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My Favorite Non-Crime Fiction of 2025

On January 8, 2026

In Fantasy, Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, News/Misc., Science Fiction

Covers of The Goblin Emperor, Light from Uncommon Stars, Anxious People, A Drop of Corruption, Five Broken Blades, Dogged, Mushroom Blues, Bounty Inc., The Price of Power, My Documents, and The Amazing Twin Chicken Freedom Fighters, next to an image of an anthropomorphized Pilcrow and the words 'My Favorites of 2025 Other Than Crime-Fiction'
Back when I started this site, I knew the content would be largely “genre”-oriented. I’d have wagered the content would be roughly 1/3 Mystery/Detective fiction, 1/3 Urban Fantasy, and slightly less than 1/3 SFF, with “non-genre” fiction, humor, and non-fiction being enough to make my one-thirds just an approximation (honestly, if you asked me what I read regularly, that’s pretty much how I’d describe it today). Actual numbers show that’s wrong—it’s typically almost 40% Crime/Thriller Fiction, the rest of fiction is around 30% combined. This is just a long-winded way to get to these two points: because Crime Fiction takes such a big chunk of my reading, it gets its own “Favorite” list, but none of the others really garner enough numbers for their own. This year, however, the numbers are a bit more even gross-genres, but…the practice has been set. We’ll see what next year brings.

When it comes to this particular list of favorites this year, I just couldn’t get lower than 11 (I’m thankful I made it lower than 24). But as this is a catch-all, I figure I can be a little loose with the numbers. So here’s my list of 11 favorite non-Crime Fiction Novels of 2024. Hopefully, you will find something here to tempt you.

As always, re-reads don’t count—only the works that were new to me.

(in alphabetical order by author)

The Goblin Emporer

by Katherine Addison

To say I was daunted by the incredibly detailed pronunciation guide and information about names before the novel is to put it mildly, but that went away almost immediately. This is a wonderful work–such an intricate web of courtly manners and rules (written and unwritten), a murder plot, a coup or two, and some geeky engineers. Okay, that’s a bad way to try to describe this. I read this a couple of months ago, and already want to re-read it. Once I got into this novel I didn’t want to leave.

Light from Uncommon Stars

by Ryka Aoki

Words fail me as I try to talk about this contemporary Fantasy about a woman whose way out of a Faustian bargain depends on her damning others. And it turns out that I really liked this woman, and hoped she’d get that last soul. Just not the one she’s decided to use to fulfill the bargain, because this one should be protected and nurtured. Oh, and there’s a bunch of aliens on the run from an intergalactic conflict.

This book made me happy–it delighted me in the description of music, in fact. It broke my heart. It made me tense. It filled me with hope. There might be books on the lists this week that are better technically, but I’m not sure any of them worked on my heart the way that this one did.

Anxious People

by Fredrik Backman

Of this books that made me laugh this year, this is probably in the top 3. It’s also the book that probably made me think of fatherhood more than any other. And marriage. And all the ways we can let each other down, and the hope that exists for the next time when we don’t.

It’s Backman, so you know he’ll be funny. You know he’ll tug at your heartstrings. You know he’ll make you think. He does that, and more–because he throws in some small town cops, a bank robbery that went wrong, and a bunch of hostages. If I stopped reading after this one in February, I’d have called 2025 a good year for reading (although I’d have been so bored for the remaining 10 months, it’s good I didn’t).

A Drop of Corruption

by Robert Jackson Bennett

My original post
This is simply a perfect follow-up to The Tainted Cup–new strangeness to explore in this world, new depravities to be seen, new political machinations to watch, new opportunities for Ana Dolabra’s brilliance (and strange way of seeing the world) to shine–yet entirely of a piece with the first book. A Drop of Corruption is another fantastic mystery/fantasy hybrid. Like so many of the others on this list, superlatives fail me.

Five Broken Blades

by Mai Corland

I love the set-up to this book–a bunch of killers of varying in strengths and modus operandi are brought together for one joint-job. And one of them is a traitor. And the reader doesn’t know (but we can guess, and will) who the traitor is, why they’re doing it and more.

I liked this one so much that I bought the hardcovers for the rest of the trilogy right after finishing. I never do that.

I’ve seen some criticisms of the work–and some of them have merit. But while I was reading it? I was so taken in that I didn’t notice any of them. And now? I don’t care about any of the criticism, I had so much fun with this book that you could tell me that I’m the only one in the world who likes it and I’d be fine with it. (I’d also know you were lying, but that’s okay)

Dogged

by Michael R. Fletcher

This is a violent, grisly novel about an empire on the brink of ruin–and the devastation this wreaks on the populace. It is also one of the most heartwarming tales I’ve read this year about loyalty, determination, and doing what’s right for those important to you.

The central character just might be the character of the year for me–she embodies so much of what I love in a noble warrior character.

This book made my month in December–and I read a lot of books that I really enjoyed. But while I was reading this one, almost everything I’d read last year paled in comparison (including every other item on this list).

It sucks you in, it tells a perfect story in an almost perfect way–and makes you want more. I don’t want a sequel, it’s a wonderful stand-alone. I just want a half-dozen books just like it.

Mushroom Blues

by Adrian M. Gibson

My original post
A Police Procedural set in a world with Earth-like technology and laws. However, it’s inhabited with humans and a sapient, humanoid, fungal species. Basically, humanoid Mushrooms. It’s hard to explain.

