Format: Paperback
Genre: Fantasy, Gothic, Young Adult
Number of pages: 114
Published by R.M. Prioleau (first published April 1st 2011)
Goodreads

Synopsis:

Jasmine Na’Darod lived a simple life with her parents and older sister on the family’s farm. She never strayed far from home until the ill-fated Blood Moon arose, basking the country of Caristan with a terrible, sickening drought.

When her mother falls ill, Jasmine and her family are forced to leave home in desperate search of a cure. During their journey, a series of tragic events will change Jasmine’s life forever.

With her former life shrouded and forgotten, Jasmine embraces a new path granted by an unlikely stranger, who, ironically, practices the Art of death and undeath.

As Jasmine is drawn to this enigma of a man, she soon realizes there is more to him than what she initially perceived — his true motives are beyond anything she could ever imagine…

Deeply compelling and morbidly intriguing, The Necromancer’s Apprentice is a beautifully-narrated gothic fantasy with memorable characters.

*A novella by R.M. Prioleau

Rating: 3,5-4/5

      I recieved this book after winning it at a contest, in exchange of my honest review.
Attention: This review might contain some spoilers!!
Like most of the readers, I was really intrigued by the cover and the synopsis of this novella. We are introduced in the life of Jasmine Na’Darod who is living with her family. At the beginning I found the main character both strong and ignorant at the same time since she does not want to get in contact with her mother who is sick by some unknown disease. Not only is her mother sick but the crops are also affected and Jasmine’s father blames it all on the Blood Moon which he finds terrifying.
After deciding to find a cure for his wife, the father leaves with his two daughters and sick wife in search of a healer. Disaster strikes and what the night brings in front of the family can’t be explained in words. The appearance of strange creatures makes a radical turn in Jasmine’s life. Her family is killed and she ends up to be “saved” by a mad man who hides in a cave with his experiments.
I found the first half of the book just a little bit interesting since the story somehow lacked something. I was about to give the book 3 stars but the second half of the book compensated for the first one. Although I found Jasmine’s personality quite strange since she accepted to live with a mad and strange man who only did experiments on her, I kind of understood that every characters is different and her interest in her Master’s activity must not be considered a strange one.
The action of the book really becomes interesting when we find out about the existance of some sort of dragon. I won’t tell you what the mystery behind the dragon really is so you will have to find out for yourselves!
I liked the fact that this book was different from others that I’ve read, so that would be a plus. Also, it was nice to read something and not predict the ending right from the start. I found out many things that I would not have even thought of! 
When talking about the characters, I think that my favourite one was Jasmine’s sister. The main character didn’t impress me in a particular way but I like the bond that formed between her and the Master. 
Jasmine was really strong along the way since she did not have a family anymore and had to struggle and accommodate with her new life.
The ending of the book was also a nice one and left me with a little question mark since I wanted to find out a few more details.
I would recommend this book for those who like gothic fantasy books and those who would preffer a short read. I think that this book might not be suited for those young of age since it containts some paragraphs that might be too harsh for them.
Quotes:
“Violet watched Father as he handled the horses and guided the hunger-weakened animals down the dirt road.
I stared at Mother in silence. She didn’t wake up.
Periwinkle rose from Mother’s side and padded over to me, where he curled in my lap, purring contentedly despite the heaviness in the air.”
“The swamp was still dark; the morning sun had not yet risen enough to provide its modest light through the overcast sky. The air was moist and thick from the recent rains. I was gradually becoming more proficient at fishing, though I’d soon discovered the efficiency of gathering crabs and shellfish along the banks, which I preffered. The weather conditions were such that I could usually find them washed up in the mud, but that particular morning, they were scarce for some reason.”