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Bone Grace #1
Bone Crier's Moon
From #1
New York Times
bestselling author Kathryn Purdie comes a high-stakes fantasy duology flush with doomed romance and macabre magic, perfect for fans of Stephanie Garber and Roshani Chokshi.
Bone Criers are the last descendants of an ancient famille charged with using the magic they draw from animal bones to shepherd the dead into the afterlife—lest they drain the light from the living.
Ailesse has been prepared since birth to become their matriarch, but first she must complete her rite of passage: to kill the boy she’s destined to love.
Bastien’s father was slain by a Bone Crier and he’s been seeking revenge ever since. Now his vengeance must wait, as Ailesse’s ritual has begun and their fates are entwined—in life and in death.
Bone Criers are the last descendants of an ancient famille charged with using the magic they draw from animal bones to shepherd the dead into the afterlife—lest they drain the light from the living.
Ailesse has been prepared since birth to become their matriarch, but first she must complete her rite of passage: to kill the boy she’s destined to love.
Bastien’s father was slain by a Bone Crier and he’s been seeking revenge ever since. Now his vengeance must wait, as Ailesse’s ritual has begun and their fates are entwined—in life and in death.
480 pages, Hardcover
First published March 3, 2020
1354 people are currently reading
102518 people want to read
About the author
Kathryn Purdie
9 books1,908 followersKathryn is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the BURNING GLASS series, the BONE CRIER'S MOON duology, and the THE FOREST GRIMM duology. Her love of storytelling began as a young girl when her dad told her about someone named Boo Radley while they listened to the film score of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. Kathryn is a trained classical actress who studied at the Oxford School of Drama. She also writes songs on her guitar for each of her stories and shares them on her website. Kathryn lives in the Rocky Mountains with her husband and three children.
Instagram: @kathrynpurdie
TikTok: @kathrynpurdie
Instagram: @kathrynpurdie
TikTok: @kathrynpurdie
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,234 reviews
March 29, 2020
this story is all about a doomed romance. i definitely believed the doomed part - from the very beginning you know it isnt going to end well for the characters. its the romance that i find less convincing.
i just dont see any concrete proof, other than faith in an old belief/superstition, that bastien and ailesse are into each other. the idea of soulmates and bonds beyond anyones control can be romantic, but i just found this to be more of an eye-roll than anything. i have a prediction (actually more like wishful thinking) about how the second book will resolve this and its that happy ending for all! lol.
regardless of my unenthusiastic response for the romance, i actually really enjoyed the world building. its totally what sells this story for me. i love the french influence and language and city scenes. i was easily transported into the catacombs and duchy province. the writing is really great in this aspect of world building and its where i found most of my enjoyment.
so while this does have some negatives, in addition to the positives, i like the story enough to look forward to the sequel. it doesnt help that this ends on a massive cliff hanger (not really a cliff hanger but more like stops in the middle of the story), so i guess i will have to wait to see what happens next.
↠ 3.5 stars
i just dont see any concrete proof, other than faith in an old belief/superstition, that bastien and ailesse are into each other. the idea of soulmates and bonds beyond anyones control can be romantic, but i just found this to be more of an eye-roll than anything. i have a prediction (actually more like wishful thinking) about how the second book will resolve this and its that happy ending for all! lol.
regardless of my unenthusiastic response for the romance, i actually really enjoyed the world building. its totally what sells this story for me. i love the french influence and language and city scenes. i was easily transported into the catacombs and duchy province. the writing is really great in this aspect of world building and its where i found most of my enjoyment.
so while this does have some negatives, in addition to the positives, i like the story enough to look forward to the sequel. it doesnt help that this ends on a massive cliff hanger (not really a cliff hanger but more like stops in the middle of the story), so i guess i will have to wait to see what happens next.
↠ 3.5 stars
October 20, 2020
I got both of these books in an Owlcrate and FairyLoot box. They have some differences, both with sprayed edges and one with a poster under the dust jacket. I knew I wouldn’t like this book because of animal killings BUT, the book was boring as hell to me and I just didn’t like it.
I would also like to beg the book world to let Charlie Bowater do all book covers so some that I love I can keep!! She does have art on Etsy and Society6 that I’m going to collect. As far as the book....no!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
I would also like to beg the book world to let Charlie Bowater do all book covers so some that I love I can keep!! She does have art on Etsy and Society6 that I’m going to collect. As far as the book....no!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
June 3, 2023
3.75 stars
This had some elements I really loved: fated lovers; death magic; characters with a connection to the moon; thieves; strong lady friendship.. however some elements were weaker than others.
The mythology, while really cool, felt incomplete at times. Bone Criers guide the dead to the underworld, and are all ladies that get their power from both the moon and animals that they wear the bones of. But, there were some elements of this mythology that seemed too simple and weren't explained. We may get more in the second book though.
I wasn't thrilled about the female relationships as well, outside of the best friendship between the two main female characters. There's some jealousy between Ailesse and Bastien's lady best friend which felt over the top, and Ailesse's mother is a cold figure motivated by some classic tropes that made her feel one dimensional.
This definitely feels slightly on the younger end of YA, especially with the big focus on the love story, but I still find the mythology intriguing enough (and I do love star crossed lovers) that I'd be willing to continue with this series.
This had some elements I really loved: fated lovers; death magic; characters with a connection to the moon; thieves; strong lady friendship.. however some elements were weaker than others.
The mythology, while really cool, felt incomplete at times. Bone Criers guide the dead to the underworld, and are all ladies that get their power from both the moon and animals that they wear the bones of. But, there were some elements of this mythology that seemed too simple and weren't explained. We may get more in the second book though.
I wasn't thrilled about the female relationships as well, outside of the best friendship between the two main female characters. There's some jealousy between Ailesse and Bastien's lady best friend which felt over the top, and Ailesse's mother is a cold figure motivated by some classic tropes that made her feel one dimensional.
This definitely feels slightly on the younger end of YA, especially with the big focus on the love story, but I still find the mythology intriguing enough (and I do love star crossed lovers) that I'd be willing to continue with this series.
September 21, 2022
Well, this is a first. Two stars always felt too harsh to me, but I just couldn’t with this book.
It all stems from one very OBVIOUS thing that is lacking; character depth.
Who was Aileese—besides a Bone Crier/Siren—you ask? I HAVE NO IDEA. She was literally just some girl had to kill some guy to secure her role in her society of Bone Criers. No depth to her character at all. We got no backstory, no unique traits, no development, no nothing.
Who was Basiten—besides a wanted thief who also wanted revenge on the Bone Criers—you ask? I HAVE NO IDEA. He was literally just some guy who had to kill some girl for revenge. No depth to his character at all. We got no backstory, no unique traits, no development, no nothing.
They were both so surface level that it hurt.
The one ATTEMPT made at character development was only present in Sabine; a side character who went from being entirely afraid of everything involving death, to setting traps to kill people. Even the development there wasn’t enough for me, however. She was told some very...random truths which made her seem so gullible. She easily changed her mind and decided that she needed to be better at killing (which was her entire purpose), and her immense fear of killing was just...sort of...gone.
But that’s just it; because I could literally give two shits about them, I could give literally two shits about their story.
Sure, Basiten was some guy out for revenge because his father was killed. Cool. Got it. Let’s go get revenge. But let us ALSO hear more about that. Let’s plunge into what led you here in more depth. Let’s discuss how it affected you growing up not having a father, let’s hear more about your struggles, how you became this wanted thief and had to do shameless things to get by. It was literally mentioned twice that he “lived a hard life” and never again. Like that’s all the backstory we get? Not cool. That makes Bastien just some random who I could care less about.
Same with Ailesse. She had a mother who was harsh, a future she didn’t want. Sure, she mentioned that. Sure, her mother came off as a grade-a bitch, but like GIVE ME MORE. There wasn’t much history about the Bone Crier’s either. Not enough to keep my interest, anyway. So just like Basiten, Ailesse became some random girl I could care less about.
The plot overall could have been flushed out better. The constant fighting became stale real fast for me. It felt messy. Everyone just screaming “no don’t kill her” “no don’t kill him” and the author just using convenient ways for everyone to survive each encounter. It was...well, annoying, and I just wanted the book to end.
I know that there will be a sequel, but this first installment didn’t captivate me enough to even consider continuing. And I hate that I have to say that.
It all stems from one very OBVIOUS thing that is lacking; character depth.
Who was Aileese—besides a Bone Crier/Siren—you ask? I HAVE NO IDEA. She was literally just some girl had to kill some guy to secure her role in her society of Bone Criers. No depth to her character at all. We got no backstory, no unique traits, no development, no nothing.
Who was Basiten—besides a wanted thief who also wanted revenge on the Bone Criers—you ask? I HAVE NO IDEA. He was literally just some guy who had to kill some girl for revenge. No depth to his character at all. We got no backstory, no unique traits, no development, no nothing.
They were both so surface level that it hurt.
The one ATTEMPT made at character development was only present in Sabine; a side character who went from being entirely afraid of everything involving death, to setting traps to kill people. Even the development there wasn’t enough for me, however. She was told some very...random truths which made her seem so gullible. She easily changed her mind and decided that she needed to be better at killing (which was her entire purpose), and her immense fear of killing was just...sort of...gone.
But that’s just it; because I could literally give two shits about them, I could give literally two shits about their story.
Sure, Basiten was some guy out for revenge because his father was killed. Cool. Got it. Let’s go get revenge. But let us ALSO hear more about that. Let’s plunge into what led you here in more depth. Let’s discuss how it affected you growing up not having a father, let’s hear more about your struggles, how you became this wanted thief and had to do shameless things to get by. It was literally mentioned twice that he “lived a hard life” and never again. Like that’s all the backstory we get? Not cool. That makes Bastien just some random who I could care less about.
Same with Ailesse. She had a mother who was harsh, a future she didn’t want. Sure, she mentioned that. Sure, her mother came off as a grade-a bitch, but like GIVE ME MORE. There wasn’t much history about the Bone Crier’s either. Not enough to keep my interest, anyway. So just like Basiten, Ailesse became some random girl I could care less about.
The plot overall could have been flushed out better. The constant fighting became stale real fast for me. It felt messy. Everyone just screaming “no don’t kill her” “no don’t kill him” and the author just using convenient ways for everyone to survive each encounter. It was...well, annoying, and I just wanted the book to end.
I know that there will be a sequel, but this first installment didn’t captivate me enough to even consider continuing. And I hate that I have to say that.
June 29, 2021
2,5☆ I can’t believe that I’ve suffered through this book, finding it boring and cringy, and now that I am FINALLY done with it, the only thing I wanna do is start the sequel? wtf is wrong with me?
June 29, 2020
TRIGGER WARNING: Explicit scenes of animal hunting, murder and removal of their bones.
Okay...
So I'm debating whether to give it 3 stars or keep it at 4.
I've just finished the book and I don't fully understand that it has already finished.
I mean, I know it's the first part of a duology but I think I have been missing more information.
I haven't finished believing the love story, which is bad, because it's the plot of the story.
The only thing that makes me save the book enough is Sabine. Such a badass woman.
Her growth in history is incredible and I loved it.
She's definitely my favorite character without a doubt.
Ailesse has been a fighter and I really liked her personality, her attitude, a very good main character.
I loved the fight/action scenes, they are very well written.
The story behind each mystery that arises is perfectly built.
I also loved the construction of the fantastic/magical places and the peculiarities of these mythical beings, that are the Bone Criers.
(About the warning: I don't think the scenes are very explicit, in fact I haven't had any problem reading it because I know in advance that it's fiction and my mind doesn't imagine these scenes in detail.
I also prefer to warn you by exaggerating it a little more, than I really think it is, because there may be people who are more sensitive on certain topics.
But in my opinion, if you situate yourself as fiction, you can read it with ease.)
Review coming soon...
Okay...
So I'm debating whether to give it 3 stars or keep it at 4.
I've just finished the book and I don't fully understand that it has already finished.
I mean, I know it's the first part of a duology but I think I have been missing more information.
I haven't finished believing the love story, which is bad, because it's the plot of the story.
The only thing that makes me save the book enough is Sabine. Such a badass woman.
Her growth in history is incredible and I loved it.
She's definitely my favorite character without a doubt.
Ailesse has been a fighter and I really liked her personality, her attitude, a very good main character.
I loved the fight/action scenes, they are very well written.
The story behind each mystery that arises is perfectly built.
I also loved the construction of the fantastic/magical places and the peculiarities of these mythical beings, that are the Bone Criers.
(About the warning: I don't think the scenes are very explicit, in fact I haven't had any problem reading it because I know in advance that it's fiction and my mind doesn't imagine these scenes in detail.
I also prefer to warn you by exaggerating it a little more, than I really think it is, because there may be people who are more sensitive on certain topics.
But in my opinion, if you situate yourself as fiction, you can read it with ease.)
Review coming soon...
June 12, 2021
when i went into this book i had really low expectations because i hadn’t heard too many good things about this book but i actually ended up loving it. i love the Ailesse SO MUCH!! i love sabine and their friendship as well. A lot of people didn’t like the romance but i thought it made so much sense? This was a great book and i cant wait to read the sequel.