The mystery/police procedural part of this was great. The alternate world was outstanding. The worldbuilding is top-notch. The primary and secondary characters were drawn so wonderfully. The motives for the crimes (and the crime fighting) were complex and messy—and almost entirely understandable. The genre-hybrid of this feels entirely natural to an extent that you can almost wonder why anyone hasn’t been approaching these genres in a similar fashion for decades.

Gibson’s scheduled to get a sequel out this year. I’m going to be at the front of the line for it.

Bounty Inc.

by Adam Holcombe

My original post
This book is a space opera/SF adventure. With intrigue, action, strangeness, betrayal, and more. It’s what you expect from this kind of book—and it delivers that well. But I can also describe it as a wholesome, found family, cozy-ish, feel-good novel at its core. With an earnest spirit that reaches every corner of the book.

Satisfying on several levels. Fantastic action. Strange alien species. And entertaining on every page.

The Price of Power

by Michael Michel

My original post
I read four books this year that I might have described as “one of my favorite fantasy novels” at one point. It’s a hotly competitive rank apparently. This is one of those. And that thumbnail review is still true.

This is a gritty, intense read following four primary characters (and a couple of others nearby each of them). The world it sets up and introduces us to is teetering on the brink of civic upheaval and all-out war. And something tells me those’ll be the easier problems to deal with. Book three releases in a couple of weeks not and my anticipation level is high.

My Documents

by Kevin Nguyen

My original post
This is a timely work about the complete internment of Vietnamese-Americans following some terrorist strikes. It is chilling. It’s occasionally joyful (usually as a precursor something utterly absent of joy, but also as a reminder of its importance).

This is a powerful, haunting, (purposefully) uncomfortable read that will also charm you. It’s been residing in a corner of my mind since I read it, and I keep almost making references to it when talking to others about current events as if it’s something in our shared cultural moment. It’s impact is going to last a while in my mind–and I’d recommend you let it impact yours, too.

The Amazing Twin Chicken Freedom Fighters

by Zephaniah Sole

My original post
This is either brilliant or the ravings of a madman. Possibly both.

It is absurd in every way. It’s hilarious on several levels–from very low-brow to philosophical riffs. Sole plays with narrative, meaning, reality…and I don’t know what all, really. If I was pursuing some sort of English degree right now, I’d be using this (and the promised sequel) as the foundation for a few papers.

It can also be read as twisted fun–you’d be missing a lot, but you’d have a great time.

A few books that almost made this list and I want to be sure to mention:
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E Butler, The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman, Bones & Betrayals: Silence of the Dead by Andi Ewington & Erica Marks, Grace and Henry’s Holiday Movie Marathon by Mathew Norman, Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits by Jason Pargin, and How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler.

Bounty Inc. by Adam Holcombe: Because Bounty Hunters Are Cool

By HCNewton

On October 13, 2025

In Fiction, Science Fiction

Bounty Inc.

by Adam Holcombe

DETAILS:
Series: Bounty Inc., #1
Publication Date: October 15, 2025
Format: eARC
Length: 684 pg. 
Read Date: September 24-26, 2025

What’s Bounty Inc. About?

Wyn Kelda was raised in a privileged way, by a super-wealthy father to be part of his family’s business. And then when his father died, he threw that all away. He sold the company and used the proceeds to start a new venture. The galaxy’s first conglomerate of bounty hunters. He wants to take as many of the lone-wolves he can and turn them into a team—a team that can act independently as they desire, or can pool their abilities for other jobs.

There are some things standing in his way—beyond the idea, he doesn’t really know how to pull this off. He’s also so green at this kind of thing that Kermit would say, “As not-easy as it is for me being green, you’re helpless.”* He also wants to be in the field, not just the CEO. So he needs to be trained.

He recruits an experienced hunter to help him on both fronts—who takes the job for an easy check, believing this a doomed endeavor. But her presence helps recruit some great hunters, and his naiveté gets them some…interesting choices with promise.

* That was a much-zippier sentence in my head.

And well, the rest of the book traces the company over its first (only?) year of operation. His initial investment can only carry them for so long. Can they turn a profit? Can they form a team? Do they actually want to? Will they get an excuse to fire off the slag cannon they con Wyn into buying? These questions and more will be answered in Bounty Inc.

The Various and Sundry Alien Species

One of the areas that comics and (especially) short stories/novels have been superior to TV/Film is that the latter are usually restricted to humanoid appearing aliens, and the former aren’t. Holcombe takes advantage of this—while keeping plenty of humanoids around. He also plays with scale of beings, too. Yes, most of the group are humanoid-ish, but they all present in different ways.

Wyn is a human—and was raised in an almost total human environment, so other species are things he’s aware of, but he only has the most surface-level understanding of them. This makes him the perfect POV character for most of the book—as he encounters species for the first time, we can react to and understand these representatives through him encountering them in a non-theoretical way. When he’s freaked out—we know we should be (and probably would be in person), when he’s agog, we get the signal to be, too.

This works so much better in this context than someone meeting “just another X” and then having to info dump for the reader about X. Not that can’t be done well (and isn’t all the time), but for this story, Wyn’s reactions really enable us to understand him and the people we’re going to encounter in the series.

