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steffiraquel's review against another edition
I think I need more therapy before reading this lol
downthebookhole's review
5.0
*I would like to thank Entangled Publishing for a copy of this book in return for an honest review!*
A debt fantasy story told in multiple POVs that has all those things a great fantasy is made of! It is an adventure following a cast of characters you can't help but to love that have big personalities providing all the banter and humor you need . An immersive world and story that has friendship, romance, a unique magic system/lore and epic fight scenes!
I felt like Wilder spent so much time on the characters as well as the world. We get to be inside the head of multiple different characters and get insight on their inner thoughts as well as see the motives behind all of their actions. Ash is a non-savant that is best friend with the Heir, Marcus and a talented wordsmith. Ash is such a fun character, witty and smart, the banter between her “voice” and her is fantastic. She is definitely that sassy, independent character I enjoy so much and we start to learn might have secrets unknown to herself. Marcus is trying to prove himself as the Heir. I love his relationship with Ash and how much he cares for her as well as his relationship with his phantom. The two of them definitely had me laughing.The phantoms overall were so sassy that I was living for it!
I enjoyed that Wilder gave us an older cast of characters. So many time with YA the characters are 14-16, but these characters were between 18-26 (not all ages were mentioned, but closely around this range) It so interesting to read about characters at this age because they are older and more mature, but yet still have so much to experience and learn! Some of the side characters were some of my favorites especially Salina! I am hoping we get so much more of here in the rest of the series. We get multiple types of relationships as well, both some strong friendships and new growing friendships as well as some romantic relationships. Ash around Kaylin was too precious and loved their interactions! Kaylin's backstory is eluded to and I have my assumptions, but I look forward to learning more about him!
For Full Review Visit :Falling Down The Book Hole
A debt fantasy story told in multiple POVs that has all those things a great fantasy is made of! It is an adventure following a cast of characters you can't help but to love that have big personalities providing all the banter and humor you need . An immersive world and story that has friendship, romance, a unique magic system/lore and epic fight scenes!
I felt like Wilder spent so much time on the characters as well as the world. We get to be inside the head of multiple different characters and get insight on their inner thoughts as well as see the motives behind all of their actions. Ash is a non-savant that is best friend with the Heir, Marcus and a talented wordsmith. Ash is such a fun character, witty and smart, the banter between her “voice” and her is fantastic. She is definitely that sassy, independent character I enjoy so much and we start to learn might have secrets unknown to herself. Marcus is trying to prove himself as the Heir. I love his relationship with Ash and how much he cares for her as well as his relationship with his phantom. The two of them definitely had me laughing.The phantoms overall were so sassy that I was living for it!
I enjoyed that Wilder gave us an older cast of characters. So many time with YA the characters are 14-16, but these characters were between 18-26 (not all ages were mentioned, but closely around this range) It so interesting to read about characters at this age because they are older and more mature, but yet still have so much to experience and learn! Some of the side characters were some of my favorites especially Salina! I am hoping we get so much more of here in the rest of the series. We get multiple types of relationships as well, both some strong friendships and new growing friendships as well as some romantic relationships. Ash around Kaylin was too precious and loved their interactions! Kaylin's backstory is eluded to and I have my assumptions, but I look forward to learning more about him!
For Full Review Visit :Falling Down The Book Hole
leopardsummer8's review
4.0
I think this book gets better every time I read it.
This is my third time reading Crown of Bones, and every time I finish it, I say I'll read the sequel but I haven't got around to it yet. This time, I actually intend to read the sequel within the next two weeks because I always forget what a great ending the story has.
The book follows Ash, a scribe, and Marcus, an heir and savant (basically someone with a spirit animal except it's not always an animal), as they make their way to a school meant to train Marcus...only it becomes clear that war is imminent and no one can be trusted. The concept itself doesn't sound amazing, but the action scenes are well written (and there are lots of them) and the end is full of plenty of twists, some predictable and some not so much. I completely forgot how fast-paced and enjoyable the book was.
