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Bones
Bones was born with the miraculous power to heal, but all her gift has brought is death.
As a child, her older brother trained her to survive, and so survive she did. The blood on her hands will never wash off, she is broken and scarred in more ways than one, but she survived.
After finally escaping the ruthless raiders who imprisoned her for twelve long years, Bones is haunted by her past and desperate for atonement. Freedom is short-lived, however, as the rumors of her abilities catch up to her. Dragged to the northwest mountain stronghold known as the Vault, Bones finds herself involuntarily drawn to the tight-knit crew who captured her, and the feelings she begins to develop for Trey, the heart of the crew, scare her more than all the horrors of her past.
Bones struggles to maintain her distance, navigate her trauma, and deal with the new horrifying ways her healing powers are used to root out a budding revolution. As her defenses slowly break down, everything she believes about herself and the world is challenged, forcing her to confront the what are you surviving for?
Contains mature themes.
As a child, her older brother trained her to survive, and so survive she did. The blood on her hands will never wash off, she is broken and scarred in more ways than one, but she survived.
After finally escaping the ruthless raiders who imprisoned her for twelve long years, Bones is haunted by her past and desperate for atonement. Freedom is short-lived, however, as the rumors of her abilities catch up to her. Dragged to the northwest mountain stronghold known as the Vault, Bones finds herself involuntarily drawn to the tight-knit crew who captured her, and the feelings she begins to develop for Trey, the heart of the crew, scare her more than all the horrors of her past.
Bones struggles to maintain her distance, navigate her trauma, and deal with the new horrifying ways her healing powers are used to root out a budding revolution. As her defenses slowly break down, everything she believes about herself and the world is challenged, forcing her to confront the what are you surviving for?
Contains mature themes.
1 pages, Audio CD
Published November 4, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 188 reviews
October 28, 2025
Edit (01.10.2026) - found out the author supports AI, and the cover is AI. FUCK AI SLOP. Downgraded to 1 star
First, thank you to NetGalley, K.L. Speer and Tantor Media for the audio-arc, in return for an honest review. Review contains spoilers!
Overall - 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3 (DOWNGRADED TO 1 STAR AFTER FINDING OUT AUTHOR USES AND SUPPORTS AI)
Oof, this is a tough one mainly because there was so much promise to the story, and I really loved it, up until I hit around the 80% mark, and a sudden fatigue came over me while listening to this.
This is an adult dystopia where the main character, Bones, is a magical healer. During some raid, a group of unknowns accidentally “free” her, but during it all, Trey, the MMC, gets shot, and Bones just can’t leave him there to die, so she heals him. But that gets her “included” into their group and she gets brought to their settlement.
The set-up is interesting. It’s action packed and mysterious. Who is Bones? Who are the other people? How did she get imprisoned? Why? When? How did she get her powers? And so on. And for the majority of the book, it is interesting enough to follow along, until you hit a point and start thinking a bit about everything. And then it gets tedious.
The world - unfortunately, there was barely any world building for me. Where are we? By context clues, I incur that it’s some version of future USA, but it is never fully stated. There are no marks or any historical book one can reference as to where this story takes place.
Why is it that way? It took until about 70ish% for the two main characters to even ask one another what they think happened. Do they not have curiosity about the world they live in? Do they not wish to know how these settlements came about? They simply accept their reality, but don’t care as to how it came to be, and it is not a utopia where you could understand the reasoning as to why they wouldn’t care.
The new religion and gods of the story. I’m sorry, but with how Christian-centric USA is, I don’t believe for a second a completely new kind of religion would take over, especially with a pantheon of gods (not really explained as to how the religion emerged, took over the world, why these specific gods). The gods are never really named either apart from one, and it is not established as to who these gods govern and why people would worship them. And when we go further than the Vault, it isn’t established if these gods are area specific or an overall thing for the region/country. There is so much that needs to be fleshed out in the world, and I have so many questions. Way too many questions, after reading the full book. If this is meant to be left open for it to be fleshed out further on, this is not how you do world-building. The first book is there to set up the main issues, main history and introduce us as to where we are.
