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4.26 AVERAGE
4.26 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
funny
inspiring
fast-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
A lot of other reviews have been unclear about this, so I wanna say yes! This book DOES have queer characters!
adventurous
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoyed The Bone Raiders by Jackson Ford. The Mongolian inspired world building was a great backdrop for this story.
I really liked all of the characters. They were distinct and fully realized people. There were so many layers to them and wanted to spend more time with all of them to peel those layers back. But keep the POV chapters to only 3 of the characters meant that there were still several mysteries left to uncover in the other characters without POV chapters.
The middle of the story slowed down a little bit pacing wise. But ramped back up for the ending. The plot also managed to hide a few surprises, one of which I really enjoyed.
There were more than a few instances of important things happening off page. Some of them felt justified but there were definitely a couple where I felt like the narrative could have benefitted from actually seeing the scene.
Overall, though I loved the story, this books felt a bit more like a set-up story and that book two will really sing with the world now laid out. I feel like it needed a bit more umph to feel like its own story. Definitely will be reading book two though!
I really liked all of the characters. They were distinct and fully realized people. There were so many layers to them and wanted to spend more time with all of them to peel those layers back. But keep the POV chapters to only 3 of the characters meant that there were still several mysteries left to uncover in the other characters without POV chapters.
The middle of the story slowed down a little bit pacing wise. But ramped back up for the ending. The plot also managed to hide a few surprises, one of which I really enjoyed.
There were more than a few instances of important things happening off page. Some of them felt justified but there were definitely a couple where I felt like the narrative could have benefitted from actually seeing the scene.
Overall, though I loved the story, this books felt a bit more like a set-up story and that book two will really sing with the world now laid out. I feel like it needed a bit more umph to feel like its own story. Definitely will be reading book two though!
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thank you Orbit and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The world described in this book, the Tapestry, is harsh, and living in it is not an easy thing. Being a Rakada means being free but this freedom has a cost, such as raiding and killing when necessary. We follow a group of strong women, capable of surviving even the worst situation. By chance, one of them discovers that the giant fire-breathing lizards, Araatan, can be ridden, an idea so crazy that no one had ever tried it before, and from there the story takes off. The characters have all different background but they're all in the same boat after all, and we learn more about them as the story goes on. I appreciate the disability representation (Erhi is deaf, a novelty for me) and queer representation.
If you like wild, harsh worldbuilding and the humor of Jay Kristoff, Jackson Ford's The Bone Raiders is the book for you.
The world described in this book, the Tapestry, is harsh, and living in it is not an easy thing. Being a Rakada means being free but this freedom has a cost, such as raiding and killing when necessary. We follow a group of strong women, capable of surviving even the worst situation. By chance, one of them discovers that the giant fire-breathing lizards, Araatan, can be ridden, an idea so crazy that no one had ever tried it before, and from there the story takes off. The characters have all different background but they're all in the same boat after all, and we learn more about them as the story goes on. I appreciate the disability representation (Erhi is deaf, a novelty for me) and queer representation.
If you like wild, harsh worldbuilding and the humor of Jay Kristoff, Jackson Ford's The Bone Raiders is the book for you.
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The Bone Raiders
by Jackson Ford
The Rakada #1
Fantasy
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: Aug 12, 2025
Orbit Books
Ages: 16+
In the grasslands of the Tapestry the Rakada, or called Bone Raiders by the other tribes because they display the bones of others on their armor, are feared raiders, but the new Khan is forcing all of the the tribes into his army or as labor to claim and the grasslands for himself and create the largest army to fend off, or take any bordering country.
Sayana is a scout for the Rakada, but she was born in the Khan's city and knows how ruthless those who follow him can be. That was why she ran away from the city, and now wants to protect her new way of life. But those tribes of the Tapestry who are left are unorganized and would rather fight each other than join forces, so the Rakada need to do something crazy to become strong enough to fight off the Khan and his growing military.
And Sayana thinks she found it, but needs to talk her tribe into catching, training, and riding the huge fire-breathing lizards instead of horses.
This book started off with a twist, and I dove right in, but became more disappointed as the story progressed. I was expecting a lot more fire-breathing lizard action, but alas... nope. This story reminded me a tiny bit of 'The Horse Whisperer' but with less of the animal...
What action there was and the slow progression of the story were controlled by multiple POVs, instead of just Sayana's. Sayana liked to ramble (especially towards the end, but I kind of get why, but...). Yesuntel; I understand why the author thought her POV was needed. There was one other POV that was even better... spoilers...
Overall, this was a good idea, but it moved slowly and most of the action didn't involve the lizard, which was disappointing.
The book cover is pretty neat; it and the title matches with the story and characters.
Even though this is the first book of a series, I feel that its ending, while left an opening for the next book, was good enough for me to guess what will happen, so I doubt I'll read the next book.
Almost made the next star...
2 Stars
adventurous
funny
reflective
fast-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
4.5 stars
My thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and Net Galley for a free DRC of “The Bone Raiders” by Jackson Ford.
An action - packed Epic Fantasy with an amazing group of female characters, a fearsome band reputed as the Bone Raiders.
Get lost in the wild land known as the Tapestry where the life of nomads and raiders is becoming harsher and more challenging than ever before under the oppressive rule of a new Khan.
Follow the adventures of our main protagonists in this Tapestry and beyond.
Learn to both fear and respect wild animals, building relationships with them and with our cast of characters.
The novel throws the reader straight in the middle of action, charms with its funny dialogue and wins you over with the gradual depth of the character development.
While “The Bone Raiders” is the first in a series, you can still have a great time with it as a standalone. The ending is both satisfying and leaves some potential threads for future installments.
I did wished some resolutions getting a bit more time towards the end, but I really appreciated how the relationships were handled and how much focus was put on consent.
I also need to give credit where credit is due. The cover art is what sold me on this book in the first place, so well done to the artist, Thea Dumitriu.
My thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and Net Galley for a free DRC of “The Bone Raiders” by Jackson Ford.
An action - packed Epic Fantasy with an amazing group of female characters, a fearsome band reputed as the Bone Raiders.
Get lost in the wild land known as the Tapestry where the life of nomads and raiders is becoming harsher and more challenging than ever before under the oppressive rule of a new Khan.
Follow the adventures of our main protagonists in this Tapestry and beyond.
Learn to both fear and respect wild animals, building relationships with them and with our cast of characters.
The novel throws the reader straight in the middle of action, charms with its funny dialogue and wins you over with the gradual depth of the character development.
While “The Bone Raiders” is the first in a series, you can still have a great time with it as a standalone. The ending is both satisfying and leaves some potential threads for future installments.
I did wished some resolutions getting a bit more time towards the end, but I really appreciated how the relationships were handled and how much focus was put on consent.
I also need to give credit where credit is due. The cover art is what sold me on this book in the first place, so well done to the artist, Thea Dumitriu.
4.25/5 Stars
ARC provided by Orbit Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
You know a book’s got teeth when its very first chapter kicks you awake with a raider tied to a pole and someone muttering:
Somehow, it only escalates from there, in the best possible, teeth-clattering way.
I knew going in that The Bone Raiders would be grimy and unflinching. It’s Jackson Ford, after all, master of making the weird feel real. But what I didn’t expect was how much heart I’d find under the cracked bone armor and spattered blood. This is a story about freedom, fear, loyalty, and the razor’s edge people walk when they’re trying to keep their small world from being swallowed whole.
Our anti-heroes here are messy and magnificent. Garrick, the blacksmith, just wants a stiff drink and a place to hammer metal in peace, until the Khan’s Will and a burning banner make that impossible. Sayana, the raider scout, is a knot of scars, snarl, and surprising tenderness. She’s the kind of heroine who, when tied up as lizard food, hisses at the gods:
…and then saves herself with nothing but a sharp stone and some spectacular hip flexibility. Relatable? Not really. Hilarious? Absolutely.
The Rakada themselves are brilliant: raiders decked out in human bones who terrify entire villages without always spilling blood. As Hogelun reflects:
It’s a raw, morally grey code, but in Ford’s hands, it feels disturbingly reasonable. Their bone-clad swagger is balanced with a desperate scrappiness that makes you root for them, even when you know you probably shouldn’t.
And the araatan? You will never look at giant fire-breathing lizards the same way again. I still can’t decide what’s more jaw-dropping, the way Ford makes these beasts feel mythic, or the fact that Sayana somehow winds up riding one, steering it with sheer nerve and stubbornness.
Is it faultless? Not quite. A few parts in the middle feel more like wandering than raiding; the characters are strong enough to carry it, but the story could have tightened its reins here and there. And while the clan banter is gold, sometimes the side characters blur into each other like smoke. But when the bones rattle, the steel rings true, and the last stand comes, it hits.
If you love your fantasy raw-boned, weirdly funny, and anchored by characters who feel real enough to bleed (and they do, spectacularly), The Bone Raiders is worth every page. Jackson Ford writes people at the end of their rope with a sneer and a grin, and somehow, you’ll find yourself loving every minute of their dusty, desperate ride.
Perfect for: fans of The Lies of Locke Lamora, The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t with Her Mind", or anyone who knows a good raid should be terrifying, and a little bit glorious.
ARC provided by Orbit Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
You know a book’s got teeth when its very first chapter kicks you awake with a raider tied to a pole and someone muttering:
“You are so fucked.”
Somehow, it only escalates from there, in the best possible, teeth-clattering way.
I knew going in that The Bone Raiders would be grimy and unflinching. It’s Jackson Ford, after all, master of making the weird feel real. But what I didn’t expect was how much heart I’d find under the cracked bone armor and spattered blood. This is a story about freedom, fear, loyalty, and the razor’s edge people walk when they’re trying to keep their small world from being swallowed whole.
Our anti-heroes here are messy and magnificent. Garrick, the blacksmith, just wants a stiff drink and a place to hammer metal in peace, until the Khan’s Will and a burning banner make that impossible. Sayana, the raider scout, is a knot of scars, snarl, and surprising tenderness. She’s the kind of heroine who, when tied up as lizard food, hisses at the gods:
“Little help?”
…and then saves herself with nothing but a sharp stone and some spectacular hip flexibility. Relatable? Not really. Hilarious? Absolutely.
The Rakada themselves are brilliant: raiders decked out in human bones who terrify entire villages without always spilling blood. As Hogelun reflects:
“Better to do it properly, with as little bloodshed as you could manage.”
It’s a raw, morally grey code, but in Ford’s hands, it feels disturbingly reasonable. Their bone-clad swagger is balanced with a desperate scrappiness that makes you root for them, even when you know you probably shouldn’t.
And the araatan? You will never look at giant fire-breathing lizards the same way again. I still can’t decide what’s more jaw-dropping, the way Ford makes these beasts feel mythic, or the fact that Sayana somehow winds up riding one, steering it with sheer nerve and stubbornness.
Is it faultless? Not quite. A few parts in the middle feel more like wandering than raiding; the characters are strong enough to carry it, but the story could have tightened its reins here and there. And while the clan banter is gold, sometimes the side characters blur into each other like smoke. But when the bones rattle, the steel rings true, and the last stand comes, it hits.
If you love your fantasy raw-boned, weirdly funny, and anchored by characters who feel real enough to bleed (and they do, spectacularly), The Bone Raiders is worth every page. Jackson Ford writes people at the end of their rope with a sneer and a grin, and somehow, you’ll find yourself loving every minute of their dusty, desperate ride.
Perfect for: fans of The Lies of Locke Lamora, The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t with Her Mind", or anyone who knows a good raid should be terrifying, and a little bit glorious.
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The old Khan has died and the new Khan has decided that all of those that live in the Tapestry should leave their nomadic life and settle in Karkorum. The Rakada a group of Raiders in the Tapestry are wholly against this idea but as the Khan's soldiers continue to take out other Raiders they know that at this point their only option is to flee The Tapestry and give up everything they've ever known and loved. Sayana, a princess turned Rakada refuses to give up and hatches a truly last ditch plan: kidnap a hunter with an extraordinary gift for taming animals and have her tame an Araatan for them, the Khan would never dream of taking on a giant fire-breathing lizard. Unfortunately for Sayana nothing goes as planned.
This book was a blast from beginning to end! Jackson has created a truly unique fantasy setting with some exceptionally lovable characters. And yes prepare for some character gushing because omg I *loved* them all!!
Sayana, of course, is my favorite, she is super relatable at least for me. People don't take her seriously enough for a multitude of reasons but the main one is that she's a spoiled little rich girl. What makes this super annoying is yes, fine, disregard her because of that but I mean she's got to have some smarts if she escapes the palace, lives for a time on her own in the Tapestry, and then becomes a Rakada. Not going to lie Sayana succeeding was one of my favorite parts of the book. I love Hogelun for similar reasons, she is again disregarded as just big and dumb but in her case, she never fights it. She's probably got the most growth in the book as she really has to come to terms with the way she views herself and the way she let's others treat her. I still think she's going to have some issues w/ this in book 2, hell, I'd probably be upset if she didn't, she gets put through the ringer.
Side characters were great as well, honestly all of them. The women of the Rakada especially just worked really well together. Given that Jackson only focuses on two of the girls I was afraid they would miss some of the camaraderie necessary for this type of group but not only did they not they nailed it. Maybe a little too well cause Im still mad over a certain plot twist!
The world building here though is genuinely where Jackson shines. Instead of going super in-depth about this Mongol inspired world he drops a few things and thats it. Quite frankly I find it brilliant. I'm not sure I could have gone through a long drawn out explanation of Mongolian spiritual beliefs. And that is really in line with everything Ive ever read, you either believe or you don't, its not hurting anyone for you to not. So while I feel that readers that need a lot more explanation than they are going to get in this first book will feel like its lacking, those who don't need that intense world building will love this.
I absolutely will be continuing this series and will be pre-ordering my copy next paycheck for sure!
As always thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the eArc!
This book was a blast from beginning to end! Jackson has created a truly unique fantasy setting with some exceptionally lovable characters. And yes prepare for some character gushing because omg I *loved* them all!!
Sayana, of course, is my favorite, she is super relatable at least for me. People don't take her seriously enough for a multitude of reasons but the main one is that she's a spoiled little rich girl. What makes this super annoying is yes, fine, disregard her because of that but I mean she's got to have some smarts if she escapes the palace, lives for a time on her own in the Tapestry, and then becomes a Rakada. Not going to lie Sayana succeeding was one of my favorite parts of the book. I love Hogelun for similar reasons, she is again disregarded as just big and dumb but in her case, she never fights it. She's probably got the most growth in the book as she really has to come to terms with the way she views herself and the way she let's others treat her. I still think she's going to have some issues w/ this in book 2, hell, I'd probably be upset if she didn't, she gets put through the ringer.
Side characters were great as well, honestly all of them. The women of the Rakada especially just worked really well together. Given that Jackson only focuses on two of the girls I was afraid they would miss some of the camaraderie necessary for this type of group but not only did they not they nailed it. Maybe a little too well cause Im still mad over a certain plot twist!
The world building here though is genuinely where Jackson shines. Instead of going super in-depth about this Mongol inspired world he drops a few things and thats it. Quite frankly I find it brilliant. I'm not sure I could have gone through a long drawn out explanation of Mongolian spiritual beliefs. And that is really in line with everything Ive ever read, you either believe or you don't, its not hurting anyone for you to not. So while I feel that readers that need a lot more explanation than they are going to get in this first book will feel like its lacking, those who don't need that intense world building will love this.
I absolutely will be continuing this series and will be pre-ordering my copy next paycheck for sure!
As always thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the eArc!
DNF @ 30%. Absolutely not for me, sorry. Much, much room for improvement. :)
The beginning was rough for me because the narration style is not something I prefer. The tone was very teenage-flavored ironic/edgy/snarky, with (what I consider) a very limited vocabulary, for an adult epic fantasy. It used “… but you know what?” in the narration, unironically. And a lot of parentheses. There’s a lot of swearing though, maybe that’s why this book was labeled as adult fantasy.
Moreover, the characters REPEATEDLY think/talk about concepts such as injustice/freedom/imperialism in this vapid, vague manner and most simplistic language possible. What’s the purpose of repeating it every five pages if it’s the same vague sh*t. Empire = bad. Unplanned city = bad. Palace politics = bad and boring. Disrupting the ecosystem = bad. Raiding = freedom. But we don’t kill unless necessary because we’re not bad people.
My impression, so far as I read it, is that it’s a turn-your-brain-off action fantasy. However, past the initial skirmish things got very repetitive and the pace went sluggish. Maybe it will pick up later, who knows. Two of the POV characters were dumb as bricks and it was not fun reading them interact and converse and make decisions. This book did got a couple of chuckles from me but that’s it.
eARC provided by NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK.
The beginning was rough for me because the narration style is not something I prefer. The tone was very teenage-flavored ironic/edgy/snarky, with (what I consider) a very limited vocabulary, for an adult epic fantasy. It used “… but you know what?” in the narration, unironically. And a lot of parentheses. There’s a lot of swearing though, maybe that’s why this book was labeled as adult fantasy.
Moreover, the characters REPEATEDLY think/talk about concepts such as injustice/freedom/imperialism in this vapid, vague manner and most simplistic language possible. What’s the purpose of repeating it every five pages if it’s the same vague sh*t. Empire = bad. Unplanned city = bad. Palace politics = bad and boring. Disrupting the ecosystem = bad. Raiding = freedom. But we don’t kill unless necessary because we’re not bad people.
My impression, so far as I read it, is that it’s a turn-your-brain-off action fantasy. However, past the initial skirmish things got very repetitive and the pace went sluggish. Maybe it will pick up later, who knows. Two of the POV characters were dumb as bricks and it was not fun reading them interact and converse and make decisions. This book did got a couple of chuckles from me but that’s it.
eARC provided by NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK.