This was an amazing book and I am buying a hard copy for my own personal library.

I really, really, really want to lovingly adore this book. But it's been a week ... and it's not a good sign that I decided to scrub my bathtub instead of reading it. The writing is beautiful, but just not holding my attention at all.

I liked it. The story was well written and I enjoyed the world created by the author. I will definitely be reading more.

Review goes live on Butterfly-o-Meter Books on April 7 2017 at 00.00 AM GMT+2 and will show up on Goodreads sometime later.

In a Flutter: Not bad, but not my cuppa
Fluttering Thoughts:
Worldbuilding: It’s clear from the blurb that the Bone Witch series has an interesting magic-based world, and I enjoyed it very much as a concept. It has a complex magic system, and the medieval-like world was a nice setting.
Characters: I’m not yet sure how I feel about Tea. I mean, I liked her as a concept – her background, her personality, her reactions and view of the world. I enjoyed her up to the point where I gave up on the novel – which is the 30% mark on the ebook -, but not as I would have liked. She didn’t “become real” to me, not because she wasn’t built right but because our mean of communication didn’t work for me – more on that later.
Plot: The story has an action/adventure flair to it, I’d say a epic/high fantasy kind of scenario where we follow the MC through her adventures. The tempo is pretty slow, but it wouldn’t have bothered me, had I actually enjoyed my time with the MC. Since I ended up not enjoying though, the slow pace became too slow for me.
Writing: First and third person narrative, MC and another POV. And here is the reason I actually DNF-ed, though not without regret. Aside the fact that jumping POV is a pet peeve of mine – it often annoys me even in romance, so you can imagine -, it was the style that really didn’t work for me at all. I’d describe it as classic epic/high fantasy, somewhat dry, little to no humor, not that conversational. It didn’t “flow” for me, setting the story as a movie inside my mind – instead it kept zooming me on the actual writing, acting as an effective barrier between me and the characters and story in itself. The main reason I don’t often enjoy epic/high fantasy is precisely this – the writing style. As concepts, they’re very often strong – world. character(s) – but it’s lost on me when the writing style continuously breaks the flow of the reading experience. While this was a turnoff for me, I’m sure that fans of epic/high fantasy will actually LOVE it, and coupled with the strengths of the novel (at least up to the point where I read it), it will probably make for really good reading.
Curb Appeal: The cover is absolutely gorgeous, and the blurb is hooking – impulsive buy material for a YA fantasy craving for sure.

When I read the blurb, I was sure this was fantasy. But I didn’t really know what kind of fantasy it would be – considering the YA factor, I hoped it would go in the non-epic direction, to be honest. I was hoping for something in the vein of Julia Vanishes by Catherine Egan or the Faraday Files series by Kate McIntyre, or a YA-style The Copper Promise by Jen Williams or Steal the Sky by Megan E. O’Keefe, for instance – I don’t mean the elements of the fantasy world, but the tone of the writing style. I’m only giving you examples of fantasy that isn’t UF or romance and that I did enjoy, to give you an idea of what I mean.
But it went in the action/adventure traditional epic/high fantasy direction, and it’s just one I rarely find myself enjoying.
I found myself feeling like I did when I DNF-ed Weather Witch by Shannon Delany, for instance – SO much potential, and I can’t enjoy it because the style is a barrier instead of a connection. It’s not that kind of style here, but the result was the same.
But I really enjoyed the concepts of the world and characters I met up to the point I DNF-ed, so I do really recommend you give it a try yourself if you’re into what ended up to be my turnoff about the novel.

I tried looking for things I might see in this book that will keep me going. But, this book is not for me. Nothing happened. It might be amusing, but, it is not (for me). But why? Why can't I find to look forward for the next page and to keep reading this? It is because mid-reading I already lost my interest. I can't feel the connection to the characters. No connection at all.

It disappoint me. I expected A LOT from this book but it saddens me as I didn't enjoy it.

I had a lot of unsure feelings about The Bone Witch while reading it. I don't love reading fantasy books set in a completely new world; it's hard for me to have an anchor to them, something that connects me to and keeps me in that world. Too often authors describe the world as though what we should see is familiar, rather than it being described by an outsider that we can relate to. I did have a hard time finding that connection but ultimately ended up really into it.

