Everything I wanted it to be and more. I can’t recommend this duology enough!

Saskia is intent on revenge. She’s returned to Ivory Hall (a magic school) but with another version of hers memories. Including, a deep love for a boy who doesn’t love her in this reality. She and a team of friends are a part of the Bone Games. A dangerous competition that will require their wits, strength, and consciences. Leading to a heartfelt, satisfying conclusion without being schmaltzy.

Saskia’s growth as a character and her acceptance of her choices, bad and good, was one of my favorite parts. The romance was full of longing and the perfect amount of slow burn. The friendships were such a beautiful part of the story. You couldn’t help but love her Bone Games team. The fantasy-world was unique and well-developed. A must read!

The words for this book are not there. I loved it so much! It was the perfect ending to a wonderful duology and I'm so happy to have been lucky enough to get an ARC of this book through NetGalley.

I know this review is late in the making, but I had to still say something.

The writing for this book was intriguing. Keeping track of the paths for each character had to take skill and determination on Shields part. The situations the characters get into, the magic system that is used, and so much more. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

I was so excited to pick this book up! Last year I devoured The Bone Charmer in one night, and this book was exactly the same. After rereading the first book (Which I totally needed to do, as I forgot so much!) I immediately plunged into this book and read it in a day fueled by caffeine and snacks.

This book is a bit different than the first book, because we lose the dual timeline POVS that made the first book so interesting (and a bit confusing at times!) Never fear though, because this book focuses on the Saskia that survived going through the bone games of Ivory tower, which she must complete for her studies to become a bone charmer. There are a lot of crime-esque trials, which I absolutely loved! I also actually really liked that while we only have one Saskia in this book, she still retains some knowledge of the other timeline we read about in the last book, so it’s not entirely a waste of time.

As with the first book, I absolutely loved the magic system in this book. The ability to read bones and blood was fascinating, and I really enjoyed the scenes were readings were done. The general concept of the strength of bones and especially the bones of several generations was quite interesting and provided a lot of the conflict and danger in this book!

As with the first book, I love how everything is revealed in a timely and well paced manner. We discover things as the characters do, and there were very few-to-no info dumps, which always makes me happy!

I won’t spoil the ending, but I think that the ending was perfect for this book! It was a beautiful bittersweet ending that didn’t overshadow the lingering feelings of grief that Saskia still experiences from the first book.

All in all, I really enjoyed this conclusion to The Bone Charmer duology and would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves unique magic systems, dark fantasy, and books that deal with real emotions. I’d give this 4/5 stars, because I feel like the book lagged a bit in the middle, but definitely picked back up again for the ending!

I was provided with an eARC of this book in exchange for a fair review.

A GREAT sequel for a super underappreciated duology! I feel like this book (and its predecesor) dont get nearly the hype they deserve. Saskia is such a great MC and I really love how this story has played out. In book 1 we saw her life timeline split and then rejoin (sort of...), and now we see the result of that. We see Saskia try and reconcile the events that happened in her current timeline with the things she remembers from the other, all while fearing for her very life. Latham is a complex villain and we learn more and more of him from Saskia's Seeing. The ending was perfect and unpredictable.

All in all, I will DEFINITELY be revisiting this one in the future.

After reading The Bone Charmer, I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was. The world, the characters, everything. And I think The Bone Thief serves as a very good conclusion to it. I thoroughly loved its theme of dealing with grief and using revenge as a crutch to survive it. I have always been a fan of blinding rage and revenge driven narratives and this book does it beautifully.

Although, I enjoyed this book and its magic system and the stakes it created, I wanted more out of it. After reading The Bone Charmer, I was looking for an expansion and deeper exploration of the worldbuilding - which unfortunately, fell short for me. Also, I found the writing to be very straightforward, which can be a good thing; but in this case it didn't languish enough on the details, such as characters' appearances and the atmosphere; which made the world seem incomplete and left holes in my imagination.