January 29, 2022
2021 F.A.B. Bookclub pick # I.❤️. F.A.B.
I really want to enjoy the fantasy genre…. and I’ve been lucky to find a few gems (between the hundreds I’ve read) that I actually loved. 😉 But most of them end up in this… ehhh?! 🤷🏼♀️… categorization for me. This was just that (ehhh?! 🤷🏼♀️). I didn’t feel like I could totally “see” and “know” what was going on. My imagination sucks, but I’m gonna keep trying! ❤️📚
I really want to enjoy the fantasy genre…. and I’ve been lucky to find a few gems (between the hundreds I’ve read) that I actually loved. 😉 But most of them end up in this… ehhh?! 🤷🏼♀️… categorization for me. This was just that (ehhh?! 🤷🏼♀️). I didn’t feel like I could totally “see” and “know” what was going on. My imagination sucks, but I’m gonna keep trying! ❤️📚
March 4, 2020
Thank-you, Edelweiss, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I thoroughly enjoyed this and feel like it’s an easy story to read in one sitting. Not because it’s a simple story but because it’s addicting.
The world is unique and so is the magic system. I've never read a book like this one, where the characters use animal bones and get strength and power from them depending on what animal it is they killed. I loved every minute of it.
This story is full of star-crossed lovers, enemies to lovers, siblings, characters you can’t trust, and one hell of a compelling plot.
I will for sure be buying myself a finished copy when it gets released in March 2020.
-----------------------------------
Okay, who gave someone the goddamn right to not only make this cover gorgeous, but to have it set to come out in 2020???
I just wanna talk...
I thoroughly enjoyed this and feel like it’s an easy story to read in one sitting. Not because it’s a simple story but because it’s addicting.
The world is unique and so is the magic system. I've never read a book like this one, where the characters use animal bones and get strength and power from them depending on what animal it is they killed. I loved every minute of it.
This story is full of star-crossed lovers, enemies to lovers, siblings, characters you can’t trust, and one hell of a compelling plot.
I will for sure be buying myself a finished copy when it gets released in March 2020.
-----------------------------------
Okay, who gave someone the goddamn right to not only make this cover gorgeous, but to have it set to come out in 2020???
I just wanna talk...
February 21, 2021
So. I enjoyed this book but at the same time there were definitely things that annoyed me about it 😐
❌ SINCE THERE WAS SO MUCH that annoyed me, I'm just going to list out the annoying items instead of ranting forever.
✅ THE WORLD AND MAGIC SYSTEM of the Bone Criers was so interesting! I liked how everyone had a unique set of abilities that they had to strategically plan out and fight for
✅ SABINE WAS A WONDERFUL character and her perspective was by far my favorite. She had a really wonderful arc and it was nice watching her grow into a powerful force to be reckoned with to save her best friend
✅ I COULD NOT PUT this book down! There was always something exciting happening! The Bone Crier traditions and rituals were also somewhat secretive, with slow releases of information, so that also kept me invested to find out more about the world and magic system
Overall, even though I had some issues with this book, I still found it really engrossing and that is why I'm still giving it 3 stars.
❌ SINCE THERE WAS SO MUCH that annoyed me, I'm just going to list out the annoying items instead of ranting forever.
⇢ A LOT OF THINGS in the novel were just "too convenient" for me because they only existed to create conflict. When I started to actually think about why certain rules in this world existed or why characters acted the way they did, I came up blank, and I think that's largely my issue with the book
⇢ THE CHARACTERS kept making dumb decisions that served no purpose other than to create more conflict. It was really frustrating because their actions just weren't believable
⇢ JULES WAS THE WORST and I honestly couldn't tell if we were supposed to hate her, but her actions pissed me off so much and didn't make sense
⇢ THE ROMANCE was pretty bland. There wasn't any sexual tension or build-up in feelings between Ailesse and Bastien, which made it feel like instalove
✅ THE WORLD AND MAGIC SYSTEM of the Bone Criers was so interesting! I liked how everyone had a unique set of abilities that they had to strategically plan out and fight for
✅ SABINE WAS A WONDERFUL character and her perspective was by far my favorite. She had a really wonderful arc and it was nice watching her grow into a powerful force to be reckoned with to save her best friend
✅ I COULD NOT PUT this book down! There was always something exciting happening! The Bone Crier traditions and rituals were also somewhat secretive, with slow releases of information, so that also kept me invested to find out more about the world and magic system
Overall, even though I had some issues with this book, I still found it really engrossing and that is why I'm still giving it 3 stars.
August 30, 2021
Sigh. I loved this world, but I couldn't stand what happened in it. Pretty disappointed, if I'm honest.
World building: ★★★★
Characters/Character Arcs: ★★★
Romance element: ★★
Plot: ★★ 1/2
So from my stars above, it's pretty clear where this novel really let me down. The world was cool, the lore behind the religious elements was REALLY cool, and the book had the unexpected awesomeness of being much more cave-focused and catacomb-centric than I thought it would be—which is a HUGE plus for me a reader, because I love caves in books! So spooky! So atmospheric!
But... then I met the characters and had to deal with the actual plot. Which turned this reading experience into an exercise in frustration real fast.
The Bone Crier's Moon has three points of view: Ailesse, Sebastian, and Sabine.
Ailesse is the daughter of the matron, the female leader of the Bone Criers. Bone Criers are mystical women who exist to ferry the souls of the dead to either Heaven or Hell. They also lure their soulmates to their deaths in a full moon ritual on a bridge. As the daughter of the chief, Ailesse is about to complete her initiation: it's time to draw out her soulmate to the bridge.
Sabine is Ailesse's closest friend, partner in arms, and absolutely not dealing well with the philosophy of what it means to be a Bone Crier. She's an awkward vegetarian in a group of hunters. She's not interested in being a Bone Crier, but she agrees to be the witness for Ailesse's night on the bridge.
Sebastian watched his father be murdered by a Bone Crier when he was young. Determined to seek revenge, he bands together with two other pickpockets in the city to devote their lives to killing a Bone Crier. Every full moon, a Bone Crier plays a special bone flute to draw men to their deaths on bridges. Sebastian just needs the right opportunity.
But when Ailesse initiates her flute song on the bridge one fateful night and Sebastian shows up, chaos ensues and things go south.
My thoughts:
Filled with tropes, expected betrayals, predictable character arcs, and a standard sequence of YA fantasy events, the only thing that saved this novel for me was its setting, its lore, and the unique world itself. Oh, and the bones, because I'm a sucker for bone magic.
You may or may not consider the below sections to have spoilers. SPOILER WARNING here, just in case.
In particular, I thought this novel really suffered from the romance. Sebastian and Ailesse are supposedly soulmates, period—let's get over the fact that they've JUST met and they try to KILL each other—and therefore what should have been cultivated slowly felt slammed at the reader and then never grown organically. I did not give one lick about Sebastian with Ailesse, I didn't see it, I didn't care for it, and the author didn't make it real for me despite having almost 500 pages to do so. (And then the ending happened, which really made my reading experience feel extra pointless in this regard.)
I also wish that the plot could have kept up with the unique world. There were moments that were extremely cool and cinematic (the climax, a few other action sequences in the middle) but overall it's exactly what it says in the blurb: Ailesse has to kill her soulmate, or there are consequences. Sabine is the supportive, delicate side character who seems to be along for the ride but also, inexplicably, seems to be secretly special. Sebastian, the hardened boy, starts off hating Ailesse but her special spark (ok, let's be honest, her extreme beauty) starts to get to him and he falls for her after all. Etc, etc, etc. Haven't we seen this before, and done with more pizazz?
Sadly, this didn't end up being for me. Depending on how people feel about the second one, I may or may not continue. I hold out the hope that the second book might bring something fresh to the table!
Blog | Instagram
World building: ★★★★
Characters/Character Arcs: ★★★
Romance element: ★★
Plot: ★★ 1/2
So from my stars above, it's pretty clear where this novel really let me down. The world was cool, the lore behind the religious elements was REALLY cool, and the book had the unexpected awesomeness of being much more cave-focused and catacomb-centric than I thought it would be—which is a HUGE plus for me a reader, because I love caves in books! So spooky! So atmospheric!
But... then I met the characters and had to deal with the actual plot. Which turned this reading experience into an exercise in frustration real fast.
The Bone Crier's Moon has three points of view: Ailesse, Sebastian, and Sabine.
Ailesse is the daughter of the matron, the female leader of the Bone Criers. Bone Criers are mystical women who exist to ferry the souls of the dead to either Heaven or Hell. They also lure their soulmates to their deaths in a full moon ritual on a bridge. As the daughter of the chief, Ailesse is about to complete her initiation: it's time to draw out her soulmate to the bridge.
Sabine is Ailesse's closest friend, partner in arms, and absolutely not dealing well with the philosophy of what it means to be a Bone Crier. She's an awkward vegetarian in a group of hunters. She's not interested in being a Bone Crier, but she agrees to be the witness for Ailesse's night on the bridge.
Sebastian watched his father be murdered by a Bone Crier when he was young. Determined to seek revenge, he bands together with two other pickpockets in the city to devote their lives to killing a Bone Crier. Every full moon, a Bone Crier plays a special bone flute to draw men to their deaths on bridges. Sebastian just needs the right opportunity.
But when Ailesse initiates her flute song on the bridge one fateful night and Sebastian shows up, chaos ensues and things go south.
My thoughts:
Filled with tropes, expected betrayals, predictable character arcs, and a standard sequence of YA fantasy events, the only thing that saved this novel for me was its setting, its lore, and the unique world itself. Oh, and the bones, because I'm a sucker for bone magic.
You may or may not consider the below sections to have spoilers. SPOILER WARNING here, just in case.
In particular, I thought this novel really suffered from the romance. Sebastian and Ailesse are supposedly soulmates, period—let's get over the fact that they've JUST met and they try to KILL each other—and therefore what should have been cultivated slowly felt slammed at the reader and then never grown organically. I did not give one lick about Sebastian with Ailesse, I didn't see it, I didn't care for it, and the author didn't make it real for me despite having almost 500 pages to do so. (And then the ending happened, which really made my reading experience feel extra pointless in this regard.)
I also wish that the plot could have kept up with the unique world. There were moments that were extremely cool and cinematic (the climax, a few other action sequences in the middle) but overall it's exactly what it says in the blurb: Ailesse has to kill her soulmate, or there are consequences. Sabine is the supportive, delicate side character who seems to be along for the ride but also, inexplicably, seems to be secretly special. Sebastian, the hardened boy, starts off hating Ailesse but her special spark (ok, let's be honest, her extreme beauty) starts to get to him and he falls for her after all. Etc, etc, etc. Haven't we seen this before, and done with more pizazz?
Sadly, this didn't end up being for me. Depending on how people feel about the second one, I may or may not continue. I hold out the hope that the second book might bring something fresh to the table!
Blog | Instagram
March 23, 2020
Bone Crier's Moon was a riveting read set in a French-inspired world about the lengths people go to for love and loyalty. The moon waxed and waned, the stakes were high and the relationships were compelling- I definitely thought it was a story with a lot of potential.
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Bone Criers or Ferriers were women who ferried the souls of the dead to either the Heavens or the Underworld every new moon. But to do this they had to complete a rite of passage that involved luring and killing their soulmate on a bridge. I did think that was a contradictory idea- murdering in order to ferry the dead. The idea was supposed to be that the Ferrier's had to give up something important to prove their dedication but surely the person dying is making more of a sacrifice than the Ferriers?
The magic system was very novel where the Ferriers gained magical powers called graces from the bones of animals that they had killed depending on the strengths and skills of those particular animals. For example, if someone had the grace bone of a peregrine falcon they would get extra speed and the bone of a fire salamander would give a healing grace.
Ailesse didn't just want to be a Ferrier, she wanted to be the best no matter what it took. Her drive to prove her worth and skill to her mother, the Matrone, and the rest of her famille meant that she never questioned their practices or the reasons behind them. But then Bastien took her hostage, getting in the way of the fate she had been preparing for as long as she could remember. As time passed and truths were uncovered, she realised that there could always be another way. Ailesse had the most subtle development, over the course of the book the pillars of her life crumbled and she had to trust in her own strength to get her through.
Sabine was probably the most interesting character. I loved her strong friendship with Ailesse and how they loved each other unconditionally despite their differences. However, it was that strong love that led her to break through many of her moral boundaries to help her friend, almost becoming an entirely different person by the end. As she discovered more and more unsettling secrets her limits were tested more than ever before.
For me, Bastien was probably the least developed character. He witnessed his father being killed by a Bone Crier at a young age and ever since he had been driven by a deep-seated desire for revenge. Therefore, he made it his mission to kill a Bone Crier. My problem with him was that I thought he discarded the anger that had been fuelling him for so long rather quickly, I think he should have experienced a greater conflict of emotions.
I did like how he put his revenge behind him as he knew it was not going to make anything better. And I also thought him and Ailesse suited each other very much and the way they unwittingly chose each other and defied fate in doing so was cute. However, I think it all needed more development and needed to take more time. On another note, I really liked Bastien's friends, Jules and Marcel, and I hope they get even more of a role in the next book.
Set in a dynamic world that went between the forest, the catacombs, the city and many different bridges, Bone Crier's Moon was a promising start to a duology about choosing one's own destiny and rethinking the ways of the past. I'm really excited to read the sequel and seeing where the story goes next!
Thank you to Katherine Tegen Books for providing me with a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Bone Criers or Ferriers were women who ferried the souls of the dead to either the Heavens or the Underworld every new moon. But to do this they had to complete a rite of passage that involved luring and killing their soulmate on a bridge. I did think that was a contradictory idea- murdering in order to ferry the dead. The idea was supposed to be that the Ferrier's had to give up something important to prove their dedication but surely the person dying is making more of a sacrifice than the Ferriers?
The magic system was very novel where the Ferriers gained magical powers called graces from the bones of animals that they had killed depending on the strengths and skills of those particular animals. For example, if someone had the grace bone of a peregrine falcon they would get extra speed and the bone of a fire salamander would give a healing grace.
Ailesse didn't just want to be a Ferrier, she wanted to be the best no matter what it took. Her drive to prove her worth and skill to her mother, the Matrone, and the rest of her famille meant that she never questioned their practices or the reasons behind them. But then Bastien took her hostage, getting in the way of the fate she had been preparing for as long as she could remember. As time passed and truths were uncovered, she realised that there could always be another way. Ailesse had the most subtle development, over the course of the book the pillars of her life crumbled and she had to trust in her own strength to get her through.
Sabine was probably the most interesting character. I loved her strong friendship with Ailesse and how they loved each other unconditionally despite their differences. However, it was that strong love that led her to break through many of her moral boundaries to help her friend, almost becoming an entirely different person by the end. As she discovered more and more unsettling secrets her limits were tested more than ever before.
For me, Bastien was probably the least developed character. He witnessed his father being killed by a Bone Crier at a young age and ever since he had been driven by a deep-seated desire for revenge. Therefore, he made it his mission to kill a Bone Crier. My problem with him was that I thought he discarded the anger that had been fuelling him for so long rather quickly, I think he should have experienced a greater conflict of emotions.
I did like how he put his revenge behind him as he knew it was not going to make anything better. And I also thought him and Ailesse suited each other very much and the way they unwittingly chose each other and defied fate in doing so was cute. However, I think it all needed more development and needed to take more time. On another note, I really liked Bastien's friends, Jules and Marcel, and I hope they get even more of a role in the next book.
Set in a dynamic world that went between the forest, the catacombs, the city and many different bridges, Bone Crier's Moon was a promising start to a duology about choosing one's own destiny and rethinking the ways of the past. I'm really excited to read the sequel and seeing where the story goes next!
Thank you to Katherine Tegen Books for providing me with a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
March 16, 2020
"You're worth the risk, do you hear me? You're always going to be worth the risk."
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Not gonna lie, I totally added this one to my TBR just from the cover alone. But luckily for me, the inside of this book is just as pretty as the outside. Bone Crier's Moon is a hauntingly beautiful fantasy filled with lots of hate to love romance, magic, sisterly love, strong friendships, secrets, and betrayals. The writing in this is seriously stunning and the author does a great job of creating a world that makes it easy to escape into. Even though I did give this book 3.5 stars I think there are more reasons to enjoy this story rather than the few issues I had with it, so let's dive in!
What I Liked
👯♀️ Strong emphasis on female friendship. I love strong female friendships/bonds in stories. The lengths that Sabine and Ailesse go to in this book to save each other is adorable and shows that their love for one another has no limits, they will risk everything to help each other. We love to see it. For me, Sabine was the real show stopper in this book and I think seeing her growth throughout the story and what she was willing to do to get Ailesse back was what I enjoyed the most about this story.
🔮 Magic. I thought the magic system and history of the Bone Criers was well thought out and written. I was not a fan of how the Bone Criers attain their powers but I did think it was pretty interesting that once they have these powers and they use them to ferry the dead and move them into the afterlife.
😈 Enemies to lovers. It was pretty easy to see this was going to take a turn and Ailesse and Bastien would end up developing feelings for one another and I will say, this was not by any means the best enemies to lovers story I've ever read but I still eat this shit up. The fact that they started this story off wanting nothing more than to kill each other really made my heart swell.
👨👩👧👦 Multiple POV's. The story is told from Sabine, Ailesse, and Bastien which helped keep me on edge. I was constantly going back and forth trying to decide whose side I wanted to be on. Bastien or Ailesse? There was so much at stake and so much that each of these characters could lose that I ended up reading a good majority of this in just one sitting to see how things would play out.
