Possession (Song and Shadow – 1) by Anne Oldham
Constance Jerome wants nothing more than to make it through her senior year of high school without being noticed. But when her mother drops the world’s biggest bombshell, flying under the radar just isn’t in the cards. It turns out Constance is a necromancer-one of the few who can travel the realms of the dead. Apparently it runs in the family. And now there’s a threat coming: another necromancer with plans to disturb the living and the dead, and Constance and her mother are the only ones who can stop him. If only they knew who he was. Or what exactly he was up to. A quiet senior year isn’t an option, and Constance must race to stop a high school apocalypse before the balance between the living and the dead is overturned.
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My Review
4 stars
Constance Jerome is starting her senior year in high school and wants nothing but to quietly get through it. Constance is a loner but thankfully she has Greta, her best friend, to keep her company. As with any high school, Seline is Constance’s nemesis and things don’t get any better when she learns she is tutoring Seth, Seline’s boyfriend. If that is not bad enough, then Constance learns that her mother, Veronica and her are necromancers. The problem is another necromancer is causing problems in the land of the living and it is up to Veronica and Constance to keep everything in place.
I can relate to Constance since I was the loner in high school too. I understand how she wants to avoid Seline but it seems that she is always in her sights for bullying. Then there is Seth, he seems like he could be a decent guy when he isn’t under the thumb of Seline.
I really enjoyed Constance being a necromancer and how this is a bit different from other people’s stories of necromancers. Although I admit that Veronica clearly never fully learned about her abilities since she could old partially teach Constance and not really explain anything. It was frustrating to read this when there was so much I wanted to know.
I really like this story and am excited to see where it goes in book two, Illusion.
Illusion (Song and Shadow – 2) by Anne Oldham
Constance Jerome has survived a vampire attack, a team of possessed football players, and her first trip to Limbo. Now she has to prove that Mr. Ransom is the dark necromancer before he topples the rules of the living and the dead. But then she discovers there is something else haunting the halls of Milltown High School, something with a sadistic side, something that has placed Constance’s best friend at the center of its unwanted affection. To save those she cares about, Constance must forge her own path as a necromancer and embrace the shadows that have plagued her. But will it be enough?
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My Review
5 stars
Constance Jerome is a normal high school kid w that is awkward, has a great best friend, a crush on the jock, and a nemesis that is the jocks girlfriend. But she is also a necromancer and is trying to learn about her abilities. Her mother is trying to slow her learning down but it seems Constance might be more powerful than her mother and is learning faster on her own. This does lead to some problems at home when we learn more about her father. Then there is the dark necromancer. We learn his identity but no one would believe Constance. Then his threats get personal when he uses Greta in the fight with Constance.
I was glad to learn that Veronica has become a stronger woman and more serious about Constance’s training. When you learn about Constance’s father and the past you can understand why he is so hesitant about Constance becoming a necromancer. I really like Constance. She has growing into a powerful person and is involved in a lot trying to figure out who the dark necromancer is.
This story is filled with action, adventure, and great characters. The story just keeps getting better and better. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book.
I received both Possession and Illusion from eBooks for Review for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.
Author’s Bio
THE BASICS
I adore writing and reading YA novels. I grew up with an insatiable desire to read and then came the insatiable desire to write. I’ve been blessed to have both of those in my life.
Away from my writing, I’m the mother of the most adorable girls in the world, I have the best husband in the world, and I live in one of the prettiest places in the world (the Wasatch mountains are breathtaking!). I love to cook, sing, quilt, and play the piano.
A FEW MORE DETAILS
I was born and raised in Ohio, land of gentle rolling hills, gorgeous autumn colors, and Cincinnati chili. Let’s be honest, there really isn’t any other chili out there. And if you’ve never had it, you’re totally missing out.
But moving away from the food and onto other things. I loved to write. And I will mention here that my parents are amazing. And they instilled in me this confidence that I can do whatever I dream. Of course going through the awesomely awkward teenage years, there were setbacks where I didn’t get my dreams, like trying out for cheerleading (honestly, what was I thinking?) or getting the lead in the musical (too much school politics among students, I tell you), but they still said it. You can achieve your dreams.
I went to college at Brigham Young University, and I decided from a few writing/reading classes to major in English, emphasis in writing and editing. I loved my major. I didn’t love when I had to read Don Quijote (and all its approximately 1,000 page glory) in a week. But I adored my classes, I ate up my homework, and I thrived. And I kept writing. And then it dawned on me. Forget cheerleading, forget the musicals.
Writing is my dream.
So I kept at it. When I had minutes here and there, I worked on my first novel. (No, you will never read it. I don’t think I even have it in my possession. Thank goodness.) It ended horribly, because I had no idea what I was really doing with this novel-writing business, but it ended. It was a complete novel. I had done it. And I had no desire to see it published. It really was that bad.
But I kept writing. That’s the story of how this goes. I kept writing. In between the writing, I enjoyed real life. I worked full time at a children’s software company in Salt Lake City, I married my best friend and man of my dreams (how did I luck out?), had four beautiful baby girls (who are now slightly bigger and way more mischievous), and now I have six books published and there’s no end in sight. Because my parents told me, “You can achieve your dreams.”
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