This goes beyond appearances, I should stress. These species are really diverse, with individual cultures, governments, and traditions. Most of the assembled team understand each other (particularly those with shared histories), but there’s still a bit of foreignness to everyone. A coming together understanding that everyone’s a little strange. Even the two humans have different-enough experiences that they’re foreign to each other (and not just because of the student-mentor relationship).

This isn’t (as is often the case), Character A is a representative of Species B, and all of B are pretty much the same as Character A—that’s true to a degree for some of these characters, but some of these are outliers—even outcasts. I love this particular kind of troupe—in SF, in Fantasy, even in Urban Fantasy.

The Tone

This book has two tones at its core—two that some people would tackle in a way to make the book feel disjointed, but Holcombe’s better than that. This book is a space opera/SF adventure. With intrigue, action, strangeness, betrayal, and more. It’s what you expect from this kind of book—and it delivers that well.

However, this is Adam Holcombe, who is best known (at least today) for his Gam-Gam series, which is a wholesome, found family, cozy-ish, feel-good fantasy series. And that’s what this book is at its core—Wyn is looking for a family, while also wanting be an action hero amongst action heroes. This business venture is simply the best way he knows to get it. You can tell that from the start (even if he doesn’t know it)—and that earnest spirit reaches every corner of the book, for good or ill (I only include the “or ill” to be thorough, and because some won’t want it in this story). Firefly springs to mind as a good example of this kind of vibe, but it’s overused. So I won’t. Maybe think Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, or later seasons of most ST series.

I do think you could successfully argue the other—that this is a wholesome feel-good SF book with an action novel at its core, but I don’t want to.

And there’s plenty of humor, too. Not Red Dwarf, Hitchhiker’s Guide, or Epic Failure levels of humor. But, you’ll smile enough.

The Action Scenes

Speaking of the action/battle/combat scenes—whatever you want to call them. Boy howdy, these are about as far from cozy as you could want/ask for. “About” being an important word. Holcombe isn’t Pierce Brown or Joe Abercrombie (sorry, I’m blanking on SF authors at the moment).

Obviously, there’s some decent action in his Gam-Gam books, but those aren’t the same kind of thing. But we do know that Holcombe is capable of them. What we get here is barely even the same species.

This is true throughout—but especially in the last two climactic battles. I’m trying to be vague here, you’ll need to read the book to really get what I’m saying here. There’s one battle that most of the Bounty Inc. team is in, and there’s another. Both are vastly important and both are on different scales—seeing them back to back is a real treat and showcase for Holcombe. Both go on for far longer than I expected—an observation, not a complaint—and keep the tension going throughout. Almost every time you think you know how things are going to play out, you will find yourself wrong, and will be pleased.

These scenes are a great way to reveal character, to help us understand things that were hinted at (or more) in a very clear way. You can easily see why some of these hunters were successful on their own. You get a really good idea of how they can work together. At the same time, you get to enjoy some really kick-ass fight scenes filled with cool SF tech.

Holcombe shows off a whole new side of his skills here, and you’ll be left waiting for more examples of it.

So, what did I think about Bounty Inc.?

This reads like someone who watched the bounty hunter scene in The Empire Strikes Back and never got over it. Wyn himself says at least once “Bounty Hunters are cool.” Please note, that I have yet to fully get over that scene myself, so there’s no shade there. I had most of the action figures, too.

And yes, Bounty Hunters are cool—particularly the fictional ones. It’s hard not to have a fun time reading (or probably writing) this kind of thing.

While reading the book, I said something online about Holcombe fans becoming bigger fans by the 20% mark (if not earlier) of this book. The next 20% of this book was better yet. And the rest? Dude.

Is the big romantic arc entirely predictable? Yes. Is it effective, sweet, and wholly satisfying? Yup. Will you get gut-punched by what happens to some of these characters? Yup. (I didn’t say it was cozy, I said it had that heart, bad things happen). Will you cheer at parts of the action? Yes. Will you be dismayed by some of the twists? Yup. Will you want this pretty long book to be longer? YUP. Will you think about camping out in Holcombe’s backyard until the next book is ready? I sure think so (I gave him enough warning that there’s likely a protection order in place, so I won’t).

For all the good things I’ve said above, I don’t think I’ve done a good job of articulating the strengths of this book. I think I’ve captured my enthusiasm, but not the particulars. Which rankles me—but without breaking down key scenes or something, I don’t think I can. There are solid, solid reasons to be enthusiastic about this book on a micro-level as well as on a macro-level, or even just vibes.

I don’t doubt that this is going to end up as one of my favorite reads of the year. It comes out later this week, so you still have a chance to pre-order and be cool. Or, be a timely/late adopter. Regardless, just get your hands on this.

5 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
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Cover Reveal: Bounty Inc by Adam Holcombe

By HCNewton

On September 15, 2025

In Science Fiction

I’m very pleased today to welcome the Cover Reveals for Adam Holcombe’s upcoming Bounty Inc! Because SF about intergalactic bounty hunters is just what you expect after couple of books about a grandmotherly necromancer, right? Eh, maybe not…but I’m game for pretty much anything he puts out.

I’ll show you this cover below, but first let’s learn a little bit about the book and author, shall we? It’ll just take a moment, and then we can all take a peak at the cover.

About the Book:

A dream lives on while a will is strong, but a significant inheritance from a recently-deceased father sure helps too.

When Wyn throws away his easy life to open the galaxy’s first bounty hunter organization and become a bounty hunter himself, he soon learns that a strong support system will be needed. A support system like an unwise mentor, her giant lizard ex-girlfriend, a woman trapped within her armor, a suspicious cyborg, a possible war criminal, several thousand beetles, and a ten-year-old insectoid with a pet.

Money is never endless, however, and Wyn will need to lead his new friends down a dangerous path to prove Bounty Inc.’s worth and keep his dream alive.

Book Links:

Amazon Preorder ~ Direct Signed Bundle Preorder ~ ARC Request Form

About the Author

Adam Holcombe daylights as a programmer and moonlights as an author. After spending years toying with the idea of writing, he decided to commit and work toward releasing his first novel. Then Gam Gam got in the way, and now he’s writing too many stories to count.

When he’s not locking himself in a cold basement to type away, he can be found squishing his dog (but not too hard), squawking at his tortoise (but not too loudly), goofing off with his wife and daughter (in perfectly ordinary, non-weird ways), playing D&D with friends (I’m playing a character now!), or the usual chilling at home. He is a lover of books, board games, video games, and swords.

He is the author of the Chronicles of Gam Gam series featuring the titular necromantic grandmother Gam Gam, and the Bounty Inc. universe which will be a collective of sci-fi novels spanning a galaxy. You can find out more about both series, along with future publishing news, and additional book content at bountyink.com. Onto the next one!

Author Links:

Bluesky ~ Discord ~ Patreon ~ Instagram ~ TikTok ~ Goodreads

and now…

The Cover

The Complete Cover Wrap:

Click to embiggen either image. And why wouldn’t you want to see them in their complete glory?

Kudos to these fine folk for their work on this eye-grabber:
Cover Art by Kerstin Espinoza Rosero
Cover design by VM Design

I was in from the words “by Adam Holcombe.” I’d pre-ordered the book as soon as I could, actually. The blurb sealed the deal (but I’m pretty sure I read it after I ordered). That cover is just icing on the cake for me–very attractive icing, I should add.

Go and do the right thing–place your orders now.

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A Few Quick Questions With…Adam Holcombe

By HCNewton

On August 18, 2025

In A Few Quick Questions With..., Book Tour, Fantasy, Fiction

Okay, we’re wrapping up my Tour Spot for A Necromancer Called Gam Gam with some actual new content! (gasp!!) Holcombe was gracious enough to take some time out from camping to answer a few quick questions for me…I hope you enjoy these answers!

Why don’t you take a moment to introduce yourself to the readers, and tell us about your path to publication?
Hello all! I’m Adam Holcombe, author of the Chronicles of Gam Gam series as well as the upcoming sci-fi epic, Bounty Inc. My path to publishing is much like the tick’s path to getting burned off of someone. Except the people I latched onto were all very nice and helped me instead of burned me! I’m very grateful for that.

But what I mean specifically is that I was able to follow some of my favorite indie authors through social media, and ended up finding ways to get involved, such as an accountability thread on a Discord server where I ended up getting to know some of my favorite people. With their help, I was able to find my way to publishing A Necromancer Called Gam Gam, and much of my success is owed to how kind and wonderful everyone in this community has been to helping ticks like me grow into our own authors.

Who are some of your biggest writer inspirations/influences. Whether or not we readers can see them, but you know they’re there.
Two of my biggest inspirations to writing come from different media sources than the traditional book, actually. The first is Eiichiro Oda, the mangaka for One Piece, and the second is James Gunn, writer and director of the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, among several other things. And both of these are for very similar reasons: they both blend humor and emotion so seamlessly it’s incredible how it works, and it’s what I’m constantly striving for myself. I want to create a story that leaves one laughing before they suddenly find themselves silenced by a powerful, heart-wrenching scene. And then maybe ending on a laugh, I don’t know, guess you’ll have to read to find out!

That’s not to say I don’t have authors who are inspirations to me as well! In the same vein of things, M.L. Wang writes emotion so well, she’s been one of the few authors who have ever really brought tears to my eyes. Krystle Matar writes characters so well, it’s hard to imagine they invented these people, they feel real, pulled straight from whatever plane of existence Krystle can peer into. C.M. Caplan can dial the unhinged to eleven and just make it work, something that is so very hard and something I hope to get the chance to do more and more as I continue writing. Those are just a few, but so many stories I’ve read, and authors I’ve talked to have influenced my work in tiny ways, and will continue to do so as I keep pushing more out.

I want to ask about tone—because you strike this balance (or do an intricate dance around and between tones, whichever metaphor you prefer) between cute/cozy and emotionally-wrought with a side of creepy. Was this something you had in mind from the beginning? Was this something you discovered along the way and then wrote/rewrote to turn into it? Or is this just Adam Holcombe in a nutshell?
Ha, maybe my previous answer gave some of this away, but deep/serious moments and light/silly moments are two things I work hard to balance and I’m happy to see that it seems to be working from your perspective! For A Necromancer Called Gam Gam, there were a few ideas I wanted to incorporate from the beginning that set up this balance, but so much of the actual work came when the writing started. If something felt too creepy and too serious when I wanted it to be lighter, I would adjust and make sure something silly was incorporated so it wouldn’t go too far in one direction. And in the same way, if it was getting too whimsical, I’d look for a way to ground things once more. It took a lot of toying to get the feel that I was satisfied with.

