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jazminnnnnnn's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, and War
rubybooks's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-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
3.0
Thank you to Nyx Publishing for sending me an ARC of this novella! It's a sapphic retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice in a fantasy world - in the original Greek myth, Eurydice is killed and Orpheus travels to the Underworld to try to get his wife back. It's not a strict retelling, so some details have been changed, which I guess is good because otherwise I would have easily guessed the ending, but I think I was expecting something slightly different! The cover is absolutely stunning too - I read a digital copy, but I bet a physical copy would be even more beautiful.
At the beginning of the book, Teagan's wife Cressidae had left their home and journeyed to the realm of the Shadow Princess in order to save Teagan, who had been poisoned by a monster from that realm. Cressidae planned to petition the Shadow Princess and hopefully cure the poison that is killing Teagan. The Bone Way is told from Teagan's perspective, who sets off on her own journey to try to find her wife before her soul is trapped - because it is well known that the Shadow Princess doesn't let anyone leave her realm. The journey is dangerous, and Teagan faces many physical and mental obstacles on the way to find her wife.
The Bone Way has strong feelings of mythology and a bit of a fairytale style too, especially when talking about the Shadow Princess, which fit the fantasy story really well. The land of Wisteria has magic but also technology like hot air balloons, and the descriptions definitely gave me a steam punk vibe! I loved the f/f relationship and it was just a nice change to read a fantasy story where two women were just happily married. Teagan feels a lot of grief from the death of her mother when she was younger, and the grief really felt genuine.
Because Teagan and Cressidae were already an established couple, we only saw bits of their initial relationship in flashbacks, and I wish we'd seen more of that, or more moments of them just together. I also wanted to see more of the fantasy world - it's mentioned that there is a mix of magic and technology, which is unusual for a lot of the fantasy books I read, so it would have been cool to see more about how everything worked. The actual journey to the shadow realm seemed to go by really quickly and I expected to see more from the various trials. Also, I was really interested in the character of the Shadow Princess, so I wanted to see more development there, as well as in the ending which went by very quickly.
The Bone Way is a novella, and I read it really quickly - it took me less than an hour. I wish it was longer to add more character and plot development. I do appreciate that the point of novellas are that they are short, but the story still felt a bit simple and I just wanted more of everything! Still, it was definitely easy to follow and I enjoyed the overall experience of reading it. If you struggle with longer/complicated fantasy and want to try something short, this might be for you! The Bone Way includes content such as grief, discussion of parent death that happened in the past, and violence.
At the beginning of the book, Teagan's wife Cressidae had left their home and journeyed to the realm of the Shadow Princess in order to save Teagan, who had been poisoned by a monster from that realm. Cressidae planned to petition the Shadow Princess and hopefully cure the poison that is killing Teagan. The Bone Way is told from Teagan's perspective, who sets off on her own journey to try to find her wife before her soul is trapped - because it is well known that the Shadow Princess doesn't let anyone leave her realm. The journey is dangerous, and Teagan faces many physical and mental obstacles on the way to find her wife.
The Bone Way has strong feelings of mythology and a bit of a fairytale style too, especially when talking about the Shadow Princess, which fit the fantasy story really well. The land of Wisteria has magic but also technology like hot air balloons, and the descriptions definitely gave me a steam punk vibe! I loved the f/f relationship and it was just a nice change to read a fantasy story where two women were just happily married. Teagan feels a lot of grief from the death of her mother when she was younger, and the grief really felt genuine.
Because Teagan and Cressidae were already an established couple, we only saw bits of their initial relationship in flashbacks, and I wish we'd seen more of that, or more moments of them just together. I also wanted to see more of the fantasy world - it's mentioned that there is a mix of magic and technology, which is unusual for a lot of the fantasy books I read, so it would have been cool to see more about how everything worked. The actual journey to the shadow realm seemed to go by really quickly and I expected to see more from the various trials. Also, I was really interested in the character of the Shadow Princess, so I wanted to see more development there, as well as in the ending which went by very quickly.
The Bone Way is a novella, and I read it really quickly - it took me less than an hour. I wish it was longer to add more character and plot development. I do appreciate that the point of novellas are that they are short, but the story still felt a bit simple and I just wanted more of everything! Still, it was definitely easy to follow and I enjoyed the overall experience of reading it. If you struggle with longer/complicated fantasy and want to try something short, this might be for you! The Bone Way includes content such as grief, discussion of parent death that happened in the past, and violence.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Death of parent
micheala's review against another edition
3.25
I had conflicted feelings about this novella. Mainly in that it felt like a novel length idea that was shoehorned into a novella length story. It is the author's first published work so I'm leaning towards the positives.
I enjoyed the story and characters. The world building and lore was all really cool. If I get right down to it, the only things that I didn't like where based on the fact that I think this story needed more space to be fleshed out.
We get some flashbacks but I think we needed more and that if the story had started where the flashbacks do (Cress and Teagan meeting) with flashbacks to Teagan's mother's death (that plays a huge role in the plot and is only told to us in kinda patchy moments), and progressed in a linear fashion from that point on, with some smaller time skips between the relationship progressing and the keystone event of this story, I would have understood the character's decisions more. At this point because you don't get that, the characters feel a little flat and random in their actions.
I know it sounds like I didn't really enjoy this, but that's not true. I like it's a good novella, that could have been a great novel (it's only 152 pages in the physical edition and I think it needed like another 400 pages to really shine)
I enjoyed the story and characters. The world building and lore was all really cool. If I get right down to it, the only things that I didn't like where based on the fact that I think this story needed more space to be fleshed out.
We get some flashbacks but I think we needed more and that if the story had started where the flashbacks do (Cress and Teagan meeting) with flashbacks to Teagan's mother's death (that plays a huge role in the plot and is only told to us in kinda patchy moments), and progressed in a linear fashion from that point on, with some smaller time skips between the relationship progressing and the keystone event of this story, I would have understood the character's decisions more. At this point because you don't get that, the characters feel a little flat and random in their actions.
I know it sounds like I didn't really enjoy this, but that's not true. I like it's a good novella, that could have been a great novel (it's only 152 pages in the physical edition and I think it needed like another 400 pages to really shine)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, and Terminal illness
sageleafpark's review
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Decent but disappointing. This is one of the many novellas that would have been much better as an actual book. I really enjoyed the sapphic love shown in this book, but everything else was underwhelming. The path to the underworld felt flat and the villainous evil princess was one dimensional. Also the ending felt a little “love conquers all” cliche.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Panic attacks/disorders
valereads's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Bone Way is a fantasy novella. It follows a young witch named Teagan whose wife, Cress, goes into The Shadow Realm, a queendom of death, in order to save Teagan from the poison slowly killing her. We follow Teagan as she goes after her wife in order to make sure she comes back alive.
I really liked how this novella was told. I love a fantasy story with a quest with a clear goal and this book definitely had that. I was a little unsure how it would work to tell a big fantasy story as a novella rather than a full length novel but this turned out to be easily solved. It just jumped right in instead of opening with chapters and chapters of background we open with Cress already gone and Teagan leaving to follow her with their backstory told as Teagan takes her journey through the Shadow Realm. I really liked this and I must say I actually preferred it to the slowness of the opening of a lot of other fantasy stories.
That said I had a few issues with the book. The final confrontation with the Shadow Princess felt kind of messy. [The Princess arrives out of nowhere and says Teagan and Cress broke her rules by touching and they convince her it didn't count. My problem? They didn't touch. I went back and reread sections after the confrontation afraid I'd missed something but it never explicitly says that they touch let alone draws attention to it. (hide spoiler)]
In addition I was expecting more nuance with the Shadow Princess' character and storyline, especially after Teagan arrives at the Deathly Palace so I was a little disappointed by that. I also wish the poison had more impact of the story. It's constantly mentioned but it doesn't really impact Teagan or slow her down until near the end. As a chronic pain sufferer I was hoping there would be a bit of representation here. Maybe she could have been slowed down or had to use a cane to balance. Instead she runs and moves with ease apart from one moment in part two and in the climax of the story.
Overall I enjoyed this novella and I would definitely recommend it for anyone after a fast-paced queer fantasy story.