The powers thing - how? When? Why? Why Bones? Literally, she is the only person in the Vault who is powered. It is established there are more powered people, but it is never explained how they came about the powers. Even Bones herself - did she never want to figure out why she has them? Who was the first one who had powers? We don’t ever found out who is this mysterious person Bones is connected to when she is under the influence of narcs (drugs that knock you out). I assume it’s meant to be Vulture, an ex-gang member of the gang she was first adopted into, but Bones never states it, so we’re left to assume, she never figures it out. She also never fully trains her powers. She either just heals people, starts randomly glowing (mostly during sex), or gets pushed to a burnout. There is not a single scene where she fully starts to think as to how to control, manage or deepen her powers. There is a time where Trey says she healed him without a touch and from afar, and Bones doesn’t question such development one bit. The characters lack so much interest about themselves and who they are, it doesn’t fit with the dystopian genre. By the end of it, it felt like it was more just to make Bones “special” and to have reason for the gangs to want her with them, rather than an actual plot point.
Dystopia is meant to examine political systems, it’s meant to make us question and grapple with our world-views, but when the main character (we’re in 1st POV by the way), doesn’t care about anything, it is exhausting to do so in their stead, and makes us not care about the world they live in either.
Speaking of characters - Bones has absolutely no growth. We go through the whole book, through so many traumatic events only for her to remain the exact same as she began. And I think that is my biggest issue with this book. Even when the MMC Trey gets killed, it did nothing, because it didn’t feel like Bones had changed enough for his death to have any impact on her.
Also, gods (pun intended), the amount of times this girl gets knocked out, falls unconscious is alarming, but in a way it made me start to think the author didn’t know how to write scene changes. Yes, it is a violent book, but Bones does nothing and has absolutely no agency. Honestly, Bella Swan is a more active protagonist than Bones is. Everything happens around her and to her, but she does nothing to change her circumstances, apart from maybe two times in the whole book.
I have so much more I want to say, and will probably update the review as I sit with my thoughts, but it is painful to write this. The book ended on a cliffhanger, but I don’t know if I’m interested enough to read the second book.
First, thank you to NetGalley, K.L. Speer and Tantor Media for the audio-arc, in return for an honest review. Review contains spoilers!
Overall - 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3 (DOWNGRADED TO 1 STAR AFTER FINDING OUT AUTHOR USES AND SUPPORTS AI)
Oof, this is a tough one mainly because there was so much promise to the story, and I really loved it, up until I hit around the 80% mark, and a sudden fatigue came over me while listening to this.
This is an adult dystopia where the main character, Bones, is a magical healer. During some raid, a group of unknowns accidentally “free” her, but during it all, Trey, the MMC, gets shot, and Bones just can’t leave him there to die, so she heals him. But that gets her “included” into their group and she gets brought to their settlement.
The set-up is interesting. It’s action packed and mysterious. Who is Bones? Who are the other people? How did she get imprisoned? Why? When? How did she get her powers? And so on. And for the majority of the book, it is interesting enough to follow along, until you hit a point and start thinking a bit about everything. And then it gets tedious.
The world - unfortunately, there was barely any world building for me. Where are we? By context clues, I incur that it’s some version of future USA, but it is never fully stated. There are no marks or any historical book one can reference as to where this story takes place.
Why is it that way? It took until about 70ish% for the two main characters to even ask one another what they think happened. Do they not have curiosity about the world they live in? Do they not wish to know how these settlements came about? They simply accept their reality, but don’t care as to how it came to be, and it is not a utopia where you could understand the reasoning as to why they wouldn’t care.
The new religion and gods of the story. I’m sorry, but with how Christian-centric USA is, I don’t believe for a second a completely new kind of religion would take over, especially with a pantheon of gods (not really explained as to how the religion emerged, took over the world, why these specific gods). The gods are never really named either apart from one, and it is not established as to who these gods govern and why people would worship them. And when we go further than the Vault, it isn’t established if these gods are area specific or an overall thing for the region/country. There is so much that needs to be fleshed out in the world, and I have so many questions. Way too many questions, after reading the full book. If this is meant to be left open for it to be fleshed out further on, this is not how you do world-building. The first book is there to set up the main issues, main history and introduce us as to where we are.
The powers thing - how? When? Why? Why Bones? Literally, she is the only person in the Vault who is powered. It is established there are more powered people, but it is never explained how they came about the powers. Even Bones herself - did she never want to figure out why she has them? Who was the first one who had powers? We don’t ever found out who is this mysterious person Bones is connected to when she is under the influence of narcs (drugs that knock you out). I assume it’s meant to be Vulture, an ex-gang member of the gang she was first adopted into, but Bones never states it, so we’re left to assume, she never figures it out. She also never fully trains her powers. She either just heals people, starts randomly glowing (mostly during sex), or gets pushed to a burnout. There is not a single scene where she fully starts to think as to how to control, manage or deepen her powers. There is a time where Trey says she healed him without a touch and from afar, and Bones doesn’t question such development one bit. The characters lack so much interest about themselves and who they are, it doesn’t fit with the dystopian genre. By the end of it, it felt like it was more just to make Bones “special” and to have reason for the gangs to want her with them, rather than an actual plot point.
Dystopia is meant to examine political systems, it’s meant to make us question and grapple with our world-views, but when the main character (we’re in 1st POV by the way), doesn’t care about anything, it is exhausting to do so in their stead, and makes us not care about the world they live in either.
Speaking of characters - Bones has absolutely no growth. We go through the whole book, through so many traumatic events only for her to remain the exact same as she began. And I think that is my biggest issue with this book. Even when the MMC Trey gets killed, it did nothing, because it didn’t feel like Bones had changed enough for his death to have any impact on her.
Also, gods (pun intended), the amount of times this girl gets knocked out, falls unconscious is alarming, but in a way it made me start to think the author didn’t know how to write scene changes. Yes, it is a violent book, but Bones does nothing and has absolutely no agency. Honestly, Bella Swan is a more active protagonist than Bones is. Everything happens around her and to her, but she does nothing to change her circumstances, apart from maybe two times in the whole book.
I have so much more I want to say, and will probably update the review as I sit with my thoughts, but it is painful to write this. The book ended on a cliffhanger, but I don’t know if I’m interested enough to read the second book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 2, 2026
✔️He falls first
✔️One Horse
✔️One Bed
✔️Forced Proximity
This one was hard to rate. It felt like a prequel setting up for a great story to come. It was giving Assassins Blade without assassins. I found it very slow up to the 70% mark, not much happening besides the FMC being very frustrating. The last 30% was very good. I think book 2 will be much better.
✔️One Horse
✔️One Bed
✔️Forced Proximity
This one was hard to rate. It felt like a prequel setting up for a great story to come. It was giving Assassins Blade without assassins. I found it very slow up to the 70% mark, not much happening besides the FMC being very frustrating. The last 30% was very good. I think book 2 will be much better.
November 3, 2025
I really enjoyed this audiobook! The narrators did an incredible job as their voices fit the characters perfectly and truly made the story come alive. I felt so much pain and emotion for Bones throughout the entire book. The story follows a healer, and while it gives off that gritty biker-gang vibe, it’s something entirely its own. There’s such an amazing found family aspect woven through this story that makes it even more heartfelt. Trey completely stole my heart with his patience and loyalty. I can’t wait to continue this series!
April 30, 2026
Tropes: Dark Dystopian Post Apocalyptic Romantacy, May Cause Emotional Damage, Magic Healing Powers, PTSD & Trauma, Black Cat FMC & Golden Retriever MMC, Slow Burn, Found Family, Grumpy X Sunshine
Quotes: “This won’t break you. You’re a river Bones, you don’t break you bend. If someone tries to control you find a new way around. People might think you’re just water, might think they have you contained, but your strong enough to cut a path through mountain rock and wild enough to was everything away when you rage.”
Review Spoiler Free: Bones was born with the miraculous power to heal, but all her gift has brought is death. As a child, her older brother trained her to survive, and so survive she did. The blood on her hands will never wash off, she is broken and scarred in more ways than one, but she survived. Though, while life is far from safe and perfect in The Vault, she soon discovers that it’s not a prison but more of a home, if only she can allow it to be. Still haunted by the ghosts of her past, she’ll have to navigate her trauma and learn how to trust, love, and be loved again, which scares her more than any of the horrors she’s lived through.
Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5
Tears Shed: 💧💧💧💧
Quotes: “This won’t break you. You’re a river Bones, you don’t break you bend. If someone tries to control you find a new way around. People might think you’re just water, might think they have you contained, but your strong enough to cut a path through mountain rock and wild enough to was everything away when you rage.”
Review Spoiler Free: Bones was born with the miraculous power to heal, but all her gift has brought is death. As a child, her older brother trained her to survive, and so survive she did. The blood on her hands will never wash off, she is broken and scarred in more ways than one, but she survived. Though, while life is far from safe and perfect in The Vault, she soon discovers that it’s not a prison but more of a home, if only she can allow it to be. Still haunted by the ghosts of her past, she’ll have to navigate her trauma and learn how to trust, love, and be loved again, which scares her more than any of the horrors she’s lived through.
Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5
Tears Shed: 💧💧💧💧
January 14, 2026
This one was not for me. Set in a dystopian post apocalyptic world….. that’s all you get. You don’t find out why the world crumbled. There is no world building. And there’s no explanation of why there are different settlements/gangs. Where did all of the resources go? You never find out. Why is bones the only person who has powers?? Why is she special? Again, never found out.
The entire story felt repetitive. Here are my petty reasons.
1. I swear to God they say the word bones every two seconds.
2. The indignant refusal for bones to accept help got old very quickly.
3. The same conversation about her not pushing people away happened approximately 32 times.
I get that people have trauma responses when there is a horrific history of abuse and violence, but this book wasn’t it.
The entire story felt repetitive. Here are my petty reasons.
1. I swear to God they say the word bones every two seconds.
2. The indignant refusal for bones to accept help got old very quickly.
3. The same conversation about her not pushing people away happened approximately 32 times.
I get that people have trauma responses when there is a horrific history of abuse and violence, but this book wasn’t it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 25, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 rounded up . Book set in post apocalyptic world dealing with a lot of trauma. It s tagged as romantasy however while there was sweet romantic moments , this was not a romantasy, but more of a dark fantasy
July 14, 2026
I knew what was coming, and rhis book gutted me anyway.
November 5, 2025
I received this audiobook via NetGalley in exchange for a review. I loved the name of the book and the cover; I’m very much drawn to books visually. The narrator did a great job!
This book would have been 4 stars for me but there was so much information I wanted that we didn’t get.
I would have loved more world building and more exploration of the FMC’s past and the magic system of this dystopian world.
It’s a very character driven book with not much of a plot. Even though I started to lose interest at about 80%, I’ll read book 2 at some point. Hopefully it answers my questions!
November 10, 2026
I could not put this book down. It started off a bit slow and it kept a bit slower pace at times throughout however, overall this dystopian book was immaculate.
The FMC was a total baddie and the MMC was just swoon worthy.
This was stunningly haunting and gut wrenching to the point where I absolutely cried from the emotional destruction this book will reap on your soul.
Utterly speechless at the end of book 1.
The FMC was a total baddie and the MMC was just swoon worthy.
This was stunningly haunting and gut wrenching to the point where I absolutely cried from the emotional destruction this book will reap on your soul.
Utterly speechless at the end of book 1.
October 18, 2026
That was flawless ♾️⭐️! This was 400 pages of (nearly) unrelenting heartache! I don’t know how the author did it, but everything ESPECIALLY the characters and their emotions and vulnerabilities were so vivid I just can’t cope!!
October 22, 2026
Could of been a great book. Felt rushed and I felt plot and characters were a bit everywhere. No explanation of anything. Of powers, how the world ended, the fractions and faults. Then bam the ending. Doesn't feel like it belonged to the same story and very rushed.
May 7, 2026
I ate this one up! I think I’m really turning into a dystopian romance girl?
The whole story was well paced, action packed. I was never bored.
