Bone of My Bone

by Johanna van Veen

Bram Stoker Award–nominee and USA Today bestseller Johanna van Veen unveils a sapphic folk-horror tour de force—perfect for fans of The VVitch and The Salt Grows Heavy. A skull's grin is eternal…

The year is 1635.

Sister Ursula, a young nun fleeing the ruins of her convent, and Elsebeth, a sharp-witted peasant, escape a band of marauding soldiers and disappear into the Bavarian forest. War scorches the land, and no one survives it alone. Amid the devastation, they find something in the arms of a dying the gilded skull of a saint.

It is said that if you reunite the saint's skull with her body, a wish will be granted. Desperate for salvation, and each with secret desires of their own, Ursula and Elsebeth follow a ragged map across the blighted countryside. But darkness follows them. A necromancer, drawn to the relic's power. The saint herself, whispering at night. And as the lines between blessing and curse blur, the women must face a harrowing the magic they seek comes at a cost.

At the journey's end, they'll face an impossible choice—one that could tear apart everything they know… or bind them to each other forever.

Genres: Horror, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Lesbian, Historical, Adult, Queer

350 pages, Paperback

Expected publication May 26, 2026

About the author

Johanna van Veen grew up in the Netherlands with her two sisters. She received an MA in English Literature with a specialization in early modern literature, as well as an MA Book and Digital Media with a specialization in early modern book history.

Reviews

[Sidney · Rating 3 out of 5]

my first dive into Johanna van Veen & it definitely won't be my last. the concept was interesting, I loved the setting, the gothic tones & the horror aspects were done pretty well.

that being said, I found Ursula & Elsebeth to be...underdeveloped?? I think for me the story started to lose me with the romance. I did not pick up from the synopsis that this was going to be so romance forward, which is probably on me. I'm not a romance person even more so if it's a "insta love" kind of situation which is what this was.

I wish we had gotten to actually know our characters, or at least made it more of a subplot vs a big focus, instead of just throwing them into this insta love relationship...the romance kind of took over the main plot the further the story goes on, at least for me.

I found Otto & the necromancer much more interesting & would have really enjoyed reading their POVs more. If this had leaned into the darker side of the setting & the whole "we're running through the countryside with a random magical skull while a necromancer is on the loose after us" plot this might have been a five star read

I think those who enjoy romance will definitely eat this up but for me I'm landing on a 3.5 ✨

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review

[Sam’s Sapphic Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s a certain level of expectations you set for authors once you’ve read one of their books, but I’m not sure if that’s ever possible with Johanna van Veen’s stories. She creates a certain level of grotesque imagery that I’ve never read before, certainly not with the vivid details she creates.

First, let’s start with the POV’s. There are three main characters you follow. Ursula, a papist (roman catholic) nun whose innocence is what seemingly gets her into the most trouble. Elsebeth, a peasant farm girl who has no family left. And Otto, a soldier whose horrible sins could fill a book.

Something I caught onto within the first few chapters is that only Elsebeth’s POV is in first person while the other two MCs are in third person. Even now I can’t figure out why this is so, but there must be a meaning behind it.

As crazy as this may sound, this is a love story. One where nothing, not even God, could stop it from happening.

I thought I would be able to prepare myself for the amount of detail I would read about rotting bodies, but of course I still found my jaw dropping while following their story. It takes a certain ability to be able to create a folk horror such as this and not leave out the sort of sickening details that were put into Bone of My Bone to the point where it’s disturbing. But oddly enough I like it?

Johanna van Veen has a way of creating a story that just leaves you with more questions, I think a specialty of hers. It’s quite obvious though that she does her research on history, something I respect when creating a story such as this.

Obviously, this is a work of fiction and many of the things that went on in this are not things that can truly happen. But, people in the 1600’s did believe they could.

