Broken Souls and Bones

Stonegate #1

by L.J. Andrews

Together they’ll restore a divided kingdom—or burn it down—in this new romantasy from USA Today bestselling author and TikTok sensation LJ Andrews.

Lyra Bien intended to live a quiet life to avoid the attention of the magic-obsessed king in the fortress of Stonegate. Until Roark Ashwood—the prince’s silent guard and rumored killer for the crown—invades her village and uncovers the truth behind the silver scars in her eyes. To save her best friend from death, she’s forced to reveal her abilities, and is immediately claimed by the crown as the next melder.

To be the King’s melder is to be revered and feared in equal measures, but above all it is a slow death sentence. Lyra is determined to find a way to free herself and her friends from bondage. But first she must get more information from the silent, brooding sentry who first took her captive: Roark.

As Lyra gets closer to Roark, she soon learns he’s nothing like she assumed—and in fact everything she needs. The more they work as allies, the harder it becomes to ignore the growing passion between them. After a sinister truth is revealed, Roark and Lyra must choose to stand against all they know, or accept their dark destiny.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Fantasy Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Magic, Audiobook

480 pages, Paperback

First published April 29, 2025

About the author

Writing is a beautiful thing.

I consider myself blessed I'm able to do this for a living. I live for fantasy books as a reader and author. I adore books like An Ember in the Ashes, The Night Angel Trilogy, Harry Potter, The Great Library series...I could go on.

Before I write I have four young humans I keep alive and love them to the stars and back again. I live in Utah with my sexy husband, the kiddos, two paranoid dogs, and a sinister cat. Between finishing a second degree, running a business, and eating too much chocolate, I love writing early in the morning when no one is awake. If you can't tell, I basically function on caffeine.

Reviews

[Esta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantasy and romantasy is currently overrun with fae courts, dragons, vampires, and morally ambiguous shadow daddies trying to out-brood each other. And I love it, yet simultaneously, I’ve read enough of them to last me several reincarnations. So when Broken Souls and Bones introduced me to Viking-inspired fantasy romance, I perked up. Then I devoured it.

But Broken Souls and Bones didn’t just win me over with aesthetics. It felt fresh because it gave space for grief, silence, rage and softness, all coexisting without cancelling each other out.

What really stood out to me was Roark, the male lead, who communicates using sign language. It’s clear LJ Andrews put in the work to get it right. The signing is so vividly described, you can almost see his hands moving and feel the weight behind each gesture. As a non-speaking character, Roark isn’t reduced or romanticised. He’s a protector without being possessive, and emotionally present without being sanctified.

Furthermore, FMC, Lyra is anxious, introverted, and emotionally intelligent. Not the kind of FMC who’s “not like other girls,” but one who is like a lot of us. Her social anxiety isn’t framed as a flaw to be cured, it just is, and that’s what I loved.

Meanwhile, everyone has a take on the balance of enemies-to-lovers… whether it’s too insta-lust/love, too slow-burn, too much vitriolic enmity, not enough true enmity. We’re all just Goldilocks out here testing the porridge, hoping for the right temperature.

But perhaps timing isn’t the problem. Substance is. I don’t care if they kiss on page 50 or in book two, if there’s no emotional backbone, I’m out. But Broken Souls and Bones delivered a perfect amount of tension, ideological friction and payoff.

That balance is why I quietly bumped this book’s rating up to five stars when I couldn’t stop thinking about it a week later. LJ Andrews clearly knows how to balance fantasy and romance without flattening either. There’s texture and nuance. I’m surprised this book isn’t more talked about. I feel it’s one of the strongest romantasies I’ve read this year and I’ve read a lot of them.

I just need to give a shout out to the side characters because this book doesn’t waste its supporting cast on filler. Prince Thane is hilarious. Kael is Lyra’s loyal brother-from-another-mother. And there are multiple women — Emi, Yrsa, Hilda — who aren’t written as foils or competition for Lyra. They’re layered, loyal, flawed, and feel like they exist outside the frame. Just women supporting women, surviving brutal systems together.

The worldbuilding and magic system sealed the deal for me. To be honest, the first half is quite intricate and demanding but once you wrap your head around it all, the reward is worth it. The magic system feels really unique. Lyra’s power isn’t pretty, it’s horrifying and crunchy with consequences. I love magic that exacts a price, especially when it forces characters to grapple with power, morality and identity. That’s what made the worldbuilding and plot extra compelling.

Also, and I cannot stress this enough: no cringe nicknames. I was at peace.

And finally, FYI for my fellow animal lovers: no dogs or wolves die, even though there was an opportunity for that to happen earlier in the book. There are plenty of other content warnings though, so be mindful of that.

If you liked A Fate Inked in Blood or any other Viking-inspired romantasy, odds are this will work for you too. But even if Nordic-inspired romantasy isn’t on your radar yet, it should be. This was my first foray into it and I loved it. If you’ve been burned by too many copy-paste romantasies lately, give this one a shot. It surprised me with heart, weight and soul.

My heartfelt thanks to Penguin Random House Australia & NetGalley for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

My past three books have gone from Arthurian mythological retelling to reimagined Korean folklore, to Viking-inspired romantasy and it's been slightly confusing but great. RTC.

[Emily-Rose At The Rose House · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you loved A fate inked in blood or The road of bones, I’ve found your next read!

🦴 Viking mythology
💙Political intrigue
🦴Hidden powers
💙Body guard / forced proximity
🦴Enemies to lovers / slow burn🔥
💙Unique magic system

The realm of Stìgandr has been at war hunting for the missing Bone Melder. When the FMC, Lyra, is discovered, she is captured and taken to StoneGate to help strengthen the king’s army.

“Being a melder is nothing but a slow death sentence.”

The MMC, Roak, is assigned by the king to guard Lyra. Hello, enemies to lovers and forced proximity! 🔥

“Your soul is mine. I won’t lose it.”

Now, let me tell you, actions speak louder than words! The MMC Roak is mute due to a battle injury, so he uses a form of sign language to communicate. I LOVE how this puts an emphasis on other forms of communication, and it made for the most sizzling tension! 🙌🏼 “tap, tap, tap” 😭

“His silent words burned through me like liquid fire.”

A word of warning: The first 40% is heavy on world-building and establishing the magic system, please stick with it, the payoff will blow your mind! 🤯

The ending?! IM UNWELL and need book 2 immediately!

“Break me, I no longer care, as long as it is you who wields the destruction.”

Thank you, NetGalley & Penguin Random House, for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

It has been hinted that FairyLoot will be including this book as their May Romantasy pick!

[naz · Rating 4 out of 5]

“𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒅𝒐 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒑. 𝑵𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓, 𝒅𝒐 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒊𝒕. 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒚 𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒆𝒕. 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒚 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌.”

This book was so freaking fun! The world-building had me hookedddd, a world where people may have a lifehood of a craft (Bones, Blood, or Soul), but the King only wants the Mender by his side… and our beloved Lyra is one. She tries to hide the scars in her eyes that are a dead giveaway of her ability, but after getting caught and shipped to Stonegate, she’s assigned a bodyguard who just so happens to be the one who caught her in the first place. AKA INSTANT ENEMYYY… or is he?! 👀🔥

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒚 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒂𝒍𝒎 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒆𝒌. 𝑰 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒅, 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒔 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒅. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒅 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒂𝒑 𝒎𝒚 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔. 𝑹𝒐𝒂𝒓𝒌 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒙𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒖𝒕. 𝑷𝒖𝒍𝒔𝒆 𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝑰 𝒕𝒐𝒖𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝑨𝒔𝒉𝒘𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅. 𝑻𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝒕𝒂𝒑𝒔—𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒈𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒄𝒍𝒂𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒔 𝒉𝒊𝒔. 𝑰𝒕 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒆.