Loved the friendships that were formed and how they really fought for each other in their “crew”
Emotional damage 10/10
The whole story was well paced, action packed. I was never bored.
Loved the friendships that were formed and how they really fought for each other in their “crew”
Emotional damage 10/10
March 28, 2026
I feel like nothing really happened.
October 21, 2026
I went into Bones completely blind other than knowing that it was Dystopian Post Apocalyptic and there was some romance.
I’m finishing Bones feeling completely blindsided, a lot traumatised and with an uneasy feeling in my chest that K L Speer is ruthless and unafraid to hurt feelings. Who knows where the next book (or the series for that matter) is going - NOT ME
Into the nitty gritty, bones was a book that required minimal brain power so it was easy to read and felt quite fast paced!
It was not easy however, to be in the head of the main character at times. Bones had been THROUGH IT and sits with very conflicting and heavy feelings at all times. She definitely made some choices that I didn’t agree with or understand but I can also acknowledge that everyone processes trauma differently and grieves differently and I think that’s the whole point of this book.
For me it only lost a star because I felt like it could have been condensed in certain parts and more engaging in a few spots also. HOWEVER, I read the indie published version and I know changes were made since it’s been traditionally published so I’m really hopeful for book 2!
Signing off by sending my therapy, tissues and pain med (stress headaches from all the crying) bills to KL Speer. And hopefully going into book 2 more prepared 😭😅🫠
I’m finishing Bones feeling completely blindsided, a lot traumatised and with an uneasy feeling in my chest that K L Speer is ruthless and unafraid to hurt feelings. Who knows where the next book (or the series for that matter) is going - NOT ME
Into the nitty gritty, bones was a book that required minimal brain power so it was easy to read and felt quite fast paced!
It was not easy however, to be in the head of the main character at times. Bones had been THROUGH IT and sits with very conflicting and heavy feelings at all times. She definitely made some choices that I didn’t agree with or understand but I can also acknowledge that everyone processes trauma differently and grieves differently and I think that’s the whole point of this book.
For me it only lost a star because I felt like it could have been condensed in certain parts and more engaging in a few spots also. HOWEVER, I read the indie published version and I know changes were made since it’s been traditionally published so I’m really hopeful for book 2!
Signing off by sending my therapy, tissues and pain med (stress headaches from all the crying) bills to KL Speer. And hopefully going into book 2 more prepared 😭😅🫠
August 16, 2026
4.5 ⭐️ Let me preface this review by saying I read this during a shitty week. And I’m not a shitty-week kinda person. I have a bad day here and there, I bitch about it, then let it go and move on. But this week? This bitch kept coming back swinging.
And I say that because had I read this ANY OTHER WEEK, it more than likely would have been a 5-star read for me.
I did the unthinkable. The unmentionable. The unfathomable thing in the bookish community…
I compared this book to another book.
Specifically, that other new, super-overhyped dystopian making its rounds right now.
And I’m offended for this book because this one is SO. MUCH. BETTER.
Like…in literally every way.
The only reason this didn’t get 5 stars is because Bad Week Pam wanted to smack this FMC a few times. 😂 On any other week, I probably would have had significantly more patience for her.
This world is DARK and gritty and post-apocalyptic-ish dystopian, and I ate up every damn word. Which is saying something because, as we all know, I am not exactly a dystopian enthusiast.
But this? I was INVESTED.
I cannot wait to see where book 2 takes us.
And THAT ENDING?!
EXCUSE ME?!?
You cannot just end a book like THAT and expect me to go about my life like a normal person.
I need book 2. Immediately. 😭
And I say that because had I read this ANY OTHER WEEK, it more than likely would have been a 5-star read for me.
I did the unthinkable. The unmentionable. The unfathomable thing in the bookish community…
I compared this book to another book.
Specifically, that other new, super-overhyped dystopian making its rounds right now.
And I’m offended for this book because this one is SO. MUCH. BETTER.
Like…in literally every way.
The only reason this didn’t get 5 stars is because Bad Week Pam wanted to smack this FMC a few times. 😂 On any other week, I probably would have had significantly more patience for her.
This world is DARK and gritty and post-apocalyptic-ish dystopian, and I ate up every damn word. Which is saying something because, as we all know, I am not exactly a dystopian enthusiast.
But this? I was INVESTED.
I cannot wait to see where book 2 takes us.
And THAT ENDING?!
EXCUSE ME?!?
You cannot just end a book like THAT and expect me to go about my life like a normal person.
I need book 2. Immediately. 😭
October 27, 2026
This book seriously made me question whether I even enjoy reading anymore. God, it was bad on so many levels. The writing was juvenile; it felt like it was written by a 12 year old, then run through AI. And I can forgive shitty writing if there is a good story. But the story is absolutely terrible. Which honestly shocked me because I usually love post-apocalyptic concepts. But the entire story was centered around men sexually assaulting the FMC, Bones. That’s it. How many random characters, side characters, or main characters can we have attracted to her? “How about them all?” the author says. There is no world building whatsoever. The ruined state of the world is set up like a prop behind these awful characters.
Each “good” person is written as a stock character with one purpose only: heal Bone’s emotional issues, while protecting her at all costs, even when she makes the most shitty decisions. Each “bad” person is a one-dimensional feral man whose purpose is to rape or murder her.
And even though you have these limited characters, Bones reacts to them in the most bizarre way. You’re telling me a girl that has been sexually assaulted her entire life, just willingly throws herself at some guy who wants to assault her, and then is shocked when she’s continually sexually assaulted by him? What is this? What am I reading?
On top of that, Bones is insufferable as a character. Her choices and the reasoning behind them made me absolutely livid. She sucks. She is written as this “selfless martyr”. But she’s really a pick-me girl who is incredibly selfish and can’t think about anyone's feelings other than her own. She’s the kind of character that gives a bad rep to women.
Also, the dialogue is repetitive as fuck. It’s the same conversation over and over again with every character. “You can trust me Bones” “Just open up” “Stop saying ‘you’re fine’”. It’s all the same shit.
As for the MMC, well if you’ve read it you know it doesn’t even matter what he’s all about. God, I’m so pissed I paid to read this.
Each “good” person is written as a stock character with one purpose only: heal Bone’s emotional issues, while protecting her at all costs, even when she makes the most shitty decisions. Each “bad” person is a one-dimensional feral man whose purpose is to rape or murder her.
And even though you have these limited characters, Bones reacts to them in the most bizarre way. You’re telling me a girl that has been sexually assaulted her entire life, just willingly throws herself at some guy who wants to assault her, and then is shocked when she’s continually sexually assaulted by him? What is this? What am I reading?
On top of that, Bones is insufferable as a character. Her choices and the reasoning behind them made me absolutely livid. She sucks. She is written as this “selfless martyr”. But she’s really a pick-me girl who is incredibly selfish and can’t think about anyone's feelings other than her own. She’s the kind of character that gives a bad rep to women.
Also, the dialogue is repetitive as fuck. It’s the same conversation over and over again with every character. “You can trust me Bones” “Just open up” “Stop saying ‘you’re fine’”. It’s all the same shit.
As for the MMC, well if you’ve read it you know it doesn’t even matter what he’s all about. God, I’m so pissed I paid to read this.
October 31, 2025
I received the audiobook of Bones by K. L. Speer as an ARC from NetGalley and I’m so glad I did, What an experience! The narrator was absolutely amazing and brought so much life to the story. Her voice made the world feel vivid and the characters unforgettable; she added a layer of emotion that made the book even more fun to listen to.
The pacing was phenomenal, I was hooked right from the beginning and ended up finishing it in just two days. The story moves quickly, with plenty of action, banter and emotional moments that keep you invested throughout. Even though several twists were predictable, they didn’t take away from the excitement. The world-building felt fresh for a dystopian fantasy and the emotional payoff was strong. There’s one major twist I saw coming (maybe I’m just cynical!), but it still broke my heart when it happened.
Mak was definitely my favorite character. The found family dynamic and the crew’s bond were beautifully written and reminded me a lot of Six of Crows. That same mix of danger, humor and deep connection shines through here as well.
Overall, Bones is a thrilling start to what I hope becomes an incredible series. With its fast pace, compelling characters and standout narration, it’s a must-listen for fans of dystopian fantasy adventures.
The pacing was phenomenal, I was hooked right from the beginning and ended up finishing it in just two days. The story moves quickly, with plenty of action, banter and emotional moments that keep you invested throughout. Even though several twists were predictable, they didn’t take away from the excitement. The world-building felt fresh for a dystopian fantasy and the emotional payoff was strong. There’s one major twist I saw coming (maybe I’m just cynical!), but it still broke my heart when it happened.
Mak was definitely my favorite character. The found family dynamic and the crew’s bond were beautifully written and reminded me a lot of Six of Crows. That same mix of danger, humor and deep connection shines through here as well.
Overall, Bones is a thrilling start to what I hope becomes an incredible series. With its fast pace, compelling characters and standout narration, it’s a must-listen for fans of dystopian fantasy adventures.
March 3, 2026
I was honestly surprised by this and probably would never have read it if it wasn’t for our book club. I didn’t realise the time it was set or the setting itself when I voted for it to be our read so it felt like I went in blind.
Bones is an interesting character and has been truly hurt from events in her past. It’s hard to understand some of the decisions she makes sometimes and how she holds herself back but she really is just trying to protect herself. I loved the found family element in this book and it definitely felt different in this dystopian survival of the fittest world.
I really liked all of the side characters too and I was definitely shipping a different MMC so I think the sequel will be very interesting, especially as the ending was a shocking cliffhanger. It was good and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
Bones is an interesting character and has been truly hurt from events in her past. It’s hard to understand some of the decisions she makes sometimes and how she holds herself back but she really is just trying to protect herself. I loved the found family element in this book and it definitely felt different in this dystopian survival of the fittest world.
I really liked all of the side characters too and I was definitely shipping a different MMC so I think the sequel will be very interesting, especially as the ending was a shocking cliffhanger. It was good and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
October 29, 2025
4.5⭐️
It’s been a year and a half since I first read this, and I’ve realized I’m still in denial over some things. I was just as hooked as the first time, and the audiobook was such a great choice for a reread.
I’ve been badgering everyone to read this, and for good reason. It’s not your typical romantasy, you definitely need a strong heart to get through it. I knew what was coming this time, so I didn’t cry… but it still hurt just as much.
Now I’m dreading the audiobook of book two, because that heartbreak hit me even harder than book one. But if you’re someone who loves stories that rip your heart out in the best way possible, you’re welcome to check this out. It’s out in all formats now.
It’s been a year and a half since I first read this, and I’ve realized I’m still in denial over some things. I was just as hooked as the first time, and the audiobook was such a great choice for a reread.
I’ve been badgering everyone to read this, and for good reason. It’s not your typical romantasy, you definitely need a strong heart to get through it. I knew what was coming this time, so I didn’t cry… but it still hurt just as much.
Now I’m dreading the audiobook of book two, because that heartbreak hit me even harder than book one. But if you’re someone who loves stories that rip your heart out in the best way possible, you’re welcome to check this out. It’s out in all formats now.
January 27, 2026
I loved the pace of this book! It was so fun to feel consistent movement. I loved the balance of plot, character development, and world-building. It didn’t lean too heavy into any single element. I finished this book very quickly. It didn’t feel like an addictive page turner but more of an engaging world to keep returning to. I loved being able to watch Bones cope with, heal, and reconcile with her trauma. I liked this being a primary focus of her character development. The post-apocalyptic setting with some magic abilities added enough fantasy dimension to hold my attention as well. I also appreciated the author’s ethics. I will definitely read the second book.
July 21, 2026
Thank you @NetGalley and @Ballantine for the ALC. I had heard so much about this book and I was not sure it would live up to the hype, but it did. Bones is full of tragedy, pain and love. The emotional rollercoaster this book sent me on was a wild ride. Bones can heal people and has kept it secret while being held captive by a mad man. She finally is able to escape but finds out she is being hunted by a different clan looking to use her gift for themselves. Only one man sees her for her, but can she trust him. Book two can't be released soon enough.
