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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
Thanks to NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing for this digital ARC of "Broken Souls and Bones" by LJ Andrews, in exchange for my honest opinion.
This was such a great read!
The plot is super creative, with seafaring Scandinavian and Norse mythology flavor, involving magic fueled by blood, soul, and bone; referred to colloquially by the characters as "Craft". This is fresh and interesting, unlike anything else I've seen in the fantasy or science fiction genre. The world building around this was delightful and imaginative, excellently described, and woven into the adventure in an exciting way.
Andrews' writing style was immersive and easy to follow, teasing in enough mystery to keep me hooked...and then providing clear answers at the perfect moments, for maximum payoff.
The MMC Roark was absolutely delicious, with his protective, feral, Viking-level badassery. It was a perfect match to our MFC Lyra's blend of intelligence, vulnerability, and fierce determination. The slow burn between them --starting off as adversaries that had great reasons for totally hating each other's guts-- was tantalizing and worth every moment. Their animosity sizzled, slowly, until they couldn't take it any more and grudgingly had to give in. By that point, we were breathless for it!
There were several side characters here -- the Prince Thane, Emi, Lyra's foster brother Kael -- that had substance and personalities of their own, which is a boon. It was easy to see why each main character had loyalty and affection toward their respective loved ones, and made the stakes of the plot higher than ever.
There were two main villainy forces working against Lyra and Roark, dogging every step and making things more complicated and dire. Their identity reveals totally blindsided me, which almost never happens. I’m usually pretty good at spotting twists, but both of these got me, and I loved every second of it.
The ending was a one-two punch of heartbreak and surprise! The loose ends had all been wrapped up with a thrilling narration, but new unanswered questions blindsided us, and teased at a second book!
My only complaint: the overuse of the word "inglenook" - there are like twenty really good synonyms to use!
I was gleefully frustrated by the cliffhanger ending, and I need the continuation of this story like...yesterday. I’ll be first in line for the sequel!
#netgalley
This was such a great read!
The plot is super creative, with seafaring Scandinavian and Norse mythology flavor, involving magic fueled by blood, soul, and bone; referred to colloquially by the characters as "Craft". This is fresh and interesting, unlike anything else I've seen in the fantasy or science fiction genre. The world building around this was delightful and imaginative, excellently described, and woven into the adventure in an exciting way.
Andrews' writing style was immersive and easy to follow, teasing in enough mystery to keep me hooked...and then providing clear answers at the perfect moments, for maximum payoff.
The MMC Roark was absolutely delicious, with his protective, feral, Viking-level badassery. It was a perfect match to our MFC Lyra's blend of intelligence, vulnerability, and fierce determination. The slow burn between them --starting off as adversaries that had great reasons for totally hating each other's guts-- was tantalizing and worth every moment. Their animosity sizzled, slowly, until they couldn't take it any more and grudgingly had to give in. By that point, we were breathless for it!
There were several side characters here -- the Prince Thane, Emi, Lyra's foster brother Kael -- that had substance and personalities of their own, which is a boon. It was easy to see why each main character had loyalty and affection toward their respective loved ones, and made the stakes of the plot higher than ever.
There were two main villainy forces working against Lyra and Roark, dogging every step and making things more complicated and dire. Their identity reveals totally blindsided me, which almost never happens. I’m usually pretty good at spotting twists, but both of these got me, and I loved every second of it.
The ending was a one-two punch of heartbreak and surprise! The loose ends had all been wrapped up with a thrilling narration, but new unanswered questions blindsided us, and teased at a second book!
My only complaint: the overuse of the word "inglenook" - there are like twenty really good synonyms to use!
I was gleefully frustrated by the cliffhanger ending, and I need the continuation of this story like...yesterday. I’ll be first in line for the sequel!
#netgalley
I don’t even know where to begin with this book—except to say that I absolutely loved it. I was completely obsessed, flying through it in just a couple of days (which is impressive for me as a slow reader). From start to finish, it had me hooked.
The characters were phenomenal—Skul Drek, in particular, stood out as a fantastic and memorable character. I could go on forever about how much I enjoyed this story and how excited I am to see what’s next for these incredible characters.
The book itself was an easy read, but in the best way possible. The alternating points of view between Roark and Lyra kept things fresh and engaging, and every single page captivated me until the very end.
This story felt completely unique, and if you don’t read it, you’re seriously missing out. I haven’t felt this passionate about a book since I first read The Lord of the Rings, and that’s saying something. It took me on an emotional rollercoaster, and at its heart, it really was a wickedly romantic Viking tale that I won’t soon forget.
The characters were phenomenal—Skul Drek, in particular, stood out as a fantastic and memorable character. I could go on forever about how much I enjoyed this story and how excited I am to see what’s next for these incredible characters.
The book itself was an easy read, but in the best way possible. The alternating points of view between Roark and Lyra kept things fresh and engaging, and every single page captivated me until the very end.
This story felt completely unique, and if you don’t read it, you’re seriously missing out. I haven’t felt this passionate about a book since I first read The Lord of the Rings, and that’s saying something. It took me on an emotional rollercoaster, and at its heart, it really was a wickedly romantic Viking tale that I won’t soon forget.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
insta love for both weird mmcs. feels not fully fleshed out. ignores side characters. no likey
This book really said “here’s 100 people, many kingdoms, a hidden magical girl, and a silent murder machine” and expected me to keep up. I tried. I got lost. I kept going anyway
Lyra is the melder. That means she works with soul bones.. It’s a rare craft, super dangerous, and now the first female melder in 500 winters is here, hiding from a king and giving us serious main character stress. She also has glowing silver scars in her eyes that she hides using clothing dye. Don’t ask. I still don’t understand it.
Roark, the male lead, is called the Death Bringer. That’s not dramatic at all. He communicates using sign language, has a tragic past, and starts claiming Lyra with these signature three tap gestures that had me blushing on her behalf. Protective from the first scene even though he’s supposed to hate her? Suspicious. Intense. Fully working for me.
Early on, I suspected a love triangle was brewing. There’s this terrifying assassin called Skul Drek and for a while I thought Lyra was going to be caught between him and Roark. Plot twist: they are the same person. Roark is the assassin. I gasped. I stared at the page. I reevaluated my entire life.
And then. And THEN. We find out Roark is also royalty. Not just any man in black he’s a prince. You’re telling me I’ve been drooling over this man for 400 pages and now you add surprise royalty to the list? Wild.
There’s also Kael, Lyra’s best friend, who is actually very sweet and not involved in any romantic subplot. Bless him for being the only one who says anything with clarity. He sees Roark being unhinged and just shrugs and goes “He’s in love with you, obviously.” Iconic.
Did I know what was going on at all times? Absolutely not.
Did I pause during the “on your knees” scene to recover? Yes.
Did the pacing crawl in places and drown me in lore? It did.
But Roark? Roark made every second worth it.
Four stars. No notes. Except maybe fewer names, fewer kingdoms, and more of Roark saying everything without speaking at all.
Unique magic system that was a bit confusing at first. Great build to the romance and the plot.
It was good! Unfortunately unless you already have some basic knowledge of Norse politics or mythology you will struggle to understand some of the concepts mentioned in here. The world building was a bit confusing, but it was really unique.
It had a slowww start, I did not start getting interesting until the 40% mark and even then, I did not get overly invested in the plot.
The characters were great and I ADORED Thane!!!! Strong Dorian Havilliard vibes from him.
It had a slowww start, I did not start getting interesting until the 40% mark and even then, I did not get overly invested in the plot.
The characters were great and I ADORED Thane!!!! Strong Dorian Havilliard vibes from him.
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
fast-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:
Complicated
I truly enjoy LJ Andrew’s’ stories! Broken Souls and Bones was an easy to read adventure, with just the right combination of my favorite tropes.
The setting was very clearly Nordic, from the imagery used to describe the places, to the descriptions of the legends of this world.
The characters were just likable! Lyra was a strong FMC whose growth felt realistic - even when she didn’t know her own strength, she was fearless. Roark….omg what a unique character (in many ways 👀) and though I guessed at some of his realities by the end, I still am excited to see how he develops in the next book(s). The found family that we get a dip-your-toe-in with had just the right amount of banter.
After reading the number of Romantasy/fantasy books I have, there are certain plotting points that you pick up on, but that does not make them any less entertaining or satisfying, because every writer shapes them differently - so, while I may have guessed a few plot paths along the way, I love how LJ shapes them.
The magic system, in this case the crafting, was so interesting a pretty unique, particularly bone crafting and melding. The imagery you get when LJ writes about what Lyra sees while crafting is so beautiful.
The setting was very clearly Nordic, from the imagery used to describe the places, to the descriptions of the legends of this world.
The characters were just likable! Lyra was a strong FMC whose growth felt realistic - even when she didn’t know her own strength, she was fearless. Roark….omg what a unique character (in many ways 👀) and though I guessed at some of his realities by the end, I still am excited to see how he develops in the next book(s). The found family that we get a dip-your-toe-in with had just the right amount of banter.
After reading the number of Romantasy/fantasy books I have, there are certain plotting points that you pick up on, but that does not make them any less entertaining or satisfying, because every writer shapes them differently - so, while I may have guessed a few plot paths along the way, I love how LJ shapes them.
The magic system, in this case the crafting, was so interesting a pretty unique, particularly bone crafting and melding. The imagery you get when LJ writes about what Lyra sees while crafting is so beautiful.
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes