This was an instant hook for me. The writing and mystery captured be immediately and I connected with the main characters. The juxtaposition between some of the themes of love and brutality were interesting however some of the gore may be a tad much for some readers. The story was short and I loved the ending. The story explores perceptions of who we are, how others see us and the fear of the unknown. An enjoyable read

Received arc Book from Root of the world publishing and Netgalley for honest read and review,this review is my own.
Going by the blurb, I was looking forward to this one.This is a short story about monsters and how they are perceived .
This is quite a dark read and very well put together.The story is about trust, friendship and seeing what's there in front of you.

Unfortunately this one was a DNF for me. Usually I enjoy creepy folky horror settings, but this one was off putting and frustrating. I didn't particularly like the fact that the main characters didn't have names. Just referred to as "the boy" and "the girl". It was impersonal and became annoying pretty quickly. The writing was interesting in terms of story telling but I couldn't gel with the flow of the narrative. Even though this book was not for me I could certainly like to try the author again.

this was a really good book, i felt sad for the two main characters their life was hard and was written in a really good way. the way it was built up really filled u with the emotion that they were feeling and what they were going through. such a good read

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I really loved the pacing and plot of this novella. The characters are not named and are only referred to as boy and girl throughout the story, which definitely added to the scarcity of the book.

There are some really compelling and fun horror elements to this, but with this there are some really raw and emotional moments too.

Overall, this is a solid horror novella and I really enjoyed!

I genuinely wish this book was longer so I could get to know the characters, world and history on more detail. It's such an interesting premise but I just wanted to know more about where the monsters came from, what the black mages did and how the stories spread.

Calling the main characters the boy and the girl was quite jarring and I felt I couldn't get a real sense of them without more descriptions of what they looked like. The lack of names meant I didn't have that emotional connection that I'm used to, but it did work to create a sense of otherness, similar to how they feel within the story.

The book is really well written but as with most shorter stories, I feel like more could have been covered. I did love the end though and the idea that there is always hope even when it seems like there isn't.

This was an interesting and emotional quick read that really stays with you.

I thought "Your Blood and Bones" by J. Patricia Anderson was a mixed bag. On one hand, the writing was beautiful and the world-building was captivating. The dark and eerie atmosphere really drew me in, and I loved the unique premise of a girl with secret feathers and strange bones. The themes of transformation and the struggle for acceptance were deeply moving and thought-provoking.

However, there were a few things that didn't quite work for me. I felt that the level of gore and body horror was sometimes excessive and a bit gratuitous. It often overshadowed the story and character development, making it harder to stay fully engaged. While I understand that horror elements are central to the genre, I thought a bit more restraint would have made the impactful moments stand out even more.

I was genuinely lost for words with this novella. I thought I was getting into pure horror and gore, and I got *feelings* instead.

Don't get me wrong, there are still aspects of horror, and aspects of gore (in the sense of digging into your skin and pulling out bones spurs, and feathers). I loved how detailed the minor things were.

I loved how there are no names mentioned for the main characters. They are simply the boy and the girl. And I love how.. simple that was. It took a couple of pages to get used to.

By the end, I was rooting for them. I hoped there was a happy ending; I guess in a way it was their happy ending.

I would reread this down the road; it's quick and easy to read.

Your Blood and Bones was a solid fantasy/horror novella. I read the arc and it read like a published copy. The writing was gripping but not flashy. The story read like a folk tale and the characters had dimension, even though the reader didn’t know their names. I liked the commentary on monsters and men, and whether or not they’re indistinguishable. I hope Anderson adds more work to this world.

Your Blood and Bones is a book about monsters and what it means to be human. It’s dark and gritty with gore, and yet beautiful. It’s raw and lyrical all in one. Despite the characters not being named throughout you are sucked in emotionally and that shows great writing. The magic system is intricate and interesting. For a novella it sure delivered a whole unique story that will stay with me. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

I absolutely loved the writing! This story took me to a place that felt atmospheric-both dark and lyrical at the same time. I loved the pacing and the moralstruggles of the characters. There was such a bittersweet sense to the story and a wonderful blend between a tale of monster horror and comprehending human emotion.

Your Blood and Bones grabbed me by my collar and forcefully dragged me along for a bizzar and beautifully written ride.

The pacing of this book was perfect. The author doesn’t bother with appearances, hell, not even names. The story hits the ground running and doesn't stop for a moment. The characters are on a time limit after all, and the author does a great job of making the reader feel it.

The concept for this story is relatively concise and yet the world felt so vast and alive. In leaving out names of people and places, hard magic rules, and complex fantasy history, the world comes to life on its own. Through the author's soft world building and fantastic writing style, this simple concept flourishes.

The story itself is haunting. It's bitter-sweet. It's beautiful. It’s full of feathers and bones and blood and so much running. For a short read, it was a surprisingly immersive adventure.

This body horror filled story of two young teens is an amazing ride. This is a great epic horror full of fear, transformation, and necromantic magic. I really love the way this novella is written, packed with a lot of heart pounding circumstances. This is something I would recommend to readers who loved The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed. This is another great grim-dark horror fantasy to add to my list of favorites.

I was unable to finish this book on time due to a heavy work load while I had it. That is absolutely on me, and I plan to purchase it when I have the time to read it.

Thank u netgalley for the advance Arc of this short story

Reading this was enjoyable and I cared about the journey the main character was going on, this story to me was showing strength and friendship that can be formed even in the most unhappiest of times and anjourney to feel normal.

Looking like a monster and actually being a monster are two different things, as it is quite well portrayed in this novella. The lack of names was really interesting as well.

Your Blood and Bones tells the story of a boy and a girl escaping from people who wish to hurt them.

A simple overview I know, but that’s literally what happens.

The two main characters are referred to as ‘the boy’ and ‘the girl’ throughout, their names are never revealed. I’m not sure that I enjoyed that particularly.

The plot itself is interesting. The boy and girl are human initially, but are turning into ‘monsters’ and as a result, their families want them dead. The boy helps the girl escape and they run off to find a cure.

Parts of the story are really imaginative and well written. The use of the bodies as a raft during the escape was interesting, but I have to admit, many parts of the story lacked depth in my opinion. The ideas were all there, but most weren’t explored to the extent that I would have liked.

Overall, it was a decent read and I did complete the book, I am really sorry to say that it didn’t leave me wanting more though.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and I really hope that it does well upon release.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Root of the World Publishing for providing me with an eARC of Your Blood and Bones in exchange for my honest review!

I have love for plenty of different types of stories, but one that I particularly connect with is the type of story that follows characters who've been dismissed by the rest of the world, who've been painted by society as unforgivable monsters despite any sympathetic facets they may possess. Your Blood and Bones allows us to dive into the lives of such outcasts, and it does this in a compelling and tragic manner. Sure, the tropes it utilizes are quite familiar, and there are times where I actually wish this novella could have been extended in order to flesh out the narrative more deeply. But the book successfully gets me invested as is, showing how the world tries to get rid of anything it doesn't fully understand, with one part specifically coming across like a conversion therapy allegory. This novella even deploys some good old body horror to amplify the supernatural atmosphere, lasting all the way up until the open-ended and touching conclusion.

Overall, I'm officially rating Your Blood and Bones 3.5 out of 5 stars, which I'm bumping up to 4 stars on Goodreads. I'll keep in mind more of J. Patricia Anderson's work for the future.

I don't think I've read something like this before it was absolutely well described and attention to the TW because they are indeed heavy. I loved the boy and the girl tale and the romantic way of writing. I really liked this novella really made me feel like I was there seeing watching everything happened and that's exactly the feeling I need to feel when I start reading a book. It was dark pretty dark and I truly loved it

Your Blood and Bones
By J. Patricia Anderson

4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was my first ever fantasy read and I loved every second of it! I loved the storyline it was so unique and gripped me from the beginning. This was a story about not giving up on yourself or each other.

Even though the 2 main characters were nameless and simply referred to as “the boy” and “the girl”, I was heavily invested in them both and loved their character development and the fact they came from two completely different backgrounds but came together as one in the end.

I can’t wait to read more fantasy and to read more of this authors work. Thank you for making my introduction into the world of fantasy book so magical!

Thank you to NetGalley, Victory Editing and J. Patricia Anderson for this ARC in return for an honest review

I will also be posting my review on Instagram, Goodreads and Amazon on publication day.