California Bones

Daniel Blackland #1

by Greg Van Eekhout

When Daniel Blackland was six, he ingested his first bone fragment, a bit of kraken spine plucked out of the sand during a visit with his demanding, brilliant, and powerful magician father, Sebastian.

When Daniel was twelve, he watched Sebastian die at the hands of the Hierarch of Southern California, devoured for the heightened magic layered deep within his bones.

Now, years later, Daniel is a petty thief with a forged identity. Hiding amid the crowds in Los Angeles—the capital of the Kingdom of Southern California—Daniel is trying to go straight. But his crime-boss uncle has a heist he wants Daniel to perform: break into the Hierarch's storehouse of magical artifacts and retrieve Sebastian's sword, an object of untold power.

For this dangerous mission, Daniel will need a team he can rely on, so he brings in his closest friends from his years in the criminal world. There's Moth, who can take a bullet and heal in mere minutes. Jo Alverado, illusionist. The multitalented Cassandra, Daniel’s ex. And, new to them all, the enigmatic, knowledgeable Emma, with her British accent and her own grudge against the powers-that-be. The stakes are high, and the stage is set for a showdown that might just break the magic that protects a long-corrupt regime.

Extravagant and yet moving, Greg van Eekhout's California Bones is an epic adventure set in a city of canals and secrets and casual brutality--different from the world we know, yet familiar and true.

Genres: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Fiction, Dystopia, Magic, Alternate History, Science Fiction

303 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2014

About the author

Greg van Eekhout writes books. Some are for kids, some are for adults. He lives in San Diego.

Reviews

[Jessica ❁ ➳ Silverbow ➳ ❁ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

I don't like to endorse stereotypes, but Urban Fantasy written by male authors is almost universally darker and grittier than UF written by females. Obviously, within that much larger pool there are nonconformists: Stacia Kane, Jane Wells, even Kelley Armstrong sometimes, but on the other side . . . I can't think of one. You've got Simon R. Green's UF noir, Richard Kadrey's severed heads kept in the closet for information, and even Jim Butcher, whose Harry Dresden series is decidedly lighter in tone, explodes bodies b/c "GORE. Yes!"

I'm not saying it's good or bad, it just is. *shrugs*

And California Bones is no exception.

Daniel Blackland lives in an alternate history version of California where magic is real, and the more magic you have, the more powerful you are. The most powerful of all is the Hierarch, who rules Southern California (split from Northern California in a nebulous war) with an iron fist, and cannibalizes anyone he views as a threat.

Literally.

B/c the Hierarch is an osteomancer, which means that he gets his power from consuming the bones of magical creatures, and yes, humans are under the same umbrella as hydras, griffins, krackens, etc.

And that's . . . well, that's beyond the boundaries of my typical comfort zone.

BUT. As gruesome as this world is, it's also strangely compelling in many ways, not the least of them being Van Eekhout's insightful writing, like how he captures the first fracture of childhood innocence:

"Do you trust me?"
. . . Daniel loved him with the uncomplicated desperation with which small boys love their fathers. But trust? It had never occurred to Daniel not to trust him. It was like earth. Daniel never wondered if it'd be there when he took a step. Now, the smallest fissures opened in his unquestioning certainty.

*rubs fist over heart*

PLUS this is a heist novel. I love heists. Ocean's Eleven (Twelve, and Thirteen) are some of the most frequently watched movies at my house, and Inside Man<-----friggin' awesome.

Know what else I love?

Tacos.

Cassandra unpacked the pieces of her rifle and screwed the barrel into the action.
"One hell of a circus shot," Jo said skeptically.
"Well, Cassie's one hell of a clown," Daniel returned.
"Bet you a taco she doesn't make it."
"Bet you two tacos she does."

My kind of bet.

SO. Urban Fantasy + heist + tacos = ALL THE GOOD THINGS.

The characters were pretty great too. Blackland's crew are not just his colleagues, they're his family. Moth, a giant of a man who can't be killed (b/c unforeseen side-effect of I'm-not-telling-you-what-but-there's-a-legit-reason-I-promise) is probably my favorite, but Cassandra the sniper/lock pick is pretty badass too.

The only real objection I had was how their loyalty to Blackland was repeatedly mentioned. The third time it happened, I went back and started highlighting, b/c OTT, but not too much later, the reason for the overkill was revealed, and while I still felt it had been a bit heavy-handed, I wasn't straight up annoyed anymore. I don't know, maybe Van Eekhout tried a different approach in the first draft, but the Reason didn't make the impact he wanted b/c too subtle. Who knows? Not me. Whatever, the point is that my only specific issue turned out to be half the issue I thought it was.

The world-building might frustrate some readers.

I'm sure you've all heard some variation of the "California will break off from the rest of the States b/c earthquakes" speculation. I have no idea what the legitimacy of that claim is---it sounds ridiculous, but I suppose stranger things have happened. Anyway, for a long time I thought that's what had happened in this version of California, b/c there aren't roads, there are canals. And it was strange, people taking one of half a dozen different types of boats that were still referred to as "taxis" and "vans" but were . . . boats. But eventually, it does get explained, and remember that the alternative to the Slow Reveal is the Info Dump, and I infinitely prefer the former.

Overall, California Bones was even better than I'd hoped. I added quite a few beasties to my cryptozoology repertoire, was creepily fascinated by Van Eekhout's variation of history that, amongst other things, cast Disney (yes, that Disney) as . . . maybe not a villain, but definitely a scary dude, and was gratified by writing of surprising depth on more than one occasion. I'm already halfway through the next book. Highly recommended.

[carol. · Rating 5 out of 5]

You ever have that experience where you finish a book, and are left feeling all discombobulated; not sure exactly what time it is because the sun set while you were reading, and actually kind of hungry because you might have missed dinner? California Bones did that to me.

It wasn’t an instant draw; it had blipped across my radar long enough to make it onto my TBR list, but it wasn’t until bookaneer’s review that I was motivated it to move it up. I picked it up from the library and was sucked into its pages until a solid two hours later. Unbelievably good, it was a breath of fresh air–the forceful Southern California Santa Anas, perhaps–blowing away an urban fantasy landscape cluttered with vampires and werewolves. Van Eekhout combined an almost-now Los Angeles with fast-paced heist, built it on the foundation of serious family drama, added an upbringing in a thieves’ gang, and wrapped the whole thing in some of the more interesting magic I’ve read in years.

“‘Our bodies are cauldrons,’ he said, ‘and we become the magic we consume.’ He often said things like that, things that circled around the perimeter of Daniel’s understanding, sometimes veering just within reach before darting away into ever-widening orbits. Daniel could remember the names of osteomantic creatures and their properties–mastodon for strength, griffin for speed and flight, basilisk for venom–but he grew lost when Sebastian spoke of the root concepts of magic.“

The story begins with a quick flashback to Daniel Blackhand’s childhood, learning magic from his father Sebastian; then forward to a powerful moment his family is ripped apart by the Hierarch; and then a third jump into current time with Daniel working the open-air market. He lands from one frying pan into another fire, only to be offered the ultimate thieves’ job, complete with the opportunity to recover a very personal item. At the same time, Gabriel, a bureaucrat and minor relative of the Hierarch, has sensed unfamiliar magic and is troubled that some of the city powers are starting to talk of sedition. When he meets the handler and dog who were chasing Daniel in the market, it sets him on Daniel’s trail, and brings an unexpected chance to confront his own past.

The writing is enjoyable; fast paced, descriptive enough to cause a vivid image or two but never lingering too long, naval gazing at the scenery (I’m talking to you, Way of Kings). An almost perfect tone for the story, it waxes a bit lyrical when describing the magic of osteomancy in all its grim powerful, glory. I found the degree to which Van Eekhout could make the The Hierarch and his six underlings menacing remarkable, despite their rare appearance.

I liked characterization of Daniel, an ambivalent hero who is mostly trying to keep his head down after the destruction of his childhood. Gabriel is an interesting foil, essentially using the same strategy within the Hierarch’s organization. Side characters are fleshed out enough, and the fact that they are able to still surprise Daniel seems entirely possible, given his youngish self-centeredness. I rather enjoyed Emma and Max, who each played rather interesting sidekick roles to Daniel and Gabriel.

Plotting is quick and ultimately, surprising. The heist is great fun at the beginning, the standard untouchable target. If it also employs a standard set-up of recruiting the team and planning for the gauntlet, at least it comes complete with humor:

“Who the hell put tequila in their coffee? It was disgusting and obscene, and it made everyone on the crew feel better about what they were going to do to Sergeant Ballpeen.“

During the heist, crew member Emma takes a moment to wax poetic:

“‘All my being,’ Emma whispered, ‘like him whom the Numidian seps did thaw into a dew with poison, is dissolved, sinking through its foundations.’
‘That’s from a poem,’ she said with some despair to the crew’s stupefied expressions.
‘Yeah, Shelley,’ Moth said. ‘It’s just we usually don’t do poetry during jobs.’“

The humor nicely sets off the dark feel of the osteomantic magic, and the tough situations the team members find themselves in. All in all, it worked for me, and I’m looking forward to reading it a second time, and eventually adding it to the paper collection.

At the moment, the first three chapters are available for free on Van Eekhout’s website. I highly suggest you give them a try.

As always, full review with links and highlighted text at my blog, because damn if GR doesn't make editing extra work:
https://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2014/...

[Alienor ✘ French Frowner ✘ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating : 3.5 stars



✘ A strong stomach - the whole magical system revolves around eating skulls, after all. Strangely it didn't gross me out as much as I thought it would (because I am weird?!), but you might need some "adaptation time", let's say. Also, Daniel licks someone else's cup at some point. Ewww, right? (why this scene struck me like this is beyond me. Okay I lied : GERMS) Purely original, though, and a breath of fresh air in this ocean of vampires, shapeshifters and other fairies.

✘ Interesting characters who *could* have been amazing if only they were a little more fleshed-out. Granted, Daniel dangerously swims in these grey waters I usually love but if Greg Van Eekhout's characters came very close to win me over sometimes, my heart never really surrendered itself. Shrugs. Dragon-scale skin and all that, I suppose. I could hold the 3rd person POV responsible, but it wouldn't be fair to all my beloved books using the same narrative voice. Something's missing is all, I guess.

✘ No boredom but on the contrary, a fast-paced and action-packed journey into this alternative Los Angeles where magic stands above everything and everyone. Also, HEIST! Did I say that I loved heists? Because I loooove them.

Annnnnd this is all you'll get from me today, because EXPRESS REVIEW, you all (also, I have yet to finish rating my students' copybooks, and it's 10pm. What's wrong with me really)

► California Bones was an entertaining and compelling book, whose little flaws won't stop me from continuing the journey with Daniel. I kinda hope he'll turn bad, alright?

For more of my reviews, please visit:

[Richard Derus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4* of five

The Publisher Says: When Daniel Blackland was six, he ingested his first bone fragment, a bit of kraken spine plucked out of the sand during a visit with his demanding, brilliant, and powerful magician father, Sebastian.

When Daniel was twelve, he watched Sebastian die at the hands of the Hierarch of Southern California, devoured for the heightened magic layered deep within his bones.

Now, years later, Daniel is a petty thief with a forged identity. Hiding amid the crowds in Los Angeles—the capital of the Kingdom of Southern California—Daniel is trying to go straight. But his crime-boss uncle has a heist he wants Daniel to perform: break into the Hierarch's storehouse of magical artifacts and retrieve Sebastian's sword, an object of untold power.

For this dangerous mission, Daniel will need a team he can rely on, so he brings in his closest friends from his years in the criminal world. There's Moth, who can take a bullet and heal in mere minutes. Jo Alverado, illusionist. The multitalented Cassandra, Daniel's ex. And, new to them all, the enigmatic, knowledgeable Emma, with her British accent and her own grudge against the powers-that-be. The stakes are high, and the stage is set for a showdown that might just break the magic that protects a long-corrupt regime.

Extravagant and yet moving, Greg van Eekhout's California Bones is an epic adventure set in a city of canals and secrets and casual brutality--different from the world we know, yet familiar and true.
iMy Review: Want to know something amazing? My assisted-living facility's library, which I created from my own library, cannot keep this book on the shelves.

So what, I hear you think really loudly. So this: I'm in a place where I'm young at 55...most of these eager readers are over 70.

This gives me the happy. It proves to me that, if you tell a good story well, people it with easy-to-relate-to characters, and pull no punches, any and all ages will grab and snatch and fight to get their shot to read it.

I'm no fan of teen heroes, get highly irked by teen angst, and never want to hear the phrase "coming-of-age" again; I am usually bored into a coma by magic; altogether this book should have made me sleepily grouchy. Instead, I was flipping pages and holding my breath, and so are all the library users I've spoken to.

For me at least, one of the main appeals is the future L.A. van Eekhout posits, a place turned into a quasi-Amsterdam by the devouring sea. I love that idea mostly because I don't like California despite being born there. But also and more positively, I got the image fixed in my head immediately, enjoyably, and permanently. Now I see photos of the real L.A. and feel confused...where's the sea?

Greg van Eekhout changed my image of a place I've been to a zillion times. He's that much of a wizard with his words. I can't wait to be able to afford the next two books! C'mon February, Daddy needs new books!

[Mimi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great ideas
- osteomancy: magic derived from ingesting bones of ancient and mythology creatures (the powers these creatures give off are pretty amazing)
- post-succession California: CA left the Union some years ago and then split into North and South, and now they're constantly at war with each other and the Union
- post-succession Los Angeles is an urban dystopic landscape that isn't void of life or color
- LA is still LA after all
- Southern CA is under the reign of a megalomaniac who's hoarding power and killing off other magic users
- these killings are state sanctioned and done in waves
- cannibalism
- golems
- travel by water: the Venice Canals play an important role in the story (I had no idea what these were, so had to look them up--very interesting water system)

So all great ideas, but the execution is just... all right.

I found the writing overall to be decent, but there were a few places where it was tedious and repetitive and oddly YA. Add to that some thin characters and a heist plot that's wrapped up too quickly, and the whole thing felt incomplete. But this is the first of a trilogy, so that's okay, I guess...

The heist was fun while it played out. Up to that point--more than half way through--I wasn't really feeling the story or characters much, and the read was kind of a drag. Once the heist was put in motion though, things got interesting. Too bad they didn't last long and were rushed toward a quick ending, in which several new elements were added to the story to be played out in the second book. So no satisfactory ending here.

When it comes down to the basics, my biggest issue with this book are the characters, individually and as a group. There's a weird naivety to them that I found at odds with their experience and hardened criminal exteriors, and I never really got past that. There was always something about them that kept me from getting into the story

It's very likely I will read the next book, but I'm gonna take a long break and come back to this series once all my residual annoyances clear.

Originally posted at https://covers2covers.wordpress.com/2...

[Mogsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/02/27/b...

Have I mentioned how much I love a good heist? I definitely would have jumped on this book a lot sooner had known the treat I was in for. But there’s also a lot more to California Bones aside from being the ultimate fantasy crime caper novel. Author Greg Van Eekhout also wraps it all up in a cool package featuring some amazing magic, setting his story up in a savage dystopian world.

The magic system is based on osteomancy, the drawing of energy and power from the bones of humans, animals, and even mythical creatures. Fossilized remains of extinct animals are the rarest of all, worth vast fortunes on the black market. But the users of bone magic – called osteomancers – who can get their hands on them are capable of the most powerful spells. A chunk of sabertooth can grant great speed and agility; a bit of sint holo, the ability to turn invisible; some essence of firebird can allow the user to breathe flames; and so on.

The most straightforward way to extract magic from a piece bone is to consume it – literally. Our protagonist Daniel Blackland was only six when he ate his first bone fragment, a piece of kraken spine fed to him by his osteomancer father. Little did young Daniel know, Sebastian Blackland was already preparing his son for survival against his enemies. After the elder Blackland was murdered by the brutal Hierarch of the Kingdom of Southern California, Daniel is forced to go into hiding, eking out a living with petty thievery…until he and his friends are offered the job of a lifetime. The score? Caches of untold osteomantic treasures in the Heirarch’s heavily guarded storehouse, including a magical sword that holds immense personal significance for Daniel.

