Reviews with content warning for Drug use - The Sins on Their Bones

Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

The Sins on Their Bones by Laura R. Samotin

10 reviews

distilledreads's review against another edition

dark sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I received an ARC of The Sins on Their Bones by Laura R. Samotin through a giveaway. However, it has taken me awhile to sit down and compile my thoughts. I was so incredibly excited to receive this ARC, but I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about the book/my reading experience.

Overall, I enjoyed The Sins on Their Bones, but there are a few things that impacted my enjoyment of the book. As well, while I was lucky enough to receive an ARC, I did want to see the final copy in store to see if any of my hesitations changed in the final edition. From what I could see, none did.

The biggest drawback for my reading experience is that I didn’t know it began as Grishaverse fanfiction. Since I didn’t know this, I spent a large chunk of the book finding those parallels and questioning if it was intentional or if I was reading too far into things. This kept disrupting the flow and throwing me from the narrative. Once I received confirmation that the book did begin as fanfiction, everything clicked into place. This also explains why so many reviewers are saying The Sins on Their Bones feels like the second book in a series, because it is a continuation/spin-off of a pre-existing work. However, reliance on that previous work for context does weaken TSoTB from standing on its own merits.

I think if I had known its origins before beginning the book, my enjoyment would’ve been a lot greater. It is very obvious who these characters originally were, and the foundation of their characters from Leigh Bardugo’s work is necessary information to fully understand their motivations.

TSoTB is a very slow-paced book told in multiple third person POVs. Dimitri Alexeyev is the main POV character and his perspective as a victim of horrific abuse is at times very difficult to read. The aftermath of sexual trauma and abuse is a very large component throughout the book, which — again — can be incredibly difficult to read. Another POV is Dimitri’s abuser, estranged husband, and current reigning Tzar: Alexey. The final perspective is of Dimitri’s right-hand man and spymaster: Vasily. Of all the POVs, I enjoyed Vasily’s the most. Even then, I would not say I particularly loved the character or was fully invested in his survival.

Readers are thrown into the book after the crippling and traumatic war with the usurper on the throne. As a result, the world- and character-building felt sparse with only what was on the page. An immediate connection is necessary to feel sympathy for the main cast of characters and to buy in to their fight, which unfortunately I did not feel. Once I learned this manuscript began as fanfiction, that abrupt beginning made sense. That pre-existing context of a debilitating war already existed in the Grishaverse. Unfortunately, I did not feel there was sufficient information added in when turning this into its own entity. Without knowing the parallels to SoC and S&B, the motivations of the characters felt abrupt and surface-level.

To be fair, Dimitri is literally described as sitting like a crow on the roof and Annika references the numerous knives she is carrying within the first chapter. It is not long after that when Vasily is described a bisexual with a gambling problem too. As well, the appearances of the characters do not change between the original source material and Samotin’s debut novel. So, I should have confidently assumed it was Grishaverse fanfiction right out of the gate rather than doubting myself.

Another element of the book that I was nervous about was the perspective of the abuser with Alexey’s POV chapters. I was fearful the chapters from his perspective would try to “explain away” his abuse, which thankfully was not the case at all. That did not make it easy to read his chapters since he continues his pattern of abuse/assault on someone else; however, I was relieved with how domestic and sexual abuse was treated on the page.

Finally, I found the introduction of sexual content to be gratuitous. If you know me, you know I love a bit of smut in my books. But the way sex was included at the beginning of the book, and at other moments throughout, felt like a box was being ticked. It is undeniable that explicit romantic fantasy is selling right now and the sex scenes felt a bit like trying to fit a brief rather than being about an attraction between two characters. I am thinking in particular about the masturbation scene near the beginning of the book. The fact that the abuser is part of many of those sex scenes may also be a contributing factor as to why they felt stilted and unnatural to me. This is not a queer romantic fantasy; therefore, I do not see the benefit of the sex scenes. This book was not “sexy” to me in any which way. Various forms of love are depicted and there are sexual scenes throughout the book, but it is not romantic. The relationships depicted are so nuanced and complex, that the explicit depiction of sex (and rape) over and over again felt befuddling. This is not a romance, and any description of it as such feels like a misnomer.

All that said, there were certain phrases that Samotin wrote describing abuse that felt like a sucker punch to the gut in the best possible way. She is undeniably a talented and emotive author. The door is left open for a sequel and while I’m not sure if I will be picking it up, I am excited to see how Samotin grows as an author. I would love to see her play within her own universe and experience her world- and character-building from the ground up.

Please read the full list of content warnings on Laura R. Samotin’s website before reading The Sins on Their Bones.

Content Warnings

bear_ridge_tarot's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Once the Tzar of Novo-Svitsevo, Dimitri now suffers life in self-inflicted exile after losing the civil war against his now-estranged husband Alexey Balakin. Dimitri is grieving yes, but also plotting on how to stop the man he loves from using the sect of Holy Science to remake the world in dark and terrible ways. Alexey, power-hungry and furious over the betrayal, names himself acting Tzar and the chosen of the Lord.

All around him, Dimitri’s closest allies and friends watch him sink deeper into the muck of depression and heartbreak while they try to lift him back into the light of their love and support. This band of outcasts must craft an extraordinary plan to get close to the enemy in order to cause Alexey’s downfall. Vasily, Dimitri’s closest friend, must offer himself as the sacrifice. There is so much at stake in this book!

The Sins on Their Bones was given the label of a queer dark fantasy. It takes place in the fictional version of 19th-century Eastern Europe/Russia and has been seeped in East European Jewish mysticism, folklore, and traditions. It is a novel in three views, Dmitri, Alexey, and Vasily. A pair of ex-lovers, a set of closest friends, and the interactions between the three of them and their inner circles. It is a slow, creeping plot of deep dark desire and trauma shaping the world around them.

While there are plenty of things from the complex backstory and history of the world and characters, I didn’t find the starting point of the novel to be a problem. It is a very slow read, because the plot is moved forward in chinches, only to backtrack a bit on the next page. There are a number of sex scenes that don’t offer much to the storyline other than highlighting the fact that the main three characters are all twisted by their traumas and coping in unhealthy ways. But again, this didn’t detract from my liking of the book so much as it slowed the plot down. What I loved about this book was the immersion into the post-war world that Dimitri lives in. I could feel the swirling sadness and longing from him the moment he stepped onto the page. The distressing drive for power in Alexey was larger than life. The longing and courage of Vasily was a stab straight to the heart. The characters were so fully developed that I could easily fall in love or burn with hate for them.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGally, thank you! And this is my honest review. It is a four star rating for me, simply because the pacing is so slow and inconsistent that it took me too long to reach the end. It is a well-written, incredibly smutty, and highly funny book containing a world, magic system, villain, and hero, plus anti-hero that I could very well see myself reading another book about. The novel comes with major warning labels. It has a large portion told from the perspective of an abuser and it is not comfortable or easy to stomach. The violence and cruelty can be difficult to witness for others, so I do no recommend this book lightly. At the end though, this is a book of crawling out of the darkness and discovering the light, a book of hope.

Content Warnings

ofateaspoon's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

4.0

I really enjoyed this book! It’s a story of healing from trauma and abuse, healing from loss of loved ones and loss of self, and it’s a story about redemption, and love, and faith in oneself and a higher power. The treble POV made it particularly interesting because though the villain is undoubtedly villainous, you also see his motivations and how very clearly *wrong* he is in his beliefs while not apologizing for him at all. On its face, it’s a dark fantasy novel with an Excellent found family, but at its core, it’s a story of self-forgiveness and resilience.

But all that said, definitely check your content warnings. This one is *dark* and could be very triggering to anyone who can’t (or shouldn’t) read about domestic violence, sexual assault, or body horror, among other things.

Content Warnings

snowwhitehatesapples's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Also on Snow White Hates Apples.

Set during the turbulent times after a Tzar loses the civil war to his husband, The Sins on Their Bones is an emotional and unflinching exploration of love, loss, pain, belonging, fear and healing. The story is told primarily through the perspectives of three people:

1) Dimitri, the righteous Tzar of Novo-Svitsevo who exiled himself after failing to kill Alexey who has betrayed his love and trust in so many different ways.
2) Alexey, the immortal acting Tzar who’s set on ruling the world after uniting the middle world of demons and the lower world of men via the Holy Science.
3) Vasily, Dimitri’s spymaster who’s willing to do anything to save his country and provide Dimitri the happiness and freedom he deserves.

And, it’s a story that cuts deep and hard with its willingness to openly and deeply explore the effects of war, violence, death, abuse (emotional, physical and psychological), toxic relationships, trauma, human experimentation and more through life-like characters that will have you rooting or hating them. Every page is filled with emotion — the most vivid being desperation, grief, anger, greed and hope. The story is so alive, so dark and though I knew nothing about the Ashkenazi Jewish culture which inspired the world of the book, it didn’t hinder my understanding of it.

The Sins on Their Bones will sit in my mind for a long while. From the nuanced execution of the story and the complex characters to that painful yet realistic ending that has left me fervently hoping for the best despite knowing better, there is so much to ponder about here. If you’re a fan of Tokyo Ghoul and The Heroic Legend of Arslan , you’d love this book too.

Thank you so much Random House Canada and Wunderkind PR for providing me a copy of this in exchange for an honest review! The Sins on Their Bones by Laura R. Samotin is available at all good bookstores.

Content Warnings

louisekf's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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

4.25

When I saw the description of this book, I knew I had to read it. It has been described as a queer dark fantasy. The story takes place in a fictional version of 19th century Eastern Europe/Russia and is drenched in East European Jewish mysticism, folklore and traditions. Yes, there’s a Tsar, but he’s Jewish! This world also treats same-sex relationships as nothing unusual, which is another refreshing aspect.

The story follows Dmitri’s efforts to regain control of Novo-Svitsevo. He used to rule Novo-Svitsevo as Tsar, but lost to his husband, Alexey, in a civil war. Alexey is now immortal, having undergone a resurrection/transformation via what he calls the Holy Science, a twisted version of the fictional religion of Ludayzim. Dmitri is in exile now, with a few of his faithful court. The plot took quite a while to take off, but once it did, I was hooked.

Chapters are told from three POVs: Dmitri, Alexey, and Vasily who is Dmitri’s close friend and spymaster. The book design is beautiful, with illustrations at the beginning of each chapter and illustrations of two playing cards that figure in the story.

It’s not an easy read; be aware that there is a lot of violence and gore, body horror, human experimentation, and abusive relationships, among the content warnings. There are also quite a few very explicit MM sex scenes throughout the book. Dark magic pervades the whole story, which includes both angels and demons.

The story talks to us about the long-term effects of abuse and trauma, about deep friendships, facing our faults (and realizing that some things weren’t our fault).

The final chapter hints at the possibility of a sequel. If that happens, I’ll be reading it.

Don’t skip the Author’s Note at the end!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Canada for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Content Warnings

basementofbooks's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Content Warnings

mollyelyn's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional sad tense slow-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

"It's Alexey who was the idiot, to not know what he had. He was a man holding a diamond in his hand, ignoring the way that it sparkled in the light, thinking it was nothing more than glass."

The Sins on Their Bones is a haunting, beautiful story about love, power, and war. It follows Dimitri, who is the former Tzar of Novo-Svitsevo (a fictitious version of Russia), and is now in exile with his court after losing a war against his estranged husband. The events that led up to the war and the war itself all take place prior to the start of the book, and the characters we meet are broken and traumatised, with Dimitri dealing with PTSD and depression. The backstory and story details are slowly revealed to the reader throughout the book, and I did like the decision to do it this way, however these events could also have easily been a book of itself, as so much has happened prior to the book starting. I think for the story Samotin wished to tell, starting it where it is worked really well, as mental health and the recovery journey from physical and mental abuse are key themes of the novel.

The book is definitely slow-paced and character-driven, with not much action happening in the first half of the novel. This worked rather well, mainly due to the strong characterisation of the three narrators. The reader empathises heavily with Dimitri, as he deals with the loss of his husband to a force worse than death, and other narrator Vasily is charming, witty, and very tragic. What actually intrigued me the most about the book was how a third of the chapters are actually written from Alexey, the new Tzar and Dimitri’s abusive husband’s, perspective allowing readers to see how he justifies his twisted actions to himself. He is a truly wicked character, and I despised him instantly. He is a very well-crafted villain.

I found the writing really good, and felt really immersed in the story. I enjoyed the magic system and demons as well. The central romance between Vasily and Dimitri was really sweet and I loved seeing their support and love for each other.

Content Warnings

peacheyprince's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

5.0

I was fortunate to be able to read this as an ARC through netgalley, and for that, I am greatful. When I began reading this novel, I began writing down every thought I had to be able to compose this review. Straight away, I adored the art at the front of the copy, thinking about how I would buy them as prints, as well as the etchings on the chapter title pages. I love that the author has chosen to add content warnings before the beginning (and on StoryGraph). This is something that is all too overlooked in media today. Upon reading the words, I straight away fell in love with the imagery used within the writing, and if this was a physical copy I'd have been marking every few pages to return to. However, my attention to detail quickly fell away as I became entirely entranced within this novel.

The plot is captivating, almost from the start. I have seen other reviews, and I can understand how it may be slower for some people, but, in my opinion, this is down to a matter of one's personal likes, rather than writing skill. I loved the fact the plot picked up from the back-end of a major tragedy - it wrote into the characterisation of Dimitri, and it provided a backdrop to build the world around. But above all, I fell in love with the characters, quickly, and there may lie bias in how well a queer-normative world was built up (to even see this representation at all!), but the introduction of a non-binary character, with neutral pronouns, so casually, just existing, was truly beautiful to read, despite the affliction the plot is built upon.

From here on I may spoil some parts of the novel. I will try to be as ambiguous as possible, but please read on with concern if the novel is unread for you.

All the reveals within this novel, every single one, struck me, such as finding out what the illustrations in the front of the novel are, and how this so subtly, but so wonderfully, revealed the relations from Vasily towards Dimitri, for example. But also finding out what Alexey has done - I don't know if I can say all of it was a shock, as you gradually learn enough of his character to predict the actions he is capable of, but it was still done so well, and with care. There lies concern writing from the point of view of a manipulator, or a villain, and particularly with one of Alexey's demise, but I think the author has done this brilliantly. Firstly, even balancing all three perspectives was seamless, and there was no hitch or break in the story telling that you can sometimes find in multiple-pov novels. But even so, reading Alexey's pov in particular, you understand his thinking, you understood his motivations, so well that it wasn't question, and yet it was still obvious that he was the villain, the manipulator (with the author even explicitly using words such as this) without ruining the character of his point of view.

Some of the moments in particular which got me, that I was present enough to stop and write down in my notes, include: the end of chapter 7, where I have written how happy I was, and how the author has already managed to create such strong connections to the characters; how i already was emotional with tears within the first one hundred pages of the book; and then a jump to the end of chapter 32, because I become so enhanced with the plot and characters, where, and i quote my own notes, 'i am screaming'; the transmission to the next chapter... it was captivating.

I think the only hinderance I held throughout the plot was in chapter 34, following Alexey and Ivan's following interactions, there is a sentence that reads on p. 336 immediately following the scene break, the illicit use of this word, made me believe a major plot point which, actually, never happened. Considering his character, this was entirely believable to me, and this may fully be a reflection of me finishing this novel late at night, because I went back and reread this paragraph when I realised. It did not dictate from the story, and nor did it ruin the unveiling of events in any way, but I wish to include it in an honest review. Nevertheless, for a debut novel, I have fallen in love, and I truly truly look forward to (what I hope will be!) the second instalment in this series. And finally, I admired the explanation at the end, and I respect the choice to include the further reading. This book was an easy five stars, no questions asked.

Content Warnings

atlastheninth's review

Go to review page

dark emotional 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

5.0

I received a free ARC of this book and here's my honest review.

The author told me that if I like pain, I'll love this book and she was right. This was very painful and I loved every page.

I love the world building, the plot was good and I really love the characters. I cried and I'm very much looking forward to the next book. I don't know what else to tell you, I have no notes.

Be aware if you want to read this check the CW! Because this is a dark fantasy and deals with a lot of heavy topics, especially the domestic abuse (It features the POV of victim and abuser).

Content Warnings

beforeviolets's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

SHADOW AND BONE meets FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST but make it Jewish and about sexual trauma in this gorgeous and complex new queer, Jewish, dark fantasy (NOT a romantasy!).

Our story takes place in a post-war world, scattered with hefty debris of trauma and scars.
Dimitri, the self-exiled Tsar, is struggling as he copes with the loss of his husband, Alexey, in more ways than one. He's surrounded by his friends who all want to support and love him the best they can, but his violent past with Alexey makes it hard for him to accept tenderness.
Alexey is now the acting Tsar, furious at his husband's betrayal and hungry for power. With the help of the Holy Science, he intends to remake the world as he remade himself, as the Chosen One of the Lord, a vessel between realms.
Vasily watches Dimitri ache, determined to take down Alexey and provide Dimitri with the happiness and freedom he deserves. But in order to make that happen, he'll have to craft an elaborate plan. One that involves risking his life and getting incredibly close to the enemy.

This violent yet resilient story wonderfully explores the effects of trauma, especially from abusive relationships, and how we write our scars deep into the bones of our identity, carrying the blame of a fault that was not our own.

My only critique of this book is less of a critique, but more something that if I was editing this book, I would suggest as a way to elevate the narrative. The story begins in the aftermath of a war, with most of the present stakes and circumstances informed by a complex backstory. With that in mind, I wish information about what exactly occurred in the past was divulged slowly in small, intentional moments. This post-war environment could have had a stronger impact and helped with pacing if the audience had been kept stewing in obscurity for longer, gathering up the shattered pieces bit by bit to make a full picture. Especially if Alexey had been kept vague, with only hints at his POV up until a certain point in the story. It definitely would have allowed for a stronger balance of intrigue and drama.

But other than that, I really enjoyed this story and found it full of such vivid and nuanced commentary about trauma and abuse.

I don't recommend this book lightly, as I found myself often nauseous from the violence and gore or deeply upset by the graphic sexual abuse. A third of the narration is told from the mind of an abuser, and witnessing his cruelty in high definition is not the easiest feat, nor is that of witnessing the other characters sacrifice their all in the name of their country's freedom and safety. But if these contents are something you're able to handle, it really is all worth it in the end. I can't wait to see how the story continues in the sequel.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

CW: sexual violence, abusive relationship, blood & gore, violence, injury detail (graphic), body horror, human experimentation, trauma, sexual content, character death, gun violence, drug use, war (past), torture (mention), child death (mention), death of father (past), emesis, alcohol

Content Warnings

More...