Kingdoms of Dust (The Necromancer Chronicles, #3)

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Kingdoms of Dust (The Necromancer Chronicles #3)

by Amanda Downum (Goodreads Author)

3.82 of 5 stars 3.82 · rating details · 195 ratings · 24 reviews

Caution! Contains spoilers for The Bone Palace!

With her master dead and her oaths foresworn, necromancer and spy Isyllt Iskaldur finds herself in exile.

Hounded by assassins, she seeks asylum in Assar, the empire she so recently worked to undermine. A land where necromancers go gloved and veiled, and touch no one but the dead. There, warlords threaten the Empire's fragile p...more

416 pages

Published March 12th 2012 by Orbit (first published March 1st 2012)

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Jan 21, 2013 Раян rated it 3 of 5 stars

Downum ends her trilogy with a volume that I rank between the first, The Drowning City, and the second, The Bone Palace. Here's a brief summary of the plot, including spoilers for previous events in the series: (view spoiler)...more Downum ends her trilogy with a volume that I rank between the first, The Drowning City, and the second, The Bone Palace. Here's a brief summary of the plot, including spoilers for previous events in the series: (view spoiler)

I've liked Isyllt a great deal since book 1. Her talent for entropy magic works as an effective metaphor for her self-destructive tendencies – not that series' motifs of entropy and the void are restricted only to that metaphor, of course. It's also poignant that in the death-phobic cities of Assar, the already isolated Isyllt either has to hide her nature as a necromancer or go about the city with virtually her whole body covered. (While Assar is heavily influenced by Middle Eastern and North African cultural and geographical features, I didn't think that Isyllt needing to be covered was intended as a parallel to or commentary on Islam. Instead, I saw it as another manifestation of the ways that her inborn talent for necromancy defines her in other people's eyes and often reflects and amplifies the isolation and sense of being different or apart that she already feels.)

Another character in the series that I really liked and found compelling was Savedra, from book 2. While the secondary characters are all good characters here in book 3, I didn't feel like any of them could take the place of Savedra. And as long as we're on the topic of supporting characters, I consistently found myself wanting more focus on Moth, Isyllt's apprentice. I don't mean that I perceived the amount of time spent on Moth as a structural weakness – just that I liked her and wanted to read more about her. (Between Isyllt's necromantic talents, Savedra's transsexuality, and Moth's androgyny, there's a pronounced theme of characters figuring out where they stand on traits they were born with.)

Apropos motifs, another one found series-wide is the idea of binding and release, such as Isyllt's ability to imprison ghosts in her black diamond or Asheris (book 1 spoiler) (view spoiler) Then there are also oaths and (book 2 spoiler) (view spoiler), as well as Isyllt's appearing bound by her own self-destructive and depressive tendencies.

Overall, I know three stars might look like damning with faint praise, but that's not what I mean by the rating. I'm just (and have been for a while) trying to recalibrate my own personal rating system so that my four-star and rare five-star reviews more accurately reflect books that I really, really liked (such as book 2 of this series). Three stars definitely still means I thought it was good and liked it. I only rated it lower than book 2 because I connected so strongly with that book and didn't feel quite the same thing here. That's highly subjective, of course, so another reader might find this their favorite book in the series.(less)

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Jul 10, 2012 Matthew Brown rated it 4 of 5 stars

This third book in Downum's Necromancer Chronicles sees heroine Isyllt Iskaldur in, again, a completely new setting — in this case, the Assari empire and its surroundings, with influences from Arabia, North Africa and the Sahara. The author does settings very well, even if they're always inspired by real-world places, and this book doesn't disappoint there.

Where it does lack is what made her last book, The Bone Palace, suck a cracking read — a character to act as a counterbalance to Isyllt's bro...more

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May 18, 2012 Jay rated it 4 of 5 stars

Love, love, love this series so much. Once again, Downum creates a gorgeously textured world; however, out of the trilogy, this one has to be my least favorite. Three reasons:

1. Adjectives were a little bit repetitious at times, something I'd never noticed in the previous two novels. The phrase "bruised and tired" became especially grating for me because I read the whole thing in one go and noticed the same phrase structure at least 4 times within a single hour. The adjectives still do their job...more Love, love, love this series so much. Once again, Downum creates a gorgeously textured world; however, out of the trilogy, this one has to be my least favorite. Three reasons:

1. Adjectives were a little bit repetitious at times, something I'd never noticed in the previous two novels. The phrase "bruised and tired" became especially grating for me because I read the whole thing in one go and noticed the same phrase structure at least 4 times within a single hour. The adjectives still do their job (and work for me and the visceral sense imagery I like in my fantasy), but they seemed slightly more forced in this book than in its predecessors.

