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teaand_tomes's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the digital ARC!
The Road of Bones completely captivated me! This Viking-inspired, historical romantasy brings a raw, immersive world that pulls you right into the brutal landscapes of Íseldur. The detailed gore and intensity in battle scenes felt fitting for a warrior society, adding authenticity without any sense of shock tactics.
The magic system was fascinating; I’m really intrigued by the unique powers, and I can't wait to see them explored further in the next installment. Silla was an incredible protagonist. Her pain and determination are palpable and heart-wrenching, and I found myself tearing up with her journey more than once. The found family of the Bloodaxe Crew was a standout element, with characters like Hekla and IlÍas adding layers of warmth and camaraderie.
The slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers tension between Silla and Jonas was beautifully developed, making each interaction a delight. Axe Eyes was another intriguing character—I’m eager to uncover more about his past and motivations. And Skeada? What a villain! She was fierce and relentless, adding a great sense of suspense to Silla’s journey.
This book left me totally obsessed, and I’m already counting down to the next one. A must-read for anyone who loves epic romantasy with a Viking twist!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, and Murder
meretastic's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-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
4.25
Doing my best to keep this one spoiler free. Thanks to Demi Winters, NetGalley, and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! This is a traditionally published version of a book that’s been on my TBR for ages and I’m so excited I got my hands on it!
I went into The Road of Bones expecting a typical romantasy with a Viking-inspired spin, but Demi delivered something unique, especially towards the end! I was pleasantly surprised when the plot took some turns I wasn’t fully prepared for, breaking out of the typical formula in a genre that can be somewhat predictable. (I say this as a HUGE fan of romantasy!) The writing was solid from start to finish, with an immersive, gritty tone that fit the world she built beautifully.
That said, the first half did feel slow to me. While I appreciated the details introducing the setting and characters, I found it a little tough to stay engaged at first. I also found the magic system a little hard to grasp, but hopefully that can be remedied in future books in the series, which I fully intend to read.
One thing to note in this is the violence. I’m not usually squeamish with reading, but I was taken aback by a few of the scenes. Be sure to check the trigger warnings and take care of yourselves!
Despite these minor complaints, this was a great read, and I’m still eager to read the sequel to see where Demi takes the story next!
I went into The Road of Bones expecting a typical romantasy with a Viking-inspired spin, but Demi delivered something unique, especially towards the end! I was pleasantly surprised when the plot took some turns I wasn’t fully prepared for, breaking out of the typical formula in a genre that can be somewhat predictable. (I say this as a HUGE fan of romantasy!) The writing was solid from start to finish, with an immersive, gritty tone that fit the world she built beautifully.
That said, the first half did feel slow to me. While I appreciated the details introducing the setting and characters, I found it a little tough to stay engaged at first. I also found the magic system a little hard to grasp, but hopefully that can be remedied in future books in the series, which I fully intend to read.
One thing to note in this is the violence. I’m not usually squeamish with reading, but I was taken aback by a few of the scenes. Be sure to check the trigger warnings and take care of yourselves!
Despite these minor complaints, this was a great read, and I’m still eager to read the sequel to see where Demi takes the story next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Sexual content, and Violence
kimwritesstuff's review against another edition
adventurous
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? No
3.0
I already bought the second book, so I mean the story hooked me. Even though I was invested, I thought there were a few plot points and characterizations that could have been better done. The central story is about a young woman who discovers her whole life has been a lie. There's magical prosecution of Galdra and running from assassins. Silla spent her whole life believing she wasn't special, but now she's learning there is so much more to her past.
When Silla joins the Bloodaxe Crew to travel north to a safe haven, she hides who she is and the trouble she may be in. The Bloodaxe Crew had the chance to be really interesting, but this is where I had some issues with the book. Jonas, Hekla, and Ray are all very well fleshed out. But the rest of the crew are very one dimensional. It was kind of strange to have well developed characters and then just super thin barely named characters in the same crew. I thought there could have been an opportunity to beef up the story, but it was just kind of meh.
Overall I thought this was a fun fantasy novel, though it could have used some more development.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Delacorte Press for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
When Silla joins the Bloodaxe Crew to travel north to a safe haven, she hides who she is and the trouble she may be in. The Bloodaxe Crew had the chance to be really interesting, but this is where I had some issues with the book. Jonas, Hekla, and Ray are all very well fleshed out. But the rest of the crew are very one dimensional. It was kind of strange to have well developed characters and then just super thin barely named characters in the same crew. I thought there could have been an opportunity to beef up the story, but it was just kind of meh.
Overall I thought this was a fun fantasy novel, though it could have used some more development.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Delacorte Press for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Blood
Moderate: Sexual violence and Kidnapping
Minor: Sexual assault
ta2dlibrarian's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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
4.5
A romantasy with Icelandic and Old Norse influences that started pretty slow but quickly became intriguing. The plot twists kept things interesting but it ends with a HFN. Def can't wait to read the sister's story, preview in the epilogue.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape
intensej's review
adventurous
medium-paced
3.5
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Silla Nordvig is desperate for safety after her world is upended. She will do anything to get to Kopa and follow the instructions her father left her. When she sneaks into a wagon, she has no idea that she is joining the Bloodaxe Crew who are on a separate mission. Although Ren, the leader of the Crew, allows her to travel with them, she struggles to keep her secrets as she grows closer to the mercenaries.
It took a few chapters to get into the book. The world reminded me of The Witcher with all of the magical creatures. I didn't care for the constant POV changes for certain chapters. I enjoyed reading about Silla's journey with the Bloodaxe Crew. The romance part of this book was a bit disappointing. I couldn't figure out if Silla was supposed to end up with Jonas (the handsome member of the Crew) or Ren.I preferred Silla/Ren together, and all of the Jonas/Silla scenes got to be really annoying. If you enjoyed the Viking romantasy and angst of A Fate Inked in Blood, you will like The Road of Bones .
Content: violence, death, swearing, sex, mentions of sexual assault
Silla Nordvig is desperate for safety after her world is upended. She will do anything to get to Kopa and follow the instructions her father left her. When she sneaks into a wagon, she has no idea that she is joining the Bloodaxe Crew who are on a separate mission. Although Ren, the leader of the Crew, allows her to travel with them, she struggles to keep her secrets as she grows closer to the mercenaries.
It took a few chapters to get into the book. The world reminded me of The Witcher with all of the magical creatures. I didn't care for the constant POV changes for certain chapters. I enjoyed reading about Silla's journey with the Bloodaxe Crew. The romance part of this book was a bit disappointing. I couldn't figure out if Silla was supposed to end up with Jonas (the handsome member of the Crew) or Ren.
Content: violence, death, swearing, sex, mentions of sexual assault
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Violence
Minor: Torture
nikicrews's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
4.0
A Viking-inspired romantasy with a cut-throat band of thieves, a complex magic system, a bear god, and broody bearded warriors with nicknames? Literally say less.
I was so excited to get my hands on this arc, and rightfully so. Silla is being hunted by the Queen of Iseldur for reasons unknown, but which will soon change everything about the life she thought she knew.
This story unfolded so wonderfully in a way that made you forget it was world building. The first scene draws you in, and by the 3rd chapter you know you’re not putting this book down.
I absolutely love the camaraderie amongst the Bloodaxe Crew, I’m a sucker for a found family with trauma bonds. I’m hoping in the next book we get to explore those characters a little deeper.
Silla’s personal growth and the way she moves from being a girl whose every move is manipulated and controlled, to one who can hold her own and will not allow herself to be told who to be, is so wonderful to watch as it unfolds.
I rated it 4 stars simply because there was a moment or two where I wanted things to pick up the pace a bit, but it’s all for the character development and plot building. Plus, once Part 2 hit, I was simply not sleeping or eating until I finished this book.
The Road of Bones releases on November 5th!
🗡️ High Fantasy
🗡️ Magic System
🗡️ Enemies to Lovers
🗡️ Potential Love Triangle
🗡️ Nordic/Viking Influence
🗡️ Multiple POV
🗡️ Found Family
Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the ebook arc and the opportunity to review!
