About to hit 54 on my bone knight, Beakbeak. You have to manage your hitpoints a little more carefully while solo, since the mobs start to hit harder, especially around Kunark zones. I'd suggest finding one or two buddies to level with, because the build really shines in small groups.
One of the highlights of my leveling journey was joining another necromancer, cleric and enchanter for a 4-man charmed pet group in Howling Stones. The group lasted about an hour and we absolutely tore through the zone with everyone playing a different role. You could do that on a traditional necro, sure, but I think the build is a lot more fun than the fear kiting necro I shelved once I started playing Ivory' build.
Don't mind the haters, here's the gear I was rolling with - ToV gear sounds nice. I'm sure it'd only improve the gimmick.
https://wiki.project1999.com/Magelo_Blue:Beakbeak