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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
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
dark
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5?? 4?? I really don't know how to rate this one, I'm just SO torn. I was really excited for this book, I checked it out from the library as soon as it was published and dove in. I love adult fantasy, I love political fantasy, and I love feminist fantasy. This all points toward the idea that I would love this book right?
There were a lot of things about The Bone Orchard that I enjoyed. I really did like the characters, the insular setting of the Orchard House, the political machinations. I expected the prose to be a bit lovelier, a bit more lush, but it wasn't and that's okay. I definitely didn't expect for it to be so confusing. A lot of other reviewers have touched upon this, but this book is so damn confusing. And adult fantasy is meant to be, in a way. Unlike YA fantasy where most things are spelled out for you, adult fantasy pushes you in the right direction and lets you connect the dots. Unfortunately, Mueller didn't do a great job of pushing the reader in the right direction. The boneghosts, what they really represent, who the Lady is, what political machinations are in play, and many more things are shrouded in mystery for much of the text in a frustrating way. Sometimes I would read a page and pause and feel kind of stupid, like I was missing something. And I'm an avid adult fantasy reader!
Also, the description promises a murder mystery with Charm hunting down the prince who killed the Emporer, however, this directive is abandoned for much of the plot. Charm doesn't make many overt moves to find out the truth, and its only in the final 100 pages that this plot point moves forward. Luckily I enjoy a good character study because that's what this book is.
I don't know whether to rate it 3.5 or 4 stars because ultimately I really like the writing style and I think it's a solid debut and as other reviewers have pointed out, a really unique book that is unlike anything I've ever read, however it doesn't fulfill on the promises it makes.
There were a lot of things about The Bone Orchard that I enjoyed. I really did like the characters, the insular setting of the Orchard House, the political machinations. I expected the prose to be a bit lovelier, a bit more lush, but it wasn't and that's okay. I definitely didn't expect for it to be so confusing. A lot of other reviewers have touched upon this, but this book is so damn confusing. And adult fantasy is meant to be, in a way. Unlike YA fantasy where most things are spelled out for you, adult fantasy pushes you in the right direction and lets you connect the dots. Unfortunately, Mueller didn't do a great job of pushing the reader in the right direction. The boneghosts, what they really represent, who the Lady is, what political machinations are in play, and many more things are shrouded in mystery for much of the text in a frustrating way. Sometimes I would read a page and pause and feel kind of stupid, like I was missing something. And I'm an avid adult fantasy reader!
Also, the description promises a murder mystery with Charm hunting down the prince who killed the Emporer, however, this directive is abandoned for much of the plot. Charm doesn't make many overt moves to find out the truth, and its only in the final 100 pages that this plot point moves forward. Luckily I enjoy a good character study because that's what this book is.
I don't know whether to rate it 3.5 or 4 stars because ultimately I really like the writing style and I think it's a solid debut and as other reviewers have pointed out, a really unique book that is unlike anything I've ever read, however it doesn't fulfill on the promises it makes.
Really liked the first half but it became a snooze when we switched to the lady and i stopped caring about anything that was happening
slow-paced
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was very interesting and unlike any books I have read recently. The characters and their relationships are complex and the plot is (purposefully) muddy. I wouldn’t consider this book an easy or casual read, it requires you to pay attention to pick up on the intricacies that push the plot forward. Overall, very intriguing.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes