3.5 stars

Silla Nordvig is desperate for safety after her world is upended. She will do anything to get to Kopa and follow the instructions her father left her. When she sneaks into a wagon, she has no idea that she is joining the Bloodaxe Crew who are on a separate mission. Although Ren, the leader of the Crew, allows her to travel with them, she struggles to keep her secrets as she grows closer to the mercenaries.

It took a few chapters to get into the book. The world reminded me of <i>The Witcher</i> with all of the magical creatures. I didn't care for the constant POV changes for certain chapters. I enjoyed reading about Silla's journey with the Bloodaxe Crew. The romance part of this book was a bit disappointing. I couldn't figure out if Silla was supposed to end up with Jonas (the handsome member of the Crew) or Ren. If you enjoyed the Viking romantasy and angst of A Fate Inked in Blood, you will like The Road of Bones.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)

I enjoyed this. I really liked the world and I thought the characters showed progression (some positive, some negative) as the story went on. Super curious where the next one goes after some of the twists at the end!

I absolutely loved this! I love anything viking inspired and this was excellent at weaving that in. The plot was so unique and fast paced and kept me guessing what was going to happen. I also loved the characters they were flawed and interesting. Will be recommending this to anyone and adding to our library 100%!

I absolutely loved this book! I read it in one setting because it was so good and I could not get enough of the characters. I really loved the characters the author created and there journey that they took. The story was fast paced but detailed where I felt immersed but not bored. I will be recommending this book to all of my family and friends.

"𝘏𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮, 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘢 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘸𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥. 𝘏𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦. 𝘏𝘦 𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴.
'𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴,' 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘢, 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘭."

I really liked this one! So many twists and turns. The ending gave me chills. I'm a sucker for a Viking story and this one did not disappoint. Silla started off the story naive but she became a warrior by the end. There is a bit of romance in this one. Unfortunately, I was rooting for her to be with someone else throughout the book. Maybe I'll get my wish in book 2 🤞🏻 I highly recommend this one for fantasy fan.

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

I appreciated this books Nordic literary style and I felt that the found family created for heartwarming adventure! The world building was vast and felt unique to other fantasy books I’ve read. I do unfortunately feel like the middle 50% of the book focused less on progressing the story or plot and more on the relationships at hand! I also thing 4 different POVS makes the story seem frenzied and erratic. Recommend for fans of Sarah J Mass.

Listen, I was not prepared for this book. I had heard that it was a good read, but I did not anticipate that it would be so good that I stayed up until 3 AM reading only to become incredibly frustrated because I was too tired to keep going and I desperately needed to finish this book.

First, the writing. This is well written to the point that it brought me unbridled joy. I am not a person who can "see" a book playing out in my mind's eye as I read. Instead I need immersive description that isn't necessarily repetitive, but is crystal clear. There was no annoying repetition of descriptions, just beautifully written prose that showed when appropriate and told when appropriate. I was never bored even in the quieter parts of the story and that is saying something because with fantasy like this, there is almost always an inevitable lull to the story. Here, it wasn't action every chapter, but each chapter had purpose and the multiple points of view worked so incredibly well that I have zero notes.

Second, the characters. Silla is equal parts sunshine and badass. I loved watching her growth. If you like your FMC's interesting, realistic, and as soft as they are blade-edged...Silla is your gal. I loved every point of view of the story. Instead of feeling overwhelming, each character had a unique voice that brought something necessary to the story. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I will say that I only partly saw one character's arc coming and I am hoping for a satisfying resolution in book 2 (they know what they did).

Third, the romance. If I say too much, I'll inadvertently drop spoilers...so instead, I'll say this: this book is the perfect balance of a romance blended into what I can only describe as high fantasy.

I need book 2 in my hands right now. I slept on this when it was indie published and I am now deep in the throes of regret.