This is a very good follow up sequel to the original first book. I would recommend this series to middle schoolers who are transitioning from easy chapter books into higher reading levels. I gave this book four out of five stars.

The main character Saskia has lost so much and where many people would lose hope she keeps on fighting. Saskia is set on the path of revenge where she realizes she has more in common with the villain then shes comfortable with. It really frustrates me when miscommunication is used to cause tension, especially in a romance. I dont find it very believable that Saskia would avoid hearing Bram out. Human nature doesnt typically work that way. I preferred the romance between Saskia and Bram in the first book, but I still enjoyed seeing them reconnect in this sequel. Now that the two different paths have become one I'm glad Saskia had her memories from the other path.

A couple of the characters made me suspicious and it turns out I was right not to trust them. I just wish Saskia would have seen it sooner. She should have been asking herself why the council didnt question the villains past lover and why they were assigning her team such terrible assignments. I did really love her team and how they all became super close friends who had each others backs no matter how hard the villain tried to cause distrust between them. Saskia friendship with her roommate Tessa was probably my favorite. I could tell it was in her nature to be a healer. She's so kind and caring I couldn't help but love her.

This sequel still had the amazing bone and tattoo magic that's incorporated in every aspect of their world. Theres many different types of bone magic like healing, divination, and battle. As for the tattoos, they appear on peoples skin whenever a big life changing moment happens. I really enjoyed the school setting and visiting the stunning glass city. We also get to experience an escape room type setting where Saskias team has to solve a puzzle to get out. The black market was another fantastic setting. I was having some trouble remembering what happened in each time line in the first book but once I got further into this sequel there was enough information for me to piece it together.

I think I preferred the first book because of the dual time line where Saskia lives two alternate paths at once. Besides that I loved how the plot featured a competitive elements with the bone games trials all the second year students take part in. They were intense and a lot of fun. I'm still not sure what the purpose of giving Saskia a spell book bound with the flesh of someone she cared about but I liked how twisted it was. There was always this undercurrent of danger with Saskia knowing the villain wants her dead. I think plot holes can be difficult to avoid when dealing with time travel but I think the author did a great job answering all my questions at the end.

I enjoyed book #1 in this series and this second entry in the series did not let me down. I look forward to more entries into this series.

I love these books. I know they won't be everyone's cup of tea, and at times the plot gets a little convoluted, but I'm usually pretty content to just hang on for the ride if I'm enjoying myself. And I really enjoyed myself! The world building was delightfully strange and unique and a little sparse (which I like), and we get just enough time with the side characters that I love them and want to take care of them.

Readers who get bored with a lot of inner dialogue about romantic feelings and yearning will probably be frustrated with how much page time Saskia devotes in this book to thinking about Bram.

Ultimately a charming little duology that probably won't make many waves except for the right readers. But I know I'll be keeping an eye out for future Breeana Shields books.

This was really good! I was on the edge of my seat, and I simply had to keep reading to know what happened next. A worthy sequel, one I can definitely recommend!

Saskia returns and must train to win one more fight with Latham. This picks right up where book 1 left off. Saskia is still grieving her losses and trying to move on, but she also knows she is the only one who can stop Latham while at the same time seeking her revenge for all he has done to her and her family.

This was a fantastic conclusion. Highly recommended as a series and will definitely watch for future works from Shields.

The Bone Thief is the follow up book to The Bone Charmer and continues Saskia's journey in her plot to exact revenge. The concept of the world is brilliant and creative, I felt drawn in learning about bone magic, and even more by the characters. There's amazing character development and the friendships feel authentic and real. I loved the adventure aspect of the novel and thought it complemented the first book really well and flawlessly wraps up the duology. Definitely recommend to those interested in dark fantasy!

The Bone Thief picks up almost immediately where The Bone Charmer left off. Saskia is grappling with merging memories of two timelines and grieving the loss of her mother. Now at Ivory Hall, the school for bone magic she attended in her other timeline, she is trying to hide her mastery of multiple bone magics and struggling with remembering friendships nobody else has experienced. Latham, the mustache-twirling villain, is still on the loose and Saskia’s life is clearly still in danger.

While I still had fun reading this novel and appreciated the expanded worldbuilding and friendships explored here, this felt like more of a run-of-the-mill YA fantasy than its predecessor. I think the big appeal of the first novel was the fascinating interplay of two disparate timelines, but without that mechanic the storyline didn’t hold my attention as well. There is still some interesting exploration of fate versus free will, and the ending is, ultimately, satisfying, but I was a little disappointed in how this book stepped away from such an original premise and instead included more tropes and typical YA plot devices. I still think this is a great series to recommend to tweens and younger teens looking for an age-appropriate fantasy with a darker world and magic system and I look forward to recommending this series to the teens at my library for years to come.

Thank you to Page Street Publishing for a free copy of The Bone Thief in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed book one in this series, so I've been looking forward to this book for a while!

The Bone Thief is a relatively quick read, the pacing was good and the story kept me engaged.. I feel like the character development was much better than in The Bone Charmer, and I liked Saskia more. The world building improved as well. The plot is intriguing, and while I enjoyed it, I feel like it could've been fleshed out even more.

The series is definitely worth checking out!

Saskia's story concludes in The Bone Thief! In this book you will find her return to Ivory Hall to commence her Bone Magic training. Readers join Saskia in the labyrinthine web of what timeline you are in and what relationships are from which. She has to partner Bram- who now has no connection to her- in the Bone Games. It's an exciting sprint to the finish. You'll definitely want to restart the series once you've turned that last page.

I'm excited to be a part of the THE BONE THIEF blog tour with The Fantastic Flying Book Club from May 20th - May 26th, 2020!

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, Page Street Publishing, in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! In no way does this affect my rating or review.

All included quotes have been taken from an ARC and may not match the finished publication.

Content Warning: Death, Torture, Attempted Murder, Overall morbid tone

"It’s both the blessing and the curse of being a Bone Charmer. Seeing people for who they really are and for who they could have been in a different life. Knowing the potential for good and evil in all of us."

First off, I must say that it’s very difficult to write a review for this book as it will certainly spoil book one, The Bone Charmer for anyone who hasn’t read it. Please, readers, beware reading this review if you haven’t picked up this duology yet!

When I read The Bone Charmer last year, I was blown away by, first of all, it’s uniqueness, and secondly, the plot twists. The Bone Thief in absolutely no way, loses pace in the plot as it picks up shortly after where book one ended. With her mother dead---murdered by Latham for her bones, Saskia is next. Now stuck in a different timeline where most everything is different, Saskia must uncover Latham’s true intent with her family’s bones before it’s too late.

"Revenge is a jealous master, Gran used to say. She meant it as a warning---a plea to always seek forgiveness instead of vengeance. But that was before Latham killed her. Before he killed my mother.
Now I've given my entire body---heart and soul---to my plan for revenge. I'm the handmaiden of vengeance.
There's no time for love."

Desperate to retrieve the stolen bones of her Gran and mother after she was murdered to stop him from gaining all three sights, Saskia quickly learns that Latham is onto her scheme to catch him when he sends her a book made from the skin of her mother. With time running out, Saskia must undergo incredible trials at Ivory Hall orchestrated by Latham himself. Purposefully designed to torment her, Saskia’s desire for revenge grows into something dark, hindering her from trusting her friends and putting others’ before her ambitions.
I’ve been making the same mistakes as Latham. His whole life was consumed by a burning desire for revenge. He had something lovely with Avalina, but he let his bitterness become more important than anything else. He was willing to let happiness slip through his fingers in pursuit of making those who had wronged him suffer.

Ultimately about how revenge can cloud one’s judgment, and the process of healing from the grief of losing a loved one, The Bone Thief is an intensely introspective end to The Bone Charmer duology. Same as my thoughts for book one, I wish there had been much more detail in the characters’ appearance and overall world building. I feel like this is a world my gothic atmosphere-loving self would want to get lost in and just could get a good enough glimpse into.

Vulgarity: None.
Sexual content: Minimal - kissing only.
Violence: Moderate.

My Rating: ★★★★

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Fantastic Flying Book Club, Netgalley, and Page Street Kids for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.

Ugh I’m so over duologies because that means they are OVER so quickly!


This was such an interesting book and I’m so glad that I got to read it! We are in Saskia’s world again and she is having to hide the fact that she has been secretly training with her mother in a kind of magic that wasn’t supposed to be active but you know… you’ll have to read the first one to learn more about that story.

There’s also some sort of alternate timeline plot here where people that Saskia knew and interacted with in the original timeline haven’t been in her life in the same way in this timeline, which was just so interesting to see. I don’t know if I’ve seen a book quite like this before, and I found it to be so interesting! I think it worked out that this was a duology because it wrapped up the story pretty well, and Saskia was able to do what she needed to in both books.

I enjoyed this story a lot, and I think that Saskia’s quest for revenge and justice was one that I could get behind, and I had a lot of fun reading it!

Disclaimer: I received this arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Bone Thief

Author: Breeana Shields

Book Series: The Bone Charmer Book 2

Rating: 3.5/5

Publication Date: May 26, 2020

Genre: YA Fantasy

Recommended Age: 15+ (violence, gore, romance)

Publisher: Page Street Kids

Pages: 384

Amazon Link

Synopsis: Saskia returns to Ivory Hall to train in bone magic, determined to stop Latham from gaining the power of all three Sights—past, present, and future. But danger lurks within the fortress’s marrow. Trials are underway for the apprentices, and the tasks feel specifically engineered to torment Saskia, which is exactly what Latham wants.

As she grows increasingly more suspicious, her thirst for revenge becomes all-consuming. Together with the friends she can trust and the boy she loved in another lifetime, Saskia traces clues from Latham’s past to determine what he’ll do next. Their search leads them across Kastelia and brings them to a workshop housing a vast collection of horrors, including the bones Latham stole from Gran, and the knowledge that the future isn’t all that’s in jeopardy—but the past as well.

Review: I was really excited to read this book (because, I mean, I look at the cover it’s gorgeous!) Anyways, the book was a lot better fleshed out for the character development then the previous book and I was so happy for that! The pacing is great and the plot is still so intriguing! I also felt like the world building had gotten better!

However, I still felt like there could have been more for the world building and I feel like that romance lacked in this one. The romance was there, but it wasn’t doing it for me. It felt a lot more cliché and tropey than in the first one and I got tired of it fast.

Verdict: It’s a great story!

The Bone Thief is the end of a duology with The Bone Charmer being the first in the series. If you haven’t read the first book, I highly recommend you go and order a copy immediately. This series doesn’t disappoint or suffer from a dull and frustrating ending--- a problem I often run into when reading series. The story follows Saskia, who returns to Ivory Hall to train in bone magic. She’s determined to stop Latham and to recover her mother and grandmother’s bones.

This series has been fun to read with the multiple paths and keeping track of what was going on, and the relationships between the characters. Saskia knows all of the paths, and it was interesting to see how it affected her character development and choices she made.

This story is beautifully written, and the world-building and character development is done well. The Bone Charmer series is definitely one of my favorites.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

~ ARC received in exchange for an honest review ~

'The Bone Thief' is the second book in the Bone Charmer series written by YA fantasy author Breeana Shields.
Overall this book felt much more fleshed out than the previous and Saskia, the main character, is also much easier to warm to. As a result of the events in 'The Bone Charmer' she is much more mature in how she interacts with other people and isn't as judgemental. Her motives are clearer, the plot is generally decent and pacing is good. It's a very quick, easy read - although I'd say that the series as a whole is still somewhat lacking in terms of world-building and the development of secondary characters for my taste. The relationship angst also feels contrived to me and a little repetitive since the nature of the story is that the reset button has essentially been pressed on what developed romantically in the first book. Most YA romance just doesn't do it for me though, so it's totally subjective.

~ Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this title ~