I loved how the author gave us this inner turmoil of whether Roark is truly an enemy or something more, especially since he fights for the Prince and the King. There’s so much mystery surrounding Lyra’s background and the ancient myths within the craft it was all so captivating, especially because Roark doesn’t speak. He uses hand gestures to communicate, which made every interaction and every inch of romance that much more intense. AGH 😩💘

Not only that, but having a dual POV gives you inside into what happens while Lyra crafts which trust me is like a whole new layer to the plot and Roark's true intensions. THIS BOOK HAS LAYERS OKAY AND I WANT THEM ALLLLL.

𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒕𝒐𝒐 𝒅𝒂𝒎𝒏 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒏, 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒕 𝒕𝒐𝒖𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒆, 𝒏𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒇𝒍𝒚, 𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒎 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏.

The plot and romance go hand in hand, because this world is anything but black and white. The political tension is intense, and just when you think you’ve got things figured out boom, you’re hit with plot twists that will make you go ?!?! HOWWW?? 🤯

If you loved Fate Inked in Blood or The Road of Bones, this book is absolutely in your alley ✨🖤

tropes
🦴 enemies to lovers
🦴 dual POV
🦴 forced proximity
🦴 bodyguard x mender
🦴 viking inspired
🦴 magic system society

⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.
➳ 𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱｡ꪆৎ ˚⋅
oh would you look at that, it's enemies to lovers and it's friday *do not disturb on*
received this as an arc and I adore LJ Andrews!!!!! SO!!!! OBVIOUSLY i'm excited

Thank you Berkley so much for my ARC in exchange for my honest review

[✨Julie✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

✩ 4.45 stars ✩

What to Expect:
➼ Forced Proximity
➼ Protective Bodyguard MMC
➼ Found Family
➼ Enemies-to-Lovers (ish)
➼ Forbidden Romance
➼ Touch Her & Die
➼ Court Intrigue
➼ Viking Inspired
➼ Bone Magic
➼ Hidden Identity
➼ Mute MMC/Sign Language Rep
➼ Dual Narration
➼ Dual First Person POV

This was so good! I’m seeing a lot of people comparing this to A Fate Inked in Blood, but I think this book might even be better! The world building and magic system were very unique and well developed, but I never felt like the story was bogged down with details. The FMC is a Bone Mender who has lived most of her life in hiding. When she is found by the King’s men, she is taken captive which starts what feels a lot like a classic enemies-to-lovers plot line but ends up being much more layered and complex than meets the eye.

Her magic is dark and gritty and exacts a cost. Her powers are rare and she is still exploring them so I think she will find that there is much more that she can do with her magic as the story progresses. There is a lot of mystery surrounding her and her past which also leaves a lot or room for the story to develop in very interesting ways moving forward.

There were a few plot twists near the end. I honestly saw them coming but I think that’s mainly because I’m so familiar with the formulas present in Romantasy books. Others might be more surprised. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Either way, they definitely took the plot in interesting directions and made me excited to continue the series.

What really stood out about this book was the MMC. He is her bodyguard and is very protective and possessive of her, which we LOVE. He was also mute which was a really unique and interesting inclusion and was frankly written in a way that made him extremely sexy. She almost innately understands him which gave their connection more credibility and his unspoken communication often somehow felt more direct and clear.

The book is also written in dual first person POV so you still very much get to hear his character voice through his chapters and get to learn his thoughts and motivations even before the FMC. I listened to the audio and it was absolutely phenomenal. The author used the same narrators as The Ever King series and they are both extremely good at what they do. I would definitely recommend listening to this one if you can!

It took me forever to write this review because I just genuinely liked pretty much everything about this book. This is Viking inspired, but as someone who doesn’t love Vikings in general, I think you will love this one whether you’re into Vikings or not. Just an all around great book and a very promising start to the series. It does end on a Cliffhanger so be forewarned that you’ll immediately be ready for book two!

✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼

Pre-read: After loving The Ever King, I am SO excited for this!

I have a good feeling about this one!

≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫

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[Laura Jane ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was good, but nothing spectacular. There were times I felt fully invested and then times where I felt really disconnected. It was enjoyable but also a bit of a let down at the same time.

What I enjoyed:
꩜ A unique plot and a Norse mythology inspired world.
꩜ Lyra is a likeable FMC who is both strong and soft.
꩜ Roark is possessive & broody, a good mix of what you want in an MMC.
꩜ I loved how the MMC was mute and the FMC understood his own sign language without having to learn it 🥹
꩜ Likeable side characters/found family.

What I didn’t enjoy so much:
꩜ The pacing was a bit off, it has one of those plots where lots happens but it doesn’t really feel like the plot developed at the same pace.
꩜ The two major plot twists I clocked onto very early so there wasn’t any shock factor towards the end.
꩜ The romance was good but it was a slow burn without the burn, their interactions were minimal from a tension perspective.

Unsure if I’ll carry on with the next book to be honest. I enjoyed the writing style but there was just too much missing for me to feel fully connected, which is such a shame because the premise of this one is great!!

[Krysta ꕤ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ☆

“A dozen words i wanted to whisper against her lips danced in my mind— she brightened my heart, my damn soul.”

Lyra is a bone melder, which is exactly what it sounds like: she can manipulate and use bones for a number of different things. Roark is a sentry to the prince and gets assigned to Lyra as her bodyguard. Lyra’s abilities make her a target, so she’s spent her existence hiding with the help of her brother Kael. i loved all the characters— Lyra, Roark, Kael, prince Thane, Emi and Yrsa. the friendships in here were unmatched, especially Roark and Thane’s bond. i seriously couldn’t get enough of Roark and Lyra’s romance too, it was beautiful. Roark doesn’t speak in the traditional way, but Lyra is always so in tune to his communication tactics and makes him feel so comfortable and understood. with the threat of Skul Drek and Lyra getting drained when she uses her powers, i was flipping pages like no tomorrow to see what would happen.. the ending didn’t disappoint.

“Free of the title of Sentry, of rescued Draven, of Death Bringer. In this moment, he could be worshipped as a man, as a lover.”

Im actually surprised by how much i loved this cause I dnf’d the authors other book (the ever king), but this one was made for me. it reminded me a bit of A Fate Inked in Blood, which i also gave the same rating. i love Viking stories and the romance between Roark and Lyra was everything i wanted it to be. the one thing i will say is that this has a more slower, gradual pacing but that didn’t bother me personally. every section of the story felt necessary and added to the set up and world building as a whole. the plot towards the end went in a direction that i should’ve caught on to but didn’t, it threw me off in the best way but now i NEED book 2!!

↠ many thanks to NetGalley, the author and Berkley Publishing Group for the arc, all opinions are my own.

[Liana Gold · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️4.5⭐️ What a breath of fresh air!! Broken Souls and Bones is a lusciously dark Norse inspired-Viking infused tale of bone, blood and soul magic, forbidden love and cursed fates. Get ready to be pulled in right from the first few pages. This tale is full of dark secrets, amazing world and magic building, a lot of court intrigue, a creepy phantom, amazing characters and ofcourse our favorite—a tension filled Viking romance between an introverted but fierce Lyra and a non-speaking, excessively overprotective bodyguard Roark.

In the world of Stonegate, a magic obsessed king is looking for a melder. Lyra Bien is a simple servant girl who wants to live a quiet life. She hides her true nature with a little trickery, but is herself unaware of her own powers. The princes silent guard—Roark Ashwood is the crowns silent killer. He raids her village, senses her out and captures her. The king offers her no choice but to accept her new position, or let her friends suffer. To free herself, she is forced to get closer to Roark. She assumes a lot of things about him but he proves to her that he is nothing like her assumptions. There is a growing passion between them that both can’t deny and as more truths come to light, they would need to face their fated destinies together.

