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The Rakada #1
The Bone Raiders
From Jackson Ford, author of The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t With her Mind, comes a wild, edge-of-your-seat epic fantasy about a group of bone-clad raiders - perfect for fans of Kings of the Wyld, The Grey Bastards and The Blade Itself.
'AWESOME. MASTERFULLY EXECUTED. FREQUENTLY HILARIOUS' Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld
The start of an edge-of-your-seat, action-packed epic fantasy series from the irreverent Jackson Ford, where a wild band known as the Bone Raiders harness the power of gigantic, fire-breathing lizards to defend their homeland.
WE DIDN'T START THE FIRE . . . BUT OUR GIANT FIRE-BREATHING LIZARDS DID.
You don't f*ck with the Rakada. The people living in the grasslands of the Tapestry call them the Bone Raiders, from their charming habit of displaying the bones of those they kill on their armour. But being a raider is tough these days. There's a new Great Khan in the Tapestry. He plans to use his sizeable military to get rid of the raider clans. And then there are the huge fire-breathing lizards that are straying into the grasslands a little too often these days.
Sayana is a raider scout. She knows that to protect their way of life, she needs do something drastic. Like convincing her clan to ride those huge lizards, instead of horses. Sayana doesn't know how to do it without being eaten and/or cooked alive, but she'd better figure it out fast - or she and her clan, along with every other raider in the Tapestry, will be wiped out.
'A ton of fun. The premise is awesome, the found-family dynamic is masterfully executed, the dialogue is wicked-sharp and frequently hilarious' Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld
'Ford begins this new series with quirky characters, loads of great action sequences, and his trademark brand of humour' Booklist
'The Bone Raiders is a relentlessly cheeky, ofttimes unserious, and undisputedly rip-roaring bit of fantasy that can only be written by Jackson Ford. Badass female protagonists, found family, and giant lizards - what more do you need? Add this one to your TBR. I fully guarantee you'll be entertained' FanFiAddict
'AWESOME. MASTERFULLY EXECUTED. FREQUENTLY HILARIOUS' Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld
The start of an edge-of-your-seat, action-packed epic fantasy series from the irreverent Jackson Ford, where a wild band known as the Bone Raiders harness the power of gigantic, fire-breathing lizards to defend their homeland.
WE DIDN'T START THE FIRE . . . BUT OUR GIANT FIRE-BREATHING LIZARDS DID.
You don't f*ck with the Rakada. The people living in the grasslands of the Tapestry call them the Bone Raiders, from their charming habit of displaying the bones of those they kill on their armour. But being a raider is tough these days. There's a new Great Khan in the Tapestry. He plans to use his sizeable military to get rid of the raider clans. And then there are the huge fire-breathing lizards that are straying into the grasslands a little too often these days.
Sayana is a raider scout. She knows that to protect their way of life, she needs do something drastic. Like convincing her clan to ride those huge lizards, instead of horses. Sayana doesn't know how to do it without being eaten and/or cooked alive, but she'd better figure it out fast - or she and her clan, along with every other raider in the Tapestry, will be wiped out.
'A ton of fun. The premise is awesome, the found-family dynamic is masterfully executed, the dialogue is wicked-sharp and frequently hilarious' Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld
'Ford begins this new series with quirky characters, loads of great action sequences, and his trademark brand of humour' Booklist
'The Bone Raiders is a relentlessly cheeky, ofttimes unserious, and undisputedly rip-roaring bit of fantasy that can only be written by Jackson Ford. Badass female protagonists, found family, and giant lizards - what more do you need? Add this one to your TBR. I fully guarantee you'll be entertained' FanFiAddict
512 pages, Paperback
First published August 10, 2025
159 people are currently reading
10702 people want to read
About the author
Jackson Ford
15 books448 followersJackson Ford is the author of The Frost Files series, including The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t with Her Mind and Random Sh*t Flying Through the Air). He may or may not be the alter ego of author Rob Boffard, but he is definitely 100% a jackass.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 265 reviews
August 7, 2025
« If you didn’t like the life you had, you built a new one. And you had to be willing to die to protect it. Because if you weren’t, then it wasn’t worth having. »
This was a solid Epic Fantasy. A group of raiders composed only of WOMEN??? I was on the edge of my seat this was magnificent.
« There are some things that are buried so deep in us that nothing - not even the world ending - will dislodge them. »
Before I start off with my review I just want to say something. You know what I felt while reading this book? This author LOVES his characters. There’s no way you could tell me otherwise - I could just feel all the time and love he put into his characters and I loved them ALL SO MUCH. This isn’t women written by men - this is women written by a man who respects women to no end.
Okay so this was FUN. And I know there’s something wrong with me because all I wanted to do was hug the araatan (fire breathing lizard).
The twists and turns?? I was so shocked. Twice I closed the book in utter disbelief. I loved all the characters - strong powerful women… I sincerely didn’t want this to end.
Most anticipated read of August and it delivered above and beyond 😭 I cannot wait for the sequel!
« You have my blades, my friend, until every light in every world goes out. »
—•preread
Starting my most anticipated read of August 🫡 fire-breathing-lizard??? Sign me up
This was a solid Epic Fantasy. A group of raiders composed only of WOMEN??? I was on the edge of my seat this was magnificent.
« There are some things that are buried so deep in us that nothing - not even the world ending - will dislodge them. »
Before I start off with my review I just want to say something. You know what I felt while reading this book? This author LOVES his characters. There’s no way you could tell me otherwise - I could just feel all the time and love he put into his characters and I loved them ALL SO MUCH. This isn’t women written by men - this is women written by a man who respects women to no end.
Okay so this was FUN. And I know there’s something wrong with me because all I wanted to do was hug the araatan (fire breathing lizard).
The twists and turns?? I was so shocked. Twice I closed the book in utter disbelief. I loved all the characters - strong powerful women… I sincerely didn’t want this to end.
Most anticipated read of August and it delivered above and beyond 😭 I cannot wait for the sequel!
« You have my blades, my friend, until every light in every world goes out. »
—•preread
Starting my most anticipated read of August 🫡 fire-breathing-lizard??? Sign me up
August 13, 2025
*4.5* This is a book that MOVES and I enjoyed it immensely! With breakneck action and punchy dialogue (a Jackson Ford specialty), it reads like a fantasy action flick that doesn’t skimp on giant fire breathing lizards that our main characters literally ride into battle with. It's a Khan inspired world that reminded me of the Raiders from Fallout with the characters wearing bones for armor. What a thrilling epic fantasy. Orbit seriously gifting us the best authors.
Review coming to my YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@hollyheartsbooks...
Review coming to my YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@hollyheartsbooks...
November 3, 2025
Fire-breathing lizards and lesbian raiders.
Rakada is part of a fearsome band known as the Bone Raiders and the High Chieftain intent on wiping them out. To come out on top, she convinces her clan to train a murderous lizard to carry her into battle.
This is just a fun time. Badass female fighters and kickass action with moments of emotion. You follow two main POVs within the Bone Raiders, both of whom are dealing with separate relationships.
There was deaf representation, every relationship was sapphic, and all the men were shown as incapable. This is written by a man, so I don’t know how to feel about that. Yay women?
You won’t be immersed in the Mongolian-like culture; this felt more adventure than fantasy.
Despite this being a book one, I felt satisfied by the ending and it left off with a good hook. It is getting rarer to find books that are part of a series to have a completed arc in one book.
The twists are predictable, but you’re there for a good time, not necessarily the plot progression.
I read it in two sittings on Halloween, so it kept my attention.
Enjoyment wise - 3.5 🌟.
Physical gifted by Orbit.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
Rakada is part of a fearsome band known as the Bone Raiders and the High Chieftain intent on wiping them out. To come out on top, she convinces her clan to train a murderous lizard to carry her into battle.
This is just a fun time. Badass female fighters and kickass action with moments of emotion. You follow two main POVs within the Bone Raiders, both of whom are dealing with separate relationships.
There was deaf representation, every relationship was sapphic, and all the men were shown as incapable. This is written by a man, so I don’t know how to feel about that. Yay women?
You won’t be immersed in the Mongolian-like culture; this felt more adventure than fantasy.
Despite this being a book one, I felt satisfied by the ending and it left off with a good hook. It is getting rarer to find books that are part of a series to have a completed arc in one book.
The twists are predictable, but you’re there for a good time, not necessarily the plot progression.
I read it in two sittings on Halloween, so it kept my attention.
Enjoyment wise - 3.5 🌟.
Physical gifted by Orbit.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
November 7, 2025
firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!
4.5 stars !! — whewww, male authors take note!! this is how you depict a diverse, all female cast as a man! no boobs boobed boobily, and no women were sacrificed as a plot device to enrage the man and further develop his character… they were all badass and contributed to the plot in varying ways that kept me on my toes the whole time!
while this entire female cast was complex and phenomenal, i think my favorite character was kuhn — she definitely reminded me of sevro, my favorite howler/red rising character (aside from cassius) especially with her tragic background. she was so wacky and quirky but just completely OP; not to mention her lucid moments were so insightful and emotional.
i need book two IMMEDIATELY, thank youuuu!
not to mention my fairyloot edition is stupid cool!
4.5 stars !! — whewww, male authors take note!! this is how you depict a diverse, all female cast as a man! no boobs boobed boobily, and no women were sacrificed as a plot device to enrage the man and further develop his character… they were all badass and contributed to the plot in varying ways that kept me on my toes the whole time!
while this entire female cast was complex and phenomenal, i think my favorite character was kuhn — she definitely reminded me of sevro, my favorite howler/red rising character (aside from cassius) especially with her tragic background. she was so wacky and quirky but just completely OP; not to mention her lucid moments were so insightful and emotional.
i need book two IMMEDIATELY, thank youuuu!
not to mention my fairyloot edition is stupid cool!
interested-in
October 14, 2025full women cast + fire breathing lizards? say less 🔥
July 12, 2025
The Bone Raiders
by Jackson Ford
The Rakada #1
Fantasy
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: Aug 12, 2025
Orbit Books
Ages: 16+
In the grasslands of the Tapestry the Rakada, or called Bone Raiders by the other tribes because they display the bones of others on their armor, are feared raiders, but the new Khan is forcing all of the the tribes into his army or as labor to claim and the grasslands for himself and create the largest army to fend off, or take any bordering country.
Sayana is a scout for the Rakada, but she was born in the Khan's city and knows how ruthless those who follow him can be. That was why she ran away from the city, and now wants to protect her new way of life. But those tribes of the Tapestry who are left are unorganized and would rather fight each other than join forces, so the Rakada need to do something crazy to become strong enough to fight off the Khan and his growing military.
And Sayana thinks she found it, but needs to talk her tribe into catching, training, and riding the huge fire-breathing lizards instead of horses.
This book started off with a twist, and I dove right in, but became more disappointed as the story progressed. I was expecting a lot more fire-breathing lizard action, but alas... nope. This story reminded me a tiny bit of 'The Horse Whisperer' but with less of the animal...
What action there was and the slow progression of the story were controlled by multiple POVs, instead of just Sayana's. Sayana liked to ramble (especially towards the end, but I kind of get why, but...). Yesuntel; I understand why the author thought her POV was needed. There was one other POV that was even better... spoilers...
Overall, this was a good idea, but it moved slowly and most of the action didn't involve the lizard, which was disappointing.
The book cover is pretty neat; it and the title matches with the story and characters.
Even though this is the first book of a series, I feel that its ending, while left an opening for the next book, was good enough for me to guess what will happen, so I doubt I'll read the next book.
Almost made the next star...
2 Stars
by Jackson Ford
The Rakada #1
Fantasy
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: Aug 12, 2025
Orbit Books
Ages: 16+
In the grasslands of the Tapestry the Rakada, or called Bone Raiders by the other tribes because they display the bones of others on their armor, are feared raiders, but the new Khan is forcing all of the the tribes into his army or as labor to claim and the grasslands for himself and create the largest army to fend off, or take any bordering country.
Sayana is a scout for the Rakada, but she was born in the Khan's city and knows how ruthless those who follow him can be. That was why she ran away from the city, and now wants to protect her new way of life. But those tribes of the Tapestry who are left are unorganized and would rather fight each other than join forces, so the Rakada need to do something crazy to become strong enough to fight off the Khan and his growing military.
And Sayana thinks she found it, but needs to talk her tribe into catching, training, and riding the huge fire-breathing lizards instead of horses.
This book started off with a twist, and I dove right in, but became more disappointed as the story progressed. I was expecting a lot more fire-breathing lizard action, but alas... nope. This story reminded me a tiny bit of 'The Horse Whisperer' but with less of the animal...
What action there was and the slow progression of the story were controlled by multiple POVs, instead of just Sayana's. Sayana liked to ramble (especially towards the end, but I kind of get why, but...). Yesuntel; I understand why the author thought her POV was needed. There was one other POV that was even better... spoilers...
Overall, this was a good idea, but it moved slowly and most of the action didn't involve the lizard, which was disappointing.
The book cover is pretty neat; it and the title matches with the story and characters.
Even though this is the first book of a series, I feel that its ending, while left an opening for the next book, was good enough for me to guess what will happen, so I doubt I'll read the next book.
Almost made the next star...
2 Stars
May 25, 2025
Thank you to Orbit Books and Netgalley for providing me with a copy for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
Rating: 4.75 (rounded up for Goodreads)
I will admit to having a bit of trepidation when beginning this, as I was dreading the novel turning out to be a “women-written-by-men” situation. However, I am thrilled to say that the author subverted my every expectation in the most refreshing and entertaining way possible.
Told from multiple POVs, all of the characters are women who are complex, funny, flawed, courageous, and wonderful. Another positive point in the author’s favor–their physicality is hardly described, giving way to the far more important emphasis of their thoughts and motivations. None of this, “she breasted down the stairs, boobily” nonsense that is all too common with female characters in worlds built by male authors. The author has clearly taken great care and love with every character in this book.
The pacing was excellent, breaking up exposition with action, and tension with humor in perfect balance. The humor was sarcastic and dry and never felt out of place, but served to relieve the tension of the high stakes. The sub-plot romances in the book were poignant and sensitively written, rather than described for titillation. Again, the emotions and conflicts of the characters came first in every instance.
If you read this book, you can expect adventure, humor, heartbreak, warriors and–everyone’s favorite–dragons. I couldn’t put this down from the first few pages and I cannot wait to revisit this world and these characters to see what happens next. This book is a must read for your fall TBR, do not miss!
Rating: 4.75 (rounded up for Goodreads)
I will admit to having a bit of trepidation when beginning this, as I was dreading the novel turning out to be a “women-written-by-men” situation. However, I am thrilled to say that the author subverted my every expectation in the most refreshing and entertaining way possible.
Told from multiple POVs, all of the characters are women who are complex, funny, flawed, courageous, and wonderful. Another positive point in the author’s favor–their physicality is hardly described, giving way to the far more important emphasis of their thoughts and motivations. None of this, “she breasted down the stairs, boobily” nonsense that is all too common with female characters in worlds built by male authors. The author has clearly taken great care and love with every character in this book.
The pacing was excellent, breaking up exposition with action, and tension with humor in perfect balance. The humor was sarcastic and dry and never felt out of place, but served to relieve the tension of the high stakes. The sub-plot romances in the book were poignant and sensitively written, rather than described for titillation. Again, the emotions and conflicts of the characters came first in every instance.
If you read this book, you can expect adventure, humor, heartbreak, warriors and–everyone’s favorite–dragons. I couldn’t put this down from the first few pages and I cannot wait to revisit this world and these characters to see what happens next. This book is a must read for your fall TBR, do not miss!
August 3, 2025
I'm dressing Bella ( 🐕) up as a fire breathing lizard for Halloween, this was EPIC, a male author who writes women the right way, with authenticity and sensitivity? claps and applause all around please, this was fast paced, a ton of fun and surprisingly emotional, the author does a great job at balancing the action with comedic relief and the more tender moments, I had such a blast reading this, I've put a checklist below of things that encapsulate (I love that word) the book
- bad ass (I'm from the UK I feel like I should say bad arse 😂) women
- cute (yes i said cute ok) fire breathing lizard
- swearing/dark humour
- multiple POVs
- found family
- disability/LGBT rep
- lil dash of sapphic goodness
- bad ass (I'm from the UK I feel like I should say bad arse 😂) women
- cute (yes i said cute ok) fire breathing lizard
- swearing/dark humour
- multiple POVs
- found family
- disability/LGBT rep
- lil dash of sapphic goodness
August 11, 2025
I've had a lot of fun with this one.
