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firefly99's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gore, Vomit, War, and Violence
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Rape, and Medical trauma
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
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
Graphic: Drug use, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Child abuse, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Death, Blood, Gore, Grief, Sexual content, Body horror, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Murder, and War
basementofbooks's review against another edition
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
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Drug use, Violence, Sexual content, Addiction, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Eating disorder, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Sexual assault, War, Murder, Rape, Vomit, Child abuse, and Fire/Fire injury
mollyelyn's review against another edition
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
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Vomit, Gore, Murder, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood
Moderate: Child abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, and Rape
Minor: Death of parent
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