Is The Necromancer of the Renowned Swordmaster Family Worth Reading? Review & Where to Read

Overview

Archimonde the necromancer once summoned hordes of the undead and ravaged the continent for a decade before the hero Birkel Reinrandt finally killed him. Two centuries and eight generations later, an infant born into House Reinrandt — the very family founded by the man who ended his life — screams Archimonde's own incantation. The necromancer has returned, but this time he's growing up inside the household of his once-mortal enemy, and it's an open question whether that house will let him survive long enough to matter again.

What it does well

The premise's central irony is what makes it work: Archimonde isn't just getting a second chance, he's getting one inside the bloodline of the man who killed him. That built-in tension gives the reincarnation setup real stakes from the very first chapter, rather than the generic blank-slate rebirth so many similar stories rely on.

Making the lead the original villain, rather than a hero given another shot, is a distinct choice that shapes the whole story's moral texture. Archimonde has to actually reckon with being the historical threat everyone in this world fears, which adds complexity that a standard heroic-reincarnation story wouldn't have.

The two-century, eight-generation gap between the original conflict and Archimonde's return also gives the story room to explore how House Reinrandt's legacy and identity have shifted since his defeat — this isn't the same family he fought, and that distance matters.

Where it falls short

Centering a villain-protagonist means the story asks more of readers who prefer a straightforwardly sympathetic lead — Archimonde's goals and methods carry real moral weight that won't sit comfortably with everyone.

The infancy stretch at the start of the story necessarily limits how directly he can act, which means the early chapters deal with more passive positioning before he can meaningfully pursue his own agenda.

And since the series is ongoing, whether House Reinrandt ever learns who's actually been raised among them — and what happens if they do — is still very much unresolved.

Verdict

This is a villain-reincarnation story that earns its premise through genuine irony: the necromancer reborn inside his killer's own family. If you want real stakes tied to identity and survival rather than a straightforward power fantasy, Archimonde's second life delivers that, even with plenty still left to play out.