I’ve been going back and forth in my mind on how to review this book. Having anticipated it for so long, I honestly thought it would be more—and yet, I can’t say I’m all that disappointed either. Sparse at is might have been on story and plot development, The Bone Witch has a lot else going for it, including topnotch writing and impressive atmosphere.

The book introduces us to twelve-year-old Tea, a bone witch. Unfortunately for our protagonist, she came to discover her powers for necromancy in the worst way possible—by accidentally raising her older brother Fox from the dead, while everyone looked on at his funeral. From that moment on, the siblings’ fates were forever linked. But now that she has been identified as a dark asha, a magic user that deals with death, Tea must be taken away to receive the proper training. In this world, bone witches do not have the best reputations to begin with; within many communities they are feared and reviled, despite the crucial role that bone witches play—for you see, only they can defeat the demonic beings called Daeva, creations of the False Prince that resurrect every so often to plague the populace. During her training, Tea will not only learn how to control her powers, she will also be learning how to fight the Daeva.

Not long after Fox’s resurrection, an experienced bone witch called Mykaela comes to take Tea and her brother away to a school for dark asha. Far from home and still reeling over the fact that her life has been changed forever, Tea nonetheless puts all her efforts into learning all she can for the next few years, gaining control over her powers while also further bonding with Fox, the one tie she has to her family. Throughout this time, her resolve is tested again and again—and the challenges include more than just an appraisal of her magical abilities. Tea uncovers a whole other world of secrets among the leaders and other ashas at the school, some that may hold dire consequences for her homeland and those she cares about.

The story here is very simple. While I wouldn’t exactly say I was bored for most of the first half of the book, plot development in this section was admittedly on the sluggish side, especially once we got past the ruckus over Fox’s surprise resurrection. Instead the narrative spent a lot of time building up the relationship between Tea and her brother, which thankfully was something I enjoyed. Despite Fox’s awkward status as an undead, they say that no one can come back from the afterlife unless they truly wanted to, and it was clear that love and protectiveness for his little sister were the main driving forces behind his character. It was heartwarming to see his support for Tea, especially during her early years at the school at a time when she needed his guidance the most. In fact, this attention to siblings’ character development and the strengthening of their bond was likely what saved the book for me and kept me from losing interest completely.

The first section also spent a considerable chunk of time on world-building. To the author’s credit, she has created a fascinating universe in The Bone Witch, filling it with a complex system of magic which became almost too convoluted at times. There are many types of ashas, or witches, in this world—most have powers that are based around the elements like earth, air, fire, etc. The book doesn’t really go into the details of each kind of magic, only telling us that the kind Tea has, i.e. death magic, is different. Apparently there is an entire set of other rules for bone witches, even though there’s no rhyme or reason as to why, and while they are considered to be a type of asha, it is also generally accepted that they are just “special”. Then there are the Daeva, plus the convenient fact that bone witches just so happen to be uniquely equipped to deal with them. Don’t get me wrong, the concept itself is interesting, but at the same time a lot of it feels way too “constructed” for me to find it convincing.

In the face of all this, the idea of heartglasses almost feels extraneous. To give you a crash course on what these things are, in this world everyone wears a mood ring like bauble around their necks called a heartglass, and they can change color depending on what the person is feeling. It is a more than a piece of jewelry though, because it many ways it is also part of the wearer’s identity and soul. They also hold cultural significance, as lovers can opt to exchange heartglasses (though given the dire consequences in the event one person becomes less committed, I don’t know why anyone would risk doing this) and as well the power of potential witches can sometimes be gleaned from the color of their heartglasses. However, heartglasses can also be forged. Not surprisingly, despite all the focus on world-building, I still have a lot of questions. If I do end up continuing this series, it is my hope that the next book will provide more information on ashes, the magic system, heartglasses, etc. and explore how it all fits together.

For now, I plan to take a wait-and-see approach. I didn’t love The Bone Witch, but I also saw a lot to like about the book, including great characterization and fantastic atmosphere. In addition, the magic system holds plenty of potential—though world-building probably needs to be streamlined and polished up a bit. I guess I’ll wait for reviews before deciding whether or not to dive into the sequel; if book two beefs up the storytelling and improves the plot, I just might give this series another try.

So the beautiful cover drew me to this book initially. This was a hard book to get through for me since the story seemed to go so slow due to all the world and character building. Set in a world filled with magic, Tea is born into a family that has more magical abilities than most. Her sisters use their magic to help their community by healing the sick and the heartbroken. But when Tea's favorite brother dies, she accidentally raises him from the dead, revealing that she is a rare, powerful and often feared bone witch. Her magic is dark and she has the power to raise the dead. Taken from her community to protect her and mentor her, wiser and older ashas try to teach her everything she needs to know to control her magic for the safety of others and to battle the dark forces that bombard her world. Told in alternating past and future points of view by Tea, you see the beginning of Tea's training and the banished asha she becomes, hungry for revenge for all she lost. The question of how Tea's best intentions to save her world and her mentor leads to her banishment draws you into this book and leaves you wanting the next book in the series to come out soon.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.

I received an advanced readers copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration.

Though I abandoned the book at 16%, The Bone Witch is a fantasy lover's dream. The cover is beautiful and the world building intricate. However, as I'm not well versed in fantasy, I could not get a good grasp of the world in my head and had trouble picturing it. I kept trying to push myself to read it, but it became too much of a task. Not the book for me right now...will pick it up again later.

Honestly, I loved the Bone Witch and I think it has potential to be a strong fantasy series. While the plot does start out slow in the beginning, taking a back seat to strong character development and world building, it does eventually pick up. And then, wow- the story really hooks you.
I found the story to be beautifully written and I appreciated how descriptive and detailed the writing was, it really helped me get a feel for the world Tea lives in. I am not one to shy away from a long story, and I felt like the first part of the novel, while a little long, was crucial to setting the stage for the story to properly develop in. I felt like it gave me time to get to know the characters, like anti-hero Tea, her risen from the dead brother Fox, and Mykalea her bone witch mentor. I also loved the world Tea lives in; the necromancy magic, the heart glasses, and how the apprentices were trained to be Asha- an awesome combination of Japanese Geisha and sorceress.
Honestly, I can’t wait to find out what happens next and am anxiously awaiting the sequel. I highly recommend for fantasy readers who like high fantasy and authors like Garth Nix.

This book focuses on the dark side of magic. The topic was unique and I enjoyed the format: switching between the main character growing up and in present day. The tone and pace of the book were good, but I found it hard to keep track of all of the kingdoms and people.

I have a love/impatience relationship with this book. (Notice not love/hate.) Love because Riu's writing is gorgeous and flowing and descriptive...and impatient because OH MY GOSH the description got to be much and I wanted more action...
The characters have so much potential - Geisha-like warrior witches, Tea's kinda-dead-but-not brother Fox, the beasts she and the other bone witches fight...amazing. The book moves slowly, but you are waiting for the next action scene so you will stick with it....and then my interest began to mount...and then it ended. WHAT? I may be the first reviewer to ask when the next book is coming out after reading an ARC pre-released.

This was an interesting read, with an incredibly detailed world to support it. However, it surprisingly felt at times like that was TOO much building going on without enough story to keep my attention.

*I received this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

The beast raged; it punctured the air with its spite. But the girl was fiercer.
Tea is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy makes her a bone witch, who are feared and ostracized in the kingdom. For theirs is a powerful, elemental magic that can reach beyond the boundaries of the living—and of the human.
Great power comes at a price, forcing Tea to leave her homeland to train under the guidance of an older, wiser bone witch. There, Tea puts all of her energy into becoming an asha, learning to control her elemental magic and those beasts who will submit by no other force. And Tea must be strong—stronger than she even believes possible. Because war is brewing in the eight kingdoms, war that will threaten the sovereignty of her homeland…and threaten the very survival of those she loves.

