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Thread of Bones
Death of a loved one leaves Asvoria Falk as the only living Shadewarden.
After her mother's murder, Asvoria Falk, or Vor to her friends, inherits the crown along with the power to wield darkness and raise the dead. But the magic truly belongs to someone the Shadow, an ancient, formless being that now shares Vor’s mind and body.
With her mother’s killer still on the loose, the new queen must learn to work with the Shadow and harness her abilities to track down the assassin. Easier said than done with Trygg, the infuriating dragon prince of Ældin, taking up residence in her castle.
Tensions are high with the dragon guards after they failed to protect Vor's mother, and Trygg is as dangerous as he is charming. Vor soon finds control of her magic weakens whenever the prince is around. A failing that could bring doom to them all.
Her home becomes a battleground of clan politics, dangerous attractions, and attacks from demons that threaten to topple the queendom. With the assassin looming ever closer, Vor will have to trust the dragons—and herself—to keep her people safe.
Don't miss this captivating Fantasy Romance by debut author Katie Cingel. With its court intrigue, believable characters, and richly developed world-building, it's sure to delight romantasy and epic fantasy readers everywhere!
Filled with action, adventure, heart-stopping romance, and just the right amount of spice, THREAD OF BONES is perfect for fans of S arah J. Maas, Jennifer Armentrout, and Rebecca Yarros!
After her mother's murder, Asvoria Falk, or Vor to her friends, inherits the crown along with the power to wield darkness and raise the dead. But the magic truly belongs to someone the Shadow, an ancient, formless being that now shares Vor’s mind and body.
With her mother’s killer still on the loose, the new queen must learn to work with the Shadow and harness her abilities to track down the assassin. Easier said than done with Trygg, the infuriating dragon prince of Ældin, taking up residence in her castle.
Tensions are high with the dragon guards after they failed to protect Vor's mother, and Trygg is as dangerous as he is charming. Vor soon finds control of her magic weakens whenever the prince is around. A failing that could bring doom to them all.
Her home becomes a battleground of clan politics, dangerous attractions, and attacks from demons that threaten to topple the queendom. With the assassin looming ever closer, Vor will have to trust the dragons—and herself—to keep her people safe.
Don't miss this captivating Fantasy Romance by debut author Katie Cingel. With its court intrigue, believable characters, and richly developed world-building, it's sure to delight romantasy and epic fantasy readers everywhere!
Filled with action, adventure, heart-stopping romance, and just the right amount of spice, THREAD OF BONES is perfect for fans of S arah J. Maas, Jennifer Armentrout, and Rebecca Yarros!
- GenresRomantasy
442 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 30, 2025
52 people are currently reading
6911 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
July 13, 2025
So glad I picked up an ARC of this because omg, this is definitely being added to my list of favourite books!
Plot is *solid*, with enough action and great pacing, but plenty of set up for sequels (one hopes!) as well. Several twists and things I did not see coming, which is so refreshing after several formulaic-feeling books recently.
Characters are great, I love Vor, she's smart and fierce, but also faltering and makes poor decisions at times. Overall very relatable and easy to root for. I was giving the main MC, Trygg, side-eye throughout the whole novel, but was still intrigued about him, a fine line to walk which the author does well. Second MC, Corbyn, is a legend and I adore him.
The setting and context was fresh, and it was nice to learn a bit about the customs and events of the world. Hopefully will see a bit more, geographically, in the next book.
SPAG was clean throughout.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this, and will be looking out for more works by this author!
Plot is *solid*, with enough action and great pacing, but plenty of set up for sequels (one hopes!) as well. Several twists and things I did not see coming, which is so refreshing after several formulaic-feeling books recently.
Characters are great, I love Vor, she's smart and fierce, but also faltering and makes poor decisions at times. Overall very relatable and easy to root for. I was giving the main MC, Trygg, side-eye throughout the whole novel, but was still intrigued about him, a fine line to walk which the author does well. Second MC, Corbyn, is a legend and I adore him.
The setting and context was fresh, and it was nice to learn a bit about the customs and events of the world. Hopefully will see a bit more, geographically, in the next book.
SPAG was clean throughout.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this, and will be looking out for more works by this author!
July 14, 2025
I’m so thankful I was able to get an ARC of this book. The cliffhanger ending ahhhh, I’m already so ready for the next book!! It has the perfect set up for a series, I need to know what happens next.
I really enjoyed the world building. It was descriptive, and thorough but not all thrown at you at once. You get a sense of their cultures and their history. However it comes in bits and pieces, and not all questions get answered, which makes you want to know more.
