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trelari 's review for:
The Bone Raiders
by Jackson Ford
4.25/5 Stars
ARC provided by Orbit Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
You know a book’s got teeth when its very first chapter kicks you awake with a raider tied to a pole and someone muttering:
Somehow, it only escalates from there, in the best possible, teeth-clattering way.
I knew going in that The Bone Raiders would be grimy and unflinching. It’s Jackson Ford, after all, master of making the weird feel real. But what I didn’t expect was how much heart I’d find under the cracked bone armor and spattered blood. This is a story about freedom, fear, loyalty, and the razor’s edge people walk when they’re trying to keep their small world from being swallowed whole.
Our anti-heroes here are messy and magnificent. Garrick, the blacksmith, just wants a stiff drink and a place to hammer metal in peace, until the Khan’s Will and a burning banner make that impossible. Sayana, the raider scout, is a knot of scars, snarl, and surprising tenderness. She’s the kind of heroine who, when tied up as lizard food, hisses at the gods:
…and then saves herself with nothing but a sharp stone and some spectacular hip flexibility. Relatable? Not really. Hilarious? Absolutely.
The Rakada themselves are brilliant: raiders decked out in human bones who terrify entire villages without always spilling blood. As Hogelun reflects:
It’s a raw, morally grey code, but in Ford’s hands, it feels disturbingly reasonable. Their bone-clad swagger is balanced with a desperate scrappiness that makes you root for them, even when you know you probably shouldn’t.
And the araatan? You will never look at giant fire-breathing lizards the same way again. I still can’t decide what’s more jaw-dropping, the way Ford makes these beasts feel mythic, or the fact that Sayana somehow winds up riding one, steering it with sheer nerve and stubbornness.
Is it faultless? Not quite. A few parts in the middle feel more like wandering than raiding; the characters are strong enough to carry it, but the story could have tightened its reins here and there. And while the clan banter is gold, sometimes the side characters blur into each other like smoke. But when the bones rattle, the steel rings true, and the last stand comes, it hits.
If you love your fantasy raw-boned, weirdly funny, and anchored by characters who feel real enough to bleed (and they do, spectacularly), The Bone Raiders is worth every page. Jackson Ford writes people at the end of their rope with a sneer and a grin, and somehow, you’ll find yourself loving every minute of their dusty, desperate ride.
Perfect for: fans of The Lies of Locke Lamora, The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t with Her Mind", or anyone who knows a good raid should be terrifying, and a little bit glorious.
ARC provided by Orbit Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
You know a book’s got teeth when its very first chapter kicks you awake with a raider tied to a pole and someone muttering:
“You are so fucked.”
Somehow, it only escalates from there, in the best possible, teeth-clattering way.
I knew going in that The Bone Raiders would be grimy and unflinching. It’s Jackson Ford, after all, master of making the weird feel real. But what I didn’t expect was how much heart I’d find under the cracked bone armor and spattered blood. This is a story about freedom, fear, loyalty, and the razor’s edge people walk when they’re trying to keep their small world from being swallowed whole.
Our anti-heroes here are messy and magnificent. Garrick, the blacksmith, just wants a stiff drink and a place to hammer metal in peace, until the Khan’s Will and a burning banner make that impossible. Sayana, the raider scout, is a knot of scars, snarl, and surprising tenderness. She’s the kind of heroine who, when tied up as lizard food, hisses at the gods:
“Little help?”
…and then saves herself with nothing but a sharp stone and some spectacular hip flexibility. Relatable? Not really. Hilarious? Absolutely.
The Rakada themselves are brilliant: raiders decked out in human bones who terrify entire villages without always spilling blood. As Hogelun reflects:
“Better to do it properly, with as little bloodshed as you could manage.”
It’s a raw, morally grey code, but in Ford’s hands, it feels disturbingly reasonable. Their bone-clad swagger is balanced with a desperate scrappiness that makes you root for them, even when you know you probably shouldn’t.
And the araatan? You will never look at giant fire-breathing lizards the same way again. I still can’t decide what’s more jaw-dropping, the way Ford makes these beasts feel mythic, or the fact that Sayana somehow winds up riding one, steering it with sheer nerve and stubbornness.
Is it faultless? Not quite. A few parts in the middle feel more like wandering than raiding; the characters are strong enough to carry it, but the story could have tightened its reins here and there. And while the clan banter is gold, sometimes the side characters blur into each other like smoke. But when the bones rattle, the steel rings true, and the last stand comes, it hits.
If you love your fantasy raw-boned, weirdly funny, and anchored by characters who feel real enough to bleed (and they do, spectacularly), The Bone Raiders is worth every page. Jackson Ford writes people at the end of their rope with a sneer and a grin, and somehow, you’ll find yourself loving every minute of their dusty, desperate ride.
Perfect for: fans of The Lies of Locke Lamora, The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t with Her Mind", or anyone who knows a good raid should be terrifying, and a little bit glorious.