I was so excited to get my hands on this arc, and rightfully so. Silla is being hunted by the Queen of Iseldur for reasons unknown, but which will soon change everything about the life she thought she knew.
This story unfolded so wonderfully in a way that made you forget it was world building. The first scene draws you in, and by the 3rd chapter you know you’re not putting this book down.
I absolutely love the camaraderie amongst the Bloodaxe Crew, I’m a sucker for a found family with trauma bonds. I’m hoping in the next book we get to explore those characters a little deeper.
Silla’s personal growth and the way she moves from being a girl whose every move is manipulated and controlled, to one who can hold her own and will not allow herself to be told who to be, is so wonderful to watch as it unfolds.
I rated it 4 stars simply because there was a moment or two where I wanted things to pick up the pace a bit, but it’s all for the character development and plot building. Plus, once Part 2 hit, I was simply not sleeping or eating until I finished this book.
The Road of Bones releases on November 5th!
🗡️ High Fantasy
🗡️ Magic System
🗡️ Enemies to Lovers
🗡️ Potential Love Triangle
🗡️ Nordic/Viking Influence
🗡️ Multiple POV
🗡️ Found Family
Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the ebook arc and the opportunity to review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Drug abuse, Sexual assault, and Death of parent
thissmoi's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
4.75
-0.25 only because the beginning was so slow I nearly put it down but WOW
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Violence, and Kidnapping
dr_steph's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, and Murder
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent
edey_books's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
There were moments where I was so frustrated with the FMC, but the story is deeply complex and you constantly discover new secrets and twists.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Blood, and Death of parent
Moderate: Death and Kidnapping
Minor: Sexual assault
wickeddelights's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
There was a lot I really liked about this book. The story follows a woman named Silla on the run from a past she is far from certain of, toward a safehaven located at the end of a dangerous path known as the Road of Bones. Through a set of quick decisions and a small bit of deception she ends up traveling with a group known as the Bloodaxe Crew in hopes that they can get her safely to her destination. What happens along the way is a story you simply need to read for yourself.
~~**Spoilers Below**~~(Although not a lot of them)
The author did a good job of maintaining a voice throughout the whole story that helped with the immersion in the setting. Phrases were worded in such a way that it was easy to imagine it being spoken by someone in a fantasy nordic setting.
The power/magic systems were really interesting and easy to follow, and most of the flora and fauna was pretty unique.
Where the story has some pitfalls for me is in some of the pacing. For a while during the travels the days/chapters could be summed up with "Silla cooked the daymeal. Jonas and Rey brooded by the fire. The others played dice, with maybe a bit of training and fun banter with Hekla on the side. And while it is very clear that Silla is struggling with an addiction, sometimes the thoughs revolving leaves felt overwhelming to read. I'm not saying that as a bad thing neccisarily (I honestly think thats the point) but I thought it worth noting nonetheless.
And while one of the things I praise highly of this book happenes to be the immersive speech, sometimes it felt like it could make sections drag a tiny bit.
Alllll of that said. I really enjoyed this book, and I am excited to read book two.
~~**Spoilers Below**~~(Although not a lot of them)
The author did a good job of maintaining a voice throughout the whole story that helped with the immersion in the setting. Phrases were worded in such a way that it was easy to imagine it being spoken by someone in a fantasy nordic setting.
The power/magic systems were really interesting and easy to follow, and most of the flora and fauna was pretty unique.
Where the story has some pitfalls for me is in some of the pacing. For a while during the travels the days/chapters could be summed up with "Silla cooked the daymeal. Jonas and Rey brooded by the fire. The others played dice, with maybe a bit of training and fun banter with Hekla on the side. And while it is very clear that Silla is struggling with an addiction, sometimes the thoughs revolving leaves felt overwhelming to read. I'm not saying that as a bad thing neccisarily (I honestly think thats the point) but I thought it worth noting nonetheless.
And while one of the things I praise highly of this book happenes to be the immersive speech, sometimes it felt like it could make sections drag a tiny bit.
Alllll of that said. I really enjoyed this book, and I am excited to read book two.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Norse inspired, slow burn, adventure, duology