Scan barcode
kevinscorner's review against another edition
5.0
Call of the Bone Ships is a truly superb follow-up to RJ Barker’s The Bone Ships. It’s been a year since the black ship Tide Child and its crew let their dragon quarry go. Now more sea dragons have returned… once again plunging their archipelago world into war. But when they discovers a ship filled with dying slaves, the Tide Child and its allies uncover a sinister plot that threatens the survival of their rebellion of peace.
Without the need for introductions and set-up, the book is allowed to just get going from the beginning, removing the slow-paced start that plagued the first book. And boy did the book succeed in delivering a briskly-paced, action-packed story. It had so many plot turns and massive action set pieces while also delivering a strong emotional punch. This is ultimately a book of loss and sacrifice so much so that even the deaths of characters we don’t know all that well brought me to tears. The consistent sense of duty and sacrifice was just moving every time.
While still told primarily from Joron’s perspective, the book smartly allows a few other perspectives in single chapters to drive down its point. If The Bone Ships was about Joron’s rise to be a loyal and honorable crewmate, Call of the Bone Ships is about Joron growing into the leader he could be. And as Joron rises, the book allows glimpses of vulnerability in the strong-headed Shipwife Meas.
Then there is Joron’s links to the magical bird creatures, the guillaime, and who is he to them and the prophecy of their species. The series had started teasing this in the first book, but it really expanded the mystery and intrigue here. I am just so invested and want to see where the hell this is going. Joron’s relation to the Tide Child’s guillaime is probably my favorite relationship in the series with all its unlikelihood and strangeness. (I’d have like to see more of Joron and Dinyl’s apparent romance which completely flew over my head but was realistically never blatantly stated out.)
Call of the Bone Ships is a spectacular sequel, delivering better storytelling, more action, and unhindered emotions.
disreputabledog's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
seymourw's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
5.0
marchelos's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
LOVE LOVE LOVE
chrstn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
madisonmc's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
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? It's complicated
4.5
“You saw it down there, Joron, smelled it. The stink of death and rot. The slightest wound in those conditions will fester, the slightest crack in a mind will be broken wide open. I would wish such imprisonment on no one and will prolong the suffering of none.”
No second book syndrome here. I made a point of only reading this one in the dark and in the latest hours of the night, it just felt fitting considering how dark the content was from early on.
All was chaos in the dark. Joron saw vague shapes. Was it gion, was it a woman? Was it varisk, was it a man? Was it a sword, was it a branch? Was it? Was it? Was it? Keep. Going.
So many micro battles, so much beloved character loss. There was never a lull, where one battle ended a new journey and quest began. Along with the overarching plot line and character development this book was brilliant from the first chapter.
There would be no quarter.
No surrender.
No mercy.
He would do anything.
And within him, a powerful song became louder.
Arghhhhh what a way to close out the book. 4.5 Stars I can not fathom how much I adore this series and writing
No second book syndrome here. I made a point of only reading this one in the dark and in the latest hours of the night, it just felt fitting considering how dark the content was from early on.
All was chaos in the dark. Joron saw vague shapes. Was it gion, was it a woman? Was it varisk, was it a man? Was it a sword, was it a branch? Was it? Was it? Was it? Keep. Going.
So many micro battles, so much beloved character loss. There was never a lull, where one battle ended a new journey and quest began. Along with the overarching plot line and character development this book was brilliant from the first chapter.
There would be no quarter.
No surrender.
No mercy.
He would do anything.
And within him, a powerful song became louder.
Arghhhhh what a way to close out the book. 4.5 Stars I can not fathom how much I adore this series and writing
i_aletheia's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-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
4.75
Amazing!
tkryan's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
4.0