Recipes for an Unexpected Afterlife
"A recipe for comfort with a dash of adventure!" --Rebecca Thorne
An undead orc knight leaves battle behind for a new kind of afterlife--one with good food, good friends, and maybe even fatherhood.
Rottgor is worn out. Literally. Barely held together by dark magic, he has protected the Necropolis for centuries. When he's forced into retirement, he's faced with a new challenge: to forge a future guided not by obligation, but by passion.
Following his heart (and stomach), he decides to open a restaurant where the city's undead and living residents can share food and community. He's helped in his quest by an unlikely assortment of neighbors, including elves, skeletons, vampires--and a young orphan girl named Astra, whose ancestry, if discovered, could put her and the entire Necropolis in danger. To protect Astra and the life he's building, Rottgor must face his past and form new alliances built on friendship, loyalty, and love. As comforting as warm pumpkin bread, this gentle fantasy traces how even a dark history can rise into a bright future.
BUY THE BOOK
Community Reviews
My thanks to Netgalley and Bindery for the ARC of this anticipated read, which I received in exchange for an honest review.
I loved so much about this book! The writing was really nice, I loved the world and our main character was such a cool guy to follow. The focus on community and family is central to this book which is my favorite thing about cosy fantasy. Sadly, the reading experience was uneven for me, which ended up ruining the fun and the emotional connection I wish I could have maintained with the story and the characters.
Indeed, each compliment and joy I felt towards every elements of this book during the first half sadly came crashing down during the second part. The writing was all over the place: sentences or even paragraphs that seemed out of order, scenes missing some information or giving too much and bringing a lot of repetition which made scenes long for nothing. I’m upset because I can definitely see how the plot, characters and writing can be so well crafted, but I kept getting less and less attached to what happened during the story because of the constant issues in the writing.
It’s obviously okay for an ARC to have some editorial work left to be done I truly don’t mind (or else I wouldn’t ask for ARCs), though here it really ended up spoiling my reading experience.
I hope these issues are resolved with the finished story that is already out, and either way some readers might be less bothered than me if not. Furthermore, the basis of the book is really strong like, I said at the start of my review: there is much to love here. I think if the premise is up to your alley and you like cosy fantasy definitely go for it!
I loved so much about this book! The writing was really nice, I loved the world and our main character was such a cool guy to follow. The focus on community and family is central to this book which is my favorite thing about cosy fantasy. Sadly, the reading experience was uneven for me, which ended up ruining the fun and the emotional connection I wish I could have maintained with the story and the characters.
Indeed, each compliment and joy I felt towards every elements of this book during the first half sadly came crashing down during the second part. The writing was all over the place: sentences or even paragraphs that seemed out of order, scenes missing some information or giving too much and bringing a lot of repetition which made scenes long for nothing. I’m upset because I can definitely see how the plot, characters and writing can be so well crafted, but I kept getting less and less attached to what happened during the story because of the constant issues in the writing.
It’s obviously okay for an ARC to have some editorial work left to be done I truly don’t mind (or else I wouldn’t ask for ARCs), though here it really ended up spoiling my reading experience.
I hope these issues are resolved with the finished story that is already out, and either way some readers might be less bothered than me if not. Furthermore, the basis of the book is really strong like, I said at the start of my review: there is much to love here. I think if the premise is up to your alley and you like cosy fantasy definitely go for it!
See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.