Roark Ashwood is a man who perches heads of her attackers on palace walls to show her that she’s his and only his. He is someone who says nothing but does everything. He’s moody and broody, he’s morally grey but with sharp instincts. He is slowly climbing up my book boyfriends’ list as one of the most deadliest protectors. Oh and he’s a man who doesn’t talk. Since he can’t speak, this man uses his hands a lot —tap, tap, tap he’s got you in a chokehold.
TAP, TAP, TAP… MINE.

And the magic system? Completely new to me, very intriguing. VERY creative & you can just feel the Viking lore. It was incredible, it encompassed the rich tapestry of Norse mythology and Viking culture. It’s probably my most favorite mythology (followed by Greek). This book stood out from all others because of its richness of Viking beliefs, the atmosphere and love for blood, war and gore. It’s going to give you the feels along the lines of The Last Kingdom, The Vikings and Valhalla.

The ending is bonkers, leaving it all with a crazy cliffhanger that you won’t see coming.
This is a MUST read!
* Listen to Alexia Evellyn—“Savage Daughters”
* TfamilyRocky—“Dark Romance”

[✨⚡ Kelcey (felinebooktrovert) ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

A slow start with an explosive end.

I hate to say that this one dragged for me a bit. Some of the storyline didn't seem fleshed out as much as it could have been. While the magic system was really intriguing, we didn't really learn about most of it, only specific parts, and what we did learn about still felt like some details were missing.

And I'll say some of the twists really came out of nowhere and there wasn't really anything in the book that pointed to this being the twist or anything, so I feel like it was just decided at the end that this was what she was gonna make the twist without trying to leave any breadcrumbs.

But I did like the two main characters. Roark was a little different than your usual MMC and I really enjoyed that aspect, and Lyra was pretty great as well.

But the ending was amazing. Even though some of the twists were kind of meh and some of it you could see coming a mile away, it still had me at the edge of my seat. It definitely sets up for a great sequel so can't wait for that one and what else LJ might do with this universe ❤️‍🔥

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

[Rochelle ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

i was once told we never truly knew another soul until we saw the darkness they kept inside.

i’m kind of shocked at my own rating, as it took me some time to find broken souls and bones entertaining. the beginning is slow, as it unfurls the detailed world-building, introduces us to the characters and establishes the premise of this book. the magic system is incredible in its intricacies and there’s a lot of rich lore behind it that is so fascinating. once we’ve navigated the introduction, however, the remainder of broken souls and bones is fantastic—it’s contains action and adventure within the beautiful realms of stìgandr; unexpected dark secrets and hidden enemies; and one of the most intense, slow burning enemies to lovers romance, influenced by fascinating nordic and viking lore. the way lj andrews introduces broken souls and bones as the first installment of the stonegate series is both elaborate and immersive. i haven’t read lj andrews’ romances before, but her writing is detailed and the way she writes feels atmospheric and that everything contains purpose.

broken souls and bones begins with a prologue that’s vague however detailed and throws us into a heart-racing moment shrouded in turmoil and mystery. this book is lyra bien’s journey as she comes to learn her craft—the kind of magic the world carries and its people possess—and navigates her newfound life as the ‘melder’ for king damir at stonegate. there’s enemies lurking within the shadows, threatening to tear down the castle walls in an attempt to prevent lyra from using her new magic and lyra finds herself torn between following her duties and protecting the innocent. broken souls and bones unfolds in slow increments, but the bits of information we’re treated to is done so with reason and watching as secrets unravel themselves alongside the characters was captivating. every detail and every moment contained a purpose—sometimes we have answers to the reasons for unveiling the information, but there are still plenty of questions waiting to be answered!

her touch was still burned on me like it had burrowed into my skin and would never leave.

♡ lyra bien
lyra bien is cunning and intelligent, having lived unseen and forced to remain undetected due to the scars visible in her eyes. this characteristic signifies her abilities, her rare craft as the coveted melder who possesses all three crafts of bone, soul and blood. her gift doesn’t come without challenges however and her new title carries both fear and reverence in its name. she relishes her slow life in skalfirth, but when it’s upheaved lyra sacrifices it in exchange for her close friends to remain unharmed. i loved lyra’s quiet resolve, but this didn’t make her less dangerous or formidable, especially as her power manifests and strengthens in subtle ways throughout this book. one kind of female main character i love to read is someone who’s empowering and equally as fierce as the love interest—and lyra is the perfect balance and counterpart to roark ashwood. she undergoes an incredible journey of growth, as she learns and understands her unique powers, but this emboldens lyra and it’s refreshing to witness her embrace the new changes, rather than turn away from them. fear is something that lyra navigates in this book—of her power and the harm it could cause others—but her soft nature balances this. watching lyra grow as this book, with support from what started as reluctant allies to close friends, was wholesome and fantastic as she flourishes with time.

to claim something as his—a strike, a skill, a horn of ale—ashwood tapped whatever he wanted three times.

♡ roark ashwood
a man, especially a love interest, who uses actions instead of words to demonstrate his intentions will forever have me in the biggest chokehold! in roark’s case, he doesn't use speech but instead hand signals to communicate as he can't talk from an injury, making his gestures and intentions feel more deliberate, emotional and sincere. i knew roark ashwood would become a favourite of mine from the moment we’re introduced to this character—he’s morally complex and multi-faceted with dark secrets waiting to be learned. everything about roark and his actions held purpose, making his character development have more impact. roark maintains a command and presence over his men, able to retain the respect from them without issues, making him dangerous and threatening. as the book progresses, roark’s past begins to unravel allowing us to learn more about the man and his secrets. watching roark’s quietness transform from frightening intimidation into something softer, almost tender, was heartfelt as most of his change was directed towards lyra—he loves wonderfully and wholeheartedly, with intention and without abandon. i feel we’ve touched the surface of roark ashwood; there’s so much more to this man and his intentions hiding within the shadows.

pulse raising, i touched where ashwood held his hand. three taps—his gesture for claiming something as his. it meant mine.

♡ lyra bien + roark ashwood
i love a slow burn romance that is slow as it burns and unravels. i’m a firm believer that a proper slow burn allows us time to appreciate the growing affection between the characters, especially when they don’t like each other initially, providing the reader an opportunity to appreciate the romance more. the relationship between lyra and roark left me giggling and kicking my feet in absolute giddiness as, besides having a slow burn, featured enemies to lovers (my favourite), forced proximity, kidnapping and reluctant bodyguard—making the way these two unlikely characters fall in love all the more enticing. the notable time and dedication lyra put into learning roark’s hand gestures and language was heartwarming and the obvious realisation that he wouldn’t have to work as hard to be understood made me melt, as he’s often subjected to mockery by his fellow warriors! the effort both of them went into learning and understanding each other as individuals made their romance more heartfelt; the way they would fight for the other left me grinning in delight as there’s nothing better than a couple who not only protects each other, but fights together.

“you never truly know a heart until you see the darkness inside. i might like to see yours.”

♡ the side characters
well-established found families is one of my favourite tropes in fantasy as, when done right, side characters support and enrich the leading characters’ journeys and personalities, and lj andrews delivered! the bond shared between kael and lyra was touching with the way kael would go to great lengths to protect lyra and ensure her safety. she’d also do the same in return without hesitation, despite kael’s protests. what started as reluctant allies, i love that lyra was able to seek guidance and eventually have confidence and trust in thane and emi, who became her friends and comrades in battle.

break me, i no longer care, as long as it is you who wields the destruction.

i’m going to be feral, waiting for the second book in the stonegate series, with thoughts and theories swirling endlessly in my mind following the jaw dropping ending of this book. broken souls and bones is an enthralling introduction to lj andrews’ newest series, leaving me excited to see where lyra and roark’s journey takes them in the next book. i now have an extensive backlog of enchanting and immersive worlds to devour in the broken kingdoms and the ever seas series, as we wait with bated breath for the second book’s announcement!

