Iris has no memories and she's not really trying to discover the truth. She's working as a tightrope walker in a traveling circus to make a living. Her grace and agility help her through these dangerous stunts but she also has a secret. She cannot truly die. It's something she's kept hidden for 10 years now. One day while performing in the streets before a big show in London, she sees a man she recognizes but she's not sure where she knows him from. This causes her slip and fall to what should be her death. The crowd saw her neck snap! But instead she's able to wake up and walk away seemingly unharmed.

After boss discovers her secret and attempts to exploit her to pay off her debts she escapes from the circus and tracks down the man who made her fall. The man Adam knows her past but insists he must discover the truth on her own little by little. But he also wants her to help him find his father before the rest of the secret committee he's involved in realizes that his father is still alive.



Her ability to allude death makes her a target for everyone. She was getting kidnapped every few chapters it seemed. And while Iris is safe from death, the people around her are not. So in her quest to discover her past she has to reckon with how her team is putting their lives at risk to help her.

The Fantastic Freaks are like mutants with special powers who all have a connection to an explosion at a fair in South Kensington. Most of these freaks are also anomalies because of their race and ethnicity compared to the people of London. This allowed the opportunity to introduce characters that hailed from far corners of the world. It's not the main focus but the book does still show some of the discrimination Iris receives as a Black woman during that time period without naming the slurs she's called on page.

The harem didn't work for me. Iris has three men in love with her and in this story it just felt unnecessary. I understood Jinn had a connection with her as her partner in the circus so there was an unrequited love story going on there. But Adam was just in love with the idea of her. And Max I'm not sure what drew him to love her at first sight at all. I didn't feel the chemistry was even there between them to warrant his pining. It teetered into not like other girls territory. Also I would've loved for this story to dive deeper into the men's backgrounds so I could have a better connection to them.

People who are very visual when they read fantasies and are able to picture the setting in their heads like a movie will really enjoy the atmosphere that's built up in this.

I truly wasn't sure how to rate this book. It was engaging and I was invested in the mystery but it moves at such a slow and steady pace that it's very easy to put this book down and not feel the immediate urgency to pick it back up. At some points in part 2 I felt like the story was coasting along and then something big would happen and I was engaged again. Once more about Iris' past was revealed I needed to know the outcome. If you want a fantasy set in a different world than the norm that you can slow read then check this one out.

https://womenofcolorreadtoo.blogspot.com/2021/09/the-bones-of-ruin-by-sarah-raughley.html

To be honest I contemplated going between a 2 star or a 3 star rating and decided to go with a 3 star reading after really thinking about it. I am on tour with Turn the Page Tours and I go to their Instagram a lot and look at their new tours and I signed up for this one because the cover is absolutely stunning. I’m a sucker for picking up books because of their covers. Anyway, then I read the synopsis and thought it really sounded interesting. I thought the premise was done well for the book and I really liked the mystery of Iris’ memories and her true identity. I liked the side characters with their powers. The biggest problem I had with this book was that I had a hard time connecting with the characters. Like I felt like they were there, but it was hard to see them more than one dimensional and be able to feel their emotions. It was as if there was a wall or a block and because of this, it made it really hard for me to want to pick up this book to read. I may read the sequel and we will see with time. Thank you to the publisher, netgalley, the author, and Turn the Page Tours for this opportunity.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, and Margaret K. McElderry Books in exchange for an honest review.

Victorian London, secret societies, the end of the world, and people with special talents? YES PLEASE!

Iris is currently a tightrope walker for a circus, she knows she came from Africa but has no memories of anything before a tragic night of an explosion. But she has a secret, she cannot die. Her body regenerates itself, she doesn't know how or why. But then she starts hearing stories of other people that have special powers as well and she begins to think she might not be alone. But does Iris really want to know who she is and where she comes from? Is she brave enough to face the truth, even if it's ugly? I always appreciate a heroine who is flawed and morally grey characters. Reading about people who are perfectly good is boring... and that's not real life.

Raughley does such a great job of injecting the feel of Victorian London into her world. I loved the pull between Iris, Jinn, and Max. Even Adam's story is intriguing. The Tournament of Freaks was horrifying, but also so realistic in many ways (take out the "super powers", minorities and the poor have been used for the entertainment of the rich since the beginning of humanity).

At almost 500 pages, there is a lot of story in THE BONES OF RUIN, and yet, I wanted more. I didn't want it to end and now I'm anxiously waiting for the next book in this series because I HAVE to know what happens next.

The Bones of Ruin is a story that feels almost like a wriggling fish. I thought I had a grip on what the story was, and at every turn Raughly kept surprising me. At first I thought African Tightrope dancer, then an, "OMG this gives me Old Guard vibes", and then, "wait is this like a doomsday cult??" So yeah, emotionally tossed around, BUT it delivers terrifying magical powers, competitions to the death, and secrets all around. Talk about a book where I need the sequel ASAP.

I've read stories about circuses, impending apocalypses, people with special abilities, secret societies, etc etc before.... but I have never read anything quite like The Bones of Ruin.

Iris has a secret. She has no memories from her early life, up to the point where she was pulled from the wreckage following an explosion and subsequently joined the circus, knowing she needed to hide... but from what? And the secret that she must keep at all costs? Iris cannot die. After things go awry at her final circus performance, Iris is on the run. That is, until the mysterious Adam, who has discovered her secret, lures Iris to him with promises of memories of her past... he claims he can help her remember. All she has to do is find his missing father before members of the secret Enlightenment Committee do... and participate in their little "game."

Iris is thrown into more than she ever bargained for, playing for her life in a game where who survives and who does not is left in the hands of a select few, in the Tournament of Freaks. But as she slowly regains memories of her life as she plays the game, Iris begins to wonder... are some things better off forgotten?

This novel was absolutely fantastic. I was immediately drawn into the world of the "Fanciful Freaks" and Victorian London, and I could never predict what was coming next. Even as the girl who can never die, Iris is relatable in her desire to truly know herself and figure out what she wants in life, even though the stakes in her world are dramatically higher than ours. I can't wait for the next book!

*Thanks to Simon Pulse and Turn the Page Tours for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.*

I've always been a fan of historical fiction and so many aspects of the premise for this caught my attention. Something about beings with abilities in a Victorian London was really intriguing to me, and I'm happy to report that it delivered in more ways than one.

One of the things that immediately drew me in was the character of Iris and it was definitely an adventure following her throughout this read. Her ability to not die combined with her quest to reclaim her lost memories made for a great journey of self-discovery, which is one of my favorite concepts in stories. It was great to see her growth in not only confidence, but in strength and determination to find her true self. I also thought the bonds she shared with others were beautifully done, especially in her relationships with her tightrope partner Jinn, Granny, Max and Rin. I wanted a little more room to explore some of the other players both in and around the tournament, but as this is mostly a story about Iris, I appreciated the space to fully absorb her discoveries and emotions.

Along with the character exploration, I really loved the atmosphere these characters existed in. The circus aesthetic has always been a favorite of mine and I was pulled into the beginning of the story so much that I was sad to see it get left behind. That being said, once the actual Tournament of Freaks came into the picture. The variety in both the abilities of the champions and different aspects of the game itself gave me a mix of X-Men and Hunger Games imagery in my head, which made the world Raughley created that much more interesting to follow. The writing style didn't always work for me, and I found myself speeding through what felt like information dumps in some areas, but the mystery in the pieces I was drawn to more than made up for those lower spots.

Although I had a few issues here and there, I did enjoy myself with this one. This version of Victorian London had just enough magic and mystery to keep me invested in the outcomes of both the tournament and aftermath of the apocalypse and I look forward to seeing where the story goes in the next installment.

I started this book with a vague idea of where it might be leading me. Boy was I wrong. I thought it would be a typical fantasy novel that had predictable twists and turns but would nonetheless be enjoyable. What I got was an intricate story that had amazingly well developed characters, a plot that blew my mind with its utter uniqueness, and unpredictability that I have not experienced in a long time.

Iris is a lovable character that you just can’t help but root for and hope her story goes well. Her emotions are so well written that I could not help feeling what she was feeling. There were so many things about her character that I loved, but one of the most endearing qualities is how she cared for those few who held her loyalty.

Jinn ….. sigh …… I wanted this connection between the two of them to become reality so bad I could taste it. Every scene of them together just oozed with feelings. He himself is a mysterious character with secrets they I was itching to discover.

There were countless characters uniquely developed that I fell in love with. This story is unlike any I have read before and I absolutely can not wait to see what is next for them.

I feel bad rating this book so low, but the truth is that I just plain didn’t enjoy it. I’m so disappointed, because it sounds right up my alley. Unfortunately, this is a somewhat decent plot that is utterly ruined by cardboard characters, a house of cards for a setting, and poor writing. I constantly felt myself being pulled out of the story by the dialogue, either because it didn’t fit the time period or was generally awkward. I’m so sad and I really do feel guilty but this book definitely wasn’t for me.

I always enjoy a Victorian London setting, and the description of the Tournament of Freaks sounded like a mash up of The Hunger Games and X-Men. There’s no way I could resist requesting this book from NetGalley.

After the macabre opening scene of this book, I was all in. Adam comes across as a cunning assassin with plenty of closely held secrets. I wanted to know exactly what they were and what his connection to Iris was. While I understood Iris’s need to discover her identity and origin, her character didn’t appeal to me as much – but three of the male characters are completely enamored of her. The love triangle – square? – pops up early in the story, but the competition between her suitors grows tiresome pretty quickly. I’ve never been a fan of that trope, but that’s just me.

I was anxious to get to the Tournament, but it doesn’t make an appearance until around the halfway mark and isn’t as much of a plot element as I’d expected. The clues send the teams on life-endangering searches all over London, and the rules state the winner will be the player still alive within the team left standing. Love the high stakes. And there’s no shortage of creepy characters on these teams. I liked the fact that Iris and her team had plenty of stiff competition, but the disadvantage of that was the sheer number of characters to keep straight. Many times I came across someone I couldn’t remember.

While the world-building and plot are unique and well thought out, the story features a strong female MC, and there are several plot threads to follow, I struggled with the pacing (nearly 500 pages) and skimmed through some sections. Reviews are split on this, and many readers enjoyed the longer length of the novel – it just comes down to personal perference.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I was really intrigued by the concept of this one, but the execution lost me early on. It felt all over the place and I had a hard time connecting to both the characters and the plot. After several tries I finally gave up - this one wasn't for me...

I struggled with how to rate this book for pretty much the entire time I read it. Did I love it? Did I hate it? Was it good or great or meh? It's really rare for me to come across a book that isn't easy for me to rate. In the end I settled on liking it.

The plot was certainly compelling and interesting. It managed to stay away from a lot of standard YA tropes and plot types which left me constantly guessing. I did feel that towards the end of the book the plot lost some cohesion and several threads were fumbled, but then it was very complex. Really it was handled quite well overall.

The characters were interesting but they fell a bit flat and I wish there had been more character development. Aside from Iris and Max they were all rather static throughout. I also wish we'd seen the side characters more rather than focusing so completely on Iris. That said, it was brilliant to see so many POC and queer characters in a Victorian London setting. We definitely need more of that.

I also love how racism and colonialism and the racial horrors of the enlightenment era were explored. They don't often play such a large role in YA -- or fantasy in general -- and they definitely livened things up and increased the stakes. And made the Enlightenment Committee even more vile.

The love.... square? Was excessive, however. I'm not a fan of the love triangle or reverse harem tropes, and when every boy inexplicably falls for the lead girl it gets a bit old. I'm also not sure why Iris seemed so torn between them and couldn't figure out who she liked? Jinn is the clear contender, in my book, as he's the only one who genuinely cares for her with no ulterior motives.

Jacques and Gram were incredibly creepy from the start and just got creepier as the book progressed. I would definitely not want to meet them in a dark alley -- or, y'know, anywhere ever. The Fool was also rather creepy and I feel like there's a lot to him left open to explore in future books. All of the other champions were sympathetic and I would have liked to see more of them teaming up.

I can see how it sets things up for an interesting sequel -- especially with that last chapter! Talk about more questions than answers. If anything, there were a few *too* many questions and parts where the reader is missing vital information for my tastes. I get that things are a mystery to Iris. This could, however, just be me disliking being kept in the dark.

The biggest stumbling block for me was the writing style. I just didn't jive with it, and I find it incredibly frustrating when I'm into a story but I feel like I'm reading around the words to get to it. It also made it very difficult to get back into the flow of the story whenever I had to take a break. And for a story that was so high-octane --or should have been, what with the high stakes and sheer amount of blood and gore --it dragged a bit. Think the Hunger Games, but slower-paced.

I'm glad I read it, though, and I'll definitely consider picking up the sequel when it's out.

*Thanks to Netgalley, Simon Pulse and Turn the Pages Tours for providing me with an e-arc for review.

i really wished to like this one but the writing style isn't for me right now and i'm not invested in it. would definitely pick it up sometime later because i'm really interested in the post apocalyptic element of the book!

Iris is an African tightrope dancer in a circus and the setting of Victorian London (which is so cool!). And, Iris has a secret she holds very close... she cannot die! However, she has absolutely no memory of who she is exactly and this search for her past becomes a big part of the plot. But when she meets Adam Temple everything begins to get more complicated and she is pulled into a tournament with many other characters that have really cool powers and abilities.

This book was so interesting and I'm curious to know where the next book will take me. However, I did not love the characters and the way they interacted. I feel like they just weren't as complete feeling to me so I didn't feel a strong connection and that made the dialog feel slightly forced at times.

I loved this world, especially at the time period, and do recommend this as a unique look at dark historical fantasy that is heaped in magic!

I'd like to add a trigger warning for racism that is taking place in the Victorian London setting, definitely part of this time period but I want anyone reading this to be aware of it.

I really wanted to like this book, and at first glance, it has a lot going for it. The Worldbuilding and setting are pretty unique and incredibly fascinating, it's obvious the author is creative and has no shortage of interesting ideas. But, a lot went wrong for me in this book. The plot as described in the summary prepared me for a fast-paced, high stakes, instead the book moves very slowly, and the promised tournament doesn't even begin until almost halfway through. The biggest issue I had was with the characters, they all seemed very one dimensional and the forced love triangle was completely unnecessary. Having so many male characters fall in love with the main character at first site is not something I can really get past, but for a lot of other readers it won't be an issue. Despite this book definitely not being for me, The bones of the book are promising, and based on the amount of good reviews this already has, those that are into to this type of book really enjoy it.

This book was so interesting! I was not sure if I was going to like it but I am so glad I gave it a chance. The story plotline was unique and the main characters were so much fun to read about. Great book!