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Ashtown Burials #3
Empire of Bones
Fans of both Percy Jackson and Indiana Jones will be captivated by the lost civilizations, ancient secrets, and buried treasure found in the third book of the Ashtown Burials series, an action-packed adventure by N. D. Wilson, the author of Leepike Ridge and the 100 Cupboards trilogy.
Cyrus and Antigone Smith have thwarted Dr. Phoenix's plans—for the moment. And they've uncovered a new threat from the transmortals and managed to escape with their lives. Their next adventure will take them deep into the caves below Ashtown, where they will look for help from those imprisoned in one of Ashtown's oldest tombs.
Cyrus and Antigone Smith have thwarted Dr. Phoenix's plans—for the moment. And they've uncovered a new threat from the transmortals and managed to escape with their lives. Their next adventure will take them deep into the caves below Ashtown, where they will look for help from those imprisoned in one of Ashtown's oldest tombs.
448 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
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October 12, 2013
In the first two books of Ashtown Burials, you aren’t really afraid that the main characters will die.
In Empire of Bones, you wonder if any of them are going to make it at all.
If the previous adventures were Star Wars: A New Hope, then this is The Empire Strikes Back. Wilson turns up the heat and pushes his characters—and his readers—to the limit in this intense, imaginative ride with orangutans, jungle ships, mohawked monks, shark chauffeurs, glacier lakes, ancient tunnels, dreams of death and desolation, and oh yes…a dragon. All the battles Cyrus and Antigone have fought before are practice rounds compared to the bloody, everything’s-on-the-line climax. I read the last 40 pages in a sweat, squeaking out loud, “No! No!” as my favorite characters plowed through a minefield of death bombarding them in all shapes and sizes, and I distinctly remember thinking: I know the author, and this is just an advance reader’s copy….There’s still time to change his mind….
But I wouldn’t, even if I could.
What I loved about Bones is that it isn’t just an adventure story with a few fun fights. It’s a crucible. It will put you through the fire and change you because, frankly, the same thing is true of N. D. Wilson that Owen Barfield once said of C. S. Lewis: “Somehow what Lewis thought about everything was secretly present in what he said about anything.” Every piece of fiction Wilson writes, from Leepike Ridge down to this, is brimming with the truths that he lays out (slightly) more didactically in his two statements of faith. If Notes from the Tilt-a-Whirl and Death by Living were poured into characters and set on a stage, they would play for us Empire of Bones. And you cannot read them and remain unchanged.
Prepare to be locked and loaded. Full to bursting. Eager to live. Ready to die. When your own dark hour comes, you will be readier for it after reading this grim, funny, rousing, fiercely jolly this-world fantasy of heroes who live and die as heroes should—fighting lust with thanksgiving, sorcery with self-sacrifice, death with laughter.
I knew when I began reading that I would start over as soon as I finished. And I have.
“On a wind-battered hillside, above a lifeless house, beyond the jagged battle line where sandstone cliffs held back the gray churning sea, in softy mossy earth beneath a towering redwood tree, there was a hole in the ground six feet deep…”
In Empire of Bones, you wonder if any of them are going to make it at all.
If the previous adventures were Star Wars: A New Hope, then this is The Empire Strikes Back. Wilson turns up the heat and pushes his characters—and his readers—to the limit in this intense, imaginative ride with orangutans, jungle ships, mohawked monks, shark chauffeurs, glacier lakes, ancient tunnels, dreams of death and desolation, and oh yes…a dragon. All the battles Cyrus and Antigone have fought before are practice rounds compared to the bloody, everything’s-on-the-line climax. I read the last 40 pages in a sweat, squeaking out loud, “No! No!” as my favorite characters plowed through a minefield of death bombarding them in all shapes and sizes, and I distinctly remember thinking: I know the author, and this is just an advance reader’s copy….There’s still time to change his mind….
But I wouldn’t, even if I could.
What I loved about Bones is that it isn’t just an adventure story with a few fun fights. It’s a crucible. It will put you through the fire and change you because, frankly, the same thing is true of N. D. Wilson that Owen Barfield once said of C. S. Lewis: “Somehow what Lewis thought about everything was secretly present in what he said about anything.” Every piece of fiction Wilson writes, from Leepike Ridge down to this, is brimming with the truths that he lays out (slightly) more didactically in his two statements of faith. If Notes from the Tilt-a-Whirl and Death by Living were poured into characters and set on a stage, they would play for us Empire of Bones. And you cannot read them and remain unchanged.
Prepare to be locked and loaded. Full to bursting. Eager to live. Ready to die. When your own dark hour comes, you will be readier for it after reading this grim, funny, rousing, fiercely jolly this-world fantasy of heroes who live and die as heroes should—fighting lust with thanksgiving, sorcery with self-sacrifice, death with laughter.
I knew when I began reading that I would start over as soon as I finished. And I have.
“On a wind-battered hillside, above a lifeless house, beyond the jagged battle line where sandstone cliffs held back the gray churning sea, in softy mossy earth beneath a towering redwood tree, there was a hole in the ground six feet deep…”
September 26, 2020
I suppose this might be called "young adult" fiction. But that's just stupid. This series is a gripping read for any age. Wilson depicts evil as it ought to be depicted and good as truly as it exists. He weaves ancient and modern stories and myths into a single narrative. It's full of action but not without deep character. And in the up is up and down is down, but not in some sort of cheap, fake happy ending but rather the sort where what's noble lasts and what isn't doesn't.
October 8, 2025
Reread 2025. Still like this book. It's very odd, but it's my kind of odd. NDW shaped my high school philosophy so much, and it's a nice thing to know that I still enjoy and am moved by this story and its ideas even now.
-------
In every herd, many stampede, while only a few turn to face the lions. Cowards live for the sake of living, but for heroes, life is a weapon, a thing to be spent, a gift to be given to the weak and the lost and the weary, even to the foolish and the cowardly.
When mothers lay down their lives for children, when brothers die for sisters and sisters for brothers, when fathers die for wives and children, when heroes die for strangers on the street, they do not pour out their blood because the one they save deserves such a sacrifice. Love burns hotter than justice, and its roar is thunder. Beside love, even wrath whispers. Not one of us snatching breath with mortal lungs deserves such a gift, and yet every day such a gift is given.
To love is to be selfless. To be selfless is to be fearless. To be fearless is to strip enemies of their greatest weapon. Even if they break our bodies and drain our blood, we are unvanquished. Our goal was never to live; our goal is to love. It is the goal of all noble men and women. Give all that can be given. Give even your live itself.
-------
circa 2020: This book. Man. It's wild, and it's weird, and it's probably not going to be your favorite unless you have the very specific taste that I do. But it's worth reading regardless, if only for the speech I typed out above (which comes from the mouth of a nineteen-year-old fat Irish monk called Niffy. truthfully).
This is an adventure. It's a story of crazy and stupid teenagers facing unimaginable evil and realizing that they, too, have evil inside them they must confront. It's got mythology and Latin and monks and dragons and an amazing estate on the shores of Lake Michigan... and also some pretty awesome themes of love and grace and mercy and courage... and it's pretty much the best middle-grade/YA fantasy I've read in a very long time, and I already want to reread it, and you should read it too.
Best read in conjunction with Death By Living, which is basically the nonfiction form of Empire of Bones.
Seventy weeks will soon be passed. One comes on the wing of abominations, and there shall be no end to war. He shall be called the Desolation, and when he casts his shadow, even the dragon shall shrink in fear.
---
{ quotes }
He walks the boneyard path, following in the steps of the one Mortal from whom even the Reaper fled in fear. That path runs beneath headstones, down through the lightless cold of lonely loss, through the dark valleys where death was borne down to the black soul river and the final battle line. Only love can set a man's feet on such a path. Only love can see him through, into rest and the hot light of the sun.
The storm grows.
Let us fill our sails.
The storm grows!
Let us spread our wings!
The sea rages!
Let our ships till her waves!
Let us give,
and not count the cost!
Let us fight,
and not heed our wounds!
Let us toil,
and seek no rest.
Let us labor,
and seek no reward.
Until our dust is dust,
and our ash is ash.
Yeshua defend us.
It will not make you safe; it will make you dangerous—light to the darkness, life to the dead, love to the loveless, folly to the wise. Wage your war. Live for those you love. Until the end of sorrows.
I have laughter. What can you do to erase the life and the laughter I've already lived and already laughed? What can you do frighten one as foolish as me?
-------
In every herd, many stampede, while only a few turn to face the lions. Cowards live for the sake of living, but for heroes, life is a weapon, a thing to be spent, a gift to be given to the weak and the lost and the weary, even to the foolish and the cowardly.
When mothers lay down their lives for children, when brothers die for sisters and sisters for brothers, when fathers die for wives and children, when heroes die for strangers on the street, they do not pour out their blood because the one they save deserves such a sacrifice. Love burns hotter than justice, and its roar is thunder. Beside love, even wrath whispers. Not one of us snatching breath with mortal lungs deserves such a gift, and yet every day such a gift is given.
To love is to be selfless. To be selfless is to be fearless. To be fearless is to strip enemies of their greatest weapon. Even if they break our bodies and drain our blood, we are unvanquished. Our goal was never to live; our goal is to love. It is the goal of all noble men and women. Give all that can be given. Give even your live itself.
-------
circa 2020: This book. Man. It's wild, and it's weird, and it's probably not going to be your favorite unless you have the very specific taste that I do. But it's worth reading regardless, if only for the speech I typed out above (which comes from the mouth of a nineteen-year-old fat Irish monk called Niffy. truthfully).
This is an adventure. It's a story of crazy and stupid teenagers facing unimaginable evil and realizing that they, too, have evil inside them they must confront. It's got mythology and Latin and monks and dragons and an amazing estate on the shores of Lake Michigan... and also some pretty awesome themes of love and grace and mercy and courage... and it's pretty much the best middle-grade/YA fantasy I've read in a very long time, and I already want to reread it, and you should read it too.
Best read in conjunction with Death By Living, which is basically the nonfiction form of Empire of Bones.
Seventy weeks will soon be passed. One comes on the wing of abominations, and there shall be no end to war. He shall be called the Desolation, and when he casts his shadow, even the dragon shall shrink in fear.
---
{ quotes }
He walks the boneyard path, following in the steps of the one Mortal from whom even the Reaper fled in fear. That path runs beneath headstones, down through the lightless cold of lonely loss, through the dark valleys where death was borne down to the black soul river and the final battle line. Only love can set a man's feet on such a path. Only love can see him through, into rest and the hot light of the sun.
The storm grows.
Let us fill our sails.
The storm grows!
Let us spread our wings!
The sea rages!
Let our ships till her waves!
Let us give,
and not count the cost!
Let us fight,
and not heed our wounds!
Let us toil,
and seek no rest.
Let us labor,
and seek no reward.
Until our dust is dust,
and our ash is ash.
Yeshua defend us.
It will not make you safe; it will make you dangerous—light to the darkness, life to the dead, love to the loveless, folly to the wise. Wage your war. Live for those you love. Until the end of sorrows.
I have laughter. What can you do to erase the life and the laughter I've already lived and already laughed? What can you do frighten one as foolish as me?
July 19, 2016
Originally posted here at Random Musings of a Bibliophile.
I love anything N.D. Wilson writes, but his Ashtown Burials Series has become one of my all time favorite series and that status was cemented when I read an e-galley of its latest installment, Empire of Bones.
This is a series and you need to read the first two installments before reading this one. They are The Dragon's Tooth (my thoughts) and The Drowned Vault (my thoughts). If you haven't read those, go now. Don't waste any more time.
