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A review by elusivity
California Bones by Greg Van Eekhout
4.0
A world with many different strains of magic. The predominating magic in the Kingdom of California is osteomancy, or magic gained from eating fossilized bones of long-ago magical creatures.
A very enjoyable ride.
The Hierarch of California is a tyrant who eats the bodies of osteomancers because bones are becoming more and more scarce.... except in his vault there seemed to be endless piles of various precious bones. Is eating osteomancers a better way to gain magic? Or just an excuse to eliminate enemies? Or both? And yet his staff are working hard to create "golems" (clones) of magic folk, in order the Hierarch could continue his avaricious eating.
The story began as a heist, and twists into a trap that delivers Daniel and his magical friends to the Hierarch. And the whole thing rolls on and on, until there is a final showdown, and Daniel wins, killing and eating half the Hierarch's heart, and takes away the Hierarch's golem to raise as his own.
1st read: 2014
2nd read: 2016
A very enjoyable ride.
Spoiler
Daniel is a man whose father gave him many gifts -- fed him bones and taught him how to draw magic from the memory of what he ate, as well the ability to be loved no matter what. I'm not clear on how people become magic though. Anyone seem able to mix bones together according to recipe and have specific results, some are able to add their essence to the mix and make it stronger, the best are able to do what Daniel does--but his is a special talent, beyond what one could acquire by training and experience? Not sure why his father gave him so very, very much, at the expense of his own life it seems. Should I assume it to be simply a father's love?The Hierarch of California is a tyrant who eats the bodies of osteomancers because bones are becoming more and more scarce.... except in his vault there seemed to be endless piles of various precious bones. Is eating osteomancers a better way to gain magic? Or just an excuse to eliminate enemies? Or both? And yet his staff are working hard to create "golems" (clones) of magic folk, in order the Hierarch could continue his avaricious eating.
The story began as a heist, and twists into a trap that delivers Daniel and his magical friends to the Hierarch. And the whole thing rolls on and on, until there is a final showdown, and Daniel wins, killing and eating half the Hierarch's heart, and takes away the Hierarch's golem to raise as his own.
1st read: 2014
2nd read: 2016