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ctara2123's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Animal death, War, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Violence, Murder, and Blood
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
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
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