So yes, California Bones has everything I want in a heist novel: a diverse crew with each member equipped with specific, specialized talents? Check. High stakes? Check. Innovative solutions to get around alarm systems, physical barriers and other security measures? Check. And last but most importantly, lots of plot twists to set up an explosive final act. Double check. This book was plenty of fun to boot, with great characters and great dialogue infused with plenty of humor. But that’s also counterbalanced with some pretty dark, nasty stuff. I mean, we have cannibalism and examples of human beings butchering other human beings to ingest the magic in their flesh and bones. An interesting idea, but also icky and horrible.

Van Eekhout also makes his novel special by setting it in a version of Los Angeles where we have canals and waterways instead of streets, and everyone gets around in boats and barges. The world of this alternate southern California is revealed gradually, letting the mystique of it filter through to us little by little. For example, the Hierarch’s allies include historical figures like Walt Disney, but instead of being the creator of cartoons beloved by children everywhere, this world’s Disney is an evil bastard whose corruption knows no bounds. The fossil record is also replete with all manner of legendary creatures, as varied and fantastical as any medieval bestiary. From phoenixes to venomous seps, you never know what you’ll be exposed to next.

That said, there are a few things that didn’t fully work for me. I mentioned earlier that I like heist stories, mainly because I enjoy reading about the entire process of theft, from planning to execution. There’s a lot of problem solving involved for the characters, learning the layout of the location to be robbed, figuring out the best way past seemingly insurmountable defenses, etc. Hence in a way, the richness of the magic system in this book is both a positive and a negative. What happens when there are a countless number of creature bones that can endow an osteomancer with a countless number of abilities? Well, that means no barrier is impossible. Granted, there are a lot of neat problems that the thieves in the novel have to overcome, and plenty of awesome ideas. But still, I knew that anything the author could throw at our characters, there’s bound to be some sort of magical solution. It takes a lot of the challenge and excitement out of the heist, as a result.

The second half of the novel also doesn’t read as smoothly as the first half. This might be due to the shift in story focus, because the plot does progress from the heist to something much bigger by the end. The climax and conclusion felt a bit rushed, and I can’t really put my finger on why, but the characters didn’t feel as natural or fleshed out either. All told, however, I want to stress that these are rather minor quibbles in the greater scheme of things.

In the end, I thought California Bones was a great book and I’m glad I finally got around to reading it. This is a fun, inventive and very clever series that holds lots of potential, and by all accounts the second book is already living up to expectations. I’m definitely going to make the effort soon to tackle the sequel Pacific Fire so I’ll be all caught up, because I hear there is already a book three (Dragon Coast) on the horizon.

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Executive Summary: Fun, quick read. Interesting magic system, so-so characters/plot.

Full Review
This book author wasn't on my radar at all until it was made the pick for Sword & Laser. I wasn't blown away by the blurb, so I decided to borrow from the library instead of buying it.

It was a VERY fast read, not only is it 300 pages, the word density per page is pretty low. It made me feel like a speed reader. It's not just the length though. The plot moves along at a pretty good pace.

It took me a while to warm up to Daniel Blackhand and his crew. They were all fine, but as far as heist crews, they were far less memorable than those from Gentleman Bastards or Six of Crows.

I am a sucker for a fantasy heist story though. This was fun enough, and sets up some interesting things for future books, but just not as good as some of the aforementioned series.

The magic system is one of the most interesting/unique/disgusting ones I've come across. Eating things to gain magic isn't a new idea, but bones? Yeah, no thanks. I'll stay a Muggle.

Overall this was enjoyable enough that I'll pick up the next book in the series to see where it goes next, but I won't be rushing out to read it right away.

[Carly · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's something about a heist. Maybe it's that peculiar combination of recklessness and calculation, that absolute guarantee of unforeseen circumstances and impressive feats of resourcefulness to combat them, that fast-paced and adrenaline-pumping game of strategy and deception. Whatever the cause, heists have a bone-deep magic all their own.

For Daniel Blackland, it all started with a kraken spine. He was a young child when he received his first taste of osteomancy, fed a scalding combination of kraken essence and magic by his sorcerer father. In the chaos of the Third Purge, Daniel lost his home and family, but he didn't lose his taste for magic. Ever since, Daniel has made a living on the streets of Los Angeles as a trickster and thief, content with anonymity, his only ambition to leave the city that consumed his father's bones. But despite Daniel's carefully nurtured inconspicuousness, when an opportunity comes up to rob the Hieromancer's secred ostemantic storehouse, the chance is too tempting to resist. Together with his offbeat group of friends, Daniel begins to plan one of the most audacious heists in LA's checkered history. Unfortunately for Daniel, his anonymity is coming to an end. Gabriel Argent, agent of the Hierarch, may not be known for his ambition, but he is not lacking in intelligence. When Gabriel discovers a small incongruity in a standard sweep for magic, he puts together the clues that lead to Daniel's identity. But Gabriel jumps to a conclusion that makes stopping Daniel imperative: that Daniel is after a far greater score than mere treasure: the Hierarch himself.

California Bones transports the reader to an alternate reality whose occasional similarities to our own only heighten the alien nature of this fractured, stultified land. In general, I don't tend to favour alternate history-- it usually seems to be a somewhat lazy way of minimizing the need for worldbuilding while still allowing for alternate history-- so my acceptance of the book's world speaks to its breadth of creativity and imagination. Close to a century ago, the Hierarch proclaimed himself ruler of the kingdom of Southern California. Northern California and the United States expressed violent dissatisfaction, but the Hierarch emerged victorious, and Yankee bones were embedded in the walls as decorations in the Hierarch's underground labyrinths. The Hierarch's internal rule was no less brutal: purge after purge of osteomancers followed his ascension, including the death of Daniel's father during the third purge, the Night of Long Knives. Now, Los Angeles stirs with undercurrents of discontent, but is stifled and paralyzed by the threat of the Hierarch's osteomancy.

In this Los Angeles, gondola buses struggle along the canals of Ventura and Santa Monica, for in this city of angels, all of the city's transportation network was built in the image of Venice. In this version of the La Brea tarpits, the unearthed skeletons take on additional significance:

The La Brea Tar Pits was a place where the skin of the world broke open to reveal the magic underneath, and the life-sized plaster mammoth sculptures emphasized a very important message: Do not fuck with tar."

While outwardly as crowded and chaotic as our own LA, these streets are patrolled by the Hierarch's garm dogs and human hounds who are constantly on alert for the barest sniff of unauthorized magic. Criminals risk the wrath of the LAPD and LA's Strategic Magic Assault Command squad (SMAC). Street hawkers sell dubious concoctions that they proclaim to be grade-A powdered hydra or firedrake tooth, while purposeful wraiths go about their masters' business with single-minded devotion. The city's charm, too, is a little more brutally artificial: Disney's paradise and Hollywood's charms are built upon addictive osteomantic drugs. Yet the core of LA remains the same, a steely glitter that can only partially conceal the ugly struggle for notoriety and power and fame that lies submerged underneath the glamour.

The novel is short and fast-paced, yet rich in detail. The writing is deceptively simple and spare, leavened with a wry wit and an occasional heart-wrenching poignancy. The writing is so visceral that I nearly dry-heaved at some of the scenes, and so visual that the city streets and canals come to life. Most of the humour is built upon absurd situations and light dialogue, but also through repetition and understatement; for example:

"The jar was coated in finely ground firedrake scales, the only substance known to withstand seps venom, but even so equipped, there were a lot of ways he could screw this up. Spill the venom and it would eat through the jar, the worktable, the floor, the foundation, the fabled dragon heart at the center of the earth, and probably shoot up in an acid geyser on a quiet residential street in China. So, you know, thought Daniel, don't spill the acid."

Osteomancy is a brutal, voracious art: to gain the powers of an ancient and powerful creature, an osteomancer must ingest the animal's bones and absorb its essence. Consuming kraken spine grants the osteomancer power over storms and the crushing darkness of the ocean deeps. Cerberus wolf gives the sorcerer fast reflexes and inhumanly acute senses. Essence of sint holo gives the osteomancer the power to confuse those around him so that he becomes invisible. I loved the way in which osteomancy is portrayed as a non-renewable resource pilfered from the earth and jealously guarded, so intrinsic to everyday life that without it, the city would grind to a stop. Osteomancers are the ultimate in rapacious consumers. The lure of bone is as relentless as the struggle for power, and failure can be costly: the most expedient way of gaining magic is by devouring another osteomancer, body and bones.