────────────────────

˖⁺‧₊♡ pre-read review ⋙
i feel so loved and blessed because the publisher approved my arc request within minutes of submitting it! this book is one of my most anticipated reads of 2025 and penguin's out here making my dreams come true ✨️

a massive thank you to l.j. andrews and penguin random house for the gifted e-arc.

follow me on: instagram

[Paige]

This cover is so pretty 💙

Thanks NetGalley & Penguin Books Australia for the advanced copy

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

ok SO unfortunately I just feel like I didn’t have a chance in hell of fully enjoying this book without a masters in Scandinavian history / mythology because it felt like there was 0 worldbuilding before being skyrocketed into this 😎

HOWEVER…. if you do have any background knowledge on this topic you’ll maybe like it?? the action sequences were intense as balls and the plot twist was J U I C Y. there’s also a shadow daddy <3 kinda into it even though I had 0.2% of a clue as to what was going on the whole time <3

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Broken Souls and Bones (Broken Souls and Bones #1) by L.J. Andrews

Book Blurb:
Lyra Bien intended to live a quiet life to avoid the attention of the magic-obsessed king in the fortress of Stonegate. Until Roark Ashwood—the prince’s silent guard and rumored killer for the crown—invades her village and uncovers the truth behind the silver scars in her eyes. To save her best friend from death, she’s forced to reveal her abilities, and is immediately claimed by the crown as the next melder.

Rating: *****
Feels: Anticipation, Fear, Conflicted, Kinda burn the world down (do we have a single word for that?)
Style: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance Fantasy, Viking Fantasy
First published : April 29, 2025 : 480 pages Hardback

This book consumed me in the best way. Our MMC Roark is everything dark and delicious you could ever want in a Viking fantasy. Take touch her and die up a couple levels, add in dark soul obsession and that’s what you have here. Soooo here for it. Did I mention he can’t speak and uses sign language and that somehow makes everything so much more tangible and hot as f*. Lyra our FMC is smart, fierce and loyal. It makes for the perfect inferno in this book. Absolutely love the found family aspect of the story and our side characters easily make you root for them throughout. Emi is my favorite , another wicked fierce girl , so I have a type !!! The magic system and politics were fresh and fun. I ran out to buy this on release because all my friends were reading it and I was not disappointed. I will probably perish waiting for the next book.


Favorite Quote:
Tap
Tap
Tap
Mine
(I mean there is no other acceptable answer !!!)

This book has:
Strong FMC
Morally Gray MMC
Enemies to Lovers
Touch her and die
Found Family
Forced proximity
Hidden Identify
Body Guard
Politics
Villain gets the girl
Magic

[monica ✨ romantasyreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

if there’s one thing I love, it’s the bodyguard trope.

when lyra is discovered to be a powerful magic wielder, she’s taken by the power-hungry king to serve him and placed under the protection of roark. but lyra isn’t going quietly and she’s determined to get out of the king’s grasp.

i adoredddd this one. the magic system is super unique and again, the bodyguard trope gets me every time. lyra and roark’s connection was undeniable. i loved that roark used hand gestures to speak and unraveling all of his secrets!!!

the ending is action packed and i was truly on the edge of my seat and couldn’t put it down.

🎧 the audiobook was amazing. lindsey dorcus and will thorne brought these characters to life in a really engaging way. will’s accent for roark was so perfect. thank you PRH audio for the gifted audiobook!

thank you berkley romance and ace publishing for the gifted copy!!!

what to expect
⟢ fantasy romance
⟢ bodyguard
⟢ unique magic system
⟢ mmc who uses hand gestures to speak

[melhara · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5/5

I keep seesawing between a 1 and 1.5 rating for this book... I'm ultimately settling on 1.5 because having a mute MMC/love-interest who's in a position of power and relies primarily on sign language for communication is very refreshing to see in a fantasy novel.

Unfortunately, that is the only good thing going for this book. It was very hard to stay invested in the plot/story when I couldn't connect with the characters (and found them all to be incredibly dull).

Broken Souls and Bones was an extremely poor attempt at blending Shadow & Bone with A Fate Inked in Blood and The Bone Shard Daughter.

The magic system was convoluted and poorly executed, the worldbuilding was lackluster, the political conflict made me yawn, the characters were very dull and clichéd, and I hated the insta-love disguised as 'enemies-to-lovers'. The ending also had me rolling my eyes because I predicted the characters' secrets fairly early.

I don't mind the occasional info dumps but the first half of the book was pure info dumping that only served to confuse and was intentionally left vague so that more info dumping can occur at the end of the book to conveniently explain away the "plot twist". This just overly complicated the nonsensical magic system.

Keep reading if you want some more detailed complaints:

The confusing magic system
I tried really hard to make sense of the magic. It sounded straightforward at first - there are three types of magic crafts: bone, blood and soul. Ok, that sounds simple enough to follow, and kind of interesting, right?

Bone crafters can manipulate bone and their powers can be used for healing or "to heal, manipulate, or rot". Blood crafters uses blood (duh) for spell casts and rune work and "to heal, disease, or summon". Soul crafter takes power from the dead/souls "to protect, control, or destroy". Finally, there is a fourth and rare power - melder craft, which is a mix of all three crafts which presents itself via silver scars in the crafters' eyes. A bit vague... also bone and blood craft seem very similar but sure. Whatever. Those powers aren't important, because the FMC is a melder.

These power come at a cost:

"To harm the living, craft mirrors the pain.
To split the soul, craft sacrifices the blood.
To curse the body, craft devours the mind.
To bind dead and living, craft corrupts the heart."

Pretty ominous, but I get it. There needs to be limits to how much power people can wield.

Except... how the various crafts were wielded was poorly explained. Some of the sacrifices that come with using craft is demonstrated some of the time and completely forgotten about the rest of the time.

But what exactly does a melder do with their power to wield all three crafts? This is where things got confusing and was poorly explained. From what I gathered (I took copious notes), melders are rare and highly sought after people because they have the ability to meld soul bones (the bones and souls of dead people) into living people in order to give them more strength and turn them into stronger warriors. And so, Lyra is tasked with serving the King and helping him create an army of powerful soldiers.

But wait! There's more! Apparently the reason why they're at war is because the enemy nation is opposed to the use of melders. So every time Lyra melds, they somehow find out and would attack. To make things even more complicated, Lyra is haunted by the Skul Drek, one of the deadliest enemy warriors whom she seems to have a connection with (cue eye roll). Also, Lyra went from never using her power to suddenly being the most skilled melder to have ever existed (from her first time using her power!) I guess she just inherently knows how to wield the power with zero practice or training whatsoever.

You might like this book if my explanation above didn't confuse you at all. Now that the first 60% of the book is explained, let's dive into the remaining 40% of the book.

The insta-love and insta-friendships
It felt like Lyra went from being forcefully taken from her home (where she lived in hiding out of fear of being hunted down for being a melder) to immediately becoming bffs with the "enemy" and falling in love with her captor. There were no attempts made to develop the relationships between the characters. Instead, we're provided with lazy writing that consisted of the following:

"There was something like guilt that gnawed against me. Weeks here, and... some of it I did not despise. Emi. Prince Thane. Where I thought I would hate them, I dared consider them friends."

And that's how they became friends. Basically, we're supposed to fill in the gaps ourselves and allow character development and relationship building to happen over the course of one paragraph. This is the epitome of lazy writing because there was no banter, very few core moments between characters to develop their relationships, and just an over-reliance on the readers' suspension of disbelief.

Boring characters
The story is told in first-person POVs that alternate between Lyra and Roark's POVs. Both were extremely boring characters.

Lyra Bien - Lyra apparently spent more of her life living in hiding but that's all forgotten about the moment she leaves her home. There was zero character development. Her entire personality revolves around how quickly she's able to pick up sign language and her ability to meld, her deep attraction to the Sentry/Roark, and her confusion over the connection with Skul Drek.

Roark Ashwood - Also known as "the Sentry" or "Death Bringer". I love that he uses sign language and is the Prince's right hand man. All guards are required to know his basic commands and signals. He has a tortured and mysterious past and was adopted as a child from Dravenmoor (enemy nation) to serve Prince Thane of Jorvandal. Unfortunately, his muteness is the only thing that made him stand out as a main character.

Prince Thane of Jorvandal - He seems like a nice, decent and likeable guy. But he's also unmemorable.

Chaol Kael Darkwin - Lyra's foster brother. He is loyal to a fault but other than that, he has no personality, much like all the other side characters.

Emi Nightlark - a bone crafter from Dravenmoor who grew up serving Jorvandal and is close to Roark. Another dull character who manages to befriend Lyra.

Princess Yrsa - Prince Thane's betrothed.

Pacing
I was bored out of my mind for most of this book. Aside from the beginning (when Lyra was discovered), a brief conflict in the middle, and the ending (when there's a bit more action), nothing memorable happens. I was really tempted to DNF this book at the 40% mark, and then after each chapter thereafter.

tl;dr - this consisted of 60% of convoluted worldbuilding infodumps. The remaining 40% was a poorly developed romance with an ending that I predicted (according to my notes) 25% and again 51% into the book.

*All quotes are taken from an Advanced Readers Copy and may change prior to the release of the final copy.*

**I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for review consideration, but all opinions are my own.**

[Maeghan &#x1f98b; HIATUS on & off · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC! I was sooo excited to read this one after the praise Krysta ꕤ gave it 🤭

Dedication : « To those who won’t admit they wish the love interest was the villain every time. I see you. »

It was a really enjoyable read. I really hesitated between 3.75 to 4 stars but decided to settle on 4 because I really loved this one.

I think the characters were absolutely amazing. For a character driven reader - I was definitely served! Roark, Lyra, Thane & Emi were amazing characters. I really loved Kael at first but felt like he faded in the background at some point - I wish he would’ve kept his place in the story.

This was a fun story, there were some obvious plot twists and some less - making it well balanced. I do think the pacing was a little all over the place and there’s a lot of things that weren’t explained yet but I think it sets for a really good series.

The romance was DEFINITELY the strong point of this book for me! The slow burn was beautifully done and the dual POV added more layers to this story!

I really liked the last chapter - I think it ended on a strong note and made me excited for the next book!

« She knew how to become faceless in a crowd, never drawing the eyes of too many.
She kept drawing mine. » ❤️‍🔥 ugh MY HEART.

[Deniz · Rating 5 out of 5]

tap, tap, tap had me in an actual chokehold

Star Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 (4.5/5)
Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️(3/5)

Read the full review on my blog!

Synopsis
Lyra Bien has spent her life trying to remain unnoticed, but when Roark Ashwood—the silent sentry of Stonegate—arrives in her village, her secrets are exposed. Marked by silver scars and a forbidden magic, Lyra is forced to reveal her abilities to save her best friend, only to be claimed by the Jarl as the kingdom’s next melder.

Being a melder means wielding rare and powerful magic, but it also means being a tool of the king and a prisoner in all but name. Determined to break free and protect those she loves, Lyra seeks out the one person who might hold the answers she needs: Roark. The enigmatic warrior is feared across the kingdom, but as Lyra gets closer to him, she discovers he may be more than just a cold-blooded killer—he might be her only ally.

With secrets unraveling and a dark destiny looming, Lyra and Roark must make an impossible choice: fight against everything they’ve been taught or surrender to the fate that binds them together.

TLDR
If you like Norse-inspired fantasy with forbidden magic,  intrigue, and morally gray warriors, this one is worth picking up!

[Liz (lizzreadz) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️ Another banger from LJ Andrews!!

Ok first, can we talk about this magic system? SUCH a unique concept, even though it took me some time to wrap my head around certain parts. If you are a fantasy reader looking for something refreshingly different when it comes to the magic & world-building, then definitely pick up this romantasy!!

The romance plotline in this book has to be my favorite that I’ve read by this author. I always love a good forced proximity/bodyguard dynamic, especially in dual POV, and this one was no exception! I kept wanting to highlight whatever this MMC had to say about our FMC because he was truly down BAD.

This also had great found family and some lovable side characters that I hope we get to see in the rest of the series. I also really enjoyed the pacing of this one, and the plot twists and turns really kept me guessing. The last 10% of the book was just chock-full of reveals and after that cliffhanger, best believe I’ll be picking up book 2 when it’s out!

What you’ll find in this book:
• forced proximity / bodyguard
• bone & soul magic
• found family
• viking vibes
• sign language rep
• slow burn forbidden romance w/ spice (2🌶️)
• touch her, you die

And of course, a huge thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE LAST 10% >>>>>>>>

WOW 🤯

I enjoyed this for the most part but was also... bored? Idk if it was because of the MMC or what but I needed more tension. The magic and plot was pretty freaking cool though and I am intrigued for more because of that ending!

3.5⭐
-romantasy
-enemies to lovers
-bodyguard
-forced proximity
-captive
-morally grey mmc

[Clarissa Labue-Pham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Broken Souls and Bones is a good novel with lots of action and romance but it's not without its problems.

In this novel we follow Lyra, a rare melder who is whisked away to another kingdom to meld for the king. Her and her friends learn to adjust to their new kingdom while finding allies, making enemies, and trying to survive. Lyra becomes embroiled in a steamy romance with the one man she should hate, Roark.

While fun and fast paced with likable characters and your typical tropes such as found family and enemies to lovers I felt this novel could have been more coherent.

At times both the story and magic systems feel like a convoluted mess. A lot more clarity would have gone a long way. The fact that Roark can't speak and has to use sign language is an interesting detail and I like the representation but everyone understands everything he's trying to say like he's having an out loud conversation which makes me wonder what the point was. I also felt that at times, more often than not, the romance feels forced and contrived. These two are drawn to each other but we aren't given reasons why they really fall for one another, it's as if personality doesn't matter.

I know this comes off as harsh but I don't mean to be. I did really enjoy this novel, it was a fun fast paced book that had me constantly going back for more. The main characters were easy to love and the side romance is compelling. What this novel does well, it does very well and no matter what you will be entertained but I think there's a bit that could have been improved on.

If you're looking for a fun norse inspired romantasy this will do the trick, if you're looking for a romance with a deep soulful connection between the two lead characters you might want to look elsewhere because while this is technically enemies to lovers it's more insta love than anything.

For me this was a 3.75 which I'm rounding up to 4.

[Ashleigh (a frolic through fiction) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Broken Souls and Bones is an incredibly unique story that melds together the Viking vibes many love, and a dark magic system built from things better left alone. Discovering this world and its many factions of men trying to one-up each other was seamless, proving a dynamic that felt natural though entirely new.

