Beautiful and devastating, harrowing and heart warming; this book manages to blend the turmoil of trauma with the wonders of healing, and leaves it gorgeously wrapped up within an addictive brilliant fantasy offering. ’The Sins On Their Bones’ doesn’t just give readers an exhilarating new fantasy world to lose themselves within but somehow simultaneously poignantly depicts the realities of abusive relationships and the clashing emotions that form as a result of them.

If the premise of ’The Sins On Their Bones’ appeals to you then I sincerely doubt that you’ll find yourself disappointed. The fantasy offerings involved were fascinating to discover and ventured into some very dark territory at times too. Personally I’m not really familiar with the Jewish mythology that this novel draws inspiration from but it was mesmerising to discover and I’d definitely read similarly inspired narratives in the future. The world was intriguing to learn about and the politics at play kept me riveted throughout. Being set after a ‘disastrous civil war’ makes for a wonderfully refreshing viewpoint too, beginning the story at the point where many others would be nearing their middle or end.

Character wise I was enthralled by this novel and I love how poignantly it made you feel both the hurts and loves that these individuals experienced. Dimitri enters the scene a broken man and his journey of healing – and untangling the exact road that led to his state of mind – will devastate you. Alexey is a villain that you’ll find yourself simultaneously intrigued and disgusted by, his viewpoint crafted so masterfully that you won’t be able to look away. And Vasily is the spymaster caught between the two; his current mission dangerous enough to leave you brimming with intrigue. Those are the three viewpoints that you get to discover but the supporting cast is brilliantly depicted too and there are numerous characters that I can see burrowing their way into readers’ hearts. Especially given how wonderfully this book captures those ‘found family’ feels.

What truly amazed me about this novel is how painstakingly it captured the complicated relationship between Dimitri and Alexey though. This is a pairing that will hurt to unravel but it’s so believably crafted too. The heartbreak and devastation; the clashes for power and control. It isn’t an easy match to read about but its depiction is superb.

I also feel the need to mention how much I adored the library that featured in this book on occasion. It’s the sort of magical, and disturbing, book filled environment that I’d read many a story set within. (And features some surprisingly intriguing characters too).

Altogether I absolutely recommend ’The Sins On Their Bones’ and can see it appealing to both fans of fantasy (for it’s intriguing mystical elements, dark horrors and political manoeuvring) as well as those who pick novels up for its characters over anything else. It’s a debut that’s left me mesmerised and managed to balance its plot and more emotional aspects beautifully. Needless to say I’m looking forward to picking up whatever the author writes next.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
⭐⭐⭐.5/5
There's a lot to love about this book, but it's also very rough around the edges. The Sins on Their Bones was compared to three of my favourite authors - Leigh Bardugo, Ava Reid and Katherine Arden. And in many ways, it delivered. This feels like a darker, grief, adult version of shadow and bone, with a setting reminiscent of Katherine Arden's Winternight trilogy. Fans of Ava Reid's The Wolf and the Woodsman might also enjoy this very much.

The good:
• The worldbuilding is fleshed out and not infodumpy at all. It's richly steeped in Jewish folklore and mysticism and I really enjoyed reading that.
• The characters are also fully fleshed out, complex, morally ambiguous and each has their own motivation,. Dimitri's trauma and the abuse he suffered made my heart ache. Alexey works really well as a villain. The ways in which he tries to justify his behaviour just makes the reader hate him all the more. Dimitri and Vasily's relationship was beautifully written. Vasily's letter to Dimitri was the highlight of the book for me.
• I really appreciate the fact that the world is a queernormative one and homophobia isn't a source of trauma and people are accepted just the way they are.
• The found family trope was well done. I loved the side characters and their relationship with Dimitri.

The not so good:
• The history of this world isn't clearly explained. I wanted to know more about the war because of which all this suffering is there in the first place.
• The pacing is the major issue with this book. I understand that it's a debut and expect the author to improve in the sequel, but the majority of the book felt so..... uneventful. A lot of time was spent strategizing and discussing. Also m the author could've cut down on the smut a little but, especially with scenes involving Alexey as that might be triggering for readers.
• The ending felt a little rushed and the climax was underwhelming.
• The cliffhanger was so unnecessary. TSTB could've worked perfectly as a standalone. I'm currently feeling conflicted as to whether I should read the sequel or not.

