The Bone Key

by Mary Rajotte

Centuries ago, the First Witch of the Aquelarre Buho coven conjured the ability to transform into an owl. Since then, a faction of hunters known as Los Cazadores has been intent on stealing that magic for their own.

As Valeria hones her craft, her hopes of being granted the power to shape-shift are disrupted by a terrifying vision. A haunting woman appears in the shadows as she did when Valeria was a child, a foreboding omen that culminates in the murder of her best friend, Gwen. Seeking solace, Valeria flees south to reconnect to her roots. Still, her journey turns bittersweet when painful memories of her father’s death resurface and fuel her determination to protect those she loves. As Valeria delves into darker magic, she discovers her abilities are stronger than anyone knew. But just as her confidence soars, the hunters return intent on stealing the Elixir the witches rely upon for their transformative powers.

Can Valeria conjure the bravery needed to protect her coven’s legacy for future generations of owl witches? Or will Los Cazadores finally take the very thing they’ve spent centuries pursuing?

Genres: Fantasy

280 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 20, 2024

About the author

Canadian author Mary Rajotte has a penchant for penning nightmarish tales of Gothic folk horror which have been published in a number of anthologies.

In 2022, she launched Frightmarish: a quarterly Gothic LitZine for devotees of dark fiction, poetry, and the creative macabre.

Her debut paranormal dark fantasy novel, The Bone Key, launched in October 2024 from Quill & Crow Publishing House.

When Mary isn’t writing, you can find her standing on her tiptoes at concerts or conjuring ideas by moonlight. Sometimes camera-elusive but always coffee-fueled, Mary lives in Toronto, Canada with her fiancé. She welcomes messages via her website maryrajotte.com

Reviews

[Alma Garcia]

The bone key is a relatively fast paced, very witchy, and entertaining read steeped in folklore and cultural mythology. Setting and atmosphere are done gorgeously as well as the attention to detail in relation to rituals, witchcraft, folklore, and historical references. I really enjoyed the perspective of a person being pulled between two worlds, a mixed ethnicity character and feel the struggles there were well stated and thoroughly explored. The character development of Valeria is realistic and intense, at times even leading the reader to be frustrated for her as she finds herself, but ultimately resulting in a great deal of build up to cathartic moments that deliver quite gracefully. It really felt like a coming of age/young adult story to me, ripe with emotional turmoil, obstacles to overcome, resolving of doubts concerning self worth and self esteem, parent-child dynamics, family dynamics etc. There also seems to be an inkling of a slow burn romance there with the Will character and I wanted to see more of that. Overall, a skillfully woven, diverse, entertaining and witchy read.


P.S. — fuck around and find out vibes.

[Christopher O'Halloran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rajotte captures the isolation of being between cultures so perfectly! I was so stressed out reading this, not knowing whether the conflict was going to come from the villainous coyotes or from someone Val should be able to trust.

The lush forest environments really transported me to the world of these clashing factions. Whether it's Montreal or California, Rajotte places the reader firmly in the setting, surrounded by friend and foe.

I'd love to read more from this world! Hopefully, this becomes a series.

[Sky · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This one was enjoyable but I did find it to sit quite heavy. I found that we were introduced to the plot quickly but getting to have an understanding of the characters and the world took longer, which meant it took me a while to get invested into the story. I did get lost a few times and had to figure out where I was within the story and what had happened, but I think a lot of that was to do with my struggle to focus. I really enjoyed Valeria as a character and her growth was really strong. Watching her come to terms with who she is and accepting it all as one was really beautiful to see. I did get teary eyed at points as there were times that I could connect with her and how she felt as an individual. I loved that family was the core message within this book, it shows how important family is and the role they play into who you are as a person and how that shapes you.

[Brendee Vee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Valeria always admired her parents abilities and wished to once find her powers as well. A sequence of events leave that unknown until she loses someone close to her which causes her to seek out what is dark and hidden within her.

This is not a book I would typically pick up but I’m so glad I did! Being of Mexican decent, I was able to grab onto the folklore and whimsical aspects that I grew up hearing but then adding the twist of the covens and powers was great to read through! Twists and turns and the betrayal had me turning pages to find out what is going to happen! I wish I would have heard more about Will at the end to tie up his part but overall… Nicely done!

[Annettesbookbanter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a 2.5 for me.

The world and magic system were quite interesting and I thought that the source of their powers was very unique. I really enjoyed the mythology that it was based around. The overall plot was one that had a lot of promise. The pace of the book was quite good. The world building was done well and the detailed descriptions of the celebrations and rituals made them easy to visualise.

For me I did struggled with certain aspects such as, it felt quite repetitive. It is hard to explain this in detail without giving away spoilers but things would happen and the FMC would have a particular reaction or response to it and that seemed to just repeat through the entire book, as in the same type of thing would happen and the FMC would have basically the same response/reaction. I also found that there was a number of plot holes in the story, again difficult to go into details without spoilers, however I will say it was not only with choices that the characters made but aspects of the magic system and certain things that happened in the book which seemed significant that ended up being not explained at all.

I received an advanced review copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The full review is available on my blog: Wine Cellar Library

First, I would like to thank Book Sirens and the author for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Being from San Diego made this book so much more real for me. It was fun to imagine all of this magic happening in my hometown. Unfortunately, this book, in my opinion, was too predictable. I understand that it has a basis in folklore, but it was very formulaic overall and lacked the spark necessary to make it a standout read. The imagery was great and Valeria’s growth is uplifting, but I failed to connect with the book as a whole.

[stephanie cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Bone Key by Mary Rajotte is a phenomenal witchy, coming-of-age novel that has quickly become a standout favorite for me this year. Though fast-paced, the storytelling remains deeply immersive, and the quick tempo never detracts from the plot or the characters’ growth.

One of the book's highlights is its rich use of folklore and cultural mythology, which sets it apart from other reads in the genre. Rajotte’s descriptive writing brings this mystical world vividly to life, making the story both entertaining and endlessly intriguing. If you’re looking for a witchy read that combines a thrilling pace with depth and atmosphere, The Bone Key is not to be missed.

[Birgit Hodgson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I could say I enjoyed this book more than I did, I really wanted to like it but found it too heavy to read at times, I would have preferred a physical copy, so I could refer to the glossary from time to time. The story itself is good, the characters are likeable, a nice witchy read, perfect for the spooky season.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Bree Shaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the premise of The Bone Key and whilst it had good potential, it just was not my kind of book. At times it felt a bit rushed, like reading it was a marathon and everything happened at the same time.
The characters are somewhat likeable and enjoyable but it was just not my kind of book.
Would recommend maybe for a younger audience (late teens?)

[Richard Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing book. I've been lucky enough to read this prior to the release and Mary Rajotte has woven a powerful tale. The authority, the magic, the grand weirdness, the emotion—it's a rollercoaster ride, and I could NOT put it down. And what a great cover.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful dark fantasy with a rich world full of spells and history and really cool images! For me the theme of being who you are rather than who you think your should be is brilliant! For all readers who love witches and covens and rituals!!!!

[Mercedes Yardley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is very prettily written. I love the dark folklore, the fantasy, and the tension, but it's the lushness that really captured my heart. Such a lovely read!

[Stacy Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting story. I liked learning about Valeria and her magic, and how she fit into the covens, especially the San Diego one with her cousin. There were times I got confused as to what was happening, mostly because I don’t speak Spanish or French, so I had to look up those parts when they were speaking and some of the names. I didn’t see the twists at the end coming, but they worked with the theme of the evil of greed very well. Overall I enjoyed the book.