The Bone Way is a fantasy novella. It follows a young witch named Teagan whose wife, Cress, goes into The Shadow Realm, a queendom of death, in order to save Teagan from the poison slowly killing her. We follow Teagan as she goes after her wife in order to make sure she comes back alive.
I really liked how this novella was told. I love a fantasy story with a quest with a clear goal and this book definitely had that. I was a little unsure how it would work to tell a big fantasy story as a novella rather than a full length novel but this turned out to be easily solved. It just jumped right in instead of opening with chapters and chapters of background we open with Cress already gone and Teagan leaving to follow her with their backstory told as Teagan takes her journey through the Shadow Realm. I really liked this and I must say I actually preferred it to the slowness of the opening of a lot of other fantasy stories.
That said I had a few issues with the book. The final confrontation with the Shadow Princess felt kind of messy. [The Princess arrives out of nowhere and says Teagan and Cress broke her rules by touching and they convince her it didn't count. My problem? They didn't touch. I went back and reread sections after the confrontation afraid I'd missed something but it never explicitly says that they touch let alone draws attention to it. (hide spoiler)]
In addition I was expecting more nuance with the Shadow Princess' character and storyline, especially after Teagan arrives at the Deathly Palace so I was a little disappointed by that. I also wish the poison had more impact of the story. It's constantly mentioned but it doesn't really impact Teagan or slow her down until near the end. As a chronic pain sufferer I was hoping there would be a bit of representation here. Maybe she could have been slowed down or had to use a cane to balance. Instead she runs and moves with ease apart from one moment in part two and in the climax of the story.
Overall I enjoyed this novella and I would definitely recommend it for anyone after a fast-paced queer fantasy story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Death of parent, and Terminal illness
Minor: Animal death and Sexual content
julialmds27's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
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? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Grief
biblio_gabriella's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
So much yes! I was pleasantly surprised by this sapphic fantasy novella. I knew nothing about Orpheus before starting this book, and after reading an Orpheus synopsis, I’d say that this is an extremely loose retelling and is very much its own thing.
I adored the pre-established partnership at the center of the story. Though Teagan and Cress are already wives at the start, we do get some flashbacks to the beginning of their relationship, which I thought were well done. I loved Teagan, her soft heart and her insecurities and her regrets and her formidable love for her wife. I loved Cress, her hard-headedness and thirst for knowledge and her determination to save her wife at whatever the cost. Though other reviewers have said that a longer book would have done more justice to the characters, what we did get worked perfectly for me. I can’t really explain it, but I felt the love between these two and ached for them to be together against the odds.
Aside from the main couple, I found this book engaging and well-written. The writing is readable and doesn’t use that stilted language that I vehemently dislike in fantasy books. And for such a short story, there’s also enough world building to make it easy for me to picture the world. This is one of the most vibrant, picturesque books I’ve read in a while, which I think speaks to the quality of the writing. The plot is also solid and it was hard to predict where the story was going — there was never a dull moment for me!
In short, I loved this novella and am looking forward to more from Holly J. Underhill!
other content warnings: guilt, poisoning (from animal bite)
I received an ARC from Nyx Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I adored the pre-established partnership at the center of the story. Though Teagan and Cress are already wives at the start, we do get some flashbacks to the beginning of their relationship, which I thought were well done. I loved Teagan, her soft heart and her insecurities and her regrets and her formidable love for her wife. I loved Cress, her hard-headedness and thirst for knowledge and her determination to save her wife at whatever the cost. Though other reviewers have said that a longer book would have done more justice to the characters, what we did get worked perfectly for me. I can’t really explain it, but I felt the love between these two and ached for them to be together against the odds.
Aside from the main couple, I found this book engaging and well-written. The writing is readable and doesn’t use that stilted language that I vehemently dislike in fantasy books. And for such a short story, there’s also enough world building to make it easy for me to picture the world. This is one of the most vibrant, picturesque books I’ve read in a while, which I think speaks to the quality of the writing. The plot is also solid and it was hard to predict where the story was going — there was never a dull moment for me!
In short, I loved this novella and am looking forward to more from Holly J. Underhill!
other content warnings: guilt, poisoning (from animal bite)
I received an ARC from Nyx Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
samusc's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
I received this book free from Nyx Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
This Sapphic retelling of the Orpehus and Eurydice myth was an absolute treat.
The cover is beautiful. Seeing two enamored strong women with daggers on the cover never gets old.
Although this is a novella, I took my time with this, to savor every detail.
I'm not an expert in Greek classics, so this review will focus more on other aspects of the story that I feel I can speak to.
I love stories that are based around trauma, and this is certainly one of them. Teagan's grief around her mother's death is authentic. I've known that feeling of sadness when your mother can't see you get married or meet your partner. I like how Part 1 really focuses on Teagan working through her memories and an unforgiving environment, motivated only to see Cress again.
The pace of Part 2 is rapid compared to the first, but appropriate given the high stakes. Learning more about the Shadow Princess' history was fascinating too.
The largest strength this book has is the relationship between Teagan and Cress. I appreciated how this relationship was already established as this story began, and the techniques used to outline their relationship history. Cress is incredibly driven and somewhat hot-headed, so you can see how Teagan fell for her. Their disagreements make sense.
Since this was released last week, I'd like to share two quotes that stuck with me from the beginning, regarding their relationship, that I hope to soon verify were included in the final published work:
‘Her resolve strengthened; she trusted Cress and she’d follow her wife anywhere, even to almost certain death.’ pg. 10.
'As Teagan looked around, she saw a Goddess of her own' pg. 13 That's so gay!! Me too!
All of this to say, I enjoyed it and am looking forward to future works by Holly J. Underhill, as well as anything through Nyx Publishing.
This Sapphic retelling of the Orpehus and Eurydice myth was an absolute treat.
The cover is beautiful. Seeing two enamored strong women with daggers on the cover never gets old.
Although this is a novella, I took my time with this, to savor every detail.
I'm not an expert in Greek classics, so this review will focus more on other aspects of the story that I feel I can speak to.
I love stories that are based around trauma, and this is certainly one of them. Teagan's grief around her mother's death is authentic. I've known that feeling of sadness when your mother can't see you get married or meet your partner. I like how Part 1 really focuses on Teagan working through her memories and an unforgiving environment, motivated only to see Cress again.
The pace of Part 2 is rapid compared to the first, but appropriate given the high stakes. Learning more about the Shadow Princess' history was fascinating too.
The largest strength this book has is the relationship between Teagan and Cress. I appreciated how this relationship was already established as this story began, and the techniques used to outline their relationship history. Cress is incredibly driven and somewhat hot-headed, so you can see how Teagan fell for her. Their disagreements make sense.
Since this was released last week, I'd like to share two quotes that stuck with me from the beginning, regarding their relationship, that I hope to soon verify were included in the final published work:
‘Her resolve strengthened; she trusted Cress and she’d follow her wife anywhere, even to almost certain death.’ pg. 10.
'As Teagan looked around, she saw a Goddess of her own' pg. 13 That's so gay!! Me too!
All of this to say, I enjoyed it and am looking forward to future works by Holly J. Underhill, as well as anything through Nyx Publishing.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
booksthatburn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
THE BONE WAY is a sapphic Orpheus and Eurydice retelling exploring illness, grief, sacrifice, and love as Teagan enters the kingdom of the dead after her wife Cress went alone to beg for a cure.
I love the flashbacks interspersed between sections of the present timeline, they gave welcome context and helped even out the pacing. The descriptions are vibrant, and the cast of characters is suitably small for a novella. My favorite detail is the backstory for the queen, it has messy complexities and leaves those jagged edges unresolved. This would make sense even if you haven't encountered this myth previously. As a retelling this obviously draws inspiration from the myth but doesn't refer back to it explicitly.
I liked this and I'm glad I read it!
I love the flashbacks interspersed between sections of the present timeline, they gave welcome context and helped even out the pacing. The descriptions are vibrant, and the cast of characters is suitably small for a novella. My favorite detail is the backstory for the queen, it has messy complexities and leaves those jagged edges unresolved. This would make sense even if you haven't encountered this myth previously. As a retelling this obviously draws inspiration from the myth but doesn't refer back to it explicitly.
I liked this and I'm glad I read it!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Grief, Murder, Terminal illness, and Violence
Minor: Animal death and Death of parent
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