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Namebone: A Dystopian Sci-Fi Thriller of Memory, Power, and Rebellion
In a world where your name is your soul, losing it means losing yourself.
Flick has survived by being nobody. In the Ashmark’s crumbling wastelands, where names are forbidden and memories erased, she’s built a life out of scraps — sarcasm, stolen tech, and a loyal friend who never lets her fall.
But when a rescue mission uncovers a child whose namebone — the biological record of her identity — is fractured yet alive, everything Flick knows about their world shatters.
The girl shouldn’t exist. The Regime that rules their world will do anything to reclaim her.
And Flick? She’s about to learn that the truth buried in her own bones might be the key to rebellion — or its destruction.
Perfect for fans of The Hunger Games, The 5th Wave, and Scythe, Namebone is a fierce, high-stakes sci-fi adventure about identity, rebellion, and the power of memory in a world built to erase it.
Flick has survived by being nobody. In the Ashmark’s crumbling wastelands, where names are forbidden and memories erased, she’s built a life out of scraps — sarcasm, stolen tech, and a loyal friend who never lets her fall.
But when a rescue mission uncovers a child whose namebone — the biological record of her identity — is fractured yet alive, everything Flick knows about their world shatters.
The girl shouldn’t exist. The Regime that rules their world will do anything to reclaim her.
And Flick? She’s about to learn that the truth buried in her own bones might be the key to rebellion — or its destruction.
Perfect for fans of The Hunger Games, The 5th Wave, and Scythe, Namebone is a fierce, high-stakes sci-fi adventure about identity, rebellion, and the power of memory in a world built to erase it.
223 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 14, 2026
About the author
Georgia Spearing
7 books42 followersWriting has always been my escape, helping me through life’s challenges, including living with fibromyalgia for over a decade. Despite the daily struggles of my chronic pain getting worse, I continue to pursue my dreams while being a full-time mum to my daughter, Iris—my greatest inspiration.
Before publishing, I sharpened my skills by ghostwriting 16 books in a year for Urban Writers, which gave me the confidence to tell my own stories. My upcoming series, 'Rise and Ruin', delves into Greek mythology retelling with a twist, with the first book, 'Those Who Wait' exploring destiny, power, love, and adventure.
From working security at elite London events to switching to retail during the pandemic, my life has been anything but ordinary. Every experience, challenge, and triumph has shaped my storytelling, proving that no matter what life throws at you, it’s always possible to chase your dreams.
Before publishing, I sharpened my skills by ghostwriting 16 books in a year for Urban Writers, which gave me the confidence to tell my own stories. My upcoming series, 'Rise and Ruin', delves into Greek mythology retelling with a twist, with the first book, 'Those Who Wait' exploring destiny, power, love, and adventure.
From working security at elite London events to switching to retail during the pandemic, my life has been anything but ordinary. Every experience, challenge, and triumph has shaped my storytelling, proving that no matter what life throws at you, it’s always possible to chase your dreams.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received an ARC copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This is one of the most uneven books I have ever read and I very nearly DNFed it. While the premise was quite interesting, the plot is underdeveloped, the dialogue is a mixed bag, and the romantic elements feel like a stapled-on requirement rather than a logical part of the story. This combined with a writing style that I really didn’t enjoy makes for a book I cannot honestly recommend.
Namebone is set in a dystopia where a shadowy authority (the Regime) has created a process where people’s identity can be physically extracted from them, and these people, the Nameless, are cast out. This of course results in a resistance movement, which to me makes no sense. Why doesn’t this Regime just kill off the people once they extract their namebone? This is never explained. The MC and LI then find a young girl with strange abilities whose namebone is fractured. This is immediately recognized as something portentous to all of the characters. Why? The author never fully explains that, it just is. This pattern continues through the book, plot points fully accepted by the characters but not fleshed out enough for the reader to find it logical.
The rest of the plot is pretty boilerplate: snarky FMC and stoic protective MLI, some cardboard cutout secondary characters (the gruff resistance leader, the one-goofball-one-serious siblings, etc) combat scenes, some smoldering, a betrayal, the base gets blown up, a St Crispin’s Day Speech, and a big fight against impossible odds. If the world were more logical and more fleshed out this would all be fine, but the fact that it isn’t just throws the simplicity of the plot into sharp relief.
All of this would be forgivable if it weren’t for the fact that the author’s writing style is *exactly* the type I do not enjoy at all. Tons and tons of adjectives and adverbs, descriptive clauses stapled on everywhere, and not a single scene passes without at least one or two similes. Some people like this type of writing, but it personally makes me want to attack the book with a red pen.
This is not to say the book doesn’t have some merit. There are moments of writing that truly grabbed me (one scene of memories being overlayed really stood out as excellent) and as I said above the premise is quite interesting. But for me, this just shows me how much better the book could be than it is. Overall, this is a two-star book for me.
This is one of the most uneven books I have ever read and I very nearly DNFed it. While the premise was quite interesting, the plot is underdeveloped, the dialogue is a mixed bag, and the romantic elements feel like a stapled-on requirement rather than a logical part of the story. This combined with a writing style that I really didn’t enjoy makes for a book I cannot honestly recommend.
Namebone is set in a dystopia where a shadowy authority (the Regime) has created a process where people’s identity can be physically extracted from them, and these people, the Nameless, are cast out. This of course results in a resistance movement, which to me makes no sense. Why doesn’t this Regime just kill off the people once they extract their namebone? This is never explained. The MC and LI then find a young girl with strange abilities whose namebone is fractured. This is immediately recognized as something portentous to all of the characters. Why? The author never fully explains that, it just is. This pattern continues through the book, plot points fully accepted by the characters but not fleshed out enough for the reader to find it logical.
The rest of the plot is pretty boilerplate: snarky FMC and stoic protective MLI, some cardboard cutout secondary characters (the gruff resistance leader, the one-goofball-one-serious siblings, etc) combat scenes, some smoldering, a betrayal, the base gets blown up, a St Crispin’s Day Speech, and a big fight against impossible odds. If the world were more logical and more fleshed out this would all be fine, but the fact that it isn’t just throws the simplicity of the plot into sharp relief.
All of this would be forgivable if it weren’t for the fact that the author’s writing style is *exactly* the type I do not enjoy at all. Tons and tons of adjectives and adverbs, descriptive clauses stapled on everywhere, and not a single scene passes without at least one or two similes. Some people like this type of writing, but it personally makes me want to attack the book with a red pen.
This is not to say the book doesn’t have some merit. There are moments of writing that truly grabbed me (one scene of memories being overlayed really stood out as excellent) and as I said above the premise is quite interesting. But for me, this just shows me how much better the book could be than it is. Overall, this is a two-star book for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
The concept of the namebone is easily the best part of this book. I found the idea of identity being tied to a physical bone both creepy and original. It was a fresh spin on the classic dystopian trope where the government tries to erase who you are. The author did a great job making the setting feel oppressive and bleak which kept me interested in the beginning.
However the story felt a bit rushed for me. At around 200 pages there was not enough room to fully explore the world or the side characters. I liked Flick as a lead but some of the secondary characters felt like they were just there to move the plot along. Because the pacing was so fast I did not get the chance to feel truly connected to the stakes of the rebellion.
Overall it is a solid read but it did not quite blow me away. If you want a quick sci-fi thriller with a cool hook then you will probably enjoy this. I am definitely curious to see where the next book goes but this one sits right in the middle for me.
However the story felt a bit rushed for me. At around 200 pages there was not enough room to fully explore the world or the side characters. I liked Flick as a lead but some of the secondary characters felt like they were just there to move the plot along. Because the pacing was so fast I did not get the chance to feel truly connected to the stakes of the rebellion.
Overall it is a solid read but it did not quite blow me away. If you want a quick sci-fi thriller with a cool hook then you will probably enjoy this. I am definitely curious to see where the next book goes but this one sits right in the middle for me.
January 29, 2026
“You are never a weakness, Flick. You’re the reason I keep going. You’re the only anchor I have left in this mess.”
This was a really unique read for me. This isn’t usually my genre and was in fact my first dystopian read, but it was really intriguing.
Flick is strong and brave. I love how you see different depths of her and who is truly is throughout the story. I love the way she becomes the protector to Mouse and the friendship and sibling love she builds with her.
I liked how her and Wren were together. They felt like they’d always be pulled together but there’s many secrets and things in the way of them and it’s interesting to watch as these things are discovered. Even when things aren’t going his way he sticks by her no matter what.
The premise is really interesting and I’m interested to see where the rest of this series goes. It very much gave me The Maze Runner and Hunger Games vibes, but this time a female gets the lead.
🌟🌟🌟🌟
“You’re infuriating.” “And you like it.”
This was a really unique read for me. This isn’t usually my genre and was in fact my first dystopian read, but it was really intriguing.
Flick is strong and brave. I love how you see different depths of her and who is truly is throughout the story. I love the way she becomes the protector to Mouse and the friendship and sibling love she builds with her.
I liked how her and Wren were together. They felt like they’d always be pulled together but there’s many secrets and things in the way of them and it’s interesting to watch as these things are discovered. Even when things aren’t going his way he sticks by her no matter what.
The premise is really interesting and I’m interested to see where the rest of this series goes. It very much gave me The Maze Runner and Hunger Games vibes, but this time a female gets the lead.
🌟🌟🌟🌟
“You’re infuriating.” “And you like it.”
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews