Ahoy there me mateys! I received this young adult fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .
the bone witch (Rin Chupeco)
Title: the bone witch
Author: Rin Chupeco
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication Date: TODAY!! (hardback/e-book)
ISBN: 978-1492635826
Source: NetGalley
This novel be pure magic. I read it in one sitting and fell in love with the author’s writing and the world she created. The main character, Tea, learns that she is a bone witch when she instinctively raises her brother from the dead in her grief. Because of the rarity of her powers and the fact that bone witches be hated and feared, Tea leaves her family to train and learn to control her powers.
The novel is told from two perspectives – Tea in the past and a bard in the present. I loved the juxtaposition of witnessing Tea’s thoughts about training and the bard’s views of what she looks like to an “outsider” in her full strength and poise.
This novel is slow paced but filled with glorious details. It was the details that made the world and story come vividly to life. Things like the descriptions of magic woven into clothing, the elaborate training of the witches (known as asha). the different ethnicities of people, or even types food, made me feel that the author was describing a real place. Or at least a place well known to her.
Add in fantastical creatures called the daeva and I was mesmerized. What are daeva? Well according to the author’s website they are “Deadly creatures that roam the land . . . To defeat these beasts, one must find and rip their bezoar from their bodies – although such an action is only a temporary respite, as they are capable of resurrection.” They are all different shapes and sizes. How Tea deals with these monsters is at the heart of the story and one of the main reasons I loved it.
This book was a lovely set-up. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series when it comes out and while impatiently waiting, I will try and get me grubby mitts on her debut novel, the girl from the well.
Side note: the author’s about me page is awesome! In fact, I rather enjoyed pursuing the whole site. Check it out.
So lastly . . .
Thank you Sourcebooks Fire!
Netgalley’s website has this to say about the novel:
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.
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. But Tea finds solace and guidance with an older, wiser bone witch, who takes Tea and her brother to another land for training.
In her new home, Tea puts all her 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.
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Keep a Weathered Eye Out for Sourcebook Fire’s Other Offerings Like:
labyrinth lost (Zoraida Cordova)
I struggled with this one being what felt like such a long “set up” or introduction to the story. The concept is brilliant and I even fell in love with the writing at times. But in the end, the lengthy descriptive narration made it challenging for me. I have not completely written of the sequel though. I did pick up The Girl from the Well to try to give her earlier work a fair shot.
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