Reviews with content warning for Kidnapping - Bonesmith

Counting down the days to the sequel.

GOD. This was so, so good. I loveee the world building, the characters and especially (because I am a romance reader first and foremost, sue me) the relationship.

Pau Preto creates a magical world with both deep and fascinating history and magical system that still manages to not overwhelm the reader (as so much fantasy has tended to do lately).

I was originally going to write this review being like "I guessed all the twists but it was still fun", I have to admit that while I guessed the major ones (hehe) I actually did *not* guess all the twists. I was very convinced of myself. It was a bit embarrassing. So, unless I'm just dumb, I think even seasoned YA readers will still have some surprises in this! And even if you do guess all of it from the start, for me that wasn't disappointing in the least, the book was still very fun and enjoyable!

Julian and Wren. My babies, my loves, my Romeo and Juliet. These two, you guys, these two. The tension? Unbelievable. The care they have for each other? So high. The constant urge they have to make out even when they're trying to hate each other? Not hidden in the LEAST. They spent a lot of time in the book just with each other (duh) and at times that really felt like a romance novel (with some death involved). They learned to care for the other so quickly, to appreciate and love them and just like them, we were able to forget the outside forces that would tear them apart.

At the end, Julian and Wren and poor ole me were confronted with the real world again and god, did it hurt. Did their choices make sense? ....I guess? doesn't mean I have to like them 😭😭😭😭😭

There's loads of reveals (some of them a bit too convenient for me lmao but that's YA for ya) and Wren's ready for a new chapter in her life – and I'm excited to read it.

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gardens_and_dragons's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

A fun YA fantasy action novel - it was action packed and funny where it needed levity. I think it starts a bit slow but builds up to some big reveals that end in a cliffhanger for the next book.

I liked the characters and their banter a lot. I think that the character work saves this from becoming very generic: while there are some cool worldbuilding bits, I think that the plot is definitely reliant on tropes to carry it through. But! It was an enjoyable story all the same.

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scrubsandbooks's review

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adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

When I saw it comped with Gideon the Ninth, I thought that meant lesbian necromancers. That's not the case. There's one side character who is implied to be bi/pan and that's it. However, bone related powers and magic are my jam so I enjoyed this even with the lack of lesbians! The Game of Thrones comp is far more accurate with the political conflict, twists, and betrayals that are unearthed throughout the story. Also a good enemies to lovers stories with an actual pair of enemies!

I am, however, tired of the trope of grandparent disliking granddaughter for no actual reason except for the circumstances of her deaths and therefore, I had to cut down a star because it made me eye-roll. However, I will still be giving the sequel a chance.

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blakeandbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny 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

5.0

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peridot_kintsugi's review

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

The first 30 percent is pretty boring; this book, among many others in the fantasy genre, is guilty of infodumping the world building a bit. I found the characters likable and the plot interesting enough to keep reading, and it was immensely entertaining after the initial 30 percent. The plot twists were kind of predictable, but in the way that they are plausible and I simply have too much time on my hands for contemplating it.
The stakes are high, and I am very excited for the sequel.

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frand's review

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adventurous dark mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

I love Nicki Pau Preto's pencil work. Her narrative style is just good and quiet difficult to find on a fantasy book.
I read this book because I fell in love with "Crown of feathers" trilogy, and it captured on the first chapter.
Even tho the story might be predictable, I love how the author actually moves on from cliché storytelling and character development.
As for the book itself, I don't really know what to say without spoiling it. I loved the inner turmoil of the characters and how they navigate through the story to make amends with themselves and what they believe.
Can't wait for the sequel.

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city_girl_writer's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

This was really fun and good. I like the world and its magic. I don't usually like impulsive YA FMCs, but I was able to grew to like Wren throughout the story. I like her chemistry with Julian and her friendship with Prince Leo. The ending has a good setup for House of the Dead #2, and I am looking forward to it.

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bookishmillennial's review

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adventurous challenging dark funny inspiring 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

I don’t star rate books but I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not,. Find me on Instagram: @bookish.millennial or tiktok: @bookishmillennial

Pub Date: July 25th

Wren, -a bonesmith who fails her qualifying trial to become a valkyr- gets sent to the Border Wall to serve in disgrace instead.

The forced proximity situation between her and Julian the ironsmith was a lot of fun. I would say this is a bit of enemies-to-lovers situation hehe.

Wren is a bold, risk-taking, fun main character to root for, and the ending plot twist paid off for all of the relentless info dumping and world building.

I will say that for all the exposition, I did find the world really neat. The historical context, all the factions of the "smiths," and more! The vibes are reminiscent of the White Walkers from Game of Thrones.

I'm excited to see how this duology unfolds in the next book!

cw: dead bodies, pregnancy complications, death of a loved one, kidnapping, murder, violence, blood, genocide, gore

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