Daughter of the Bone Forest
by Jasmine Skye
Pub Date: 27 Feb 2024

Two girls reluctantly bound by fate must weather a dangerous courtship as a prophesied war grows ever closer in Jasmine Skye's high-stakes, queernormative dark fantasy debut, Daughter of the Bone Forest.

Rosy is a bone familiar, gifted with the power to shift into animals marked with exposed bone. She spends most of her days in the magical Bone Forest, caring for her feral grandmother and hiding her powers to avoid conscription by the Witch King’s army. Until the day that Princess Shaw, a witch known as Death’s Heir, visits the Forest. When Rosy saves Shaw’s life, the princess offers her the chance to attend the prestigious school, Witch Hall, as payment. Though Rosy is wary of Shaw’s intentions, she cannot pass up the opportunity to find the cure for her grandmother’s affliction.

But at Witch Hall, Rosy finds herself embroiled in political games she doesn't understand. Shaw wants Rosy for her entourage, a partner to help lead the coming war. All Rosy wants is to stay out of trouble until she can graduate and save her grandmother, but she can't deny her attraction to Shaw or the comfort Shaw’s magic gives her. Will Rosy give in to her destiny, or will the Bone Forest call her home once and for all?

Many people write about witches and familiars, but Daughter of the Bone Forest presents them in a totally different light. Witches, in this novel, are aligned with ice, flower, glass, or bone, as are familiars - magically-gifted people who can shift into one or more animal forms. Each, alone, can be powerful, but when a witch pairs with a familiar in the same category, each gains considerably more power, and more control over that power.

Rosamund Holt - Rosy to family and friends - is a familiar, aligned with bone. Her family is disgraced because after her grandfather's death, her grandmother, in her grief, attacked a member of the military; only the high esteem in which he was held prevents her grandmother's execution. Rosy has spent the last 6 years fighting to find a way to help her grandmother and remove the stain of that event from her family. Shaw is the daughter of the Witch King, heir to the throne, and a bone witch. She has been searching for a familiar to pair with, one whom she can trust with both her kingdom and her heart. Brought together by chance, or perhaps thrust together by fate, the two meet at Rosy's family's farm, and continue their tumultuous association at the Witch Hall, the center at which witches and familiars are taught to use their powers. Their similarities pull them together, and their differences push them apart. A wonderfully written story about the power of the bonds of family - those people are born to, and those they choose - and for the latter, how those bonds are formed. I can only hope the sequel can, in some fashion, equal the level and quality of the tale told in this volume, which I read in a single day; I couldn't put it down. Recommended for teens and adults.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rosy lives in the Bone Forest, where she can transform into the creatures who live there. Her family was exiled after her grandmother, in a state of grief over the death of her mate, attacked a member of the royal family. Rosy has refused to go to Witch Hall with her cousin, but a surprise visit from the princess, Shaw, to the forest leads to Rosy being outed. Once at the school, she shows no interest in fitting in, to the chagrin of her cousin, but finds herself courted by the princess, who is a witch. Rosy has no interest in being bonded, which would make her a warrior in an army fighting a war she doesn't care about. And she definitely doesn't want to show her wolf form, which would signal to everyone her power. But Shaw's interest goes beyond looking for a warrior to command, and Rosy finds herself being charmed.

I really enjoyed the opening scenes of Rosy's bone familiar magic, so it was a bit of a hard shift for me when Rosy went off to school. Minor details about the school situation felt oddly modern in comparison to the medieval fantasy vibe I'd gotten from the forest scenes, but I was quickly drawn in to the relationships between Rosy and Oluk, another outcast student, and Shaw, as well as the others. There were the usual school story tropes of bullying in the form of an entitled familiar Charles who thought the princess should court him and the bullying of scholarship students. Rosy and Shaw's relationship rode the border between enemies to lovers nicely, and Rosy's hard personality made it realistic that she might not admit even to herself how she felt about Shaw. As I drew close to the end I knew this would be a series, and one that I'd be interested in continuing.

Daughter of the Bone Forest was such a captivating read. The premise of this book was promising and it was executed spectacularly.

Rosy was a very well written character. She had reasons behind the things she did and understood the things that were at stake if she slipped up. Shaw was an intriguing character. I enjoyed getting her POV, even if it was for a few chapters. I enjoyed the tension between them the most. I love a good slow-burn romance. The side characters in this book were amazing and written so well. They were fleshed out, not just thrown in and added to the overall storyline. Guanyu and Oluk were probably my favorites.

The world-building was great. I enjoyed the magic system and I hope it’s focused on more in the next book! This writing style was very intricate that I’d love to reread and focus on the subtext of the book. I can’t wait for the next book after that HUGE cliffhanger. Definitely one of my top 10 for the year.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is probably going to be my favourite fantasy release next year. The built in diversity combined with the powerful magic system and immaculate world-building made this lose my breath with how much I enjoyed it.

I loved the premise of this and thought it was well executed. It ended up being more than just an academic setting fantasy story and morphed into a conversation around power, privilege, and politics. The book shattered me a few times with the characters, conversations, and ways in which it explored topics and identities.

What I loved most is that some scenes and conversations seemed trivial in the moment but ended up being significant later in the novel. I bet if I reread it, I would learn even more the second time because it has so much subtext written into it. This is especially true in the conversations around who has power and why it matters beyond just Shaw. I thought it was really neat to see how people tried to make their own power through the social norms and abilities they had.

Rosy was a really interesting character and I appreciated her emotional growth throughout the novel. She was able to go beyond just caring about the needs of her family to understanding how that impacted the broader elements of the world. She may not have had the full knowledge of everything going on around her, but she played to her strengths and was able to make powerful allies. I loved that she wanted to carve her own path forward.

Because Shaw’s perspective was in third-person rather than first-person, I found it a bit more difficult to understand her thinking patterns. I felt a bit closed off from her and questioning her decisions like Rosy did. I thought it was interesting to see how her morals and ethics started to change in the novel, but it meant that there was a bit of a disconnect between where she started and ended. I also felt like while there was a possibility of change, Shaw didn’t always quite understand why that change was needed beyond “Rosy wants it.”

The magic was the most intriguing part of this! I liked how bonding happened, the way that each pairing could be equally powerful or one more than the other. It made for an interesting way to view magic. I also liked the exploration of the bone familiar magic that we saw through Rosy. The calling to her animals, the way she paired with them, and how she was able to use them to her advantage was really cool.

Even though we saw some of the overlaps, I hope we look at bone witch magic a bit more in the next novel to see how it all combines together.

This ends on a HUGE cliffhanger but is so worth the (eventual) wait between books. There is still so much to explore in this world and for these characters. I can’t wait to see where this goes and how power will play a role in this.

I am so grateful I was able to read this one early and hope you all pick it up on release date! I preordered it and you should too!

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillian Children's Publishing Group, and Feiwel & Friends for this ARC!

While it took me a little to get into Daughter of the Bone Forest by Jasmine Skye, once I was in, I could not stop! The world building is fantastic and I loved the magic system being used. The main character, Rosy, is a bone familiar. This means she can shift into bone animals (animals with bits of exposed bone). She lives with her family by the Bone Forest, taking care of her grandmother who is also a bone familiar and was a respected member of the military. That is, until she went into a rage and tried to attack someone, resulting in her imprisonment in the bone forest. However, when her grandmother attacks the princess, Shaw, Rosy finds herself going to Witch Hall.

Witch Hall was very enjoyable to read! I enjoyed the academia vibes, the tensions, navigating not just school social hierarchies, but also royal ones as well. I adored Rosy's friendships and the characters felt very well rounded to me and full of life.

I really enjoyed this queernormative dark fantasy! The relationships are beautiful (familial, romantic, and platonic), the magic compelling, and I was here for this slow burn romance between Shaw and Rosy. I'm hoping we'll get more of this in book 2! Skye has done a marvelous job with this debut!

There should be all the hype about this book!

YA fantasy, nods to fairytales without being a retelling, and all the dark vibes without the terror.

Rosy is an expertly crafted main character - innocent and precocious, but also brave and afraid.

And the dark academia setting is unique. Political intrigue, dark magical forces, queer-normative world building, and d&d style magic. Graveyards and ancestors (the enery of the dead) form the backbone of the Cursed Kingdom. As well as a magic forest at the heart of the world.

I really liked Rosy's shifter abilities. The bone otter at the story's opening is the perfect introduction. And Shaw at Rosamund's side is a force to be reckoned with.

"In that moment, Shaw knew she would fight an army alone if it meant that she could keep Rosamund Holt at her side for the rest of their lives. She would do anything to keep that fragile trust alive."

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

I sped through this! First off, Daughter of the Bone Forest has such a refreshing queernormative world. It definitely sticks to its YA fantasy label, but even a twenty-something like me could enjoy the worldbuilding with the different bone animals and the social politics of the witch school. The overall atmosphere reminded me of She-Ra mixed with the likes of Vampire Academy or Hex Hall.

The best aspect of this book - by far - was the relationship between Rosy and Shaw. Rosy is our animal bone shifter who is only trying to get through schooling to help her cursed grandmother. She catches the eye of Shaw, the privileged Witch King's daughter, and there's immediately unspoken tension between them. Their dynamic is very slow-building and tense, as they come from different backgrounds with opposing philosophies, and it was the reason I stayed glued to the page. Shaw is very forward and direct, while Rosy skirts arounds her feelings and resists getting close.

This is the start of a new series, so if you're a fan of YA fantasy and are looking for a good f/f read, definitely check this book out when it releases Feb 27!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a ARC copy for review!

I will share my review on my socials: Goodreads, Tiktok, Instagram, Twitter.

Thank you to Feiwel & Friends for the digital ARC!

Reading this as the season changed from late autumn to winter made it a perfect November book. Jasmine Skye's debut is packed full of unique magic, kick-ass skeleton creatures, and sapphic pining. I loved the distant rumblings of war and political intrigue happening in the background, and I hope since this is the first of a duology, we only get to explore more of the politics in book two. Teen readers will resonate with the themes of paving your own path, even when it goes against what others have decided for you, and the queer rep was lovely.

Thanks to NetGalley & Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Fantastic book! I really loved the magic system in the book and Josy was a fantastic protagonist. Jasmine Skye did a great job of humanizing Skye and showing her rationale for her actions. Shaw was a great foil and I really liked her POV chapters. Can't wait for the next book!

My only minor gripe is that I actually think the cover doesn't remotely suit the story itself. It's pretty don't get me wrong, but I feel like it should've been more about the bone animal forms. It's a darker story and the cover makes it look like it's...too light. That's just me though.

The absolutely gorgeous cover drew me in, and then the story and characters kept me turning the pages. It holds a unique magic system and characters you want to cheer for. I highly recommend to any fantasy lovers.

Daughter of the Bone Forest is a young adult dark fantasy novel, set in a magical, queernormative world. The complex character dynamics propelled the story forward, and the immersive magic system made for thorough world-building. Shifter-magic, as a concept—regardless of the story its placed in—is a tedious element for me to engage with. This impacted my reading experience, though I don’t think it impacts the book’s quality.

Wonderful, so magical and readable. I'll be recommending it to younger and older readers, as there is so much to love and appreciate here. I'd also love to read more from this author in the future. What a talent.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Feiwel & Friends for the ARC of Daughter of the Bone Forest

Part of me wishes I could have saved this novel for the winter just to match the book's overall feel,, but alas, this review will be a summer one. For a debut novel, Jasmine Skye does an excellent job at creating a world the reader is drawn into, and characters that keep you engaged with the story; the romance between Rosy and Shaw is well-developed and has room to grow as the characters do. My only complaint I wish we could have had more political intrigue within the world; what does it mean for Shaw that her family has this fall from grace because of the very thing that made them special? Overall,this was a fun r,ead, and I look forward to what Jasmine Skye has next.

"Daughter of the Bone Forest" by Jasmine Skye is a captivating dark fantasy debut that weaves a tale of destiny, power, and a forbidden romance. Set in a richly imagined world where magic and political intrigue collide, Skye's novel introduces readers to a queernormative narrative filled with suspense and emotion.

The story follows Rosy, a bone familiar with the unique ability to shift into animals marked with exposed bone. She lives in the Bone Forest, caring for her grandmother and hiding her powers to avoid being drafted into the Witch King’s army. However, her life takes a turn when she saves Princess Shaw, known as Death’s Heir, and is offered the chance to attend Witch Hall, a prestigious school for witches. With the promise of finding a cure for her grandmother's affliction, Rosy is drawn into a web of political manipulation and power struggles she never expected.

Skye's world-building is immersive, with an intricate magical system and a society full of complex dynamics. The Bone Forest and Witch Hall come to life vividly, enhancing the atmosphere of the story. The blend of magical elements and political intrigue creates a compelling backdrop for the characters' journey.

At the heart of the story is Rosy and Shaw's relationship, which evolves from reluctant allies to something deeper. Skye skillfully develops their connection, building palpable tension and chemistry between them. The exploration of their feelings within a backdrop of war and uncertainty adds depth to their character arcs.

The novel also delves into themes of identity, destiny, and the choices we make when faced with difficult circumstances. Rosy's struggle to navigate her newfound powers, her attraction to Shaw, and her loyalty to her grandmother create a multi-layered character who readers can easily root for.

"Daughter of the Bone Forest" is a story that speaks to the power of love and the strength to defy expectations. Skye's writing is evocative, drawing readers into a world of magic and danger. This dark fantasy debut offers a refreshing twist on familiar themes and promises an engaging journey for those who enjoy tales of romance and adventure set in enchanting worlds.

In a magical world of bone and ice, flowers and glass, two girls find themselves bound by prophecy with war looming on the horizon. Daughter of the Bone Forest is a truly thrilling read with atmospheric storytelling that will keep you clinging till the last page.

YA fantasy | fake courtship | witches and familiars | slow burn | danger and prophecy | sapphic

I loved this book from start to finish. I'm not sure there's much I love more than a complex and interesting magic system, unless it's a stubborn (or in this case feral) grandma. The dynamics between witches and familiars was fascinating. It made my queer, Tamora Pierce loving heart sing.

i got access to this book through netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
I won’t lie, this book took me a bit to get into. the writing wasn’t my favorite, but as I kept reading I was able to look past it. The magic system in this series is very interesting, but confusing. The slow burn romance was good, and I hope that it continues. I liked Rosy more and more as I read and I realized I liked her part in this story than any others. she had a lot to lose but so much more to gain by going to witch hall, and she learned who she was meant to be in the end. the next book will be interesting, and i look forward to reading it

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. Holy lords, I LOVED every minute of this book. It was amazing, I was intrigued by the shifter-magic, and the characters had me all in a tizzy trying to figure out what they were thinking. This was my first novel by Ms. Skye, but it certainly will not be my last. A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.