This is the point where I like to ask about a supporting character or two that caught my attention. But you’ve done a good job of taking these supporting characters and giving them short stories. When did you decide to do those? Was it because of people like me who were asking questions about them, and this was a quick and effective way to shut us up? Do you have any plans to keep these coming? I think The Wishing Stone provides several potentials.
A lot of authors offer a newsletter magnet, usually a novella of sorts that ties into their story and brings people to their newsletter while also giving readers a chance to try their work and hopefully hook them. I wanted to do something similar, but with A Necromancer Called Gam Gam already being a novella, it felt odd doing a second novella to sell the first. Or giving away that for free to join a newsletter that had nothing else to offer. In the end, the idea came from several anthologies I’ve read where the authors would tie the short story into a series of theirs, giving the reader a taste and a chance to hop onto that series if they liked what they read. A short story seemed a lot more doable for coupling with A Necromancer Called Gam Gam than a second novella or something similar might be.

So, I decided to look at which characters I felt really deserved more backstory, and started with Sir Gibblet in The Knight Revenant, and of course Nugget would need more story in Nugget’s Tenth Life. He’s demanding like that. I also wanted to provide these stories for free, so that anyone who wanted to see what the Chronicles of Gam Gam was about could easily do so. And, for people who are better at reading physically, I also decided to provide them in the physical copies so a reader wouldn’t have to read it digitally if they have a preference. After the first book, pairing up with The Knight Revenant, I thought it would be a lot of fun to do this for each book in the series. Each main book is planned to be partnered with a short story to expand on side characters that don’t get to hog as much spotlight.

The Wishing Stone offers up a lot of fun decisions on who can be next, but as a sneak peak just for you and your readers, the next short story will be following Emil who runs into some shenanigans in the city after the events of the second book.

You display a certain knowledge of knitting—and I like the way that Gam Gam uses it to describe magic. Is this the result of research for the character? Or is this a hobby that you inserted for the image of an elderly necromancer?
Okay, so a peek behind the curtain here, I know nothing about knitting. Give me yarn and two knitting needles, and you’ll get a big ol’ knot back. Maybe the two knitting needles, too. I owe everything knitting related to my wife, who is a huge fan of knitting, crocheting, and many other forms of crafting. I’ll do my own research, but then I run it by her, and she helps me phrase it in a way that actually makes sense. Her teaching me what a perl was probably tested her patience.

Interestingly enough, not that long ago I had to ask her about some big cable knitting thingy to see if it made sense to exist yet in the world of Gam Gam, and she got a big kick out of me trying to talk about it and ask about it. She even dared to say I “was cute.” In the end, though, I decided that in a world with enchanted, magical items, the big cable thingy can exist too. (The big cable thingy is circular knitting needles for those who know more than me.)

I have a guest question from Jodie at Witty and Sarcastic Book Club. I think I read somewhere that Gam Gam started as a D&D character idea, was that a natural jump from the game to writing? Do any of your other characters share that origin? Does being a DM affect how you write/structure a story?
Gam Gam certainly started as a D&D character, but she was quite a bit different! One of my favorite things about D&D is being able to play as ridiculous and fun characters, and sometimes, I take that to the extreme. How she came about was that I wanted to be the party’s grandma if I ever played her, baking cookies, and caring for everyone, but I needed to figure out what kind of class this grandma would be. The funniest to me was having her raise the dead as a Necromancer because it was such an odd combination. And lastly, it’s fun to be insane, so I originally had her animating the bones of some dear loved ones. This was not in a cute way, but a rather horrifying way. At the time, I was a forever DM (meaning I never played characters, so all my character ideas lived and died quickly, never finding freedom on the fields of imagination and dice rolling), so when I had a character idea I was obsessed with, she kind of stuck around until I talked about Gam Gam and was coerced into writing about Gam Gam.

The transition was relatively natural, but I had a character and no story. And the character was a bit insane, so that definitely needed adjusting. Maybe it could have worked, but that was the character I wanted to be to mess around with my friends, not necessarily the one I wanted to read about. I tamed her down, gave her an actual reason for being a necromancer, and found a story that fit just right for her, and the rest came quickly after that. I’m much happier with Gam Gam the story character than I probably would have been had she remained the D&D character.

Right now, Gam Gam has earned the sole distinction as D&D character turned book character. I have a lot of influences from D&D coming into my books (a character in Bounty Inc. is kind of like a lizardfolk or dragonborn, and I have a different character in the third Gam Gam book that is kind of like another creature from the world of D&D), but nothing so direct as the Gam Gam transition. I don’t know if it will be likely either, that seemed to kind of be a one shot wonder that worked in the right place at the right time. I’m getting to play characters now, but it feels like their stories belong in my D&D group, not a story, and so they’ll likely not see the page.

Being a DM feels like writing mostly worldbuilding with the barest frame of a story at times. I can control what my players do to a point, but we never really know where the story is going, and I don’t want to pull them away from something interesting, especially if I’m also very interested. Whereas, for writing, I usually need some beats of plot to really begin on it, and that tends to be central (after I’ve already figured out characters, I do need those before plot). So, my brain actually splits these completely apart, and I tend to not overlap them in many ways. Like, what works for D&D doesn’t always seem to work for a story and vice versa. I’ve had many a great story moments ruined because my players just did other things haha. It feels less like one builds on the other, and more that they compliment each other in completely different ways, and I love that because I’m not always feeling like I want to write one way verses the other. This is, of course, a disclaimer that this is from my own experiences of how I DM and write my own way, and this definitely varies between authors/DMs.

While we’re here, do you want to give a plug for Bounty Inc.? What’s on the horizon for Adam Holcombe, author, after that?
Yes, I would love to! Next on my release docket is a huge swing away from Chronicles of Gam Gam with Bounty Inc. This was the book I was working on before A Necromancer Called Gam Gam came knocking on my brain, so it’s been cooking for some time. If you’re interested in a sci-fi epic that has the same blend of humor and seriousness as Gam Gam, but brought into a more action-packed, vulgar adventure through space, helping to improve the galaxy one bounty at a time, then be sure to check it out! It releases October 15th, 2025!

I am also hard at work on The Knitting Club (book 3 of Chronicles of Gam Gam) and hoping to have that out early next year (though that may be pushing it). I plan to send that out to beta readers by the end of the month. Emil’s short story will be sometime in there too, I’m sure.

I have plenty more Gam Gam and Bounty Inc. left in me, I just need to find the time to work on it all!

Thanks for your time and participation! I’m a big fan and I hope we get to keep reading your work for years to come!
Thank you so much for having me and for enjoying your time with Gam Gam and Mina! I hope to be around for years to come, I’ll need them for everything I have planned.

A Few Quick Questions

REPOST: Nugget’s Tenth Life by Adam Holcombe: The Backstory I Didn’t Need, But Am So Glad I Got

By HCNewton

On August 18, 2025

In Fantasy, Fiction

Nugget’s Tenth Life

by Adam Holcombe,

DETAILS:
Series: Chronicles of Gam Gam
Publisher: Bounty Ink Press 
Format: eBook
Length: 32 pgs.
Read Date: September 23, 2024

There is a saying among humans that a cat has nine lives, but this is not entirely accurate. See, it is simply that cats are notoriously skilled at almost dying. It is only by the ninth time that the dying tends to stick.

What’s Nugget’s Tenth Life About?

For those who are familiar with Gam Gam the Necromancer, you are familiar with her familiar*, Nugget. If you haven’t read anything about Nugget before—let me introduce him to you.

Gam Gam is a newly graduated necromancer, despite being…well, a Gam Gam. Her familiar is a cat she revivified—I guess it’s better to call Nugget the animated skeleton of a cat—with all the memories, habits, and attitudes of the stray cat he was before he needed revivification to prowl around.

This would be his tenth life—this short story is the recounting of the previous nine lives he enjoyed (or at least lived through). It’s about his Brother, Sister, Mother, and his Sister’s two kits as well—but primarily about Nugget doing his best to help his family survive and keep their shelter.

* A phrase that I wrote without forethought.

So, what did I think about Nugget’s Tenth Life?

Maybe (very likely) I’m in the minority here. But I was not curious at all about Nugget’s life (or, lives) before Gam Gam. I was curious about Gam Gam’s backstory. I was curious about the Knight Revenant. I can see reading more about Mina. But an elderly necromancer (or any necromancer, really) with a skeleton familiar? That seems fitting and generally unsurprising—I didn’t need to know any more about him.

But now??? I’m so glad we got this. I loved that opening I quoted above and was quickly invested in Nugget’s story.

Getting that little bit of time with Gam Gam at the end reminded me how much I liked the character—and I’m now more than ready for The Wishing Stone‘s release next month so I can spend some extended time in this world.

This would make a decent jumping-on point for those who haven’t tried this series before. If you have, I probably don’t need to encourage you to give it a shot (but I will anyway).

My thanks to The Write Reads for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided.

The Knight Revenant by Adam Holcombe: You Do NOT Mess Around with This Old Lady

By HCNewton

On August 18, 2025

In Fantasy, Fiction

The Knight Revenant

by Adam Holcombe

DETAILS:
Series: Chronicles of Gam Gam
Publisher: Bounty Ink Press
Publication Date: May 30, 2023
Format: eBook
Length: 29 pg.
Read Date: June 10, 2023

What’s The Knight Revenant About?

Gam Gam had been at this (this being necromancy in an official capacity) for twenty-two days, four hours, and thirty-four minutes, after having graduated top of her class from the mage’s academy in Capital City

…and has taken it upon herself to take care of a revenant that had been disrupting travel between two cities.

The revenant tries to unleash its aggression on her, and she simply slaps it down like it’s nothing but a petulant child, scolding it a bit, and then trying to reason with it patiently like only a grandmother can. The revenant plays its part in this pantomime and throws a tantrum. This continues for a few days until a new target presents itself for the spirit.

And then Gam Gam has to show it who’s boss.

What did I think about The Knight Revenant?

This short story is a great point of entry for the series/world of Gam Gam. Is it necessary to read this before the novella? Nope. I actually think it works better as a follow-up to the novella (even though it takes place first), so you get some backstory for characters you already like. But that’s probably because I read them that way.

Gam gam gets some fantastic lines here. Had I been on the fence about her before, she’d have earned a fan from the way she dealt with the revenant—both as a foe and then later on. We get to see her heart, her spunk (although it feels cliché and possibly condescending to talk about an older woman having spunk…but it’s a great word to describe her attitude), and her humor.

And we get to see her power…Gam Gam is not to be taken lightly. What she did in the novella was probably a greater display of raw power. But something about the way she counters the relevant struck me as more impressive. Maybe it’s the banter + the magic rather than just the magic. Holcombe is quick to show the reader that magic can only do so much and that the frailties of age can get the best of even a professional necromancer.