The Sins on Their Bones was a mixed bag for me. I'd recommend this for readers looking for a darker version of shadow and bone or something akin to the wolf and the woodsman. Please do check out the trigger warnings provided by the author as there are many.

⭐ 4.5 / 5 rounded up
Thank you @netgalley and @penguinrandomca for allowing me to read this eARC. The unbiased opinions presented in this review are mine alone.
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As soon as I finished reading the last word, I dropped this book (aka my phone) into my lap and I stared into space for what must have been an awkward amount of time, my mouth opening and closing like a stunned fish. The Sins on Their Bones emotionally wrecked me.

Reading this in PDF form on the NetGalley app was clunky and awkward but I persevered and it, of course, has no relevance to the quality of the book’s content.

This debut novel is a dark fantasy set in a folklore-inspired 19th-century Eastern Europe. Right away we are thrown into the aftermath of a devastating civil war between two husbands - Dimitri the rightful Tsar of the fictional Novo-Svitsevo and Alexey, his estranged husband usurper. We find Dimitri in exile trying to regroup with the closest remaining members of his court. His spymaster, Vasily, volunteers to go undercover while providing Dimitri with information that could help him kill Alexey and take back his throne. That would be dangerous enough on its own but Alexey is no ordinary man or Tsar, if you can even still call him a man. Using what he calls Holy Science he died and was resurrected into a nearly indestructible, corrupted, evil force. His goal is to create an undefeatable demon army and make Novo-Svitsevo the strongest and most powerful nation in the world.

This book starts bleak and pretty much stays that way. Love, what that means, and how it is really shown is certainly a theme, but this is absolutely NOT a romantasy. It is truly a dark fantasy and trauma abounds. You can feel the heaviness, the stakes are palpable. Think the worst of religion, politics, and relationship violence, everything and everyone is traumatized here. Intimate partner violence - physical, emotional, and sexual - is a prominent theme. The author thoughtfully included a list of potential triggers for readers before the first chapter, so be sure to look there if you want more specific content warnings.

I can see how some people would find the pacing slow, especially at the beginning, but in my view the story followed Dimitri’s emotional arc quite well, starting melancholic and defeated, moving toward determined and action-driven. I was immediately hooked by the setting, atmosphere, and cultural intrigue. The Jewish folklore is woven in perfectly. The prose is beautiful. After finishing the book I read the author's bio and was not surprised to discover Laura R. Samotin has a background in military tactics and power politics. It is certainly evident in her writing.

There are three POVs - Dimitri, Vasily, and Alexey - the antagonist. Each POV holds depth and a sustained arc. The character development shines. This book is also a stellar example of a well-done LGBTQIA+ normative world.

I did feel the ending was a bit rushed. If felt like build, build, build, build, okay that’s done, story over. Nevertheless, I was (emotionally) left on the floor.

If you’re not into incredibly intense dark plots this might not be for you, but if you are looking for something different in your fantasy reading check this out. The Sins on Their Bones is an impressive debut novel. I am looking forward to seeing where Laura R. Samotin goes from here.

I have not been able to stop thinking about this book since I finished reading it.

Dimitri lost this thrown and the war and is now a broken man. Lucky for him he has his spymaster/lover Vasily and whats left of his court to try and rescue his country from his traitorous husband Alexey. I really enjoyed the found family in this story and how they all cared for, loved and protected each other. Watching Dimitri overcome and grow throughout the book was great, I want to wrap in a warm blanket and kiss his forehead.

Alexey was the best kind of villain, thinking he was the hero of the story even when it's obvious he's not.

The world building and magic/religion of the book were well fleshed-out and nothing came easy. There were real consequences for everything these characters did and the stakes felt high throughout the story.

Recommend to read all the TW, as the book is not an easy read. That being said I could not pout it down and I already miss this story and these characters. My only critique is that the ending was a little more open than I personally prefer (not sure if a sequel is planned?). I would highly recommend for anyone who enjoys action, in depth characters, a dash of magic and romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This hurt, in the best way possible. I can't say much about the traditions or the religious discussion here, but the fantasy and romance side was heartwrenching and very well done. Samotin created a strong world, one that I'm glad to have been able to be a part of, and I'm definitely going to be on the hunt for more of her books sometime soon. The depictions of abuse and grief here hit hard, but aren't used for shock value, every character's trauma is given the appropriate weight and there's never a moment that feels out of left field. While this is a heavy book, it handles its topics well, and creates a discussion about trauma that isn't generally seen in the genre.

Well, I read the content warning at the beginning of the book by the author and thought I would be fine, but as I read more of the book I realized, nope, this one is not for me. I DNF'd at about 45%

The story itself sounds intriguing. Set in a fantastical Russia where the czar is usurped by his ex husband and now needs to decide if he can fight for his kingdom even if it means the demise of the man he still loves. Through in some Rasputin devilry as the ex gets his power through some demonic machinations and I was ready for it.! But this fantasy is DARK in more ways than one. While I was captured by the first few chapters, the narrative descends into both Dimitri''s (rightful czar) and Alexie's (Bad guy abuser's) POV. Here we get an in depth look at the couple's past relationship which includes gaslighting, sexual assault, verbal abuse , and this list goes on. One chapter would suffice, but I did not need over 100 pages of this to convince me.

Not only was it too much for , but it also stalled the plot. There is an interesting set of characters that don't get much page time with the exception of the spy and new f boy to Dimitri (third POV character). Somewhere in here is a plan to infiltrate Alexie's palace and take back what is theirs, but we don't get much of this "heist" at all in the first half. I just reached the point where I didn't really care and it wasn't worth it to me to keep reading the trauma filled pages to see what would happen.

Having said this, check the content warnings and other revierws. Some people seem to love this book and found it even healing. I can see how this could be the case. Even so, not a good time at all for me.

I am so happy there are books like this in the world. Jewish fantasy... Jewish queer fantasy?!?!? I absolutely adored how Jewish mysticism was used in this world. I am on a quest to read all of the Jewish fantasy out there, and this has been one of my favorite iterations. I loved how this takes place in a fantasy world based on Russia but with the underlying religion being Jewish. This is without it having to be named or the people practicing it being persecuted. I loved how it was woven into everyday life and was the backbone of the whole story. There were no written rules or practices. It was just the default belief and magic, just like in many fantasies, the underlying default is Christianity (even though I think a lot of authors don't realize it is.)

The actual plot was interesting, and I liked the conclusion, but I did think the pacing in the beginning was a bit slow. One of the reasons why I didn't rate this book 5 stars was that it took me a long time to read it and get invested. And also, even though I enjoyed it, I do not think it is a book I would reread unless there is a sequel (which by one unnecessary last scene may happen), and I want to remember what happened. I thought this book explored different traumas and toxic relationships interestingly. Look up trigger warnings for this book because there are dark scenes and some spice if you are sensitive to some of those things.

Overall, I am glad this book exists, and I would love to explore more of this world, though maybe not be a direct sequel.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers, and the author for the ARC I received.

Wow I really enjoyed reading this. It's definitely a darker book so be sure to check the trigger warnings the author provides (those are shared on their IG from what I remember).

The book starts off pretty bleak. We have one of our main characters (who I consider THE main character although we do have three characters getting pretty much equal "screentime"), Dimitri or Dima, a year out from a civil war/coup where he lost control of his country to his husband. Damn if that wouldn't mess up someone's head a bit so as you can imagine, Dimitri isn't in a great place mentally in the beginning of the book. But he is surrounded by his small circle of friends and family as they try to regroup and figure out their next steps to stopping Alexey (this is the "ex" husband). As such the book starts off a little slower, plot wise. The plot definitely picks up at about the halfway point, but ultimately, my favorite part about this book is the characters, their relationships, and their growth so while the plot might not be super fast paced initially, I enjoyed every page I read.

