Bone Weaver was an absolute delight to read. It offered a fresh take on magic, the chosen one trope, and the concept of the magical undead. Familiar creatures like sirens, zombies, vampires, and selkies felt new again as Aden Polydoros reimagined them through the lens of Imperial Russian folklore. This unique blend of fairytale creatures and Russian lore made for an immersive and refreshing experience.

Toma lives with her adoptive family, who happen to be undead. When her sister is taken, Toma sets off to find her. Along the way, Toma is reminded what it is like to live among the living. She finds danger and happiness.
Opinion
I really thought this book was strange. Normally I go for these types of books but I found my eyebrows shooting up at different points along the way.
I do think the book was well written and that it would be a great story for the right audience. I just was not it.
Many thanks to Net Galley and to Inkyard Press for providing me with an ARC of this book. Many apologies for taking so long to review it.

This book has so many amazing things going for it. I loved the initial concept of this story. The world-building was seriously superb. This war-torn country with threads of folklore and undead (!!)--and the MC Toma's family are, like, zombies or whatever. Crazy! The more you get into this story, though, the more there is to love. The characters are well-written and three dimensional, with a lovely found family aspect. Political plots aren't always my cup of tea, but this one was very well done and I ended up really enjoying it.

My biggest complaint is the ending. It just didn't seem wrapped up as well as I would have liked. While this book won't necessarily be a new favorite, it was a fun ride and I do recommend it.

I'm not usually a fantasy reader, but I had so much fun with this Eastern European folklore spin!

I cannot say enough about the world building, the way Polydros wove his own familial history into an incredibly rich and immersive setting. So much was packed into this book and while it may feel a bit daunting at times, it all flows together beautifully. The plot is fairly straight forward, but still felt like it made for a compelling read.

I do wish the wrap up had been a bit smoother at the end. It almost felt like it was setting up for a sequel, there still feel like some loose ends. Overall, a very enjoyable fantasy read even if it's not your usual genre!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of <i>Bone Weaver</i> in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

<h4 style="margin-top: 84px;">The Gist</h4>

<i>Bone Weaver</i> by Aden Polydoros is a gripping and atmospheric dark fantasy that transports readers to a world of magic, danger, and secrets.

<h4>The Details</h4>

One of the novel's greatest strengths is its richly imagined world-building. Polydoros has crafted a vivid and immersive setting, teeming with atmosphere and detail. Readers will find themselves completely engrossed in its dark and dangerous allure.

The main character is equally compelling. She is a complex and multifaceted protagonist.

<i>Bone Weaver</i> is not just a tale of magic and adventure, but also a story about identity, power, and the choices we make in the face of adversity. Polydoros explores themes of redemption and sacrifice with a deft and sensitive hand, crafting a narrative that is as thought-provoking as it is entertaining.

<h4>The Verdict</h4>

Overall, <i>Bone Weaver</i> is a dark and spellbinding fantasy that is sure to captivate readers with its richly imagined world, complex characters, and gripping plot. Aden Polydoros has crafted a mesmerizing tale.

I really like the cover and title a lot. I honestly would buy this book just from the cover. I am also a sucker for a book with culture and dark fantasy so this idea immediately drew me in. The fact that Chloe Gong liked too was a huge plus.

I wanted so terribly to like this book. It had all good aspects: new world to build, ability to create unique characters, touch of romance, sense of family. However, I felt the author fell shy of being able to make it all come together. It is a story of an orphaned girl who remembers little of her parents during a civil war that is modeled after eastern European, Russian history and folklore. She has lived with adopted parents that are of the undead who had a young daughter also now of the undead. She has a belted embordered scarf that we learn was from her mother and gives her some magically powers that are slowly (and I do mean slowly) fleshed out over the book. I felt the story moved very slow and lost caring about the characters. The main arc is the little undead sister being kidnapped and the MC with the current overthrown Czar by her side seeking her return. It lacked action and sometimes you spent 50 words describing the look of a dead body. not grotesquely but the color of hair, the turn of a cuff, a torn pantleg, etc. Editing could have been better in these parts. The ending is rushed and then rather predictable.

Received an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and its publisher <3

Could not finish unfortunately. I just couldn't get in to it and continue reading so I had to quit. I think I will try again as the premise sounds so interesting to me. I think the quote, "Right person, wrong time" fits this book the most for me.

For some reason, this book didn't live up to my expectations. I genuine thought that this book was going to be about dark fantasy read with a bit of morbid topics such as death or bones. Instead it's more about high fantasy politics. I wasn't fan of it. I truly wanted more fantasy than the politics aspect in this book.

The characters were relatable and realistic and likable. The plot was okay, but some of the things that happened felt unnecessary.

Bone Weaver is set in a fantasy Eastern Europe where we meet Toma, and her undead family. When her sister is kidnapped by the military, she joins forces with two young men, her life changes forever. The rules of this fantasy world were a little hard to follow, and the characters felt a little underdeveloped. While I’ve loved two of Aden Polydoros’s other books, this just didn’t do it for me.

Polydoros writes fantastic books of rage and revenge. I absolutely loved this book about a girl raised by the dead, It was twisty and turny and kept me engaged the whole way through.

I enjoyed Polydoros' worldbuilding and the queer and Jewish threads woven throughout, but (and this is definitely a me thing, not a failing of BONE WEAVER) I kept waiting for the plot to go one step further, one step deeper. I wanted Toma and her powers to be explored more than they were (what they were, where they came from, what their limits were), same with Vanya, and Mikhail.

The plot doesn't move at a fast pace, so this will take patience for teen readers to stick with it, but I can see this being really popular with the adults that read YA crowd.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley and Inkyard Press in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. If you know me, you know I love historical fantasy and Aden Polydoros not only gives such amazing fantasy stories, they’re woven with so much history and historical inspiration. I’m always left wanting to learn more about the time and inspiration behind the story.

I would definitely read more from this author.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Bone Weaver by Aden Polydoros is a haunting dark fantasy with excellent worldbuilding and a captivating blend of imperial Russian history and Slavic folklore. The book explores political and religious conflict in a compelling manner, but the characters felt flat and the dialogue was sometimes wooden. Despite these flaws, the unique concept, original magic system, and immersive setting make it an enjoyable read for fans of atmospheric fantasies.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me free access to the digital advanced copy of this book.

I gave this a four out five stars, I really enjoyed this book. I totally recommend it, I love the found family trope. I want to read more by this author. May be trigger warning for loss of parents in this so keep that in mind.

I absolutely loved the concept of magic in Bone Weaver. The characters and the plot were also enjoyable, but the magic system was what really stuck out to me. It was highly original, and I especially liked the inclusion of Slavic folklore which I don’t come across often in fantasy novels.

Very much a story of hardship and strength in the face of adversity, although - without spoilers - I did feel the stakes were somewhat lowered after certain events took place and was therefore somewhat less invested.

However, I loved the characters, the folklore, and the magic, so I did overall enjoy Bone Weaver a lot, and will probably read more from this author in the future.

Aden Polydoros's Bone Weaver was a wonderful exploration of Slavic and Jewish mythology. As someone coming from both a Ukrainian and Jewish background, it was a captivating experience to immerse myself in this world. I adore fantasy explorations and re-imaginings of cultural mythologies, so this was very fun to read. I would loved following Toma's journey, and would love to see what happens next. Thank you to Aden Polydoros and NetGalley for the ARC, and apologies for this late review!

Aden's prose leaps off the page and really grabs you in this story. I was a huge fan after reading The City Beautiful and this story also didn't disappoint.