As a fan of LJ already, this book felt like a fresh take on her typical Viking approach, leaning much closer to the likes of Danielle L Jensen’s A Fate Inked in Blood. Slightly unfortunate for me is that I don’t typically love the Viking vibe, but could bypass that with LJs other books as the characters always win me over. With this one…not so much. It leaned heavier on the Viking’s, and I found it a little hard to connect with the characters the same way I usually do. Some of the charm was missing somehow, but in its place was a world vastly expanded and magic much deeper than the usual. So it was a real hit or miss for me, but largely for personal vibe preference - I’m sure this will be one many read and adore.


[I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley]

[Aiste Tauras · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vikingų romantasy? I’m innn! Ir nesigailiu, kad mečiau savo suplanuotą TBR!

Nesitikėjau, kad viskas bus taip green flag💚 (bet ar tikrai?? 🤔)Roark ir Lyra turėjo labai gražią dinamiką, tik čia nebuvo jokio enemies to lovers, nes trauka buvo pajusta iškart, abu ten tik vaidino kad nenori krist į viens kito glebį😄 Jis turėjo to desperacijos chaoso jausmo, kas susije su ja, tai 🥵+ MMC kalba gestų kalba, kas 🥵🥵🥵, kai taip netyčia tik ant jos odos nori rašyt žodžius.

Labai įdomus ir kitoks magiškas pasaulis. Man mažas minusas buvo, kad knygoje daug įmantrių žodžių junginių 😆 Buvo kiek sunkoka įsiskaityti, daug dėmesio reikėjo. Bet pats pasaulis unikalus nuo pradžių iki galo. Tai pirma mano viking temos knyga, tai nežinau, kaip čia yra, bet viskas man buvo nauja, negirdėta, labai patiko!

Nenoriu nieko išduot, bet buvo tikrai neblogi plotwistai, vieną nuspėjau tik dėl to, kad autorė numetė užuominą ir gale susidėliojo taškai ant i 😄

Labai patiko!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Coffee&Cliffhangers · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Broken Souls and Bones" is my first book by LJ Andrews, but it will not be my last. This book has me hooked in anticipation for Book 2. Lyra Bien has a secret, one hidden within the silver scars in her eyes. She possesses the rare and powerful magic of a 'melder', with the gift of all three crafts: Soul, Blood, and Bone. However, this gift is also a curse as the King of Stonegate seeks to use it for his own purposes and power. Captured by the King's sentry Roark, Lyra becomes the King's 'melder' and is forced to use her magic to her own detriment. As she tries to save her friends from the King, she finds an unlikely ally in Roark. But as their secrets begin to unravel, they face a horrifying choice: to fight for what know or surrender to the fate that binds them together. Beautifully written, this story captivates through the characters and all they must endure as they fight for those they love. I was engaged throughout the entire book, blown away by the ending, and left eagerly awaiting Book 2.
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Erin (erinsreadingroom) · Rating 5 out of 5]

☆ 5 stars

“To claim something as his—a strike, a skill, a horn of ale—Ashwood tapped whatever he wanted three times."

📖 𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 448 pages
👤 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: L.J. Andrews
🏢 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫: Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House
📅 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞: 15 May 2025

What you can expect:
— Adult Dark Fantasy Romance
— First Person X Dual POV
— Enemies-To-Lovers
— Slow Burn Romance
— Hidden Identity
— Unique Magic System (Blood, Bone & Soul)
— Found Family
— Bodyguard Trope
— Touch Her And Die
— Villain Gets The Girl
— Non-Speaking MMC X Sign Language Rep
— Morally Grey Characters

𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: sexually explicit content, blood & gore, descriptive injury, mutilation of a child (past), threatened sexual assault, characters in peril and torture.

𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲:
Broken Souls and Bones is the first instalment in the Stonegate series by author L.J. Andrews. I am once again blown away by the magic that seems to spark upon Andrew's fingertips as she weaves the threads of this intricate tale into an elaborate and immersive reading experience. The setting of the world felt vast and I cannot wait to continue to learn more about the world and its inhabitants in the next book. I recommend reading the first 20% of the book at a gradual pace to best familiarise yourself with the magical system and all of its necessary components. The magic felt more extensive and exploratory than my previous experiences with the author and I loved getting to experience something new which also felt innately familiar. L.J. Andrews is my number one favourite author and it was a joy to discover something new set apart from her other book series' whilst following the familiar style of writing with the ease of returning home. Everything about the way this author writes feels atmospheric and purposeful as we are guided towards the end goal through mystery, magic and intrigue. The fast-paced writing left me enraptured in its clutches in its unwillingness to let me go, and nor was I willing to put the book down. The tumultuous tale that we stumble down is full of emotional found family ties, a unique cast of characters and an immersive storyline that will leave you vying for more. If there's ever a book that you are considering picking up in 2025... please make it this one.

𝐏𝐥𝐨𝐭:
Broken Souls and Bones begins with a heart-racing prologue which immediately thrusts us into a thrilling high stakes plot shrouded in mystery and despair. I was immediately invested and in desperate need of answers which I am thrilled to say were not a disappointment. I loved getting to follow Lyra on her journey as she is forced to better learn about her Craft; the type of magic that the people within this world possess. Unseen forces seek to tear down the walls of the kingdom in order to stop Lyra from using her magic through any means necessary, and suddenly she finds herself having to choose before the innocent and those she considers family. I loved how the plot itself was a slow-build as there is always more questions than there is answers. Every inch of development we are granted is filled with a purpose we are yet to learn, and I had a lot of fun seeing everything begin to unravel before our character's own eyes as lies and deceit begin to plague the caste they now call home. Friend, ally or foe... the truth is you never really know who can be trusted which made for a more thrilling reading experience. I've long learned to pay attention to the author's words as there is often subtle hints dropped into the dialogue so I was thrilled to accurately guess one of my theories. The aftermath of that theory, however, left me in shock. If anybody here watched Twilight: New Moon before reading the books and experienced the same level of shock that I did when Edward asked Bella to marry him just for the movie to end... yeah. That's how shocked I was by the end of Broken Souls and Bones. I'm talking jaw dropped, eyes practically bugging out of my head as my hand taps on my kindle in disbelief that it's the end. The identity of the villain completely blindsided me which was such an emotional rollercoaster to find myself on. I loved every single minute of this journey and I'm very excited to see where the plot will lead in the rest of the series. This book provided a lot of intrigue and build-up to the overarching plot, so I'm very excited to see it all come to fruition in the sequel.

𝐂���𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬:
Lyra Bien is a woman after my own heart who suddenly finds herself on a path of self-discovery after the majority of her life was spent living in lies and deceit. Suddenly the quiet life she'd relished in has been stolen from her by a kingdom that wishes to utilise the vast power in her veins regardless to whether she is willing or not... and Lyra will do whatever it takes to keep her loved ones safe. I absolutely adored Lyra's softness and quiet resolve that made her no less foreboding and powerful. Her strength manifested in subtler ways that was best suited to her personality and I really enjoyed getting to see her come into her power. I've always adored how author L.J. Andrews writes her heroines to be empowering as they are equally as fierce and powerful as their male counterparts. It's an equal give and taken which emboldens the women on their journey and it's refreshing to see them embracing their potential with the support of their close circle. Fear of her own potential was something that Lyra carries throughout the book and it was really rewarding to see her realise that she is the one in control of her power, and not the other way around. Her reluctance to do harm and compassionate nature made Lyra an easy character to fall in-love with and root for. Seeing her find her voice and an unlikely group of people to consider as not only allies, but also friends, was a wonderful development that I can see Lyra find herself in need of within the next book. She really comes into herself and flourishes as time within the story continues to progress and I adored seeing how her unwavering sense of love and loyalty comes back around in times of need. I really think we're going to get to explore a much darker side of Lyra's character in the second instalment of the series after that mind blowing ending... and I'm very excited to see where her journey will lead next as she delves deeper into her forgotten history.

