Boneyard Café

by Teresa Louise Johnson

The stories are true. There is a king who is a connector of bones.

In another dimension called Beyond, Bone Connector performs surgeries on conscious victims using magic and the guidance of two abducted professors. He trades victims’ limbs and tests the limits of the human will to survive.

Some of the victims live. Those he calls strong and prepares for his Skeleton Army. Some of them die. Those disappear into the dark waters beyond his castle.

Lee is the alchemist from our dimension who almost forgot what Bone Connector took from her.

Determined to rescue someone she loves from Beyond, Lee leaves the comfort of her mom's café with a group of brave and odd companions. Will her motley team of warriors be enough to take down the mad king forever?

Genres: Fantasy, Supernatural, Dark Fantasy

392 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 23, 2024

About the author

Hello, you beautiful soul. I’m Canadian Choice Award winning fantasy author and yoga instructor Teresa Louise Johnson.

I weave sci fi and urban/dark fantasy elements into my work, along with hints of dark fairytale.

So far, I have published:

Fire Island

Boneyard Café Series:
Boneyard Café
Dark Matter (novella)
The Seven
Finding Gray (story)
Glum & Glee (novella-coming Fall 2026)

Anthology stories:
Dust City Inferno in When the Wind Howls
Sacrifice to the Deep in Bleed for Me Valentine

Reviews

[Kelly]

I was immediately pulled into the world of Boneyard Café. I could picture the café, the graveyard, and even the Beyond so clearly. The atmosphere was spot on. I really loved how the story wove in complex family dynamics. Everything came together so well by the end (no spoilers, promise!). Lee and Ren were both strong, resilient female leads, and I appreciated how real their struggles felt. And Mick? Forever in my heart. His timing, his loyalty, and everything was a chef's kiss! And really, the whole concept of guardian demons was super cool. But mostly, I liked how the story tackled deeper questions, especially around science and morality (iykyk 👀). Such a great read!

[Tammy Scholten]

Awesome first novel! I am biased, though, as this is my sister! My favourite part - "...Gran saw the scales, green and glimmering down both sides of her spine and over one shoulder....Strength and intuition. An urge for freedom and sunlight."
Cannot wait for Book 2! Congratulations, Teresa!

[Cassie]

A perfect read for Halloween, set in a very unique and in depth universe that has you attached to the characters.

[Angela Franklin]

I really enjoyed this story. It's a unique concept of an evil king that decides to play Dr. Frankenstein with the people of his kingdom. He falls in love but it isn't reciprocated and he becomes even madder and begins building an army of his creations.

Meanwhile, in the regular world, life goes on and we meet a variety of characters through a café that serves the afterlife after dark. It's neat to see how the different characters come together, their individual stories shared, and how they each have a part to play in the overall adventure of the book.

This is one of those stories I want to read again because of the different character side stories and to be able to pick up more information with each read. I also liked how the book ended. There was closure but also leaves it open for future books. I don't feel like I'm left with a ton of plot hole questions, but also am curious to see where the additional Boneyard Cafe stories will go. There are so many possibilities.

Pick this one up! It's already available on Amazon, possibly other places and follow Teresa for updates! But, give yourself room to focus. There's a lot to absorb - in a good way!!

[Rachel]

A good Fall read

Writing a novel is an accomplishment in itself, to push through the writerblocks and moments of uncertainty to a finished, thorough product is nothing short of amazing.
I truly wish I could visit the Boneyard Cafe and meet all its customers!
I was highly impressed by the amount of characters — each with their own backstories and personalities, it made for a fun party! The only downfall to this was the story got confusing with the constant addition of new storylines, when really you wanted to dive further into the characters you already knew. But by the end, you definitely appreciated each.
The overall vibe felt like a cozy, spooky read. Highly recommend this book during the Autumn time if you like to pair your reads to the season!

[Bookish._.Banter]

Having read all of the latter releases by this author, it was time I did my due diligence and read this one.

While all the books are interconnected, they all stand on their own just fine. And having read them, it was fun to find some of the ties.

Boneyard Cafe is a playful look at death, living, grief and many other facets of mental health. Each character has depth and adds to the story. Found family has a whole new level with this story. To be honest, I kind of want one of these demon companions.

It might be a fantasy world but its underlying concept is complex yet relatable. Excited for more in this series.

[Pina Friedman]

This is a book I will be thinking about for a long time. I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish and can’t wait to read book two. The characters are strong, lovable, and fun to journey alongside. The storyline is an epic, fantastic adventure with moments of darkness. It was such a unique story, but the writing reminded me of a Stephen King novel. I would definitely recommend this book.

[Louise Lightsey]

One of the most unique stories I've read this year! Between the Bone Connector, The Skeleton Army, two special sisters, and a cast of supporting charters, this book has twists and turns at every page turn. The side characters each add a special detail to the story. Not my usual read, and loved this story of The Bizzar meets Fantasy Adventure.

[Angela]

A great read! I’m looking forward to the next book in the series - The Seven. So much imagination and brilliantly told. I was easily immersed and felt like part of the group. Well done, Teresa!

[Marah Brock]

HIDDEN GEM 💎

The characters, the plot, the villain are all *chefs* kiss. The description is not an accurate representation of the book. It’s filled with demons, magic, dragons, alchemy, and is rooted in a strong matriarchy.

The only criticism I have is with the amount of characters and the name lengths being 3-4 letters (usually) it’s hard to decipher who’s speaking or who the narrator seems focused on in that moment.

[RogueMarina]

I liked how the book was broken up into parts. The part names and chapters felt like watching seasons and episodes of a show. It was fun getting to know the different characters and the world.

[Kara Zone]

I love Teresa's writing!!

[Rogère Buivan]

This book was amazing !

I loved the story and the writing style so much !

The multiverse was a very nice idea and the characters were very lovable (minus one, obviously)

And Ammy, oh little Ammy is so amazing !!!

Now I’m jealous and I want to go to another dimension 😂

This book show is that when you have a common goal, and that you trust your people, anything can be done !

I literally can’t wait for the next book of Teresa ! I know it’ll be as amazing as this one!

[Janessa]

4.5 Stars
Boneyard Cafe is such an amazing and unique story! It's not normally a book I would be drawn to but SO happy I came across it. This is a character driven book with lots of twists and surprises. I loved the story, I thoroughly enjoyed the darkness of it! I highly recommend! I will be painting the cafe at some point as my art is how I express myself best 🥰.

[Janessa]

Boneyard Cafe is such an amazing and unique story! It's not normally a book I would be drawn to but SO happy I came across it. This is a character driven book with lots of twists and surprises. I loved the story, I thoroughly enjoyed the darkness of it! I highly recommend! I will be painting the cafe at some point as my art is how I express myself best 🥰.

[Amy Richard]

Cool story line, however just too many characters for me. Was hard to keep up and understand everything going on.

[Sian]

Considering the name of the book, the majority of the story took place not in the cafe. The name “Bone Connector” seemed too on the nose for me considering what he did to his victims/test subjects. Overall it was a good read but wouldn’t reach for it again.