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A review by rowena_m_andrews
A Ritual of Bone by Lee C. Conley
4.0
A Ritual of Bone is a perfect read for this time of year, straddling the boundaries between fantasy and horror, and refusing to be defined by either. It blended a low-fantasy, Anglo-Saxon/Viking style world with arcane necromancy and zombies, which is a pairing that I can’t say I’ve ever seen before, but was expertly woven into a narrative that was gripping from the first page, and turned into one of those that means you simply have to keep reading to find out what happens. The worldbuilding was spot-on, and the zombies and cannibalism never became too much as is sometimes the case with any media involving them. Instead, they are an essential part of this world, this narrative, and balanced out by the author’s careful balance and skill at creating a world where all of this feels as though it not only belongs but where all parts – humans, creatures and world – are shaped together and by one another.
This kind of book relied very heavily on atmosphere, and the author delivers, because from the very start the book wraps itself around you, sends chills down your spine, and it only gets more intense from there. It had the creepiness of horror, the tension of suspense, with all the brutality and gore you would expect from this kind of story without ever feeling too much, and there beneath it, all was the emotions, and absolute humanity, of characters, caught up in a world like this.
I am increasingly enjoying books with multiple POVs and storylines, and A Ritual of Bone does this beautifully, with the various threads weaving together at the end to bring together an overarching story. This was done so well, that I wasn’t entirely sure how they were related until they intersected at the end, demonstrating a layered world, that stood well in its individual threads, and then became even stronger when brought together. Every one of the characters was expertly crafted, wonderfully unique with distinctive voices, brought together by the struggle to survive in this brutal world. Each character was gripping in their own way, and for myself, my favourites were Bjorn and Nym, who were both surviving in different ways in this world. The former was probably the storyline that kept me hooked the most, while Nym’s was the one that wrapped itself around my heartstrings, because of her sheer determination to persevere and protect her brother, despite everything she endures.
A Ritual of Bone is a dark read, and not just because of the horror aspects, but because of the different aspects of human nature that are explored and drawn to the surface through the characters attempts to shape what is happening, to endure and survive in a world that isn’t there to shield the nicer aspects of humanity and I loved it. That said, it might not be for everyone because while there was a lovely balance of the gore and brutality with everything else, there is little light to balance it out, which may not be to everyone’s tastes. That isn’t to say there aren’t any, and some of the moments between the characters brought out that lighter side, but in this case, I would say the darkness outweighed the light, and it was glorious.
I thoroughly enjoyed the writing style, and this was a book that hit the ground running, with excellent pacing to maintain the atmosphere and suspense that truly raised A Ritual of Bone to the next level. There were a few places where there was a little too much repetition or where some of the phrasing felt a little heavy-handed, but against the whole, that is a minor criticism, and certainly did not detract from my enjoyment of the writing or the book as a whole. I enjoyed A Ritual of Bone, and I have already snagged a copy of A Ritual of Fresh because I crave more of this series and with Halloween and Norsevember, and these darker nights to feed into the atmosphere it is the perfect time to continue with The Dead Sagas.
A wonderful, refreshing take on horror fantasy and a very solid start to the Dead Sagas. If you want an atmospheric, chilling read that will creep inside and wrap itself around you, with that touch of epic fantasy, and a story that is multi-layered and well-woven then A Ritual of Bone is an excellent read that I would highly recommend.
This kind of book relied very heavily on atmosphere, and the author delivers, because from the very start the book wraps itself around you, sends chills down your spine, and it only gets more intense from there. It had the creepiness of horror, the tension of suspense, with all the brutality and gore you would expect from this kind of story without ever feeling too much, and there beneath it, all was the emotions, and absolute humanity, of characters, caught up in a world like this.
I am increasingly enjoying books with multiple POVs and storylines, and A Ritual of Bone does this beautifully, with the various threads weaving together at the end to bring together an overarching story. This was done so well, that I wasn’t entirely sure how they were related until they intersected at the end, demonstrating a layered world, that stood well in its individual threads, and then became even stronger when brought together. Every one of the characters was expertly crafted, wonderfully unique with distinctive voices, brought together by the struggle to survive in this brutal world. Each character was gripping in their own way, and for myself, my favourites were Bjorn and Nym, who were both surviving in different ways in this world. The former was probably the storyline that kept me hooked the most, while Nym’s was the one that wrapped itself around my heartstrings, because of her sheer determination to persevere and protect her brother, despite everything she endures.
A Ritual of Bone is a dark read, and not just because of the horror aspects, but because of the different aspects of human nature that are explored and drawn to the surface through the characters attempts to shape what is happening, to endure and survive in a world that isn’t there to shield the nicer aspects of humanity and I loved it. That said, it might not be for everyone because while there was a lovely balance of the gore and brutality with everything else, there is little light to balance it out, which may not be to everyone’s tastes. That isn’t to say there aren’t any, and some of the moments between the characters brought out that lighter side, but in this case, I would say the darkness outweighed the light, and it was glorious.
I thoroughly enjoyed the writing style, and this was a book that hit the ground running, with excellent pacing to maintain the atmosphere and suspense that truly raised A Ritual of Bone to the next level. There were a few places where there was a little too much repetition or where some of the phrasing felt a little heavy-handed, but against the whole, that is a minor criticism, and certainly did not detract from my enjoyment of the writing or the book as a whole. I enjoyed A Ritual of Bone, and I have already snagged a copy of A Ritual of Fresh because I crave more of this series and with Halloween and Norsevember, and these darker nights to feed into the atmosphere it is the perfect time to continue with The Dead Sagas.
A wonderful, refreshing take on horror fantasy and a very solid start to the Dead Sagas. If you want an atmospheric, chilling read that will creep inside and wrap itself around you, with that touch of epic fantasy, and a story that is multi-layered and well-woven then A Ritual of Bone is an excellent read that I would highly recommend.