Book Review: The Wishing Stone
The fantastic sequel to cozy fantasy hit, A Necromancer Called Gam Gam by Adam Holcombe.
A Necromancer Called Gam Gam was one of my favourite books I read last year—An unlikely blend of knitting, kindness, and raising the decaying undead that took me on an emotional journey exploring loss and grief. So when The Wishing Stone was announced, I was so ready for another foray into this big warm hug of a world. And, spoilers for the review below, but I think this one really does top the first.
Blurb
A mythical relic believed to have the ability to grant any wish.
A map, leading the way through ancient and sealed catacombs.
Gam Gam's return to Capital City is not what she expected when she stumbles upon her first clue to the Wishing Stone's whereabouts. Joined by Mina and her new friend Emil, along with the undead retinue of Nugget, Sloughy, and Gerald, they set out to uncover secrets that could unravel more than just their lives.
Review
The Wishing Stone is an excellent sequel in every regard. For me, towards the end it became quite reminiscent of the first Mistborn book (the only one of that initial trilogy I’ve read so far) but far more satisfying in its execution. I loved Mina’s character arc and progression, and the newly introduced characters like Emil were brilliant. And there’s POV segments for Nugget! That’s the most important part for sure; he’s amazing. I’m now an unashamed Nugget stan.
Gam Gam, Mina, and Emil’s quest for the titular Wishing Stone was really engaging and I was not expecting the plot to twist the way that it did. There’s plenty of action, intrigue, and gut-wrenching emotional moments, but the story still manages to be a warm knitted blanket. Gam Gam is an absolute gem.
I loved the extension and exploration of Mina’s powers, and the deeper dive into the lore of the Eternal Empire. The Empire was largely a backdrop in the first book, but it takes centre-stage here, and the way the consequences of Mina and Gam Gam’s actions play directly in to this sequel were very well done.
The book’s pacing is spot-on and flows really nicely and I think this sequel improves upon the first book in a lot of ways. Bravo! I can’t wait to read more in the Chronicles of Gam Gam. This has definitely been one of my favourite reads this year.