2. Kingdoms of Dust, like The Drowning City and The Bone Palace, also focuses on a trio of main female characters and their development. In this one, however, the focus was extremely broad: five characters instead of the three, and perspective shifted multiple times within a chapter rather than once or twice. My main issue with this book was that Melantha, as one of the two new female focus characters, simply didn't cut it for me. She was fascinating and ambiguous in her own right, but I didn't connect as clearly to her motives, her personality, and her struggles as much as I did with Xinai (of book 1) and especially Savedra (of book 2.) I have no issue with the characters in this book -- on their own, they're fantastic, and Isyllt in particular was a force of nature. But I feel that some of the spirit and focus I loved so much in the previous books was lost (or spread too thin) in the transfer to five major viewpoints. Kash, however, was wonderful. End of story.

3. Plotting. Less court intrigue and spy machinations in favor of a semi-cosmic horror story. Personally, I feel that Downum excels in the first, and it's understandable that she'd attempt to break out of that mold after two whole books full of it. But the expansion to a global supernatural storyline ended up sacrificing some of the characters (Samar and Siddir, anyone?) and semi-major plot points (the bandit warlord; the conniving priestess) that I was most looking forward to having fleshed out. You win some, you lose some, but considering the ending, I would have preferred a tighter-knit story with the focus a little bit closer to home.

And that's it! I would really love to see more of these characters and this world, but since it's a fairly clean ending I have some doubts about Downum continuing it. Nevertheless, despite its flaws, I enjoyed this one. A solid closer to a great series. (less)

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Apr 10, 2012 Karen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Faaaantastic. Somehow I mixed up titles and wound up skipping #2 before reading this, but there are (I think) as many references to plot events in the first book as in the second, so I still felt pretty well-grounded in the series. (And we get to see Asheris again, yay!) Isyllt remains a fascinating, complex character-- a powerful yet wounded woman who surrounds herself with equally powerful yet wounded people. Downum's grasp of world-building and more specifically culture-building is astounding...more

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Mar 30, 2012 Ruth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: spec-fic

C2012: So, the 3rd book with Isyllt Iskaldur as the protagonist. Having stumbled across the author’s blog with the wonderful tag line of Bride of Raindogs, some of the creative processes are revealed and this certainly made me warm to this book more than the 2 previous ones or perhaps it is just that the author has now become more accomplished. Either way, this was a good read. The return of some old “friends” and the development of some of the older characters brought the book to a satisfying c...more

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Mar 20, 2012 Andrew rated it 4 of 5 stars

Necromancer (or entropomancer, if you prefer) goes to mythic Arabia (by some name or other). Usual crowd of apprentices, old friends-and-enemies, princes, djinn, assassins, etc show up for the ride. Once again, I had trouble tracking all the names. Also, everybody is a spy. I think the author has decided that the only interesting people are people who make hard decisions, meaning decisions about other people, meaning they all have to be spies (unless they're princes or high priests). I'm not obj...more

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Apr 25, 2013 Grace rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

What always stood out for me in this series are the lush descriptions, they really do paint a picture. This book lacks none of that, which is pleasant. It was also nice to see the return of some of the characters from the first book. However, I don't think it's quite on par with the first two in the series.

I felt that the plot was promising, but came to an end rather abruptly, without as many complications as might be expected. For example, I felt that (view spoiler) was d...more

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Apr 05, 2012 Larou added it

I loved Amanda Downum’s first published novel, The Drowning City, for its imaginative worldbuilding, its fascinating characters, and its rich, evocative prose. I loved her next novel, The Bone Palace, even more, because it had all of those and wove them into an intricately choreographed plot full of mystery, political intrigue and betrayed love and loyalty. In consequence, I had very high expectations for her third novel, The Kingdoms of Dust, all the more so because it was supposed to take plac...more I loved Amanda Downum’s first published novel, The Drowning City, for its imaginative worldbuilding, its fascinating characters, and its rich, evocative prose. I loved her next novel, The Bone Palace, even more, because it had all of those and wove them into an intricately choreographed plot full of mystery, political intrigue and betrayed love and loyalty. In consequence, I had very high expectations for her third novel, The Kingdoms of Dust, all the more so because it was supposed to take place in a Middle-Eastern, Arabian-Nights-like setting which, as everyone who reads my posts with any regularity will be aware, I have a very soft spot for.

But even though I greatly enjoyed reading the novel, the third in the Necromancer Chronicles (which at one point I thought was supposed to be a trilogy, but apparently there is more to come, at least if the author can find a publisher), it does fall somewhat short of its predecessor – which is understandable, considering just how high Amanda Downum placed the bar for herself, but still, I have to admit, a mite disappointing.

Interestingly enough (because it introduces the rather intriguing possibility that this might be a feature, not a bug, i.e. that this might be an intentional esthetic choice by the author) the problem I had with the third novel in the series are symmetrically reverse to those I had with the first one – by all vividness of its worldbuilding, the depth of its characters and the intensity of its prose, The Drowning City was lacking a bit in forward momentum, and while I’m not usually someone who considers plot essential for a good novel, it is rather important for an adventure story like that one, which seemed to always teeter on the brink of becoming static, falling apart in a series of beautiful vignettes rather than a unified narrative.

Now, while The Bone Palace achieved a perfect balance, The Kingdoms of Dust seems to fall down on the other side, so to speak – the world building appeared sketchy, the characters underdeveloped (and my major disappointment is the short shrift Moth is given here, after her extremely promising introduction in The Bone Palace). Amanda Downum’s writing, though, is as assured and intense as ever, except that this time round it mostly serves to drive forward a fast-moving plot which pits several factions against each other, in a conflict to which necromancer Isyllt Iskaldur seems to be the key…

There is a lot happening in The Kingdoms of Dust, and I am almost tempted to call it action-packed, but that might be exaggerating things slightly. I found it to be quite a page-turner, though, and while I tended to read the previous novels in the series purposefully slow, taking my time to savour the prose and to admire the small, fascinating details on the way, I was rushing through this one, in a hurry to find out what happened next and how it would all end. Which is not quite the reading experience I have come to associate with Amando Downum, but it signals that she is working on her craft and trying to take it into new directions, even in a novel that is part of a series.

So in the end, I’m very curious as to where Amanda Downum will take both her writing and Isyllt next – there have been hints towards a greater picture regarding the conflict between humans and demons scattered through the first two volumes, but they are much more prominent in The Kingdoms of Dust, and I would be not at all surprised if we were to hear more of that in any future novels (the author’s blog on the series makes mention of plans for “at least one more Isyllt book, as well as two spin-offs following other characters”). Also, I can’t help but hope that we have not seen the last of Moth yet and that the full potential of that character will eventually be realised (like, in a spin-off following her further adventures…?). For me, the Necromancer Chronicles remains the most exciting fantasy series by a new author since Sarah Monette’s Doctrine of Labyrinths, and I am crossing my fingers that there will be a next installment soon.(less)

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Jul 25, 2012 Alytha rated it 3 of 5 stars

I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the previous two books, although it's still pretty decent and well-written. I think the problem is that the plot takes a long time to get going. At the beginning, Isyllt just seems to randomly drift around, until mostly outside forces set her on the rails to plot resolution. It's not quite clear why she springs Adam from prison, whether she's actually planning something, or if it's just part of cleaning up her past.

In a way though, the disjointed plot str...more

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Mar 04, 2013 Joanne Albertsen rated it 4 of 5 stars

As expected, I loved this book. Downum's prose is rich and fine-grained -- she grounds the reader instantly in every gorgeous setting she creates. The texture of her locations and mythology is really exquisite. As usual, the characters are deeply flawed and fascinating people driven by motivations even they may not completely understand. Both of these aspects consistently astonish me and stand out as stellar in the fantasy genre.

The third book in this fantastic series both exceeded and fell sho...more

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Mar 20, 2012 WillowBe rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 01, 2012 Cecily rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

I liked The Bone Palace more, but this was still quite good; I enjoyed the setting.

I wish Moth could have had a larger role, though - especially since the ending seems to suggest (view spoiler).

To a lesser extent, I suppose I felt the same way about most of the characters other than the protagonist; it would have been nice if more time had been spent with each of them.

I will probably read the next one, though!

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May 06, 2012 Tasula rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Wonderful book. I love the heroine, Isyllt Iskaldur, and the world she lives in. Although a lot of awful things happen along the way to the conclusion, overall the stories Downum writes seem hopeful to me. My favorite of the 3 book series so far is The Bone Palace, primarily because of the lead character in that (who is not Isyllt, although she is still a primary character).

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Nov 28, 2012 Ali rated it 4 of 5 stars

Easily my favorite of the three Necromancer Chronicles books, though of course it wouldn't be rich without the previous two installments. I think this is the volume in which the series hits its stride, both plot-wise and emotionally.

Again, I definitely recommend the series to those wanting a change-up from the usual high fantasy social constructions.

Excited to read Isyllt #4, which hopefully won't be too long a wait...

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Mar 10, 2012 Kate Smith rated it 4 of 5 stars

Elegant? Yes, that is the correct word for Kingdoms of Dust, for Downum's style generally. And even better ... this one ends hopefully.

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Jun 18, 2012 Stefanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: medieval-times-magic, urban-paranormal-fantasy

Overall I found that this book was definitely not as good as the previous ones. The writing quality was excellent but the story seemed a bit dull.

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May 30, 2012 Nicky rated it 4 of 5 stars

good book that draws heavily from the previous two in the series.

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May 05, 2012 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

The conclusion was too tidy. All the prior suffering and sacrifice didn't seem to have been worth it and the solution seemed almost easy. I realize that only Isyllt could have set the Undoing free because she carried a piece of the void within her but I didn't feel any consequence of her doing so, either good or bad. I still loved the series though.

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Jul 18, 2012 Gypsie Holley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Finally finished it. So many distractions. Kinda sad at the ending. But overall a wonderful trilogy!

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Apr 15, 2012 Fade rated it 5 of 5 stars

Even better than the previous two. And given how much I loved the previous two books in this series, that's really saying something.

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Sep 22, 2012 Jesterjoker marked it as epic-fantasy

This was more of a grim and gloomy book than the last two, but it certainly wasn't bad. The last half/third woke up a lot. The ending, where Isyllt battles the Al-Jodaim's spirits, was pretty fun. The pit is a disturbing place. Melantha and Moth rule.

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Nov 14, 2012 Tara rated it 3 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed the first two books, and while I liked the style and the premise of the story in this one, it felt too scattered. The author did a great job with the setting, however.

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Jul 23, 2012 Magnolia rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a good book, but I wouldn't go beyond that. It is something of a fun ride with enough character development that things feel true and organic.

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Jun 10, 2012 Claire rated it 3 of 5 stars

A welcome return for Asheris but the nature of the plot meant this book was less upbeat than the previous two.

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Apr 04, 2012 Ian James rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

I really hope i get to read more about islytt and company, but if this is the end it is a good ending

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May 17, 2013 Vivianne rated it 3 of 5 stars

May 16, 2013 Jasmine marked it as to-read

May 14, 2013 Heather Davis marked it as to-read

May 12, 2013 Panu Yang marked it as to-read

May 12, 2013 Casey Corbin marked it as to-read

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“A dozen cobras moved as one, shattering their bottles. Wine and glass sprayed the room. The snakes sprang for Isyllt's attacker with fangs unfolded. He screamed high and sharp as they uncoiled, long slick bodies whipping through the air. She wasn't sure if their venom could survive death and pickling, but it didn't seem to matter. After several bites, he curled on the floor, weeping and trying to bat the undead snakes away.” — 2 people liked it

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Kingdoms of Dust (The Necromancer Chronicles #3)

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