Rating: 4/5 stars

God damn god damn god damn. Well that was an epic fantasy novel. I don’t even know where to begin, I am completely mentally exhausted. I really liked this. Like, really, really liked it. But hell if it wasn’t completely bloody confusing. The world building in this is excellent, however there is an awful lot going on and you do end up spending most of the book trying to remember the politics of everything and all the different kingdoms and rulers and types of magic etc.

Adding to this was the jumping back and forth story line- going from the perspective of the Bard at a date set a few years into the future, and then having the story told sequentially over a period of a few years in the present. The future sections were very frustrating and confusing as clearly a very great deal of plot has occurred which we the reader are not privy to.

I understand why the narrative was told in this way- I have seen it done very successfully in other novels and it really is a very interesting way of story telling. Yet here the world, with its magical elements and cast of characters, is too great to gather up and dump across different time lines.

So in sum, I really enjoyed this epic fantasy, but I didn’t actually come away with any real understanding of what on earth has passed.

Very much looking forward to the sequel, where hopefully I’ll be getting some much needed answ

I received a copy via NetGalley for an honest opinion. All that follows are my words and I was not compensated.

I fell in love with Chupeco's different writing styles in her debut, The Girl From the Well. Though the second book was written similar to other young adult books, there was enough uniqueness that I was pulled to her as an author. It doesn't seem she likes to stick to convention. Which is a personality trait that can either kill or strengthen a writer.

It strengthens her.

The Bone Witch is another one of those books that is written differently than most young adult fantasies. It's written different from other fantasies. In my opinion, to call it young adult is a bit of a disservice. Sure, Tea, the main character, is a teenager, but I feel this book would be just as comfortable in a fantasy/sci-fi shelf.

The first thing I noticed about the book is the separation within the chapters. There are the italicized parts, which are set in the present time, and the regular text parts, which are Tea's past. Both are written in first person, but the italicized is narrated by a bard from the country, Drycht. I'm not sure he was ever named . . .

The second thing I noticed is how close it is to Memoirs of a Geisha. It was like reading a more magical and young adult version. It is a clever way to pull the reader into the fantasy world and I wasn't put off by this quality. If anything, it made the world real and the magic system believable.

The world is extensive. You are given exposition through characters talking, the lessons Tea goes through, or the play that the people of Ankyo watch every year. I love this in a fantasy. I dislike getting everything from the mouth of the author. I want the full immersion. And I get that in this book.

The magic system, the cultures, everything seems to be a hodge podge of East meets West. It's like Chupeco picked and pulled, morphed and shaped, and made a world all of her own. It is phenomenal how much thought and work had to go with making the world.

That alone gives this book a high level in my opinion.

That said, the story itself wasn't a big action filled story. There wasn't a lot of political intrigue or backstabbing, which you see in a lot of fantasy. It was more of a great introduction to the world and Tea as a character.

So far I have yet to find a book by Rin Chupeco that I haven't loved. I will be watching out for the next book in the series. I have to. I'm not sure if Tea is a good guy or not . . .

I enjoyed Rin Chupeco’s first book, The Girl from the Well, and jumped at the chance to follow her into the fantasy genre. And while there were some good things about The Bone Witch (the heroine, her brother, lush descriptions, the whole idea of asha, and this specific type of magic), there were a lot of things that either weren’t or just didn’t work for me.

The heroine, Tea, is an engaging narrator, and the glimpses of her in the future, having changed radically from the girl we get to know during her asha training, is intriguing. I wanted a lot more progression on this front, but that’s where the structure of the book undercut itself. Between every chapter was a very short scene of the future, between Tea and an unnamed Bard, and these scenes either constantly killed the momentum of the past or set us up for excitement that took far too long to materialize. If the interruptions had been less frequent (and had been a more coherent narrative, not mostly Tea preparing to raise or raising creature after creature after creature), this might have worked; as it was, it became an irritating distraction, especially once it became obvious that the past Tea and the future Tea weren’t going to be any closer to each other in this book, attitude/philosophy-wise, than they were at the start of it. Having the Bard narrate the future segments felt like a deliberate choice to keep information from the reader (like who Tea’s dead love is and what her plans are for all the monsters) rather than the best choice for telling the story. I felt frustrated, not teased, throughout.

