Bones of Empire

The Relicant Chronicles #1

by Steven Savile, Aaron Rosenberg

The only magic left comes from consuming the dead. Long ago, Ritakhou was a flourishing empire filled with light, life, and magic. Then came the Schism. Now the kingdom is called Rimbaku and is a pale shadow of its former self, a land stripped of its glory and its power. The only magic left comes from aitachi , the Relicant Touch—the ability to absorb skills and memories by consuming the bones of the dead. Throughout the land, status and success are based on one’s aitachi and the aishone or relic bones one can attain, and the so-called Relicant Empire has grown stale and stagnant as a result. The young emperor, Hibikitsu, recognizes this but feels powerless to change centuries of habit and reliance. His finest warrior, Misataki Shizumi, also feels stifled—despite her prowess she is a commoner and can never rise above the rank of sergeant in the elite Honjofu, even though her commanding officer is a nobleborn fool. Seikoku, a koshitsu or graverobber, wrestles with the horror of what she does and the need to survive, while Chimehara, a beggar turned killer, has no compunctions against using every weapon at her disposal to attain her goals. And all the while Rimbaku’s enemies are circling, testing the nation’s borders. They know the empire is weak, and are determined to push it over the edge and then strip its bones as it has done to its dead for so long. Meanwhile, the brothers Kagiri and Noniki set out from their small village with a handful of aishone and a great deal of hope. They soon find the world a bigger, darker place than they imagined, and are forced to accept a dangerous proposal, one that will put both of them at risk for not only their lives but their very souls—but that may change the Relicant Empire forever.

298 pages, Paperback

Published August 1, 2018

About the author

Steven Savile (born October 12, 1969, in Newcastle, England) is a British fantasy, horror and thriller writer, and editor living in Sala, Sweden.

Under the Ronan Frost penname (inspired by the hero of his bestselling novel, Silver) he has also written the action thriller White Peak, and as Matt Langley was a finalist for the People's Book Prize.

Reviews

[Chris Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

And epic in every sense of the word. Wonderful world building, great characters, and a nice twist on fantasy magic. Well done!

I'll be picking up the second book in this series as soon as it hits the shelf.

[Brenda Rezk · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an epic fantasy that follows many characters. There is even a list of characters at the front of the book to help keep them straight. The world is a bit like ancient Japan and incorporates a lot of Japanese-sounding words. I got used to them after awhile, but there is a glossary at the end of the book. It was the çast of characters I sometimes had to pause to think about when they reappeared. They don't seem to have much in common, at least in this book, and one character that we spent a lot of time getting to know doesn't appear to have survived the book!

The dominant culture in this world lives off the knowledge, skills, and accomplishments of one's ancestors. This is accomplished by consuming the bones of the dead. The knowledge or skills don't last though, so this has to be repeated over and over. Alternatively, one can buy or steal the bones of others to obtain skills, power, or money. Those who are unable to absorb the skills or knowledge of the dead are outcasts who aren't considered fit for even menial labor. It's an interesting world to explore, and I liked some of the characters, but there were some whose stories seemed irrelevant to the overall narrative. I also felt there were too many typos.

[Erin Penn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A multi-POV epic fantasy with an Asian flair. The magic-based system takes ancestor worship a step beyond. When you eat the powdered remains of your relatives, you may gain some of their abilities. How quickly, how long, and how completely depends on a person's natural abilities.

This is clearly the first book of a longer series, introducing the world, the point-of-view characters, and setting up the situation.

I mixed up two of the women POV characters a couple of times, but eventually I got them straight in my head.

Great defining of magic and great plot setup. But it is only the setup - whether this is a great series will depend on Book 2.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intriguing high fantasy feel with a different plot. No great beast to slay, no prophecy to fulfill. This kingdom simply has been relying on the skills of its ancestors without the need to develop skills of their own, and the deterioration of the kingdom is showing.

Following a myriad of characters whose paths likely cross (though I haven't seen it all yet) keeps the intrigue high, and the magic system is both concrete, yet varied, allowing for a vast variety of possibilities.

[Joshua Olivieri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rosenberg does a good job of distinguishing between multiple POVs. You get a good sense of who each character is. However, it is largely set up for events that will pay off later in the series. As such, the quality of this book is dependent on the sequels sticking the landing.