October 10, 2026
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice:🌶️🌶️.5
Absolute devistation surround Bones whose storyline is heartrenching. Her gutting tale from childhood to young adolescence and all she experiences at the hands of rival motorcycle gangs will break you. At an early age she shows signs of magical healing abilities and is captured at the mercy of the Reapers Gang. Heartbreak and sadness are part of her every day being while held at their mercy. Love, betrayal, and sacrifice are all wrapped into this tale which is left on a cliffhanger prepping us for Fangs, the next book in this duology.
Best quote: “I know you're used to people wanting your power, but gods, Bones, all I want is you.”
Be forewarned, the contents of this book are not for the faint of heart and she should be read before beginning.
Spice:🌶️🌶️.5
Absolute devistation surround Bones whose storyline is heartrenching. Her gutting tale from childhood to young adolescence and all she experiences at the hands of rival motorcycle gangs will break you. At an early age she shows signs of magical healing abilities and is captured at the mercy of the Reapers Gang. Heartbreak and sadness are part of her every day being while held at their mercy. Love, betrayal, and sacrifice are all wrapped into this tale which is left on a cliffhanger prepping us for Fangs, the next book in this duology.
Best quote: “I know you're used to people wanting your power, but gods, Bones, all I want is you.”
Be forewarned, the contents of this book are not for the faint of heart and she should be read before beginning.
August 16, 2026
Bones was definitely better than Daggermouth, the twists and turns, the love that grew and all the feelings she went through. Most part of this book is her being afraid, learning to trust again and letting people in.
I listened to this on audio and the narrator sounds like shes very country and would be great in a western setting or a cowboy book. I kept picturing Dolly Parton reading.
Book does end on a cliffhanger that was predictable.
I listened to this on audio and the narrator sounds like shes very country and would be great in a western setting or a cowboy book. I kept picturing Dolly Parton reading.
Book does end on a cliffhanger that was predictable.
October 16, 2026
What. What is happening. Nobody knows! Just characters standing in blank voids saying things!
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD you can’t just set a Danielle Steel misery trauma porn tale of feminine woe in a magical dystopia with literally zero world building and expect a “who hurt you” moment to carry any weight at all
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD you can’t just set a Danielle Steel misery trauma porn tale of feminine woe in a magical dystopia with literally zero world building and expect a “who hurt you” moment to carry any weight at all
November 10, 2025
3.5 stars. I enjoyed this one for the most part. I loved the found family and all the deleted and action. The MMC was amazing. I feel so bad for the FMC. But honestly, there were times where I was bored to the point of wanting to just finish the book. I will give the second book a try but not anytime soon.
March 2, 2026
This story broke me it was beautiful, sad and gripping, Bones has it tough from day one and the journey you go along with her you feel like you are next to her experiencing what she is going through. Im looking forward to reading the 2nd book It's just a shame it's not on ku as well.
April 19, 2026
I wanted to like this more than I think I did. Am I sick of the martyr thinks she’s hopeless MFC? I think I want them to all know their bad asses & not blame themselves for shitty people (especially men’s) mistakes
October 14, 2026
I'm having such a run of emotional books 😭 this was SOOO bloody emotional - I fell in love with all the characters and was so invested in this story I stayed up well past bed time to finish and then it finished me - all the stars and all the feels. Can't wait to read the next book - I'm going to need a minute to piece my heart back together first though.
September 18, 2026
4⭐️ DAMN. .5 star off solely because of the way i sobbed reading the last couple chapters. this was so good. TREY. but excuse me what happened to make the world like this? i need more context
October 20, 2026
I ate this book up! It had me gripped from the start, Bones has truly gone through alot from such a young age! And how she hasnt lost her mind from the constant being used by people the bad people!
Trey is such a sweetheart 🥺🥺 the rest of the crew i lived, Madame is a,, well i was calling her all the worst names!
That ending i need to get book 2 asap
Trey is such a sweetheart 🥺🥺 the rest of the crew i lived, Madame is a,, well i was calling her all the worst names!
That ending i need to get book 2 asap
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