Speaking of the characters, I really loved so many of them. The author does an amazing job of crafting a beautiful little found family of interesting and diverse characters that all have each other's backs (my favorite of the side characters was Annika but honestly, they all rocked). I even found myself loving characters (or things since some weren't quite human) that weren't even in the book for very long. And there were characters I really didn't like but were very interesting to read about. In particular, one third of this book is from the POV of Alexey. He sucks, I hate him, but my gosh were his chapters so interesting. I really appreciated getting to see his mindset and I think the book really wouldn't have worked well without it.

The other POV characters were Dimitri and Vasily and I loved them both so much. My favorite was definitely Dimitri, I was always so excited when I got to his POV. His growth throughout this book was a joy to see and I'm really excited to see how that continues in the next book.

Ultimately, I want to make this a spoiler-free review so without going into further detail and accidentally spoiling anything I will just summarize the key things about the book that I liked (and if they are things you like then you should give the book a try):
- Found family
- Character focused plot
- Lovers to Enemies
- Friends to Lovers
- Angels and Demons
- Queer normative world
- Multi POV (including the antagonist POV)

All-in-all I would give this book I think 4.5/5 stars but Netgalley doesn't allow half stars, so I've rounded up. I also could see my personal star rating going up depending on how much this book ends up sticking with me now that I've finished it, but we'll just have to wait and see for that. I am very excited for the next book and thankful I got to read the ARC before publication!

3.75 stars!

Thank you to Laura R. Samotin and Random House for an ARC in exchange for my full, honest review.

This Jewish folkore-inspired dark fantasy debut has a lot going for it but I think it's also one of those books that may only work for certain readers. I enjoyed the fantasy elements and characters in this book, really the kind of stuff you can sink your teeth into. Each of the three POVs has a lot of value in the book and I didn't find myself annoyed to get to a certain POV (even if Alexey's is a little more difficult to enjoy than the others). Sexual trauma and abuse were handled very well in my opinion on Dimitri's part, but Vasily's experience really fell to the wayside and was hardly touched on.

My main gripe with this book is the pacing. Overall, I would say it's a pretty slow-paced book, but at crucial moments it speeds up to an almost distracting degree. When you've just read 100+ pages of planning and small actions and then a pivotal, action-packed moment passes in literally a page, it's a little hard to internalize the events. This might just be a problem for me, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's something other reviewers picked up on.

There were parts of this book that I really enjoyed to the extent that I thought this could be a 4+ star read, but the pacing really shows in the end and the rush to tied everything up threw me off, especially because this book isn't particularly short. Fantasy standalones are really hard to write, and I think this is really excellent for a debut. I know a lot of people have enjoyed this book and I think this has potential to be five stars for another reader, so definitely give it a try. However, if you're struggling part way through, I'm not sure that the latter half of the book will redeem it for you.

Happy reading!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Canada for an ARC of this book.

Set in an Eastern European nation, presumably in the second half of the 19th century—time and place are ambiguous—this novel draws from Russian history and Jewish folklore to weave a story both imagined and with a nod to history and myth. There is an intriguing triple POV that presents the experiences of Alexey, the reigning Tsar as the story begins, Dimitri, his estranged husband whom he, in fact, dethroned and replaced, and faithful aid Vasily, who, caught between these two and the sides they represent, has good reason to fear for his life. In fact, every character in this story does.

As a tale of court intrigue, the (often misused) powers of religion, clashing ideologies, and power struggles both personal and political, this novel fulfils its promise. The author’s foreword indicates that she wants to present a spectrum of sexualities without associated guilt, which is commendable, though certainly not part of any historic reality of the time.

Also commendable about her foreword is that she makes a clear statement about the potential triggers that readers will find in the novel’s pages, listing those she sees as most troubling.

Here’s the problem for me. Trigger warnings are just that, warnings. Many, like me, know what they don’t like to read, but it’s not as though authors can be expected to provide a list of pages, especially because they are individualized and often highly subjective. One of my worst is any character so much as thinking bad thoughts about an animal. Others might think, awful, but not nightmare-inducing. Much of what goes down in this story is, for me, the stuff of nightmares. The main characters and all the many side characters are fundamentally nasty. It’s hard to see why their views on religion and politics are so oppositional, since it’s all about who has the power to do the greatest harm. The folklore elements are quickly lost. The sex, frankly, is also sickening because it may well be consensual but that’s also often obscured. The violence is gory; the sex is frequently violent. The main characters are all traumatized but I can’t work up any compassion for them

In the end, if I rated this elegantly written and intelligently researched novel solely on the basis of my visceral dislike, and the fact that I made myself finish it, it would rank very low. But I don’t feel that’s fair to the author or other readers. I suspect response will be polarized, and I can see how some might well be completely captivated. Some aspects of plot and character development could be better, but in terms of style and structure, there is much to admire. I just didn’t enjoy it.

