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lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I heard about this book on YouTube, and the premise piqued my interest.
"The Bone Maker" mainly follows Kreya, a woman who once led a group to victory over a corrupt bone maker, Eklor. Since then, she has lived in isolation with one goal: resurrect her husband who was killed during battle. In order to bring him back, she must use human bones and sacrifice time from her own life, but she would rather live a short life together than live a long life without him. Manipulating human bones like this is illegal in Vos, but Kreya will not stop until her husband is once again by her side. Unfortunately, she discovers that they may not have fully defeated Eklor after all, and she might not be the only one who knows how to do magic of this caliber.
I was very pleased with how much I enjoyed this story. The magic system was complex and interesting to learn about, but it was not so complicated that it did not make sense to me.
I really enjoyed all of the relationships in this story. Obviously seeing how much Kreya loved her husband was humbling, and to witness just how much she was willing to sacrifice for him was beautiful. She gave up so much of her life just to steal moments with him. I also loved seeing Kreya learn to listen to the rest of her friends. She might not ask them to sacrifice their lives for her, but she has to learn to accept the help and honor their request if they are offering. Friendships are equally as important as a romantic love, and I really appreciated seeing this illustrated in an adult fantasy book.
I really appreciated that this is a standalone story. I think I got everything from these characters and this world that I wanted, and the ending was satisfying enough that I am not salivating for a continuation. If the book were any longer, I think it would feel unnecessary, but if it were shorter, I do not think we would have gotten the full story.
My one critique of this book is that I did not feel like it read as an adult book. The characters were older, and a little more mature, but the story itself felt more juvenile and oftentimes predictable. This did not hinder my personal enjoyment of the book, but it may be a turn off for a different reader.
I am curious to see what Sarah Beth Durst writes next!
"The Bone Maker" mainly follows Kreya, a woman who once led a group to victory over a corrupt bone maker, Eklor. Since then, she has lived in isolation with one goal: resurrect her husband who was killed during battle. In order to bring him back, she must use human bones and sacrifice time from her own life, but she would rather live a short life together than live a long life without him. Manipulating human bones like this is illegal in Vos, but Kreya will not stop until her husband is once again by her side. Unfortunately, she discovers that they may not have fully defeated Eklor after all, and she might not be the only one who knows how to do magic of this caliber.
I was very pleased with how much I enjoyed this story. The magic system was complex and interesting to learn about, but it was not so complicated that it did not make sense to me.
I really enjoyed all of the relationships in this story. Obviously seeing how much Kreya loved her husband was humbling, and to witness just how much she was willing to sacrifice for him was beautiful. She gave up so much of her life just to steal moments with him. I also loved seeing Kreya learn to listen to the rest of her friends. She might not ask them to sacrifice their lives for her, but she has to learn to accept the help and honor their request if they are offering. Friendships are equally as important as a romantic love, and I really appreciated seeing this illustrated in an adult fantasy book.
I really appreciated that this is a standalone story. I think I got everything from these characters and this world that I wanted, and the ending was satisfying enough that I am not salivating for a continuation. If the book were any longer, I think it would feel unnecessary, but if it were shorter, I do not think we would have gotten the full story.
My one critique of this book is that I did not feel like it read as an adult book. The characters were older, and a little more mature, but the story itself felt more juvenile and oftentimes predictable. This did not hinder my personal enjoyment of the book, but it may be a turn off for a different reader.
I am curious to see what Sarah Beth Durst writes next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Grief, Death, War, Blood, and Child death
renpuspita's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
...there were only three types of bone workers: bone readers, who used animal bones to reveal the future, understand the present and glimpse the past; bone wizards, who created talismans out of animal bones that imbued their users with strength, speed, stealth and other atributes; and bone makers, like Kreya, who used animal bones to animate the inanimate
The Bone Maker start with a single, simple premise "what happen after the heroes defeat the enemy and saved the world?". Often we get a fantasy that start with heroes/heroines journey, either to claim their throne or they become the chosen ones and defeat the evil that want to conquer the world. Often we read they achieve their happy ending (or sometimes sad & bittersweet ending) and then, the end. Sarah Beth Durst try another tact, what happen after the end, and deliver the tale of The Heroes of Vos with their fate after the war end.
The story start 25 years after the Bone War happen. Kreya and her merry band of comrades, five of them, had hailed by citizen of Vos as the heroes after they defeat Eklor, the evil bone makers that want to enslave and destroy everything. But, at a great cost. Kreya lost her husband, Jentt, too soon. They love just blossoming, only to find that Jentt killed by the enemy. After defeating Eklor, Kreya left her friends and become a hermit. Little her friends now that Kreya now dabble in the forbidden magic and try to resurrect Jentt. She's succeed, but to make Jennt's come back alive again for a long time, Kreya must used human bones, and that's totally defied the Bone Guild's rule. Because the guild deemed that the bone workers used only animal bones, and not humans. Kreya that desperate for the chance to get Jentt back, finally reconcile with their friends. But, 25 years have passed. All of them have changed.
Kreya's close friend, Zera, a bone wizard, now become a successful businesswoman and live in lavish style. She also harbor a grudge to Kreya, because Kreya left her many years ago. Yet, when Kreya admit her mistake and ask for help to gather human bones from the war aftermath, Zera, grudgingly accept even when she know what Kreya did with Jentt's body is totally defied the law. They succeed in gathering the bones, but soon, they found that evil have come back. Its stronger than the first and its hate burn with passion of burning sun. Soon, Kreya and Zera, ask help from the rest of their crew. Marso, their bone reader, now lost to his thought from reading too many bones, broken beyond repair. Stran, their mightiest crew, now live happily with his wive and their three children. And Jentt, now back from the dead, will do anything in his power to never separated from Kreya. 25 years have passed, all of them in their 40-50-ish, try to face their old enemy. But, even in Kreya's wildest dream, she never realized how fare the enemy will spread their malicious intent, and maybe, this time, they are not the heroes they claimed to be.
"so, how do we save a world that doesn't want to be saved?"
This book is such a roller coaster to read. In a good way of course. I don't remember the last time I read a fantasy with middle aged characters, since usually they are in their teen phase or early 20-ish. Also this is the first time I read fantasy that dwell with what happen after the heroes save the world. At first, I think Durst maybe want to give this book a trope in how to deal with the grief, especially with the way Kreya that try to bring Jentt back. Then, I realize, the core theme of this book is a second chance. All of the Five are changed. Zera, once a naive girl, become a bossy girl with sarcastic remark to hide her wounded heart after Kreya left her. Yet, she make amends with the past and though she gone soft, Zera found that she one to go to one adventure with her friends. Marso, gone crazy but with the help of Stran's wife, Ammura, he want to read the bones again so he will not fail his friends again. Even Kreya, she learn from her mistakes although she always clouded by her doubts. I think from the Five, Stran have less character development, but I liked that Durst make his wife, Amurra as a part of the Five. As for Jentt, I want to know how his feeling after he come back to live and, Durst deliver it especially after Jentt know what Kreya did to him.
The world building itself is not that complicated but the magic system regarding to bone using are pretty unique. The art of resurrect dead people remind me of necromancer, so the bone maker that used it (Eklor and Kreya) can be considered as necromancer as well. Yet, Durst stand with her rules, that usage of human bones, even they already dead, is a forbidden acts. So, even Kreya is a heroes, her deeds in resurrect Jentt is of course, debatable. Kreya only want to be happy to be reunited with Jentt, but so did Eklor back then with his family. So this present a dilemma of its own. I liked that Durst also write Kreya, once a commander of the Five, constantly plagued by doubt. I think it's apparent that with the more older the people get, the more worrisome they are. In the end, like her crew, Kreya to changed to be a better person although she aware that what she did to Jentt is unforgivable by her Guild's standard. And with her reconciliation with her friends, she find that she become more solid and believe them. The trope found family are pretty much well executed and I also liked that the ending avoid deus ex machinae usage.
However, while Kreya and her crews are already middle aged, sometimes I feel like they are written in their 20-30-ish. I don't have a better calculation for their age, but if Kreya and the Five defeat Eklor when they are 17-20, then yes, they are all middle age, lol. I just can't shake the feeling they written in a young way, especially Zera with her sarcastic remarks, although from all the Five, I like her the most. Still, I enjoy The Bone Maker and the last adventure of Kreya, Zera, Marso, Jentt and Stran. All of them are written like your close friends and make you want to know them personally and all their struggle in life. I recommend The Bone Maker if you want to read a standalone fantasy with unique premise, interesting bone magic usage, and found family trope.
"Maybe there were no perfect choices for anyone to make, hero or villain. Maybe there was only doing the best you could do with the time you had
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Violence, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Cursing and Animal death
Minor: Child death, Sexual content, and Pregnancy
szuum's review
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Minor: Child death
caseythereader's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thanks to Harper Voyager for the free copy of this book.
- THE BONE MAKER is a rare standalone fantasy book, and it was wonderful to get lost in this world knowing I wasn't committing to a huge series.
- Kreya and her crew are a tender found family, and I loved watching them all find each other again after years of separate pain. I also loved that they were older characters, and that this book took place after the initial war: after most books end.
- On top of all the great character work, it's also a gripping adventure filled with twists and turns. I couldn't put it down.
- THE BONE MAKER is a rare standalone fantasy book, and it was wonderful to get lost in this world knowing I wasn't committing to a huge series.
- Kreya and her crew are a tender found family, and I loved watching them all find each other again after years of separate pain. I also loved that they were older characters, and that this book took place after the initial war: after most books end.
- On top of all the great character work, it's also a gripping adventure filled with twists and turns. I couldn't put it down.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Medical content, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, War, Animal death, Blood, Child death, and Gore
Minor: Pregnancy and Sexual content
jarrah's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child death, and Death
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