An engaging YA fantasy, set in an engaging and intriguing new world.

RIn Chupeco weaves an interesting tale and her writing is beautiful at times and I hadn't realised this was considered YA when I requested the ARC. This book is one that I will utilise in the classroom when teaching creative writing and scene setting as I feel this was the book's major strength. My only reservation is that I hadn't realised this was the first in a series and I have so many questions!

I couldn't do this one. It was too dense with words that did not draw me in, too dense with descriptions and dialogue too early in the beginning of the book. At some point, the story needs to snag the reader into the momentum. Wait too long and that moment's gone.

Let's talk about The Bone Witch.

Admittedly, it's a hard book to "get in" to. Lengthy, floral descriptions, with reserved descriptions of characters and their doings, with a plot that's a slow boil. But when it comes to that frothy boil, you find it was certainly worth the wait.

I think the biggest complaint I hear about this book is that it was boring. Yes, you don't get the heart-pounding action right from the get-go that you do from other YA novels. Yes, this book is heavy on descriptions and especially detailed about the traditions and ceremonies of the people in the book.

At first, it was hard for me to keep my attention (hence how long it took to read... This book spent a lot of time on my nightstand gathering dust), but after the bitter-hard swallow of the first few chapters, I found myself... Enjoying this book. Even enjoying the descriptions. Chupeco clearly takes inspiration from the Geisha tradition of Japan, and her work doesn't feel like a farse or an uncomfortable parody.

I found myself craving more, wanting to know more about these characters and the little details: the hair pins, the clothing, the style and manner of speech.

Listen, it's tough going at first. I know. I get it. But if you're willing to try and push yourself through, it is worth the wait.

My only consolation in taking so long to read this first book is that I am now right up against the second book's release so... I have that going for me.

The beginning of the book wasn't as great as I expected it to be; however, it got exponentially better and more interesting as the plot progressed. I ended up loving this book and cannot wait to read the rest of the series as it releases. There was a lot of flashbacks to fill in the storyline and explain why Tea is raising daeva, which was slightly confusing for the first few chapter, but then begins to make a lot of sense later on. There are so many questions I have still, so I can't wait for book 2!!!

Tea is a bone witch, a rare and powerful witch in her kingdom. She can raise the dead and she can destroy monsters that other asha cannot. She leaves her family to learn the ways of a bone witch. In alternating chapters, the reader learns of Tea’s early training and her encounters with monsters and also follows the discussion between Tea and a young man as she relates her story. Now in banishment, she tells of her anger, her sense of betrayal. This dual perspective sets an unusual stage for the unfolding of Tea’s story. By the end, readers will be hooked and anxious to learn the rest of the story of Tea’s fall and punishment.

Chupeco has conceived a complex world of magic wielders and demons. The unfolding of the story through Tea’s own storytelling is interesting and adds to the anticipation. Tea’s mentors are interesting and her brother Fox adds a haunting quality. Some of the story dragged at times but the ending leaves readers on the edge, in anxious anticipation.

The concept of the Bone Witch was excellent but the book as a whole was hard to get through. The characters are very likable and the world building the is really good as well. The difficulty with this first entry of this series is that it became very confusing in some portions and this took away some of the enjoyment of reading book one of the Bone Witch.

I loved the premise of The Bone Witch. It sounded exciting and beautifully written. It was the latter, but not the most exciting story. I wanted more action and intrigue. It just lacked something and didn't keep me interested. It wasn't bad by any means, and fans of fantasy will certainly enjoy this first installment. I guess I was expecting darker than I was given.

This one is hard for me to review. While I ended up enjoying it, it was a struggle for me to read more than a few chapters at a time. This story is a much slower pace than I am used to, but that said, I loved Tea's character, and I'm excited to read more of her story in the future!

Reviewed this a long while back, not sure why review not showing. This book seizes you by the throat and doesn't let go!

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the opportunity to read The Bone witch by Rin Chupeco. The book opens with a Bard witnessing a seemingly seventeen-year-old girl control a beast. The bard wants to tell the girl's story and she gives seven days for the bard to observe her. The girl tells the bard that she’s a bone witch. A girl named Tea tells her story of when she unknowingly brought her brother Fox back to life. The story alternates between past and present in this girl’s life. The telling of the story sets the world and characters based on Asha and bone witch legends and mythology. Tea grows in talent and becomes an Asha and fights against a dark creature and conquers it with help from her brother Fox, other Asha and soldiers known as Deathseekers. Tea’s alternating stories have not completely lined up yet, so the ending leaves the reader expecting more explanation in the sequel, Heart Forger. 4 stars for this fantasy tale.

The Bone Witch has been a highly anticipated read for me for a while, and despite it coming out last spring and despite me having an ARC before that >.>, I was only able to get to it recently. When I first read about it, I couldn't really tell if it was set in a modern world or fantasy world so there was a lot of intrigue happening. (It's a fantasy world, for those of you who don't know.)

It's a YA novel about a girl named Tea (pronounced tay-uh, yeah...that was hard for my brain to wrap itself around too) who is the most dreaded kind of witch that exists in her world—a bone witch. She discovers this when she accidentally raises her brother from his grave.

The premise was very cool, with the bone monsters with gems in their chests, the different kinds of asha (the most powerful witches...I think), the magical rituals, and the training in areas like fighting, dance, and instruments. But, I felt that the rest of the story didn't live up to the initial excitement. Let me tell you why. *drumroll*

I spent a lot of the time trying to decide whether the timeline, hopping back and forth from the past to the present and back, disorientated me or intrigued me. While it kind of did both, the disorientation won out. Think of it as having a line with one moving piece at each end. Each piece takes a turn moving a spot forward, until they meet in the middle. That's how The Bone Witch worked. It also took the fun out of figuring out the ending because the book already gave you the beginning and the ending and just left the middle to be discovered.

That leads me to my next point. Is it bad that the only reason I want to read the second book is because I am dead curious (pun not intended) about the ending, which dropped an unexplained bomb about a person that I liked and who was pretty mysterious. I think it says a lot that that is the only thing that might make me ready book two.

There were not a lot of things happening in this book.

There was way to much description for me. There were so many names, geographies, histories...the list could go on and on. It was an information overload that left my brain crying, because if I haven't mentioned it enough, names and such are not my strongest area. There was too much description and inner monologue, as opposed to interesting dialogue and good pacing. There wasn't a whole lot of action. There might have been a little war, but for the majority of the book Tea wasn't anywhere near the fighting. It was a weird isolation from the main events moving the book's plot.

And where was the training? Yeah, Tea trained at running errands and being a maid for a LONG time for the grouchy head of her asha house. And we learn what she eats and how the head lady picks her nose. For how important the book's description makes Tea's training sound, there is little of her actual asha training that we get to see. Loads of filler. Again, where is the war?? I WAS PROMISED WAR.

However, I did like the world building and the originality of the creatures. It was a very new fantasy world, and I only wish that the action had lived up to that part.

The heartsglass!

Those were so beautiful to visualize and read about, especially when Tea learned about diagnosing a person or reading their thoughts through the colors. The concept of losing your heart, etc. and the importance of the heartsglass in relationships was fascinating. 👌👌

It was also really interesting to read a story from the point of view of someone who I wasn't always sure was good. There's a very gray moral area in character that the author explores, and I appreciated that.

If you are someone who loves slower paced books and the luxurious small details of fantasy books (very luxurious), then you might like this one.

I was given a free copy of this for review via NetGalley **

I LOVED this book. I went into it not expecting too much as necromancy isn't something I find written in a way I enjoy very often. I enjoyed the story being told through Tea thinking back in time and having glances of where and what she is now when she's being "interviewed". The world itself was rich and reading it I could envision it perfectly in my head. It took me a while to get through this book because I found myself reading slower than I usually would to soak up everything but it was worth it 100%. I cannot wait to dive back into this world.

This title was a Did Not Finish. Unfortunately, I was unable to connect with it whether it be for characters, storyline or writing style.

Thank you for providing me with a copy.

Thank you for the chance to review this book, however, unfortunately, I was unable to read and review this title before it was archived.

‪I don’t know why but I like stories where people can bring back the dead; it just fascinates me to no end and that’s how The Bone Witch caught my attention. ‬

‪One of the things I loved about The Bone Witch was how diverse and unique this story was, I don’t think there’s anything else like this out in the book world and that’s what makes it so special. I also like that instead of it being a fast paced read, the author took her time navigating this dark world and I ate up each word as if it was the last book in the world.‬

‪Now I’m eagerly awaiting the sequel and I know it will be worth the wait. ‬

I read about a quarter of this book before I gave up on it. The opening was very intriguing and I was hooked. Then the character arrives at the school where she is to learn more about her abilities and things became very boring and slow.

The Bone Witch is a beautifully written book, although can be a little slow and heavy on description. It is an interesting story and take on the young adult fantasy novel. I look forward to reading more by the author.

Was not able to read this book before it expired. I believe I would have liked it based on the synopsis. I did buy it for my daughter when it came out, though, and she absolutely loved it!

If you're into witches and into non-elemental magic systems, this trilogy is off to a great start. Tea didn't meant to raise her brother with her necromantic asha magic, but Fox came back from the dead. The story follows Tea through her training told with glimpses of Tea from the future. Intricate, creepy, and exciting, Tea's journey follows a bit of a "chosen one" path with solid choices that give a nice edge.

The world-building is A+. No detail is left unturned and the magic system is delightful. I really enjoyed Tea and Fox's relationship. A close-knit relationship between brother and sister that leaves room for arguments and challenges. Tea's connection with the other asha women also made for strong story-telling. Oh, and the monsters. I loved all the creatures and how Chupeco showed us all the different manifestations of asha magic, as opposed to Tea just reading them from a book.

The middle, for me, slowed down a lot. It wasn't for lack of sequences because the dialogue between the characters was quite delightful as was Tea's imperfections. That being said, it did serve a purpose but perhaps it could have tied in a bit better with the end.

The last flash-forward sequence had me gasping and I can't wait to see where Tea's journey goes next.

This book wasn't for me. I hoped it was magic realism but it was more like fantasy, which is a genre I don't enjoy. Sure fantasy fans will love it but it wasn't my thing.