Both Daniel and Gabriel struggle against this consumer-driven world in their own ways. Both have gone to great lengths to remain as ordinary and inconspicuous as they can, but their origins inevitably drag them back into the cut-throat world of politics and osteomancy. For Daniel, the struggle is even more difficult, because to succeed, he must also take advantage of his friends, another, subtler form of cannibalism:

"Daniel was still a thief, which meant he took things and used things he had no rightful claim to, because that was how he and his friends survived."

California Bones is a brief and hectic adventure; a glimpse of a richly-detailed world of grey morality, mean streets, and brutal magic. Even through the imaginatively altered world that osteomancy engenders, it captures the atmosphere of L.A. noir, a James M Cain-like caper with cannibalistic sorcerers. Yet it also manages to touch lightly upon deeper themes: the dangers and lures of power, the complexity of dependence upon non-renewable resources, the use and misuse of friends.
I can't wait for the sequel.

**NOTE: Quotations are taken from an uncorrected digital galley and are therefore provisional. Quotes will be corrected when the book is released.**

~~I received this ebook through NetGalley from the publisher, Macmillan Tor-Forge, in exchange for my honest review.~~

Excerpted from my review on BookLikes

[Molly Mortensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warning: People eat people to gain powers.

My Summary:

Daniel’s father was a powerful osteomancer, someone who can gain magical abilities from eating bones. During one of the Hierarch’s cullings (Bad guy’s excuse to kill people) he’s killed by powerful magicians and then the Hierarch himself ‘gains his powers’. (Yeah it’s exactly how you think.)

Years later Daniel’s become a thief and his ‘uncle’ (a mobster type business man who essentially raised him since he was twelve) wants him to break into the Hierarch’s Ossuary (vault) and steal some fangs that are worth a fortune. He can also get back his father’s sword, which is magically tied to him.

My Review:

This is one of those books that I was overwhelmed when I finished and had to let my mind stew for a day before I could write my review.

The Good:

The magical system is so unique! Mythical creatures used to roam the world; griffins, hydras, fire drakes, and more. Now oseomancer’s can obtain their powers by consuming these fossils. The magic is scientifically explained so that it actually makes sense. Most osteomancers have to keep eating the bones to keep their powers, but due to his father’s experiments, Daniel doesn’t. (He doesn’t suffer from special protagonist syndrome either.)

The other great part about this novel was the world building! Set in an alternate California, the southern portion is ruled by the Hierarchy. Though most of the economy revolves around osteomancy, they also have technology; electricity, television, and firearms. Instead of roads they have canals, and use boats for transportation. (Like Venice)

We don’t learn much about the world outside of California, and I’m also uncertain when this book takes place. Because most of the dates mentioned have to do with the Heirarch and he’s has lived for decades. (But I didn’t mind not knowing!)

The Heirarch’s one of those villains where we don’t know anything about him other than he’s creepy, evil, and powerful. (My favorite villains are the ones I feel like I’ve gotten to know, but I don’t think the author was going for sympathetic here.)

The main characters are Daniel’s old friends and fellow thieves. Cassandra (Daniel’s ex) is an expert thief and sharp shooter. She’s probably the most valuable person in the group, and the only one without magic. The other members of the heist team are Jo a shapeshifter, Moth the muscle and due to an accident he has magical healing, and Emma the inside woman who we’re not sure we can trust. I liked how Daniel’s crew had his back and trusted him no matter what.

The other narrator is Gabriel, the Hierarch’s great nephew who’s a paper pusher in the government. I wasn’t sure if I liked him, but I enjoyed his chapters with his hound Max. Max is really a man, but he was turned into a hound (not literally) by being fed magic to increase his sense of smell and now he’s treated like an animal by the government.

All of the characters were good, but I wanted to learn more about them and their histories. (You know me, I have so many questions) There also wasn’t any romance, even though Daniel still has feelings for Cassandra. I wish they bantered more, but I guess there wasn’t time.

This is a quick paced novel and though the plot was solid, it was in my opinion the weakest part of the book, especially in the end. I’m not saying there was anything wrong with it, it was just my least favorite part. (When I finished this book, I knew I really liked it but there was something bothering me. After two days of thinking this is all I’ve been able to come up with.)

The Bad:

My main complaint was that the book was so short, (Only 300 pages!) and there was so much more that could have been added. There were so many good characters I wanted more of, more of the world, and just generally more. Don’t get me wrong the author was able to write an amazing book. (It’s not a standalone but it could be) This easily could’ve been a thousand page book and I wouldn’t have complained.

Point of View: Third (Daniel & Gabriel)

Predictability: 3 out of 5 (Where 1 is George RR Martin (If the characters make a plan or think about the future I know it isn’t going to go that way.) And 5 is Cinder (where I guessed what was going to happen long before it did, but it was still a great book.)

[Elena]

Read for the 2018 MacHalo Reading Challenge (aka MMFBCE™): Mystery & Mischief.

"Excuse me," the Hierarch said in a sandpaper voice. "I'll have him fresh."

For a while California Bones threatened to be just another heist book. You know the story: a gang of thieves gets back together for one last grand theft. What's worse, Daniel Blackland himself looked suspiciously like a Gary Stu: beloved leader, brilliant thief, powerful magician in-hiding with a scarred, tragic past, everybody wants a piece of him for one reason or another. His friends and partners in crime seemed to be mere props for the heist and kept around to provide some comic relief. *yawn* In short: I wasn't thrilled by the book and the (very) good quality of the writing alone wouldn't have been enough to keep me engaged.

But the beautiful first chapter, where Daniel reminisces about a day spent at Santa Monica beach with his father when he was a kid, hinted to a world both familiar and eerily different from our own and demanded some room to maneuver for Greg Van Eekhout. I'm so glad I gave him time to build a good story because the payoff was definitely worth the (flashback aside) wobbly, I've-seen-it-all-already start.

The real pleasure of this book lies in its worldbuilding - and it's difficult to talk about it without spoiling the work the author does with it, disclosing one titbit at a time about a world that has much to say about the one we're living in but it's different in all the ways that a fantasy reader could wish for. I'll just say that in Van Eekhout's world magic is real (duh) and it's a finite resource - a finite resource that, guess what, has been exploited to its almost complete exhaustion (the morons!). The powers that be are nothing more than scavengers constantly on the hunt for crumbs and scraps of magic, kings of a wasteland that forces them to cannibalize themselves (heh) to stay afloat.

In the end, Daniel and the gang proved to be more than action figures and Van Eekhout takes some chances with his hero, leading him where you wouldn't have expected him to go, but I think it's with Gabriel and Max that the author's skills truly shine: this odd pair of frenemies on the hunt for Daniel manages to be both endearing and unsettling and the effect is pretty disorienting.

30% in I was considering dumping California Bones into DNF oblivion despite the undeniable good quality of the writing and that stunning first chapter - it all felt a bit predictable and I wasn't feeling much for these characters: then Greg Van Eekhout managed to surprise me at every turn. Keep this book in mind if you're searching for a good, unique urban fantasy: it'll be worth your time.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Avid Reviews: www.avidfantasyreviews.wordpress.com


It is not often that you run across a story that is completely unique, but California Bones definitely can be described as such. It is a genre-bending novel that is somewhere between urban fantasy, alternate history, and dystopian science fiction. It takes place in Southern California (where I lived throughout my college years- though now I am back in Northern Cali) and it was fascinating to read about the places I know so well. Van Eekhout somehow managed to make the setting feel both familiar and utterly changed. Even with elements of magic and an altered history, he still wrote a story that contained the essence of my home state.
California Bones is the story of Daniel Blackland, a young man with a forged identity and a penchant for thievery. His father Sebastian Blackland first introduced Daniel to magic when he was only six years old. He fed Daniel a piece of Kraken spine that gave him the power of a storm. In the California that Daniel knows, magical creatures (from firedrakes to griffins) are real creatures, even though most have now gone extinct. By ingesting the bones of such creatures, one can gain a piece of their magic, and Los Angeles’ La Brea Tar pits are a perfect cache of these magic bestowing bones.
Southern California has become a Kingdom of its own, and unfortunately its ruler, the Hierarch, has become Daniel’s worst enemy. At the age of twelve Daniel watched the Hierarch murder his father and steal his significant magical powers for himself, along with a magic sword his father had been creating that contained some of Daniel’s own essence. Ten years later, long after he has been presumed dead by the Hierarch, Daniel discovers that the Hierarch is planning on retrieving the sword from an underground vault with the intention of wielding it. Now Daniel must assemble his team of thieves and break in to the Hierarch’s impenetrable vault before the sword is used, for whoever wields the sword is wielding Daniel himself.
The unique magic system really captures the reader’s attention from the very beginning of this novel. From there Van Eekhout continues to draw the reader into the story with a fast-paced plot and a cast of incredibly interesting characters. Daniel is not the most complex character I have ever come across, but he is an interesting character nonetheless, and as he is torn between his need to find his father’s sword, vengeance for the Hierarch, and loyalty for his friends, he becomes a protagonist that it is exceptionally easy to route for.
The novel is also told from a second point of view; that of one of the Hierarch’s distant relatives named Gabriel. Gabriel holds a position of power in the Kingdom of Southern California, and it is not long until he inadvertently finds himself of the trail of Daniel and his crew. In many ways Gabriel is just as sympathetic a character as Daniel, and even though they seem to be working towards opposite ends, Daniel and Gabriel have a shocking amount in common. As the story progresses I found myself enjoying Gabriel’s storyline immensely, and the glimpse his character gives into the working of the Hierarch’s Kingdom really demonstrates the immensity of what Daniel and his friends are up against. The details of the world the author has created in this novel are both horrifying and fascinating, and the vivid imagery that is used is sometimes grotesque and other times vibrant. There are scenes from this book that will stay with well you after you have finished reading; it is one of those novels that are simply difficult to stop thinking about.
This novel’s action movie pacing combined with its aura of mystery serve to yield a book that is the equivalent of a summer blockbuster. If you find yourself looking for the perfect novel to bring on vacation this summer, I would definitely recommend California Bones. It is an easy book to devour, and even though it is fun to read, there are parts of it that are pure horror. I guarantee it is a novel that is not quite like anything else you have ever read.
Overall I would rate this book an 8/10, and I really hope this book ends up garnering the attention it deserves.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in return for an honest review.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Van Eekhout is an author who I wanted to check out long ago and never did. This novel made me regret it. It’s a character driven heist, with an outstanding supernatural cast of characters.

You are what you eat…

I wonder if this was a statement that Van Eekhout thought about when he created his magic system. It’s a very unique take on magic where the mages consume the bones of animals and people to gain power. Mostly the consume fossils of extinct/mythological creatures. Animals like mastodons and dragons that grant the mage strength or control of fire. Van Eekhout makes sure to avoid the cliché types of creatures in most fantasies though. And I found myself searching bestiaries and Wikipedia for some of the creatures whose remains they gorge on.

The world is similar to where we live, but has been divided up between the strongest of the magic users. The novel takes place in L.A. where a man known as the Hierarch has seized control of all of Southern California. Our main protagonist Daniel Blackland is a son of a mage who was killed in one of the Hierarch’s pogroms to prevent powerful mages from gaining too much power.

Daniel’s father started him out consuming various fossils soon after Daniel found his first kraken spine. Daniel always wanted to please his dad and looked up to him the way most boys do their fathers, but there’s this drive in Sebastian (Daniel’s dad) that keeps a wedge between them. As Daniel gets older he does everything he can not to become the man his father tried to make him out to be.

Not once at the beginning of this novel did I want to put it down. This first third was basically a story we have seen before, but Eekhout gives Sebastian a sense of urgency that drives the narrative and makes you watch what happens next, even though you know what’s coming.

There’s a scene where the cannibalistic Hierarch is standing with a fork in hand ready to consume another mage, and it is sickingly beautiful. It haunts both Daniel and the reader throughout the novel.
The rest of the story is pretty much a non-stop thrill ride with Daniel recruiting friends to go on a heist to retrieve some items from the Hierarch. Eekhout keeps the tension up and takes Daniel through the ringer, increasing the stakes with every scene.

My only gripes are that I wish the Hierarch took a more active role earlier in the novel, and the reveal about friendships for Daniel at the end. There’s a stance that Eekhout takes on what Sebastian did to Daniel in making him a mage that changes his love life and some friendships. Small qualms, no big deal.

Three reasons to check this one out:

1.The uniqueness of the magic system, the world Eekhout created (L.A. is like Venice, with canals and gondola cabs) and the power the characters wield

2. The characterization. Even the secondary characters are flushed out and interesting. My favorite is Daniel’s right hand man Moth

3.It’s cinematic. Eekhout’s prose isn’t amazing, but he paints a vivid picture. The Hierarch eating another mage, Moth walking into a hail of bullets as he’s double crossed by a gang, or Daniel breathing fire in a battle. There is some movie quality description and action being made in this book. Check it out if you like UF and want something a little different or want to combine your love of heists with your love for the supernatural.

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The start of this book is like a grisly car crash you can sense is coming but cannot look away from and I was sucked straight in. In the opening scene we meet a Daniel Blackland who is being fed a piece of Krakken bone fragment by his father. He is an Osteomancer meaning he draws magic from bone and flesh. It is his first taste of magic and the start of his journey to become a living and breathing weapon. Six years later his father is brutally killed and EATEN by the big bad Hierarch and Daniel must flee from everything he knows or risk being the second course as powers can come from not only eating old bones of creatures today we define as mythical but eating the bones of fellow Osteomancers.

“Ten years later, he would still hear the sound of the Hierarch’s teeth grinding his father’s cartilage”.

We next see Daniel, probably in his late teens, running a crew of thieves in down town LA and the fun really starts, as it becomes a story about a heist. We have a really great cast of core characters that you cannot help but root for, even if they do play into the archetypes a bit. It feels a little like the start of a video game as each member has his or her specific traits and skills and different ways of completing the job. Moth is the muscle and has incredible strength and regenerative powers, Jo is a shape shifter who can morph into anyone and Cass can break into or unlock anything. Together they work for Otis, Daniel’s crime boss Uncle, and it is he who sets them on a mission to recover a sword crafted by Daniel’s father.

A rare and wonderful combination of all the things I knew I enjoyed in a story and some I did not, California Bones is a fantastic book and one I would highly recommend. I’d not read much Urban fantasy before this and having it set where I live gave the whole thing an extra dimension similar to what Londoners may have felt when heading down to the platform of the tube station during the Harry Potter madness. I’ve found myself looking at old things in a new away and see darkness and possibilities where before there was previously only a dirty canal and it is because Eekhout has managed to give his vision of California a soul of it’s own.

You can even see what the characters in the book physically look like thanks to Greg and TOR if you follow this link.

http://www.tor.com/blogs/2015/01/here...

I found this article really helpful and it helped the characters feel familiar and relatable.

California Bones gets 4.5 stars from me and at 300 pages it was a relatively quick and easy read and delivered far more than I expected. It will leave with dirt underneath your fingernails, a drop of sweat running down the side of your face and the occasional feeling that whatever’s stuck in your teeth could maybe impart some magical powers upon you. I will be jumping into the sequel Pacific Fire very soon thanks to Greg, Netgalley and, once again, those wonderful people at TOR.

For this review and more check out my site yo!

http://charliehopkins.wix.com/areadin...

[Ctgt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book popped up on a friends(Hi Carol) update list a week or so ago and she was very enthusiastic about her experience with the book so I added it to my tbr list. I was perusing the new release section of the library and what do you know, this was sitting there waiting for me.

I blew through this in a couple of days and am really excited about the world building possibilities. The setup is familiar, the son of a powerful man...king, wizard, warrior-insert your own favorite here-has to learn how to go his own way. He and his band of thief friends get the band back together for an epic heist.

A couple of things made this story stand out, first was the setting itself. Alternate world Los Angeles where instead of streets there are canals and for whatever reason I just loved this. This becomes a major part of the story later in the book but for now let's not give anything away, shall we?

Even more interesting to me was the magic system that is created.

Osteomancy.

"The Kraken was a creature of storms," Sebastian said. "It's been a part of me for a long time, ever since I consumed my first one, when I wasn't much older than you. And now it's yours.That's the osteomancer's craft , to draw magic from bones. To capture it and store it, to use the creatures' power, guided by human intelligence. One day you'll be able to use the kraken's power as you will. Understand?"

Come on, the kraken! Who doesn't love that? What does Sheldon say, the only sea creature I would even consider being eaten by is the Kraken, because the last words I would hear are “Release the Kraken.”

Think of the different combinations. Then throw in this alternate world where The Ministry has excavated mammoth, mastodon, wyrvern, hippogriff, saber-toothed sphinx and three-headed wolf bones to tap their powers. The author comes up with some very cool ideas but has really just scratched the surface of what could be.

The writing is pretty straight forward with very little flourish which made the book move at a really consistent pace. I will say that the end seemed just a bit anti-climactic after the build up but there is a fairly neat wrap up of the main storyline while leaving a thread open for the next book, I think it' supposed to be a trilogy. A fun, quick read that leaves me excited for the potential of this series.

[Nicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been meaning to read this for a while, and then got out of the mood for it when I had started it. This time, I read it almost straight through! It’s basically a fantasy heist novel set against a really intriguing background of magic, politics and alternate history. The magic is really interesting, and mostly it’s introduced organically: it’s pretty much explained in the opening chapters, but that makes sense because Daniel is being taught osteomancy by his father. The rest, we need to pick up as we go along — there’s no major explanation of regeneration, shapeshifting, non-osteomantic skills, the way hounds track osteomancers…

While I liked the background, I didn’t get that involved with the characters. There was potential there, and if they appear in the other books, maybe I’ll be more invested. Also, there were a couple of things which were too well telegraphed. Buuut, I think this was a first book, so I’m inclined to be forgiving — especially because I found it pretty well paced.

There’s a recurring image of horror from the early chapters of the book which is really done well, too. Daniel witnesses the death of his father, and sees the Hierarch (an antagonist here, though a bit difficult to properly get a grip on because he appears in person at the start and end only) actually eating his father. And he remembers that image, the sound of the Hierarch chewing. Very vivid, really works.

Originally posted here.

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent story. I'll probably pick up the next two eventually. Definitely a unique magic system... #yum.

[Melissa McShane · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not the book's fault that it feels like B-grade Tim Powers; that's all on Tim Powers for being both a master of the contemporary fantasy genre as well as intricately woven into the Californian landscape. Van Eekhout does a wonderful job creating a clever magical world and overlaying it on southern California, which in his history seceded (as did Northern California) from the United States and is now a kingdom ruled by an ancient and tyrannical wizard called the Hierarch. It's gritty and dark, people get eaten, and those in power stay that way through ruthlessness and treachery. It's also a pretty good heist novel, with plenty of plot twists, and I definitely enjoyed it. But, as I said, it feels like Tim Powers on a slightly off day, because Van Eekhout misses a few tricks and I wasn't a fan of the ending. It was good enough, though, that I'm interested in the rest of the series.

[Sunil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine that all the mythical creatures—dragons, krakens, basilisks, and so on—were real, but now extinct, leaving only their bones. Now imagine that consuming their bones bestowed upon you their magical abilities.

Welcome to California Bones.

Greg Van Eekhout has constructed a fantastic alternate universe Los Angeles, where osteomancers can breathe fire, turn invisible, breathe underwater, and even fly, but he's gone much further than that: the existence of osteomancy has changed the development of the world significantly, and this Los Angeles, though it may bear a passing resemblance to our own, is not. For starters, it's part of the kingdom of Southern California, and it's essentially a dystopia, ruled by a despotic osteomancer known only as the Hierarch. While Van Eekhout doesn't delve too deeply into the worldwide ramifications of osteomancy, he fashions a Los Angeles that's both terrifying and tantalizing to visit. I loved all the little details of how the magic was used, both by osteomancers and on non-osteomancers. The writing is full of vivid imagery of people and places. And I especially loved the inclusion of a couple important figures in Southern California's history.

The book centers on a heist. Daniel Blackland, son of a powerful osteomancer, is hired to break into the Ossuary of the Hierarch, who, incidentally, was responsible for destroying his family, so it's very personal. Meanwhile, the Hierarch's grandnephew, Gabriel Argent, has also had his family destroyed by the Hierarch (the Hierarch destroys a lot of families: he's an asshole), but he works for him, and he's on Daniel's tail. (The fact that their names are so similar is confusing, as I often thought I was reading about Daniel when I was reading about Gabriel and Daniel would not be doing or saying these things.) Seeing both sides is fun, and although Gabriel doesn't get nearly as much screentime as Daniel, there were times when, to my surprise, I found his sections more engaging and was sad when we switched back to Daniel.

Daniel assembles a crew with magical abilities like regeneration and shape-shifting and non-magical abilities like lock-picking, safe-cracking, sharpshooting...Cassandra has a lot of skills, okay. I found myself drawn to Daniel's friends more than Daniel himself, despite the fact that he's the most powerful magic guy of the bunch, and he's the one with the most personal stakes. Van Eekhout really conveys the sense that these are longtime friends and partners who have been on jobs many times; the camaraderie comes through, and that's what made me want to know even more about Cassandra, Jo, and Moth. (We are also repeatedly told that Daniel loves his friends and his friends love him, which is awkward because we can already see it in their interactions, but there is a reason, albeit one that's not explored a great deal.)

For the most part, the story follows the standard heist template, with some twists, of course, some of which work better than others. The actual heist, though harrowing and exciting in parts, lacked a certain energy for me that I couldn't quite put my finger on: this was the Main Event and it didn't completely feel like it. Obviously, it was never going to go entirely smoothly, and Van Eekhout takes the story in directions I was not expecting, a direction that crystallizes Daniel's character arc as one of determining who he really is, this boy with the power, the power that his dad gave him.

With a richly detailed world, a fascinating new magic system, and skilled, likable (and diverse) characters, California Bones is a noir-tinged crime story of power struggles, found families, and a fucking awesome magic system.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

California Bones is a gritty, slightly canabalistic urban fantasy, but trust me, it’s quite a good read. I know, how can something be “slightly canabalistic“? Either there are canabals or there are not. Well, there are. But, it’s osteomancers that eat other osteomancers once they run out of their special magic bones to chomp down on. (Osteomancers are the magic users). But not all osteomancers go to that extreme. There is definitely one rather creepy scene that sets the tone for this, and leaves a lasting impression on both the reader and Daniel. But what reader doesn’t like lasting impressions? Especially when they are creepy!

As you may have gathered, the magic in this book is attained by consuming bones, and not just any bones, but the bones of mythical creatures. Fun things like basilisk teeth, kraken spines and griffin claws. Our protagonist Daniel had a very powerful father, who fed Daniel fed bones regularly since he was just six years old. Somewhere along the way, he became so saturated with magic that it changed him. He no longer needs to consume bones, but can draw power from within himself.

Being powerful sounds great, right? Well…It also comes with quite a downside. The more powerful someone is, the more power another osteomancer can attain from their bones. That makes powerful osteomancers a target. Being from a powerful family, Daniel has suffered because of this. His family was massacred, but thankfully with some foresight and some very loving parents, Daniel was spared and sent to live in hiding. Current day, Daniel is grown and still living in hiding. He has forged some amazing friends and is surviving by living the good old life of a conman (seriously, who doesn’t enjoy some con jobs in their books?)

The story revolves around a huge heist that Daniel and his friends were hired for. It also gets the attention of Gabriel, an agent that has stumbled on to some information that leads him on a hunt for Daniel (who is supposedly dead). I really enjoyed the dynamics between Daniel and his friends, so I always liked his sections. I was also intrigued by Gabriel, and curious to see what his plans were for working his case. Heists are always good reading, and getting the perspective of someone on the other side of the law is great as it lends more urgency to the story.

Overall, I found this to be an exciting and fun read. The characters were interesting, there were definitely a few twists I did not see coming, which is always wonderful. Definitely recommend.

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was provided an advance copy by Tor.

I was very excited going into this book. The ideas seemed fresh. Right out the gate I was enjoying the world that was built - a familiar yet greatly fantastic version of Los Angeles. Alternate history California where Walt Disney still lives as a wizard. I was really enjoying it. Then the plot reared its head and opportunities were lost. An incredibly common plotline sits as the backbone of this potentially great story. A thief tricked into pulling heists for more manipulative powerful men. No surprises despite the unique world and rules created earlier in the book.

I found myself longing for Lies of Locke Lamora or another in the series. That's how you handle camaraderie; humor; weight in a story. This book felt so decompressed... Everything was glossed over; if a detail was ever given, it was obvious foreshadowing that it will be used as a twist later since details in general was so sparse. I was persistently told that Daniel's group of friends would do anything for him, but I never would have come to that conclusion on my own if it werent brow beaten into me. I was never really given a true reason to believe it. I understand that the humor was attempted to be leveraged as a display of that friendship and love, but it felt so weak and standard, nothing special. I never laughed, even though I knew I was meant to. It felt very b-movie action flick in the dialog, and I suppose the plot as well.

There was so much potential to expand this world into something more if it werent so decompressed. Let the world breathe, less formula to the story, utilize more subtlety in your info leading to twists. Show, don't just tell; help me believe it on my own.

I'm not sure i could continue reading on in the series that is to come. I think there are other equally unique ideas better leveraged out there on the way that I'd rather read.

3/5... The 3 was won over by the great ideas holding this world up. A 2 for the weak, cliched plot and dialog.

[Ellis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a bit of all right. Apparently I'm into magic now, as long as it involves detective constables or, here, criminal undergrounds and heists to steal magic swords, with all of the intricate planning that goes into such endeavors. While I've done away with my Editing Woe Meter for the most part since I started freelancing since I know now that editors - yes, even me - aren't as infallible as I'd like them to be, there are some egregious things here that stuck in my craw a little. For example, on page 105: "'Seps venom is the only thing I know that burns through firedrake'" but then on page 119: "The jar was coated in finely ground firedrake scales, the only substance known to withstand seps venom" and I get that perhaps I'm meant to think that maybe grinding said scales could change their properties enough etc., but I really would have clarified that with the author & maybe asked him to change the wording to make it less contradictory before letting the book out of my hands. So I guess what I'm saying is that I'm not trying to diss Greg Van Eekhout, I liked his book, and if he would like me to proofread the next one, I am totally available.

[Kristin (MyBookishWays Reviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://www.mybookishways.com/2014/06/...

The California in California Bones is not like the one we know. It’s not part of the United States, and it’s ruled by a shadowy figure called the Hierarch and his powerful Council of Six. Los Angeles is in the Kingdom of Southern California, and is full of canals, a la Venice, and it’s rumored that a place called The Ossuary is located below ground, full of the Hierarch’s personal magic stash: basilisk teeth, griffin claws, the works. The magic in Greg van Eekhout’s California comes from bones (osteomancy); specifically, the bones of fantastical creatures, and of course, bones from very powerful mages, including Daniel Blackland’s father. When Daniel was only twelve, he watched in horror as the Hierarch carved the flesh from his father Sebastien’s bones and feasted on said bones. He can still remember the sound of his chewing. Daniel eventually ended up in the care of his uncle Otis, a ruthless crime boss, and was to be a thief. Daniel desperately wants to get out from under his thumb, and vows that he won’t do any more work for him, until he approaches him with an offer he can’t refuse. Otis claims to know where the fabled Ossuary is, and wants Daniel to infiltrate it. It’s not just any old magic that Otis wants, either. He wants a sword that Daniel’s father made, stolen by the Hierarch when Sebastien was killed, and infused with Daniel’s own essence. For Daniel, this isn’t just a chance to make a fortune and set off on his own for good, but it’s a chance to get his very essence out of the hands of the Hierarch. He’s going to need help to do it though, and that’s where Daniel’s very unusual friends come in.


While Daniel and his crew are planning their way in to the Ossuary, another plan is in motion. An agent for the Hierarch, Gabriel Argent, is onto Daniel. He may not know where Daniel is, or what he’s planning, but he knows who he is, thanks to a bit of magic that Daniel used in the marketplace, and the nose of one of the many human hounds that the Six keeps for their use. But the thing is, Daniel is supposed to be dead, killed with his mother shortly after the murder of Daniel’s father. Finding Daniel is Gabriel’s mission, and with the help of the human hound Max, he’s sure he can do it. But why does he want to find Daniel? Is it for his magic, or to further the Hierarch’s plan? Or is it for another, more personal, reason?

Just when I thought urban fantasy was getting a little…stale, Greg van Eekhout comes along with this fantastic book. Who can resist a novel set against a magic infused Los Angeles that’s much like our own, but with such delicious and unique twists, where real figures from a golden era still reign, and the La Brea Tar Pits still bubble? Daniel is the focus of the book and his sense of humor is a stark contrast to the very dark dealings of the Hierarch, his minions, and others. However, it’s also a dazzling group effort. Daniel’s friends are a highlight: Moth, the easy-going giant of a man that can survive just about anything; Cassandra, a deft thief who has history with Daniel, and Jo, a shapeshifter who can take on any shape at will. They’re aided in the heist by Emma, an Ossuary insider who Daniel is not sure can be trusted, but is their best hope of getting inside. But, ultimately, it’s Daniel alone that will be the catalyst in a magical war, and his heart, and of course, his legacy, will be greatly tested.

This is a Los Angeles that I didn’t want to leave, with clever homages to real-life legends such as Disney and Mulholland, and it’s as much a love letter to L.A. as it is an absorbing blend of urban fantasy and heist caper. Equal parts terrifying and delightful, California Bones shouldn’t be missed, and I can’t wait for the next book!

[Dev · Rating 3 out of 5]

actual rating: 3.5

Definitely a lot of really interesting world-building ideas going on here. This story takes place in a future version of California that has seceded from the United States and also in a world where people can eat the bones of various creatures in order to gain certain powers or perform certain kinds of magic. Despite being a very quick read I did find my attention wandering at certain points, but the characters were pretty interesting and the heist aspect of the plot was fun as well. The next book seems to focus on a different character introduced towards the end of this one. I will definitely be checking it out since I want to learn more about this world!

[edit: 3/18/20 After waiting about 6 months between the first and second books and trying a few chapters of the second I have decided not to finish this series. The concept is really great but overall the writing is kind of dry and the characters are just not well developed enough for me to want to read it right now. Also I'm pretty sure the only reason I liked the first one so much was the heist element and the second one seems to be more about a political coupe which I'm not so into.]

[Soo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Notes:

Yay for libraries!

Good narration + cool world + magic heist group = a fun adventure!

There's a light tone to the story despite the darker themes. Lots of people may poo-poo the whiny aspects of YA, but this book set a good example for an engaging YA novel. I look forward to reading the next two books!

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must admit that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. TOR was kind enough to send a copy for me to review and it did not disappoint. As per my understanding this is Van Eekhout's first attempt at writing a novel for adult readers and he did one hell of a job. The magic scheme was well thought out, granted I wish there was a bit more explanation and development, but super unique none the less. I could have gone for a bit more world building as well but I don't think this book was written in the idea that it would be an epic or trilogy, in which would require such a build. I put it along the same writing style as Daniel Wilson, very concise and action packed. Very to the point and a high energy read!

[Brownbetty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like if Scott Lynch wrote Ocean's 11.

But also: you know when someone is like "You know, when you think about it, teeth are really creepy"?

This is that, for the following: paleontology, Disney, california's water system, and in fact, California.

Despite that, it's not a very dark book? Considering all the cannibalism?

[Jasper · Rating 4 out of 5]

originally posted at: http://thebookplank.blogspot.com/2014...

Did you already read the first sentence of the synopsis? If you, as a fantasy reader like me, don't want to pick up this book I don't know whats wrong with you. How cool is the promise of California Bones with the synopsis alone? Eating bones fragments to give you magical powers, that sounds pretty awesome! Added to this comes the idea of the heist theme in the story which only further makes California Bones a cracking read. California Bones is written by Greg van Eekhout who is well know for his children book The Boy at the End of the World and his adult book Norse Code.

The story of California Bones picks up when Daniel Blackland was still a young boy. Daniel and his father, Sebastian, take a short stroll and by chance stumble upon a bone fragment, it isn't a plain rodent bone fragment, it's part of a kraken spine one of the most powerful bones for an osteomancer. From the moment that Daniel consumed this bone, he felt different, more alive, more stronger and his father did everything to make him into one of the most powerful osteomancers around. Just after the introduction of how Daniel came to be the Daniel in California Bones, you get a scene where the idyllic picture of Daniel´s that he had family is being torn apart right in front of his eyes. The Hierarch of Southern California dines (yes) on his father. All that Daniel can do is to run away, leaving the sword of his father behind. After this scene you are again fast forwarded to the current situation where you find Daniel living as a thief on the street of Los Angeles. Daniel has been doing pretty well for himself but never had the big, big chance to really proof himself. As fate would have had it he is presented with just such an opportunity, but it is also a reality check to his past. Daniel get the job to steal from the Hierarch the sword of his father... or should I say, retrieve what was his in the first place? Another question also remains, how on Earth do you break into one of the best protected warehouses of one of the most dangerous men alive? In order to succeed, Daniel calls in the help of his friend who have, just like Daniel, more than a few tricks up their sleeve (they aren't quite normal as well).

Besides following Daniel and his crew in California Bones there is a second storyline where you follow Gabriel Argent an agent of the Hierarch of Southern California. Gabriel get involved in the story because specific evidence comes to surface that shows that Daniel isn't dead... Daniel and his mother staged their deaths after Sebastian got killed. Gabriel is now on the hunt for Daniel, aided by a special tracking dog called Max. There are many motives that drive Gabriel to hunt for Daniel, some put upon him from up high but there are also personal motive for Gabriel. Introducing this second narration to the story of California Bones gave a nice change of scenery and added a lot of extra flavor.

In during the story both storylines have a nice interplay, taking place both "individually" but also with some chance encounters gearing up the tension nicely. In the end of the story several things do become more clear about Garbriel's stakes and the higher motive of Daniel.

The characters of the book are really something. Next to Daniel and Gabriel there are plenty other characters that you get introduced to. But first let me begin with Daniel. Daniel is an osteomancer, meaning he is able to draw magic from bones, I will go into more detail on osteomancer later. Daniel isn't only able to use magic, he is magic. His father made well sure of that fact, constantly giving him distilled extracts of bones and recycling bits and pieces. It is clearly notable that Daniel's past has made what his character is today. What happened with his father made sure for Daniel to disappear in the background and keep an low a profile as possible. He is a smart and resourceful kid that knows how to get the job done when required, Daniel makes up for a strong leader who can keep his patience for when the job requires thinking through but is also able to act in the spur of the moment, giving his decisions an electrifying twist! So now if you thought Daniel was special wait till you meet his crew: Moth, he is the brawn and the muscle, he is virtually indestructible superfast healing. Emma, the inside man, or actually women, she knows everything that goes on that is required. Cassandra, a locksmith, not lock how advance it may be will keep your treasures safe for her and last but not least Jo, the shape shifter or illusionist able to deceive just about anything and everyone. The crew of Daniel is very well developed, in their team meetings you clearly see that Greg van Eekhout had it planned to tell a lot about their pasts and how they acted in the past. Just this extra elaboration about them, helped to establish them as great secondary characters.

As for the bad guy of the book, the Hierarch of Souther California, I have to admit that Greg van Eekhout nailed his character and personality on the spot. Since the story does have an emphasis on the Hierarch, from the earlier introduction you know that this guys is dangerous and means business but it's only after the halfway mark of the book that you really get to have more emphasis on his character. However I did have the constant thought that he could appear at any moment again, he is all powerful and dangerous. Later in the book you do get to see what the Hierarch is all about, there are some great revealings paired with it in the end. Which I won't spoil, but that are now also important for Daniel... Greg van Eekhout produces this lurking sense around the Hierarch that readily leaves you clued to the pages to find out just what his dealings are. A big plus.

Now for one of the coolest things of the book, MAGIC. For those who have read some of my previous reviews might know that I am a sucker for magic. What Greg van Eekhout introduces in his story of California Bones, osteomancy is just awesome. If you aren't drawn by the synopsis with the bone eating part I don't know what will cause you to start reading fantasy. Brandon Sanderson introduced us to allomancy in his mistborn books, and osteomancy is quite similar to that. When Daniel ingests bones he get special powers, he "becomes" the source. These sources of magic vary, when he was young he was given a piece of kraken spine, other sources of the bones are those of griffins, wyvrens, cerebrus wolves, holo stints and many more, actually every bone holds a specific power. Even that of your fellow osteomancers. And when they are stronger than you, it is inviting to try to get hold of them... yes it is quite gruesome as to how you get these powers. I found this magic system directly to my liking and even though Daniel might come over as very powerful magic user there are some built in limitations that put some restraints on using the magic.

In the wake of all the fantasy books that are coming out, California Bones offers a refreshing view. Greg van Eekhout blends "the perfect heist story" with magic and not just swinging a wand no, using the ancient power that is hidden within ones or anothers bones. Osteomancy. Though the osteomancy is mentioned a lot in this review ( it is still pretty awesome), Greg van Eekhout doesn't let this take over his story of California Bones, he uses it as an essential part of the story but deftly builds his story around it keeping the emphasis on the characters and the world itself. The characters of the book and mainly Daniel and Gabriel take to the forefront, their personalities had several layers and though they were both on some field familiar on other they were quite the opposite. In order to show them both in the best of possible lights Greg van Eekhout involves besides the determined character trait also enough of an emotional undercurrent which will help you to relate to them even more. Next to the characters Daniel and Gabriel, the secondary cast, Daniel's Crew and Hierarch are also very well developed which only help to add much more flavor to the story. California Bones is the first in a series and Greg van Eekhout is already off to a great start. The sequel to California Bones, Pacific Fire, is set to be released in January 2015, mark it on your list! It's unleash the kraken from here on out!

[Amrita Goswami]

The ideas were interesting, but since I'm not a fan of horror I couldn't help feeling uncomfortably uneasy (probably as intended) throughout. Although an explanation was provided at the end, I thought characterization was a little light, especially for the side characters. The world reminded me a little of Jujutsu Kaisen, with some elements from Psycho Pass.

[Stephen Richter · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a bit of promise there in the first book, but a character rubbed me the wrong way, which took a little of the enjoyment out of it. Plus "December Distraction" had a tight hold on me this year which may have made me miss some of the finer points.

[Fangs for the Fantasy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like his father before him, Daniel Blackland is an Osteomancer (someone who attains magic by ingesting bones) At the age of 6, Daniel's father fed him his first set of bones hoping to make his son strong. It is a strength Daniel will need in days to come if he is stay alive. Daniel remembers all to well the sound of the Hierarch eating his father. Until now, Daniel has focused on staying alive but now that he and his crew are tasked by his crime boss Uncle to break into the area where the Hierarch keeps his collection of magical bones, and a sword fashioned from Daniel himself, it's going to take every ounce of magic to Daniel has to survive.

In many ways California Bones could be described as a dark fantasy. Some scenes are gritty and horrifying like when Daniel's father becomes a meal for the Hierarch. What Daniel remembers most is the sound of the Hierarch chewing. That one detail gets repeated several times in the novel and it never gets less creepy.

Van Eekhout does a great job setting up the Blackland universe and the rules of magic are clear and easy to understand. I love the idea of magic evolving from the bones of animals - sometimes even mystical animals because it invokes powerful imagery. Every time Daniel invokes his Kraken magic, I found myself picturing the mystical beast and what powers it might have.

That said, one of the major problems with this book is that part of it really feels dialed in. For instance, Daniel gets tricked into pulling a job for his criminal boss uncle. How many times have we seen the "good guy" forced to work for a bad one to get the end result he needs or to save someone close to him? From the beginning, there's never a doubt that the uncle will betray Daniel and lead to an escalation of the problem. It means there's no twist to figure out; it's all so very obvious.

I also found that Van Eekhout really needs to show and not tell in his work. In California Bones, we are told repeatedly how tight Daniel's team is and how they would do anything for their fearless leader. Each of them can benefit if the job goes well but apparently, the reason they all say yes is because Daniel asked them. A tight knit group breaking into a government vault makes sense and I don't need to be hit over the head with how close they are. In fact, what Van Eekhout should have done is given us examples of them displaying their closeness to each other, caring for each other. Van Eekhout barely pulled back from this by creating woo woo reasons for the teams loyalty to Daniel but it didn't make up for the constant reminders about how close the team is without an evidence to back it up.


Which leads me to yet another significant problem - characterisation. I don't feel as though I got to know any of the characters in the book and thus, I couldn't really invest in them. They all seemed empty and were largely defined by what magical powers or skill set they have attained. The only one to step outside of that narrow parameter is Moth, who plays the role of the enforcer. Unfortunately, the only characterisation Moth get is his size. In practically every scene that Moth is in, Van Eekhout includes some reference to how large he is.

Though his role is really small the next character which really stood out to me is Wilson Bryant.


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