Like its predecessors, Empire of Bones gets off to an action packed start and just keeps going. There are moments of calm but they are briefer than ever as the heroes are racing toward an unavoidable confrontation with two sets of opponents. This book is mostly about that confrontation and the immediate events leading up to it. Through this the characters that have made the series so outstanding continue to be nuanced and wonderful. The amount of growth in Cyrus over the three books so far is impressive. In this book Antigone also has some growing to do as she confronts her fears and her changing relationship with her little brother. Antigone is seeing the difference in him and there is some reconciling reality with expectation that she needs to do. There is a conversation between Antigone and Diana about Cyrus that only a guy's sister and a girl most definitely not his sister can have about him. It's one of my favorite scenes because it so deftly developed all three of their characters so much more in just a couple of pages. That is the way to do character development.
As for the other characters, they are ALL back again in this volume. Characters from the first book not in the second even make a return (this includes the giant turtle Leon). Nolan continues to be one of my favorites, as does Arachne (but she was not around as much as she was in the last book). A few new characters were introduced into the mix yet again as well. It all reached a point about halfway through the book where I wondered if it had grown too big and maybe the whole creation was going to topple like a house of cards. Not that it was wobbly, I just couldn't possibly see how it would all come together. Wilson managed it though and with great finesse. There is a major battle, lives are lost, and people are seriously hurt. This was all done realistically without being overly graphic and violent.
One thing I really appreciate about this series in contrast to others of its ilk is how present and accounted for the adults are. They are true mentors, trying their hardest to teach the kids and protect them, while acknowledging they are in danger no matter what. The relationship between Cyrus and Rupus is particularly interesting.
The aspect of the book that impressed me the most though was Wilson's deft use of biblical symbolism and how he wove it into the story. I really like how he handled that, and how he took a rather different tack than other authors who have dealt with similar themes.
As usual, I marked so many pages with amazing quotes, but I think I will limit myself to just one:
In every herd, many stampede, while only a few turn to face the lions. Cowards live for the sake of the living, but for heroes, life is a weapon, a thing to be spent, a gift to be given to the weak and the lost and the weary, even to the foolish and cowardly.
Every word this character speaks for the next two pages is wonderfully poignant and true. Then Cyrus's response is FUNNY and it struck exactly the right balance and released so much tension. That is the craft of writing at its finest.
The Ashtown Burials are among those books that straddle the upper MG/lower YA ends of the market, but they are for anyone-whatever age -who loves adventure, mystery, mythology, and darn good writing.
I read an e-galley made available from the publisher, Random House Books for Young Readers, via NetGalley. Empire of Bones will be released October 22.
I love anything N.D. Wilson writes, but his Ashtown Burials Series has become one of my all time favorite series and that status was cemented when I read an e-galley of its latest installment, Empire of Bones.
This is a series and you need to read the first two installments before reading this one. They are The Dragon's Tooth (my thoughts) and The Drowned Vault (my thoughts). If you haven't read those, go now. Don't waste any more time.
Like its predecessors, Empire of Bones gets off to an action packed start and just keeps going. There are moments of calm but they are briefer than ever as the heroes are racing toward an unavoidable confrontation with two sets of opponents. This book is mostly about that confrontation and the immediate events leading up to it. Through this the characters that have made the series so outstanding continue to be nuanced and wonderful. The amount of growth in Cyrus over the three books so far is impressive. In this book Antigone also has some growing to do as she confronts her fears and her changing relationship with her little brother. Antigone is seeing the difference in him and there is some reconciling reality with expectation that she needs to do. There is a conversation between Antigone and Diana about Cyrus that only a guy's sister and a girl most definitely not his sister can have about him. It's one of my favorite scenes because it so deftly developed all three of their characters so much more in just a couple of pages. That is the way to do character development.
As for the other characters, they are ALL back again in this volume. Characters from the first book not in the second even make a return (this includes the giant turtle Leon). Nolan continues to be one of my favorites, as does Arachne (but she was not around as much as she was in the last book). A few new characters were introduced into the mix yet again as well. It all reached a point about halfway through the book where I wondered if it had grown too big and maybe the whole creation was going to topple like a house of cards. Not that it was wobbly, I just couldn't possibly see how it would all come together. Wilson managed it though and with great finesse. There is a major battle, lives are lost, and people are seriously hurt. This was all done realistically without being overly graphic and violent.
One thing I really appreciate about this series in contrast to others of its ilk is how present and accounted for the adults are. They are true mentors, trying their hardest to teach the kids and protect them, while acknowledging they are in danger no matter what. The relationship between Cyrus and Rupus is particularly interesting.
The aspect of the book that impressed me the most though was Wilson's deft use of biblical symbolism and how he wove it into the story. I really like how he handled that, and how he took a rather different tack than other authors who have dealt with similar themes.
As usual, I marked so many pages with amazing quotes, but I think I will limit myself to just one:
In every herd, many stampede, while only a few turn to face the lions. Cowards live for the sake of the living, but for heroes, life is a weapon, a thing to be spent, a gift to be given to the weak and the lost and the weary, even to the foolish and cowardly.
Every word this character speaks for the next two pages is wonderfully poignant and true. Then Cyrus's response is FUNNY and it struck exactly the right balance and released so much tension. That is the craft of writing at its finest.
The Ashtown Burials are among those books that straddle the upper MG/lower YA ends of the market, but they are for anyone-whatever age -who loves adventure, mystery, mythology, and darn good writing.
I read an e-galley made available from the publisher, Random House Books for Young Readers, via NetGalley. Empire of Bones will be released October 22.
December 3, 2020
Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow.
May 21, 2025
5/12/25: this is a book of all time and I am going to cry have you ever considered that ??
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ND Wilson when I catch you
MORE WILSONISMS! death by living!!! love and laughter!!!
"Cowards live for the sake of living, for but for heroes, life is a weapon, a thing to be spent, a gift to be given to the weak and the lost and the weary, even to the foolish and the cowardly ... When mothers lay down their lives for children, when brothers die for sisters and sisters for brothers, when fathers die for wives and children, when heroes die for strangers on the street, they do not pour our their blood because the one they save deserves such a sacrifice. Nah, lah. Love burns hotter than justice, and its roar is thunder. Beside love, even wrath whispers. Not one of us snatching breath with mortal lungs deserves such a gift, and yet every day such a gift is given. To love is to be selfless. To be selfless is to be fearless. To be fearless is to strip your enemies of their greatest weapon. Even if they break our bodies and drain our blood, we are unvanquished. Our goal was never to live; our goal is to love. It is the goal of all truly noble men and women. Give even your life itself. ... There is only one Rupert Greeves, Cyrus Smith, and many undeserving fools who need him. He walks the boneyard path, following in the steps of the one Mortal from whom even the Reaper fled in fear. That path runs between headstones, down through the lightless cold of lonely loss, through the dark valleys where death was borne down to the black soul river and the final battle line. Only love can set a man's feet on such a path. Only love can see him through, into rest and the hot light of the sun."
^ niffy being 19 and insane, p 314-315
"What can you do, dragon, to erase the life and the laughter I've already lived and already laughed? What can you do to frighten one as foolish as me?"
^ cy being 13 and insane, p 430
i legitimately can't believe niffy shows up in this book like he's such a crucial part of this series to me and he pulls up in BOOK 3??? what a chad actually
my favorite part of this book is rupert desperately trying to die alone to save everyone else and cyrus, 13 years old and utterly insane, going "nope lmao!!" and defying all his orders so everyone can die Together
mfw the Christianity is in everything and far more blatantly than in any other book of Wilson's lmao Quick!!????!!!!
so many deaths. I had a crashout the first time I read this book and i stand by it still--so so many deaths--one gut punch after another. screaming sobbing crying et cetera
the actual Empire of Bones is cool thumbsup I wanna visit Lemon is kind of the goat ngl
Idk man I'm sad teehee at least SB is coming out actively!!
--
feb 2021 - mildly regretting rereading this because i cannot get closure < / 3
p. 60 (paperback)
"Cyrus Smith," Rupert said, "you and I were raised in a world where good men feared only the darkness of other men-and that is enough-where children could laugh at nonsense dragons in nonsense books, where monsters and giants had long ago been chained and hidden away in the deep places, devouring no one, so thoroughly defeated that even wise men and women believed magical to mean the same thing as imaginary. But the dark truths that lie beneath the myths and legends and storybooks are now erupting. We and the world will see the beginning of such... magical times. And, please God and all His angels, may we see them end.
p. 277
Rupert Greeves, Blood Avenger of the Order of Brendon, Ashtown Estate, was a protector, a guard, a shepherd. Rupert Greeves was no general. Generals spend men. Generals expect sacrifice from those who stand with them. Shepherds do not lead their sheep into battle with wolves. They fight alone . . . The only life Rupert Greeves would gladly spend was his own. Only that path offered him peace of soul.
p. 431
"What," he asked the world, "can you do to erase my laughter?"
--
october 18th, 2020: i didn't get the flipping newspaper thing for silent bells bc i'm broke and i'm forever gonna regret it bc like. BRO SILENT BELLS I'M GOING CRAZY- (why did this thought just randomly come into my head it's been literal months)
--
oh my gosh i love love absolutely love this series—a friend got me to read this after i had finished 100 Cupboards and well i'm glad he did bc this is EPIC
i can't wait for #4 to come out now!
--
Feb 2019 - Oh, I've definitely read this more than twice, but I already forgot all the dates so I guess I'm not bothering with filling them in hmm
THEORIES! The longer Silent Bells takes to come out, the more absolute theories I'll find, and so far I've found a lot.
Wilson's writing is sheer beauty and glory and oh GOD the ending T_T
also I put "Leon" & "FuzzyMoldyCheese" into the Yggdrasil ship bot on discord and got a 95% I'm highly pleased with myself
--
"Rupert?" Niffy snorted. "Rupert's dead, mate. The Abbot's dead. My brothers are dead. We're all dead. Now tell me why your pocket's glowing.
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ND Wilson when I catch you
MORE WILSONISMS! death by living!!! love and laughter!!!
"Cowards live for the sake of living, for but for heroes, life is a weapon, a thing to be spent, a gift to be given to the weak and the lost and the weary, even to the foolish and the cowardly ... When mothers lay down their lives for children, when brothers die for sisters and sisters for brothers, when fathers die for wives and children, when heroes die for strangers on the street, they do not pour our their blood because the one they save deserves such a sacrifice. Nah, lah. Love burns hotter than justice, and its roar is thunder. Beside love, even wrath whispers. Not one of us snatching breath with mortal lungs deserves such a gift, and yet every day such a gift is given. To love is to be selfless. To be selfless is to be fearless. To be fearless is to strip your enemies of their greatest weapon. Even if they break our bodies and drain our blood, we are unvanquished. Our goal was never to live; our goal is to love. It is the goal of all truly noble men and women. Give even your life itself. ... There is only one Rupert Greeves, Cyrus Smith, and many undeserving fools who need him. He walks the boneyard path, following in the steps of the one Mortal from whom even the Reaper fled in fear. That path runs between headstones, down through the lightless cold of lonely loss, through the dark valleys where death was borne down to the black soul river and the final battle line. Only love can set a man's feet on such a path. Only love can see him through, into rest and the hot light of the sun."
^ niffy being 19 and insane, p 314-315
"What can you do, dragon, to erase the life and the laughter I've already lived and already laughed? What can you do to frighten one as foolish as me?"
^ cy being 13 and insane, p 430
i legitimately can't believe niffy shows up in this book like he's such a crucial part of this series to me and he pulls up in BOOK 3??? what a chad actually
my favorite part of this book is rupert desperately trying to die alone to save everyone else and cyrus, 13 years old and utterly insane, going "nope lmao!!" and defying all his orders so everyone can die Together
mfw the Christianity is in everything and far more blatantly than in any other book of Wilson's lmao Quick!!????!!!!
so many deaths. I had a crashout the first time I read this book and i stand by it still--so so many deaths--one gut punch after another. screaming sobbing crying et cetera
the actual Empire of Bones is cool thumbsup I wanna visit Lemon is kind of the goat ngl
Idk man I'm sad teehee at least SB is coming out actively!!
--
feb 2021 - mildly regretting rereading this because i cannot get closure < / 3
p. 60 (paperback)
"Cyrus Smith," Rupert said, "you and I were raised in a world where good men feared only the darkness of other men-and that is enough-where children could laugh at nonsense dragons in nonsense books, where monsters and giants had long ago been chained and hidden away in the deep places, devouring no one, so thoroughly defeated that even wise men and women believed magical to mean the same thing as imaginary. But the dark truths that lie beneath the myths and legends and storybooks are now erupting. We and the world will see the beginning of such... magical times. And, please God and all His angels, may we see them end.
p. 277
Rupert Greeves, Blood Avenger of the Order of Brendon, Ashtown Estate, was a protector, a guard, a shepherd. Rupert Greeves was no general. Generals spend men. Generals expect sacrifice from those who stand with them. Shepherds do not lead their sheep into battle with wolves. They fight alone . . . The only life Rupert Greeves would gladly spend was his own. Only that path offered him peace of soul.
p. 431
"What," he asked the world, "can you do to erase my laughter?"
--
october 18th, 2020: i didn't get the flipping newspaper thing for silent bells bc i'm broke and i'm forever gonna regret it bc like. BRO SILENT BELLS I'M GOING CRAZY- (why did this thought just randomly come into my head it's been literal months)
--
oh my gosh i love love absolutely love this series—a friend got me to read this after i had finished 100 Cupboards and well i'm glad he did bc this is EPIC
i can't wait for #4 to come out now!
--
Feb 2019 - Oh, I've definitely read this more than twice, but I already forgot all the dates so I guess I'm not bothering with filling them in hmm
THEORIES! The longer Silent Bells takes to come out, the more absolute theories I'll find, and so far I've found a lot.
Wilson's writing is sheer beauty and glory and oh GOD the ending T_T
also I put "Leon" & "FuzzyMoldyCheese" into the Yggdrasil ship bot on discord and got a 95% I'm highly pleased with myself
--
"Rupert?" Niffy snorted. "Rupert's dead, mate. The Abbot's dead. My brothers are dead. We're all dead. Now tell me why your pocket's glowing.
October 26, 2013
Review first posted on RedeemedReader
Wilson writes tight, robust fiction. Full of action and depth, there is nary a stray word–despite that page count! Everything has meaning. The transmortals (mythological characters such as Gilgamesh) are back. The Smith family along with their allies are also back. The Phoenix is back. Skelton’s inheritance begins to make more sense. Cyrus, in particular, is coming of age; Wilson handles this expertly. The supporting cast of characters revolve around his maturation, and the stage is set for Cyrus to step into a position of leadership. And it all comes down to a massive, epic battle of good v. evil.
When you read Scripture, particularly the prophetic passages in books such as Daniel or Revelation, do you allow yourself to imagine the awe and terror of some of those scenes? Whether or not you read these books as completely literal is beside the point. We too often tame strong Biblical passages down and make the Christian walk in general one of peace and goodwill with no offense given, none taken. Wilson does not. He weaves Biblical imagery and language in and through this book, especially in the final one third-one fourth. And the stakes are high. There are no wimps here, no “nice” good guys, no bad guys who just “made a wrong choice.”
In Empire of Bones, we see truly evil characters in transmortal Radu Bey and the woman he wants to raise up from burial (Babd Catha–who demands child sacrifice). These characters feed on pain and will bring nothing but terrible destruction. Rupert, Cyrus, Antigone, and their allies are desperate to stop this coming destruction, but the price is great. Justice and Wrath will have to be awoken from burial, but these two characters will mete out justice and wrath to all. And all are guilty at some level, even the “good guys.” (Note: Justice and Wrath are the stone characters pictured on the cover.)
Monks, transmortals, a prophetess, ancient mythologies weave in and out in this hold-your-breath wild ride. Those who enjoy action-packed fantastic adventure will enjoy this series as will those who like to read between the lines and beneath the surface for deeper truth. This series is a violent one, and evil is truly evil. But Wilson makes the counterpoint startling clear in this book. I love that the “good guys” are still guilty before Justice and Wrath and without hope save in the covering of blood, that the way to fight the evil is to take the path of the fool and to celebrate love and joy, and that sacrifice is both necessary and heart-breaking. This book will enrich your understanding of the “feel” of Biblical books like Daniel and Revelation as well as the sacrificial tapestry of Scripture as a whole while simultaneously providing a good read. And it will remind you that evil really is evil…sin isn’t just a “mistake.”
Wilson writes tight, robust fiction. Full of action and depth, there is nary a stray word–despite that page count! Everything has meaning. The transmortals (mythological characters such as Gilgamesh) are back. The Smith family along with their allies are also back. The Phoenix is back. Skelton’s inheritance begins to make more sense. Cyrus, in particular, is coming of age; Wilson handles this expertly. The supporting cast of characters revolve around his maturation, and the stage is set for Cyrus to step into a position of leadership. And it all comes down to a massive, epic battle of good v. evil.
When you read Scripture, particularly the prophetic passages in books such as Daniel or Revelation, do you allow yourself to imagine the awe and terror of some of those scenes? Whether or not you read these books as completely literal is beside the point. We too often tame strong Biblical passages down and make the Christian walk in general one of peace and goodwill with no offense given, none taken. Wilson does not. He weaves Biblical imagery and language in and through this book, especially in the final one third-one fourth. And the stakes are high. There are no wimps here, no “nice” good guys, no bad guys who just “made a wrong choice.”
In Empire of Bones, we see truly evil characters in transmortal Radu Bey and the woman he wants to raise up from burial (Babd Catha–who demands child sacrifice). These characters feed on pain and will bring nothing but terrible destruction. Rupert, Cyrus, Antigone, and their allies are desperate to stop this coming destruction, but the price is great. Justice and Wrath will have to be awoken from burial, but these two characters will mete out justice and wrath to all. And all are guilty at some level, even the “good guys.” (Note: Justice and Wrath are the stone characters pictured on the cover.)
Monks, transmortals, a prophetess, ancient mythologies weave in and out in this hold-your-breath wild ride. Those who enjoy action-packed fantastic adventure will enjoy this series as will those who like to read between the lines and beneath the surface for deeper truth. This series is a violent one, and evil is truly evil. But Wilson makes the counterpoint startling clear in this book. I love that the “good guys” are still guilty before Justice and Wrath and without hope save in the covering of blood, that the way to fight the evil is to take the path of the fool and to celebrate love and joy, and that sacrifice is both necessary and heart-breaking. This book will enrich your understanding of the “feel” of Biblical books like Daniel and Revelation as well as the sacrificial tapestry of Scripture as a whole while simultaneously providing a good read. And it will remind you that evil really is evil…sin isn’t just a “mistake.”
April 24, 2014
I underline lots when I read nonfiction. I never underline when I read fiction. But then I got to this stuff:
Of course it's those little enemies, as Empire of Bones so adeptly shows us, that feed the really big ones. Of all the threads in the book, it was Mercy's story that took my breath away. Can't wait to see what happens to her...and the rest of them...next!
(Also, if somebody could kidnap the typesetter and give me five minutes alone with him, I'd shore 'preshate the chance to slap that boy silly. Fourteen novelty fonts do not a readable layout make.)
"In every herd, many stampede, while only a few turn to face the lions. Cowards live for the sake of living, but for heroes, life is a weapon, a thing to be spent, a gift to be given to the weak and the lost and the weary, even to the foolish and the cowardly.Fiction and nonfiction, Nate's books always do the same thing -- encourage me, enbrave me. I don't have Phoenixes and Radu Beys to fight, and Dennis Gilley would easily outrank me in usefulness in such a battle, anyway, but I can always use another nudge to keep my sword arm limber and keep hacking away at the marauding multitudes of mopeyness, the sinister swarms of self-pity, the lethal legions of laziness, the atrocious armies of anger. Have at you, hooligans!
...
"Love burns hotter than justice, and its roar is thunder. Beside love, even wrath whispers....To love is to be selfless. To be selfless is to be fearless. To be fearless is to strip your enemies of their greatest weapon. Even if they break our bodies and drain our blood, we are unvanquished. Our goal was never to live; our goal is to love. It is the goal of all truly noble men and women. Give all that can be given. Give even your life itself."
Of course it's those little enemies, as Empire of Bones so adeptly shows us, that feed the really big ones. Of all the threads in the book, it was Mercy's story that took my breath away. Can't wait to see what happens to her...and the rest of them...next!
(Also, if somebody could kidnap the typesetter and give me five minutes alone with him, I'd shore 'preshate the chance to slap that boy silly. Fourteen novelty fonts do not a readable layout make.)
October 29, 2013
Simply incredible. Mortal life is meant to be spent. Reading Wilson always reminds me that words are capable of doing so much more than I make them do.
This is a series of books that I long for my children to read. The whole thing is layered so wonderfully. For the young reader there is plenty of story and also a call to a real heroism that is easily grasped. Yet for the older reader (and perceptive young readers) there are philosophical questions of justice, wrath, mercy, and even the very purpose of life. For the student of theology there are head spinning allusions to difficult and long debated theological questions. For the history buff there is just enough sprinkled into the story to make the most wicked of the transmortals 'plausible' players in horrific of historical events. There is some moralizing regarding living, loving, and dying, and yet it is a dirty messy moralism that is nearly the opposite of the sterile moralizing (be nice and help people) so often aimed at young readers. Yet even with all of these layers going on the book is approachable to all, not intimidating, and a real pleasure to read.
This would be an excellent choice for a reading/language arts teacher to use with their middle school class. I don't like just throwing statements like this around, but Wilson is at Lewis' level. I imagine Wilson would deny that, but in this reader's humble opinion Wilson has done exactly what he should. He has stood on the shoulders of great writers like Lewis, and has reached even higher. I can't wait to see what readers of Wilson will start writing 10-20 years from now.
Wilson simply outdid himself with this. Can't wait for #4.
This is a series of books that I long for my children to read. The whole thing is layered so wonderfully. For the young reader there is plenty of story and also a call to a real heroism that is easily grasped. Yet for the older reader (and perceptive young readers) there are philosophical questions of justice, wrath, mercy, and even the very purpose of life. For the student of theology there are head spinning allusions to difficult and long debated theological questions. For the history buff there is just enough sprinkled into the story to make the most wicked of the transmortals 'plausible' players in horrific of historical events. There is some moralizing regarding living, loving, and dying, and yet it is a dirty messy moralism that is nearly the opposite of the sterile moralizing (be nice and help people) so often aimed at young readers. Yet even with all of these layers going on the book is approachable to all, not intimidating, and a real pleasure to read.
This would be an excellent choice for a reading/language arts teacher to use with their middle school class. I don't like just throwing statements like this around, but Wilson is at Lewis' level. I imagine Wilson would deny that, but in this reader's humble opinion Wilson has done exactly what he should. He has stood on the shoulders of great writers like Lewis, and has reached even higher. I can't wait to see what readers of Wilson will start writing 10-20 years from now.
Wilson simply outdid himself with this. Can't wait for #4.
October 22, 2022
There is so much here. I'll refrain from complaining about the lack of book #4. (It really needs book 4.)
The completion/progression of the characters' arcs is well done. Cyrus especially really becomes an admirable hero.
The defeat of evil is fulfilling though incomplete and the basis of the story world magic in Christian history and philosophy is consistent and believable.
Oh yeah, and it's really hard to put down. Especially the second half. That part is important.
The completion/progression of the characters' arcs is well done. Cyrus especially really becomes an admirable hero.
The defeat of evil is fulfilling though incomplete and the basis of the story world magic in Christian history and philosophy is consistent and believable.
Oh yeah, and it's really hard to put down. Especially the second half. That part is important.
October 25, 2013
So this must be how my friends felt when they had to wait a year between Harry Potter installments. Only it's way worse for me because Ashtown is incalculably more enthralling than Harry Potter (to say nothing of how much better the writing is). And so far it's only gotten better with each book.
Is it next year yet?
Is it next year yet?
January 18, 2013
I like. Some good creepy stuff. More characters to love. Ready for book 4!
August 24, 2017
GUYS.
I honestly can't even with this book right now. It's excellent - currently my favorite example of Christian fiction done well. There's no Gospel presentation, no Scripture quotations (though it comes beautifully close), no conversion. Just people who live for the One that made them according to the example set before them.
Live, or die, whichever is needed.
His words are beautiful. His characters are great. His stories are well-told. Every part of this story took on a life of its own.
I really have nothing else to say. (Except, please hurry with the next one, Nate. Please.)
Also, if you're not inspired by this book to go and live your life better, I don't know what to say to you.
I honestly can't even with this book right now. It's excellent - currently my favorite example of Christian fiction done well. There's no Gospel presentation, no Scripture quotations (though it comes beautifully close), no conversion. Just people who live for the One that made them according to the example set before them.
Live, or die, whichever is needed.
His words are beautiful. His characters are great. His stories are well-told. Every part of this story took on a life of its own.
I really have nothing else to say. (Except, please hurry with the next one, Nate. Please.)
Also, if you're not inspired by this book to go and live your life better, I don't know what to say to you.
March 20, 2014
Wow. Just wow. I might post a larger review later. But for now.
Wow.
-------------------------
Also, one initial thought: I wonder if Wilson is a fan of Tim Powers. Tim Powers is the only other author I've seen who likes to put his protagonists through such brutal physical injuries.
Of course, the scars and stitches fit in perfectly with the story that Wilson is telling, and it couldn't be any other way. Almost makes me wish I had a few more scars.
Wow.
-------------------------
Also, one initial thought: I wonder if Wilson is a fan of Tim Powers. Tim Powers is the only other author I've seen who likes to put his protagonists through such brutal physical injuries.
Of course, the scars and stitches fit in perfectly with the story that Wilson is telling, and it couldn't be any other way. Almost makes me wish I had a few more scars.
June 25, 2020
Second reading spring 2020.
I have been a little uncertain about this series. This book is brilliant and draws the others into greatness. Reading Death by Living and this was like reading Tree and Leaf. DBL was an explanation of his worldview and EoB is an imaginative demonstration. It engaged the emotions, senses, fears, hopes, beliefs and adrenaline like nothing else I've read.
I have been a little uncertain about this series. This book is brilliant and draws the others into greatness. Reading Death by Living and this was like reading Tree and Leaf. DBL was an explanation of his worldview and EoB is an imaginative demonstration. It engaged the emotions, senses, fears, hopes, beliefs and adrenaline like nothing else I've read.
November 7, 2013
"To love is to be selfless. To be selfless is to be fearless. To be fearless is to strip your enemies of their greatest weapon. Even if they break our bodies and drain our blood, we are unvanquished. Our goal was never to live; our goal is to love. It is the goal of all truly noble men and women. Give all that can be given. Give even your life itself."
December 7, 2013
This book has been a really pleasant surprise! After my disappointment with the 100 Cupboards series, I keep expecting each book in this series to be more wordy and action-filled, but they've just been getting successively better.
February 4, 2015
I haven't been this excited about a fiction series since I read Lewis' Space Trilogy. Intriguing, clever, captivating.
July 8, 2018
In which Cyrus wins all of my love by being the fearless leader he was born to be. And all the times he slips and falls over. What a kid.
November 5, 2015
I'm still not sure if I finished Empire Of Bones last night, or if it finished me. I AM certain I've never laughed and cried that much at the same time. And that there is going to be some really unpleasant withdrawal going on in the next few days.
Powerful, powerful, powerful good stuff.
“To love is to be selfless. To be selfless is to be fearless. To be fearless is to strip enemies of their greatest weapon. Even if they break our bodies and drain our blood, we are unvanquished. Our goal was never to live; our goal is to love. It is the goal of all noble men and women. Give all that can be given. Give even your live itself.”
Powerful, powerful, powerful good stuff.
“To love is to be selfless. To be selfless is to be fearless. To be fearless is to strip enemies of their greatest weapon. Even if they break our bodies and drain our blood, we are unvanquished. Our goal was never to live; our goal is to love. It is the goal of all noble men and women. Give all that can be given. Give even your live itself.”
November 1, 2013
Epic. A mohawked Irish ninja monk and living stone statues fight a bunch of transmortals and fish-gilled men. It's epic because it brings the battle lines (drawn in the previous two books) into focus, and because it has a distinctly Christian worldview. What more could you want?
January 8, 2021
Threw book against the wall? Twice. Screamed into a pillow? Absolutely. Exploded at THAT ending? Do you have to ask? Okay. Yes.
This book....*flails* ...words fail me, but one word comes to mind: EPIC.
And I need answers. I need them like I need air. Which is to say right now. This instant.
This book....*flails* ...words fail me, but one word comes to mind: EPIC.
And I need answers. I need them like I need air. Which is to say right now. This instant.
September 5, 2018
this is amazing!!!! i really want silent bells!!!!!!!):
January 30, 2014
This book is SOOO much better than the first two in the series. I enjoyed "The Dragon's Tooth," and "The Drowned Vault," but they didn't feel as well thought-out as N.D. Wilson's earlier books. I feel like the series finally got started with "Empire of Bones."
First of all, it raised the stakes considerably. Dr. Phoenix kind of fades to the background in this story (though he's definitely not going away for good), making way for a brand new and even more terrifying set of villains. The Burials are opening, the Order has been taken over by Phoenix's minions, and Cyrus and Antigone are almost alone in their fight against evils both ancient and new. Almost, but not quite. We are introduced to several new and memorable characters in this book: Brother Niffy, the Mohawk-sporting monk; crazy Lemon Chauncey and her orangutangs; the unfortunate letter-carrier Mercy Rios; and the boy Quick, the most mysterious transmortal we've yet encountered. Some older characters are developed more fully as well: especially Rupert and Cyrus. This is where Cyrus really begins to be a man and a leader. As a result, we care more when the characters begin to be in real danger (as ALL of them are by the end). I legitimately wondered if any of the good characters would survive the final battle. I won't say whether they did, but I will say there were a few teary moments. :-)
This is once again N.D. Wilson at his best. The characters are unforgettable. The plot is bizarre, frightening, and ultimately inspiring. Wilson's philosophy of life, especially as articulated in his most recent nonfiction book, "Death by Living," breathes throughout the book, and his values of hard work, self-sacrifice, and love for others are well worth passing on to young adult readers. Whereas the dialogue in the previous books often felt a little forced, in this one the language once again flows in a surprising and often beautiful way.
Favourite line: "The smell of doom wasn't as strong as the smell of turtle."
First of all, it raised the stakes considerably. Dr. Phoenix kind of fades to the background in this story (though he's definitely not going away for good), making way for a brand new and even more terrifying set of villains. The Burials are opening, the Order has been taken over by Phoenix's minions, and Cyrus and Antigone are almost alone in their fight against evils both ancient and new. Almost, but not quite. We are introduced to several new and memorable characters in this book: Brother Niffy, the Mohawk-sporting monk; crazy Lemon Chauncey and her orangutangs; the unfortunate letter-carrier Mercy Rios; and the boy Quick, the most mysterious transmortal we've yet encountered. Some older characters are developed more fully as well: especially Rupert and Cyrus. This is where Cyrus really begins to be a man and a leader. As a result, we care more when the characters begin to be in real danger (as ALL of them are by the end). I legitimately wondered if any of the good characters would survive the final battle. I won't say whether they did, but I will say there were a few teary moments. :-)
This is once again N.D. Wilson at his best. The characters are unforgettable. The plot is bizarre, frightening, and ultimately inspiring. Wilson's philosophy of life, especially as articulated in his most recent nonfiction book, "Death by Living," breathes throughout the book, and his values of hard work, self-sacrifice, and love for others are well worth passing on to young adult readers. Whereas the dialogue in the previous books often felt a little forced, in this one the language once again flows in a surprising and often beautiful way.
Favourite line: "The smell of doom wasn't as strong as the smell of turtle."
January 1, 2024
4.5 stars rounded to 5 due to enjoyment
Things I liked:
-again, fast paced danger and forceful character building due to lack of plot armor
-investigation of the burials
-character development
-despite having an easy excuse to turn confrontations into simplified superhero-esque encounters, that never happened
-repercussions to actions were looming and ever present
Things I didn't like:
-wait, that's...that's it?? The ending seemed like it needed more closure (definitely wasn't a HEA), but the slightly jarring end fit with the "lack of plot armor" style of story
Update:
Apparently there was supposed to be a fourth book that got dropped due to contract issues. The fourth book IS in progress (available as essentially rough/somewhat post-rough drafts from what I can tell), and can be purchased directly from Cannon Press.
https://canonpress.com/products/silen...
Things I liked:
-again, fast paced danger and forceful character building due to lack of plot armor
-investigation of the burials
-character development
-despite having an easy excuse to turn confrontations into simplified superhero-esque encounters, that never happened
-repercussions to actions were looming and ever present
Things I didn't like:
-wait, that's...that's it?? The ending seemed like it needed more closure (definitely wasn't a HEA), but the slightly jarring end fit with the "lack of plot armor" style of story
Update:
Apparently there was supposed to be a fourth book that got dropped due to contract issues. The fourth book IS in progress (available as essentially rough/somewhat post-rough drafts from what I can tell), and can be purchased directly from Cannon Press.
https://canonpress.com/products/silen...
November 11, 2013
Reading the series out loud to my family, it's so good.
Here is rich imagery and exciting story that potently portrays the story and Savior of the Bible. Wilson does this without being preachy or opaque about it. It is clear at points, though unbelievers probably wouldn't notice it much.
The violence is a bit intense in places, not suitable for under 7-8ish.
Wilson glorifies virtues sorely needed in the (young fiction) world today: courage, loyalty, recognition and rejection of evil, honoring parents and family, and self-sacrifice for others.
If you have 8-15 year olds in the house and wonder what they could read, get this series.
Five stars!
Here is rich imagery and exciting story that potently portrays the story and Savior of the Bible. Wilson does this without being preachy or opaque about it. It is clear at points, though unbelievers probably wouldn't notice it much.
The violence is a bit intense in places, not suitable for under 7-8ish.
Wilson glorifies virtues sorely needed in the (young fiction) world today: courage, loyalty, recognition and rejection of evil, honoring parents and family, and self-sacrifice for others.
If you have 8-15 year olds in the house and wonder what they could read, get this series.
Five stars!
June 16, 2020
This was exciting and beautiful and creepy and intense and profound all wrapped up in one great adventure. I greatly enjoy N.D. Wilson's books, and Empire of Bones is certainly not among the least. The ending was amazing. Just... I loved it.
It ended like this was the end of the series, but I had thought there would be more. I haven't seen anywhere else that this is the end, so I'm going to hope that there'll be another soon!
It ended like this was the end of the series, but I had thought there would be more. I haven't seen anywhere else that this is the end, so I'm going to hope that there'll be another soon!
January 1, 2020
"Love burns hotter than justice, and its roar is thunder. Beside love, even wrath whispers... To love is to be selfless. To be selfless is to be fearless. To be fearless is to strip your enemies of their greatest weapon. Even if they break our bodies and drain our blood, we are unvanquished. Our goal was never to live: our goal is to love. It is the goal of all truly noble men and women. Give all that can be given. Give even your life itself."
October 5, 2023
Did I mention this series has ancient legends that literally come to life? Yeah. Empire of Bones is the best so far in the Ashtown Burials series (I need book 4, N.D. Wilson).
Content:
Violence
Content:
Violence
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