4.5 stars
This was so freaking good!
The main character Wren was brash and stubborn and a little too prideful, but also easily lovable. She’s the kind of character that, though flawed and sometimes annoying, you can’t help but root for. She desperately needed some character growth, but instead of being written in a way that was too much and too infuriating to read, she was written in a way that made you want to go on that growing experience with her, and throughout the book (and presumably throughout the series), you do get to watch her grow.
The book starts a bit slow. The first 30% or so is all set up before the plot can get going. It’s exposition heavy and does rely on info-dumping perhaps a bit too often. However, even though the main plot hasn’t started yet, there are interesting things happening. There are moments of high tension and fast-paced action, it just still feels a little slow up until the point where Wren goes past the wall. That is the point of no return, where the plot feels like it’s actually starting, and it is a ways in. Before that point I was interested, but I wasn’t invested, and though I did keep reading, it took me a while to do so because I was not especially eager to pick the book back up when I’d set it down. I never felt like DNFing, but nor did I feel especially compelled to keep reading right then and there. That slowness at the beginning (and the fact that it did last for about 1/3 of the book, and over 100 pages) is the only thing keeping this from being a 5 star read, because everything after that? Phenomenal.
As soon as she’s past the wall, the tension and pacing really pick up. She always had a goal, but it was vague and unattainable—now she has a tangible goal and there are steps she can take to reach it. She’s met Julian, the other major player, and the stakes are rising every chapter. By the time I reached the 40% mark, I could not put the book down. It took me almost a week to read the first 35%, but after that, I finished the book in 12 hours.
The worldbuilding was interesting and relatively unique. It wasn’t anything groundbreaking, but it was well developed and not contrived. Despite the occasional info-dump, I wanted to learn more about the world, magic system, and mythos.
The book is written in third person and told primarily from Wren’s POV, however there are chapter’s narrated by Prince Leo at regular intervals and perhaps 3-5 chapters from Julian’s POV. I really enjoyed the fresh perspective Leo’s narration gave. His experiences were separate from Wren and Julian’s and seeing his narration felt necessary and like it was adding something to the experience. Julian’s POV did not.
I understand why Julian’s POV was added. Most of his chapters revealed an interesting piece of information that pointed to a reveal and added to the tension. However, unlike the reveals in Leo’s chapter, this information was not strictly necessary to the plot. Yes, it added tension, but I felt like there were ways to do so that felt more cohesive to the narration than randomly and unexpectedly flipping to a third narrator. It was jarring to slip into his narration. I think if there had been more of his narration woven throughout, and if that narration felt like it was more vital to the story, I wouldn’t have had an issue with it, but as it was it just felt like it wasn’t executed to the highest level.
In the end, I really enjoyed that book—and also THAT ENDING?!?!?!?!—and I can’t wait for book 2! In the mean time, I hope to check out Nicki Pau Preto’s debut trilogy, because I found that despite a few things, I really enjoyed her writing.

Bonesmith is a fantastic read, nearly as good as I hoped it would be. With themes of identity and belonging, I was immediately drawn into the book and Wren's struggles to not just meet but exceed her father's expectations.

Despite being selfish and arrogant, it was easy to like Wren. Part of her likeability was how she owned up to these traits. Then there was also the vulnerability underneath her self-assuredness that made it hard not to feel for her.

Like many fantasies, the beginning of the book is world-building heavy with a lot on magic and history. Despite the subject at hand, it was also lighter than expected, but this might have been a product of having read a heavier book before it. While some parts of the book moved quickly to me (ahem...the romantic feelings), it was a good read with an interesting twist on necromancing. (4.5 stars rounded to 5 stars)

I vastly preferred the author's previous series, but this one does have its moments! I loved the eerie worldbuilding, laden with atmosphere and interesting character. The comp titles sort of live up to their promises, but not quite. Some may be disappointed there. Pacing is key for me and that's what decreased my enjoyment, with its biggest issue with exposition thrown at the reader-- something, teens tell me, they are not fond of. (I tend to agree.)

However, I've rated this one three stars, because I think it's a solid work, and I did enjoy it. Looking forward to seeing where the story and world goes next.

Allow yourself to be lured by this stunning cover. Then, prepare for an epic high stakes fantasy ride. Readers who enjoy well developed magic systems, ghost stories, fighting the undead, quest adventures and the banished hero trope will adore this fast paced action fueled fantasy. If you aren't interested in romance as a primary plot point you will enjoy this even more. Pau Preto delivers an enormous amount of world building early and easily crafting a YA novel with broad appeal sure to entice adult readers with this fun, dark, unpredictable read. Can’t wait for the completion of this duology.

When Wren fails her valkyr test and is banished to the Breachfort outpost, she seeks only an opportunity to redeem herself, earn her father’s respect and her rightful place in her family, the nobel House of Bones. But this border to the wasteland Breach spewing the undead hides many secrets and even more dangers as Wren attempts to rescue a kidnapped prince.

Thanks to Netgalley Nicki Pau Preto and Simon Teen for the opportunity to preview this title out today in the US.

The Grishaverse meets Game of Thrones vibes for sure.

This was so. much. fun! I had my suspicions about certain things, some of which ended up being true and I would very much like book two now please!

The banter between Wren, Julian and Leo was great and I can’t wait to see what they get up to next. All of the reveals at the end were amazing (though probably not to the characters) and set up the next book so well.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book has one of my fave tropes: enemies to lovers so that lured me in. I found this to have a lot of promise. It's far from perfect but I liked the two leads Wren and Julian, and though it does suffer from some pacing issues, any fan of Gideon the Ninth will enjoy this a lot.

I absolutely cannot wait to have a completed version of this book on my shelves….and this book is definitely making me want to go back and finish the author’s previous trilogy, because I read and loved the first one, then bought book two and book three when they released but then never actually got around to reading them. At this point, I would need to re-read book one, but honestly that might be worth it.

I was captivated from the very beginning. And okay, fine, perhaps some of my interest is because there were a few characterization moments and details for Wren and her fellow bonesmiths that made me think of one of my favorite D&D characters. But I don’t know, I just was very fascinated by the magic and the sort of natural spookiness that comes from dealing with the undead in a story.

Okay, I can think of one sort of minor complaint for this book, but I’m not actually going to reduce the rating for it, and that is the fact that for the most part we follow Wren and Julian in this story, but then there was a moment like 40% in where the perspective shifted to Leo, the kidnapped prince, and through the whole book we only get a few chapters focused mostly on him. After so much third person limited POV focused on Wren or Julian, it just felt like this sudden unexpected shift. Although, it wasn’t unwelcome, because it was nice to find out what was going on with Leo, and he was a fun character.

And okay, sure, there were some revelations that I figured out quite a ways before they actually were revealed to the characters…but that happens quite frequently to me when it comes to stories, so I’m not going to punish a book for that so long as the journey to the revelation is entertaining and interesting.

I was definitely interested in the world and the characters and the magic, and in piecing things together. It helped me fly through the book even more than I would have normally.

Now that it’s over I’m left feeling sad that I read this one early…because now I have even longer to wait for the sequel.

This book has been on my radar ever since I saw the cover and read the blurb. There wasn’t anything I could recall that sounded similar to this and so I jumped at the chance to read it!

The book is told from multiple point-of-views and they come from Wren, Julian, and the House of Gold prince. They make up a very unique group and they have a lot in common when it comes to their families. Family drama is one thing that is very heavy in this book and it would get intense real quick when the truth started to come out! I liked that this misfit group tried to help one another even if the ideology they had grown up with wasn’t accurate. They became a found family and it was real sweet to see it all unfold. There was obviously some setbacks to these bonds as well which made for some very intriguing scenes.

Most of the book does come from Wren. She is strong and doesn’t always play by the rules. Her curiosity and quick judgements usually get her in trouble but it made her real. She had flaws but she at least knew where she wanted to go in life. Although, everything doesn’t always go according to plan. It makes her pretty good at improvising!

The action starts rather quickly but does come to a lull and I felt like it was hard for me to get through the first 30%. Once I got going though I didn’t stop and then just kept thinking about what would happen next. The setting was really cool and eerie with talk of ghosts and the categories they used for them as well. Being a bonesmith would not be an easy job, but Wren made it look pretty easy! There is a lot of magic that surrounds each house and I’m glad things were explained well. I’m sure that there will be even more talk about the magic that fills this world in the sequel as it pertains to a lot of the plot twists.

Overall, this was a good series starter and I can’t wait to see what happens in the sequel!

Thank you to the publisher for an e-galley via netgalley!

4/5 stars
I went into Bonesmith with high expectations because I LOVED the entire Crown of Feathers trilogy. I definitely liked Bonesmith and am looking forward to learning more about the world. Bonesmith follows Wren, a bonesmith that fights the undead. After an unfortunate betrayal, she gets sent away. Here, she ends up with an unlikely ally (Julian, an ironsmith) and an unexpected opportunity to reclaim her rightful place. Naturally, nothing goes as planned and Wren makes some discoveries along the way.

I think this was a great first book in a series. There's a good amount of action, some romance, and a touch of betrayal. The magic system is definitely something I'm looking forward to reading more about. I do wish there was more world building because things that didn't matter it felt like we got a ton of information but I basically know nothing about the world except the breach, the wall, and the boneyard or w/e it was called. I also wasn't a huge fan of the romance aspect as it felt really sudden and not fleshed out much.

It is written in 3rd person to forewarn those of you that do not like 3rd person books

This book was just amazing. I am obsessed with this world and Wren and Julian. The magic system in this is just so cool and I could go on and on about how much I loved it. It's so unique and interesting and I can't wait to learn more about what other magic there is. The characters in this are awesome. Wren is rebellious, head strong, and brave, which is everything I love in a main character. We get to see some great character development with Julian and I love him so much. There was not a single page where I was bored and I just kept turning and turning the pages nonstop. I can't wait till the next book comes out!

Vibes: adventurous challenging dark funny inspiring mysterious reflective tense
Pace: medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

Wren, -a bonesmith who fails her qualifying trial to become a valkyr- gets sent to the Border Wall to serve in disgrace instead.

The forced proximity situation between her and Julian the ironsmith was a lot of fun. I would say this gives a bit of enemies-to-lovers hehe.

Wren is an audacious, risk-taking, fun main character to root for, and the ending plot twist paid off for all of the relentless info dumping and world building.

I will say that for all the exposition, I did find the world really neat. The historical context, all the factions of the "smiths," and more! The vibes are reminiscent of the White Walkers from Game of Thrones.

I'm excited to see how this duology unfolds in the next book!

cw: dead bodies, pregnancy complications, death of a loved one, kidnapping, murder, violence, blood, genocide, gore

Series Info/Source: This is the first book in the House of the Dead duology. I got an eGalley of this book to review through NetGalley

Thoughts: I stopped reading this about 25% of the way in. I enjoyed the first chapter, but things got very slow and hard to follow after that. The author is constantly stopping the story to explain random world elements in detail and it really stops the flow of the story and makes it hard to stay engaged. I also thought this was going to be more of an action-packed fantasy based on the description but things get incredibly slow after the first chapter.

This book follows Wren, a bonesmith who fails her qualifying trial to become a valkyr and gets sent to the Border Wall to serve in disgrace instead. While the first chapter is fun, the story quickly devolves into long explanations of smithing and politics of a huge world that we don't really care about yet. Then we get to watch Wren wander listlessly about the Border Wall complex and get excited about a visit from the House of Gold prince...here is where I stopped reading.

I really struggled with the way this was written. It was hard for me to read and follow and I kept having to go back and re-read portions of the book because I realized that none of what I had read had really been processed. This is partly because mid story the authors sinks into these detailed descriptions of magics, things, and politics that haven't been introduced into the story in any way that matters. So, I would start reading and be like, why do I care about this right now? And then the story would restart and I still wouldn't know why that diversion had been made.

I also did not like the characters or plot at all. None of these characters are likable; they are cruel and one-dimensional. I pretty much despised them all. I enjoyed the action in the first chapter but was also perplexed about why the plot played out the way it did. Wren is top in her class and when she is sabotaged in the trial the judge doesn't listen at all and is just like "You're out of here". Ummm...I mean okay. Seems kind of crazy to me and more like just a convenient way to get Wren to the Border Wall than any sort of actual plausible story.

My Summary (3/5): Overall I did not like this. The writing was hard to read and there was so much exposition about weird world details that jarred you out of the story. I found the characters intensely irritating and the plot implausible. I stopped reading at 25% in and gave this 3 stars because when I DNF a book that early I give it the benefit of the doubt that it must get better. This book is getting a lot of high reviews and I guess I just disagree; this was not for me...at all.

3.5

Okay I’m slightly disappointed but overall I did like it. A great concept and very interesting world/magic that the author created. It was rather slow, partly because there was so much world building which was great but also overwhelming. Also I wish the use of multi-povs was balanced out better. While I enjoyed Wren as the MC, I would’ve loved more from Leo and Julian too.

Bonesmith is such a COOL ya fantasy full of bone and metal based magic, betrayals and my personal favorite trope - enemies to lovers.

Wren knows what she wants, she's a bonesmith through and through and she knows her future is serving the house of Bone as a valkyr—a ghost-fighting warrior. To win the favor of her father and grandmother, the current heads of the house, she not only needs to complete the trial but to excel in it. But she quickly finds herself sabotaged, failing the trial and sent away to guard the border wall - a task that's usually reserved for the worst of the bonesmiths.

Wren is beyond bored with the routine on the wall guarding against an enemy - the Ironsmiths, people that have been long wiped out. Until the 3rd prince of the land, Leo, a goldsmith comes to visit. After a night of bonding over their mutual neglect by their parents, they start a strong friendship until Leo is kidnapped by those very *not wiped out* ironsmiths. Until one of them, Julian takes an arrow to his own back by his own men.

Confused and alone, the two of them form a tentative alliance. Get the prince back and figure out why everyone's trying to kill them. As they fight their way through ghosts, their past on opposite sides of a war and their perspective daddy issues - they come closer and closer to unraveling a conspiracy for a new war.

I LOVED so much about this book - Julian and Wren are the perfect example of how propaganda impacts our worldview, because these two are IDENTICAL in their beliefs and their sense of duty to their people. Seeing them understand each other in that sense and the bond they form is incredible - and the forced proximity as they go on their rescue mission helps. There are so many plot twists too, this story is FULL of big moments and political intrigue.

The worldbuilding in this book is also incredible. The dynamic duo go through SO many towns and settings and they all feel SO alive to me. I could see the ghost fights (and yes they scared me!) and the magic system felt so well explained too. I can't wait to read book 3.  

cw// dead bodies, death, kidnapping, murder, blood and gore

Thank you to the publisher for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Tricia Levenseller’s review of this book says, “Best YA book I’ve read in a long time,” and I couldn’t have said it better than the queen myself! Truth be told, I requested Bonesmith by Nicki Pau Preto on NetGalley after I heard it might be in one of the subscription boxes I have. I was not overly intrigued by the synopsis, but I figured I’d give it a shot (I had my doubts considering the author doesn’t like hockey! Haha!). And WOW, I am so glad I requested it! It is my favorite book so far this year, and that is saying a lot because I’ve read some stunning novels this year!

Right out of the gate this book pulls you in. Pau Preto has an unparalleled ability to create instant empathy between the reader and the protagonist, Wren. At the start of the novel, Wren must complete a test to become a Valkyr (ghost-fighting warrior), but her nemesis, Inara, is determined to make the feat as difficult as possible for her. The tension between the two characters is palpable, and even though I normally identify with the “good” character more than anyone else, I was rooting for Wren, devious nature and all. Most authors spend their lives trying to elicit strong emotion from their readers, but Pau Preto successfully dragged me into the story in less than five minutes.

Furthermore, there is a lot of mystery woven throughout the story. I enjoyed the way the mysterious elements were tied into the world-building. The ending also left just the right amount of intrigue and resolution. We receive some answers to the mysteries, but there is a lot that I am looking forward to in the sequel as well.

Additionally, Wren’s relationships with other characters were versatile and dynamic, which added a lot to the story. On top of her feud with Inara, she has a tense relationship with her grandmother and father, the ruler and heir to the House of Bone respectively. She also finds a mentor in a fellow bonesmith, Odile, which added a sense of belonging in a story that might have felt a little lonely prior to their mentorship. And, of course, the romance is spot on! I thought it was balanced nicely with the plot, and I love that it was very complicated, to say the least.

Finally, the world-building in the novel was top-notch. Honestly, the book would have been amazing if Pau Preto had simply developed the bonesmiths, but she went even further and created multiple houses, all with unique cultures, beliefs, and histories. I found myself enamored with the bonesmiths specifically. Everything from their magical abilities to their use of black face paint was well-thought-out and added depth to the world.

As a whole, I feel like I don’t even need to say it at this point, but I obviously can’t wait for the sequel, and I definitely recommend this book!

This was great! I hadn't fully read the synopsis before diving into this book which meant for some fun surprises. Definitely looking forward to the sequel.

I won't rate a book unless I finish it. Had I not received the ARC, this book would've gone straight to the DNF shelf. Another reviewer (thanks @Kerensa!) brilliantly details my biggest gripe with this story, which is to say you never feel immersed in the character or the world. It's totally fine for a plot to be predictable but as a reader, I want to experience the world through the eyes of the narrator...and this is a very cool world. Zombies, ghost-busting warriors, an intriguing political system, and layers of conflict within families and across borders. This had the bones of a good story but none of the soul.

Similar books: Gideon the Ninth, Throne of Glass.
Full review available on July 12, 2023 at: https://not-another-heroine.captivate.fm/

Thank you to Netgalley for the digital ARC!

Thank you Margaret McElderry Books and Netgalley for the eARC, these opinions are my own. I enjoyed this adventure so much! Wren has spent her life working to becoming a Valkyr, a ghost fighting warrior of the House of Bone, they protect the Dominions. When things don’t go as planned she’s shipped off to the Breachfront, the wall between the Dominions and the Breach. An area ravaged by ghosts when the House of Iron dug too deep. She’ll stop at nothing to return to her house, and she gets her chance when Leo a Prince of the Dominions and a member of the House of Gold is kidnapped. But to rescue him she’ll have to team up with Julian one of the last remaining member of the House of Iron, who also tried to kidnap the prince and kill her as well. Will they be able to rescue the Prince? What happens if they start to feel more, especially as sworn enemies? And who can they trust when something with the whole situation is amiss? I was hooked from the first few chapters and already felt anger on Wren’s behalf! The whole adventure kept me coming back for more especially with all the twists and turns going on! You get multiple POVs though some of them don’t come till later which was a bit confusing but extremely enhanced the book! I loved Wren, Julian, and Leo! Each of them unique but all sharing a commonality that bonds them! Also the ending had me shook and now we have to wait for book two to see what happens! A fast paced adventure full of twists, heart, and a captivating tale on magic! Can’t wait to read it again!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 5/5 stars.

Oh. My. GOD. This sucked me in and I was HOOKED. A rather unique magic system with smiths of different materials, so Wren is a Bonesmith. She's able to control bones and fight against ghosts as a Valkyr. There are other branches within each smithing branch, and Bonesmiths are vital for survival after an incident caused the dead to haunt unless properly buried and reaped. Wren wears bone armor and uses bone weapons, along with her bonesmith eyes. Some smithing types have gone extinct like ghostsmithing.

Anyways, uh, Wren finds herself working with the enemy during a failed kidnapping attempt but a successful one to where she has to rescue the prince and the enemy has to find out answers on why he was betrayed. And, of course, there is SO much more political intrigue that gets revealed and made the plot a page turner on every page.

I was absolutely hooked and entranced by this novel and need the next one ASAP.

Bonesmith should be on your TBR if you love enemies to lovers, necromancy world building, and tons of betrayal. It's a gripping read which will have you second guessing everything you've come to know. Did I mention it has necromancy and ghosts? I loved the world building not only the magic itself - who doesn't love ghosts who can kill you - but also the world building of the history and the Dominions.

Wren is a fabulous character - perfect for fans of Pau Preto's previous work - who is trying so desperately to win approval and acceptance. I loved her immediately. Throughout Bonesmith Wren has to figure out who to trust and what this approval is worth to her. Sometimes we can see things more clearly when we aren't in the throes and for Wren she has to make her own mistakes and discoveries. The enemies to lovers element was so good here as we see these characters opening up to each other, their misconceptions.