------------------------
“The Bone Raiders” is the first volume in a new fantasy series written by Jackson Ford. It was my first encounter with this author, but I’m sure it won’t be the last.
The book tells a story of several people known as raiders. Their land is governed by the king and his army, and they are forcing people to live by their law. Some of them, however, try to live outside it, and focus mainly on survival. In order to do that they live in packs that raid villages to get food and necessary supplies. Sayana belongs to The Bone Raiders and is forced to run away with her mates when the army catches their track.
“The Bone Raiders” is an action-packed fantasy book for everyone who likes great combat, found family trope and is already tired of dragons. Because in this book there are no dragons, there are giant lizard creatures, to which one shouldn’t approach if one values their life.
It was really fun to read about the adventures of the bone raiders and to bond with the ones that should be called criminals. I really enjoy fantasy books that show the rulers as the bad ones and let readers connect with regular people trying to survive.
I can’t wait for the second instalment in this series!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
------------------------
“The Bone Raiders” is the first volume in a new fantasy series written by Jackson Ford. It was my first encounter with this author, but I’m sure it won’t be the last.
The book tells a story of several people known as raiders. Their land is governed by the king and his army, and they are forcing people to live by their law. Some of them, however, try to live outside it, and focus mainly on survival. In order to do that they live in packs that raid villages to get food and necessary supplies. Sayana belongs to The Bone Raiders and is forced to run away with her mates when the army catches their track.
“The Bone Raiders” is an action-packed fantasy book for everyone who likes great combat, found family trope and is already tired of dragons. Because in this book there are no dragons, there are giant lizard creatures, to which one shouldn’t approach if one values their life.
It was really fun to read about the adventures of the bone raiders and to bond with the ones that should be called criminals. I really enjoy fantasy books that show the rulers as the bad ones and let readers connect with regular people trying to survive.
I can’t wait for the second instalment in this series!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
August 13, 2025
3.25⭐️
The beginning 30% of this book had me engaged and was steadily climbing with the progression of the story along with the action. Then from there to the end the book just felt like one large plateau. This is the beginning of a new series and I’m hoping that the world and plot is thickened up a bit. And I’m hoping that the pacing is picked up a bit for my own liking. Besides that, I did enjoy the extremely diverse cast of characters and strong female leads.
Thanks Netgalley and Orbit books for the eARC.
The beginning 30% of this book had me engaged and was steadily climbing with the progression of the story along with the action. Then from there to the end the book just felt like one large plateau. This is the beginning of a new series and I’m hoping that the world and plot is thickened up a bit. And I’m hoping that the pacing is picked up a bit for my own liking. Besides that, I did enjoy the extremely diverse cast of characters and strong female leads.
Thanks Netgalley and Orbit books for the eARC.
August 17, 2025
This was disappointing, I’m sorry to say.
I picked it up because I really enjoyed The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t with Her Mind, and hope to get to the sequels one of these days.
My complaint about this book is that, if you’re going to write a book about a band of raider-warrior-nomad-women riding around on giant fire-breathing dragon-dinosaur things, the one thing your book CANNOT be is boring. You need to lean into the Rule of Cool and have your raider-warrior-nomad-women riding their giant fire-breathing dragon-dinosaur things as much as possible doing awesome things as much as possible.
The premise of this book put it firmly in the same territory as Michael Bay movies. If I go see a Michael Bay movie, I’m not expecting high cinema or profound commentary on the human condition. I’m expecting a few hours’ entertainment filled with robots and explosions.
Now, this isn’t to say that the book is bad or ill-planned. The premise here is that the people who live on the same grasslands as the titular Bone Raiders are being ordered by the ruling Khan to go live in his capital of Karakorum - minor complaint: if you’re making a fantasy universe, don’t take names from the real world. It breaks the immersion - leaving the Bone Raiders with no one to raid. The youngest of them, after an attempted raid that went FUBAR in no small part due to the unexpected of one of these giant fire-breathing dragon-dinosaur things. She gets the bright idea that they could challenge the Khan if they were all riding these things, and we’re off to the Plot.
So far so good. Where things get bogged down is that Ford spent way too long dealing with the fact that training a wild animal to let you ride it is hard.
Sure, it’s realistic and well-thought-out. But that doesn’t mean it’s fun to read, when I’m primed for lots and lots of action and am not getting it.
Maybe this is just an expectations thing, and if I’d been expecting something more sedate I wouldn’t have been so annoyed it. I will say the climax was very well done - it just took me forever to get to it because I simply wasn’t interested in reading it. It’s a problem regardless.
My blog
I picked it up because I really enjoyed The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t with Her Mind, and hope to get to the sequels one of these days.
My complaint about this book is that, if you’re going to write a book about a band of raider-warrior-nomad-women riding around on giant fire-breathing dragon-dinosaur things, the one thing your book CANNOT be is boring. You need to lean into the Rule of Cool and have your raider-warrior-nomad-women riding their giant fire-breathing dragon-dinosaur things as much as possible doing awesome things as much as possible.
The premise of this book put it firmly in the same territory as Michael Bay movies. If I go see a Michael Bay movie, I’m not expecting high cinema or profound commentary on the human condition. I’m expecting a few hours’ entertainment filled with robots and explosions.
Now, this isn’t to say that the book is bad or ill-planned. The premise here is that the people who live on the same grasslands as the titular Bone Raiders are being ordered by the ruling Khan to go live in his capital of Karakorum - minor complaint: if you’re making a fantasy universe, don’t take names from the real world. It breaks the immersion - leaving the Bone Raiders with no one to raid. The youngest of them, after an attempted raid that went FUBAR in no small part due to the unexpected of one of these giant fire-breathing dragon-dinosaur things. She gets the bright idea that they could challenge the Khan if they were all riding these things, and we’re off to the Plot.
So far so good. Where things get bogged down is that Ford spent way too long dealing with the fact that training a wild animal to let you ride it is hard.
Sure, it’s realistic and well-thought-out. But that doesn’t mean it’s fun to read, when I’m primed for lots and lots of action and am not getting it.
Maybe this is just an expectations thing, and if I’d been expecting something more sedate I wouldn’t have been so annoyed it. I will say the climax was very well done - it just took me forever to get to it because I simply wasn’t interested in reading it. It’s a problem regardless.
My blog
August 7, 2025
This story starts off high stakes right off the bat. I think the premise of the book is intriguing. A band of bad ass female raiders and fire breathing lizards? Sign me up!
Overall a decent story. I wish there was more world building, descriptions, and better pacing.
Will probably pick up the next book.
Thank you NetGalley and orbit for the gifted copy.
Overall a decent story. I wish there was more world building, descriptions, and better pacing.
Will probably pick up the next book.
Thank you NetGalley and orbit for the gifted copy.
September 13, 2025
Review originally on Jamreads
The Bone Raiders is the first novel in the Rakada series, an epic fantasy proposal written by Jackson Ford, published by Orbit Books. An action-packed novel featuring a badass group of excellently developed female characters with themes such as found family and anti-imperialism, while being full of banter and dark humour sprinkled across the many intense scenes.
The raider clans are being systematically wiped out by the Khan, the new ruler of the country, trying to exert his vision of a structured city/nation for his own glory. The Rakada, one of the most fearsome clans still stalking the Tapestry, aren't immune to this threat; a problem that doesn't seem to have a solution. But in the mind of Sayana, one of the youngest Rakada, an idea is brewing after an encounter with an araatan: what if they manage to tame and ride him? A dangerous idea, but with their lifestyle threatened by the Khan expansion, she will be allowed to try, even if that means taking more risks.
Ford puts the absolute focus on the females that form part of the Rakada, putting a great effort in making each one unique and memorable: from the own Sayana, the rebel of the group, who has finally found her place in the world, a place that might be destroyed, to Hogelun, who needs to stand for herself; even we have an eccentric character that is a bit of the mystical conduit. Loved all the members of the band, even if sometimes they could be a bit too rigid with Sayana.