The book is confusing to read until you figure a few things out. The text alternates between regular and italicized; the regular being the story of Tea's journey to become a bone witch (in the past) and italics being a few years down the road (the "present"). What bothers me is that in a few years (and we get this pretty early on) everything has gone to shit for Tea. I didn't like reading on one page about her wonder for being an asha and a developing crush and the next... well, the utter destruction she's planning to unleash. It was like telling the reader, "She's riding her bike to the store! But she didn't make it to the store. She crashes her bike! She got groceries the next day." Okay, that's a terrible example, but it's no fun reading about someone's future happening and knowing bad things way in advance at the same time. I hope there's a point to writing this way. Oh, and the italicized text is from a different point of view.

The world this author created is pretty interesting but not perfect. The dialogue isn't great, the descriptions and settings aren't great, and it was really difficult to keep reading through the book for the majority of it. It did pick up quite a bit in maybe the final quarter of the book and I am interested to read more, but if it keeps up in the same format I can't say that I'd want to read too many books. I plan to keep an eye out for the next book in the series.

3/5 Stars

I was given a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

So I received an ARC e-book of this title from NetGalley and to be honest, had a really hard time getting into it and staying with it. I made it about a third of the way through but was feeling like I was slogging until I saw it was newly available as an e-book through my library's Overdrive system and decided to try it that way. For me, it was a big improvement. The world that the author created is very detailed and having the narrators talking me through it, made it flow much more. So my 3 stars rating is combined for the audio book (3.5 stars) and the print book (probably 2.5 stars).

Tea is a bone witch who accidentally raises her brother Fox from the dead when she is twelve. He becomes one of the undead and is tied to Tea for life--almost as a familiar of sorts. Because she can do the magic of necromancy, she is taken by Mykala, another bone witch for training. The training for bone witches or ashas (by the way it's not a respectable magic trade in Tea's world) includes learning magic but also a geisha-like training, done away from family that includes learning to serve and entertain and to fight large terrible beasts called daevas. It's a complicated world. ;-)

The story is told from Tea's POV, as well as the POV of a "Bard" who comes across her and asks for her story. This is the first book in a series and perhaps the level of detail (there is a glossary "The World of the Bone Witch: The 8 Kingdoms in the back explaining the kingdoms) is there to set up for future books. I think having a few less Kingdoms and less detail would have helped the story move along and think it could have benefited from being shortened down. That being said, I enjoyed the Tea (and her brother Fox) and learning about her world and I would try a second book--via audio book again.

From the intriguing title, to the stunning book cover, I yearned to read this book from the moment I saw it on NetGalley. Aside from the too-open ended finish, this book did not disappoint.

What I Liked:
Narrative Style:
The book alternates chapters between two first-person narratives. First, a bard (we are never told his name) is compelled to travel to a desolate beach where an older Tea is preparing her revenge. He asks her questions about her life, and witnesses her preparations for her revenge.

The other narrator is Tea reflecting on her training as an Asha and laying the groundwork for why she is seeking revenge.

I've never seen a book organized in this way. It was unusual and compelling.

Setting:
A significant portion of the book happens in The Willows, a place much like that of the Geisha district in Kyoto, Japan. I lived in Japan for several years, and I immediately understood the type of atmosphere the author was trying to convey. The world of Asha (witches) is run much like Geisha. The Asha train for years in more than spells. They must be adept at singing, dancing, musical instruments, and conversation. Then they set about entertaining important people at tea houses in The Willows.

Fashion:
I loved the descriptions of the clothing, and accessories of the Asha. This may seem superficial, but the clothing of each Asha was an important part of their lives. I made a Pinterest board to show what I think the fashions may have been like:

Characters:
I loved Tea, the main character of the book. She was someone who was constantly being controlled by others. She struggled to find the strength needed to break free of everyone else's expectations and be her own person. I also liked that, although her Asha abilities were rare, she wasn't a Super character. She was not great at everything she tried (particularly singing!). I get very irritated when the main character is perfect, and Tea is far from that.

What I didn't Like:
Ending:
While I understand that this will be a trilogy, I was frustrated by the huge cliffhanger ending!

Yes, the main problem of the book was solved. But there were so many unanswered questions, that I was extremely frustrated! I had to take half a star away from my rating to reflect this.

Overall, this was an exciting beginning to a saga I will be following with great interest in the future.

The concept of the book felt really cool-- I haven't found many YA books that deal with necromancers, but unfortunately it just fell flat to me. The author writes very beautiful descriptions of everything, but that is all we get. We don't get a lot of character or personality. We don't get a lot of plot or action. We only get description. Needless to say it wasn't interesting to read when I don't care about the characters and nothing happens.

Loved this book! I was unsure at first, the beginning was interesting, but was unlike anything I have read in a long time. After a chapter or two, though, I was hooked. It was like diving into a beautiful world of magical "asha", the revered wielders of all elements. However, the book follows a young girl, Tea, who has the less respected powers of the Dark. This "bone witch" is a quick learner and thinks for herself, although the teachings of the elders do not allow the latter. A bit of a passive rebel at first, she has romantic feelings for someone above her, which is nearly forbidden as the local history has had terrible results from a similar situation. Lady Tea strongly advocates for changing some of these ways--in a kind of American cultural reflection--to allow acceptance for her friend who does not fit the outdated gender roles. Beautifully written, The Bone Witch describes--with vivid detail--every nuance of this imaginary world and all of its kingdoms. I loved being there and I wanted more, but unfortunately, the book ended abruptly--so I am looking forward to a sequel! 😁

I enjoyed this book. The concept was new and it was exciting to see how Tea grew and integrated into the asha community. This book did a lot of world building, and was a little light on the overall story arc plot. You see glimpses in the in-between chapters, but this book definitely reads like a setup for the rest of the series. Not bad, I need the next book to really know what's going on.

Lavish in detail, The Bone Witch weaves a tale of dark fantasy and necromancy where a young woman discovers she has the power to raise the dead.

THE BONE WITCH weaves a dark and opulent tale of magic and monsters. Rin Chupeco creates a world beset by dark beasts and kingdoms tottering on the verge of war. The Eight Kingdoms are filled with elemental magic, intrigue, and rich historical traditions. It is here readers meet the protagonist Tea, a young, untrained witch who discovers her abilities of necromancy after accidently raising her recently deceased brother from the dead.

Known as Bone Witch, Tea is both feared and revered for her unique powers and finds herself thrust into the world of an Asha, learning to control her dark elemental magic. With war looming between the kingdoms and dark beasts rising up from the dead, Tea knows she must masters her skills while navigating courtly intrigue.

“Let me be clear: I never intended to raise my brother from his grave, though he may claim otherwise. If there’s anything I’ve learned from him in the years since, it’s that the dead hide truths as well as the living. I have not been a bone witch for very long, whatever the stories you’ve heard, but this was the first lesson I learned.”

Told from two intersecting threads, past and present, Chupeco, known for her tales based on Japanese myth, The Girl From the Well, weaves in rich details of courtly arts and her training as an Asha. Clothing, dancing, and weaponry are detailed as well as the various forms of the Asha and the magics they can perform. At times the writing comes to a languid pace with all the attention to details, yet readers who persevere will be rewarded with the transformation of Tea’s character into something truly fierce and admirable.

"The beast raged; it punctured the air with its spite. But the girl was fiercer."

Magic, especial that of a Bone Witch, extracts a terrible price, and Chupeco creates a beautiful, if solemn, story, about transformation and sacrifice with Tea’s character. In the traditions of a high fantasy, the world with its demon beasts, magics, and elementals are all fantastically crafted and the ending ensures readers will want to read more with its twisty ending.

“I understand now why people fear bone witches. Theirs is not the magic found in storybooks, slaying onyx-eyed dragons and rescuing grateful maidens from ivory towers. Theirs is not the magic made from smoke and mirrors, where the trap lies in the twitch of the hand and a trick of the eyes. Nor is theirs the magic that seeds runeberry fields, whose crops people harvest for potions and spells. This is death magic, complicated and exclusive and implacable, and from the start, I wielded it with ease.”

Though the languid pace and high attention to details hinder the story’s flow, I found this world and Tea fascinating. This is a read for those who enjoy an intimate narrative style, one revealing the internal struggle and journey, Tea's character goes through surrounded by a vivid world. I found myself setting this down after reading it in smaller portions but quick to pick it back up again - the writing is a lovely mix of haunting and lyrical and I find myself needing more of Tea’s story and anxious for the next installment.

Unfortunately, this one just missed the mark for me. I found myself unable to read this for long periods of time just because I couldn't get engaged enough in the story. I felt like there was a lot of telling but not a lot of showing, and a lack of action when it came to the plot in general. I think others may enjoy this more and I may have just not been in the right mindset for this, but it was not one that I found myself loving as much as I had hoped.

Fantasy novels like this are not my thing to begin with, so I am not the best judge and when there are more than several characters, especially with deep pasts or seers and witches that come from a history of it, I find it hard to keep track and therefore understand just what is going on and that is the case with this book.

While I can appreciate the storyline and Tea being able to raise the dead, the history was too complicated (despite the maps and extras at the end) to be able to truly get what was going on.

Update: I tried again but ended up skimming through the pages.

I really was looking forward to reading this book. Unfortunately, I got 29% of the way through and couldn't take it anymore. It just wasn't my kind of book. I was bored and just couldn't get into the story. Fantasy is evidently not a genre I enjoy.

* I received an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley. I voluntarily reviewed this book.

I have mixed feelings about The Bone Witch. On one hand, it was a unique read, blending fantasy with political intrigue and exciting worldbuilding. Watching Tea grow from an innocent girl to a morally questionable Dark asha kept me turning the pages. When the sequel releases, it's something I'll definitely pick up to continue the adventure.

However, it wasn't a perfectly smooth read. My issues stem from the mechanics Ms. Chupeco used in her writings, not the story itself. The novel alternated between short glimpses at 17-year-old Tea, exiled from society, and full-length chapters recounting Tea's first two years as an asha apprentice.

The short glimpses should've created intrigue for what was to come, for what made Tea's heart turn black (literally). While they sometimes did, they were more often unnecessary. I would've preferred three or four longer flash-forwards to Tea's future than short one-pagers. The constant flickering to the future made the majority of the story - which took place when Tea was 15 - feel stagnant and false. Like none of it really mattered since I knew how it would end.

Despite its flaws, I'm interested in hearing the rest of Tea's story. The flash-forwards annoyed me at times, but a few were compelling enough to leave me wanting more.

I have noticed that this one is getting a lot of mixed reviews. I think the main reason for this is because the story is very slow-paced and it's super wordy. I personally loved the wordiness of the writing and I felt it was beautifully descriptive and found the character and world building to be captivating. There wasn't just one major climax to the story, instead it ebbs and flows with a few peaks here and there that ultimately lead to a reveal and a cliff-hanger. The Bone Witch reminded me quite a bit of Uprooted and The Bear and the Nightingale in that they were very descriptive and beautifully written and felt based heavily in folklore and mythology. However, while I really enjoyed this book, I didn't feel it was quite up to par with Uprooted and The Bear and the Nightingale as it just didn't have the excitement and action that they had. Overall, I liked the book quite a bit and look forward to seeing where this series is headed.

I think that The Bone Witch is a book that not everyone will enjoy. It's incredibly slow and there really isn't a lot that happens throughout the first 75% of the story. The information can be overwhelming since there are a lot of characters and places and names that are provided with very little context in some cases. But for me personally, I really enjoyed it once I hit the twenty percent mark. I couldn't stop myself from continuously picking it up.

I have to state that this book is very similar to Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. Tea's asha training led her to dancing, singing, tea ceremony, and etiquette classes. Asha are often summoned to be entertainers at tea houses or parties for expensive clients. There are even apprenticeships and debuts and extravagant dressings for asha, all similar to geisha. There are even scenes that reminded me of scenes from Memoirs of a Geisha such as the scene where Tea is tricked by some older asha. That being said, this wasn't unenjoyable for me, but for the eerily close similarities I do feel that I can't give this book a full five stars.

Aside from that, though, there were a lot of things about this story that I really enjoyed. I thought that the magic was interesting. I liked the idea of hearts being contained in vials that have their own magic and properties. I was constantly eager to learn more about the daeva and bone witches and asha magic in general.

I was also very fond of several of the characters. I liked Tea as a main character. I found her naturally easy to root for even if she was by no means perfect. She did suffer from being a "chosen one" character but I felt like she responded well within the environment of the story. I also liked Fox, Tea's brother, and Mykaela, Tea's mentor. I liked Likh, the young apprentice who wishes to be a female asha, and the large gay dressmaker, Rahim. I liked that there was basically no romance, though there was set up for some in later books, and I like that the inklings of romance weren't what they seemed to be.

Lastly, I was very fond of the narrative style of this book. It's confusing at first and it took me a few chapters to understand what was happening. Basically the story is told from two points of views, Tea's as she is becoming an asha, and Bard's as he is meeting an exiled Tea two or three years into the future after some tragic event has occurred. Bard's chapters often shed light on previous chapters or provided foreshadowing for future chapters. I also liked how this broke up the heavy prose and little action of Tea's own chapters. I hope future books contain this same writing style.

Overall I know that not many people will enjoy this book, but I have to admit that I really did.

I thought this would be interesting for my 1st foray into YA, but I just wasn't interested. I'm sure it's no fault of the story but more so that the YA genre is just not for me.

Please see link to book review.