The Bone Witch is a high fantasy book set in a world with asha, or witches. The asha are traditionally women and they are fighters who can draw ruins to manipulate the elements. Their male counterparts are called Deathseekers and are the soldiers. Our main character, Tea, finds out she is an asha when she raises her brother from the dead at his funeral. But, only special asha called bone witches are able to bring back the dead. The story then follows Tea as she is taken to be trained in her new found powers and learn all about the asha life. We see her train through her lessons starting at the very bottom where she scrubs floors, all the way through to where she fights giant creatures called daeva. Additionally, the story is told from two different points of view. We start out with an unnamed narrator who meets Tea when she is seventeen and these glimpses are given to us in short bursts at the beginning of each chapter. The main chapters of the book are told from Tea's point of view beginning when she first learns she is an asha. This makes for a unique reading experience as you try and put together the pieces of the story.

One of my very favorite things about this story is the relationship between Tea and her big brother, Fox. She really loves and looks up to him, so when he dies, it's completely heartbreaking and she unknowingly raises him from the dead. He then becomes her familiar and we get to see how their new relationship unfolds. This book has so many amazing elements and details I don't want to give them all away here, but I really, really enjoyed this read. I do want to give a word of warning, however. This is not a romance fantasy or super fast-paced. The world is complex and the story unfolds in a way to introduce you to all of these complex elements. It's the kind of book where you can really immerse yourself in the world because there is so much of it within the pages. I would recommend this to people who enjoyed Three Dark Crowns because I think it has some of the same elements, dark fantasy world, lots of detail, slow in places but so, so worth it!

I have never DNFed a book until now. The writing seemed nice but the story line was dull and did not hold my attention. I tried for three days and could not make it chapter 6. This is DNF for now so I will go back to it at some point to give it another chance. No rating because I did not finish.

A captivating and well-written fantasy - definitely a must-read for teens who enjoy well-written characters and good worldbuilding.

The premise of this book was great, as was that first paragraph. It definitely started with a bang, making me want to keep reading. Sadly, that was the high point.

This book suffered from a quite severe case of "nothing-happens-ness." That dark, terrible illness of many books, which makes me wonder how it passed through all the revisions it must have passed. You've got a great concept, a girl who's a witch who can raise the death, and seemingly the start of a good story, said girl raises her recently deceased brother and an older witch takes her from her village to a sort of training house for witches so she can learn but also so she can be protected from those who hate her kind. However, after that, it's all description, endless, boring, pointless description. Of dresses, of places, of events. Nothing feels immediate, everything feels removed. It isn't until about 30% in that something mildly happens again, and then again at about 90%. Definitely not ideal.

There are massive, massive information dumps. Paragraphs upon paragraphs of nothing but exposition. I understand that in fantasy world building is key and that the world needs explaining but despite all the information dumps Rin Chupeco threw on us poor readers, the world did not feel alive to me. I didn't really care for much of what happened, all the kingdoms and different types of ashas just felt hopelessly contrived.

The "present" first-person telling of Tea's journey is interspersed with "future" glances of an older Tea, told also in first-person but seemingly by a different person she calls Bard. The voices don't really sound much different, and those "future" sections are really the only source of slight mystery in the book. In them you get little tidbits that don't make much sense about characters who have died or that now Tea is exiled, etc, which do help generate some interest in the future of the story but also feel like a cheap cross between a spoiler and those "coming up on General Hospital" advances in soap operas. Without them, the story in the "present" would be even more boring. Knowing some of the things the "future" sections tell you, keeps some interest in finding out how X event came to be but that is not how good fiction works. The "present" should be able to stand on its own.

Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book. The world building is weak at best, the characterization is almost non-existent (the main character is as bland as a blank piece of paper), the writing could be good but is often bogged down by its own lengthiness and lack of proper editing. The concept I liked, the execution just failed the concept.

Of course, this is the first in a series, so things could get better. Although, a bad first book is not very promising.

Would I read a second installment? Probably, because I am a sucker for spoilers and I do want to know how some of the things teased in the future sections came to be, but I could also live without it.

Side note: I sort of blame this book for the reading slump into which I fell for about two weeks. Every time I opened it and started reading, I'd get this wave of indifference and while it usually takes me less than three days to finish a book, this one took me about two weeks.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing me with an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

I was approved for this book sometime during the second half of last year, and I have since been very excited to get to reading this book. I would have read it sooner, but requested enough books up to February of this year that I was completely "booked" (haha) and therefore unable to get to it until late Feb. Needless to say, I was quite happy when I was finally able to pick this book up and start reading. (I was also excited about the cover of this book! Isn't it lovely?!)

From the start, this book was quite different from what I had expected. What I was thinking this book would be like, I believe, was something like a gothic, dark fantasy..type thing. Or maybe something like The Bone Doll's Twin by Lynn Flewelling, which was a terrifying dark fantasy, (I could not read that book at night, for the most part).

What I got in stead, was intriguing, and a little confusing. The world building is detailed, and all things (food, clothing, landscapes, cityscapes, music, culture etc.) were very easy to imagine. The world which Chupeco created is very inviting, and lush. I could have read about the world in The Bone Witch forever!

Something about this book kept me at an arm's length, however, and I was happy when I was able to figure out what that was. This story is told by two narrators, at two points in time. A bard searches out Tea, the bone witch, during "present time" (calling it that for simplicity's sake), and Tea then tells the bard her "past" story. Both narratives are written in the first person, but despite this, I found myself unable to feel close to either of the narrators, much less caring for either of them. I really wanted to love this book, and all of the necessary elements are there, except for a likeable narrator. I did not hate either of the narrators, don't get me wrong, but they both felt a little flat, monotone, and just...unlikeable to me because of this. Therefore by default, the story itself was not as enjoyable for me as it should have been. Think of it as a story being told to you by a person you dislike, or have zero feelings for; it does not matter how great or exciting the story was, ...you would simply not be enjoying it as much as you could if say, it were told to you by someone else, or someone you like or are close to.

The writing was good, a joy to read, and I did not encounter any awkward phrasing. I also loved that the world was a mixture of the book Memoirs of a Geisha and the manga/anime series Inu Yasha (although at times it felt a little too Memoirs of a Geisha-ish...if that makes sense. Some of what happened just seemed like a reflection of what happened in the aforementioned book, to me at least). Beautiful, magical maidens fighting monster/demons with runes while wearing lovely, Japanese-inspired outfits. This type of story is very much up my alley! I simply think that if the story had been told in the third person (and with a different MC), or simply told by different characters (whom I could have clicked better with), that my experience with this book would have been better, and my rating a lot higher.

That being said, my overall opinion of this book changed considerably during the last few chapters of this book. I even felt a bit of a liking for Tea due to a particular development in the story. This portion of the plot, and how the book ended, made me really want to give this series another shot by reading the sequel when it comes out. I am aware after all, that sometimes the first book in a series may require a lot of set-up, and that the more exciting parts of a plot may not begin or take place until the next book.

Finally, (since I feel as if I have been rambling for far too long), I would recommend this book to those who enjoy Japanese inspired fantasies (for example, containing story lines, creatures, clothing, foods, etc. which are inspired by current or past Japanese culture). I would also recommend this book to those who enjoy fantasy, and are a fan of Memoirs of a Geisha, and/or Inu Yasha and other similar Japanese manga and animes. And I would also inform those who I recommend this book to that there is a lot of "set-up" and world building, and that they may not click with either of the narrators at first, or at all.

I thought I can get into this book, but I really could not. Just so magically with having the powers and between one witch and another. The names. This is first time I thought I would enjoy the book because of its cover, but I'm sorry, I could not finish it.

At first I really struggled with this book. I don’t know yet if it was just because it’s an eARC, but the italics made it really hard for me to focus on the words. However, I really wanted to read this book, so I just kept pushing on. Turns out the italics are used to differentiate between current time and past time. Whilst still frustrating I did get used to it.

I have a love-hate relationship with this book. The backstory was amazing, well written, full of stuff going on, but the present time sections just kind of bored me.

The way this book ended… wow. I cannot wait for the sequel! This book left me with so many more questions than answers, and for now I can hope that they get answered in the sequel.

The premise is good, but the way it was executed bothered me. I don’t mind too much though because this was a unique take on the style of YA/Fantasy novels. Luckily after about half way, I actually found it kept drawing me in and zoomed through the rest of it. I WILL be adding this to my physical collection in the future.

3.5 out of 5 stars.

​The Need To Know: An inventive, captivating tale perfect for all YA and fantasy-lovers.



The Bone Witch is a feast of magic, grotesquerie, and heart.

From the first two sentences: “The beast raged; it punctured the air with its spite. But the girl was fiercer”—to the last, I was engrossed in the story of the bone witch, Tea. This is a young woman who is intelligent and brave and by turns secretive and cunning, who is not afraid to risk anything—even alienating those she loves—if only she might save their lives.

The novel opens when a Bard approaches Tea, the bone witch, who has been exiled to a beach littered with animal’s skeletons. The Bard asks to hear her story and Tea acquiesces. The rest of the book intersperses the Bard’s observations and conversations with Tea with Tea’s account of the last three-ish years of her life.

Tea’s story begins when she was 14, when she brought her dead brother, Fox, back to life. A bone witch named Mykaela comes to retrieve Tea and tells her that she will be taken away to receive bone witch training. Where Tea is from, bone witches, witches who are capable of bringing beings back from the dead and sending them back, are highly feared. Though she is not eager to leave her family behind, something within Tea luxuriates in the feeling of the magic within her.

Once Tea reaches Ankyo, the seat of her training, she must face enemies within her own community and also those without. And her journey is more complicated than others’ because she is extraordinarily powerful and she senses the injustices of the bone witch’s life more than most.

This novel is action-packed, with Tea and others battling grotesque creatures which rise from the ground, taking combat and dancing lessons, and learning to create runes made of blood. But The Bone Witch doesn’t sacrifice thoughtful characterization for the sake of plot. The characters are nuanced and well-developed, and Chupeco deploys her stellar vocabulary to create a world that is vivid and atmospheric.

This was a fantastic YA fantasy read that kept me riveted to the page, lost in a world that Chupeco created.
​
The exciting news doesn't end: there will be a sequel!

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I received a copy of this book free from Netgalley but all opinions included here are my own.

Have you ever read a book where no rating really feels right for it? You know it's not a five; it's too flawed for that. Likewise a one is much too harsh. Two doesn't give it quite enough credit, but a four also overlooks major missteps, and three looks a little 'meh'.

But I think I'm going with three. Even say three and a half for the Bone Witch. And even that is painful because the parts that are good, that are strong, are really strong. It's just . . . those parts are not the entire book.

This is a book that does actively have a lot going for it. A fascinating magical system (something I always adore in fantasy; it's magic, surprise me! Make it new and exciting!), a protagonist I can root for, a world that feels full and realized, a lovely prose, and surrounding characters that are interesting in their own right.

But the plot. The pacing. The actual story part that should put characters through their paces ... it's just sort of middle of the road for me. Not terrible, but not what it feels it should be. Which is a glaring shame. I didn't struggle to get through this book; I wanted to read it! But I could only manage a chapter or two at a time because so little physically was going on that sometimes reading the individual chapters was like reading little vignettes: interesting, but nothing that made me tear through the book to watch the story unfold. And that's heartbreaking in a story like this. It really is.

Tea is a dark asha, a bone witch, a being able to raise the dead, a talent she discovers when she accidentally raises her brother. From there she's swept off to learn the ways of the asha and how to understand and harness her new power. It's a designation of both power and prestige, and the reader is treated to watching Tea learn courtly manners and the skills necessary to grow into her mantle as a Bone Witch. We see her make friends--and enemies--of the other asha and a prince and others--and her relationship with her brother is lovely. It's a diverse cast of characters in an interesting world where people literally wear their hearts on their chests and cast spells using runes of blood drawn in the air. Where the asha play music and dance but also wield incredible elemental power and protect the people of their kingdoms. See what I mean about a one being way too rough? This is five star worthy stuff! I WANT this to be a five so badly. Even a four.

The problem is, there is so little imposing conflict. There are 31 chapters in the book and, honestly, by chapter 24, I was curious as to what the climax of the book could be. What issue was going to arise that would need solving? Because at that point I had Tea advancing in her training, coming into her own--which is lovely, don't get me wrong--but no lingering threat. No sense of impending dread, which I should have had.

Now, the book is told in a strange-ish way. The chapters contain events of Tea learning her powers, but also a flash-forward of sorts where she is already an asha who has been exiled but we don't know why. I feel like this should have created more suspense than it did, and maybe for some other readers it will. But even with me wondering what had happened that Tea ended up exiled, these flash forwards felt at times gimmicky, and didn't salvage the fact that no action was occurring. For a good while this is okay, because the story is character-driven; you're watching Tea learn and make mistakes, develop a crush on a prince, and watch over her brother. But even so, there still needs to be a sense of conflict, and by 3/4 of the book, I wished for more of one.

The end felt a little rushed, as if after chapters of meandering along someone said, oh my god we need to wrap this up! And then BAM! Conflict! Danger! Death. Suspense! Betrayal! A cliffhanger! It was a lot very, very quickly and I ended up finishing with the feeling of 'huh', that was different rather than me *needing* book 2 right away. Maybe I'll pick up book two next year, but I don't feel pressed, and I wish I did.

One and two stars are really too low for The Bone Witch. But I think five and four may be a bit too high with such glaring pacing issues. The details to the world are there. The characters are there. The world-building, the magic, the prose, the concept. But the story, the story to make you want to keep going was a little lacking, at least for me. I didn't struggle, but I did find myself flipping ahead a few times to see how many more pages a chapter was because I wanted to be finished reading for the time being. That's not how I wanted to feel about this book at all.

Do not judge a book by its cover. I did with this book and regret it. It was very disappointing that a cover so beautiful was hiding such a confusing, poorly written, slow read. Were these women geishas, witches, warriors or some combination? I really don't care. I read to 42% and just could not go any further.

A vividly descriptive high fantasy

THE BONE WITCH by Ren Chupeco is a YA high fantasy (witches) novel with a cliffhanger that promises a sequel.

The eye-catching cover and the ironic opening line of the blurb piqued my curiosity and excited my inner nerd. I requested and received an advance copy eBook from the publisher via NetGalley for review.

In a world of witches, Tea is a teenager who accidentally raises her brother from the dead and thereby discovers she is a highly revered yet highly feared necromancer, who holds the power to save her kingdom from demons at the slow expense of her own life.

The opening line of Chapter One is the opening line of the blurb, and in my opinion, the best line in this book:

Let me be clear: I never intended to raise my brother from his grave, though he may claim otherwise.

That line! I loved it! And I had high hopes, VERY high hopes of an enchanting, engaging tale, but that one fantastic line proved to be not only an empty promise of an ironically humorous sister-dead-brother dynamic, but sadly, it was also by far most interesting piece of this 400+-page book. It’s a great sales line, but the irony there is certainly not indicative of the pages that follow. Though the writing is beautiful, the alternating chapters of Tea’s past and present serve up a constantly interrupted tale that effectively sucks this story dry of adrenaline. Most disappointing was the utter lack of plot, the omission of Tea actually accomplishing (or not accomplishing) any sort of goal, and the endless reminders that Tea is a special sort of witch. Together, this formed a perfect storm of no-connection-whatsoever to Tea and threw my skim engine into high gear.

Readers will easily know from the prologue (available as a free sample on Amazon–just click here) whether this is a tale they’ll love or not love.

For ages 11 and up. This novel contains mild violence and language, and some romance, but no sex. The adrenaline, “edge-of-the-seat” factor is low, and readers who like a fast pace may find themselves skimming much of this book. Still, this book would no doubt appeal to fans of high fantasy who enjoy beautiful writing in a slow-paced, lyrical tale, told in alternating chapters of flashback and present time.

I wanted to love this book, but unfortunately, I’m an adrenaline junkie, and this book put my brain to sleep.

THE BONE WITCH earns 2 North of Normal stars.

So I actually only got around to reading 17% of this book. I didn't finish.

Many many many people have told me and I've seen others say that this book does get better, you just have to get far enough into the book.

But I tried. Oh boy I tried. The beginning is just so info-dumpy and the two different POVs really confuses me. Now don't get me wrong, I don't think the book is bad at all. In fact the world is intriguing. And it's a diverse book with a diverse cast and background. Unfortunately it just didn't get off to a good enough start for me to keep going.

Perhaps in the future yes, I'll pick it back up again. But it's not gripping me enough to read and review in time for Tuesday when it hits shelves - and I have a load of other review books to work on.

I'll try to get back to it again and update this feedback, but for now. This novel is not for me.

Plot:

From the very first sentence, this book is just incredible. Every sentence, every second, every word draws you in a little further, a little deeper, engaging your little reader’s heart more and more into this chilling, creative, and complex story—until you realize it was actually quicksand from the beginning and you have drowned and now are dead.

Okay, so maybe that was dramatic, but the fact of the matter is this story started out brilliantly. Literally from the very first sentence, I was amazed at the way the author drew the narrative. And I was thrilled: I love the sound of a book when it’s a storyteller telling a story or a character telling their own story; there’s just something so special about that style that tugs on my heart every time. Also, I had no idea what was coming next, yet I was content to see where the author would take me. To savor the storyworld, sampling a bit at a time, until we reached what I was sure would be an absolutely epic ending.

And it was… in a way. But it didn’t end up quite the same as I had hoped it would. For one thing, the “catching the baddie” bit fell through for me. It wasn’t strictly random, but the way it had all been set up… it was far too hidden for the reader to figure out anything until the characters explained it all. And I mean, I like being surprised—by books—and not being able to predict every plot twist—in a book—but I at least want a fighting chance, lol, at figuring out whodunnit. In The Bone Witch though, there were a lot of loose pieces lying around with no real way to put them together until the characters do it for you. And when they did explain it, it was logical, but it didn’t come together naturally. It wasn’t one of those where I went, “Ah, that makes sense!” when it all came out, but more like “Um, well, okay. If you say so, Tea.”

Secondly, the story is told in a kind of intertwining fashion (which I actually liked): there’s the bard telling the story of his meeting with future Tea and then there’s future Tea telling her story, what happened to bring her to that place. Except we don’t find out what happened to bring her to that place. And I mean, I know it’s a series, so I’m sure that’ll all come into play later, but I would’ve liked to have had more answers before the end of this book. The two pieces barely seem to be of the same story; they’re definitely in the same world, but I just can’t mentally connect the future/present Tea with the little girl in the story. There’s too big of a gap there, and my brain refuses to leap it. :p

So all in all, it’s a beautifully epic read. But for me, the ending left quite a bit to be desired.

Plot: 3 ½ stars out of 5.

Characters:

I love Fox so much. He was an amazing brother, protective, but not overprotective, wise enough to help her, never one to hold her back, and always there to catch her when she fell. He had a slightly sarcastic, witty sense of humor, but knew when to sober up when need be. I adored him, and though I’m not 100% on continuing the series, him at least, I would love to see more of.

Young Tea was… not reckless, but occasionally careless because she wanted to do the right thing and she thought she knew what it was, but was liable to make a lot of mistakes along the way. But I liked her because she was fiercely loyal, she loved with everything she had, and more than that, she did all in her power to help those she cared about (future her may or may not be trying to do the same thing, but I suppose that’s a problem for future books). Though she often went against the grain (and consequently, the ruling Asha), she wasn’t rebellious for rebellion’s sake; her driving motivation was always the well-being of someone dear to her. And she was never willing to risk them.

Characters: 5 stars out of 5.

Writing Style/Setting:

The writing in this book, though. It’s gorgeous, painting every scene with careful detail. The world is deep and clear, like Island of Exiles, but darkly magical in a fashion all its own.

The beast raged; it punctured the air with its spite. But the girl was fiercer. She held no weapons except for the diamonds glinting like stars above her brow, against hair like a dark mass of sky. She wore no armor save a beautiful hua of mahogany and amber spun from damask silk, a golden dragon embroidered down its length, its body half-hidden by her waist wrap. She raised her arm, and I saw nothing. But the creature saw, and its wrath gentled, until it did little but whimper.

“Kneel,” the girl ordered, and—against all expectations—the daeva obeyed.

Writing Style/Setting: 4 ½ stars out of 5.

And so, we come in at just under 4 and a ½ stars out of 5. I really enjoyed the reading of The Bone Witch, but honestly, I’m kind of upset that things turned out the way that they did and I would’ve liked a better explanation for them before the book came to a close.

I will agree with the assessment that nothing much happens. The author is building such a complete and different world that the reader has much to take in. This bothered me off and on, but wasn't a huge concern until I realized how close the end of the book was and how the story hadn't exactly started. This entire book is just prelude to the story of why Tea now feels compelled to tear her world down. It's odd to finish a book and realize that not only is there more to the story, but that you don't really know what the story will be. You only know the end result. Very odd.

We don't even know the identity of the other boy to whom Tea will be attracted. That in itself, is a fine bit of work with her meeting 3 boys that day and only later finding out their identities.

This is masterful storytelling and I can't wait to read more.

We’ve never dived into a fantasy world quite like Rin Chupeco’s The Bone Witch, and that’s both a good and bad thing.

Eleven-year-old Tea (pronounced: “Tay-uh”) didn’t mean to bring her eldest brother, Fox, back from the dead. She’s a little too young to be developing magical powers. And yet Fox is animated and aware once again, marking Tea as one of the most rare and dangerous among the ultra-powerful, magical ashas: A bone witch. In a land cursed by deadly, animalistic mutants known as daeva, Tea is one of very few people who can temporarily kill these constantly reanimating threats. But when she’s taken to the nation of Kion to be trained, Tea learns there is much more to being and a bone witch-- and an asha in general-- than she ever could have imagined.

Now, a famed bard finds seventeen-year-old Tea in exile, and she’s ready to tell him her full story.

The world of ashas is rich and clever. From heartglasses and traditional dances to rare demons and bigoted tensions, Chupeco creates not just a setting but a culture that Tea and the readers must embrace. There’s a sense of feasibility in such a descriptive world and I kind of wanted to visit Kion. It helps that the writing was a bit flowery to give it some extra pop, but not overly purple prose.

Unfortunately, setting up that world also causes some pacing issues. After a pretty explosive opening, things slow down dramatically as the new society is introduced. The story follows Tea over the course of about 4 years, and for the vast majority of that, there’s not a ton happening. Still, the novel gets us a blow-by-blow: Showing her routines repeatedly as she goes from fledgling asha to true apprentice, as she learns about the techniques and the people in her new community, including an especially intriguing royal family from a neighboring nation.

This would have been a little less painful if these interactions were shown, but they are often told. For instance, young Tea has a crush on Prince Kance and she sees him fairly often, but we only see a few actual interactions between them play out. We’re mainly just told that she visits him for dinner regularly once she becomes an asha and they get along well-- which would be fine, if their relationship wasn’t one that was meant to capture the audience’s attention.

The novel has varying success with secondary characters. Some characters really connected with me, like the only other known bone witch, Mykaela, Tea’s sweet, determined but… you know.. reanimated corpse brother Fox, and loud and proud asha sister Polaire. But it felt like others, like Prince Kance, his militaristic cousin Kalen, and the smart asha sister, Althy, were glossed over a bit. While characters like Polaire were probably more fun to write, the others probably could have added more to Tea’s arc.

We alternate between a full-length chapter on Tea’s past and a short interlude between older Tea and the Bard. As previously mentioned, Tea’s giving the bard the full story as to how she’s ended up in exile. Unfortunately, the “full story” includes things that aren't explained in this book. Multiple hints are dropped and some pay off, particularly at the end, but not all of them. Some references from Tea’s time with the Bard may have more meaning in later books, but it's a long con.

This is where I’m torn: The interludes break up the pace uncomfortably and seemed to hint more at future books rather than focusing on this story, but older Tea is pretty fascinating. She felt more like a true villain creation story than even the likes of Marie Lu’s The Young Elites series, where the main character’s descent was heavily based on her being a scapegoat and everyone else’s general lack of empathy. You don’t know exactly what, but it’s pretty easy to glean that Tea has done genuinely terrible things. Carefully. Intentionally. And she’s going to do some more terrible things on her quest for vengeance, without a hint of concern.

Older Tea’s purposeful brutality and slow reveals lead to a surprise ending that leaves you dying to find out exactly what got her (and some other characters) to that point. We imagine telling that story is what the second book in the series will aim to do, so despite all the misgivings we have with this book, we’re still reluctantly curious to see where things go.

3.5 Stars – Rounded

Amazingly intriguing premise sets the base of this story: we know that we are to meet Tea as she discovers how to wield and manage her powers of Necromancy, making her different from her family and friends, in worlds that are miles from her own. Told in two narratives of past and present, Tea shares her story with the Bard who found her living alone on an island laden with bones. Slowly the worlds unfold for us as Tea, in her desire to tell her story gives us descriptions and moments from her past that inform her ‘now’ and give readers insight into her current circumstances in which she was banished to this island.

Starting with her resurrection of her brother and meeting her mentor in another Bone Witch, the rich descriptions outline the history and mythology of the place, giving an understanding of the forces at work, the distinct feel and look of each kingdom, the bright colors worn by the Asha (magic wielders) and how those colors signify their ‘specialties’ and position within the world. Add to that the creation stories that bring forth the good, evil and supernatural creatures created in Daeva and how the more modern day societies used those creatures and beliefs, including necromancy, arranged marriages, court politics and even warrior cultures play their part in the world in which Tea was born.

Chupeco’s attention to detail is flawless, and while these details could (and did) morph into some mundanities that did not always feel relevant, the lushness of the descriptions do build a world that is easy to visualize, nearly palpable in the imagination. The one drawback to this description-heavy story is the time that is consumed as the world is built, leaving little time for actual action or revelations. But, fear not, the writing is beautifully crafted, and if you, like I, keep reading, the moments for Tea in her battle with Daeva brings startling discoveries, and is well worth your time.

From the Tea of the past we see the daring, bold and perhaps stubbornly curious young girl, who is now more jaded, and cautious. Still, we have questions about her ‘whys’, the reasons for her change and just why she is banished. Insets with her family show the bond and caring, and moments with the Asha who took her on to train are amusing and add more lightness to the story, while the descriptions of her in action in the past show just how bold and determined she is to make changes. While this wasn’t a read in one sitting sort of book due to the volumes of description and world building that could overwhelm, reading in small doses as the world slowly builds around you, allowed the story to unfurl and unfold, leaving me anxious to continue and discover answers that will hopefully be revealed in the next book.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

I just absolutely loved reading this book! It was utterly fantastic, and I loved the writing, and the world, just oh! It was an amazing book, and that the second book doesn't have a placeholder (unless it's The Heart Forger!), that I have no idea when it's going to come out, it's just evil!

This book takes place over the course of over 2 years. Most of that is the process of becoming Asha. Because she's so powerful-and because she's a Dark Asha, her training is accelerated after incidents happen. And yeah, the training was really interesting-but this wasn't a fast paced novel!

I think the parts that I really enjoyed the bits between the chapters. They were dark, and in the future, and they hinted at what was to come in both the majority of the novel, how she ended up like she did, and what she was going to do! Well, it showed what she was doing and explained what she was going to do! It was really fantastic and interesting, and worked so well with the rest of the book!

There were a lot of moving pieces. From the political unrest because of the Faceless, the fear and hatred of Asha, the cost of being a Dark Asha, becoming an Asha, and the guys she tells us she fell in love with...yeah. So much, and made this book have so much depth and it was just so fantastic!

Loved reading this book, it was absolutely fantastic, and I can't wait for the sequel!

This book was pretty dang good, like absolutely nothing I have ever read before. While putting new spins on some of the typical elements of fantasy, the story simultaneously adds in completely new ones to make this completely unique and incredible world, and is made even more interesting by the altering time periods and the perspectives they provided. Looking forward to the sequel and seeing just exactly how Tea got to where she was in the present perspective from where she had been before, along with what will come next.

I just couldn't get through this one - I wanted to like it, but the lack of a plot and over descriptiveness left a lot to be desired. The general premise could have been executed so much better, which made it extra disappointing.