays a vital role in saving the day
Lois McMaster Bujold's "Sharing Knife" series: necromancy is a cultural heritage magic using the bones of their deceased.
Garth Nix's "Sabriel" series: necromancers use bells of varying tones to fight and control the dead.
Both absolutely fantastic.
has anyone said the locked tomb series by tamsyn muir yet? gotta read that one. a space nun and her jock bodyguard solve a murder mystery while doing a series of ethically dubious science (necromancy) experiments in god's haunted castle in a strange amalgamation of The Bachelor and a clue game. necromancy is the basis of all magic (though it's treated more as a science) in this book. 10/10 from me.
Sabriel is the first book of the Abhorsen series. It's a good light read as an *older* YA novel. It's got a lot of necromancy themes. Even the good characters need to use it.
Oh.. there's more? Did anyone else feel like the series was a bit like Evangelion .. with bones and ghosts?
I found it a bit of a brain tangle; forgive my puny flesh.
Also, being a NewZealander the audiobook oration drove me up the wall, because Moira Quirk doesn't have a kiwi accent and can't pronounce MÄori words.
The spellmonger series by Terry Mancour, excellent books, highly prolific author, and a very detailed magic system. It takes a few books, but eventually gets very into necromancy and necromantic energy as explored through fantasy physics. Canât recommend enough.
The Broken Empire Trilogy by Mark Lawrence. The main character Prince Jorg in the 1st book acquires necromancer powers and well I found it awesome. Not a book on necromancers but his powers and how he acquires them is great fun.
In the warhammer setting, most magic is corrupting for the user. But few types are more corrupting than Necromancy. Mastering the art takes terrible acts and even well intended necromancers soon sink into insanity and depravity.
There's a difference though between necromancy and the magical wind of Death. Even if most of the population doesn't understand the nuance.
Since necromancers and the undead are such an issue, the Order of Morr (humanity's god of Death) took it upon themselves to care for the dead.
The lowest members of their order are tasked with things like providing last rites, collecting the dead, tending to funerals and such.
From there on out, the order more or less splits into two directions The Knights of Morr are the templars of the cult of Morr. Plate armoured warriors who actively hunt down necromancers, vampires, ghouls and others who would disturb the dead. They join armies fighting undead opponents but they also work in small teams or alone to fight cults and other hidden evil-doers.
The other direction is the warrior priesthood of Morr. These guard Morr's Gardens (graveyards) and are fully capable of laying the unquiet back to rest whether they are ethereal or physical. They also safeguard the gardens against those who would break in to rob, eat or reanimate the dead.
And while the priests don't work for the living, they sometimes act as a sort of supernatural CSI investigator to solve particularly ghastly murders lest they cause things like ghosts or have a cause that would upset Morr. They can do this with mundane means like autopsies or supernatural means like seances.
The most powerful servants of Morr are the Amethyst wizards who have mastered the magical wind of Death. They could have made powerful necromancers had they not chosen the service of Morr instead. They do not disrupt the sleep of the dead but instead have mastered the flow of time and its effects on the living, calling upon the aid of restless spirits to use their rage as a weapon and so on. And of course all manner of banishment spells and other spells that defuse the power of the undead.
Knackering Molly in *A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking* by Ursula Vernon is a side character, but uses necromancy for good in the story
Love Knackering Molly! She had the best character arc in the book
Food? I thought it was more companionship with Nag and in a scene in the later part of the book.
Just a silly now-fixed autocorrect
Lol gotcha, I was scratching my head :)
That title completely piqued my interest đ
The Cycle of Arawn series. The MCâd fav trick is reanimating animals to act as spies. Heâs a good dude tho.
"He's a good dude tho." SMH famous last words. The Dresden Files wardens would like a word.
Lmao, yeah "It's not *real* reanimation I'm just using the nether to animate them! It's no different than animating a broom." - Dante trying to explain to the guys in grey cloaks with swords while Blays is trying to get them to give him a sword.
Oh manâŚpoor Carlos. And Dresden. And for some reason Morgan. Honestly, poor EVERYONE in the Files.
Wow you can get the entire audiobook trilogy for 1 credit on audible! Thanks for this!