Roark Ashwood was a character I knew I was destined to love from the very first moment we are introduced to his character. He has to be one of the most morally complex characters that I have ever read as I felt constantly in doubt of who his loyalties belonged to, which is saying something since Andrew's is already the creator of the iconic Erik Bloodsinger. His need to protect and brooding demeanour made him a difficult character to categorise and pin down per se... but I thoroughly enjoyed following Roark on his eventful journey from beginning to end. As a non-speaking character due to a previous injury that you learn more about as the storyline progresses, I found my experience with Roark to feel infinitely more emotional. Everything about Roark's words and the actions he took were done with purpose which made his development feel all that more impactful. His quietness progressed from frightening and intimidating into something soft and almost tender when surrounded by the few people that he loves. Roark's ability to command a presence and attain the respect of his peers was awe-inspiring and swiftly showed me upon introduction that he was a character to watch out for. I loved getting to know Roark more as his past began to unravel before his very eyes, and there was definitely some moments that left me audibly gasping with shock. The bonds he forged added much needed humanity to his character during the time we are meant to question his overall motives. I particularly adored his relationship with Thane as their bond was the perfect example that blood is not a requirement to make a family. Roark loves with intent and without abandon, and it was beyond thrilling to explore the unhinged lengths he would go in acts of defence of those loved ones. There is so much more of Roark Ashwood that we are yet to meet... and I'm going to be utterly feral in the wait for book two with my thoughts and theories on what will come next for his character.

𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭:
Broken Souls and Bones is a true enemies-to-lovers tale that had me giggling and kicking my feet from beginning to end. The romantic exploration between Lyra and Roark was a true slow-burn romance which I greatly appreciated as it provided the reader with the time to enjoy the progression from hate to love between two characters that logically should not fit, and yet in turn find themselves alongside their perfect match. The early attraction and yearning was written to absolute perfection as both characters battled with their inner emotional turmoil during a time when all they were determined to feel was animosity and rage. It makes the end goal all the more rewarding as we are taken on a tumultuous journey from beginning to end... and I truly think the romantic development between Lyra and Roark is my favourite to-date by this author. I adored how Lyra notably dedicated her time towards learning the language that Roark used with his hands so that she could better converse with him. It was such a beautiful moment to see Roark have that flare of recognition in his gaze and realise that he himself didn't need to work harder to be understood. His inability to verbally speak is viewed as a means of mockery and jest by those in a position of power and I hated that Roark was subjected to that behaviour. It helped make Lyra's keenness to learn how to seamlessly communicate with him all the more impactful, and I just adored her tentative progression with Roark as she began to understand that there was more to him than she initially taught to believe. Lyra and Roark took the time to truly know and understand each other as individuals which added a beautiful vulnerability to their relationship and aided in the believability of their romantic connection. The way they are willing to fight for the other left me constantly grinning in delight as there is nothing I love more than a bloodthirsty coupling. I'm very keen to see where their relationship will lead after the heart-wrenching ending of the book, and I’m choosing to have faith in the author’s regard for happily ever after because that ending makes me nervous.

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
Author L.J. Andrews is a literacy queen who can truly no wrong in my eyes. As my absolute favourite Romantasy author of all time I never once doubted that Broken Souls and Bones would be a story that I immediately loved and couldn’t wait to rave about. I adored that it held a familiarity to the author's work due to her compelling narrative voice whilst opening up my eyes to a new world and cast of characters that demanded to be explored. It's selfish of me to feel impatient for the second instalment in the Stonegate series considering I'm lucky enough to read this book five months before release... but I honestly can't help myself. I need to know what happens next, and I just know the second a preorder button becomes available I will be rushing to do so. This book is perfect for those who has been keen to read this author’s work whilst feeling intimidated by sheer vastness of world explored in her previous 12 books. Broken Souls and Bones offers a fresh slate to become familiar with her writing and hopefully fall in-love with it enough to go back and enjoy the Broken Kingdoms and The Ever Seas series.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲.

[_blondebooknerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, LJ Andrews, and Berkley Publishing Group for providing my eARC of Broken Souls and Bonds in exchange for my honest review!

If you’re a fan of Viking mythology, unique magic systems, and intense bodyguard romance, this book will have you hooked from the very first page. ❤️ It’s reminiscent of Danielle Jensen's A Fate Inked in Blood, with its compelling narrative woven around hidden powers, forced proximity, and a touch of danger. I found myself completely immersed in this beautifully crafted world!


Broken Souls and Bonds follows Lyra Bien, a seemingly ordinary girl determined to live a quiet life away from the prying eyes of a magic-obsessed king. 🏰 But all that changes when Roark Ashwood—the prince's stoic, brooding guard—invades her village, revealing the true magic nestled within her silver-scarred eyes. When her best friend’s life hangs in the balance, Lyra is forced to embrace her powers and transform into the crown’s next melder.

Being the King’s melder comes with its own set of challenges; it’s a title that brings both reverence and fear, resembling a slow, agonizing death sentence. With her friends in peril, Lyra is determined to escape her fate and free those she loves. But to do so, she must confront the very man who captured her heart: the enigmatic Roark.


The relationship between Lyra and Roark is dynamic and beautifully developed. 💓 Their growing bond transforms from mistrust to an unexpected alliance, filled with passion and tension. I loved watching their relationship evolve as they navigated the murky waters of loyalty and destiny.

This is my first book by LJ Andrews, and after falling in love with her storytelling, it certainly won’t be my last! 📖✨ However, if I’m being completely honest, I believe this could have been a 5-star read if I had chosen to listen to it instead of reading physically. (Viking terminology is tricky for me on-page) I can’t wait for the audiobook version to be released on April 29th; I think it will enhance the experience even further!


Overall, Broken Souls and Bonds is a captivating tale that intertwines magic, romance, and the fight for freedom. If you’re into fantastical worlds with strong characters who must defy their fates, this book is absolutely worth your time! 🌌

[Mira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lyra planned to live a quiet life so the king wouldn’t find out about her magical abilities, but the prince’s silent guard invades her village and uncovers the truth behind the silver scars on her eyes. Roark and Lyra start spending a lot of time together, and she soon realizes he’s nothing like she thought he was.

This is a very atmospheric and dark romantasy inspired by viking mythology. I have to say, the plot and the magic system are truly unique! There’s a glossary at the end of the book, and I highly recommend reading it first—I didn’t, and it took me a while to fully grasp the world-building details.

The MMC is mute and stoic, so he’s used to expressing himself through actions—and let me tell you, he’s ready to kill (and do much more) for the woman he loves. I absolutely loved how he immediately claimed Lyra as his own—“tap, tap, tap... mine”🔥

The ending is intense and gripping, and some of the plot twists completely took me by surprise. Now I can’t wait for the sequel!

𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬:
✓forbidden romance
✓forced proximity
✓enemies to lovers
✓found family
✓bodyguard MMC
✓sign language rep
✓viking mythology inspired

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group (Ace) for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my God this is my new favorite book! I could scream it from the rooftops (I literally read this on a rooftop and it took everything in me NOT to scream about it!). In this romantasy, Lyra Bien has been living her life in a quiet coastal town, in hiding from the King who wants to use the unique magic she has to build an unstoppable army. But a betrayal leads the Prince’s personal sentry, Roark, to find her and claim her as the King’s melder. But being the melder is no easy task, as the magic slowly drives the wielder mad. Lyra is determined to free herself, and finds a surprising ally in Roark, and together they work to find freedom.

