Synopsis:
After a devastating invasion, the necromancers of the kingdom of Led are executed for their crimes against the sanctity of life. One such necromancer, Sybil Whitman, finds all of this really, really, really dumb. All she wanted was to have her own farm and work alongside her skeleton constructs, providing food and warmth to the surrounding towns. It just so happens that a sympathetic god is listening in. Can she let go of her past and allow herself to have a future with her loved ones?
Antonio de Cardenas is a young prince fraught with the demons of his country’s bleak history. Cainern has long suffered from the Druidic Wars, where his ancestors were pushed cruelly from their homes. Now, he’s in a position to take back the land and liberate his people from the wicked rule of necromancers! Only… Is everything really as it seems in Led? Maybe his only hope lies in the hands of Sybil Whitman and her black magic.
Review:
An Ambitious Woman and Her Very Normal Pet is the cozy necromantic romance I never knew I needed. It is a story of rebirth, reincarnation, and growth in the face of self failure. There is something pure about this story. Also, that title is just so fun.
I want to start with explaining that An Ambitious Woman was part of the Inkfort Press Publishing Derby, an annual event where 100 authors are given a pre-made cover, a title, and a pen name, and they must write, edit, and publish a story within 4 months. Everything is done anonymously and without spending money. (Therefore, Lily Greene is not the author’s real name, but is the work of AJ Alexanders). So despite some editing mishaps, the fact that this story is so cohesive and fun and done within a 4-month period is just awe-inspiring!
The story starts off with Sybil Whitman’s hanging. She’s a necromancer put to the noose after a long war. But a curious god gives her a second chance, the only caveat is that she will not be able to change the past regarding the war, nor can she talk about it, even though she keeps all the memories of the war. With her second chance, she heads to a far-off town where she starts a farm with her skeletons. There she meets the very man, Antonio, who was instrumental in the war, but he’s been deposed and thrust into a second life of his own. Ensue cozy romances (not between them, though, spoiler alert, not really).
I think my favorite part of this story is the second chance given to Sybil. The entire premise is really neat and keeps some of the tension this story needs because she knows what happens to her family and friends during this war, and she cannot do a damn thing about it. It keeps Sybil and the reader on their toes. I also really liked how this plays with the necromantic magic as necromancers just don’t revive dead people, the deceased has to want to keep ‘living’ for them to be brought back as constructs. Sure their bonds can be transferred to another necromancer, but they can also choose to go to the afterlife whenever they are ready to be committed. It was such a neat change to necromancy. There is a very raw scene when Sybil commits one of the constructs to the afterlife, very emotional.
Sybil and Antonio are the dual 1st POV protagonists, and both are compelling in their own way. Sybil’s voice is quite witty but with great personal depth, and she has a melancholy about her because she knows her second chance can end at any time. Her arc is very enjoyable to follow. Her interactions with her revived constructs were great, because each has their own personality. Antonio, on the other hand, starts as an semi-antagonist, but as the story unfolds, his biases are destroyed as he learns to accept. His budding romance with a beastman (part of his biases) was lovely. Sybil and Antonio are great foils.
Aside from there being necromantic and druidic magic, this world has some fun concepts. The aforementioned beastmen are plenty. There are centaurs, satyrs, fox-looking people, driders (which are half human, half spiders). Goddesses in zombie-child bodies. Massive skeleton giants. Glamour potions. So there are a lot of fantastical beings within these pages.
This story is very cozy, so while the thread of final death and a potential rebellion is visible, the stakes are all very personal for Sybil and Antonio. The pace is steady, the prose accessible. There are some editing errors due to the nature of the Derby, but they were never egregious. If I had a quibble, it’s that we spend the final sixty pages in Antonio’s POV with no switch to Sybil. I would’ve liked some scenes from her POV. But the ending does have a nice reveal.
All in all, I had a very fun time with An Ambitious Woman and Her Very Normal Pet. If you are looking for a cozy romance in a queer-normative world with necromancers, give this book a look!
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