Waves Take Your Bones

by Athena Giles

Tallis and Finn, simple farmers, find their quiet village overrun by shriekers, a horde of undead revenants. After a devastating attack and heartbreaking losses, they must flee the only land they’ve known for the capital of the kingdom of Okaesa. Along the way, Tallis and Finn are separated from the other refugees, with their only escape across the Nightmare Bridge, a thing of horrific legends, which leaves them both scarred from the experience.

In the capital, there is still no safety, for Tallis and Finn are drafted into the navy aboard separate ships, under dueling commanders. Amid struggling with the loss of their home they might find themselves crossing blades with those dearest to them who have fallen to the mysterious undead disease. The capital, an island fortress seems to be the last refuge of the kingdom, until Tallis discovers the undead have learned to sail…

Check out Athena Giles debut book, Waves Take Your Bones!

Fantasy / Epic Fantasy / Ace / Gay / Pirates / Zombies / LGBT

Adult and New Adult

Genres: Fantasy

282 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 5, 2025

Reviews

[Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun story with a surprising amount of depth that is essentially a zombie story, except it's secondary-world fantasy, and as a result it's got a different take on it that is surprising. I'm not generally a fan of zombie stories but this story got to me. Perhaps because it focuses on human relationships over the monster threat, and therefore the book feels so much more human, while at the same time also feeling much more epic.
Having said that, I feel like the book could've focused more on the relationship between Tallis and Finn. Every time those two were together, the book became so much better. They have such an interesting relationship; in any other book they'd be love interests, but they're not, and the book is all the better for it. They're not siblings either, which is a good thing; the closest thing they are is best friends, but even that doesn't feel right. I would've loved it if the book spent so much more time on them being together, which is why it was a bit of a bummer they spent so much time apart. I had fun and it's a fun romp, and I'm eagerly awaiting where Giles can take this story and world.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This swashbuckling tale has so much packed into it - friendship, tragedy, sacrifice, visions, adventure at sea, a zombie horde, an impenetrable fortress of an island, a ship of myth and legend, and a mysterious past that keeps you wondering. It feels very relatable that there are characters who aren't so sure of themselves, but new friendships blossom despite the dire circumstances they find themselves in. The encouragement the characters get those around them helps them survive, and maybe even open their hearts again (although, to be clear, this is not a romance). This is a great read for adults or young adults who love a fantasy adventure with a fast moving plot. The narrative bounced back and forth between the 2 two main characters which kept it interesting (without causing any confusion - not always an easy feat). I loved that this world seemed a bit less sexist than ours (I swooned over the female Captain Eiran), and the story included at least one non-binary character.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed getting to read this book, it had that element that I wanted and enjoyed in the overall feel of the world. It uses the fantasy elements to introduce the characters and their world. I thought it worked well as a opening chapter in the Children of Sea and Sky series and thought the zombie element was a great addition. Athena Giles writes a strong storyline and was glad I got to read this and look forward to more.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[William Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zombies and high seas adventure! What's not to like!
This book has a great mix of fantasy adventure, solid characters, and some really tense situations. It manages to hit the zombie tropes while still keeping to a secondary-world epic fantasy feel. Plus is has some great reputation with an ace-coded protagonist, as well as gay and trans characters.