Besides the action, my favorite parts were the characters and their dynamics. Ash is the main narrator and her chapters are mainly focused on her discovering the lore of the world, which I think was an interesting way to build the world. Marcus is the other main character and I remember disliking him in my past reads, but this time I liked him. I also remember disliking Kaylin, and while he's still not my favorite, I don't hate him. I want to see more Samsen and Piper because their dynamic was mentioned but never really explored. As for my favorite character...it's Belair. He has a leopard that's literally all we really know about him. I don't care that his personality is just "big cat small boy," he's my favorite and you can't change that.
With fast-paced adventure, a cast of great characters, and a story full of twists, Crown of Bones is a novel perfect for fantasy fans looking for a more traditional story.
4/5
This is my third time reading Crown of Bones, and every time I finish it, I say I'll read the sequel but I haven't got around to it yet. This time, I actually intend to read the sequel within the next two weeks because I always forget what a great ending the story has.
The book follows Ash, a scribe, and Marcus, an heir and savant (basically someone with a spirit animal except it's not always an animal), as they make their way to a school meant to train Marcus...only it becomes clear that war is imminent and no one can be trusted. The concept itself doesn't sound amazing, but the action scenes are well written (and there are lots of them) and the end is full of plenty of twists, some predictable and some not so much. I completely forgot how fast-paced and enjoyable the book was.
Besides the action, my favorite parts were the characters and their dynamics. Ash is the main narrator and her chapters are mainly focused on her discovering the lore of the world, which I think was an interesting way to build the world. Marcus is the other main character and I remember disliking him in my past reads, but this time I liked him. I also remember disliking Kaylin, and while he's still not my favorite, I don't hate him. I want to see more Samsen and Piper because their dynamic was mentioned but never really explored. As for my favorite character...it's Belair. He has a leopard that's literally all we really know about him. I don't care that his personality is just "big cat small boy," he's my favorite and you can't change that.
With fast-paced adventure, a cast of great characters, and a story full of twists, Crown of Bones is a novel perfect for fantasy fans looking for a more traditional story.
4/5
thindbooks's review
3.0
*this arc was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*
I liked this book. This book involves Savants who conjure phantoms and is about Marcus, a young heir, and Ash, a scribe and best friend of Marcus, who go to Isle of Aku for Marcus to get a yellow robe. This book had a great plot and world building. I really enjoyed the unique world that the author created and there was also a guide to help you which I thought was cool. Something about the writing I had trouble was that the story didn’t really flow and the pacing was off by some parts of the book going either too fast or too slow. Also I wasn’t that hooked into the story but towards the middle is where things started to pick up. Though I did enjoy the multiple povs of the books and learning about the different phantoms. Other then that the overall writing was good.
There are two main characters in this book, Marcus and Ash. There is also some POV of Kaylin who is a mysterious sailor that I enjoyed reading about. My favorite character was Ash because I enjoyed reading her part and seeing her adventures. She is a fun character that is very curious and doesn’t let anyone keep her away from her doing her job. I also enjoyed Marcus’ character but didn’t enjoy his development as much as I did for Ash. I enjoyed the friendship between the main characters and thought it was really cute how they cared so much for each other. You will also meet some amazing and mean side characters that make the book enjoyable. I did love the romance and there is a love triangle that is going on.
The ending for this book I had to say was rushed and should have been slowed down so readers could enjoy it more. I loved everything that was going on to it but if it was slower paced it would have been better. Overall this was a great story but come parts I didn’t enjoy. I’m still going to read book 2 just to see what happens next after that ending. I think those who enjoy Avatar will enjoy this book.
I liked this book. This book involves Savants who conjure phantoms and is about Marcus, a young heir, and Ash, a scribe and best friend of Marcus, who go to Isle of Aku for Marcus to get a yellow robe. This book had a great plot and world building. I really enjoyed the unique world that the author created and there was also a guide to help you which I thought was cool. Something about the writing I had trouble was that the story didn’t really flow and the pacing was off by some parts of the book going either too fast or too slow. Also I wasn’t that hooked into the story but towards the middle is where things started to pick up. Though I did enjoy the multiple povs of the books and learning about the different phantoms. Other then that the overall writing was good.
There are two main characters in this book, Marcus and Ash. There is also some POV of Kaylin who is a mysterious sailor that I enjoyed reading about. My favorite character was Ash because I enjoyed reading her part and seeing her adventures. She is a fun character that is very curious and doesn’t let anyone keep her away from her doing her job. I also enjoyed Marcus’ character but didn’t enjoy his development as much as I did for Ash. I enjoyed the friendship between the main characters and thought it was really cute how they cared so much for each other. You will also meet some amazing and mean side characters that make the book enjoyable. I did love the romance and there is a love triangle that is going on.
The ending for this book I had to say was rushed and should have been slowed down so readers could enjoy it more. I loved everything that was going on to it but if it was slower paced it would have been better. Overall this was a great story but come parts I didn’t enjoy. I’m still going to read book 2 just to see what happens next after that ending. I think those who enjoy Avatar will enjoy this book.
leapearlreads's review
4.0
Wow! What an action-packed adventure! From the first chapter you're thrust right into that action and it instantly had me craving more. AK Wilder is not shy with the blood and gore either, which personally, I love.
Crown of Bones brings a whole new unique magic system with savants and their phantoms into an equally unique fantasy world. The storyline is fairly fast-paced and the world building felt seamless, making it easy to dive right into the plot. There were a few terms and some dialect I found confusing, but that's fairly typical with high fantasy books. I greatly appreciated the glossary!
The story is told from multiple POVs which I tend to favor as it adds a greater depth to the story, but I did find it a bit confusing at times and I had to go back to see whose POV I was reading from (each chapter is marked with the character's name). I found Kaylin's the most enjoyable as it stood out the easiest for me, I always knew when I was reading from his POV without question. Each character is unique, but I think what made them blur for me was that we only get hints into what drives them. I'm really hoping for more depth to each character in the next book.
Overall, I felt like this was a solid start to the Amassia series. I'm super excited to read the next book because that ending...seriously!
Huge thank you to Entangled Teen via NetGalley for providing me an e-arc to read and honestly review.
Spoiler
"Blood arcs through the air like a macabre rainbow." When I can so perfectly picture those words... -chef's kiss-Crown of Bones brings a whole new unique magic system with savants and their phantoms into an equally unique fantasy world. The storyline is fairly fast-paced and the world building felt seamless, making it easy to dive right into the plot. There were a few terms and some dialect I found confusing, but that's fairly typical with high fantasy books. I greatly appreciated the glossary!
The story is told from multiple POVs which I tend to favor as it adds a greater depth to the story, but I did find it a bit confusing at times and I had to go back to see whose POV I was reading from (each chapter is marked with the character's name). I found Kaylin's the most enjoyable as it stood out the easiest for me, I always knew when I was reading from his POV without question. Each character is unique, but I think what made them blur for me was that we only get hints into what drives them. I'm really hoping for more depth to each character in the next book.
Overall, I felt like this was a solid start to the Amassia series. I'm super excited to read the next book because that ending...seriously!
Huge thank you to Entangled Teen via NetGalley for providing me an e-arc to read and honestly review.
booknallnight's review against another edition
fast-paced
4.0
I can't believe I waited so long to get into this one. Really love the story, characters, and flow. I want a phantom now LOL
The author's writing captured the angst and turmoil with Ash & Marcus really well. I was rooting for the both of them. I also enjoyed a certain sailor, who wasn't what he said he was. He added depth and some fun to the story for me.
Definitely recommend this one for fans of YA Fantasy. I can't wait to dive into the next book. I sincerely appreciate Entangled Teen and NetGalley for the review copy. While a review wasn't required, I have offered my opinion and any thoughts expressed are my own.
The author's writing captured the angst and turmoil with Ash & Marcus really well. I was rooting for the both of them. I also enjoyed a certain sailor, who wasn't what he said he was. He added depth and some fun to the story for me.
Definitely recommend this one for fans of YA Fantasy. I can't wait to dive into the next book. I sincerely appreciate Entangled Teen and NetGalley for the review copy. While a review wasn't required, I have offered my opinion and any thoughts expressed are my own.
erinarkin20's review
4.0
Crown of Bones by A.K. Wilder first caught my attention because of the cover. With that said, the story quickly grabbed my attention and I found I didn’t want to put the book down. Hopefully my review does it justice but if not, just trust me...pick this one up when you can.
The story follows a number of characters and gives us the perspectives of a handful. Wilder did a fantastic job of building out the world these characters live in and creating definition around phantoms, savants, and non-savants. Savants have phantoms that can be raised, and their level of expertise is noted by the robe color they wear.
The main characters include Ash, a non-savant recorder, Marcus, the heir to the throne of Baiseen, and Kaylin, a mysterious sailor who has quite a few secrets. There are a number of secondary characters (Piper, Samsen, and Belair) in the book that help to drive the story forward and I thought they added great layers. Not only in providing context for the magic/world they all live in but also support as these main characters push forward to the end.
As the group of Savants and Ash begin their journey to Aku so Marcus and Belair can get their yellow robes, they face a number of challenges that push them to rely on their skills with their phantoms as well as a stranger…enter Kaylin. The friendship between all of these characters was great. Yes, Ash is the only non-savant but she has a number of skills that the others do not which makes her just a valuable to the group and I love that they all acknowledge that. It’s clear that they will all do whatever they can to make sure that Marcus and Belair get to Aku and everyone has a role to play on the journey.
It was clear from the start that Kaylin was keeping some secrets from the group but as the story progresses, no matter how much he doesn’t want to share, he does have to let some things about himself slip and despite how close he and Ash have become over the weeks of the journey, they are all as much a surprise to her as they are to the rest of the group. I loved how Wilder developed the relationship between Ash and Kaylin. They were both definitely drawn to the other but not in an insta-love way. There was attraction and banter and I loved how the voice in Ash’s head didn’t hold back in making fun of her when she stumbled through her flirting with Kaylin. Adding to this, there isn’t any hate between Marcus and Kaylin. Based on how close Ash is with Marcus, I was worried things would be tense amongst them, but it is truly friendship that Marcus and Ash have, and they really just want the other to be happy. Plus, Kaylin really does help them throughout the book and Marcus definitely sees his value to the group.
I’ll admit that from the beginning of the book, I had a sense that there was more to Ash than meets the eye (on the pages) but don’t worry, I’m not going to say anything about that…we really only get glimpses into what it all is and what it means for Ash in this book so no spoilers! I’m definitely going to be picking up book two in this series so I can see what happens next, not only for Ash but for the whole crew.
If you’re looking for a new Fantasy YA series to start, I definitely recommend picking this one up. It has plenty of action, solid characters, and an interesting story that will have you turning the pages to see what will happen next for the group.
Thank you to Entangled Teen for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.
The story follows a number of characters and gives us the perspectives of a handful. Wilder did a fantastic job of building out the world these characters live in and creating definition around phantoms, savants, and non-savants. Savants have phantoms that can be raised, and their level of expertise is noted by the robe color they wear.
The main characters include Ash, a non-savant recorder, Marcus, the heir to the throne of Baiseen, and Kaylin, a mysterious sailor who has quite a few secrets. There are a number of secondary characters (Piper, Samsen, and Belair) in the book that help to drive the story forward and I thought they added great layers. Not only in providing context for the magic/world they all live in but also support as these main characters push forward to the end.
As the group of Savants and Ash begin their journey to Aku so Marcus and Belair can get their yellow robes, they face a number of challenges that push them to rely on their skills with their phantoms as well as a stranger…enter Kaylin. The friendship between all of these characters was great. Yes, Ash is the only non-savant but she has a number of skills that the others do not which makes her just a valuable to the group and I love that they all acknowledge that. It’s clear that they will all do whatever they can to make sure that Marcus and Belair get to Aku and everyone has a role to play on the journey.
It was clear from the start that Kaylin was keeping some secrets from the group but as the story progresses, no matter how much he doesn’t want to share, he does have to let some things about himself slip and despite how close he and Ash have become over the weeks of the journey, they are all as much a surprise to her as they are to the rest of the group. I loved how Wilder developed the relationship between Ash and Kaylin. They were both definitely drawn to the other but not in an insta-love way. There was attraction and banter and I loved how the voice in Ash’s head didn’t hold back in making fun of her when she stumbled through her flirting with Kaylin. Adding to this, there isn’t any hate between Marcus and Kaylin. Based on how close Ash is with Marcus, I was worried things would be tense amongst them, but it is truly friendship that Marcus and Ash have, and they really just want the other to be happy. Plus, Kaylin really does help them throughout the book and Marcus definitely sees his value to the group.
I’ll admit that from the beginning of the book, I had a sense that there was more to Ash than meets the eye (on the pages) but don’t worry, I’m not going to say anything about that…we really only get glimpses into what it all is and what it means for Ash in this book so no spoilers! I’m definitely going to be picking up book two in this series so I can see what happens next, not only for Ash but for the whole crew.
If you’re looking for a new Fantasy YA series to start, I definitely recommend picking this one up. It has plenty of action, solid characters, and an interesting story that will have you turning the pages to see what will happen next for the group.
Thank you to Entangled Teen for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.
bookwife's review
5.0
This book is absolutely everything. This is my first read of 2021 and it has set the bar high for the rest of the year.
Crown of Bones is a story about magical savants who can pull phantoms from the earth. There are different color robes for savants who have better control of their phantoms. Marcus is the heir to the throne. He is a warrior savant that just barely controls his phantom in time to go to the Island of Aku and compete for a higher rank. Ash is a non-savant and Marcus' best friend. She is a recorder and all she wants in life is to have a purpose. She also hears voices and phantoms love her.
Marcus, Ash and three of their friends(Belair, Piper and Samsen) all travel to the Aku. They barely have enough time to make it there. Their journey isn't an easy one. They meet a sailor, Kaylin that is added to their group.
I LOVE the way this book was written. I loved how we got POV's for Marcus, Ash and Kaylin. I feel like I know each of the characters so so well. The story was engaging. The magic system was completely different than anything else I have ever read. Ash was such a strong female character. Kaylin is one of my favorite characters ever written. He was so open with his feelings.. well as open as he could be in his thoughts at least. I loved getting his thoughts. I fell in love with him hard. Marcus is also a fantastic character.
This was just an all around perfect fantasy read. I can not recommend this enough. Thank you Entangled Teen for my copy!
Crown of Bones is a story about magical savants who can pull phantoms from the earth. There are different color robes for savants who have better control of their phantoms. Marcus is the heir to the throne. He is a warrior savant that just barely controls his phantom in time to go to the Island of Aku and compete for a higher rank. Ash is a non-savant and Marcus' best friend. She is a recorder and all she wants in life is to have a purpose. She also hears voices and phantoms love her.
Marcus, Ash and three of their friends(Belair, Piper and Samsen) all travel to the Aku. They barely have enough time to make it there. Their journey isn't an easy one. They meet a sailor, Kaylin that is added to their group.
I LOVE the way this book was written. I loved how we got POV's for Marcus, Ash and Kaylin. I feel like I know each of the characters so so well. The story was engaging. The magic system was completely different than anything else I have ever read. Ash was such a strong female character. Kaylin is one of my favorite characters ever written. He was so open with his feelings.. well as open as he could be in his thoughts at least. I loved getting his thoughts. I fell in love with him hard. Marcus is also a fantastic character.
This was just an all around perfect fantasy read. I can not recommend this enough. Thank you Entangled Teen for my copy!
_rosesbooks_'s review
4.0
This book was so good! I can’t believe how invested in the story I was! I love the writing style and the multiple perspectives. I always enjoy when the reader knows things the characters don’t, even though it makes the book super suspenseful (but that’s the fun part!)
I love ash, she is thoughtful and sharp-witted. The book revolves around friendship and I loved that! I really liked the world-building and the whole idea of the world as well. It was pretty epic! The book was very unique and well thought out! I struggled some getting into it but that is expected for the first book of a fantasy series and after that, I flew through the book! It was riveting and I can’t wait for the next one!
Overall I really enjoyed this book and when it comes out in 2021 y’all should read it!
I received an arc from entangled publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much!
I love ash, she is thoughtful and sharp-witted. The book revolves around friendship and I loved that! I really liked the world-building and the whole idea of the world as well. It was pretty epic! The book was very unique and well thought out! I struggled some getting into it but that is expected for the first book of a fantasy series and after that, I flew through the book! It was riveting and I can’t wait for the next one!
Overall I really enjoyed this book and when it comes out in 2021 y’all should read it!
I received an arc from entangled publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much!
elenahunter's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5