Apr 5

Apr 5 The Bone Maker

Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Goodreads | The StoryGraph

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Note: Content and trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the full review.

Cover Description

Twenty-five years ago, five heroes risked their lives to defeat the bone maker Eklor—a corrupt magician who created an inhuman army using animal bones. But victory came at a tragic price. Only four of the heroes survived.

Since then, Kreya, the group’s leader, has exiled herself to a remote tower and devoted herself to one purpose: resurrecting her dead husband. But such a task requires both a cache of human bones and a sacrifice—for each day he lives, she will live one less.

She’d rather live one year with her husband than a hundred without him, but using human bones for magic is illegal in Vos. The dead are burned—as are any bone workers who violate the law. Yet Kreya knows where she can find the bones she needs: the battlefield where her husband and countless others lost their lives.

But defying the laws of the land exposes a terrible possibility. Maybe the dead don’t rest in peace after all.

Five warriors—one broken, one gone soft, one pursuing a simple life, one stuck in the past, and one who should be dead. Their story should have been finished. But evil doesn’t stop just because someone once said, “the end.”

TL;DR Review

The Bone Maker was a fun, creative standalone fantasy novel. I loved the characters, and I thought it did well with the “heroes: where are they now” premise.

For you if: You are looking for a quick, in-and-out foray into a new fantasy universe in between longer series.

Full Review

When I read the premise for The Bone Maker — a team of heroes, 25 years after they defeated the bad guy — and saw it was by Sarah Beth Durst, who has a zillion fantasy novels, I was on board. I’d read (and enjoyed) Chosen Ones by Veronica Roth, which is also a “heroes: where are they now” story, and I was happy to read another book with that kind of timeline.

I thought this was very well done. It’s a standalone, which is so rare in fantasy as to be refreshing. You get in, fall in love with some characters, go on an adventure, and get out. In this case, the main character is Kreya, who can animate constructs using animal bones. But in the 25 years since her husband was killed in the battle that made them heroes, she’s sequestered herself and learned the forbidden kind of bone magic that brings him back. That goal brings her back into contact with her friends — and they discover that evil may not be as vanquished as they thought.

I think the thing I loved most about this book was that even though it obviously deals with death and grief and trauma, it also managed to have lots and lots of moments that felt lighthearted and funny. The characters are lovable and entertaining, and the dialogue was often just plain fun. The worldbuilding also felt nice and satisfying despite this being a standalone (which is impressive), with just enough backstory to get us through this adventure without weighing us down too much.

If you are looking for a quick dip into fantasy between heavier reads or big series, this could be a really great choice!