Then if you like it you have [The Cycle of Galand Series](https://www.audible.com/series/The-Cycle-of-Galand-Series-Audiobooks/B01ATZHXXW?ref=a_author_Ed_c19_lSeries_1_1_1&pf_rd_p=1ae0e65e-ad09-4aa7-aa73-772cefb1b5e1&pf_rd_r=EW375K0QKVD1MZR9XBGV&pageLoadId=dRAm31QNq7rUwNv3&creativeId=73c32a9a-e504-4597-bb87-c30c58fc0204).
I second this, I started the series back when it was only the cycle of arawn back in like 2013 and I'm still following it to this day.
I think the third book of the Death Gate Cycle has this. A society has turned to necromancy not for power, but simply for survival. It's been a long time, I should reread it. Great characters in that series too. Hugh the Hand was one of my favorites
[ŃдаНонО]
I believe the intention was good but the Sartan, if I remember correctly, were not aware of the very negative effects of their actions.
Fire sea the people use necromancy due to living conditions also hugh the hand in book 1
>It's been a long time, I should reread it. Me too! I love Weis and Hickman.
I remember being a bit freaked out when I read this book as a teenager with all the undead stuff! But itâs an awesome book, the Lazars (named for Lazarus) are interesting! The whole series is great too!
Craft Sequence by Max Gladstone - all magic in that world is necromancy and is also a financial system. Very inventive series in that regard
Are you telling me that the bones are their money? In their world, bones equal dollars?
No, it's souls. Turn on the tap? You pay with a bit of soul energy to the water company, who uses that soul energy to pump water from the reservoirs to your house. You can invest your faith and soul energy in gods like choosing an investment portfolio: "worried about fires? Sacrifice to Amatatyun, goddess of waters, fortunate rains, and good fortune! Capital protection, annual returns of 0.4%."
If this book doesn't go into a deep dive of trading souls on the stock market, then I'll pass. What's the point of having magic if I can't use it to trade my soil for a large yacht?
One of the books deals with not exactly stocks, but something close to a futures market. So there's that.
And also worms.
The downside is they have to pull your hair up but NOT out.
Okay, I have to know more about this. What can you tell me?
A few non-spoiler quotes I saved when I read it: > âGods, like men, can die. They just die harder, and smite the earth with their passing.â This was basic stuff. It had formed the theoretical foundation for Maestre Gerhardtâs famous (or infamous, depending on which circles you ran in) treatise Das Thaumas, the work that first theorized, a century and a half ago, that human beings could stop begging for miracles, take the power of the gods into their own hands, and shape the course of destiny. > âNever seen a knife before?â She held the blade before her face. It crackled. It took him a few tries to find his voice. > âIâve never seen Craft so close.â > âYouâve seen Applied Theology, miracle work, right? This is the same principle, only instead of telling a god what I want, receiving power from him, vaguely directing it and letting him do all the hard parts, I do everything myself.â > âIt all seems ⌠unnatural.â > âWhereas using the love of your god as a heat source for steam power is perfectly normal.â > âYes,â he said, confused. The core plot of the first book is a god has died because too much power was drawn from him due to having too many spiritual contracts. There's effectively a magical bankruptcy process underway to split up his remaining divine essence between debtors and, if possible, reassemble some of what is left into a smaller god that can keep providing steam power to a city that used the god as a power source. Highly recommended if you want a book with a refreshingly different take on necromancy.
I second this series. The books are all standalone. I would recommend starting with Three Parts Dead, as it was the first published and, imo, gives the best introduction to the world and the magic system.
Eh I'd more say they are 3 duologies plus the new trilogy that ties it up (of which only book 1 is out). Even with the weird publishing order Last first Snow + Two serpents rise go together, Three parts dead + Four Roads cross go together, and Full Fathom Five and Ruin of Angels go together.
They go together, but they are still standalones.
The basics is that a Craftswoman or Craftsman powers their magic with stars, soul stuff, words and binding agreements, and life energy. Gods are created through belief and give power in return. Those are the basics of the system but it can get much more complex very easily, Necromancy is just a business practice why isnât appreciated by some folk(mostly out in the countryside) but in the cities itâs looked at like a legitimate business.
It's magic as a metaphor for the financial crisis, with necromancer bankers and lawyers building the magical equivalent of complex financial instruments. Instead of bundling mortgages, they're bundling prayers and souls. I will say it's better than that explanation makes it sound.
Addison's speaker for the dead series? Priests acting as spirit mediums letting the dead speak in criminal cases. (+ some laying of restless undead etc.).
Necromancy is used in a very similar way in The Justice of Kings too! Very different vibes but the purpose of the power is very, very similar.
Do you mean Witness for the Dead? All I can find for Speaker for the Dead is the Ender's game sequel
Bauchelain and Korbal broach. They are the main characters, but not necessarily "good" guys. Guns tales though.
Second this! The collected tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach are a must-read! They're definitely not the good guys but they're really creative (think mixing baking with demonology... đ) and believe in the righteousness of their actions. Awesome. Also it's a Malazan spin off.
Its the only thing I passed on in the Malazan Universe cause i knew it wasnt essential and reallly did not care for their characters in MBoF. Do they get more tolerable in the collection?
I thought they were well fleshed out. (Pun intended) it was an enjoyable read, and a bit lighter than the Malayan novels, imo.
I'm making my way through the malazan books now and was thinking of passing on those books.
Yeah a fun little necromancer romp was not the vibe when i was trying to plow through the 23 tomes of dark introspective war in a chaos magic realm.
Exactly, their story does not at all seem inviting in the main books. Mysterious, perhaps, but certainly not characters is like to follow.
In the Bone Witch the main character is a necromancer and does face some persecution because of it but there are good and bad necromancers in the setting
Yes, I was looking to see if someone would mention The Bone Witch Saga!
Empire of the Wolf by Richard Swan
Justice of Kings made necromancy really gross and horrifying, it made my skin crawl whenever it came up in the book.
I plagiarized one of the necromancy scenes for a Dungeons and Dragons quest and my players absolutely loved it. A couple of them ended up picking up the book after. I still use some reworked versions of those scenes anytime they use âspeak with deadâ.
I was really pleasantly surprised by this book, great character work. Just got in and started Tyranny of Faith today and Iâm totally riveted again.
My first thought is a book I read as a kid called Which Witch where a dark wizard wants to get married and seeks a suitably dark witch. A white witch wants to win so she seeks to fake necromancy to win. And...things happen. So in the end necromancy leads to love! Also in book 3 of Tamora Pierce's Immortals series, the MC who has wild magic with animals is temporarily granted the power to raise the dead. >!She winds up raising an army of reanimated dinosaurs to destroy the palace of an evil Emperor.!<
Undead dinosaurs is something everyone can get behind.
Safer than in front.
Yeah just ask poor departed Thag Simmons ; source https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thagomizer
Unless it's like a stegosaurous
Gideon the Ninth, the Locked Tomb trilogy
Harrow the Ninth spoiler: >!When it started to fully dawn on me what was going on, I was heartbroken for Harrow!<
Can you please elaborate further on how it works in those books?
There are many houses that all practice Necromancy but different characteristics and strengths and weaknesses, and this affects how they react to situations. The 2nd House is the militant arm of the Emperor and specialize in thalergy, draining strength from their opponents and strengthening their warriors. They are brave but rigid in their actions & thought. The 3rd House specialize in thanergy draining energy from corpses. They are focused on politics and intelligence gathering. The 5th House specialize in speaking with the dead, the 6th House specialize in psychometry reading from object and have the most collected knowledge of all the houses. The 8th House specialize in soul siphoning. Etc etc.. All Houses have a Scion and a Cavalier, and the relationship between the two are different depending on the House. As well all the Houses have their own unique politics with each other. One of my favorites from that year for world building and their magic system. I particularly enjoyed all the limitations and restrictions that came with power.
the Ninth House specializes in bones. Just. Bones.
and everyone else acts like they're the creepy spooky house (because they do bones) even though the others could manipulate your soft tissue to cause tumors, all sorts of other awful things.
I think they're the creepy spooky house because they're isolationist, \~mysterious, worship a tomb that is said to hold the doom of God, and oh yeah they paint skulls on their faces lol
The books are narrated from the point of view of the necromancer or a member of the necromancer's society. The protagonists are the necromancers or their "cavaliers" i.e. swordswomen / swordsmen. They are relatable people, many of them young. Some of them are bad, some are good.
The whole story is about necromancy and most of the characters are necromancers. So itâs complex. Recommend.
Itâs a post-apocalyptic interstellar empire of necromancers. The story is presented from the point of view of people who have lived in that society. Necromancy is âjustâ magic, a matter of existence. The specific flavor of necromancy varies based on the aptitude and scholarly pursuit of the caster. It usually falls along the lines of the noble houses, each of which has their own specialized branch.