I’m creeped out, have so many questions, and wish there was more because of the open ending. What I do know is that I also liked it, a lot.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC, a truly terrifying book indeed.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a creative read! This novel had combined folk horror elements I’ve not read before. Those elements worked for the world building in creating a world I would definitely want to read more about. The pacing was excellent and had me eager to read the next chapter. The ambiance was fairly dark, although they did seem to have mostly good weather. The characters were well developed and interesting. I thought a nun might be bland, but she wound up being more spicy than expected. I would highly recommend this!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Ayeley 𐙚 ·˚]

ꫂ᭪݁ pre-read ꫂ᭪݁

I got the arccccc 🤏🏾🤏🏾

I need a lesbian gothic fantasy to pull me out of this slump

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book marketed as a folk horror set during the 30 year war with a nun and a farm girl trying to reunite the skull of a saint with its body? Needless to say, I was on board from the get go.

Van Veen's major strength is being able to transport you fully to whatever period and location her books are set in. I could vividly imagine every terrifying and gruesome thing she writes about in this book. Sometimes enough to put me off my lunch 😂 I mean that as a compliment. This is by far her most gruesome book, but for the setting I think it works immensely well.

My second favourite thing in each of her books, especially this one is her characters. They always have such interesting backstories and motivations. I had a real soft spot for Sister Ursula. I have recently discovered I love a complicated nun character and hope to read more nun stories following on from this read.

I don't want to spoil too much for anybody but I absolutely loved the villain in this. I was so glad it hadn't been mentioned elsewhere and it was a surprise to read.

I would recommend this for fans of Now She is Witch by Kirsty Logan, The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling and Slewfoot by Brom.

Thank you to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC

[Promise Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book sent me on a journey, with a peasant girl and a nun.
Elsebeth the peasant girl and Ursula the nun, come across a skull they believe to be a saint, and they are on a mission to return the skull to its body. They believe they will get a wish, their hearts desire if they can accomplish their mission.
The whole book was entertaining, we also get some spicy scenes as well.

[nightmarebees (jackie) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 full rtc but though i have legit issues with the pacing, i did really enjoy myself

[Azhar · Rating 4 out of 5]

a solid 3.75 stars. the sapphic romance felt a little rushed for me but i mean i was all here for it, let’s go lesbians, let’s go. that old timey early century era works really well with horror (look at lapvona & the starving saints) and like those two, i had a pretty good time reading this one too.

thanking the publishers & netgalley for the ARC!!

[Nic]

LOVE

[Caitlin Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Poisoned Pen Press for the e-arc!

My 3rd 5 star from this author!

Johanna van Veen is my all time favourite author, and this book definitely solidified that for me!

This book has themes that I have been waiting for to be included all in one book. And it really did not disappoint.

I have huge interests in the Middle Ages, religion, LGBTQ representation, body horror, necromancy and all that fun stuff, and all of this was included in this.

Now, this novel definitely hits on some heartstrings with some incredibly heart breaking themes and subjects, so please check TW before going into this.

I adored everything about this book! I loved the use of the language but also made much simpler for me to understand easier. The dark, gritty setting of early modern Germany. Everything was described in such detail that I didn’t even feel like I was reading but instead watching this play as movie in my head the whole time.

The folklore was also something I found so interesting, I always am so fascinated to learn about folk tales from different countries. I loved Johanna’s take on these creepy tales and I ended up writing the stories into my journal and doing more of my own research!

This book is so beautifully written, I teared up whilst in Caffè Nero and the staff definitely gave me some weird looks 😬😅

I always love Johanna’s characters too, they genuinely feel like real people to me and I always love get so emotionally attached to them, so whenever anything bad happened I instantly felt so choked up and almost scared to continue reading with fear of what may happen next but at same time I just cannot stop reading?!

I never like to go too much into detail in my reviews as I don’t want to spoil anything. But for those that a love gut wrenching story line, sapphic yearning and body horror, I can guarantee that ‘Bone of my Bone’ will not disappoint.

Mein Liebchen 🖤

[sznn.plnk ☀️🌿 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

4.5 stars rounded up.

Where to even begin...
Joanna Van Veen is one of the few authors to write books so perfectly attuned to what I want to read, probably at all times.

This novel is a stunning blend of history, horror, religion, and speculative elements. As someone who grew up Catholic, I enjoyed the attention paid to creepy details about Catholicism, that are usually forgotten, (cloistered orders, incorruptible saints. When I was a child, my mother literally had a piece of bone in a locket, from some saint or another) I enjoyed this rendition of religion as being real, yet not in the typical sense.

The romance between the two women was slightly rushed, but I was able to overlook it throughout the rest of the story, because their love was so compelling. Their understanding of one another, despite coming from different sects was beautiful, especially in the backdrop of such a terrible war.

[Halie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5✨️

this was definitely interesting. i preferred the authors earlier works to this as the more gothic horror vibes i think worked better for the style of books but that isnt to say this wasnt enjoyable.

it was unique, that is for sure, and i was interested in the story and the characters. characters were a shining part of this book, the plot sometimes was a bit loose but i kept reading due to characters

[kiki’s delivery witch ౨ৎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, Johanna van Veen is back at it with making sapphic folk horror her entire personality at this point (I'm here for it, obvs) even if it leaves me staring at the ceiling at 3am wondering about saints and skulls.

This one's set in 1635 Bavaria during the Thirty Years' War (because nothing says romance like marauding soldiers and plague-ravaged villages, right?), following Sister Ursula, a young nun who's just escaped her convent before soldiers rape and pillage it (if the plague doesn’t get there first), and Elsebeth, this sharp-tongued peasant farmgirl who somehow becomes her ride-or-die. They stumble onto a gilded saint's skull from a dying man, complete with a creepy old map promising a wish if they reunite it with the body. Cue the road trip from hell: a necromancer on their tail, a dead boy who wants a ride home, undead folklore vibes, and a whole lot of ambiguity.

The romance between Ursula and Elsebeth is the beating (rotting?) heart of it all, slow burn devotion that escalates into full-on codependent madness, where true love looks a lot like picking nits out of your girlfriend's hair by candlelight. It's intense, tender, and horrifying in the best way; van Veen's prose is lush and poetic, dripping with that foggy, forested atmosphere that makes you feel like something's watching from the trees. The body horror and religious dread? Exquisitely gruesome without going full splatterpunk.

Flaws, because nothing's perfect: the middle section meanders a bit through the war-torn countryside folklore dumps, and I could've used more depth on that pursuing necromancer, he felt like a tantalizing side villain. Still, the themes of desperate salvation, hidden desires, and what you'd sacrifice (or become) for the person you love hit hard. It left me craving just a tad more chaos at the end.


- Sapphic slow-burn in historical hellscape
- Folk horror quest gone wrong
- Codependent girlfriends vs. the apocalypse
- Saintly relics with dubious magic
- Necromancer antagonist energy
- Religious horror
- Isolated war-torn villages full of omens
- "I'd defy God for you" vows
- Atmospheric whispery dread overload

If you're into queer gothic horror that feels like The VVitch had a baby with a forbidden nun-peasant fanfic, check this out when it drops in May.

[Annelise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elsebeth is a farmgirl whose life has been upended by the war. Ursula is a nun who is saved by Elsebeth from a soldier's attack. The two come across a dying soldier who gives them a skull and a map, telling them that it belongs to a saint and that she needs to be reunited with her body. The religious Ursula knows that helping a saint can grant a wish, and wanting nothing more than her family back from beyond the grave, Elsebeth joins her to find the saint's body. Unfortunately for the two women, the Bavarian countryside is haunted by revenants, and someone who made a deal with the devil is searching for the same skull.

No one's doing Gothic horror quite like Johanna van Veen. When it comes to beauty in the grotesque, lovingly-described corpses, and vivid lesbian cunnilingus scenes, van Veen is bridging a gap between classic writing and modern sensibilities. While she admits that she's avoiding time period appropriate homophobia in 'Bone of My Bone', I never felt as if it was unrealistically avoided--Elsebeth and Ursula keep their affection out of the public eye, and with famine and war around every corner I don't think getting angry about two young women holding hands would be anyone's top priority, anyway.

While 'Bone of My Bone' is equally grotesque and romantic, my favorite parts of the novel were the Germanic undead folklore and the reverence towards the dead. As the specter of death falls all over a Germany torn apart by the Thirty Years' War (which van Veen provides some helpful facts about before the story properly begins, helping to dress the setting), the women encounter restless souls along their journey. An encounter with a young aufhocker is both terrifying and tragic, especially when he leads the two back to his grave.

