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ofateaspoon's review against another edition
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.
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
Graphic: Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Death, Violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Blood, Body horror, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, and Child abuse
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Addiction
Minor: War and Torture
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
crothe77's review against another edition
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
The Sins on Their Bones by Laura R. Samotin is a multi-POV Queer Ashkenazi Jewish dark fantasy about moving on from toxic relationships and finding a partner who loves and respects you rather than wanting to control you. Dimitri was the Tzar of Noto-Svitsevo before his estranged husband, Alexey, took the throne from him. After a civil war that leaves Dimitri with only a few people from his court, he runs from Alexey and makes a plan with Vasily, his spymaster and lover, to invade Alexey’s court and bring the immortal down.
Laura R. Samotin doesn’t pull any punches when depicting Alexey’s obsession with Dimitri, his desire for control, and how far Alexey is willing to go to get Dimitri back. Alexey even takes Dimitri’s half-brother, Ivan, who looks remarkably like Dimitri, as his lover. When we’re inside Alexey’s head, we can see just how dangerous Alexey is and how much he doesn’t view Dimitri as his own person or as a partner no matter what he tells himself. He ‘molded’ Dimitri, he crossed Dimitri’s boundaries to make him how Alexey wanted him to be, and Alexey cannot let go.
The romance between Vasily and Dimitri is vastly different from the relationship between Alexey and Ivan and Alexey and Dimitri. Vasily doesn’t want to own or control or dominate Dimitri, but instead wants to love him exactly how he is. By the time the novel starts, Dimitri has had time to examine his marriage with Alexey and knows Alexey is not only bad for him but is bad for Ivan as well, but a part of him does still love Alexey. This was so realistic and really showed how complex abusive relationships can be because that love from the beginning of a relationship doesn’t just automatically go away once you realize someone is hurting you.
The worldbuilding is strongly rooted in Eastern European and Jewish traditions and folklore. There’s a bit of an Anastasia vibe with Dimitri’s story as the only surviving member of the royal family and him being on the run, but it’s not a retelling so much as a very loose reimagining. Samotin does include additional readings for people if they are interested in the ideas presented in the work and I love it when authors provide avenues that they trust and they think are useful to help their readers continue learning about real world experiences, cultures, and religions presented in fantasy.
I would recommend this to readers looking for Queer Jewish fantasy, fans of Anastasia retellings and reimaginings, and those looking for a fantasy exploring leaving toxic exes.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault and Domestic abuse
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
shanajeanh's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
4.0
This book will have you equal parts cringing at the supremely bad life choices and desperately turning pages to see what happens next. If you like dysfunctional queer relationships (fictional ones, that is) and Jewish magic, this book will be extremely your jam.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
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