This sequel is a fantastic follow-up, elevating the story from the first book. Characters grow into their future roles, with Leo’s bisexuality and his dynamic interactions adding depth. Julian and Wren’s journey is heartfelt, with excellent pacing and resolution. This duology is a must-read for fantasy fans, transitioning from YA to a more mature narrative.

I can’t even tell you how excited I was to get my hands on a copy of Ghostsmith. After reading and loving Bonesmith earlier this year I was dying to know what would happen with this series and I’m so glad that Ghostsmith delivered! I don’t want to say much due to spoilers but this book was absolutely fantastic. Highly recommend this series.

I loved this series and all the beautiful characters the author created! It's so amazing to see how much these characters grew and changed from book 1 to book 2. I really enjoyed the journey and how captivating the magic system was! This has one of the most unique magic systems I've seen in a long time! I was happy to see how my favorite characters stories ended!

THIS is how you do a sequel! Oh my gosh, I am obsessed with this. I liked Bonesmith well enough but this just took it to a whole new level.

Our characters really take off from where we left them and grow into their full potential. We get to see how they’ll fit into their future roles before they’ve even got there and it was a genuine joy to follow their journey to that point.

Leo is BISEXUAL and no one can convince me otherwise. His flirting with Julian? His flirting with JAKOB? THE KISS? This chaotic bi has my whole heart in all honesty.

Julian and Wren’s journey in this book was really well handled, too. Julian’s lack of trust warring with his love for Wren was ON POINT. I felt every bit of that with them and I loved the moment he realised none of it mattered, that he loved her and she’d proven herself in so many ways.

The pacing in this book was honestly exceptional. It can be so hard to get the balance of build up and then cool down right, but I think this was done perfectly. I really loved all the details in the scenes following the climax and I would take a million more stolen moments with Wren, Leo and Julian hanging out, finally getting to relax and have fun.

I really can’t recommend this duology enough for any fantasy fans. It starts out firmly in the YA category but it evolves into something far more adult-feeling as Wren grows as a character.

This was a terrific ending to the House of the Dead duology. What I loved about Bonesmith was enhanced in Ghostsmith. The story telling is top tier with creative world building and magical system. Fantastic characters, action, suspense, and hope for the future.

Ghostsmith further added to the lore and history of the Dominions and its people. We follow and learn alongside Wren, Julian, and Leo about the dark events that lead to the Breach, and infested the lands with ghosts and revenants. Secrets lost to time are finally coming out.

There was wonderful relationship building between Wren and Hawke, their history and family brought strong emotions to the plot. Both happy and mournful at the same time. The camaraderie of the characters and new additions allowed for great banter and dialogue to the story. Familial secrets and betrayal were big themes in this series and many questions were answered along the way.

Ultimately, this has markings of an epic YA fantasy with a side romance and family drama. A strong duology to sink your teeth into!

This was a good conclusion, but I just didn’t love it as much as I had hoped.

The book is told from multiple point-of-views and our characters by this point are more fleshed out. I will say that I liked reading a couple point-of-views more than the others and feel like the romance was just kind of meh. I still very much liked seeing where the plot took the characters and the growing relationship between Wren and her brother. It must be weird to just one day have a lost sibling and grow up completely different, haha. I think they try to understand each other and even teach each other new things like the animal aspects. Plus, it gives them insider information to take down her mother.

Sometimes it felt like the pacing was slow and there wasn’t as much action as in the first book. It took me awhile to get through it because of this. I also feel like the ending was overdramatized and even though I don’t want things to be anticlimactic it was just too much.

Overall, it was a decent conclusion and am satisfied with the outcome for these characters.

This was a brilliant conclusion to the House of the Dead duology and I loved every minute of it. Ghostsmith starts off right after the events of Bonesmith. I would definitely advise a small recap or summary to make sure you’re ready since there isn’t really one at the beginning of Ghostsmith. As the story progresses it does revisit some of the events that previously happened but more just mentioning them in relation to the current events in Ghostsmith.

Nicki Pau Preto just has a way with storytelling. The pacing in this story was fantastic. The twists and turns never stop coming. Every time I thought I had a grasp on what or who was really in control I would get a big surprise. The magic in this book is one of my favorite magic systems. The smiths and the lore is so fun. Nicki really created a unique and exciting world and I couldn’t get over how awesome the Ghostsmith and Bonesmith magic was. We even get to see the other smith’s magic utilized in new and exciting ways.

The characters are such a shining star in this story. I really enjoyed having Wren, Julian, and Leo all together for the majority of this book. They are such a great group. I think the addition of Wren’s brother and other new and old characters helped make this story really well rounded. I love found family stories and literally finding Wren’s brother was the ultimate found family aspect. Each character had their own internal demons and I appreciate how they each had to face them but ultimately realized they were each enough in their own right. The character development was on point! The Wren and Julian romance was so good. They start off a bit rocky after the events in Bonesmith but the tension and turmoil was just so well done! I can’t get enough of them. Also the romance never overshadowed the overall story but it was a great addition to this action packed finale.

Overall if you loved Bonesmith I think you will absolutely enjoy Ghostsmith. It is a wild ride and a must read epic conclusion to such a wonderful story. I hope we see this world expanded possibly because I just don’t want to leave this world or these characters.

Huge thank you to SimonTeen for gifting me an ARC

Reeling from the betrayal in Bonesmith, Ghostsmith hits the ground running. We're back with the wound stinging between Julian and Wren and wondering if what they can do is enough to change the ending. I, predictably, love Wren. The ways she not only explores this new power, but also realizes the ways power is dangerous. How power can corrupt, demand more, and become a black hole. The various puzzle pieces begin to click together across the distance and within the character arcs. Who will we be when our own family has betrayed us? When they only see what we can do, not who we are.

I’m not quite sure what to say that won’t spoil this from tip to tail. It’s a worthy successor to the first, which I enjoyed immensely. This world is a wild and scary place, but the story neatly avoids some trope pitfalls designed to cause extra drama (the bad kind). The goal of all of this is justice and peace. Well done.

Ghostsmith was exactly what I wanted for the sequel of an epic fantasy novel. There was non-stop action, high tension, twists and turns, and even more betrayal. This book upped the stakes and expanded upon the magic and world-building introduced in Bonesmith. It was a wild ride from start to finish, and I absolutely loved it.

I appreciate how Nicki navigated the conflict and questions that arose in book one. I didn’t want things to be easy for Wren and Julian to reconnect, and the way she brought them back together felt right and organic for their characters. In addition, I love that we get more Inara and that she became an unexpectedly awesome character. I really didn’t think she would matter later, but she did and it was fantastic.

This book also made me love Leo even more than I did originally, and I liked seeing Hawke grow over the story as well. All around, the characters are amazing and the plot was so epic. This was such a satisfying conclusion to the story, and I am once again floored by Nicki’s writing skills.

Ghostsmith cements why I love duologies so much when done right. This sequel was a perfect competition to Bonesmith. It kept the same pace and tension of Bonesmith with a few pleasant surprises and a satisfying conclusion. This is such a fun young adult fantasy focused on a magic system that was compelling, unique and easy to follow. The characters were well flushed out and three dimensional. The relationships were complex and well written. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed myself with this novel and the series overall and I’ll be keeping my eye out for more from this author.

4.5 ⭐️

I was so pleasantly surprised with the first book earlier this year and I’m happy to say the second one was just as addicting! The start was slow but it really started to pick up and quickly became unputdownable. Some of the best YA world building and SO many great characters and character dynamics to follow. This duology was a blast and I can’t want to see what Nicki Pau Preto does next!

Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Publishing for the advance reader copy of one of my most anticipated books this year!

Oh my gosh, was this book great! I loved the first installment of this duology, Bonesmith, and Ghostsmith was even better. Ghostsmith picks up right where Bonesmith left off, with Wren, Julian, and Leo trying to stop a variety of nefarious plans for the Breachlands. The pacing is breakneck, but plenty of time is given to the worldbuilding, action, and character development to them solid and compelling. We see further character growth that is believable and proportional to the various characters' experiences and hierarchy within the plot (i.e. Wren is the main character with arguably the greatest number of revelations to deal with; therefore, she undergoes the most self-reflection and growth). I especially liked meeting Mercy and getting some chapters from Inara's perspective. The magic and plot of the duology are unique, and thought YA is the main target audience, there is a sufficient amount of fighting, gore, creepiness, and ruthlessness that makes this duology entertaining for all ages. I also especially like the way the story handles the exploration of death. The ending of the novel takes its time to wrap up all the storylines in a way that is satisfying for both the characters and the reader. Ghostsmith is one of my favorite reads so far this year!

Thanks NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing for an advance copy of this book.

I was a big fan of this author before I read this and this story did not disappoint. The writing is wonderful ans the story is unique. I loved being in this world with the characters and different types of magic. There were so many interesting aspects to the story that kept it interesting.

While I think this sequel was a slower pace than Bonesmith, I did enjoy it. The ending (while rushed) still left me satisfied for what happens to Wren. Overall, it was a good book and I definitely recommend!

Thanks, Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. So happy to be back with Wren, Julian, and Leo! Plus we get new characters! The 3 are on the run from Wren’s father and the soldiers of the Breachfort. The other problem is they are back in the Breach, which means they also have to hide from Julian’s uncle and the Corpse Queen. Wren’s still reeling from the revelation that she is a ghostsmith as well as a bonesmith. Julian still reeling from Wren’s betrayal. Leo just wants to do good for his people. Then they’re back in enemy hands, only to be saved by the brother Wren never knew she had. Can they trust him? He says he’s not interested in his mother’s end goals but Wren has had her share of betrayal. Unfortunately if they want to destroy the magic well before her father gets to it she’ll just have to try and trust him. Can the two finally get to know each other? Will Julian forgive Wren? Can they stop their families and bring an end to the excess magic in the Breach? Exciting and thrilling from the first page, I couldn’t put it down! The tension builds, in more ways than one, throughout the book! An epic fantasy that is both heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time! A look at family and how sometimes they can hurt you the most but also how found family can build you up! A great conclusion to the series! Highly recommend reading this series!

4.25 stars!

Thank you to Nicki Pau Preto and Simon & Schuster for this ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!

I reread Bonesmith before starting this and man...I just really like this world and these characters. Despite the fairly gritty world and magic system, this series maintains this air of lighthearted adventurous spirit that is just so much fun. Not to mention a very tight plot and great climactic moments that make this a strong ending to the duology. Do I kind of want more of this world? Yeah, but this was still awesome.

This book pretty much hits all the marks. The characters are delightful and consistent with how they were characterized in the first book. Wren and Julian's relationship is given all of the patience that I think it needed after the ending of book one. Leo is fun as always and really shows his abilities in this one. As mentioned, the plot is really well formulated in a way that doesn't lag or speed ahead at any points. One thing I really like about this series is how the author writes action scenes. It's not just "And then A hit B, but B did this..." for several paragraph. Every movement incorporates dynamics of the characters and interactions as they try to predict the actions or strength of the other person. Throughout a fight, new information is revealed either through dialogue or through some new strength that one of the characters shows. As someone who doesn't really like action scenes, I find these really engaging.

I don't really have any issues with this book, but I'm not sure I liked it quite as much as the first one. I also read the first one on audiobook and this one on ereader, so I might reread this when the audiobook comes out and see if that improves my experience since the narrator did an excellent job the first time.

All around, this book manages to be a satisfying conclusion while also kind of making me pine for more. If you haven't read the first book, I highly recommend it. It was one of the first books I read this year and it was just as good on reread.

Happy reading!

The way Nicki Pau Preto writes fantasy is just so freaking cool.

I will say that the tension in this one didn't feel as stark as the first book, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it!

I really enjoyed this book and thought it was a satisfactory way to end this story with Wren. I found it a little slower paced, but it didn't bother me at all. I felt that the ending was a little rushed, but ultimately liked the way everything was wrapped up.

Just like the first, I absolutely ADORED this one! The magic system, world building, and immersion into the story is superb, which built the foundation for an overall thrilling experience. I fell in love with Wren in book one, and her growth and development continued to shine in this sequel. I loved seeing the progression of all of the characters, and the introduction of some new ones. I would highly recommend this author, and look forward to reading her backlog after this. Thank you to the publisher for this earc!