As for the storyline plots, you definitely get foreshadowing, but it isn’t blatant or obvious. There’s enough suspicion that keeps you questioning who you can or can’t trust. To me it really showed how the author put a lot of thought into the story as a whole and that the little details mattered.
I found the FMC to be a great balance of a young, independent, inexperienced but interesting ruler. She makes mistakes, she’s doing her best, she cares for her people but she also knows she’s out of her depths at times. The two MMC, Trygg and Corbyn both have their intrigues. You can sense the way the plot will go but you kinda have to love them both! I grew really fond of the relationships the main characters and side characters have as well, and cannot wait to be introduced to more characters in the next book. Katie if you see this, please go ahead and sign me up for the ARC for book 2 🙏🏼
Tropes:
- dragons, magic creatures, shadow magic
- Soft “enemies” to lovers
- Slow burn , with a will they won’t they
- Betrayal
- court politics
🌶️ only really one scene at the end
I really enjoyed the world building. It was descriptive, and thorough but not all thrown at you at once. You get a sense of their cultures and their history. However it comes in bits and pieces, and not all questions get answered, which makes you want to know more.
As for the storyline plots, you definitely get foreshadowing, but it isn’t blatant or obvious. There’s enough suspicion that keeps you questioning who you can or can’t trust. To me it really showed how the author put a lot of thought into the story as a whole and that the little details mattered.
I found the FMC to be a great balance of a young, independent, inexperienced but interesting ruler. She makes mistakes, she’s doing her best, she cares for her people but she also knows she’s out of her depths at times. The two MMC, Trygg and Corbyn both have their intrigues. You can sense the way the plot will go but you kinda have to love them both! I grew really fond of the relationships the main characters and side characters have as well, and cannot wait to be introduced to more characters in the next book. Katie if you see this, please go ahead and sign me up for the ARC for book 2 🙏🏼
Tropes:
- dragons, magic creatures, shadow magic
- Soft “enemies” to lovers
- Slow burn , with a will they won’t they
- Betrayal
- court politics
🌶️ only really one scene at the end
September 30, 2025
“Dreams are the empty meals of the dark. They leave you wanting and hungry in the light of day.”
A kingdom to rule.
A power that must be kept secret.
A heart, you can not trust.
We all an inner monologue, but what if yours actually talked back ?
Asvoria must ascend the throne after her mother's untimely death. She is far too young and too unprepared to handle the ruling of a kingdom. She is angry. Angry at the loss. Angry at this "shadow" within her. Angry at her mother's Talon. He was to protect her mother, and in her eyes, he had failed miserably.
A ruler is assigned two talons. Dragon shifters are sent to protect the heir and to keep the peace between the kingdoms.
Talons are the little red tape of bureaucracy that Asvoria must navigate, and with only one talon remaining, another is sent to be at her side.
Asvoria is learning to rule her kingdom, and her heart she is learning that trust is a fickle beast...
and do you trust the beast at your side or the one within ?
I honestly felt that there was going to be a twist, but I was not prepared to be knocked on my butt.
I very much enjoyed this world and felt somewhat viking adjacent. What's not to love about dragon shifters? The flow of the story had great pace, but those last few chapters hit you like a freight train. I am really good at guessing the characters' motive and the overall plot, but this had me surprised.
I will definitely be running for book 2 !
A kingdom to rule.
A power that must be kept secret.
A heart, you can not trust.
We all an inner monologue, but what if yours actually talked back ?
Asvoria must ascend the throne after her mother's untimely death. She is far too young and too unprepared to handle the ruling of a kingdom. She is angry. Angry at the loss. Angry at this "shadow" within her. Angry at her mother's Talon. He was to protect her mother, and in her eyes, he had failed miserably.
A ruler is assigned two talons. Dragon shifters are sent to protect the heir and to keep the peace between the kingdoms.
Talons are the little red tape of bureaucracy that Asvoria must navigate, and with only one talon remaining, another is sent to be at her side.
Asvoria is learning to rule her kingdom, and her heart she is learning that trust is a fickle beast...
and do you trust the beast at your side or the one within ?
I honestly felt that there was going to be a twist, but I was not prepared to be knocked on my butt.
I very much enjoyed this world and felt somewhat viking adjacent. What's not to love about dragon shifters? The flow of the story had great pace, but those last few chapters hit you like a freight train. I am really good at guessing the characters' motive and the overall plot, but this had me surprised.
I will definitely be running for book 2 !
October 2, 2025
Asvoria Falk may be the newly crowned queen but nothing could have prepared for how that came to be. As she struggles with her new position and all it entails, she tries to search for her mother’s killer all the while attempting to balance the arrival of Trygg, the dragon prince of Ældin, who is set on becoming one of her new Talons.
Thread of Bones is the first title in The Shadewarden Saga and it feels like coming home to the types of fantasies I grew up reading. While I have read many different types of fantasy lately, there’s something that feels very familiar especially since it has just one first person pov, Vor’s story is easy to devour and absorb while being highly engaging. The characters feel very well balanced and develop in a way that makes sense - Vor is not a damsel in distress even though she strives to find a balance between her newfound position and her newfound powers. The two Talons are also balanced between their powers and abilities but also in their duty to protect her while also trying to gauge what their new charge is like. The ending for the first book is satisfying and it sets up for book 2 perfectly. I’m genuinely excited to see where the story goes because there is so much potential in this one.
Thank you so much to Katie Cingel for the gifted ARC, I can’t wait to read book 2! All opinions are my own.
Thread of Bones is the first title in The Shadewarden Saga and it feels like coming home to the types of fantasies I grew up reading. While I have read many different types of fantasy lately, there’s something that feels very familiar especially since it has just one first person pov, Vor’s story is easy to devour and absorb while being highly engaging. The characters feel very well balanced and develop in a way that makes sense - Vor is not a damsel in distress even though she strives to find a balance between her newfound position and her newfound powers. The two Talons are also balanced between their powers and abilities but also in their duty to protect her while also trying to gauge what their new charge is like. The ending for the first book is satisfying and it sets up for book 2 perfectly. I’m genuinely excited to see where the story goes because there is so much potential in this one.
Thank you so much to Katie Cingel for the gifted ARC, I can’t wait to read book 2! All opinions are my own.
September 26, 2025
I really enjoyed this ARC of Thread of Bones. So much so, I struggled to want to put it down. Kind of gave me some light GOT vibes with the dragons (but make it shifters) and a ruling Queen, and her magic (in relation to the white walkers/wights). I thought this was well written for a debut novel. It starts off a bit slower paced, but I enjoyed learning about the Queendom/hierarchy and relationship dynamics to start and things pick up with more action as you move through the plot. The FMC and two MMC dynamics are interesting, but I wish there was more page time/relationship building with them.
4/5 ⭐️ for me. Secrets, betrayal and some twists and turns along the way. A young queen forced into her power before she is ready. Torn between the revenge for her mother and balancing the reign of her kingdom, a treaty and a rocky sense of peace. Some modern language kind of threw me from the world building at times but this book is definitely worth a read.
I’m definitely intrigued with the dragon shifter kingdom and look forward to learning more about their power/dynamics in the next book!
4/5 ⭐️ for me. Secrets, betrayal and some twists and turns along the way. A young queen forced into her power before she is ready. Torn between the revenge for her mother and balancing the reign of her kingdom, a treaty and a rocky sense of peace. Some modern language kind of threw me from the world building at times but this book is definitely worth a read.
I’m definitely intrigued with the dragon shifter kingdom and look forward to learning more about their power/dynamics in the next book!
September 28, 2025
I can already feel a book hangover coming on... This book got me in a CHOKEHOLD! And the fact this is Katie's debut?! 🤯
From the first few lines, I was pulled in. Within two chapters, I was loving it. But also, cautiously, because you know how sometimes the magic is lost later.
Not with this book! The prose is easy to follow, and the storyline and pacing move along beautifully. There's enough detail to understand the world, enough action to keep you hooked, so I could easily stay invested and read for chunks at a time.
Plus, I loved our characters! Vor is a spitfire, so my irritable Aries self relates to her temper and harsh words. 😅 Lenn is just the BEST! It's easy to love him. And Corbyn and Trygg are both fascinating and protective...
And yet...who can you trust? 😏 Ugh, those last five chapters... I was frustrated and nervous and angry and I fell in love with those three men all over again.
So glad I took a chance on this ARC, and I cannot wait for the next one!! Thank you so much, Katie, for the chance to ARC read for you!
⚠ Cursing, including F, LGBT mention (off-page)
🌶 One open-door scene, lots of yearning
From the first few lines, I was pulled in. Within two chapters, I was loving it. But also, cautiously, because you know how sometimes the magic is lost later.
Not with this book! The prose is easy to follow, and the storyline and pacing move along beautifully. There's enough detail to understand the world, enough action to keep you hooked, so I could easily stay invested and read for chunks at a time.
Plus, I loved our characters! Vor is a spitfire, so my irritable Aries self relates to her temper and harsh words. 😅 Lenn is just the BEST! It's easy to love him. And Corbyn and Trygg are both fascinating and protective...
And yet...who can you trust? 😏 Ugh, those last five chapters... I was frustrated and nervous and angry and I fell in love with those three men all over again.
So glad I took a chance on this ARC, and I cannot wait for the next one!! Thank you so much, Katie, for the chance to ARC read for you!
⚠ Cursing, including F, LGBT mention (off-page)
🌶 One open-door scene, lots of yearning
September 30, 2025
I started this book yesterday and wow. I enjoyed every second of this book. I love how we weren’t just thrown into their world. That we were slowly taught their culture in their history. I also enjoyed that there’s still a lot of mystery left that we have to learn.
It started off with the murder of her mother, the queen. And then it just continues to spiral. There is tons of foreshadowing, but it’s not in your face obvious. There is so much suspicion and once you think you can trust this person also, I know you can’t. You can tell how much detail and time the author put into writing into this. It wasn’t an overwhelming amount of information.
As for the FMC I found her amazing. Yeah she’s young. She’s inexperienced. She’s making mistakes. But she knows that she is. And she is trying. And she’s apologizing for stuff that she’s doing wrong.
And asked for the two yes I said two MMC , dang is all I can say really
I really truly enjoyed this. I really want to read the next book. So feel free to sign me up for every book in this series. I really need to know what’s happening next.
It started off with the murder of her mother, the queen. And then it just continues to spiral. There is tons of foreshadowing, but it’s not in your face obvious. There is so much suspicion and once you think you can trust this person also, I know you can’t. You can tell how much detail and time the author put into writing into this. It wasn’t an overwhelming amount of information.
As for the FMC I found her amazing. Yeah she’s young. She’s inexperienced. She’s making mistakes. But she knows that she is. And she is trying. And she’s apologizing for stuff that she’s doing wrong.
And asked for the two yes I said two MMC , dang is all I can say really
I really truly enjoyed this. I really want to read the next book. So feel free to sign me up for every book in this series. I really need to know what’s happening next.
August 23, 2025
oh man did i EAT. THIS. UP. it’s got dragons, it’s got unique magic systems, it’s got politics, it’s got an fmc i absolutely ADORE. seriously i could not ask for more from this.
as i was reading this as an advanced reader copy, i seriously could not put this down. i read it almost entirely in one sitting. our main characters are dynamic and well-rounded, our fmc is multi-dimensional. she’s both young and impulse while also being brave and powerful. even all of the side characters were so interesting to me. and i absolutely gobbled up the world building. it was done so well. every single time i started thinking “i would really like some more context” - BOOM. lore drop!
this is definitely a politics/fantasy forward book. the romance was there for sure but definitely not the main focus for most of the story. i think it made the romance that much more believable.
i’m eagerly awaiting book 2.
as i was reading this as an advanced reader copy, i seriously could not put this down. i read it almost entirely in one sitting. our main characters are dynamic and well-rounded, our fmc is multi-dimensional. she’s both young and impulse while also being brave and powerful. even all of the side characters were so interesting to me. and i absolutely gobbled up the world building. it was done so well. every single time i started thinking “i would really like some more context” - BOOM. lore drop!
this is definitely a politics/fantasy forward book. the romance was there for sure but definitely not the main focus for most of the story. i think it made the romance that much more believable.
i’m eagerly awaiting book 2.
September 30, 2025
DNF’ed at about 45%
This was not the book for me, although I fully understand if others do love the characters, the worlds and the story.
For me, the main character was a little too self-obsessed and continuously feeling sorry for herself. For someone raised to be queen of quite a big country, she possessed very little regal countenance. And de rigueur of court were apparently something she could keep to or ignore as she wished.
There were plenty of little bits I did love, like the shifters and the powers everyone wielded. The priestess in the woods with her little cottage in an extra-dimensional plane.
Giving it three stars, because this book started at a loss for being written in first person POV. Which – for me personally – is always a fine balance to be kept between the internal world of a character and action.
This was not the book for me, although I fully understand if others do love the characters, the worlds and the story.
For me, the main character was a little too self-obsessed and continuously feeling sorry for herself. For someone raised to be queen of quite a big country, she possessed very little regal countenance. And de rigueur of court were apparently something she could keep to or ignore as she wished.
There were plenty of little bits I did love, like the shifters and the powers everyone wielded. The priestess in the woods with her little cottage in an extra-dimensional plane.