Without spoiling too much, I also found the book's villain a really fun character. Fabulously sinister, in a way that really commands your attention whenever the point of view character is talking about him.

'Bone of My Bone' is the kind of horror book that sticks with you after you've read it, much like an afterimage after pressing against your closed eyes with your palms. Johanna van Veen is a rising star in modern horror.

[jules · Rating 4 out of 5]

thank you netgalley and poisoned pen press for providing this arc!

have you ever read a book and you can just FEEL the dirt underneath the character’s fingernails? every inch of this book was riddled with rot and bodily fluid, but that’s what made it so special. not every horror book gives you contamination fears like this one gave me. as i continued to read, there was never a moment where i didn’t imagine all the characters covered in a layer of grime. mixed with their own natural oils and dirt they fall face-first into constantly, there’s also a lot of focus on rotting flesh that makes you quite squeamish when you think too much about it.

during the 30 years’ war, sister ursula (running to safety from her cloister convent that was invaded by protestant soldiers) and elsebeth (a farmer girl searching for her aunt) cross paths and find themselves on a mission through the bavarian forest to reunite a saint’s skull with the rest of her body. in exchange, they each get a wish. both girls want to wish for something different, but will battle a necromancer and their own lesbian tendencies before the journey is over.

overall, this book was a story about devotion and how far you’re willing to go for the person you love. it was almost inspiring how much determination these girls had, especially with all of the roadblocks they hit on the way. a massive feeling of dread filled me whenever anything good would happen because i knew half a page later that sister ursula and elsebeth would have to face another challenge. despite it all, their devotion to each other was above all things.

this is my first johanna van veen book and i will be picking up the rest of them. i can sense that she will become an instant-read author for me very soon.

[Y.N. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the eARC

'Bone of my bone' is a folk-horror story set in the time of the Thirty Years War, in Bavaria. The setting did feel nicely researched despite the liberty taken. The focos on the lived in experience of the people rather than the politics of the war or the soldiers was, I think, a highlight in the approach.

Religion takes an important place in this story, since it was such an important topic and grounding reality for the time. I must say I do struggle with this side of things, simply because of how faith can still be used as a rejection and violent tool. That being said, Johanna Van Veen knows what she is doing and use faith as an interesting entry point to a larger array of human experiences and struggle.

The sapphic romance was cute. I wasn't that invested in it, because it came quickly and with a few trappings I don't really fall into, but it still had a nice ring to it.

The pacing was a bit of a struggle for me, especially because I wasn't that invested in the characters or the plot. It is quite a basic plot, though with an nice twist at the end.

The strength of this book relies on the crudeness of the period, violence and pain infiltrating every homes and every lives, making our characters' journey a haunting one. I did enjoy Otto's perspective, they had something of a hook that went a little deeper for me, even though I didn't really cared for him.

All in all, I quite enjoyed this book. I might check Van Veen's other works!

[Glance Ghoulish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historical Horror with Folklore at its core and a Sapphic romance that unfurls and wraps you up within it.

Praise to Johanna Van Veen who forever steals my heart with every single novel she writes.
Bone of my bone is so different from her other titles and it was so wonderful to delve into history with her on this one.

I connected with the characters immediately and didn't want to break away from their story at any point, feeling myself being called back to the book at any spare moment. The multiple POV's blended seamlessly and I didn't find and of them less compelling.

The creatures from within Germanic folklore were also all totally new to me and I found them and the lore around them so enthralling, such brilliant additions that I again can't get out of my head the Aufhocker and that little story thread was just *chefs kiss*

Johanna writes about several topics that would have been extremely controversial in the time period of this book, but without confronting some of the harsh realities so that we can sink in to the love of the story.
However she does delve deep into the difficulties of living during the Thirty Years War so doesn't hold back when it comes to the horror/gore aspect, which again just made me adore it all the more.

Goodness me Johanna, what a story. I can't wait for this to be released so that I can shout it from the rooftops and recommend it to everyone.

Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC copy of this title.

[Kendra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bone of My Bone is a haunting, highly original historical fantasy that feels like a breath of fresh air in the genre. Set against the backdrop of 1600s Bavaria, it follows a nun and a peasant girl on a grim but strangely beautiful quest to reunite a saint’s skull with its body.

What struck me most was how Johanna van Veen balanced the bleakness of the setting, including disease, folk monsters, and religious conflict, with the deeply endearing relationship between the two leads. It reminded me quite a bit of Leigh Bardugo’s The Familiar and had the same vibes as the Sworn Soldier series by T. Kingfisher novel. I truly never knew where the story was heading, and I enjoyed how it sidestepped overused tropes.

Moving between the multiple points of view made it easy to feel a huge amount of compassion for the main characters, including Otto. They are all suffering under their own burdens, and their struggles felt lived-in and real. The relationship development was handled so well, focusing on the internal shifts of the characters rather than an external view of their relationship in society, which the author states as intentional in her notes.

It’s a bit heartbreaking at times, but ultimately a very rewarding read. If you’re looking for a historical fantasy that leans into folk horror while maintaining a core of genuine human tenderness, I highly recommend this one. I would give it 5/5 stars.

[The Belladonna · Rating 3 out of 5]

“For as long as I am with her, Earth itself is Heaven. I love her.”

One saint. One sinner. One skull.

Bone of My Bone is due for release on May 26, 2026.

Johanna van Veen brings us a sapphic folk-horror set in Germany during the Thirty Years' War, 1635. Here, a young Sister Ursula meets the formidable Elsebeth as they both race for their lives from relentless soldiers. They come across a dying man who gives them the skull of a saint and tells them that if they reunite the skull with its body, a wish will be granted. The pair faces many obstacles and enemies on their journey, including a nachzehrer (vampire-like revenant), an aufhocker (shapeshifter), and a necromancer. Will they succeed in their plight? At least they have each other through it all, a bond that grows stronger as the devastation builds.

Gruesome, haunting, yet at times romantic, van Veen delivers a gut-wrenching storyline with historical fiction vibes. This book talks a lot about religion, specifically Catholicism and Calvinism, and its language captures the era, immersing readers in a distinctive experience.

“I am likely Hell bound too, we shall be damned together. But first, we live."

A big Thank You to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for gifting me this advanced copy. It was an absolute pleasure to read and review this book.

[Liberty Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bone of My Bone was an entertaining read, but I'm conflicted on how I'd rate this overall. On paper it checks all my boxes for what I love to read, and it certainly delivers on what it promises. It handles a lot of dark subject matter, and I appreciated the author taking the time to address that in the beginning authors note and trigger warnings list. I loved the atmosphere, which for me felt like being dropped into the POV of a peasant in a Witcher game with all the emphasis on folk horror and constant worrying about corpses coming back to life. The care taken to reflect on how the peasant population is forced to deal with war and brutality really stuck with me.

My only real issue was pacing, and I think it kept me from getting completely invested in these characters that I otherwise really liked. From start to finish it just felt like things were moving very fast; the main characters get attached to each other very quickly despite being on opposite sides of an idealogical (and actual) war that has effectively torn their lives apart. On one hand it made sense that these two women left to fend for themselves would trauma bond with anyone that offered some sense of comfort, but it was still a bit jarring how quickly they became inseparable. The traveling was also a bit confusing; while I know they had to travel quite a distance in this quest they're on it felt like a lot of the time was handwaved. I'm not sure how this would be solved without really padding out the page count and potentially killing the pace but it just felt like so much happened in only a couple of days. While they have to deal with many tragedies along the way they always seem to accomplish their goals without a lot of hardship, which didn't help how quickly we move through the story. By the time I reached the end it kind of took me out of what was meant to be a very emotionally charged moment.

For all its flaws I still had a good time, so I think I'd rate this at 3.5 or 4 stars. For people that enjoy reading this sort of subject matter I think there's a lot to get from this story and I can think of a lot of people I'd recommend it to. Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC!

[mars · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me start off by saying that Johanna van Veen has quickly become one of my favorite authors. This is the second arc of hers that I have received and I was thrilled!
Bone of my Bone follows Elsebeth, a spirited and somewhat jaded farmer whose family has been taken from her because of the war. She crosses paths with Sister Ursula, who is more than happy to meet a kind person in the hellscape she’s been in. They quickly become entangled in a quest to try and mend some of their traumas with the help of a saint’s skull.
The imagery and gore is off the charts. Don’t read this if you're squeamish about the human body and the many ways it can decompose. I had to put the book down a few times because it was so graphic. I really enjoyed the folklore elements spun into this world paired alongside the nearly constant fight between good and evil with religion. I liked the author’s choice to leave out homophobia in this world as I think the girls were going through more than enough.
This book definitely hits home when it comes to women’s trauma, religious trauma, and the pain that it sometimes is just to be alive. It packs a serious punch and I’ll be thinking about it for a long time.
I’m rating it 4 instead of 5 just because the relationship was a little insta lovey and I feel like maybe the characters could’ve been flushed out a little more personality wise.

[Hunty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arc. Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an ARC of this title in return for an honest review!!

Bone of My Bone is one of my most anticipated releases for 2026 after reading Blood on Her Tongue in 2025. Johanna van Veen chooses the best settings for her stories. Plague-era Bavaria??? I’M IN! I thoroughly enjoyed the folk-horror aspect to this story and the interweaving of actual folklore cryptids like the Nachzehrer and Aufhocker were so fun to read about! I love how disgusting and gruesome van Veen’s description of putrefaction and gore are medically correct and disturbingly accurate!

I deducted a star merely for pacing as it seemed like the plot just moved way too quickly and didn’t take its time to breathe. But I’d counter that with the very fact that I enjoy van Veen’s work for her characterizations, character banter, and startling death scenes more so than the actual plot!! So take that critique with a grain of salt LOL!

Overall I had a great time meeting Elsebeth, Ursula, the Necromancer, and Otto as well as many of the minor characters of this story and am hoping we get more from this universe 👀👀👀👀👀

[Savana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am going to start by saying that Bone of My Bone was incredibly difficult for me to assign a star rating to. There were numerous parts of this story that I absolutely devoured; however, there were also sections I found to be underdeveloped.

This was my first novel written around German folklore, and I was so intrigued. The gothic themes, horror, and lore were beautifully done. The sections of this book that were centered around the folklore were fast-paced, and I truly did not want to stop reading. On the other hand, I found that the relationship between the two FMCs,s Elsbeth and Ursala, was underwhelming and underdeveloped. I found myself wishing there was more to their love story. I believe that the author did a great job telling the women's stories individually; however, in terms of their connection, it was very insta-love, which I did not find fit well within the story.

Overall, I did enjoy my time reading Bone of My Bone, and I would recommend it to gothic, horror, and folklore lovers. The story is set in the forests of Bavaria, which was a refreshing location to read about, as there are not many books set there.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book, described by its author as a folk horror, takes place in Bavaria in the 1600’s during the Thirty Years War. Sister Ursula is saved from a grisly fate by Elsebeth when soldiers run rampant committing atrocities against the land and its people. The two woman have a chance encounter with the skull of a Saint and with the promise of a wish if they can reunite the Saint with its body, they team up on a gruesome adventure filled with monsters, necromancers, gore and a healthy dose of love and lust.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read and review this book which I am giving 3⭐️.

This is absolutely a book to check your trigger warnings before proceeding and there are quite a few of them listed. I did enjoy this book and all of its characters, yes even Otto the bad guy soldier was enjoyable at times. I don’t read an abundance of horror, but I found this to be relatively tame by today’s standards. If readers are ok with an abundance of religion and unattached body parts this sapphic love story might be a winner.

[Hannah Rebekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I finished this ARC, this is exactly what I posted on my Threads account, "Don’t even talk to me about Bone on Bone. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to read again." I think that pretty much sums it up.

As usual, Johanna van Veen does not miss. The style of writing, the flow of the writing, the storyline and the characters--all beautiful and delightful. Well, except for Otto and his gang, naturally. The two main characters were very engaging and I appreciated how much ground they found together despite some MAJOR differences. I will admit the book had me particularly stressed out at the end, but I wound up loving how it ended. It is also a rare book that made me laugh out loud, with Elsebeth threatening to eat finger bones. I had to stop and read that scene aloud to my wife.

I cannot and will not ever shut up about this book nor will I ever stop recommending it to everyone who ever lived ever. Johanna van Veen is an insta-buy for me and the books just keep getting better and better. I will be so thrilled to hold this in my hands when it comes out.

[GingerTea_tales · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was provided an arc from Netgalley, all thoughts are my own.

This is my first time reading a book by this author. I thought the premise was intriguing and very unique so was excited to apply for an arc.

From the very first chapter I was pulled into the author's vivid world building. The setting was bleak, brutal, and almost hellish.

I especially loved how the story unfolded through the perspectives of two women from completely opposite backgrounds, but together struggled to find something to hope for and love.

I will say one of the biggest surprises for me was the necromancer. Despite being positioned as evil, he ended up really staying with me. His insistence on holding Otto accountable, forcing him to confront his sins and openly shaming him was very satisfying.
I did enjoy reading their interaction more, the relationship between the two women did feel a little insta-lovy, but perhaps this was the author showing that people will cling together in times of desperation.

In the future I would like to read another book from this author.

[Brooke Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

This is an incredibly interesting read. I would like to preface this review by saying I am a huge fan of this author and found her other books to be truly spectacular reads, and while that isn’t to say this book is bad by any means, it just doesn’t quite measure up to how good the other two were, in my opinion.

I do really appreciate the level of research that went into this novel, as well as the astute commentary on religion, war, patriarchy,and their treatment of women, as well as bodily autonomy in general. I also enjoyed the portrayal of the queer relationship without persecution (somewhat) and them getting a relatively happy end. The writing is still of incredible quality, and I think ultimately it was just the more fantastical tropes that put me off this book, it leant more fantasy than gothic/supernatural which is what I was expecting.

I certainly still recommend and will always read what Van Veen puts out.

[Christine HorrorReaderWeekend · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a thrilling gothic/folk horror novel that contained all the themes I like: folktales, a quest, religious horror, zombies, revenants and necromancers, a sweet love story and unexpected twists.

In war-torn Bavaria, Elspeth, a Protestant farm girl and Ursula, a Papist nun in disguise, escape dangerous soldiers while on the road together. They escape and find a dying soldier with a saint’s reliquary. They decide to deliver this skull to its body and safety. But a witch necromancer also wants this skull and their paths will collide in a surprising twist.

The story was finely paced and the tension was high throughout the novel. The ending felt a little rushed and wanted to know more about the consequences of Ursula’s and Elspeth’s choices.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisonedpenpress for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the eARC!

I always know I can count on Johanna van Veen for a great sapphic horror book. This one felt like a romantasy (well, let's say historical fiction with some fantastical twists) with a side of folk and religious horror. I love the use of the folklore here, it explored monsters I hadn't heard of before, and they brought a very unique quality to the story.

Bone of My Bone was hard to put down, simply because I wanted to find out what would happen next.

The only negative I have to say is that the romance felt very rushed, especially seeing as how the two main characters had conflicting religious ideals. I'm also not usually a fan of switching POVs, but that is a personal thing. It did work very well for this story.

All in all, four stars for this book. I'll definitely pick it back up in the future.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

During the Thirty Years’ War, Sister Ursula is fleeing her destroyed convent and encounters Elsebeth who is running for her life as she escapes a band of soldiers. On a dying man, they find a delicately wrapped skull of a saint. It is rumored that if you return a saint’s skull to the body, you will be granted a wish. Guided by a map to the saint’s body, their journey clashes with dreadful horrors, both dead and alive.

The settings of van Veen’s stories are mesmerizing and feel like a character of their own. I was totally spellbound by the gothic magic of this story and appreciated the romantic storyline. As usual, van Veen has delivered another captivating tale.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy of this book.