Reviews - Broken Souls and Bones

616 reviews for:

Broken Souls and Bones

LJ Andrews

4.2 AVERAGE

emohan's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous 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: No

Truly enjoyable read. I loved the characters and the creative way LJ made it possible for Roark to communicate. The relationships between the characters was admirable and time was taken to develop each individual character. Thane and Roark had an undeniable brotherhood and bond that went beyond being master servant. Lyra and Kael had a similar relationship that was beautiful in its own way. The story was captivating and original, something that kept me on my toes the whole story

terryt78's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous 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

librarymousereads's review against another edition

4.0

This was a really fun read! The story was so intriguing, and the magic system was unique and cool - I just wish we’d gotten a bit more detail about how it all worked and what each type of craft could do.

The romance was sweet but also had a good bit of intensity, which definitely kept me hooked. I loved the inclusion of sign language and I really liked Roark as a character. It was so refreshing to see a character who communicates nonverbally portrayed as strong, respected, and just living a normal (ish!) life. Plus, the fact that it was never totally clear whose side he was on added a really nice layer of tension.

However, I did struggle a bit with the writing. I found it hard to picture a lot of the scenes, and I’m not sure if that was just me or if the writing style didn’t quite click with my brain. I ended up rereading whole sections just trying to figure out what was happening. There were also a few moments where I found myself questioning whether certain characters would really be doing what they were doing - some things just didn't feel very plausible.

I was able to guess the ending early on, but there were still a few unexpected twists that caught me off guard, which was a nice surprise. All in all, an enjoyable story with a lot of heart.

shhhmomisreading's review against another edition

4.0

It took me about a million years to actually pick this up and start reading but then I could NOT put it down. The whole dynamic between the characters was fantastic and I love a good romantasy with political intrigue and actual plot- so good!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

happy_bookish_heart's review against another edition

4.75

4.5-5 ⭐️

LJ Andrews does it again! She is one of my favorite authors. Her Ever Seas duet is one of my absolute favorite reads and I really enjoyed this one too! LJ always does a great job with world-building and creating intricate magic systems. This story was no exception. I loved the brutal Viking-Inspired world and the unique bl00d, bone, and soul magic system. She also always executes the enemies-to-lovers and found family tropes SO well. Also, I am SUCH a sucker for a forbidden bodyguard romance trope. I eat that dynamic up every time. And it’s in Dual POV (which is always a plus in my book)! 😍🤗

Roark was a strong, serious, broody, warrior-type who was protective, badass, and capable, with a subtle playfulness. (He kind of reminded me a bit of Alexus in the Witch Walker series if you’ve read that). He is unable to speak so there is sign language representation in this book. I loved how Lyra understood him so well inherently, but also her dedication to learning his signs. Lyra is a bit introverted, but she is powerful and fierce, especially when it comes to protecting those she cares about. I loved our cast of side characters—especially Thane, Kael, and Emi! I was also super interested in the shadowed/mirror world and Skul Drek. (Oh hey, creepy yet alluring dangerous phantom person lol 😍)

I loved learning more about the main characters’ pasts and how their fates are intertwined as we uncover more of their memories through the book. And the ending?? So good!!!

Admittedly, this book did take a little while to fully hook me. It took until about 30% in for me to feel fully invested in the story, but after that, I was increasingly captivated as the story went on. After that ending, I am definitely looking forward to book 2 to see what happens next and learning more about Skul Drek, The Dravens, The Wanderer, and Lyra’s powers as well as her connection to Roark. 🤗

Read if you like:

🦴 (True) Enemies-to-Lovers

🦴 Dual POV

🦴 Forced Proximity

🦴 Bodyguard Romance

🦴 Forbidden Romance

🦴 Non-Speaking MMC, sign language rep.

🦴 Viking-Inspired World-building

🦴 Unique Magic System

🦴 Found Family

🦴 Lost Memories

🦴 Hidden Powers