The thing that disappointed me most was the portrayal of the country Drycht. It’s obviously supposed to be the stereotypical conservative Muslim country analogue, what with a kingdom mostly of sand, a king with an “iron grip,” its women veiled, and its stance on gender roles. I cannot think of a single character in the book (aside from the Drycht envoy who is scandalized that Tea is wearing bold colors and must be calmed by being allowed to go on a rant about the shamelessness of women—and he is supposed to be “a progressive man in comparison [to his fellow countrymen]”!) who has anything good to say about the country or the people, aside from occasional praise of its trade goods.

This negative narrative isn’t subtle, either. The nameless Bard was “born in Drycht but was banished when [he] came of age for [his] freethinking ways.” While Farhi, one of the maids, has a name, she never actually speaks on the page (so far as I can remember) and always behaves negatively/distantly toward Tea. One of the heroine’s mentors says flat out “This is Kion, miladies, not Drycht. We are at an age where men and women stand together on equal footing, unlike our barbarian brothers to the south.” To top it off, there are two referenced honor killings: a dance performance “about a woman from Drycht to be executed for dishonoring her family when she fled with a disreputable lover” and a separate incident, where it is revealed that the girl the Bard loved unrequitedly was killed by her father for running away with a bricklayer. (This moment isn’t about this unnamed girl or the not-the-Bard!boy she loved at all, it is explicitly about Tea and the Bard. Because we make the tragic murder of a girl in love all about us, apparently.)

This negative portrayal is never pushed back against in the text, so it doesn’t appear to be a misguided attempt at having a prejudiced narrator. It is simply gross, disappointing, and makes me wonder what other red flags I may have missed in the mashup of other cultures in this fantasy world. I am interested in hearing from other readers and reviewers on this subject.

Recommendation: Just skip it. While there are some good ideas here, the constant interruptions from a future stranger are terribly distracting and hinder, more than help, the main narrative, and the Islamophobic content under the guise of a fantasy culture is not redeemable.

This was a different read for me. But I'm glad I took a chance on this one. This was a solid read, with some really interesting issues that seem to mirror similar ones that are present in our everyday world. It struck home with me, because I work in a heavy male dominated environment, and the need to act manly, and forgo girly things, even in this day and age, is still very real in my line of work.

I have to say, this book had a fast reading pace, but, the descriptions seems to last longer then necessary. Towards the end of the book, things just dragged on and to me felt over explained. I get you need to ease out of the climax, but not to the point where I was actually getting board. So that's why this book gets the 4 star instead of that 5. A another go at editing won't hurt.

Outside of that, I was impressed with the family dynamic, I have brothers, so I know all to well how trying they can be. It pulled at my heart string and it was done very well in that real sort of way.

I highly recommend this book. I can't wait to real more about this world, that was this book. It's dark tones and exciting plot had me hooked. I can't quiet explain it, but this book has me under it's unique spell and I need to read more.

Happy Reading.

E.A. Walsh

I've enjoyed the author's YA horror books, The Girl from the Well and its sequel The Suffering but I've always felt they missed that little extra to make them full five star reads. Now The Bone Witch, the first book of her new fantasy series, was a very different one compared to her previous books. Different in genre but it also felt like a whole new level of storytelling than I've experienced from her. Consider me throroughly and utterly in awe of this amazing book!

I almost don't know where to start with this story. First of all it has two points of view. The first one is of Tea, who finds out, after she brings her dead brother back to life, that she has the gift of necromancy which makes her a bone witch. The second point of view is in the perspective of a bard. It has a very unique style and is very different compared to Tea's. I totally loved these two POVs. I probably liked the bard's POV the most because it was so deliciously dark and captivating.

Tea definitely was a great character to read about. The story continues over a few years so we actually get to see her growing up a little, learning more about the magic she has and what it all means. I also really liked her brother Fox. I absolutely loved his sense of humor and his relationship with Tea. Because she accidentally raised him from the his grave he is her familiar, which makes them connected and in tune to each other.

There's only hint of romance, which I thought was perfect for this book The story does move slowly so I totally get why some people wouldn't like it. Personally I loved this aspect of it because it build everything up perfectly without rushing anything. And then there's the writing... it was beyond a doubt one of the most beautiful prose I have ever read. It was seriously amazing!

Overall, The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco is nothing short of brilliant. I would absolutely recommend it to any lover of fantasy, especially to fans of Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone and Kiersten White's And I Darken.

The novel reminds me of Harry Potter (my favorite!) meets Wicked. The young girl finds out she has magical powers, but since her powers are dark there is a stigma against her, which makes her life even more difficult. Throughout the story, you learn more about her power and her strength.

Of course, there's a little tiny bit of romance within the story, which I don't think took away from the plot at all.

The end of the novel almost wrapped up too quickly, and I wish that there had been more focus on the ending than I felt there was. I was glad that everything wasn't totally wrapped up, though, to give more of an opening for the followup novels in the series.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and would definitely read the next in the series. I would recommend The Bone Witch if you're into fantasy novels, but if fantasy's not your thing, you probably would not enjoy this book.

Well let me start by saying I just love the cover..it's gorgeous. This book took me a very long time to finish I had to re-read some parts.. Was the Bard ever revealed? Name? Did I miss something?
This just was not my kind of book but I could totally see the younger crowd liking it.


My thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First I really just want to take a second to appreciate the cover, because it is GORGEOUS. I'm definitely going to be getting myself a hardcover copy soon, because this book needs to be on my shelf. Just LOOK at it!

*I received an ARC from Netgalley. This is no way impacts my review.*

I want to start this review by saying that some people are confusing The Bone Witch with The Black Witch. The Black Witch is a horribly racist book due to be published in May despite many being very vocal about how problematic and hurtful it is. The Bone Witch, however, is a beautifully diverse book that you should 100% pick up.

I actually struggled with The Bone Witch a bit at the beginning. The book alternates between present day, where Tea is living alone in exile and telling her story to a bard, and the story of how she came to be so feared. Something about that style just didn't resonate with me at first. It took a little while for me to be able to immerse myself in the story, and I know a number of other people have had these same feelings. That said, I am SO glad I kept going. So if you have a hard time getting into it at first, keep reading. It picks up, I promise. It is stylistically very different from your typical YA fantasy, so I think it just takes a bit to adjust to. Give it a solid chance--it will be worth it.

If a slow start is the biggest weakness of The Bone Witch, world-building is definitely it's biggest strength. We've all read a fantasy novel where the world is developed just enough to function and doesn't really stretch past the story--this is not one of them. The world of The Bone Witch is complex and full of multiple differing cultures with their own traditions and histories. Honestly the world building is so fantastic that eventually I became grateful for the slow burn plot because it gave me so much time to just immerse myself in the day to day of Tea's life as an asha apprentice interacting with all these different cultures and expectations.

And then there's Tea (which is pronounced Tay-uh, by the way. Made it 68% of the way through the book before one of the characters informed me I'd been saying it wrong.) I had a hard time connecting to her at first, but I think, again, that was just because I needed time to adjust to the style of the story. The further into The Bone Witch I got, the more I came to love Tea as a character. It is so, so rare to get a morally ambiguous protagonist in YA fantasy, so Tea is an absolute breath of fresh air. She makes arguably terrible decisions, but you understand exactly why she's making them.

The book starts by showing us Tea has been exiled from society, and while we still don't know why by the end of this first novel, we are slowly but surely shown the progression of a young woman who does not care about societal expectations when they conflict with what she believes is right. Tea is a textbook Chaotic Good character with the power to topple entire nations if she deems it a necessary means to whatever end it is she's envisioned. And that, I think, is what makes The Bone Witch so amazing. You genuinely never know what she's going to do next. And as much as you're rooting for her, she also scares you a little bit.

When I first started reading The Bone Witch, I was skeptical about it being book one in a series. But the time I finished it I was desperate to know what happens next. If you're a fantasy lover looking for something a little different, I cannot recommend The Bone Witch enough.

