Rating: 4.5 Stars
Publication: May 21st, 2019
Genre: Fantasy
Format: Egalley
Diversity: Not Sure
Quick Summary:
In Saskia’s world, bones are the source of all power. They tell the future, reveal the past, and expose secrets in the present. On the day of a special bone reading that determines the apprenticeships of all seventeen-year-olds Saskia’s worst fears come true. She receives an assignment to train as a Bone Charmer, like her mother, and even worse, a match-making reading that pairs her with a boy who has suspicious tattoos that hint of violence. Unhappy with the path her mother chose an argument leads to a fracture in one of the bones. Broken bones are bad luck, but with the extra magic her mother infuses into the reading this break has devastating consequences. Saskia must live her two potential paths simultaneously. Only one future can survive and her life is in danger in both.
My Thoughts:
I found it easy to insert myself into the main characters perspective. She developped from seeking a quiet and safe life to risking it all to uncover the truth. There were some of Saskias decisions that didnt completely make sense to me. For example her going to a black market ship without telling anyone, or how she kept looking for a vein to use the needle when she clearly didnt need one the first time she used it. I enjoyed Saskias complicated relationship with her mother and how she comes to realize that shes been unfairly hard on her. One example was when she complains her mother doesnt care about her safety and later on says her mothers always been too over protective. Her mothers not the only one she's been hard on, we also get a cute hate to love romance where she's been hard on the love interest without truly knowing him. I was happy to see some female friendships, but it felt like she kept them at arms length so we didnt get to explore the friendships as much as I was hoping too.
Both of Saskias possible futures were very compelling, and I liked that she still felt like herself in both time lines. I loved how in one future her reading sends her on the path she hoped to avoid while the other gave her exactly what she wished for. I was excited to see where each would lead and if they're would be any similarities between them. The contrast between the reassurance of knowing ones future and feeling caged by it was fantastic. I enjoyed seeing Saskia figure out that fate and freedom can coexist. It had a wonderful message about believing that our decisions can shape our future while still trusting that things happen for a reason even if its not what we want right now. The mystery and danger in both futures was very gripping with its shocking betrayals and sinister villain. I did find it odd the villain didnt have protection against magic though. I had some predictions, but for the most part I wasnt sure in what direction the author would take the story.
The switch between the two time lines was well paced and felt cohesive despite the situations being different. The writing had an easy flow to it with a good amount of dialogue. I really enjoyed how the bone magic was completely integrated in every aspect of the world and the way it played an important role in the characters lives. It was such a fascinating and intricate magic system. The bones have all kinds of different uses and people with different abilities to use them. I did find Saskias second sight a little confusing at first, but it does get explained as the story progresses. I thought the tattoos that show up after an emotional moment was an awesome magical feature. Theres also a whole castle made of bones where people with magic go to learn their craft, and that school setting was a lot of fun. I wish we got a bit more history or lore on how bone magic came about, but overall it was well developped and captivating. I really hope we get more books in this world.
*This book was received for an honest review
*My summaries are often a shortened version of the goodreads summary
No comments:
Post a Comment