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Finn Fancy Necromancy
(Finn Fancy Necromancy #1)
by
Writers of the Future grand prize winner Randy Henderson presents a dark and quirky debut in Finn Fancy Necromancy.
Finn Gramaraye was framed for the crime of dark necromancy at the age of 15, and exiled to the Other Realm for twenty five years. But now that he's free, someone-probably the same someone-is trying to get him sent back. Finn has only a few days to discover who ...more
Finn Gramaraye was framed for the crime of dark necromancy at the age of 15, and exiled to the Other Realm for twenty five years. But now that he's free, someone-probably the same someone-is trying to get him sent back. Finn has only a few days to discover who ...more
Hardcover, 366 pages
Published
February 10th 2015
by Tor Books
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Start your review of Finn Fancy Necromancy (Finn Fancy Necromancy, #1)

Nov 01, 2015
carol.
rated it
really liked it
Recommends it for:
fans of UF, Pratchett, that other wizard
Finn is about to breathe free air after twenty-five years imprisonment for a crime he didn’t commit, but instead of eating carb-heavy meals while trapped in a 6×8 cell, he has been living a non-corporeal existence in the land of Fae. His punishment has been reliving memories from his first fifteen years of life for their entertainment while his body has been on loan, used by a Fae in the mundane world.
“Just seeing those shapes and colors without having to manifest them from my own memory was eno ...more
“Just seeing those shapes and colors without having to manifest them from my own memory was eno ...more

Finn Fancy Necromancy is exactly as fun as its title suggests. From the second sentence, "We were like a couple of floating melted gummy bears made of unicorn snot and dreams..." I knew I was in good hands. In fact, even before that, in the acknowledgments when Henderson talks about his "butt-slapping doctor" I knew Henderson's humor was going to click with me, and it did.
Finn Gramaraye is a necromancer who's just come back from exile to the "Other Realm," aka the fairy world. He was sent there ...more
Finn Gramaraye is a necromancer who's just come back from exile to the "Other Realm," aka the fairy world. He was sent there ...more

A fun mystery set in a fantasy world. The dialogue and language could be a little rough but overall this book was a great little gem.
Tons of fun, an interesting premise, clever world building.
The 3 stars isn't because there was anything majorly flawed about it. It just wasn't the sort of book that inspires intense feelings. It is occasionally funny, sometimes sweet but ultimately forgettable.
A good palate- cleanser between meatier reads. :) ...more
Tons of fun, an interesting premise, clever world building.
The 3 stars isn't because there was anything majorly flawed about it. It just wasn't the sort of book that inspires intense feelings. It is occasionally funny, sometimes sweet but ultimately forgettable.
A good palate- cleanser between meatier reads. :) ...more

This book didn't thrill me so I didn't finish it. I just couldn't get into it.
...more

[3.5 Stas]
This is a fun romp that follows a guy who finally gets back to the real world after a 25-year-exile. He's missed a lot, and whoever framed him when he was 15 is trying to get him back into exile.
I won't say it's the most unpredictable story. The foreshadowing is pretty heavy-handed, but I enjoyed seeing the characters flounder around. Like, Finn is pretty oblivious, but that is a part of his characterization, so I guess I can't expect him to pick up on the doom and gloom vibes some of ...more
This is a fun romp that follows a guy who finally gets back to the real world after a 25-year-exile. He's missed a lot, and whoever framed him when he was 15 is trying to get him back into exile.
I won't say it's the most unpredictable story. The foreshadowing is pretty heavy-handed, but I enjoyed seeing the characters flounder around. Like, Finn is pretty oblivious, but that is a part of his characterization, so I guess I can't expect him to pick up on the doom and gloom vibes some of ...more

The cover, with the classic gaming-like characters on it, suggests something… I don’t know, playful and referential. A fantasy equivalent to Ready Player One, perhaps. And a lot of people seem to have found that in it, calling it “dark and quirky”, noting the humour and the originality of it. I didn’t find it to be so; I could predict each turn of the story, and the characters didn’t endear themselves to me. The set-up is okay: guy has been imprisoned in an alternate realm for years for a crime
...more

My novel is an uncorrected advance reading copy, so be aware some of the novel may have changed by the time it was published.
Finn Fancy Necromancy was a great fantasy read that kept me interested for most of the book! I did seem to think it was 100 pages to long, since I got bored by page 300, but it was still a good read!
Finn Gramaraye is a necromancer who was framed for dark necromancy when he was fifteen. Now he is out of the Other Realm jail and is free, but it's twenty-five years later. Des ...more
Finn Fancy Necromancy was a great fantasy read that kept me interested for most of the book! I did seem to think it was 100 pages to long, since I got bored by page 300, but it was still a good read!
Finn Gramaraye is a necromancer who was framed for dark necromancy when he was fifteen. Now he is out of the Other Realm jail and is free, but it's twenty-five years later. Des ...more

This book is deliciously hilarious.
Finn, the protagonist, has been out of the world, stuck in exile in fairyland, for 25 years. He's a great fish out of water character when he returns, because the world has changed so much without him, and he's kind of a giant nerd.
It's a great big mystery story, wrapped up in an urban fantasy, set in the Pacific Northwest. The cast of characters is really diverse, both in temperament and the traditional meaning of the word, and there are plenty of shades of gr ...more
Finn, the protagonist, has been out of the world, stuck in exile in fairyland, for 25 years. He's a great fish out of water character when he returns, because the world has changed so much without him, and he's kind of a giant nerd.
It's a great big mystery story, wrapped up in an urban fantasy, set in the Pacific Northwest. The cast of characters is really diverse, both in temperament and the traditional meaning of the word, and there are plenty of shades of gr ...more

Four stars: An original, quirky and funny Urban Fantasy full of 1980's humor.
Finn is eagerly looking forward to returning to the living realm. In 1986 when Finn was fifteen years old, he was accused and framed for a murder he supposedly committed with dark necromancy. Finn's spirit was exiled to the Other Realm, the land of the fey. Meanwhile, a fey changeling inhabited his human body. Upon his return, the changeling will transfer his memories of the last twenty five years to Finn. Unfortunately ...more
Finn is eagerly looking forward to returning to the living realm. In 1986 when Finn was fifteen years old, he was accused and framed for a murder he supposedly committed with dark necromancy. Finn's spirit was exiled to the Other Realm, the land of the fey. Meanwhile, a fey changeling inhabited his human body. Upon his return, the changeling will transfer his memories of the last twenty five years to Finn. Unfortunately ...more

There was a tasty tidbit of this novel offered on NetGalley so I did the download to my Kindle and was just going to take a little peek to see what it was all about. Well......as book lovers everywhere can confirm, that was just me playing tricks on myself. No way could I stop reading once I had begun. There are eight chapters in this excerpt which is a healthy amount. Definitely enough to let me know I want to read the remainder of the book.
Our hero, Finn, was sent away to the Other Realm witho ...more
Our hero, Finn, was sent away to the Other Realm witho ...more

4 Stars
Finn Fancy Necromancy by Randy Henderson is a fun urban fantasy and coming of age story. The plot and the characters are fun and make this an easy read. This is a story that is appropriate for the young adult crowd while not feeling like it was written for them.
This book is filled with 80's references, heck every chapter title is an 80's song title. These references fit with our main character and add to the flavor and fun of the book without being an homage that is shoved down our thro ...more
Finn Fancy Necromancy by Randy Henderson is a fun urban fantasy and coming of age story. The plot and the characters are fun and make this an easy read. This is a story that is appropriate for the young adult crowd while not feeling like it was written for them.
This book is filled with 80's references, heck every chapter title is an 80's song title. These references fit with our main character and add to the flavor and fun of the book without being an homage that is shoved down our thro ...more

Poor Finn, at 15 he was exiled for 25 years. 25 years of being nothing and getting sucked dry of memories by the Fey. 25 years for a murder he did not commit.
But now he is back. Something went wrong and he has no idea how the world has changed. He still wonders who framed him and now someone is after him.
This was a urban fantasy that felt..dunno, just different. Finn comes home to his strange necromancy family. His sister without powers, his brother who thinks he is a were (though there are were ...more
But now he is back. Something went wrong and he has no idea how the world has changed. He still wonders who framed him and now someone is after him.
This was a urban fantasy that felt..dunno, just different. Finn comes home to his strange necromancy family. His sister without powers, his brother who thinks he is a were (though there are were ...more

Apr 02, 2018
RG
added it
Not going to rate this. I just found it very mediocre as compared to other UF novels. I also found the humour too repetitive. Kinda became annoying. Got to page 101 but couldnt go further on. Better books to read.

Funny, fun quirky fantasy full of 80s in-jokes, Pacific Northwest locations, (including the fey equivalent of World War II fought at Port Townsend's Fort Worden) and great character moments. This is one for a nice afternoon off when you want to smile and laugh and love a fantasy book. However, the ending does have a good barb in it that takes the characters seriously, making this a true character story and not just a satire.
...more
![Kimberly [Come Hither Books]](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1302906251p2/3912669.jpg)
Finn Fancy Necromancy will make you laugh, with:
* oddball humor and a wise-cracking sarcastic narrator
* a world of deadly gnomes and assassin sasquatches
* 80s pop culture nostalgia in a quirky urban fantasy
4.5 stars. Not absolutely perfect, but wow did I enjoy it. I'm not sure if it will be a standalone or a series, but if there are more, I'm in.
Read the full review at Come Hither Books
...more
* oddball humor and a wise-cracking sarcastic narrator
* a world of deadly gnomes and assassin sasquatches
* 80s pop culture nostalgia in a quirky urban fantasy
4.5 stars. Not absolutely perfect, but wow did I enjoy it. I'm not sure if it will be a standalone or a series, but if there are more, I'm in.
Read the full review at Come Hither Books
...more

(I received a preview of this from Macmillan-Tor/Forge via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)
Okay, I'm going to be honest with you: when I saw the title of this book and read the blurb, I wasn't really expecting much. I was bored, so I decided to read it anyway. Hell, I thought, it might even be good.
Turns out, it was great. Tor, I shouldn't have doubted you. You would never publish a dud book.
The main character is a guy named Finn, a wise-cracking, sarcastic necromancer who has a hel ...more
Okay, I'm going to be honest with you: when I saw the title of this book and read the blurb, I wasn't really expecting much. I was bored, so I decided to read it anyway. Hell, I thought, it might even be good.
Turns out, it was great. Tor, I shouldn't have doubted you. You would never publish a dud book.
The main character is a guy named Finn, a wise-cracking, sarcastic necromancer who has a hel ...more

ETA, 30 April 2015:
Well, I've read the whole book! I feel pretty similarly towards the whole as I did towards the first 1/3 of it. It's very funny, with great pop cultural references and jokes. I still wish the magical system was a bit more consistent and a bit better explained (preferably earlier on). I have to admit that I enjoyed the humor and the family dynamics a lot more than the ostensible "mystery" plot, the romance(s) made Finn seem a little Marty Stuish, and some of the characters' vo ...more
Well, I've read the whole book! I feel pretty similarly towards the whole as I did towards the first 1/3 of it. It's very funny, with great pop cultural references and jokes. I still wish the magical system was a bit more consistent and a bit better explained (preferably earlier on). I have to admit that I enjoyed the humor and the family dynamics a lot more than the ostensible "mystery" plot, the romance(s) made Finn seem a little Marty Stuish, and some of the characters' vo ...more

Randy Henderson has hit the proverbial toboggan out of the wallrus park with this one, and that takes some doing as you might imagine.
I bought this book because I know Randy. I finished it because it's good. Really good. He's written a sassy main character who's a little bit retro, a little bit lost puppy, and a little bit superhero sunflower waiting to bloom. Finn's a teenager who's just about to confess his first love when who gets framed for dark magic and sent into spirit exile. On the day o ...more
I bought this book because I know Randy. I finished it because it's good. Really good. He's written a sassy main character who's a little bit retro, a little bit lost puppy, and a little bit superhero sunflower waiting to bloom. Finn's a teenager who's just about to confess his first love when who gets framed for dark magic and sent into spirit exile. On the day o ...more

I wasn't terribly impressed by the first 1/3 of this book. It did perk my interest after that, but it still wasn't super "gripping". The title is what drew me in, and I really wanted to love it, but it fell a bit short of my expectations. I did enjoy the inclusion of various magical creatures/beings, and the unique spin on Necromancy magic.
...more

I really enjoyed this! The story moves fast & has the whole time travel/ amnesia twist going. The only problem is the cliff-hanger ending. I'm really looking forward to the next story! I almost didn't read this because of the book's title - I'm so glad i did!
...more

Hmm, this sounds a bit like a more Bizarro version of Hold Me Closer, Necromancer. Sign me up!
...more

I wanted to like this book more than I did. But ... man. It wasn't bad, I just didn't love it as much as I wanted to.
Part of my problem was a 15 year old in a 40 year old's body. 15 year olds are - as you may recall from your own experience - not anything like 40 year olds. And expecting him to be able to interact with his peers who had actually lived the missing 25 year seems like it would be worse. (I have this problem when a 100+ year old vampire is hitting on a teenager. Whyyyyyyyyy?)
Anyway ...more
Part of my problem was a 15 year old in a 40 year old's body. 15 year olds are - as you may recall from your own experience - not anything like 40 year olds. And expecting him to be able to interact with his peers who had actually lived the missing 25 year seems like it would be worse. (I have this problem when a 100+ year old vampire is hitting on a teenager. Whyyyyyyyyy?)
Anyway ...more

What is Finn's Fancy?
Finn has been denied existence, exiled to the Other Realm for 25 years when a teen thereby losing contact with his friends, family and potential significant other or mate during this whole time.
Finn has a lot of catching up to do when he returns to existence as changeling
and tries to resurrect all he cares for as an older adult with a twenty five year gap in what's been happening while gone.
His family has the appearance in the human world of being Morticians, but it the wor ...more
Finn has been denied existence, exiled to the Other Realm for 25 years when a teen thereby losing contact with his friends, family and potential significant other or mate during this whole time.
Finn has a lot of catching up to do when he returns to existence as changeling
and tries to resurrect all he cares for as an older adult with a twenty five year gap in what's been happening while gone.
His family has the appearance in the human world of being Morticians, but it the wor ...more

Sep 17, 2014
Misha
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
male-protagonist,
debut,
doorway-people,
doorway-place,
doorway-plot,
family-secrets,
fantasy,
ghost,
friendship,
funny
I loved this! A fun, witty urban fantasy debut set in Washington State. Finn is exiled in the Fey's Other Realm for 25 years at the age of 15 when he is accused of a murder. He returns to his family after he is released from exile to the family necrotorium in Port Townsend. Finn makes constant references to the 80s, as he missed 25 years of updates, and each chapter is named after another classic 80s song. Since I am a total sucker for anything 80s, the Goonies references and more were music to
...more

Jan 12, 2015
Reading Reindeer 2021 On Proxima Centauri
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Review: FINN FANCY NECROMANCY [preview] by Randy Henderson
Imprisoned in Fae for a quarter-century for Necromancy he did NOT commit, poor Finn's set-up continues: at the moment of his release to Earth, an enforcer appears in an assassination attempt on Finn's changeling, who has taken his place for the past twenty-five years. As the portal is closing, Finn must barrel through without recovering the changeling's memories of Finn's life; or remain in Fae, perhaps forever. Someone really means to ke ...more
Imprisoned in Fae for a quarter-century for Necromancy he did NOT commit, poor Finn's set-up continues: at the moment of his release to Earth, an enforcer appears in an assassination attempt on Finn's changeling, who has taken his place for the past twenty-five years. As the portal is closing, Finn must barrel through without recovering the changeling's memories of Finn's life; or remain in Fae, perhaps forever. Someone really means to ke ...more

I loved this book, it's silly and fun, pretty much like the title suggests! The story is interesting and you have a whole bunch of characters to like or dislike. A lovely story that I've now suggested to a few people to read. It's just a fun book with a whole bunch of ridiculousness to brighten up your day!
...more

This was a fun read, I enjoyed the humor and abundance of 80's references! Although there were some continuity issues and some other slight complaints I thought it was an awesome first book for the series and I'm interested to see where it goes from here.
...more

2.5
So, overall, I was a bit meh about this book because it wasn't as funny as I was hoping for based on the title. I know a lot of reviews have called it "quirky", but, really, it just seems to be based on that "nostalgia + pop culture references = humor" equation which I don't really get.
Like, I'm sorry (not sorry), but referencing 80s pop culture all the time, including have a character who loves Mr. T calling people "fool" all the time, does not count for actual wit or humor in my curmudgeonl ...more
So, overall, I was a bit meh about this book because it wasn't as funny as I was hoping for based on the title. I know a lot of reviews have called it "quirky", but, really, it just seems to be based on that "nostalgia + pop culture references = humor" equation which I don't really get.
Like, I'm sorry (not sorry), but referencing 80s pop culture all the time, including have a character who loves Mr. T calling people "fool" all the time, does not count for actual wit or humor in my curmudgeonl ...more

Fun UF with a MC who was exiled as a teen and is now back after serving his 25 year sentence - for a crime he didn't commit.
Interesting magic system, interesting family dynamic, and just a tiny bit of romance. ...more
Interesting magic system, interesting family dynamic, and just a tiny bit of romance. ...more

Perfect book for sci-fi fans with a sense of humor and a love for 80's pop culture!
...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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Fantasy Buddy Reads: Henderson - Finn Fancy Necromancy [Oct 6, 2019] | 6 | 13 | Oct 16, 2019 07:59AM | |
Finn Fancy FAQ | 5 | 37 | Apr 18, 2016 03:58PM |
Randy Henderson's "dark and quirky" contemporary fantasy series from TOR (US) and Titan (UK) includes Finn Fancy Necromancy, Bigfootloose & Finn Fancy Free, and Smells Like Finn Spirit.
Randy's short fiction has been spotted frolicking in places like Penumbra, Escape Pod, Realms of Fantasy, Every Day Fiction, and anthologies.
He is a grand prize winner of Writers of the Future, a Clarion West gradu ...more
Randy's short fiction has been spotted frolicking in places like Penumbra, Escape Pod, Realms of Fantasy, Every Day Fiction, and anthologies.
He is a grand prize winner of Writers of the Future, a Clarion West gradu ...more
Other books in the series
Finn Fancy Necromancy
(3 books)
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“Gipetto decided he wanted the company of a young mundy maiden in his village. But he'd been lying to her about many thyings to hide the fact that he wan an arcana, and she'd begun to distrust him. So he made her a simple puppet out of wood that could talk, and if made to tell a lie, it's bulbous nose would grow long. He took the puppet to her, demonstrated its use, and had her ask the puppet if Gipetto loved her and if he would care for her always. These were not lies, not that a wooden puppet could tell, and Gipetto was wealth from selling his inventions, so they were married with her family's eager encouragement. But on those nights when Gipetto was away traveling and selling his wares, the neighbors swear they would hear the young woman telling the puppet to lie, and then tell the truth, over and over and over again. Because, you see, sometimes a girl wants the truth and sometimes she doesn't, as long as it makes her feel good." Mother laughed and patted my head, or at least she made the motions. "Someday, you'll understand, Finn.”
—
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