The last scene? (Spoiler ahead in the next 2 sentences) I got a big “Vincent and The Doctor” vibe from it. And now I’ll forever see Tony Curran as this character when I think of him in the future.

This was a quick, fun companion piece for the novella (in whatever order you want to read them). It solidified my commitment to jump on the next adventure of Gam Gam with all possible haste, too.

4 Stars

My thanks to The Write Reads for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided.

REPOST: A Necromancer Called Gam Gam by Adam Holcombe: Knitting, Skeletal Cats, and Other Kinds of Magic

By HCNewton

On August 18, 2025

In Fantasy, Fiction

A Necromancer Called Gam Gam

by Adam Holcombe

DETAILS:
Series: Chronicles of Gam Gam, Book One
Publisher: Bounty Ink Press
Publication Date: May 30, 2023
Format: eBook
Length: 110
Read Date: June 3-5, 2023

A cat, free from the restraints of flesh, muscle, and organ, stretched on the edge of the wagon, as if that would do anything for its skeletal body. Then it jumped down next to Mina and plodded over to the woman, who had returned to her chair by the fire. A partially- knitted scarf coiled in her lap as she continued to work on it. The skeletal cat found a comfortable piece of the woman’s dress, curled up at her feet, and licked its non- existent crotch with a non- existent tongue.

What’s A Necromancer Called Gam Gam About?

Twelve-year-old Mina is being pursued by armed men—armed men who had just killed her father. She has a special kind of magic, and those in power want to use her because of it.

She runs across a kindly grandmotherly type who introduces herself as Gam Gam. Gam Gam, it turns out, is a necromancer with a soft spot for endangered little girls. (probably endangered women, and males of all ages, too). She takes her Mina in and promises her safety. Gam Gam is a necromancer and can back up that promise (not definitively, but more than most people can).

They tell each other their stories—Mina tells her why she’s on the run, and Gam Gam tells her that she became a necromancer after the death of her grandchildren so she could resurrect them.

But first, Gam Gam decides that she needs to do something to keep Mina safe.

The Types of Magic

The bundle of bones at the top of the stove raised its feline skull and looked at Mina, then disregarded her and returned to a nap. Why did skeletal cats need so many naps?

Great question. But that’s not what I want to talk about here.

We see two types of magic portrayed with our two protagonists—with others floating out there in this world for us to encounter in future installments, I assume.

Necromancy is rarely something I’m interested in reading about unless the necromancer is about to be thwarted. I know there are exceptions (including here), but it’s hard to think about magic involving reanimating the dead as a good thing. But Holcombe not only makes that specialty seem interesting but gives the reader a necromancer you can root for.

I really liked the way one of the characters describes Gam Gam’s magic to Mina. It grounded the practice, for starters—you could understand it. It’s also idiosyncratic enough to fit Gam Gam to a T. From that point on, I could see that explanation at work—even when the text doesn’t refer to it.

Now Mina’s magic is a kind I’ve never encountered before—maybe a few things like it (particularly in SF rather than fantasy)—but it took almost no time at all for Holcombe to convey the potential—both for a character in fiction, as well as for an evil empire to exploit. In the hands of someone with little experience—for example, a 12-year-old—it could be dangerous. Okay, it could be dangerous in the hands of anyone, but people with experience would control and target the damage they inflict, a child would just inflict damage.

Having a novel (or novella, in this case) with a great magic system is a good start—but it’s how you convey the use of magic to the reader that’s the make/break point for me. And Holcombe nails this part. Mina’s as well as Gam Gam’s. This is a big selling point for me.

The Unexpected Content

Tears escaped her and raced down her cheeks. Was it possible to ever run out of tears? She couldn’t possibly have many more before she would start shriveling up.

Okay, you’ve got this friendly and caring Grandmother-type character. You’ve got a lost little girl who needs comfort. There’s a cute (in a certain way) cat. And using knitted goods as a bribe/reward/gift for the undead. Really, this sounds like it’s full of warm fuzzies and maybe a little bit of fun along with the adventure that a Fantasy should bring. Rightly or wrongly, I expected something with a similar tone to A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking.

And it’s there. However…

You’re dealing with a twelve-year-old girl whose devoted father was murdered in his own home trying to protect her. She’s on the run from armed men who are out to use her for their own purposes. You’re also dealing with an elderly woman who mastered an entire type of magic at her advanced age, fueled by grief in a gambit to cheat death. There’s nothing warm and fuzzy there.

These two characters are suffering—they need each other to get through what they’re dealing with. There’s healing (and the promise of more to come). But healing, comfort, and all that comes at the end. The cliché “the only way out is through” comes to mind here—most of this book (and likely future books) is in the “through.”

This is a bigger selling point for me.

So, what did I think about A Necromancer Called Gam Gam?

When [the zombie] chose socks, Gam Gam instructed it to lift a foot, then tugged the sock into place.

“Is this necessary, Gam Gam? Can they even feel the cold?” Mina asked.

“Of course it’s necessary, sweetie,” Gam Gam said as she pulled the second sock onto the zombie’s other foot. “Just because they’re undead doesn’t mean they have to be neglected.”

I was charmed instantly by this book, and that only grew throughout. Particularly once I cottened on to the fact that it wasn’t going to be a cozy kind of read—despite the scarves and sweaters. Once I saw what Holcombe was up to, I really got into things.

I don’t want to spoil anything but don’t get attached to any character. Just sayin.’ (okay, it’s called Book One of Chronicles of Gam Gam, so it’s probably safe to get attached to one. Although, given the loose correlation between death and characters doing things in this book…)

Holcombe has created a great little world for his characters to dwell in, and pairing Mina and Gam Gam together is a big one. He knows how to show the emotions of the moment—and to get the readers to buy into it. Even better, his depictions of the way magic works here are really well executed.

Even his choice of novella-length was smart. This isn’t a story that would work well with another 2-300 pages to tell it. Nor should it be the first part of a novel—this tight story is one that needs to be by itself.

I see that there’s a short story in this world that takes place sometime before this novel. I’ll be jumping on that soon while I begin the wait for Book Two.

This is a short read that packs the punch of a longer one, and I encourage you to give it a shot.

4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
My thanks to The Write Reads for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided.

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: A Necromancer Called Gam Gam by Adam Holcombe

By HCNewton

On August 18, 2025

In Book Tour, Fantasy

I’m very pleased today to welcome The Write Reads Blog Tour for Adam Holcombe’s, A Necromancer Called Gam Gam! Now, I read this back in 2023, so in addition to this Spotlight, I’ll be reposting what I said then–I’ll also be reposting what I said about the first two short stories in the series, “The Knight Revenant” and “Nugget’s Tenth Life“. But it’s not just re-runs here today, nosiree Bob! I have A Few Quick Questions with Adam Holcombe coming up in a little bit, too! (these links will actually work when the posts go up). If you take a look at the feed for https://twitter.com/WriteReadsTours over the next few days, you’ll see a lot of bloggers who had interesting things to say about it. A Necromancer Called Gam Gam was the 2nd Place Finalist for the 2024 Book Blogger’s Novel of the Year Award, so you know there’s a lot of good to be said about it–but before getting to this Spotlight, let’s start with a word about BBNYA.

BBNYA:

BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 finalists (16 in 2024) and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.

Book Details:

Title: A Necromancer Called Gam Gam
Genre: Fantasy
Age Category: Adult
Format: Paperback/Ebook/Audiobook
Length: 110 Pages
Publication Date: May 30, 2023

About the Book:

A grandmotherly necromancer seeking resolution for her past with the help of her loyal entourage: an undead cat and a spectral knight.

A girl on the run from the Eternal Empire for the mysterious power she possesses.

When a chance encounter pulls them together, Gam Gam will do what it takes to protect Mina from the rogue sergeant hounding her–including raising the dead. As long as they’re dressed for the occasion.

Book Links:

Amazon Canada ~ Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Goodreads ~ The Story Graph

About the Author:

Adam Holcombe daylights as a programmer and moonlights as an author. After spending years toying with the idea of writing, he decided to fully commit and work toward releasing his first novel. Then Gam Gam got in the way, and his first novel became his first novella. The novel will come later. When he’s not locked in a cold basement, typing away, he can be found hanging out with his wife, his dog, and his tortoise or playing D&D or board games with friends.

BlueSky ~ Patreon ~ Instagram ~ TikTok ~ Goodreads

My thanks to The Write Reads for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided.

Nugget’s Tenth Life by Adam Holcombe: The Backstory I Didn’t Need, But Am So Glad I Got

By HCNewton

On September 24, 2024

In Fantasy, Fiction

Nugget’s Tenth Life

by Adam Holcombe,

DETAILS:
Series: Chronicles of Gam Gam
Publisher: Bounty Ink Press 
Format: eBook
Length: 32 pgs.
Read Date: September 23, 2024

There is a saying among humans that a cat has nine lives, but this is not entirely accurate. See, it is simply that cats are notoriously skilled at almost dying. It is only by the ninth time that the dying tends to stick.

What’s Nugget’s Tenth Life About?

For those who are familiar with Gam Gam the Necromancer, you are familiar with her familiar*, Nugget. If you haven’t read anything about Nugget before—let me introduce him to you.

* A phrase that I wrote without forethought.

So, what did I think about Nugget’s Tenth Life?

But now??? I’m so glad we got this. I loved that opening I quoted above and was quickly invested in Nugget’s story.

This would make a decent jumping-on point for those who haven’t tried this series before. If you have, I probably don’t need to encourage you to give it a shot (but I will anyway).

Irresponsible Reader Pilcrow Icon

The Knight Revenant by Adam Holcombe: You Do NOT Mess Around with This Old Lady

By HCNewton

On June 12, 2023

In Fantasy, Fiction

The Knight Revenant

by Adam Holcombe

DETAILS:
Series: Chronicles of Gam Gam
Publisher: Bounty Ink Press
Publication Date: May 30, 2023
Format: eBook
Length: 29 pg.
Read Date: June 10, 2023

What’s The Knight Revenant About?

Gam Gam had been at this (this being necromancy in an official capacity) for twenty-two days, four hours, and thirty-four minutes, after having graduated top of her class from the mage’s academy in Capital City

…and has taken it upon herself to take care of a revenant that had been disrupting travel between two cities.

And then Gam Gam has to show it who’s boss.

What did I think about The Knight Revenant?

This was a quick, fun companion piece for the novella (in whatever order you want to read them). It solidified my commitment to jump on the next adventure of Gam Gam with all possible haste, too.

4 Stars