I didn't know what to expect from this book.. but I was thoroughly entertained and read it quickly. It's kind of a cross between Memoirs of a Geisha and Beautiful Creatures.

The culture that Chupeco describes is really very interesting. The intricate details of dress, hair pins, dance, and fighting were all well written. You wanted to visit this place, which is one of the greatest compliments I think a reviewer can give. I look forward to book two.

4 stars (because it is a little too YA in some parts .. think Twilight)

3 - 3.5 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy fantasy as well as something like Memoirs of a Geisha. It reminded me quite a bit of that.

This book follows Tea who learns at a young age that she is not like other children. She has the gift of raising the dead. Taken in by the asha, she is trained in the arts as well as darker skills. She'll soon find it hard to determine her friends from enemies.

This book is extremely complex in the beginning. The world is built up quickly and there are a lot of names and roles to keep track of. Once I got a bit further in, the plot took over again, and I didn't feel as confused. The book is told in two times the present, and the past. Tea has been exiled in the present, and she explains why throughout the book. A lot of Tea's training reminded me a bit of Memoirs of a Geisha. Tea houses, ornate costumes, music and dancing skills to entertain. Most of the book revolves around that. Intricate settings, outfits, etc. Entertaining at tea houses, etc. I found this book to be missing the action or intrigue that I come to expect with a fantasy novel... but it was still enjoyable. I'm very interested in the magic system, world building, and where the series will go next. I will probably read it, hoping for more action as the series goes.

​If you liked Memoirs of a Geisha, and you like fantasy and magic, then this is your jam. This book is dense with an exorbitant amount of rich details. Vivid scenery and lush fashion and accessories. The world building is just as heavy with the lands and people.
The imagery of the book is painted with precision, and the characters are unique and diverse. Although in some instances, I felt the pace brought to a crawl by the abundance of detail, by the end, I was fully invested. I only wish it didn't leave off when it did, I felt I was just getting into the action!

The Bone Witch is one of those books with an amazing cover and a very intriguing synopsis, so when I received this for review, I was really ecstatic! I immediately wanted to read it, but I also didn't want to read it that soon because I knew that the release date is still so far away. Finally, I decided to read it without regard for the release date, and I'm glad I did!

What I Liked:

1. The Concept
I feel like the concept for The Bone Witch is such a unique one. There are a lot of fantasy books out there, but I believe that none of them are like this book. It's about Asha (magic-wielders) who use different types of elements to their advantage. And there there's the Bone Asha - people who can people from the dead. Although there are many books with magic wielders out there, none have magic wielders who are also entertainers. Also, this book has dragons! Isn't that just something to be excited about?

2. How Interesting It Is
As I said above, the concept is very unique, thus it's also very intriguing. There were so many things that happened in the book, and there were conspiracies buried underneath all that glamour. Hushed whispers and secrets fill this book, and I couldn't help but be captivated.

3. The Setting
Well, not exactly the setting, but how the setting in the book was described so vividly. I can imagine everything, from the asha-ka, to what the ashas were wearing, to how the asha performed dances. I feel like I had been inside the world of the author and that's not a feat that can be accomplished by many authors.

4. The Narrative Style
The Bone Witch is told in a way that is in flashbacks. The main character is actually telling the story of everything to a story teller. To be honest, I was surprised that I liked this. In the other books that I've read, I've always hated it when the narrative was done this way. However, with this book, it just added to the intrigue of the story, and I felt like it made me want to read more.


What I Didn't Like:
1. It Was Dragging
The Bone Witch has a very interesting concept, but it has a tendency to drag at some parts. I found myself skipping some narratives. It also took me a long time to finish the book because of these parts.

2. The Lack of Information
This complaint is coming from the selfish part of me, and not really a big issue. I just feel like I need to know more about what the main character is planning for the future because I hate being kept in the dark. I feel like there's still too many mysteries, and I can't predict the direction the next book would go because of the vagueness of it all.

That said, I really enjoyed reading The Bone Witch, and my only (real) complaint is that it was dragging. I can't wait for the next book!