The antagonist is also kinda interesting, especially when we explore her past and her loyalty to the Khan; you can get also why she's so desperate to recover her sister from the Rakada's hands.
While the book immediately throws us in the middle of the action, we have plenty of time to enjoy the richness of the worldbuilding, which seems partly inspired by Mongolia and its steppes; and creatures such as the araatan are the perfect complement to the story.
We have a story that is funny and full of action, fast-paced but with a plot that goes in crazy directions; but always putting our badass women in the center.
The Bone Raiders is a really enjoyable novel, perfect if you are looking for an epic fantasy with a group of memorable female characters full of banter and funny moments; not as serious as the classical proposals, but it's part of its charm. I'm kinda curious to see how the Rakada continues in the next books.
The Bone Raiders is the first novel in the Rakada series, an epic fantasy proposal written by Jackson Ford, published by Orbit Books. An action-packed novel featuring a badass group of excellently developed female characters with themes such as found family and anti-imperialism, while being full of banter and dark humour sprinkled across the many intense scenes.
The raider clans are being systematically wiped out by the Khan, the new ruler of the country, trying to exert his vision of a structured city/nation for his own glory. The Rakada, one of the most fearsome clans still stalking the Tapestry, aren't immune to this threat; a problem that doesn't seem to have a solution. But in the mind of Sayana, one of the youngest Rakada, an idea is brewing after an encounter with an araatan: what if they manage to tame and ride him? A dangerous idea, but with their lifestyle threatened by the Khan expansion, she will be allowed to try, even if that means taking more risks.
Ford puts the absolute focus on the females that form part of the Rakada, putting a great effort in making each one unique and memorable: from the own Sayana, the rebel of the group, who has finally found her place in the world, a place that might be destroyed, to Hogelun, who needs to stand for herself; even we have an eccentric character that is a bit of the mystical conduit. Loved all the members of the band, even if sometimes they could be a bit too rigid with Sayana.
The antagonist is also kinda interesting, especially when we explore her past and her loyalty to the Khan; you can get also why she's so desperate to recover her sister from the Rakada's hands.
While the book immediately throws us in the middle of the action, we have plenty of time to enjoy the richness of the worldbuilding, which seems partly inspired by Mongolia and its steppes; and creatures such as the araatan are the perfect complement to the story.
We have a story that is funny and full of action, fast-paced but with a plot that goes in crazy directions; but always putting our badass women in the center.
The Bone Raiders is a really enjoyable novel, perfect if you are looking for an epic fantasy with a group of memorable female characters full of banter and funny moments; not as serious as the classical proposals, but it's part of its charm. I'm kinda curious to see how the Rakada continues in the next books.
December 5, 2025
Rating: 4/5
The time of raiders is coming to an end. Once a force to be reckoned with, the raider clans are being systematically wiped out by the Khan, the new ruler of the Tapestry, whose vision is to transform the natural world into a structured city built for his own glory. The Bone Raiders, or the Rakada, are one of the most fearsome clans stalking the plains, but even they aren’t immune to the dwindling number of warriors willing to live dangerously in resistance to civilization. So what solution is there to this insurmountable threat? Well, why not try teaming up with the animals who are suffering just as much under the Khan’s reign? When the Bone Raiders accidentally discover that it may be possible to control the araatan, gigantic fire-breathing lizards no man dares face, new ideas begin to take shape on how they might use them to fight back.
The story unfolds through the rotating perspectives of three powerful women, each of whose journeys intertwine throughout the narrative. Arguably the primary main character, Sayana is a raider scout and new initiate into the Rakada. Running from her previous life of wealth and royalty, she is eager to prove herself to be just as hardened and resourceful as her clanmates. We are introduced second to Hogelun, a tough as rocks long-time member of the Rakada, torn between the comfort of the way things have always been for the raiders, and the fear of change that the future may bring. Finally, we meet Yesuntei, the Khan’s Right Hand, responsible for developing the grand city of Hanggai and the investigation for her kidnapped sister.
To start with the obvious, this book is FUN. It’s firmly rooted in the epic fantasy genre, but it never feels too dense or overly serious. There’s a lightness and undeniable intrigue that kept me hooked, paired with quality characters to root for. And of course, I’m always a sucker for a book with some form of animal companion or bonding, and this book executes it so well. I almost feel that in some books, the featured creatures can be overly humanized or infantilized, but here, they’re treated as dignified, dangerous, and truly wild, which I really appreciated.
As I already somewhat mentioned, this has a great plot. It’s snappy, interesting, and intense. Around the 65% mark, I realized I had no idea where the story was going, and that was such a rare and exciting feeling. So many books become predictable once you get a sense of the tone and premise, but this story felt so unique that I was clueless and loving it. The shifting perspectives helped with that too, since each character has a distinct personality and motivation, I was never quite sure where their loyalties lied or what they would do next.
All that said, I think one of the weaker aspects is Yesuntei’s POV. Weirdly enough, she’s the one who has things fall into place far too easily for her despite being the antagonist. For someone who is shown to be willing to do anything, no matter how gruesome or unsavory, to get her sister back, she doesn’t have to work very hard to trace her down. We repeatedly cut back to her perspective only to watch her immediately jump to the correct conclusions about her sister’s whereabouts with little to no evidence. It felt a bit frustrating because I wanted to see her actually get her hands dirty, show off her military prowess, and earn those breakthroughs.
Also, this is a minor gripe, but I wanted more lizard time. Don’t get me wrong, they’re definitely present throughout, but the blurb gave me an impression that they would play a different role in the story or at least be more heavily featured. If I were to guess, this will change in the following books, and the companionship I was looking for will be featured, but we will see!
All-in-all, don't go in expecting a finely crafted piece of literature, but if you want a fantasy book about a bunch of badass lizard-riding warrior women? You're in the right place. This was an absolute blast, and I’ll definitely be checking out the rest of the trilogy when they are published. Highly recommend to any fantasy and/or animal book enjoyers!!
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The time of raiders is coming to an end. Once a force to be reckoned with, the raider clans are being systematically wiped out by the Khan, the new ruler of the Tapestry, whose vision is to transform the natural world into a structured city built for his own glory. The Bone Raiders, or the Rakada, are one of the most fearsome clans stalking the plains, but even they aren’t immune to the dwindling number of warriors willing to live dangerously in resistance to civilization. So what solution is there to this insurmountable threat? Well, why not try teaming up with the animals who are suffering just as much under the Khan’s reign? When the Bone Raiders accidentally discover that it may be possible to control the araatan, gigantic fire-breathing lizards no man dares face, new ideas begin to take shape on how they might use them to fight back.
The story unfolds through the rotating perspectives of three powerful women, each of whose journeys intertwine throughout the narrative. Arguably the primary main character, Sayana is a raider scout and new initiate into the Rakada. Running from her previous life of wealth and royalty, she is eager to prove herself to be just as hardened and resourceful as her clanmates. We are introduced second to Hogelun, a tough as rocks long-time member of the Rakada, torn between the comfort of the way things have always been for the raiders, and the fear of change that the future may bring. Finally, we meet Yesuntei, the Khan’s Right Hand, responsible for developing the grand city of Hanggai and the investigation for her kidnapped sister.
To start with the obvious, this book is FUN. It’s firmly rooted in the epic fantasy genre, but it never feels too dense or overly serious. There’s a lightness and undeniable intrigue that kept me hooked, paired with quality characters to root for. And of course, I’m always a sucker for a book with some form of animal companion or bonding, and this book executes it so well. I almost feel that in some books, the featured creatures can be overly humanized or infantilized, but here, they’re treated as dignified, dangerous, and truly wild, which I really appreciated.
As I already somewhat mentioned, this has a great plot. It’s snappy, interesting, and intense. Around the 65% mark, I realized I had no idea where the story was going, and that was such a rare and exciting feeling. So many books become predictable once you get a sense of the tone and premise, but this story felt so unique that I was clueless and loving it. The shifting perspectives helped with that too, since each character has a distinct personality and motivation, I was never quite sure where their loyalties lied or what they would do next.
All that said, I think one of the weaker aspects is Yesuntei’s POV. Weirdly enough, she’s the one who has things fall into place far too easily for her despite being the antagonist. For someone who is shown to be willing to do anything, no matter how gruesome or unsavory, to get her sister back, she doesn’t have to work very hard to trace her down. We repeatedly cut back to her perspective only to watch her immediately jump to the correct conclusions about her sister’s whereabouts with little to no evidence. It felt a bit frustrating because I wanted to see her actually get her hands dirty, show off her military prowess, and earn those breakthroughs.
Also, this is a minor gripe, but I wanted more lizard time. Don’t get me wrong, they’re definitely present throughout, but the blurb gave me an impression that they would play a different role in the story or at least be more heavily featured. If I were to guess, this will change in the following books, and the companionship I was looking for will be featured, but we will see!
All-in-all, don't go in expecting a finely crafted piece of literature, but if you want a fantasy book about a bunch of badass lizard-riding warrior women? You're in the right place. This was an absolute blast, and I’ll definitely be checking out the rest of the trilogy when they are published. Highly recommend to any fantasy and/or animal book enjoyers!!
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 10, 2025
Give me fire breathing lizards and a baddass group of woman any day. Follow through with some banter and great pacing. I got through this in a day easy. A great entry into a new series. I have never read Jackson Ford before but. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series and checking out the authors backlog.
This story is told in the third person and has 4 povs. For those who are picky about their povs. But I totally found it to be a fun read and am anticipating the next installment! I need more!
Thank you to Orbit for the advanced reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This story is told in the third person and has 4 povs. For those who are picky about their povs. But I totally found it to be a fun read and am anticipating the next installment! I need more!
Thank you to Orbit for the advanced reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
September 22, 2025
2.5⭐️ I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it either. I mean I didn’t DNF so it couldn’t have been that bad but I was kinda bored.
August 18, 2025
An epic, adventurous, well developed, fantastical, female led book.
The lore and history of The Tapestry was implemented into the story at key moments that helped you to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of the land and its inhabitants.
Each character was rich with personality, quirks, personal challenges, and it was great to see their arcs progress.
I’d love to dive into the second book to see what’s next for this unique band of raiders. Well worth the time to invest in this series in my opinion!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Orbit Books for a copy!
The lore and history of The Tapestry was implemented into the story at key moments that helped you to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of the land and its inhabitants.
Each character was rich with personality, quirks, personal challenges, and it was great to see their arcs progress.
I’d love to dive into the second book to see what’s next for this unique band of raiders. Well worth the time to invest in this series in my opinion!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Orbit Books for a copy!
September 10, 2025
My rating 4 25
RTC
RTC
October 1, 2025
A fun romp! Easily digestible, inoffensive characters, and a straight forward plot. In many ways, a combination of these three characteristics could be a negative. But Ford does keep you entertained and have you keep reading, and there's a few solid moments in there.
December 9, 2025
This was a fun read/listen. Took a bit for me to get fully invested, and there were pacing issues—very slow parts!—but the payoff was absolutely worth it.
November 9, 2025
This is the first book by Jackson Ford that I have read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
This is a fun, fast-paced, thrilling fantasy with a strong cast of powerful women. I loved them all. Oh, and there's a giant fire-breathing lizard.
I whizzed through this and will definitely be reading the next in this series. Unfortunately, it's not published until next year.
This is a fun, fast-paced, thrilling fantasy with a strong cast of powerful women. I loved them all. Oh, and there's a giant fire-breathing lizard.
I whizzed through this and will definitely be reading the next in this series. Unfortunately, it's not published until next year.
August 5, 2025
Buckle up as Jackson Ford takes you on a wild and exhilarating ride with the The Bone Raiders, Book 1 of The Rakada series. Set in a brutal world of warrior clans, the story follows a group of bad ass female nomads who will defend the Tapestry against the new Great Khan. The new Khan plans to expand his kingdom and intends to wipe out all raiders. What follows is a heart pounding action sprinkled with comical scenes that includes a colossal fire breathing lizard!
If you want a fierce, fast-moving fantasy filled with wicked humor, and chaotic, morally tangled, fiercely loyal women, this one is for you!
I highly recommend this to everybody!
Thank you Netgalley and Orbit Books for providing the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
If you want a fierce, fast-moving fantasy filled with wicked humor, and chaotic, morally tangled, fiercely loyal women, this one is for you!
I highly recommend this to everybody!
Thank you Netgalley and Orbit Books for providing the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 16, 2025
I love the concept of this book. A group of warrior raiding women and fire breathing lizards? I mean, sign me up!
I’m just not sure the execution was fully there. It took me a while to get through this book, to the point I didn’t really want to pick it up. It started off with high stakes and then the pacing dropped off.
The characters were fun. I loved each of the women and their different personalities. However, for them being a tight knit group, they didn’t seem to be particularly loyal to each other. The world building also seemed to be lacking. Hopefully with this being a series, the next book will be able to expand on it more.
Still debating if I’m interested in continuing the story or not.
Thank you to NetGalley an Orbit for an eARC!
I’m just not sure the execution was fully there. It took me a while to get through this book, to the point I didn’t really want to pick it up. It started off with high stakes and then the pacing dropped off.
The characters were fun. I loved each of the women and their different personalities. However, for them being a tight knit group, they didn’t seem to be particularly loyal to each other. The world building also seemed to be lacking. Hopefully with this being a series, the next book will be able to expand on it more.
Still debating if I’m interested in continuing the story or not.
Thank you to NetGalley an Orbit for an eARC!
December 15, 2025
Hello everyone!🙃
Today is #review day!😌
From me, #theboneraiders by Jackson Ford gets 3.75 ⭐ 🥳
General info : 1st in an adult epic fantasy series inspired by Mongolia’s history, setting and culture; a high fantasy full of baddass women that decide their own future from the back of fire-breathing lizards 👀😆; a character driven story about defending your way of life.; sapphic rep and disability rep ( mute character)
CW: lots of violence, murder, mutilation, animal death ; classism
BOOK THOUGHTS
This was an interesting title 🧐. It took me a while to get used to the writing style ( up until our 3rd POV made an appearance on page), but after that I got immersed in the narrative.☺️...if you’re wondering 👀..that’s 25%😅.
As you can see a little from the synopsis, the writing is a bit more vulgar than the norm of your average fantasy book.😅..also, a little bit more direct.🤭
Don’t let that detter you from giving it a go, as I believe it’s well suited for the POVs we’re following and the action-packed story we have here.
We follow 3 main perspectives: Sayana, our Rakada scout from the synopsis, Hogelun - the cook/ muscle of the group ; and Yesuntei - the right hand of the Great Khan.
In terms of character work..the beginning felt a little rough for me, mainly due to the writing. From the get-go we have strong personalities ( we see that in the way they think, speak and act), but they're also presented as stupid 😅..for lack of another term.🫣
Idk why this choice was made, or if anyone else read it like me, but I didn't understand why Sayana was thinking and talking like that.
Despite her admitting she hasn't thought this through and that she usually doesn't 😕, she's extremely stubborn and easily driven to catastrophic decisions🥲.
I'd be honest, she's not my favorite by far 😅...the top was for a long time as follows : Yesuntei, Hogelun, Khun, Tuya and Sayana...with the first 2 switching places around 70%. 🤷🏼♀️
Sayana may very well be the reason why I needed so much time to get invested 🤣.
Anyway, the author reveals info about the MCs in snippets throughout the story, and that's true for motivation as well...we get a reason for everyone...but it does feel a little flimsy in the beginning 👀...in my opinion 🫣.
Hogelun...well, she's my fave🙃...I really enjoyed how she was developed alongside the plot and how her relationship is the catalyst of her growth as a person. She starts as just some muscle needed for the squad to be complete, and evolves into a veritable leader when it comes to some aspects of the group's dynamic.🥰
She's naive, loves deeply, is very forgiving of those important to her, loyal and trustworthy, but also extremely violent, easy to anger and brutal when she wants to😂.
For the last MC, we have Yetunsei 😌...and please call her your local psychopath 😅...and yes, I know what i said above 🫣...she was indeed my favorite for a long time.😆
You can say that's mainly because she was the most logical 🧐; I understood why she was thinking like that ; I understood her 'loyalties'😅, I admired her love for family and yes, I agreed with her on many things 🤷🏼♀️...after all, I don't think raiding people is OK, and I do prefer a nation to be strong and united under one banner for the good of the people.🧐
Between me and you 👀...I think she was written that way intentionally, as to slowly reveal the psychopath.
When it comes to Khun... I thought she will remain a comedic relief with unpredictable behavior, but I was pleasantly surprised ☺️..and deeply saddened 🥹...and yes, Yetunsei lost nr 1 because of something related here.🥲
The others, the chief - Chimeg and Erhi, are well-rounded but don't stand out in any way 😕...I appreciate the way in which these 2 were used close to the end...but I don't really have an attachment to either of them.
Overall, the character work is what's standing out from this book.🙂 This is a story driven by the motivations, and through it, the actions of the MCS, but it's not some complex thing where you need time to get your bearings 😂...just a fun story easy to read and very enjoyable.😉
The atmosphere and the action are well done and despite this being the first fantasy title of the author, the book has distinctive scenes where you can feel the suns, the desert, the lack of life, so on and so forth 😁.
Logic isn't the strongest thing for our Raiders 🤣, but we find it in Yetunsei and Chimeg ; while the rest are quite 😶...full of imagination and hope😅.
The plot itself it's relatively simple in the beginning, and gets a little bit more complex with each chapter. Again, no overly complicated or confusing, but fun and intense, with little amount of predictability here and there.😁
In terms of themes addressed : we have the desire of holding on to your roots, to your way of life and the need to live as you want..mistakes and all.
In this category, I am and I'm not convinced 😕...not sure why, but someone as Sayana..with her background and lack of thoughts doesn't strike me as the leader I'd choose for such a thing 🤷🏼♀️..anyway, I definitely will read the sequel 👀..the ending was 😏🤌
I'm very interested to see how Hogs will move on from the events of this 1st book, how the group's dynamic will adjust, what Tuya will do next and how Sayana will respond to those last words addressed to her in the epilogue.
As a final critique : I'd wish the morally grey aspect of our characters to be a little bit more defined🧐.
In conclusion, I highly recommend you try this if you enjoy character-driven action-packed stories, new settings for your fantasy and baddass women with questionable morals.
Today is #review day!😌
From me, #theboneraiders by Jackson Ford gets 3.75 ⭐ 🥳
General info : 1st in an adult epic fantasy series inspired by Mongolia’s history, setting and culture; a high fantasy full of baddass women that decide their own future from the back of fire-breathing lizards 👀😆; a character driven story about defending your way of life.; sapphic rep and disability rep ( mute character)
CW: lots of violence, murder, mutilation, animal death ; classism
BOOK THOUGHTS
This was an interesting title 🧐. It took me a while to get used to the writing style ( up until our 3rd POV made an appearance on page), but after that I got immersed in the narrative.☺️...if you’re wondering 👀..that’s 25%😅.
As you can see a little from the synopsis, the writing is a bit more vulgar than the norm of your average fantasy book.😅..also, a little bit more direct.🤭
Don’t let that detter you from giving it a go, as I believe it’s well suited for the POVs we’re following and the action-packed story we have here.
We follow 3 main perspectives: Sayana, our Rakada scout from the synopsis, Hogelun - the cook/ muscle of the group ; and Yesuntei - the right hand of the Great Khan.
In terms of character work..the beginning felt a little rough for me, mainly due to the writing. From the get-go we have strong personalities ( we see that in the way they think, speak and act), but they're also presented as stupid 😅..for lack of another term.🫣
Idk why this choice was made, or if anyone else read it like me, but I didn't understand why Sayana was thinking and talking like that.
Despite her admitting she hasn't thought this through and that she usually doesn't 😕, she's extremely stubborn and easily driven to catastrophic decisions🥲.
I'd be honest, she's not my favorite by far 😅...the top was for a long time as follows : Yesuntei, Hogelun, Khun, Tuya and Sayana...with the first 2 switching places around 70%. 🤷🏼♀️
Sayana may very well be the reason why I needed so much time to get invested 🤣.
Anyway, the author reveals info about the MCs in snippets throughout the story, and that's true for motivation as well...we get a reason for everyone...but it does feel a little flimsy in the beginning 👀...in my opinion 🫣.
Hogelun...well, she's my fave🙃...I really enjoyed how she was developed alongside the plot and how her relationship is the catalyst of her growth as a person. She starts as just some muscle needed for the squad to be complete, and evolves into a veritable leader when it comes to some aspects of the group's dynamic.🥰
She's naive, loves deeply, is very forgiving of those important to her, loyal and trustworthy, but also extremely violent, easy to anger and brutal when she wants to😂.
For the last MC, we have Yetunsei 😌...and please call her your local psychopath 😅...and yes, I know what i said above 🫣...she was indeed my favorite for a long time.😆
You can say that's mainly because she was the most logical 🧐; I understood why she was thinking like that ; I understood her 'loyalties'😅, I admired her love for family and yes, I agreed with her on many things 🤷🏼♀️...after all, I don't think raiding people is OK, and I do prefer a nation to be strong and united under one banner for the good of the people.🧐
Between me and you 👀...I think she was written that way intentionally, as to slowly reveal the psychopath.
When it comes to Khun... I thought she will remain a comedic relief with unpredictable behavior, but I was pleasantly surprised ☺️..and deeply saddened 🥹...and yes, Yetunsei lost nr 1 because of something related here.🥲
The others, the chief - Chimeg and Erhi, are well-rounded but don't stand out in any way 😕...I appreciate the way in which these 2 were used close to the end...but I don't really have an attachment to either of them.
Overall, the character work is what's standing out from this book.🙂 This is a story driven by the motivations, and through it, the actions of the MCS, but it's not some complex thing where you need time to get your bearings 😂...just a fun story easy to read and very enjoyable.😉
The atmosphere and the action are well done and despite this being the first fantasy title of the author, the book has distinctive scenes where you can feel the suns, the desert, the lack of life, so on and so forth 😁.
Logic isn't the strongest thing for our Raiders 🤣, but we find it in Yetunsei and Chimeg ; while the rest are quite 😶...full of imagination and hope😅.
The plot itself it's relatively simple in the beginning, and gets a little bit more complex with each chapter. Again, no overly complicated or confusing, but fun and intense, with little amount of predictability here and there.😁
In terms of themes addressed : we have the desire of holding on to your roots, to your way of life and the need to live as you want..mistakes and all.
In this category, I am and I'm not convinced 😕...not sure why, but someone as Sayana..with her background and lack of thoughts doesn't strike me as the leader I'd choose for such a thing 🤷🏼♀️..anyway, I definitely will read the sequel 👀..the ending was 😏🤌
I'm very interested to see how Hogs will move on from the events of this 1st book, how the group's dynamic will adjust, what Tuya will do next and how Sayana will respond to those last words addressed to her in the epilogue.
As a final critique : I'd wish the morally grey aspect of our characters to be a little bit more defined🧐.
In conclusion, I highly recommend you try this if you enjoy character-driven action-packed stories, new settings for your fantasy and baddass women with questionable morals.
August 29, 2025
3.75 stars
Thanks to NetGalley and the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
This was my first Ford book, but it won’t be the last. I had so much fun with this book, and at the same time, we have some really deep themes here, and the author does an amazing job mixing the two, because we have a lot of fun and a lot of WTF moments, but at the same time, the serious themes are well developed and seamlessly woven into the story. The author didn’t make fun of them, and they are not thrown in your face. I was quite impressed by this part, even if, to be honest, this wasn’t my favorite part. Because yes, things get even better!
Because this is how you write a book with animals. The wondering, the magic of it… it was just *chef kiss*. And yes, this was, by far, my favourite thing in the whole book. And okay, that the arataan (I hope I wrote it right!) is not your usual animal, it’s not a dog or a cat or a raven, nope. We’re talking about a giant lizard that can spit fire. But that’s just making the whole thing more epic! And that’s how you treat animals in books. Please, dear authors whose dogs always die in your books, take note. This is how you do it. Thank you.
And now back to the book. In here, women rule, and that’s it. Our group of raiders is all women, and they are all amazingly well-developed. Every one of them has her own personality, and they all feel like real people. But we have also not raiders people in there, even if they are our MCs, and I have to mention Yesuntei, because… I didn’t really like her, but she is cunning, resourceful, and so cold. I am not sure if admiration is the right word here, but sure as heck, I respect her. But my favourite is one of the raiders. Kuhn is just… Kuhn! I guess that, in some respect, she is the most complex in a group of complex characters, but she is the perfect mix of fun (a ton of that) and heart-wrenching (also, a ton of that). Ford went all in with her. And I loved her!
But let’s not forget that our characters aren’t exactly the good guys here (or the good girls in this case, but it doesn’t sound so good) because they are raiders. And sure, they go at it the smart way, they are sort of Robin Hood-esque raiders, they don’t kill for the sake of it, they try to keep the violence at a minimum, and they built a reputation to have that make the majority of the work for them. But still, they kill and they steal, so… not exactly a knight in shiny armor.
It’s also true that on the whole, they are not the bad guy either (always keeping in mind all the previous points), but even here… things are debatable. Things are more complex than they appear at first sight. And it was surprising.
But “surprising” it’s a good word to describe this book. I don’t really know what I was expecting when I first started it, something fun with characters that weren’t the good guys (again, good girls don’t sound good… at all!), but aside from that, I didn’t have expectations. But this book has some really epic moments. Those moments that made you widen your eyes and made you go “wow”! And I treasured them. So much!!
And again, as I said before, we have some serious topics here, but while I was expecting the part about good vs bad, I wasn’t expecting to find such a vivid representation of toxic relationships here. I was not ready for it, and I was, once again, surprised.
I think this book packs quite a lot of things: we have action (a lot of battles!!), we have epic moments (quite a lot of them, to be honest), we have hilarious moments, and we have some heartwrenching parts. We have interesting characters and a good plot (with some unexpected twists), and we have a giant spitting fire lizard!!!
Thanks to NetGalley and the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
This was my first Ford book, but it won’t be the last. I had so much fun with this book, and at the same time, we have some really deep themes here, and the author does an amazing job mixing the two, because we have a lot of fun and a lot of WTF moments, but at the same time, the serious themes are well developed and seamlessly woven into the story. The author didn’t make fun of them, and they are not thrown in your face. I was quite impressed by this part, even if, to be honest, this wasn’t my favorite part. Because yes, things get even better!
Because this is how you write a book with animals. The wondering, the magic of it… it was just *chef kiss*. And yes, this was, by far, my favourite thing in the whole book. And okay, that the arataan (I hope I wrote it right!) is not your usual animal, it’s not a dog or a cat or a raven, nope. We’re talking about a giant lizard that can spit fire. But that’s just making the whole thing more epic! And that’s how you treat animals in books. Please, dear authors whose dogs always die in your books, take note. This is how you do it. Thank you.
And now back to the book. In here, women rule, and that’s it. Our group of raiders is all women, and they are all amazingly well-developed. Every one of them has her own personality, and they all feel like real people. But we have also not raiders people in there, even if they are our MCs, and I have to mention Yesuntei, because… I didn’t really like her, but she is cunning, resourceful, and so cold. I am not sure if admiration is the right word here, but sure as heck, I respect her. But my favourite is one of the raiders. Kuhn is just… Kuhn! I guess that, in some respect, she is the most complex in a group of complex characters, but she is the perfect mix of fun (a ton of that) and heart-wrenching (also, a ton of that). Ford went all in with her. And I loved her!
But let’s not forget that our characters aren’t exactly the good guys here (or the good girls in this case, but it doesn’t sound so good) because they are raiders. And sure, they go at it the smart way, they are sort of Robin Hood-esque raiders, they don’t kill for the sake of it, they try to keep the violence at a minimum, and they built a reputation to have that make the majority of the work for them. But still, they kill and they steal, so… not exactly a knight in shiny armor.
It’s also true that on the whole, they are not the bad guy either (always keeping in mind all the previous points), but even here… things are debatable. Things are more complex than they appear at first sight. And it was surprising.
But “surprising” it’s a good word to describe this book. I don’t really know what I was expecting when I first started it, something fun with characters that weren’t the good guys (again, good girls don’t sound good… at all!), but aside from that, I didn’t have expectations. But this book has some really epic moments. Those moments that made you widen your eyes and made you go “wow”! And I treasured them. So much!!
And again, as I said before, we have some serious topics here, but while I was expecting the part about good vs bad, I wasn’t expecting to find such a vivid representation of toxic relationships here. I was not ready for it, and I was, once again, surprised.
I think this book packs quite a lot of things: we have action (a lot of battles!!), we have epic moments (quite a lot of them, to be honest), we have hilarious moments, and we have some heartwrenching parts. We have interesting characters and a good plot (with some unexpected twists), and we have a giant spitting fire lizard!!!
October 20, 2025
I was very impressed with the first twenty pages, and thought it would be a good time with funny moments and quick-paced action, but it let me down in all of those aspects. Yes, it is adventurous, but not in an entertaining way. This was such a chore, even reading ten pages took forever. It took me just over 9 hours to read 400 pages, and at times it felt like homework. I was really just trudging through it just so I could mark it as read. I desperately didn't want another DNF this month.
The use of original Mongolian words was just stupid, there are italicised words in the book that refer to items that have a different name than in English. But there was just too little variety, the word "deel" was used 74 times the book. Do you really need to describe someone's clothes 74 times?! The same goes for a certain word for a tent and a special liquor.
While I enjoyed the representation of a character using sign language, I'm of the opinion a different kind of representation was too heavy-handed. I won't go into it because it's a mild spoiler.
Also, I desperately want a book in which the author takes a risk, and this was not it. This book has a lot of fights, and still when it comes to truly dangerous situations, the right people always make it out just fine.
It's just aggressively mediocre. I won't be picking up the sequel.
The use of original Mongolian words was just stupid, there are italicised words in the book that refer to items that have a different name than in English. But there was just too little variety, the word "deel" was used 74 times the book. Do you really need to describe someone's clothes 74 times?! The same goes for a certain word for a tent and a special liquor.
While I enjoyed the representation of a character using sign language, I'm of the opinion a different kind of representation was too heavy-handed. I won't go into it because it's a mild spoiler.
Also, I desperately want a book in which the author takes a risk, and this was not it. This book has a lot of fights, and still when it comes to truly dangerous situations, the right people always make it out just fine.
It's just aggressively mediocre. I won't be picking up the sequel.
November 28, 2025
About half way through I thought this was going to be a solid 3 star read. Nothing amazing, but decent enough.
How you make training giant fire breathing lizards so they let you ride them boring, I don’t know. But here we are.
Not only did the training itself take a backseat to the vague threads of a plot, nothing happened with the training for most of the book - it tolerated their presence and didn’t kill them - and then all of a sudden the main character could not only ride it, but somewhat control it and communicate with it.
If the book had been full of watching the araatan slowly let them approach, then it letting them mount her, then them finally getting to ride it and train it, that would have been so cool. But instead the training was just them getting the araatan used to them and then the riding was in the final 50/60 pages. It was so disappointing.
The rest of the plot was incredibly generic and there was nothing new or interesting.
The deaf rep was awesome but somehow I wasn’t even little bit surprised that the character who betrayed all the others was the deaf character. It was disappointing. Tho honestly, the fact that there was a betrayal was disappointing overall.
The beginning of the romance between Sayana and Tuya was mostly awkward and ridiculously shoehorned in.
The resolution of the story was disappointing, it wasn’t at all exciting and was exactly what you’d expect to happen.
I kept reading because I kept hoping that it would get interesting and there would be some forward momentum with the plot. I’m not going to be continuing with the series.
As an aside, I’ve been disappointed with the first two choices of the Epic Fairyloot sub and I’m really hoping the next one is better.
How you make training giant fire breathing lizards so they let you ride them boring, I don’t know. But here we are.
Not only did the training itself take a backseat to the vague threads of a plot, nothing happened with the training for most of the book - it tolerated their presence and didn’t kill them - and then all of a sudden the main character could not only ride it, but somewhat control it and communicate with it.
If the book had been full of watching the araatan slowly let them approach, then it letting them mount her, then them finally getting to ride it and train it, that would have been so cool. But instead the training was just them getting the araatan used to them and then the riding was in the final 50/60 pages. It was so disappointing.
