"See These Bones" by Chris Tullbane is a spellbinding fantasy novel that plunges readers into a world of magic, mystery, and ancient prophecies. Tullbane's richly imagined universe is brought to life through intricate world-building, immersive storytelling, and a cast of compelling characters.

The story follows the journey of Tav, a young woman with a unique and dangerous ability: the power to see the memories of the dead by touching their bones. When a series of brutal murders rocks her city, Tav finds herself drawn into a web of intrigue and danger as she races to unravel the secrets hidden within the bones and uncover the truth behind the killings.

Tullbane's writing is lyrical and atmospheric, with vivid descriptions that transport readers to a world teeming with magic and menace. The plot is intricately woven, with twists and turns that keep readers guessing until the very end. As Tav delves deeper into the mystery, she uncovers dark secrets and ancient conspiracies that threaten to consume her and those she holds dear.

The characters are beautifully drawn, each with their own strengths, flaws, and hidden depths. Tav is a compelling and relatable protagonist, her courage and determination shining through even in the face of overwhelming odds. The supporting cast, including the enigmatic sorcerer Kael and the fierce warrior Riordan, adds depth and complexity to the story, their interactions driving the plot forward with intensity and emotion.

"See These Bones" is a gripping and immersive read that will captivate fans of fantasy and mystery alike. Chris Tullbane has crafted a world that is both enchanting and perilous, inviting readers on a journey of discovery, danger, and redemption. This novel is a testament to the power of storytelling, offering a richly imagined escape into a realm where the past holds the key to the future.

DNF 23%
I just couldn`t go on anyone. I was bored beyond belief. The writing was okay, almost a tad corny. But it went on and on and could not grip me at all.

1.5 stars.

I'm a big fan of superhero stories, especially origin stories. See These Bones has an inventive premise and interesting characters. Damian is unpopular, snarky, and the kind of boy I would have fallen for in high school. The pacing in this book was good and the writing really surprised me. I'm definitely looking forward to the rest of this series.

What an awesome alternative to your regular superhero cape wearing origins story.
It’s gripping and funny and really gets your rooting for the underdog!
For a co-Ed college there really is very little romance but plenty of testosterone but in a way you can feel comes from being a young adult / teenage boy.
You think you know how the story is going to go but it weaves in and out of the obvious with breadcrumbs to book two, which I can’t wait for. I am a fan!

i was hooked from the summary and I'm really glad that I read this, the characters were great. I thought that the premise was great and I enjoyed reading it.

I was granted access to this title by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

There were a lot of things I enjoyed about this book! Origin stories can sometimes feel a little cliche, and while there were definitely identifiable tropes that the book fell in to, it still felt fresh and exciting. A great read for fans of X-Men and similar stories. It was the rare book where I didn't grow to like the main character, but I didn't find this off-putting as I normally would.

Post-apocalyptic Superhero Academy featuring a necromancer fighting against the expectation that he's gonna kill everyone? Sounds fantastic, and while this wasn't quite what I expected going in, it was extremely engaging, very gore-y, and yet kept all the coming-of-age elements of other magical academy books.

Content warnings include: violence, gore, graphic injury, character death, casually cissexist misogynistic fatphobic racist language, death of parents, foster care, character growing up in orphanage, bullying, burning alive, electroshocks, adults flirting with minors.

This was the first time in a while that I've read a book by (I assume?) and about a cishet guy and... it really showed. I was also very quickly reminded of why I usually do not reach for books by and about that demographic anymore.

I've read my fair share of books about horny teenage boys, and this one was one of the worse executions of teenage horniness, particularly since much of it was used as running jokes. It just made the humor sound juvenile.
You absolutely can write a teenager who is attracted to women in a non-misogynistic way - this book just didn't manage it. It wasn't even that the protagonist, Damian, was particularly sexist - there as just so much casual sexism (as well as cissexism and fatphobia and racism) embedded in the language, as sadly seems to be the norm for many people these days.
This made it very uncomfortable to read at times. For example, just because the teenage protagonist is a cis straight boy who lusts after and objectifies adult women doesn't make it okay (or funny) for those adult women to flirt back (and to then threaten to mutilate his genitals when that encourages him.)

Damian himself wasn't a bad protagonist. He's heavily shaped by past trauma and how unfairly the world treats him, and he makes mistakes, but I didn't find him unlikeable.
What I did however really dislike was the narrating style. Not because Damian is an unrelatiable narrator (even though he totally is, but really, what did I expect) but because the book is set up as Damian telling the story in retrospect, and as such frequently addresses the reader and alludes to events past and present. Which isn't bad in itself, but happens to be one of my most hated narrating elements. It wasn't my jam, but it did work well for the book and was well written.

The plot was super interesting and immediately engaging, despite the comparatively slow moving beginning. I loved the worldbuilding, the school setting, the history, the powers and the lessons. Damian's journey did seem a bit pointless at times, and to be honest I was a kinda disappointed in the necromancy, but those were only things I noticed in retrospect. While reading I was wholly involved, and I struggled putting the book down to sleep/eat/do anything but keep reading.

It's clearly first in a series. It had a satisfying closed plot and arc that's a lot about finding oneself and has clear coming-of-age elements. There was action and gore (quite a lot of gore, actually) but the main focus in on Damian struggling to find his way. But of course, there's more: there were several surrounding elements that clearly alluded to something happening beyond the scope of Damian's training at the Academy. They were wonderfully implemented, subtle and smoothly integrated but still made me itch from wanting to find out what they were about. As such, if the second book in the series had already been released at the time I read this, I would have immediately bought it to keep reading.

The title "See these bones" along with a powerful cover drew me to Tullbane's Book 1 of his "The Murder of Crows" series. In truth, I am not fond of most post apocalyptic novels. Many times authors fall back on tired tropes. Their plots are as uniform as a McDonald's menu.

While Tullbane does use some tropes ( Damien, our protagonist is an orphan for example.) His willingness to world build a USA dominated by super heroes makes for a fun read. This world has 'capes' --the good guys, and 'black hats' the bad guys. Both fear the 'crows'. These are the necromancers, beings with powers over the dead. Beings who without fail become dangerously insane. Damien, filled with fear and self loathing is one of them.

Book one covers Damien's recruitment, his first year at the Academy, and finally a challenge that
is as unexpected as it is valid. This reader is eager for Book 2.

A great read for YA and dystopian sci fi fans alike.

Full disclosure: I received this ARC from net galley and Ghost Falls Press in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you for this opportunity

The plot is intriguing, kept my attention the whole time. I don’t read YA books which are set in high schools because they don’t interest me anymore - way too much teenage drama for my liking - but in this school the kids a superheroes in training.
Damian was a little too much sometimes. Too much talk about sex or mostly the absence of it. And too much swearing for just the sake of it. But I liked him more than didn’t. As the story goes on, he starts to realize he has friends, he can have friends.

What book comes to mind is Pride and Prejudice. Okay I know, but bear with me just a little bit more. Pride and prejudice dominates the whole book. Damian is too proud to ask for help, to admit he is in deep trouble. The other characters - with a couple of exceptions like Bard - are so full of prejudice that they can’t see or just don’t care who Damian really is instead of what he is.

In this world superheroes are real. But where there are superheroes there sure are villains too. The good guys are Capes, the bad guys are the Black Hats. Damien wants to be a Cape. There is a problem though. He is a Crow, a necromancer destined to be a villain. Because every Crow goes mad and becomes a killer, eventually. So when Damian gets a chance to change his life, he takes it. He goes to the Academy where powered kids study to become Capes. Damian thinks his life will take a turn for the best. But the other students know what he and they hate him for it. Most of the teachers too. But Damien won’t let them stop him to change his destiny.

The book is full of fascinating powers, telekinesis, flying, teleporting. The characters behind them less so. To be fair there are some I liked, Silt and Vibe are two girls who don’t care Damian is a Crow, they become friends. Their conversations made me laugh a lot.

There are some serious questions that were left unanswered. The ending made me swear and it resulted in me wanting to know what happens to Damien next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ghost Falls Press for my copy. All opinions are my own.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

The characters were well-developed.. They had relatable characteristics.
The storyline was EXTREMELY unique in my opinion. I found myself rushing through the pages to find out what happened next.
I cannot wait to read more by this author and in this series.

I really enjoyed this story! This story is character-driven, specifically focusing on the main character, Damian. With an unhero-like name and unhero-like powers, he finds himself sent to what is essentially a hero school. The world-building for this book isn't too complex. The world splintered with the emergence of those with abilities, and the region Damian lives is essentially guarded by those with abilities.

Damian is a really interesting character.and actually seems like an 18 year old kid, with a nice balance between maturity and immaturity. The tension and push for success in school, which Damian sees as his gateway to an actual life, feels real. The school itself is not intended to be cutthroat, which I appreciate. The intention of the teachers and staff is to guide, which can sometimes be difficult to find in books that feature these 'training-someone-to-fight-type' schools.

I'm really looking forward to the next book in this series!

Without a doubt, Chris Tullbane will be a name to watch for in the SFF genres moving forward - he's built a world teeming with life and conflict, introduced a system of superpowers without extensive exposition, and successfully distilled and translated the mind of an 18 year old teenager struggling to cope with life and his burgeoning abilities into one of the best new books I've read in quite a while. Reminiscent of a blend of The Reckoners trilogy by Sanderson meets Sandman Slim by Kadrey with a hint of Shadow Ops by Cole, the Murder of Crows by Tullbane has been placed onto my virtual shelf as one to keep up with. I eagerly anticipate the next release within this universe, and hope to enjoy the rest of his stories for years to come.

Intriguing premise, well realised - I'm very much looking forward to reading the following books in the series.

The initial chapters were a little confusing, the backstory to the book's world was slow coming out, but the book flew past for me and I finished it before I wanted to!

Anyone enjoying modern fantasy / alternate universe reading will thoroughly enjoy this. The characters were engaging, the plot well thought out, the angst fully realised - all in all an engaging read that I didn't want to end!

This is a great story that keeps you hooked until the end. The characters are great and intriguing, would love to see more from this Author!

Love love love was such a page turner from the get go.
-Damian is such a loveable character. I love how it actually grasps that he's just an 18 year old boy. He lusts after girls and his class mates make dick jokes.

This book tells of a boy who is destined to be a bad guy. Lose his mind and take people down when he does snap all because he is a Crow, but he is pretty determined to not turn out like his father. Who took his mother from him and left him to learn to fight and only depend on himself in an orphanage. Till a mysterious man comes and offers him a way to perhaps change his fate. After showing up not many people give him even a fighting chance because of the history of crows but as the story progresses he seems to start to think they might be right he might be losing his mind. So he makes a decision to break a rule and whether he follows through with it will define who and what he will be in the future.

ALSO THE END ! WOW

This is pretty good and has good pacing. I"m a little old for this one but mostly enjoyed it. The main character is likeable and it includes several interesting characters. The author has a good imagination, and I didn't find the story to be predictable.

I really appreciate the NetGalley advanced copy for review!!

While occasionally just a little too raunchy for my sensibilities, (read "i am old") I enjoyed this story anyway. I very much enjoyed the satirical slant to the protagonist voice. I really will look forward to another book to see where this anti-hero goes next.

Such a great twist on the Superhero story!
I enjoyed this book very much and was taken by surprise with how wonderful and likeable the main character Damian is. As a Crow, he's a necromancer and the other students of his new school don't like him because of this as it's believed that Crows turn mad as they get older...

Damian's story starts out very fast paced and there are great side-characters as well. I also loved the way this school works and the unusual dean.
The worldbuilding is wonderful and the take on the superhero genre is fantastic.
More books like this one, please!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this awesome eARC.