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A review by shandyt
The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco
3.0
3.5 stars, rounded down.
I'm not much of a YA reader, but am giving this series a go on the recommendation of a friend. So far, it's... well, it's YA. Absurdly young female protagonist, a love triangle, Bildungsroman themes, etc. The magic system and worldbuilding are pretty unique, at least, and there's some good representation. A lot of other people have complained that the majority of this book is a tedious drag, but I, also a tedious drag, loved all the details about the main character's time training as a magic necro-geisha. In fact, I wanted even more worldbuilding. My complaints so far are mostly with the writing itself, which at times is clunky or repetitive. The descriptions in particular can get pretty roundabout, and subtly misuse words. (Count the uses of 'ungainly' over the course of the book.) Some of the side characters are also rather two-dimensional, including, unfortunately, the main character's brother. Speaking of the main character, I'm new to YA, like I said, but as a 33-year-old adult, I have a very hard time swallowing the jaded, world-weary picture of the MC that we have in the present-day narrative. Regardless, I am interested to see how she goes from where we left her in the past, to her jaded present, and I look forward to seeing how her journey ultimately resolves.
I'm not much of a YA reader, but am giving this series a go on the recommendation of a friend. So far, it's... well, it's YA. Absurdly young female protagonist, a love triangle, Bildungsroman themes, etc. The magic system and worldbuilding are pretty unique, at least, and there's some good representation. A lot of other people have complained that the majority of this book is a tedious drag, but I, also a tedious drag, loved all the details about the main character's time training as a magic necro-geisha. In fact, I wanted even more worldbuilding. My complaints so far are mostly with the writing itself, which at times is clunky or repetitive. The descriptions in particular can get pretty roundabout, and subtly misuse words. (Count the uses of 'ungainly' over the course of the book.) Some of the side characters are also rather two-dimensional, including, unfortunately, the main character's brother. Speaking of the main character, I'm new to YA, like I said, but as a 33-year-old adult, I have a very hard time swallowing the jaded, world-weary picture of the MC that we have in the present-day narrative.