The rest of the plot was incredibly generic and there was nothing new or interesting.
The deaf rep was awesome but somehow I wasn’t even little bit surprised that the character who betrayed all the others was the deaf character. It was disappointing. Tho honestly, the fact that there was a betrayal was disappointing overall.
The beginning of the romance between Sayana and Tuya was mostly awkward and ridiculously shoehorned in.
The resolution of the story was disappointing, it wasn’t at all exciting and was exactly what you’d expect to happen.
I kept reading because I kept hoping that it would get interesting and there would be some forward momentum with the plot. I’m not going to be continuing with the series.
As an aside, I’ve been disappointed with the first two choices of the Epic Fairyloot sub and I’m really hoping the next one is better.
July 12, 2025
** I received an advanced copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is scheduled to be published on August 12, 2025 in the US. **
Possible Triggers:
Death | Assault
Summary:
Fun new fantasy that reminds me of the humorous vibes in “The Blacktongue Thief” and “Kings of the Wild”. Get ready for an exciting round of (not so terribly well thought out) hijinks by the Rakada (an all female group of raiders) against a Khan trying to unite his nation. This book follows multiple PoVs (3) throughout the story.
Characters:
Khunbish was absolutely fantastic. Every time she made an appearance it was an absolute delight - the cackles that I cackled reading her antics. I would be excited to learn more regarding the back stories of Chimeg and Erhi. Can't quite decide if Hogelun or Sayana are the Himbo’s of the group… honestly they both did some particularly stupid crap because of ~*feelings*~.
Positives:
+ Mongolian inspired nomadic peoples? SO COOL!
+ DRAGONS?! Dragons as epic mounts to possibly be ridden into battle?! The possibility of training montage!!!? Hell yeah for training wild beasties and the many many negatives that can entail.
Negatives:
- Pacing was a little weird in the book. You start off very fast; lots of action, immediate high stakes and action, and then it slows to a crawl for a significant portion of the book in the middle before picking up again for a large-scale battle at the very end. While I understand why the pacing slowed down; it seemed mostly like character building in the center, before dealing with the conflict of the story; it still felt like the timeline did not match up with the urgency of the threat.
- I felt that the main two raider POV’s were kinda, flimsy? So much time was spent talking about their building of relationships with other characters but that in itself felt so very flat; Sayana particularly. You don’t get a lot of character background information which (maybe) will get mentioned in the next book so understanding the characters motivations for things can absolutely get clouded.
Final Thoughts:
I really really enjoyed the beginning and also the end of this book. The large scale battle scenes were SO MUCH fun. I loved seeing the Rakadas' problems with raiding as a small group, training wild beasts, and dealing with all the semantics of outfitting their group. Solid real concerns that a lot of times I feel like aren't talked about in fantasies. Not all problems are fantastical, some are just logistics, and I loved that this was included so well in the story. On the flip side, I didn't particularly love the relationships in the book. For such a supposedly loyal and close knit group, they didn't particularly seem terribly loyal or close. Since we get to see behind some of the characters' thoughts regarding events happening in the book this made it even more frustrating. Motivations for things were either hidden (maybe book two?) or fuzzy. I enjoyed this book overall and am interested enough to want to continue reading the next book, but I very much hope that the pacing and character interactions/relationships feel more real. More dragon and dragon battles, and less shallow piney attraction please!
Possible Triggers:
Death | Assault
Summary:
Fun new fantasy that reminds me of the humorous vibes in “The Blacktongue Thief” and “Kings of the Wild”. Get ready for an exciting round of (not so terribly well thought out) hijinks by the Rakada (an all female group of raiders) against a Khan trying to unite his nation. This book follows multiple PoVs (3) throughout the story.
Characters:
Khunbish was absolutely fantastic. Every time she made an appearance it was an absolute delight - the cackles that I cackled reading her antics. I would be excited to learn more regarding the back stories of Chimeg and Erhi. Can't quite decide if Hogelun or Sayana are the Himbo’s of the group… honestly they both did some particularly stupid crap because of ~*feelings*~.
Positives:
+ Mongolian inspired nomadic peoples? SO COOL!
+ DRAGONS?! Dragons as epic mounts to possibly be ridden into battle?! The possibility of training montage!!!? Hell yeah for training wild beasties and the many many negatives that can entail.
Negatives:
- Pacing was a little weird in the book. You start off very fast; lots of action, immediate high stakes and action, and then it slows to a crawl for a significant portion of the book in the middle before picking up again for a large-scale battle at the very end. While I understand why the pacing slowed down; it seemed mostly like character building in the center, before dealing with the conflict of the story; it still felt like the timeline did not match up with the urgency of the threat.
- I felt that the main two raider POV’s were kinda, flimsy? So much time was spent talking about their building of relationships with other characters but that in itself felt so very flat; Sayana particularly. You don’t get a lot of character background information which (maybe) will get mentioned in the next book so understanding the characters motivations for things can absolutely get clouded.
Final Thoughts:
I really really enjoyed the beginning and also the end of this book. The large scale battle scenes were SO MUCH fun. I loved seeing the Rakadas' problems with raiding as a small group, training wild beasts, and dealing with all the semantics of outfitting their group. Solid real concerns that a lot of times I feel like aren't talked about in fantasies. Not all problems are fantastical, some are just logistics, and I loved that this was included so well in the story. On the flip side, I didn't particularly love the relationships in the book. For such a supposedly loyal and close knit group, they didn't particularly seem terribly loyal or close. Since we get to see behind some of the characters' thoughts regarding events happening in the book this made it even more frustrating. Motivations for things were either hidden (maybe book two?) or fuzzy. I enjoyed this book overall and am interested enough to want to continue reading the next book, but I very much hope that the pacing and character interactions/relationships feel more real. More dragon and dragon battles, and less shallow piney attraction please!
October 19, 2025
3.75 stars! RTC
June 16, 2025
First and foremost I’d like think NetGalley and Orbit books for the iconic opportunity to read this book early. I am forever thankful ❤️
My review is an honest reflection of my feelings towards this book.☺️
When I got a little birdie telling that this book is FairyLoot’s Next Epic Fantasy Choice aka from the amazing @theautumnbookreads I thought it was my responsibility to read my ARC and let people know my thoughts on this book. And it was an honor to serve those asking for thoughts about this book 🫡
This book in short is: A adrenaline fueled funny as hell ride with a group of iconic characters as they fight to maintain their ways of life against a man whose soul mission is to conquer the Tapestry and eradicate those who don’t conform to idea of a the perfect empire.
These badass women absolutely stole their ways into my heart and had me giggling through out my reading of this book with their dialogue. The cast was so well balanced loved by me for their distinct and unique personalities and when, Princess ,a huge ass fire breathing lizard was introduced, girl I was gone with this book.
I honestly cannot wait to see what’s next for these badass warriors in their journeys. I just know it’s going to be even more iconic ❤️🔥
Would I recommend it? Yes yes yes and yes. I’m not an epic fantasy reader but this might just turn me into one ❤️
I hope you all check out this book in August when it’s released. You won’t regret ☺️
My review is an honest reflection of my feelings towards this book.☺️
When I got a little birdie telling that this book is FairyLoot’s Next Epic Fantasy Choice aka from the amazing @theautumnbookreads I thought it was my responsibility to read my ARC and let people know my thoughts on this book. And it was an honor to serve those asking for thoughts about this book 🫡
This book in short is: A adrenaline fueled funny as hell ride with a group of iconic characters as they fight to maintain their ways of life against a man whose soul mission is to conquer the Tapestry and eradicate those who don’t conform to idea of a the perfect empire.
These badass women absolutely stole their ways into my heart and had me giggling through out my reading of this book with their dialogue. The cast was so well balanced loved by me for their distinct and unique personalities and when, Princess ,a huge ass fire breathing lizard was introduced, girl I was gone with this book.
I honestly cannot wait to see what’s next for these badass warriors in their journeys. I just know it’s going to be even more iconic ❤️🔥
Would I recommend it? Yes yes yes and yes. I’m not an epic fantasy reader but this might just turn me into one ❤️
I hope you all check out this book in August when it’s released. You won’t regret ☺️
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