I found this book engaging, beautifully written, with a unique and fascinating world and magic-system. Definitely would recommend for fans of dark fantasy.

When Tea accidentally resurrects her brother from the dead, she learns she is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy means that she's a bone witch; a title that makes her feared and ostracized by her community. Tea finds solace and guidance with an older and wiser bone witch, who takes Tea and her brother to another land from training. In her new home, Tea puts all of her effort and energy into becoming an asha - one who can wield elemental magic. But dark forces are approaching quickly and in the face of danger, Tea will have to overcome her obstacles and make a powerful choice.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I thought it was well written and an interesting story. The world building is fairly detailed, as are the characters. I enjoyed the alternatives perspectives that the book is written from and the plot line moves along at a steady pace. The book is basically focused on Tea's training to become an asha, which ends with a test. The reason the I gave the book 3 stars is that I just never really felt like I became invested in the characters and I'm not sure exactly why that is. I can tell you that I usually avoid books that contain necromancy in any part of the plot, as I find it kind of disturbing, but in this case I figured I would give it a try. If you like YA fantasy, particularly witches, I certainly suggest reading this book! And the cover of this book is also quite amazing.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an advanced reading copy of this book.

I love Rin Chupeco’s work and became a big fan after reading Girl in the Well and The Suffering. When I discovered she was coming out with The Bone Witch I couldn’t wait to read it. Then I saw reviews begin pouring in and so many were less than positive that I began to worry but decided to hold out until I could judge for myself.

Chupeco’s writing style was as I expected, beautifully descriptive and splendid so if you are into books with a strong mythology then you should give this one a chance especially as it seems to be the first in a new series.

I had more difficulty getting into this one because I had some trouble understanding what was happening and had to re-read a few earlier chapters once I got far enough in the book to get more information. It has some decent potential but the book as a whole reminded me of the first movie in a trilogy where all the good stuff wasn’t going to happen until the second because the first was just set-up.

It was slower paced than the other two books so I had to adjust my expectations a lot. This book seems more focused on building characters and setting up a new world than creating a huge explosive plot line. It wasn’t bad but I could’ve used more action and plot than getting extreme details about daily routine or clothing.

I liked the characters and became invested in Tea enough that I want to know how she’s going to evolve in this series.

I could see why there were so many negative reviews because Chupeco had shown us what she’s capable of before and this was so different from her previous writing style; it wasn’t a bad book it was just a bit on the lackluster side. Plus there was a completely unneeded love triangle which did a disservice to the story.

There are more positives than negatives to make it still worth your time. The writing flows nicely, there is a great relationship developed between Tea and her brother, and tons of diversity in her characters. I still think it has potential when you realize it’s only the beginning of a new fantasy series so I’ll be checking out the sequel in the hopes that the action picks up.

I regret that I was not able to finish the book, although I saw a lot of rave reviews. For me, the descriptions were too long and too many of them. This book was just not for me.

The language used was stilted - it made it pretty difficult to engage

I loved the blurb, description, and premise but the story fell short of my expectations.
I'm not a fan of huge chunks of information in italics, and I'm not a fan of time jumps in a story so the combination of both gave me a headache. I would probably recommend this book but I couldn't finish it.

I just could not get into this book. I have a hard time selling books that flip from present/past books in our library

I simply could not get into this book and ended up not finishing it.

I am at a loss for words. The Bone Witch blew every expectation I had out of the water and I'm left grasping for words to express my thoughts. As the summary states, it's a "Memoirs of a Geisha meets The Name of the Wind" and while I haven't read either (I know, shame on me), I know enough about each novel to know that if one combines the two it will be epic journey.

We follow a young girl named Tea who accidentally brings her brother back to life after he is killed in battle. Her ability to do so means that she has the ability to control Dark and makes her a bone witch, someone feared and despised by society. Luckily, there's another Dark witch passing through nearby who takes her to the Willows where she will be trained to use her necromancy for entertainment and the good of the kingdom.

“There is no greater strength than the ability to understand and accept your own flaws.”

However, once she arrives, Tea realizes that the rigid structure of the Willows is more complex and restricted. As the only other bone witch in the Willows, she has a lot of things to learn and a very important role in society to fill. Amidst the high expectations, Tea continues to challenge every status quo she can and strives to fulfill the duty she believes she has to the world, even if it goes against what the law says.

“We can endure any amount of sadness, for the people we love.”

This story is written in a duo-form storyline that intertwines. The first one follows a bard who seeks a banished Tea out and the second is her story. With the two storylines, you can see how Tea continues to be so strong despite everything that is thrown at her and how she continues to use her powers for what she believes is good.

“Then perhaps we should carve a world one day where the strength lies in who you are, rather than in what they expect you to be.”

I absolutely loved the amount of detail Rin Chupeco goes into when describing the world of the asha from the complex history to the elaborate dresses. While that can get a bit tiresome at times, the vivid imagery helps to keep the story alive and colorful. I also loved the diversity of the characters from Likh to Fox and Zoya to Mykaela. Each represents a different form of art and holds a different relationship that plays an important role in shaping Tea.

Like I mentioned above, words are hard to express just how blown away I was by the story and how everything was executed. Every twist and turn of the story had my mind reeling for answers and I can't believe that I have to wait an entire year to read the next story, but I definitely will keep an eye out.

I received this ARC copy of The Bone Witch from NetGalley for a review. The only thing I dislike was the trouble or pronunciations of words (such as Asha, Ankyo, & others words) but other than that I like the story. I want to know about Tea's brother Fox and would like to know his perspective on what it's like being bonded with Tea. I never saw that coming at the end wow that was good I totally thought it was the other girl!! I know the guy she was gonna fall for that was easy to see. Now i gotta hear about what happened next, but that's is book 2. This ended well enough!

The cover of Bone Witch picked my curiosity, it's extremely intriguing and looking back, it reflects well the spirit of the book. The book itself did not disappoint and rarely have I been as excited about a new author as I am about Rin Chupeco. The story is original; a young girl accidentally raises her brother from the dead and discovers in the aftermath of the act that she is one of few who possess a talent that is, odd as that sounds, both valued and despised. The main character is extremely interesting and we watch her grow from being an innocent young country girl into a strong magician. We also know that some tragedy befell her, a tragedy that got her exiled and determined to affect the kingdoms in a dramatic way. What that tragedy is is not known and we are dying to get answers to our questions. Other characters, big and small, are introduced and create a wealth of wonderful cast. Each one is well crafted and interesting and adds a certain flavor to the story.
The author has done a great job in world-building. One is simply transported away when reading the story and we discover something new on every page. The story itself is well thought out, exciting and attention grabbing. So much so that I have trouble putting the book down. The text is lyrical yet strong and very well polished. No rookie mistakes here!
The only downside of having read The Bone Witch is that now it's already read and I have to wait a long time until I get my hands on a sequel!
The Bone Witch is definitely recommended, here is an author to look out for!

I really enjoyed this book! The characters were well developed and the world they live in is fascinating. The ending left me anxiously still wondering about how Tea ended up where she is now and what she will do in the next installment. Many surprises to come.

Tea's journey to becoming an Asha stands out because the magic system in The Bone Witch differs from other books I've read. In this world people wear their hearts around their necks. The color of them means everything, and exchanging them can actually ruin your life. The asha are part mythical warrior and part courtesan. Half the time they're training magic and the other they're wining and dining men in tea houses.

Chupeco creates a deep, fascinating world that's so full of history and description it's hard not to get sucked in. The problem is you're getting pulled into quicksand. Tea spends most of her chapters giving painstaking descriptions of the hua, clothes, that asha wear. These descriptions go on for pages. Along with description of their hair and hair accessories. There's painting a picture and then there's forcing someone to swallow the paint. These descriptions feel daunting for the reader. I hope during edits these get trimmed down substantially.

The other cardinal sin of this book is the love triangle. The old Bone Witch tells you upfront she fell in love with only two men so at least we know it's coming. But this triangle is no different from all the others, one guy's nice, one's a bad boy. Take your bets as to who wins in the end. I would've loved the story so much more if it explored young love in The Bone Witch world. Instead of succumbing to the same old YA trope.

It has such a compelling opening, straight into a richly imagined world. Immediately, I was fond of the protagonist, Tea, and her reluctance to join the world of the Asha. Her brother, Fox, is equally interesting. I could picture him in vivid detail.

By chapter 2, I was hooked and knew I'd be pulling an all-night reading session. I love a book that is unforgiving like this and drags you in.

The dual narrative is intriguing. It tantalises you with some details about the older Tea but leaves you desperately wondering what has happened in the time lapse between the main story and these italicised interjections.

I can't mention the ending without ruining the experience for the next reader. But to the author, Rin Chupeco, I say this... If there isn't a follow up novel, I'll find you and smash your heartsglass!

I couldn't get into it. I'll refrain from requesting any more fantasy titles.

The premise for this book and the world the author created are very interesting and captivating. However, the story itself is a little clunky. The story is told through alternating chapters of present day and flashbacks. The opening to the story and the present day are a little heavy handed and overly dramatic, where the flashback sections are the most colorful and interesting. I really enjoyed following Tea's journey and training in the different arts, along with some of the twists and turns, and the characters along the way. It seems to borrow heavily from Japanese/Geisha culture regarding the training, which was fine, if a little unoriginal and unnecessary. The author had a lot of cool original ideas like the Heartsglass necklaces and magic that it didnt need the influences from real life. The ending was a little confusing, but it is trying to set up material for a sequel, so I would be interested to see where the story goes from there and learning more about the magic and demons. I'd recommend this to any YA/teen fiction fan.

With short, concise chapters weaving past with the present, The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco, quickly hooks its readers with its ability to seamlessly entwine magic and fantasy. Reluctant readers and YA fans both will love this book. Our first encounter with our protagonist, Tea, is her resurrecting her brother from his freshly dug grave. Tea's ability to resurrect the dead shocks her community who haven't seen a Bone Witch, or dark Asha, in someone so young. Tea is equally horrified and enthralled with her new found magic; she is curious, but cautious as to what this means for her future.

I received an ARC from the publisher at Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was out of my normal genre but sounded interesting so I thought I'd give it a try.
It took a little to get used to the style of writing, but once I got it down pat it was easy to understand.
This book is about a witch who had no clue about the power she could wield. She has her whole life upended within minutes of her brother's funeral.
I loved reading about the different powers the asha had to defend themselves and their land.
Looking forward to seeing the next book come out, although this doesn't end on a cliffhanger, it leaves you wanting more to see how things turn out.
If you enjoy sci-fi like books, I believe you will find this book very interesting.

Beautiful cover, wonderfully written but the two timelines going on in the story were a little confusing to begin with.

When Tea accidentally resurrected her soldier brother from the dead it changed her life's path forever. Although she's not sure if it is for the better or not, but Tea better learn fast for there is darkness coming, and it will be Tea who has to make the tough choices.


This is such a beautiful book to have such dark forces corrupt it's pages. The way the older witch takes the younger to teach her the ways, just like a Geisha, but also those like Tea must learn how to fight and defeat the dark, almost like one of the pretty dances described in the book, the ying and the yang of life. This book was great and I really hope we get to find out what happens to Tea and the rest.

the link for this review will go live on March 7th 2017