*Please be sure to mind the trigger warnings, this story has some very dark elements. The author has a list on their website, I am copying them here from her website directly:

Domestic violence (discussed, some emotional abuse) | addiction (strong themes; includes withdrawal experience) | religious persecution |execution by stoning | blood letting | violence & gore | graphic sex | sexual assault (implied, attempted) | agoraphobia & social anxiety | captivity | mental health problems (psychosis, loss of a parent, loss of siblings) | kidnapping | forced drugging


THANK YOU NetGalley, Random House/Delacorte Press, and Demi Winters for sharing an e-arc of the soon to be republished version of this story.

After reading the content warning list, I’ve decided that this book will not be a book for the faint of heart. There is violence, sexual content, and mental health situations. I appreciate the content warning because some of these topics can be triggering to individuals or it can be a matter of personal preference. I think I will pass on reading this book, but I appreciate the opportunity. I rated this book 3 stars in the middle because I have not read it and cannot contribute a meaningful rating.

This book is an absolute gem! It is packed with heart-pounding action, romance and breathtaking fantasy elements. The enemies-to-lovers adds a delicious layer of romance. The high-stakes journey and richly detailed world-building make every moment captivating. I’m already buzzing with excitement for the next installment. This series truly deserves all the love and is a must-read for fans of gripping fantasy and thrilling romance.

I have mixed feelings about this book and I’m not sure what my final ones will be.

The beginning of this book grabs you by the throat and holds on. The book starts off with our character on the run after her father is brutally murdered in front of her. Her only course of action? Is to take a stretch of road that is dangerous, even deadly, called the road of bones. After many close encounters she ends up weaseling her way into a caravan run by a nefarious crew on their own mission. They don’t want her there, yet she proves her usefulness along the way.

This is where things get dicey. Not much happens during this book. They have some close calls and the cliffhanger is amazing but honestly, I don’t really recall there being much to the plot. Aside from quick action sequences that keep pulling you back in, the book is largely dialogue, world building and some bits of spice and romance. I just wish there was *more* going on, as much as it pains me to say.

I absolutely LOVE the world building that the author delivered. I became so engrossed in the lore and the politics of the world that it felt like I was in the book. It was so well thought out and executed, and in fantasy that’s such a hard thing to accomplish. The author handles world building in a way I have to admit you don’t see too often. The setting was the most important draw for me, namely the Viking inspiration.

The main character development is pretty decent. We do get some cool training sequences where our FMC learns to fight and defend herself. We get to see some interesting conversations within the Crew that offer some insight into how the world works. However, the details between each side character wildly vary. Some are flushed out and given clear motivations and behaviors, while others read like a stiff board. You could instantly tell which characters were more of the throwaway characters and which would be important to the plot.

I was invested from the beginning but the book feels like it lost its way from 10% until around 70% when I felt like I couldn’t put it down again. It’s clear that this is a debut novel and I hope that book two finds its groove much quicker, but overall it was a decent read!

I cannot thank the publisher enough for the e-arc!

I also cannot express how much I enjoyed this viking, action packed, a sprinkle of romance, and overall fun story of a woman determined to find answers and face her fears as she searches for a place to be safe.

Triggers to be mindful of: death, lying, and violence.

I believe that this book is absolutely perfect for anyone who enjoyed A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle Jensen or Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young.

I ADORED this book so much. I originally read it as an indie and was so so so excited to read the traditionally published edition. It was just as good and I truly can't stop thinking about. If you're looking for a viking romantasy with some great found family-- look no further!

I don’t think this one was for me! It started off strong and I was so invested with the world building, but then I fell off for me half way through. It just kept dragging on. I definitely see the allure for this book, but it fell flat for me

I absolutely loved this book. I previously read this when it was self published so I was excited to see Winters get picked up by a publisher. The fantasy romance outlook has been a bit bleak as of late; with what feels like the same stories over and over again. This book was a breath of fresh air. I loved the character work and the world building was just enough to lay the foundation for the future of the series. I liked the multiple POV and the Norse mythology world. The plot was awesome and I was actually surprised a couple of times by the plot twists which never happens for me. I have seen some people lament over the length, but I love a good long book. I'm excited to see where the series goes!

It is such a pleasure to revisit The Road of Bones. To travel its road with a fresh perspective and fall in love all over again-- as if it's the first time. For it is a revelation.

The world-building that daunted me the first go around is now a warm embrace, it is an exhilarating charm. I readily hold onto its every detail, I listen up for every piece of information, collecting ravenously. I fall in deeper love with our heroine Silla and the enigmatic Bloodaxe crew.

This book should be considered a classic. I hope it is, I hope one day when people list modern classics, this gorgeous story (and its glorious sequel that is soon to be re-released under Delacorte Press!), will be firmly at the top of all mentions. That’s where I’d put them.

The Road of Bones opened my eyes to a brand new world, and I feel right at home.

A home led by whom has become one of my all-time favorite heroines, Silla. Oh dear Silla, how I adore you. My favorite part of her is her strength, but it’s not the type ever so commonly seen in fantasy. It’s not one of brawn and physical power, it’s one of brain, wit, and so much heart. I can’t express how much I NEED heroines like her. Soft, gentle, vulnerable, and oh so wholly relatable. I was glad she wasn’t a warrior, but that doesn’t mean she’s not a fighter. That doesn't mean her own unique strength isn’t as valuable as those who can wield a heavy blade or physically stand in the way of the villains. Her strength is her courage, her kindness, her wit, her will to live and never bring harm to others. She will buckle, she will fall, but she always tries her very best to get back up. And she feels so much, she wears her heart on her sleeve, and is vulnerable, is emotional, and is so utterly human.

I look at Silla’s journey in awe, I look at what’s ahead in wonder, and I look at that girl and think: she is magnificent. She defies the archetype of the common fantasy heroine and that makes her all the more unique and relatable.

Something this book achieves for me that no other book had until now, is make me love a multi-POV book! I was nervous, y’all! Could I handle more than single or dual POV? As it turns out: Heck yeah I can! In fact, I highly anticipated each POV presented as the narrative unfurled. But I played favorites, I can’t lie, I did, I did!

Silla, my girl, my number one. But her love interest— *the* love interest— slowly but surely creeps in the most tantalizing way. I don’t want to spoil this POV, but my story’s end, trust me, you’ll know. And he is such an incredible part in this story, his scenes at the end had my heart racing and I genuinely mean that literally. My heart was pounding in my ears, both times I read this. I think every time I reread the ending all my emotions will be pouring out like it’s the first time. I was just so immersed, my attention so deeply captured that it like connected into each of emotions in an explosion of fireworks. It’s so rare to find a book that pulls something so powerful out of you.

But The Road of Bones does just that.

Brava, Demi Winters, brava! To watch this journey from an indie published work to now a traditionally published book, allowing for greater audiences, has been absolutely magic.

If you love fantasy, romance, intelligent plots, excellent pacing, and a dynamic cast of characters you will come to know deeply and feel so many colliding emotions for— then pick The Road of Bones as soon as you can!

You won’t regret it— that is my promise to you! And just you wait, oh my goodness, just you wait for the new edition of Kingdom of Claw, to me— it’s the greatest sequel of all time, and I am so excited to read its new release. Let’s goooo!

Thank you so kindly to Random House and NetGalley for this complimentary copy, I leave this honest review voluntarily.

ABSOLUTELY IN LOVE WITH THIS EPIC TALE!

A BIG thank you to the author, NetGalley, & Random House Publishing Group Ballantine for the eARC! All thoughts and exuberance of emotion are my own!

I have already purchased the second book "Kingdom of Claw" and am just...so damn good!! I can't even tell you how much I like this series. If you like...
1. men who can be monstrous
2. women with a sassy attitude and a backbone to back it up but got there by going through horrendous strife
3. fabulous writing
4. detailed world building (although I could stand to have a bit more description here)
5. a band of fighters/warriors for hire that walk the line of morally gray, while also harboring hearts of gold
6. a secret past with power even our MC doesn't even know she has
7. Epic adventure fraught with danger, near survival, well written fighting scenes, royal intrigue, Viking shenanigans and politics, and yes...a touch of SPICE.
8. multiple POV from characters that don't make it to the end
9. the hint of love that edges towards a triangle only to leave you with aching betrayal
...and, I am sure there is more I am missing here, but am far too impatient to get this review over with so I can keep reading book 2. This is a tale you will not want to sip slowly.

Long review short, GO BUY THIS ONE and enjoy the journey! Heck just go ahead and buy book two while your there! You know you're going to read it. This is one I will definitely be requesting our cataloger to acquire for the library.

NO REGRETS!!!!

I enjoyed a lot of this, I love the premise, the found family, a lot of the characters, and the last 20% was really great.

The book was largely just too long, and it seemed to be striving for both a cozy fantasy feel and a high stakes fantasy feel. And for that reason, it reads a bit choppy, with long stretches of very slow pacing.

This had a unique world and premise and I did enjoy the characters a lot, and I also liked the slowly developed. It was very immersive and fun.

The romance didn't really work for me in this book, but I am intrigued to see where it goes in the second one, so I definitely plan to continue the series.

TW: domestic abuse (mentioned), sexual assault (attempted), violence, blood, gore, addiction, parental loss, sibling loss and probably more. Take care of yourself and read the complete list of trigger warnings on Demi Winters website.

I've been meaning to read this one for a bit now, it's been on my kindle for months! I recently saw listenwithbritt recommend it on her ig and how she squeed over Islay Jacobs narration...I was finally convinced to pick it up!

The story starts out a bit slow, FMC Silla has just taken part in a stoning in the village she lives and works in with her father. But her father has had enough of this village and it's back on the road for them. They've been roaming from town to town since Silla was 10 never truly settling down. Her father ends up getting murdered and Silla is on her own and must make it all the way north to Copa in order to find the safe house her father has arranged for her. Not only must she make it to Copa, someone is after her for reasons unknown and it seems they won't stop until they find her. To get to Copa she must travel the Road of Bones, a ruthless dangerous road...it would be nearly impossible to do so herself so she stows away on a wagon hoping to catch a ride. Little does she know she just hitched a ride with the Blood Axe Crew. Convincing them not to kill her on site is only half the battle.

Once Silla meets the Blood Axe Crew the story really gets going. The found family aspect of the story was fun and I enjoyed most of the side characters. The romance was "okay", without spoiling it I'll just say I should've known better when the main love interest was blonde. The dynamic Silla has between the two main MMCs was a bit confusing, I thought at one point one might be her long lost brother she never knew she had but it was cleared up by the end and definitely no brother vibes lol. I was gutted for Silla by the end of the book and the cliffhanger is pretty bad but there is such hope on the horizon, I can't wait for the next one!

Islay Jacobs narration was fantastic indeed. Definitely listen to this on audiobook if you get the chance, she has such a lovely voice and I really enjoyed all the pronunciations of the nordic words sprinkled through out the book.

Overall a solid romantasy with viking/nordic vibes. Lots of adventure and found family and romance, definitely pick this one up! Thank you so much to Delacorte Press for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 **A Thrilling Adventure You Won't Want to Miss!**

Silla's journey through the Road of Bones is a gripping tale of survival and courage. From the start, she's running for her life, hunted by the Queen of Íseldur's warriors. After her father's death, Silla must brave a dangerous path full of warbands, dark creatures, and a relentless assassin to reach the safety of Kopa.

The story is packed with action and suspense, especially when Silla joins the Bloodaxe Crew and tries to win over their mysterious leader, Axe Eyes, while dodging the attention of his handsome right-hand man, the Wolf.

The tension never lets up as Silla faces one danger after another, all while being hunted by the queen's assassin. This book is a fast-paced, exciting read with strong characters and a plot that keeps you hooked until the very end. Perfect for fans of epic fantasy!

Loved this book. It had such a unique magic system. The main charters were dynamic and the story captivated you the entire time! I can't wait to see where this story goes.