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Drown the Bones
Not yet published
Expected 3 Nov 26The spare heir must work with an enemy prince to discover who murdered her twin in this gripping slow-burn romantasy.
As the younger twin, Merridan has never minded being the “spare” to the Rothian royal throne. She knows her brother, Von, will be an excellent king, and she’d rather devote her time to the Goddess, faithfully using her magic to send deceased spirits from the holy lake to the Afterworld.
When the unthinkable happens and her brother is murdered, she is certain their rival kingdom, Nova, is to blame. After all, they worship a false deity and use their magic to toy with necromancy. But when the Goddess halts the investigation of Von’s death, Merridan takes matters into her own hands, using a forbidden Novian ritual to speak to her brother’s ghost.
The last thing Merridan expects is to raise the wrong ghost. Now she’s bound to Phoenix Darragon, the arrogant crown prince of Nova—who was murdered the same night as Von. The prince makes Merridan a deal: if she takes his spirit to Nova to be resurrected, he will help her find her brother’s killer.
But uncovering the truth about the murderer means discovering Phoenix’s secrets, too. As the attraction between Merridan and the prince becomes undeniable and the threat of war builds, she must decide whether finding the truth is worth its cost if it means her beloved relationship with the Goddess is changed forever.
As the younger twin, Merridan has never minded being the “spare” to the Rothian royal throne. She knows her brother, Von, will be an excellent king, and she’d rather devote her time to the Goddess, faithfully using her magic to send deceased spirits from the holy lake to the Afterworld.
When the unthinkable happens and her brother is murdered, she is certain their rival kingdom, Nova, is to blame. After all, they worship a false deity and use their magic to toy with necromancy. But when the Goddess halts the investigation of Von’s death, Merridan takes matters into her own hands, using a forbidden Novian ritual to speak to her brother’s ghost.
The last thing Merridan expects is to raise the wrong ghost. Now she’s bound to Phoenix Darragon, the arrogant crown prince of Nova—who was murdered the same night as Von. The prince makes Merridan a deal: if she takes his spirit to Nova to be resurrected, he will help her find her brother’s killer.
But uncovering the truth about the murderer means discovering Phoenix’s secrets, too. As the attraction between Merridan and the prince becomes undeniable and the threat of war builds, she must decide whether finding the truth is worth its cost if it means her beloved relationship with the Goddess is changed forever.
432 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication November 3, 2026
4 people are currently reading
6335 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 10, 2026
Thank you to Alex for letting me be a part of the traveling ARC for Drown the Bones 🥰
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What happens when you are trying to solve your brother’s murder but accidentally bring back the ghost of your rival nation’s infuriatingly hot and frustrating prince? You go on a quest to solve both of their seemingly connected murders, end up deconstructing your religion, and maybe find that prince less frustrating on the way!
Seriously, such an interesting concept with the rival kingdoms having the same death magic system but using it differently. I loved watching our FMC, Merridan, come into her own strength and learn for herself what it means to serve justice and mercy while deconstructing her faith. I also loved watching her tackle the grief of losing a sibling and how she never truly “gets better,” but learns more healthy ways to handle it.
This is fast paced, packed with adventure, and a lot of tender moments that stand out. Definitely a hit from Berkley’s newest imprint, Berkley XO!
If you could talk to ghosts, would you?
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What happens when you are trying to solve your brother’s murder but accidentally bring back the ghost of your rival nation’s infuriatingly hot and frustrating prince? You go on a quest to solve both of their seemingly connected murders, end up deconstructing your religion, and maybe find that prince less frustrating on the way!
Seriously, such an interesting concept with the rival kingdoms having the same death magic system but using it differently. I loved watching our FMC, Merridan, come into her own strength and learn for herself what it means to serve justice and mercy while deconstructing her faith. I also loved watching her tackle the grief of losing a sibling and how she never truly “gets better,” but learns more healthy ways to handle it.
This is fast paced, packed with adventure, and a lot of tender moments that stand out. Definitely a hit from Berkley’s newest imprint, Berkley XO!
If you could talk to ghosts, would you?
Review of advance copy received from Author
Kennington interweaves a high-stakes quest for justice with a heartfelt and poignant story of grief, healing, and finding your place in the world. I loved watching the bond develop between Phoenix and Merridan, complete with plenty of if-only-we-could-touch angst, fun enemies-to-lovers banter, and crackling chemistry. Readers are sure to fall for this determined princess reckoning with her faith, her charming undead counterpart, and their vibrant supporting cast. Drown the Bones is written with so much heart you can feel it beating on the page.
April 15, 2026
I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the Barnes and noble book fest. I think this is a great book to read during this time in the world. Holy wars are something we are all familiar with. As someone who has been struggling with grief over the past year I think this story capture grief and healing very well. I I also really enjoyed the religion discourse. On a lighter note, I loved getting a good enemies to lovers slow burn romance. Phoenix and Meridian were very lovable characters. I really enjoyed this book!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Death gains new dimensions in Kennington’s lush romantasy where a holy war’s creeping tide threatens to engulf two nations and goddesses lurk too close to the surface. Compellingly paced and brimming with captivating romantic tension, Drown The Bones ponders justice, mercy, and religious deconstruction with tenderness and depth. This beauty has no Counterpart. I had the time of my life.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews