This book connected with me on another level.
I think current times being what they are, and my own family history, fostered a deeper meaning to so many poignant moments in this novel. I loved the found family. I loved the fighting spirit, the tenacity of the characters, the culture. I LOVED the folklore spun throughout the world, twisted into the plot.

Highly recommend!



Thank you Netgalley and Inkyard Press for an advance digital copy of this title. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I'm a little conflicted on how to rate this book. The setting, atmosphere, and world-building were incredible and I felt immersed in the book every time I opened it. On the other hand, the characters fell a little flat, even during scenes when I would expect more emotional expression. Toma's relationships with the other characters were very well drawn, but the bond between Vanya and Mikhail was much sparser, which made some of the decisions at the end of the book a little hard to believe.

That said, I think the strength of this book is on Toma and her growth over the course of the narrative, going from hiding from her own memories of her self and family to embracing them as part of her identity. The theme of identity and belonging was very evident throughout the story and I thought the author did a good job pushing it forward without being too heavy-handed.

Bone Weaver
by Aden Polydoros
YA Fantasy
NetGalley ARC

In this country fighting a civil war, there are the elites who are gifted, and then there are the poor, but if a gift is given to one of them, they are witches and are executed because they are evil.

And the dead walk the world. Those who died and came back as zombie-like creatures similar to the way they died, (at least that is how I understood the vague details). Toma, a young woman who lives in the forest with her adopted (dead) family, keeps them together by sewing their body parts back on. Then she saves Mikhail from death and by doing so her little sister, (undead) is put in danger. Thus begins the main plot of the story.

I received an ARC copy of #BoneWeaver through #NetGalley and Inkyard Press in exchange for an honest review...

The plot is really interesting and creative, the setting, magic, creatures, and it started off making me really curious about this world, but the execution in the world-building and characters' development is lacking real emotion and detailed descriptions. There isn't really any in-depth explanation in the story, there's a gloss-over here and there, but that made it hard to really understand and draw me deep into the story. I could compare it to eavesdropping on someone across the room who is reading to their kid and I can only hear bits and pieces.

The characters' dialogue is basic, and one of the most important scenes, I felt was poorly done. There wasn't enough emotion coming from the situation to make it really affect the reader as it should.

The book's title is a little deceiving, the story isn't as it hints at.

It's not that bad of a book but a few more details, and more emotions from the characters instead of the simple 'happy/sad' aura the story settled on would've got me to give it one (or more) star.

2 Stars

After how great The City Beautiful was, Aden Polydoros is basically on my 'i'll automatically read whatever this author writes' list, and Bone Weaver not only met my expectations, it exceeded them. The book takes place in the fictional Kosa Empire, but is heavily influenced by Imperial Russia, the Russian revolution, and Russian and Eastern European mythology and folklore. Toma, a girl with no memory of her past has lived several years in isolation with her adoptive undead family until an airship crashes near their home and she meets Mikhail, the young deposed Tsar on the run from his enemies. When the people after Mikhail kidnap Toma's undead sister instead, the two set off in pursuit, through a war-torn and bleak countryside in hopes of rescuing her and reclaiming Mikhail's throne. Along the way, they meet Vanya, a boy who has to leave town after his neighbors brand him a witch. The trio are interesting characters, often at odds with each other's ideologies, but still friends despite it. I loved watching their friendship progress, and how they all grew as characters because of each other. The magic system was also very fascinating, I would've liked to see more of it. The plot was fast-paced and engaging, and there were several parts (especially one near the end) that I was completely shocked at what was going on. This was a great book, one I look forward to owning when it comes out later this year.

I've really been loving fantasy with horror elements lately, and Bone Weaver definitely qualifies. Toma has been raised by upyrs, the undead, since the death of her parents. She stitches them back up when their body parts fall off, and she's the only living being for miles. I loved the creepy element of Toma's lifestyle; the book opens with Toma stitching her adoptive sister, Galina's finger back on after it fell off.
I really liked the way the historical and fantasy elements intertwined in this book, and I liked that although there was a romantic undercurrent between Toma and one of the other main characters, friendship was one of the most important themes, especially considering that each of the three main characters had their own reasons for not being able to make many friends.

After reading The City Beautiful, I knew Aden Polydoros would be an automatic read for me, and I am not disappointed! Bone Weaver is an intense story centering family, identity, and the struggle of surviving in a world that doesn’t believe you belong. I also loved the exploration of who is a monster and what makes someone monstrous.

Bone Weaver follows Toma, a young woman who has lived in the Edge with a family of upyri, undead beings, for the last seven years. She doesn’t remember much of her life prior to Galina finding her, but when Mikhail’s dirigible crashes near her home and the outside world encroaches on her solitary life, Toma is forced to confront her past and figure out her place in the world.

This is a really intense story with many things happening between war and persecution faced by those who are different, and I loved the way that setting and those themes are explored. I’m having trouble explaining my thoughts, but this book gave me so many feelings and Polydoros continues to astound me with his storytelling skill. I look forward to more from him and hope people find this book as amazing and moving as me.

Thank you, Inkyard Press, for allowing me to read Bone Weaver early!

I started Aden Polydoros' sophomore young adult novel with very high expectations because of all the short teasers the author posted on his social media since the announcement and I'm so happy to say that those expectations were met egregiously. This phenomenal novel captivated me from the start. I was transported to this magical twentieth-century-inspired setting and I never wanted to leave. The characters in particular are what I enjoyed most, especially the beautifully chaotic Vanya!

First I would like to thank the publishers and Netgalley for providing an advanced readers copy in return for my honest review.

I thought I would love this book, but it wasn't exactly what I thought it'd be. I enjoyed the start and learning so much about the world but around the middle of the book I started getting a bit tired of it. Luckily I pushed through because towards the end it picks up again and there are a lot of feelings that come with it.

I'd say I enjoyed this book enough to give it 4 stars and it was very refreshing reading about the monsters in it from the main character's point of view. If you like adventure, slightly scary things, family, and world building you should give Bone Weaver a read.