I am obsessed with this book! It was such a unique magic system and plot. People can have magic - or craft - and will either have blood, bone, or soul craft. Melders are a unique type of magic user who possesses all three. I loved how this was explained throughout the story and it was done in a way that was engaging without just spoon feeding the reader. This story was also filled with a lot of mystery and intrigue! I was trying to make predictions and guesses the whole time about what was going on. It had me locked in and was so well paced! There was such a good blend of action, plot development, and character/relationship building. It really built up solidly until an epic conclusion!

The characters in this were SUPREME. Lyra was such a fascinating character and I loved how strong she was throughout. She is literally ripped from everything she knows and loves and still continues to work her hardest to protect those who need it. She also has a best friend who is a man and I just want to say THANK YOU to LJ for having this role not be a whiny love interest like they so often are. He was just a good friend and gave the platonic love and care she needed.

I will worship the group Roark walks on. That man is SO HOT. I loved the inclusion of his character not speaking verbally, but using hand gestures instead. His story was so intriguing and I loved getting to uncover more about his past through this story too.

This was a fantastic slow burn and EXACTLY what I am looking for when it comes to enemies to lovers! They have some kind of connection that is mentioned but they hate each other and have all this pent up anger before we really see them being attracted to each other. They keep feeling drawn to one another, but not romantically at first. Then they slowly begin to trust and fall for one another. God I love a well done slow burn like this! And once the burn happens it burns SO GOOD.

I listened to a lot of this one on audio and it was so well done! Lindsey Dorcus and Will Thorne both had excellent accents and were really captivating as narrators. Will’s voice was so scrumptious and I loved hearing his internal monologue and all the things he couldn’t verbally express to Lyra, but the reader still got to be aware of. There was one slight thing with Lindsey’s narrating that took getting used to for me, in that she spoke with an accent out loud, but had no accent when her character had internal thoughts. It threw me off a bit with the change between her thinking and speaking voices, but I got used to it quickly and enjoyed her performance otherwise!

I just have to reiterate again how much I loved this book! If you love Norse mythology, bodyguard romance, enemies to lovers, unique magic, and political intrigue, you are going to love this book!

Thank you Berkley and PRH audio for copies of this book!

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book might have just broken me. Like how am I supposed to wait a whole year to god knows when?! I actually don’t even know if I can write a review right now. That’s how distraught I am at the moment so I guess I will write one tomorrow…if I’m still alive🙃

Okay so I survived, barely. I know I am a little late to the party with reading this one, but Kesha said it best: The party don't start till I walk in.

Will this series become my new personality? Most likely. This book consumed me, devoured me, then spit me back out after that ending. When I read this book, I would go into a trance because there were so many little details I didn't want to miss. I'm pretty sure I cursed my boyfriend out at one point because the man would not leave me alone to read this masterpiece. If you have not read any of L.J Andrews books, you seriously need to. I thought the Ever King had great story and world building. This one took the CAKE. I could go on about how much I loved this book. The story building was incredible; the Viking, Gods and magic aspect was beautifully done. The charters? I loved every single one of them, except the ones who I obviously want to push off a bridge. I loved Lyra, but I adored Roark. Like that man could hate/guard me any day. I'll give him dirty looks back, as long as he gave me them sweet words of him. Ugh, swoon.

This book ends on a seriously huge cliffhanger, like massive. I'm shocked I didn't go into cardiac arrest when I finished it. I honestly cannot wait for the next book and to see where this series goes. I was a fan after The Ever Seas, but now I am a mega fan because of this book.


Tap
Tap
Tap
Mine

"One of his palms slid between the cleft of my breasts. Roark held my gaze and tapped his palm three times, then with care took my hand and placed it over his own chest. Emotion knotted in my throat. His. Mine. He was claiming my heart and giving me his."

Tropes
⚔️Enemies to lovers
💙Bodyguard/Forced proximity
🦴Hidden powers
⚔️Magical Society
💙Viking Mythology
🦴Slow Burn
⚔️Dual POV
💙Found Family

[DianaRose · Rating 4 out of 5]

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!

3.5 stars

i really enjoyed the first book i read but l j andrews (the ever king), and was excited to see that the first book in her newest series would be selected for fairyloot’s romantasy box!

l j andrews has created an intriguing magical system — the more a melder uses their magic, the more they deteriorate. i love when magic is never just a loop-hole of power, but actually requires the user to think ahead of any future consequences.

another thing i really appreciated? the mmc roark is mute and communicates using sign language, and our fmc makes a conscientious effort to learn his sign language to communicate with him.

my only gripe was for the audio’s male narrator — his voice was waaaaay too gravelly and took away from my listening experience.

my fairyloot edition is also gorgeous!

[Victoria Werngreen · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG this was SOO GOOD!! I didn’t know this was a Norse mythology/viking inspired romantasy, so I was pleasantly surprised 👏🏼

I will say I was thoroughly confused the first 30ish % because the world-building and explanation of the magic system is heavy and hard to keep track off, but I kept reading because it was also very cool and interesting - so if you pick this up, just power through it! it will be worth it!😍

there are so many amazing characters in this book - literally all of them are just GREAT!✨ I was excited to learn more about all of the characters! I really like Thane especially!! please don’t turn evil further down the series!! my heart cannot take it!

the mmc is mute and communicate with his hands - another very cool layer to this book🙌🏼

tap tap tap I screamed! - I did see it coming, but I still screamed!!

the romance is burning very slowly but I was executed perfectly🤌🏼 I will say my heart was a bit torn because of the man Lyra sees when melding.. but that’s just because as soon as someone dark, broody and mysterious appears, my little heart starts rooting for them instead (have I read too many enemies to lovers books? hahahah.. nope 😌) but since our mmc is also dark, broody and mysterious my heart couldn’t decide which direction to go hahah - but our MMC was delectable! even if he doesn't speak with his voice, he is very great with his words 🤭

love all the Norse mythology elemets! as a Dane - we used to be vikings - it was cool. I understood a lot of the words/reference bc they are similar to a lot of the Nordic words (if not the same) 👏🏼

I started building up a theory in my mind a bit before I was halfway through the book and it made me even more invested because I was just looking for clues desperatly trying to confirm my theory 😂 I can tell you I was correct and very happy out it!!!

love the ending! did see some of it coming and some parts were surprising twists ✨ !

really want the second book now, please and thank yew🙏🏼😌



thank you to PRH for the e-ARC - this is my honest review!




SPOILERS AHEAD:

you have been warned!!

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I would just like to say I feel so intelligent for guessing Roark and Skul Drek are the same person - or should I say soul 🤭 it first crossed my mind at 48% - I thought I was crazy, but I stuck with my theory and now I feel like a genius!

the text said *‘beneath the shadow of the hood I could make out a sharp jawline, skin like gray stone’* and my note/annotation to that is: *‘is he gonna be another love interst? IS HE part of Roark’s soul?!’* like hooow did I guess that from that single piece of information?😂 I’m becomming better and better at looking for clues!

it’s definietly not a bad thing I guessed it! this is one of those books where the plot is so well done that even though I guessed a giant plot twist, it wasn’t a bad thing! I was so excited and proud of myself! it wasn’t one of those instances where you’re like ‘oh … that was the big reveal? but I already guessed it 😒’ it was like ‘OMG I GUESSED IT!!! THAT IS SO COOL!!’ if ya get what I’m saying 😂

also at 43% I have a note/annotation saying ‘what if Roark is a double agent??’ - I was kinda right about this one too 😏

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Very cool magic system, world and plot. Great characters with a strong sense of found family which I love, and a feet-kicking romance. Ground-breaking? No. Ultimately, though, I just had such a good time reading this. I've been in such a bad slump since I finished The Knight and the Moth. I've bounced from book to book and nothing has been hitting, but this did. The set-up for book two looks like it could get even better and I'm excited to read it.