Giving it three stars, because this book started at a loss for being written in first person POV. Which – for me personally – is always a fine balance to be kept between the internal world of a character and action.
August 17, 2025
A FMC that I can really barrack for! Vor is determined to find her mother’s killer while balancing her role as the new Queen. Not knowing who to trust and delving into past secrets opened up a world of intrigue and suspicion.
I was really lucky to pick up an ARC of this book - for an honest review - because wow I immersed myself into it and didn’t want it to end especially the second half of the book where so much happened. I’m soo impatient waiting for Book 2!
The dragon and magical elements were really well incorporated into the story. The witty banter and tension was well written and I’m so curious to know what happens with the betrayals, secrets and past mistakes surfacing. The world building was really well put together and I’m invested!
I was really lucky to pick up an ARC of this book - for an honest review - because wow I immersed myself into it and didn’t want it to end especially the second half of the book where so much happened. I’m soo impatient waiting for Book 2!
The dragon and magical elements were really well incorporated into the story. The witty banter and tension was well written and I’m so curious to know what happens with the betrayals, secrets and past mistakes surfacing. The world building was really well put together and I’m invested!
September 23, 2025
Dragons, forbidden love, secrets, betrayal, the list goes on!
I rate this 3.5, rounding up to 4 stars, as the overall story and plot was well written. The MFC is strong, fierce, loyal, and only wants what is best for her kingdom. There is potential for a love triangle (maybe?) but also a deep desire to just be loved.
The main reason I rated this book how I did is that for me, it didn't really pick up until 60%, with the beginning 40% just moving a bit too slow for my liking. At times I felt there were too many twists at one time, making it a bit harder to figure out what was going on; however, this story is original, with a unique magic system and enough suspense and unknown to want to keep going!
I rate this 3.5, rounding up to 4 stars, as the overall story and plot was well written. The MFC is strong, fierce, loyal, and only wants what is best for her kingdom. There is potential for a love triangle (maybe?) but also a deep desire to just be loved.
The main reason I rated this book how I did is that for me, it didn't really pick up until 60%, with the beginning 40% just moving a bit too slow for my liking. At times I felt there were too many twists at one time, making it a bit harder to figure out what was going on; however, this story is original, with a unique magic system and enough suspense and unknown to want to keep going!
July 25, 2025
Such a great storyline with amazing characters.
I love how you can see their growth through the story.
The death of a loved one leaves Asvoria Falk as the only living Shadewarden.
Vor (to her friends) becomes queen when her mother is killed. Her magic belongs to a Shadow, the ancient formless being that haunts her mind.
Enter Trygg, who decides to move in.
But when Vor is near Trygg her magic seems to weaken.
All their safety depends on the dragons.
I received an advance review copy at no cost and am leaving this review voluntarily.
🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️
I love how you can see their growth through the story.
The death of a loved one leaves Asvoria Falk as the only living Shadewarden.
Vor (to her friends) becomes queen when her mother is killed. Her magic belongs to a Shadow, the ancient formless being that haunts her mind.
Enter Trygg, who decides to move in.
But when Vor is near Trygg her magic seems to weaken.
All their safety depends on the dragons.
I received an advance review copy at no cost and am leaving this review voluntarily.
🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️
October 8, 2025
Such an incredible debut novel.
What a way to start a series with a bang!! The world building is amazing and draws you in so quickly.
There is magic, and shifters and voices in your head! What more can a girl need??
Cannot wait for the next book in this series!
What a way to start a series with a bang!! The world building is amazing and draws you in so quickly.
There is magic, and shifters and voices in your head! What more can a girl need??
Cannot wait for the next book in this series!
October 12, 2025
ARC REVIEW
I was quite surprised with this book, it was not exactly what I was thinking it would be and a quite nice change from my usual fantasy reads !
It's talks about a lot of subjects that are not always simple but that work really well in the theme of the story !
I really enjoyed it
I was quite surprised with this book, it was not exactly what I was thinking it would be and a quite nice change from my usual fantasy reads !
It's talks about a lot of subjects that are not always simple but that work really well in the theme of the story !
I really enjoyed it
August 18, 2025
I DEVOURED this arc!! The characters made me want to know more constantly. The story pulled me in and wouldn’t let go! I will absolutely be looking for more from Katie Cingel
August 19, 2025
The review will be here soon. This is just my place holder. 😊
September 19, 2025
Oh I ate this up. The last 100 pages??? Hello?!!!! So many twists and so much action! A perfect balance between plot and romance.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews