I swapped my kindle back in 2018 and am unable to recover this title. I appriciate the opportunity that was given for review but sadly can't complete it for this title. Based on Rin's other books, 4 Stars. Many thanks.

I give this book a 3 maybe 3.5 stars out of 5. I read the first book The Bone Witch and was a left a little confused. It could be because I don't read a lot of fantasy, I used to enjoy reading supernatural witchcraft type of novels but now as I am aging enjoy more psychological types. This book was much better than the first as I found it going more into the story of Tea and Kalen, the respect and romance budding between these two. I read it last year and didn't review it right away. I have to say the story didn't stick with me and I did find it confusing sometimes going back and forth from past to present. I might reread this book and finish the series with book 3 as I hate not finishing series. The cover is beautiful.

Author Rin Chupeco's <em>The Bone Witch</em> was a much-anticipated novel and received mostly positive reviews and so the second volume in The Bone Witch series is also a very much anticipated book. Fans of the first should appreciate this second, but for different reasons.

In the first book, Chupeco gives us tremendous mood while laying the ground work for this new world. In this volume, we get more action taking place in the world, with the assumption that most of us are already familiar with the world. We also get the development of more romance between our Bone Witch, Tea, and Kalen - the man set to become a ruler.

The action here mainly follows Tea as she is set on vengeance ... er, revenge ... against those who had tried to stop her before. And when you piss off someone who can raise the dead to become their own, personal army, you should know you are in trouble.

War is coming between the different clans and Tea has chosen a side, which means there are plenty of people looking to stop her. But Tea will find challenges in unexpected places.

I personally did not enjoy this book as much as the first. I liked getting to know the world and the characters in the first book and here I felt that at least one character, Tea, was changed - and not for the better - from how she had first been established. Her entire focus of revenge seemed out of place for someone trained the way she was (even if that training had been accelerated). The entire purpose of the first volume was rather lofty ... understanding and acceptance and control of phenomenal power. Here the purpose is nothing more than petty revenge.

The 'romance' here is well done and plays an important role, which I found rather interesting. However, it also feels a little purposeful, with the intention of creating a mystique to get the reader to buy the next volume to find out what happens next. I tend not to go in for this kind of sucker story-telling. I'll buy the next book if I'm drawn to the character(s) and story. In this case I'm not really that interested, and even though I've read two volumes, I can't see myself continuing with the series.

Looking for a good book? Rin Chupeco's <em>The Heart Forger</em> follows up the popular <em>The Bone Witch</em>, and fans of the first will likely enjoy this. For those who were more ambivalent, this definitely adds more action, but sacrifices some character to do so.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I give the book four stars. I really enjoyed the story and I really liked the characters. I would definitely recommend the book.

The Heart Forger was an incredible follow up to the Bone Witch and was everything i had hoped for and more. I would highly recomend this book to everyone.

Unique, thrilling fantasy adventure with strong, kick-ass female protagonist. The worldbuilding supports the story so well, the characters are very diverse, the plot twists are wild, and the magic is so unique. This series is head and shoulders beyond other ya fantasy--romance, adventure, thrilling adventures, so amazing!

WOW. That's the only word I can think of to describe my feelings. I did not think it was possible to upstage the first in the series, The Bone Witch, but the author did. The world-building is excellent and the character development makes me greedy for more. There is only one left in the series, and I'm already hoping that the author will change her mind and set more stories in this world. Highly recommended.

I'm so late getting to this review (I blame pregnancy nausea...and she's almost 6 months now!), but I wanted to make sure that I eventually took time to write one because I really enjoyed this book much more than the first. Mind, there's still some stilted dialogue, and I am still struggling to connect to more than one character, BUT this was just overall a much more enjoyable read. There's a definitive uptick in the action as progress is made in both past and present. Definitely worth sticking with this series!

I didn't remember hardly anything from the first book so this was a STRUGGLE. Once I got back into the groove, I started enjoying it again. I really wish there was a little recap in the beginning of a series, especially fantasy books.

So many questions I had from the first book were answered and now I have so many more questions!! I cannot wait for the third installment. I have recommended this book to many of our patrons and they have all come back with positive reviews! Rin Chupeco is a master world builder. I was swept up in the story from the first page.

“I suppose the trouble began again when I tried raising a king from the dead.”

Wow. What a tagline, eh? This series just gets better. Before I picked up my copy I heard a few bloggers mention this wasn't as good as the first.

Au contraire, my friends.

THF flowed like a fine wine (or a sweet hard cider, if your tastes run more like mine) and held me captive to the very end. My love for Tea grew as she continued her dark journey and undeniable transformation. As her world becomes ever more complicated and thick with betrayal, she becomes more intriguing, a bit more real and yet far more otherworldly. And she's a total BADASS.

Other characters come to the forefront to challenge perceptions and tug at heartstrings, like our young Heart Forger. Darkness also takes the forefront and there are twists that shock and shake your ideas as to where this story is really taking us. Even as the mysteries and legacies unfold I found myself faint and breathless. My heart weak and broken. And yet determined. Much like our little bone witch.

What's so amazing about this story to me is the level of intensity Chupeco is able to create as we read in dual timelines. One could easily get caught between these two worlds and left in the dust confused and frustrated- but Chupeco is a gifted wordsmith and seamlessly stitches the parallels that make this style and story leap from the pages, grab you by the throat and drag you in, helplessly caught up in what seems like an endless and unwinnable battle of wits, strength, magic and absolute power. Truly mindblowing.

The struggle to find truth, control and ultimately peace is still Tea's driving force but dark magic and harsh realities will rock her to her core. Can she save the realms, her people, her heart? Or will she finally fall and lose it all?

The Heart Forger leaves us with many revelations and just as many questions. And I'll wait anxiously, nervously and very impatiently for what comes next.

It took me a bit to get back into this story as I was having trouble remembering exactly how The Bone Witch had ended, but considering that it's been a few months since I finished I was able to pick back up with this sequel pretty quickly. I loved getting to see all of these characters continue to change and grow, and especially the mystery of how things are going to move from the story Tea is telling the Bard about the past to what they're doing in Daanoris in the present and how those two things are going to eventually come together (though even by the end of the book there's still more to discover to reconcile the two stories in the next book). I loved the audiobook again this time around; both the narrators do such a good job setting the mood for the story and bringing each character to life and giving them such distinct personalities. The descriptions and world-building are still very rich and engaging (and sometimes eerie as heck) this time around, especially as we learn more about the asha and heart forging. I enjoyed all the twists and turns (one part had my mouth literally dropping open in surprise) and really can't wait to see what's going to happen next.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

WHY DID I LISTEN TO THE HEART FORGER BY RIN CHUPECO?
The Heart Forger by Rin Chupeco is the sequel to The Bone Witch, so I basically KNEW that I had to listen to it via audio. Once I am on a roll with a series, I do not intend to stop. Plus after listening to what I thought was the last Netgalley book from my queue on Overdrive, I saw this one become newly available. This is a book I absolutely HAD to listen to. It felt quite important to me to know what comes next. Also, I cannot resist a book with strong world building and a gorgeous cover — much like this book.

WHAT’S THE STORY HERE?
Well, Tea is on the path for revenge. You see, book one, she learns all about her powers and necromancy (being a dark Asha). She resurrects her brother Fox, right. Well, the royals are about to get what is coming to them — given they took the life of her love. So, anyways, we finally get to see Tea with her love Kalen and how their relationship comes to be. We get a sense of why Tea is the way that she is in present day (the story alternates between past and present). Anyways, there’s a sleeping curse and Prince Kance succumbs to it. The only way to cure it is to find the heart forger. Only he’s off doing this whole healing thing and no one knows where he is. And so, there’s a journey to find him. AND THIS IS WHERE TEA FIGURES OUT HER FEELINGS FOR KALEN.

HOW DID I LIKE THE HEART FORGER?
I enjoyed The Heart Forger. The plotting is well done and intricate. It makes sense how Chupeco lays out the events of past and present. I loved that there are a lot of queer characters – how great is it that they have such important roles in this story. This book and storyline reminds me a lot of The Name Of The Wind, only we will actually get a conclusion sooner rather than later. I do really want to re-read this and The Bone Witch via physical book as I think I missed a few things via audio.

HOW’S THE NARRATION?
The audiobook is narrated again by Emily Woo Zeller and Will Damron. I think personally this is NOT my favorite book that’s been narrated by Zeller. Her voice just comes across as mewling to me. It’s just not my preferred style, I suppose. There are people who will enjoy the audio. For me though, it’s a means to get through a large TBR. I’d say your mileage may vary when it comes to the audiobook.

This is the second book in the series. It has a great many names starting with the letter "K". You have to concentrate to not mix them up. The plot speed is very slow, and with the names being so close to each other, I can't even list them all for you. Eventually, it was overwhelming to me and that's not usual.

I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Net Galley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and this review is left of my own free will.

A beautiful sequel to "The Bone Witch." Anything that begins with the sentence "She wore the corpses for show." is bound to be an interesting read, and this didn't disappoint. It reads more like an adult book at times, but then the characters remind you that this is actually young adult. I am looking forward to the third book, and the conclusion of Tea's story.

This is book two of the Bone Witch series by Rin Chupeco. I loved this book. The isolation of Tea and the revenge she wants to pursue are wonderful. The mystery of her powers is wonderful and awesome. The fact she lives alone in isolation is not sad but expected. I can't wait for the third book.

Love love love love! It was awesome, fantastic. I adore how Tea progresses. The Deava are so cool. I cannot wait for the next book.

A wonderful second installment--I loved The Bone Witch, and it was good to get more of the story. I love how this feels fresh and new, and yet also feels steeped in myth and legend. My only regret is that I've already somehow missed requesting the third and final installment, so I'm going to have to wait a long while to see how the story ends.

A wonderful fantasy read.

The Heart Forger is the second novel in The Bone Witch series, where Rin Chupeco brings us directly back to the world of asha right after the first novel leaves off. Tea, a dark asha and bone witch, has mastered bringing the dead backs to life and hopes for revenge after being exiled from her kingdom.

I can easily say The Heart Forger is one of my favorite reads of 2018, which is funny considering how I wasn’t a fan of The Bone Witch when I read it last year. The Bone Witch is slower (to me, at least) and focuses on descriptions and worldbuilding, which is an entire 180 from its sequel. We’re continuing the story of Tea, who is a bone witch that can raise the dead, in the past (Tea as a young asha) and the present (Tea telling the story to the Bard).

It’s not exactly confirmed, but it looks like Tea is hovering between a villain and a hero, much like Adelina Amouteru from The Young Elites. We’ll know for sure what Tea’s actions will lead to in the third and final book of the trilogy coming out next year, which is currently titled The Shadowglass.

The Heart Forger is fast paced—Chupeco focuses on action, characters, and plot rather than descriptions and worldbuilding, though those who aren’t familiar will have to read The Bone Witch first to get a sense of the characters and world before continuing. There is never a dull moment, something I haven’t found in my reading for a longgg while, and I found myself turning the pages of my iPad so quickly I might have left a mark on there.

One of the things I enjoyed back in The Bone Witch (and partially why I decided to give the sequel a try rather than skipping over it) were the characters. The first book only gave a small taste, but the second book is full of sass from Tea, Fox, Kalen, Khalad—the entire of cast of characters—and it made The Heart Forger much more entertaining. Chupeco is going to be pulling different emotions the entire time—from excitement to terror to laughter—and it’ll probably be simultaneously as well.

The wordiness and slow pace of The Bone Witch is well worth it when looking forward to the rest of the series—I’m so glad I gave The Heart Forger a chance, and I can’t wait to see how Chupeco will end the series next year with The Shadowglass

I read The Bone Witch a little over a year ago. This sequel builds upon the rich narrative, character development and world building Chupeco weaves to share Tea's tale. Readers can expect a particularly dark and complex narrative. There is a lot going on from a storytelling perspective and at times it is a tad hard to follow for this reason. The novel consists of before and after tellings--basically the tale of what leads Tea down a dark path and the journey into another kingdom for a variety of reasons (I won't spoil anything!) and then a jump forward to the after tale told by a Bard where we encounter a very different, and darker, quite frightening Tea.

While some questions are answered and mysteries uncovered, there remain a number of questions and more opportunity for exploration in order to connect the dots with exactly all the events alluded to throughout the book. The Heart Forger is lovely in its fantastical delve into Gothic mystery and magic. This is definitely a book for a teen who is an upper level reader or an adult who enjoys YA fiction that is on the cusp of transitioning to the general adult science fiction/fantasy section.

Readers who've enjoyed authors like Leigh Bardugo, Sarah J Maas, and Laini Taylor as well as Indian and Middle Eastern mythology inspired fiction like Roshani Chokshi's Star-Touched Queen and A Crown of Wishes or works by Renee Ahdieh or Emily R. King's Hundredth Queen series will enjoy these works by Chupeco. (All of which I've reviewed, so please feel free to search my blog for reviews)

Final Rating: 4 out of 5 stars