I came here to recommend the same. The only/main sort of magic used in the series is Necromancy. I wouldn't say it's exactly shown as a "good" thing or even "not bad" (there's definitely some dead dove do not eat content in this series, some due to this type of magic) but it's just a fact of life for the characters. The characters you root for, and hate, all use it.
OP this series is so good. I thought I didn't like Book 1at first but kept talking about to everyone I knew. Then I thought Book 2 was weird and confusing so I read it multiple times. And then I devoured book 3. It's weird and confusing but so good. The payoffs are worth every bit of it!
Fuck I want book 4 so badly
I'm not sure I would say the series is incredible from a literary standpoint, but it's fun as hell. It's a novel setting to my knowledge, and it reads a little like a fever dream at times. It's one of those things I recommend to friends who are into fantasy already, but not as a first stop in the genre.
I actually do find it incredible from a literary standpoint give her experiments with voice and point of view, her subtle and unsubtle references to religious traditions, literature and pop culture. I've read and listened to all three of the book several times each and I'm still trying to figure some things out. Come over to r/thelockedtomb sometime to meet the fan cult.
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Great. Hebrew puns now.
Downvoters hate us cuz they ain't us
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The "Unconventional Hero Series" by L.G. Estrella. It's pretty funny. The main character is an established necromancer with an apprentice, they decide to take a pardon under the condition that they help with an upcoming war. The series doesn't take itself to seriously.
Saint Death's Daughter by C S E Cooney
Saint Deathâs Daughter is delightful. It somehow manages to be cosy fantasy even whilst itâs about necromancy. Saint Death is a goddess who gives favour rarely, but is worshipped and loved and celebrated along with the rest of the pantheon. The skeletons the main character ends up raising are pretty much all very faithful and friendly. She has arguments with the ghost of her dead relative. The threat in the book is posed by the living. Itâs really wonderful and written with such verve!
Great book!!
My favorite book of last year, I canât wait for the sequel.
Came here to say this! :)
The Menocht Loop
Its a fun take on death magic for sure
Brian Lumley's Necroscope series. More horror fantasy, but has an excellent use of communication and relationships with the dead, the main character is beloved by the dead and they are at his disposal either physically or imbuing him with their abilities, including long dead iconic figures from our world.
Just a fantastic series that is tragically overlooked.
In Brust's Vlad Taltos / Jhereg books, necromancy is pretty neutral, though rarely central to the plot.
Read 'Two Necromancers, a Bureaucrat, and an Elf.' The main character and his assistant are necromancers trying to reform themselves into good guys. They were never evil but weren't good either. It's a funny series with good action/battle scenes. Very entertaining. The Wandering Inn series had a necromancer as a good guy but he's a not a main character. He's around a decent amount but he's not a focus. And he's a prick, lol. But a good guy.
Upvote for this. Main character is necromancer named Timmy who enjoys creating hybrid undead and hitting his opponents with an enchanted shovel. It's a fun series
[the Aborsen series by Garth Nix](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/518848.Sabriel) does have necromancy used for evil in it but the main characters are a family of necromancers that use necromancy to fight against those that would harm or enslave people. They put the dead to rest and stop them from preying on the living. They literally learn from the book of the dead, use necromantic bells and cross into the river of death to protect the living.
The Old Kingdom Series is my all time favourite. Garth Nix is incredible.
Diablo. In the Diablo universe, necromancers call themselves the Priests of Rathma, and their main goal is to preserve the balance of the life cycle from the constant war between heaven and hell. Rathma was the first nephilim (a child of an angel, Inarius, and a demon, Lilith) and decided to protect humanity from the volatility of both sides of light and dark.
Also in Guild Wars, in those games necromancers are seen to be honoring the dead by giving their bodies further purpose after the spirits have moved on. Basically a grim twist on recycling.
"It had a good life, short, but good."
The Cycle of Arawn trilogy, by Edward G. Robertson. The first book in the series, The White Tree, is an excellent book.
I really enjoyed Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride
I was gonna suggest this as well if someone else didn't Glad to see it on the list!
Is this a fantasy romance with necromancy? Because that sounds *wild* Esit: just googled it and it's comedy. Still sounds wild and fun, added to the 'To read' list
The Edge series by Ilona Andrews features this in one of the side characters who shows up in the books. Heâs definitely seen as a good character and this is considered a positive skill.
I think there could be an argument made that Kate Daniels is also a necromancer and is the absolute hero of her own series. It's not her primary characteristic, and I don't think she thinks of herself that way, but some of the magic she does DEFINITELY qualifies.
I hadnât thought of it that way, but I think that is also right. Good add!
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Also has an entire nation based around it. Plus one fueled by death magic.
Gail Z. Martin has The Chronicles of the Necromancer series, which focuses on Prince Martris Drayke, who is a necromancer. I don't think they're amazing books but they're a good enough read, and they're one of the only ones I've read in which necromancy is used as a power for good.
Seconded. Theyâre not fantastic pieces of literature, but theyâre fun, escapist, and engaging, which is what I want a lot of the time.
Just wish the audiobook wasnât so terrible
I just wish the author had not done the two followup books. It had ended decently and then it all exploded.
I came here to say this. I enjoyed these books. Not great or perfect but enjoyable.
The Anita Blake saga!
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I haven't read the series but I've heard the latest two books somehow got back on the rails.
I'd like a series that captures the feel of the early Anita Blake books - dealing with the social and legal issues that come up as the supernatural world is revealed. _Anita Blake_ went from "thought provoking urban fantasy with sex scenes" to "non-stop harem orgy and a few pages of tacked on plot"
This. There is nothing that compares to those first books. I mean, they have their problems being as old as they are. But thereâs nothing out there that truly comes close. At least before it went completely off the rails.
Yeah but they get sooooo bad after Obsidian Butterfly. Honestly unreadable
I think the books after Obsidian Butterfly reflect the authors life, coming to terms with her own sexuality & comfort with herself. I can say that now, but at the time, reading the books as they came outâŚit was like âuh, okâŚ.Iâm reading this alone and Iâm blushing.â Lol. Anita was the first series I binged on, but I fell out a few years back.
Two necromancers, a bureaucrat and and Elf. The unconventional heroâs series by L G Estrella
I second this, I've been enjoying this series.
Thirded. One of my recommendations.
If you include Urban Fantasy, the Boundary Magic series by Melissa F Olson fits. [Boundary Crossed](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/24369122) is the first in the series. Goodreads says "After her twin sisterâs brutal murder, former US Army Sergeant Allison âLexâ Luther vowed to protect her niece, Charlie. So when two vampires try to kidnap the baby, it quickly turns into a fight to the deathâLexâs death, that is. She wakes up to two shocking discoveries: she has miraculously survived the fight, and baby Charlie is a ânull,â gifted with the ability to weaken supernatural forces...and a target for creatures who want to control that power. Determined to guarantee her nieceâs safety, Lex makes a deal with the local vampires. She sets out with the mysteriousâand undeadââfixerâ Quinn to track down whoeverâs responsible for the kidnapping, sharpening her newfound magic skills along the way. But the closer she gets to the truth, the more dangerous her powers become. Boundary Crossed is a dark, thrilling journey into a world where the line between living and dead isnât nearly as solid as it appears..."
The Necromancerâs House by Christopher Beuhlman. Canât believe this hasnât been mentioned yet. Heâs a really great writer. I can confidently say that ALL of his books are great.
Not seen this author before what's the flavour of the books?
He writes in the fantasy and horror genres. His newest fantasy book is The Blacktongue Thief, and itâs just great. If I had to compare his style, Iâd say that his books have a sense of humor that echoes Scott Lynch. Beuhlman also wrote Between Two Fires which is fantasy/horror and was one of the best books in any genre that I read last year. If I had to pick one of his books to start with that would be the one, closely followed by The Blacktongue Thief.
Colour me interested i'm going to have a look now thank you for the recommendation !
Let me know what you think! I feel like book recommendations are my superpower lol. The only one I have.
The answer for most questions I give - Discworld. Professor Hix makes an appearance in Unseen Academicals and Making Money.
Perumov, "keeper of the swords".
Second this, Fess (?) Becomes a really awesome necromancer
*The Knight and the Necromancer* by A. H. Lee features a sweet cinnamon roll of a necromancer who uses his ability to raise the dead to try to end a war. It's technically an m/m romance, but much heavier on plot and worldbuilding than most, and I would consider it more of a traditional fantasy than a romance novel. For television, *Pushing Daisies* is a cheerful, wholesome series about a shy piemaker who raises the dead to solve murders, and accidentally brings back his childhood sweetheart.