I had the hardest time reading this off the netgalley shelf app. And couldn't get the pdf to work. So as much as I was enjoying this book I wasn't liking the set up so I gave up.

So when this comes out I really want to give it another go because it sounded so good from I was reading. And can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy.

I enjoyed what I read of this enough that I will be buying it when it comes out, but didn't love it enough to feel compelled to try to force myself to try read any further in PDF (why oh WHY do publishers not offer .epub/Kindle options on all digital ARCs in this, the year 2023)? The comps do seem well chosen, though, so I'm excited to see if the rest holds up so that I can recommend it to fans of those authors and other queer historical fantasy such as Freya Marske, S.T. Gibson, etc. Three stars as a placeholder.

Many thanks to Penguin and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, this one was a miss for me. Although i enjoyed the writing, I simply couldn't get into it. This one is definitely not a romantasy, but a dark fantasy, and personally I have a hard time with this genre depending on the different subject matters. I'm convinced this will be a great 5stars for some, simply not for me,

I found the setting and story interesting. The plot did lull at points but overall it was a solid plot. The representation I felt was also done well. The characters felt a bit one dimensional at times. I would be interested in reading more of what the author comes out with in the future.

I want to like this book so much, but the truth is I only finished it out of sheer stubbornness (and maybe a sliver of hope that it will get better.)

This is a story of a tsar who gets overthrown by his own husband - even though his husband loves him so much - and has to go into hiding. His husband is a fan of black magic that goes against the tsar's religion, so he has to try and fight back - even though he also loves his husband so much. To this end, his spymaster, who is head over heels in love with him will find journey back to the palace alone under a disguise and try to find a way to kill the usurper - whom he hates so much he can't go one second without thinking about a thousand ways to kill him.

Let me talk about the things I like about this book first. It has a very beautiful prose. This is the book's main strength. It's very flowery and poetic. It's clear that the author puts in a lot of work into researching and crafting the Russian-inspired settings. And I can feel that the author really cares about the themes discussed in the book, like the struggle to love yourself after getting gaslighted for so long, finding a family that you belong, and overcoming your traumas. I can feel the beating heart through the letters of this book, and I really appreciate that.

Now, my problem, though, is that I didn't enjoy the story. And when I say it's my problem, I mean it's a matter of preferences. And there are two layers to this. Firstly, at the idea level, no one is competent at their jobs. Or if they're supposed to be, then I'm not convinced. It's awkward to be in the head of a spy who is constantly struggling to not be overwhelmed by his emotion and maintain his disguise. It's also hard to root for a man to reclaim his throne when you're not convinced he would make a good king. Like, he literally balks at making any decisions. Now, I know there's a point about anxiety and depression that come from domestic abuse, physically, emotionally, and sexually. As a person, he's a kind person who deserves all the nice and pretty things in the world. I root for him to heal, to take his time, to be surrounded by people he love and not have to stress about how his abusive husband is going to destroy the world. As a king, though, being nice is just not enough - I don't really trust the country in his hands.

The other level of my problem is how the idea is told. The story alternates between 3 POVs: the tsar, the usurper husband, and the spymaster. From the beginning, in each and every chapter, these characters never hold back on pouring all their thoughts and emotions onto the pages. This means, that, one, all their incompetency and foil are exposed to the readers very early on; and two, from the beginning, I know who they are. Maybe not all their histories exactly, but more than enough to predict what they're going to do in any situations. And then, the next time the character's chapter comes around, they are still wallowing in their emotions! Nothing happens until about 40% into the book because every chapter consists of a short dialogue that leads nowhere plus an endless turmoil of repetitive emotions. This style of writing makes me numb because when you start at maximum emotion - the grief, the anger, the fear, the yearning, and the yearning, and more yearning - there is just nowhere else to go. Not for the enmity nor the romance. So, the only thing left to keep me going was the plot which progresses at a snail pace and only picks up around the 70% mark, at which point the story does become significantly more entertaining.

I would still recommend this book if you're someone who enjoy characters with overflowing emotions and beautiful writing. I would also recommend it if you're looking books that explore the themes that I said I appreciated above. But if you're looking for court intrigue, complex schemes, or nuanced characters, I don't think you'll get that from here.

**Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for e-ARC**

3.5/5

I'm a bit torn here, unsure how to rate the read. Because of that uncertainty, I will rate at the higher end.
I really wanted to love that story, expecting to like it, really. Unfortunately, it fell a bit short for me. The writing is alright, didn't really convey anything special ; the characters are a little too one dimensional for my taste, to define by a certain aspect of their position and history, but overall, it works for the story ; the plot is quite simple, nothing to say there. The worldbuilding was nice, mostly because of the Jewish inspiration, since the political aspect is maybe more common for someone reading fantasy. The magic and creatures were enough to stand out though ! Having the three POVs, including the villain's one was great too ! Adding a interesting perspective, more purshase and a bit of unsettling ideas. The layers of trauma, love and relationships were pretty well manage, not deep for me (but that might be an issue on my part, not being in the right headspace to enjoy a story conyeyed that way, with a kind of syrupy sense).
My biggest issue was how I couldn't seem to grasp at the characters' emotions, making it less interesting to follow their story. It ay be "me" issue here, I don't know. Some of the sexe scenes felt a bit uncalled for but didn't really bothered me.
Overall an enjoyable read, though a bit below my expectations. I think overall the author managed to fulfilled her wishes with this story, and I liked the hours spend between the book's page, so I will read the following book.

Wasn't aware of this title not having a kindle version. Reading on my phone device is just not a fun experience so I had to DNF at 10%. This is a temporary review and will update once there's a kindle version.

This book was a delicious, dark read. I thought how the story begins with the main character and his court already in exile was an interesting place to start the story. At first i would have thought the story would start before Alexey's transformation and betrayal, but i think flashing back to that part of the story gave the character development more depth.

At first I almost felt a little bit bad for Alexey and thought that in his mind, he was justified in is actions and missed Dmitri. As the story goes on his abusive nature becomes more clear through flashbacks of his treatment of Dmitri and his repeated abusive behaviour towards Ivan.

The pacing in the beginning to be on the slow side and then the ending felt rushed.

The author's note explains how the author wanted to create a world where queerness is normative where "sexual orientation wasn't a source of trauma or an obstacle for characters". I can appreciate the sentiment and had no problem accepting a world where the tzar can be married to another ma. It's great to see that type of world betrayed more often in fantasy or even historical worlds. I do feel that some of the reveal of the sexualities and gender identities of the side characters didn't feel natural and felt a bit like ticking boxes on a diversity requirement. Particularly the reveal that one character is asexual/aromantic by walking in on two characters having sex and quipping that she "has no interest in such activities". Dmitri's court comes across as a little underdeveloped, so to insert this awkward conversation in the middle of a sex scene doesn't feel natural. Perhaps an asexual reader will feel differently from me and will welcome the representation.

Overall, i thought the story was a mesmerizing look at recovering from an abusive relationship and dealing with conflicting emotions of loving and missing someone who was horrible to you. I really loved the relationship between Vasily and Dmitri and LOVED Vasily's letter to Dmitri near the end of the book.

I also adored the inclusion of Jewish folklore and culture in a fantasy world. So many fantasy books include gaelic or christian elements so it was refreshing to have a world with so much jewish language and customs, and to have it be the dominant religion.

Unable to read due to NO kindle format available.
I suggest that before making this available on here to get a kindle copy ready to go as a lot of use use this format and a ready to use asap

Thank you to the publisher for approving my request, unfortunately I'm unable to read this in the pdf format on my kindle and have been unable to transfer it to another format. If a kindle version becomes available I will read and review then.