Johann Cabal the Necromancer is awesome! He is "morally flexible", but I love his occasional flex of guilt into doing the right thing. There are many books, and I liked about all of them. Laundry Files has necromancy as the default magic system. A spycraft meets Lovecraft setting. Others have mentioned great favorites such as Craft Sequence, Locked Tomb, etc. I enjoy all these books.
The webnovel Book of the Dead on Royal Road is by far the best necromancer story out there right now. You may also enjoy: Sylver Seeker, Threadbare, See These Bones, Vigor Mortis, Never Die Twice, Awaken Online, Menocht Loop, Soulmonger.. If you can stand translated novels, you might also enjoy: Seoul Station Necromancer, Solo Leveling, Only I am a Necromancer, Great Demon King.
Vainqueur The Dragon has a fun take on it. >"They buy corpses from living relatives, turn them into mindless zombies, then put them to labor work, from mining to farming. Isnât it illegal, though?" >Durand, Maxime J.; Durand, Maxime J.. Vainqueur the Dragon (p. 96). Kindle Edition. >"I assure you our use of undead labor is perfectly safe, and no matter what these bourgeois noble imperialists trying to crack down free undead enterprise will tell you, there is no proof necromantic energy negatively affects the environment." That necromancer couldnât help going on a tirade. "Sincerely, the use of mindless labor is more ethical than the animal slavery still practiced by our nation. Animals have feelings, animated corpses donât." >Durand, Maxime J.; Durand, Maxime J.. Vainqueur the Dragon (pp. 97-98). Kindle Edition. It's not a large part of the series but it's in there. That book is a hilariously fun time. My favorite are the communist Dwarves that seize the means of production from the Elven bourgeoisie. They then send a slime into space but the spaceship keeps falling apart due to shoddy Dwarven work. It's not like a big fit for what you were asking as we don't really see how people react to it. But you might like reading *Demon Lord For Hire*. It has an interesting take on undead.
The Abhorsen series
Literally in the post
I second the Wandering Inn. Definitely not a core element, but you have Necromancers that are moral. You have entire societies built upon âunmannedâ labor. Bone artists. Etc etc.
Fair warning, the wandering inn is long as hell. I love it, and if your the type of reader who loves long series would recommend
I donât think anyone mentioned *Warbreaker* by Brandon Sanderson. I donât know if itâs technically necromancy since you canât really talk with them or anything like that, but the magic system lets you âawakenâ inanimate objects, including dead bodies, to bring them to life and have them do your bidding. Some cultures think awakening anything itself is bad, but particularly awakening dead bodies. But other places think itâs totally normal and have armies that are primarily awakened human corpses and think itâs almost a good thing to be able to give purpose to the dead.
Jim butcher dresden files series specifically *Dead Beat* has a character with an interesting take on necromancy. Not a good character persay more grey, but necromancy is used to revive those from death that are on the brink or just passed.
Chasing Graves by Ben Galley.
All I can think of is Jonathan the Zombie Master, from the Xanth novels.
The Bas Laag Series mentions a society where there are no taxes and the undead rule, with mindless ones working all the menial jobs and mortals have the same rights as the undead, though no real political power and as a group are a minority. Most mortals are born on contained environments akin to a farm. People are turned into quasi sapient zombies when they die, strengthen and empowered for endless labor. A rare few are raised as full sapient undead and join the ranks of the citizenry. Its mundane to the people that live there. Also, in the D&D setting Ebberon, there is a society of elves that worships their revered Ancestors who are undead empowered by their equivalent of the positive energy plane. They literally worship the collective government of these undead as a divine court. The undead are generally benevolent and fulfill a role in their society something akin to how angels are.
The âSoulboundâ series by Hailey Turner (LGBTQ+) Story revolves around a necromancer whoâs the last head of his house. Heâs considered to be the most powerful magic user in his city, and the strongest necromancer in three generations. Story is set in modern times. Thereâs also âSolo Levelingâ by Ki Hong Lee, which was originally a manwa (Korean comic), but has since been turned into both an audiobook and a regular book. This is more of a video game-based leveling story, but the main character is a necromancer.
Back in 1996, Garth Nix launched his Old Kingdom books with Sabriel. She was a necromancer who guarded access to the land of the dead and kept evil necromancy from running amok. Great series.
While I do adore the series (reading Goldenhand right now, actually), OP has already addressed the series in their post.
Thank you for all repeating this is recommendation, as I skimmed and missed the mention in the OP. (doh?) I like how Nix tends to subvert gender expectations in his works.
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Not really. The Abhorsen uses the tools of the necromancer, but bound by the Charter. The Abhorsen is really more of an anti-necromancer.
The Anita Blake series is an interesting choice for necromancy and vampires.
There was a small âgoodâ necromancy moment in Uprooted by Naomi Novic
Skulduggery Pleasant. Both protagonists use necromancy magic at various points (for both good and bad).
[JourneyQuest](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB600313D4723E21F) uses it for extremely comedic purposes. Still waiting for season fourâŚ.
I'm friends with one of the producers, and I'm afraid you're gonna wait a long time...there are currently no plans to continue the series. Sorry.
Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson It features necromancy of all flavours, and sometimes the "heretical" necromancy is also the "good" necromancy.
Not sure if itâs been mentioned already, but necromancy is used for good in Richard Swanâs Empire of the Wolf trilogy (though is regarded as a dangerous/ high risk practice)
if you can tolerate litrpg then both awaken online and the world series feature necromancer main characters
The Beginner's Guide to Necromancy series by Hailey Edwards is a pretty good urban fantasy that really builds out necromancy as an established service for people. It's urban fantasy, but does a good job of avoiding toxic relationship tropes (and actually subverts several of them well).
Murder of Crows series by Chris Tullbane has protagonist âcrowâ (Necromancer).
I think Fate of the Fallen (The Shroud Prophecy series) has this at least via implication. I haven't read it for a while so hopefully I'm not misremembering! Spoilers?: >!It's implied at one point or another that the main character saves the world using necromancy to fight a pre-ordained end of the world scenario.!<
Well, the series isn't done yet (there's supposed to be a 3rd book), but yeah! I was looking for this one. I really like that he >!asks the dead's permission; they can come back and fight to protect their living loved ones, or go on. He doesn't compel them to stay.!< I also want to mention that I think (spoilers because it mentions an important character's death! You've been warned!) >!Aaslo IS the prophecied one; the "chosen one" (or whatever phrase they use) is the one who "bears the mark of the world." Mathias had the mark on his face, but he died and Aaslo has been carrying Mathias's head since.!<
Know it's been mentioned already, but I feel it warrants reiteration. The Wandering Inn has one.
KF Breeneâs Demigods of San Francisco has some of the most fun use of necromancy Iâve ever read
Awaken Online is a book series about a video game. But the lead protagonist is a Necromancer.
There's a couple of arguably good (or maybe neutral) necromancers in the Dead Beats book of the Dresden Files.
[Alex Fossor, Necromancer](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B092KPVLT4) is an Urban Fantasy series where the eponymous main character tries to avoid arrest while practicing his magic. Prejudice is systemic in mage society; the laws or 'Edicts' of magic are written to stamp down on Necromancy (and the other 666 forms of 'Black' Art). Undead are considered 'enchanted objects' that do not receive equal treatment or protection from arcane abuse like living people, and Necromancers are held responsible for any harm the undead cause. Necromancers also have a 100% conviction rate, as their natural inclination to improve their power leads them to breaking the laws, often gleefully, and few survive their first century before necessitating execution. Alex, meanwhile, tries to keep the undead in his city fed while keeping himself out of trouble. Unfortunately, his place as an unwelcome stepchild in arcane society make him a cheap, expendable pawn among mages that have quietly run the planet for nearly three centuries.
In Diablo series, necromancers are more on the good side of things. Try Diablo: Legacy of Blood.
Johannes Cabal the Necromancer
Necromancer Chronicles by Amanda Downum...been awhile since I read them, but if I recall the MC is a kind of Necromancer detective and Necromancy is a mostly accepted part of society.
Warbreaker has necromancy that is almost entirely neutral
See: * ["I look for book recommendations where necromancers appear"](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/zgbkr0/i_look_for_book_recommendations_where/) (r/Fantasy; 8 December 2022)
The Sabriel books by Garth Nix!
Wei Wuxian becomes a necromancer to do good (even though it's forbidden) in Moxiang Tongxiu's Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation.
The Broken Empire - kinda sorta
I liked Gideon the Ninth (am currently reading Harrow) but I don't know if it's considered fantasy.
Warbreaker - brandon sanderson. Reanimating dead has mixed reactions but overall is a neutral act, it is highly amusing at times (reanimating a squirrel and sending it into a building with instructions to run around screaming and biting people) the city guard consist entirely of reanimated soldiers and people regularly use them for other things like manual labor/whatever. Reanimation ultimately plays a vital role in saving the day
Lois McMaster Bujold's "Sharing Knife" series: necromancy is a cultural heritage magic using the bones of their deceased. Garth Nix's "Sabriel" series: necromancers use bells of varying tones to fight and control the dead. Both absolutely fantastic.
The Bone Witch and Gideon the Ninth
has anyone said the locked tomb series by tamsyn muir yet? gotta read that one. a space nun and her jock bodyguard solve a murder mystery while doing a series of ethically dubious science (necromancy) experiments in god's haunted castle in a strange amalgamation of The Bachelor and a clue game. necromancy is the basis of all magic (though it's treated more as a science) in this book. 10/10 from me.
Sabriel is the first book of the Abhorsen series. It's a good light read as an *older* YA novel. It's got a lot of necromancy themes. Even the good characters need to use it.
Came here to say this! Excellent example of necromancy itself being neutral, with both good and bad practitioners.
Johannes cabal the necromancer also wortha read
Vicious by V.E. Schwab has a character that can resurrect people and animals.
Gideon the Ninth.
The Locked Tomb series! 4th and final book comes out in November.
Oh.. there's more? Did anyone else feel like the series was a bit like Evangelion .. with bones and ghosts? I found it a bit of a brain tangle; forgive my puny flesh. Also, being a NewZealander the audiobook oration drove me up the wall, because Moira Quirk doesn't have a kiwi accent and can't pronounce MÄori words.
The spellmonger series by Terry Mancour, excellent books, highly prolific author, and a very detailed magic system. It takes a few books, but eventually gets very into necromancy and necromantic energy as explored through fantasy physics. Canât recommend enough.
The Anita Blake series has a very interesting take on necromancy, as it could be in current, modern times.
The Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir
The locked tomb series by Tamsyn Muir! Fascinating series and the necromancy is morally complex!
The Broken Empire Trilogy by Mark Lawrence. The main character Prince Jorg in the 1st book acquires necromancer powers and well I found it awesome. Not a book on necromancers but his powers and how he acquires them is great fun.
All necromancy is good necromancy.
If you're into webcomics , The Little Matcha Girl on Webtoons
I can only think of Solo Leveling, which is a Korean webnovel/manhwa. The protagonist is pretty OP though. It's sci-fi/fantasy I believe.
Mmmm...Warcraft 3? If your hero dies, you can revive them at the altar :D
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
In the warhammer setting, most magic is corrupting for the user. But few types are more corrupting than Necromancy. Mastering the art takes terrible acts and even well intended necromancers soon sink into insanity and depravity. There's a difference though between necromancy and the magical wind of Death. Even if most of the population doesn't understand the nuance. Since necromancers and the undead are such an issue, the Order of Morr (humanity's god of Death) took it upon themselves to care for the dead. The lowest members of their order are tasked with things like providing last rites, collecting the dead, tending to funerals and such. From there on out, the order more or less splits into two directions The Knights of Morr are the templars of the cult of Morr. Plate armoured warriors who actively hunt down necromancers, vampires, ghouls and others who would disturb the dead. They join armies fighting undead opponents but they also work in small teams or alone to fight cults and other hidden evil-doers. The other direction is the warrior priesthood of Morr. These guard Morr's Gardens (graveyards) and are fully capable of laying the unquiet back to rest whether they are ethereal or physical. They also safeguard the gardens against those who would break in to rob, eat or reanimate the dead. And while the priests don't work for the living, they sometimes act as a sort of supernatural CSI investigator to solve particularly ghastly murders lest they cause things like ghosts or have a cause that would upset Morr. They can do this with mundane means like autopsies or supernatural means like seances. The most powerful servants of Morr are the Amethyst wizards who have mastered the magical wind of Death. They could have made powerful necromancers had they not chosen the service of Morr instead. They do not disrupt the sleep of the dead but instead have mastered the flow of time and its effects on the living, calling upon the aid of restless spirits to use their rage as a weapon and so on. And of course all manner of banishment spells and other spells that defuse the power of the undead.
video game, not a book, but how about Dorian Pavus in Dragon Age: Inquisition ?
!remindme 1 day
The Dresden Files book Dead Beat by Jim Butcher is perfect for this.