What I Didn't Like
🐺 Save the animals pls. Kill all the humans, I really don't care but once we start hurting the animals I get very emotional. If you're like me and animal death is a big no no then you might get a little upset in this as well. Bone Crier's have to kill an animal and wear one of it's bones to attain the heightened senses of whatever animal they kill. And the book literally opens with Ailesse and Sabine killing a shark which was not easy for me to read. So, just be ready for that and be aware that there are a few scenes like that throughout this book.
😴 Too long. This ties right into the my next issue as well so I'll keep this one to the point. If this book was a standalone I think it would have been fine, but since it's not it just seemed way too long.
🔚 Flimsy premise for book two. I am definitely not a fan of how this book ended and at this point I fully believe this should have been a standalone. Maybe my mind will change with the sequel but as of right now I'm kind of bummed. This book comes in at just under 500 pages so all of our questions could have easily been answered without feeling rushed. However, it seems that the author just kind of made this new problem appear out of thin air at the end just to keep the story going. And the problem with that is that I'm not nearly interested or invested enough in this "new" predicament to really care what happens. Am I still going to read it? Probably. Do I care though? Not really.
And there you have it, friends. If you're looking for a fun new eerie and atmospheric fantasy to dive into then you might not want to let this one slip past you. However, just be ready for the little bits of animal cruelty this does contain if that's a hard limit for you!
Thank you Katherine Tegen Books for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for a honest review!
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June 27, 2020
*Rated 3.5/5 stars
Ok, so this was set to be a 4 star read for the most part. I really enjoyed how melodramatic it was, it being high stakes life-or-death from the very beginning. It was fascinating learning about the Bone Crier’s lifestyle, their systems and history that ultimately lead to this moment in the book. I also found the characters fun to read about, the personalities feeling authentic and crashing together in this dramatic culmination of a story.
But then we got to the last 50 pages or so, and the drama turned...less believable, I guess? It was almost as if this book threw in a bunch of dramatic YA tropes at the last minute to raise the climatic scenes more than the melodrama already achieved. But because it was so hastily thrown in towards the end, it just lost any authenticity it had. I’m not usually bothered by YA tropes, but they definitely could’ve been woven in more smoothly or subtly to avoid them crashing into the story haphazardly at the end. So it kinda lost a bit of its 4 star status for me, docking it down slightly to 3.5 stars.
That being said, it proved to be a super quick and fun read. I haven’t read a story like it in terms of the Bone Crier set up, and will be continuing the series when the sequel is released. Pretty good for a first book in a series!
Ok, so this was set to be a 4 star read for the most part. I really enjoyed how melodramatic it was, it being high stakes life-or-death from the very beginning. It was fascinating learning about the Bone Crier’s lifestyle, their systems and history that ultimately lead to this moment in the book. I also found the characters fun to read about, the personalities feeling authentic and crashing together in this dramatic culmination of a story.
But then we got to the last 50 pages or so, and the drama turned...less believable, I guess? It was almost as if this book threw in a bunch of dramatic YA tropes at the last minute to raise the climatic scenes more than the melodrama already achieved. But because it was so hastily thrown in towards the end, it just lost any authenticity it had. I’m not usually bothered by YA tropes, but they definitely could’ve been woven in more smoothly or subtly to avoid them crashing into the story haphazardly at the end. So it kinda lost a bit of its 4 star status for me, docking it down slightly to 3.5 stars.
That being said, it proved to be a super quick and fun read. I haven’t read a story like it in terms of the Bone Crier set up, and will be continuing the series when the sequel is released. Pretty good for a first book in a series!
August 22, 2020
3 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I was pulled into the story from the very start. The writing was immersive and the plot was intriguing. We explore this story from three POVS:
• Ailesse: The daughter and heir of the Matron of Bone Criers or as they call themselves “Leuress”.
• Bastien: An 18 year old boy seeking to avenge his father’s death whom was killed by a Bone Crier when he was a child.
• Sabine: Ailesse’s best friend and companion <~ probably my favorite character in the book. She had the most development and really grew on me.
Each character had something to add to the story overall but I have to say I liked both Ailesse and Sabine far better than Bastien whom I found to be the most bland out of them all and lacks proper character development which I hope will be delivered by the second book.
I enjoyed the concept of Bone Criers and their role in ferrying the dead lest they cause havoc for the living. The Unchained are meant to pass through Elara’s gate (Heaven) while the Chained are destined to fall into Tyrus’s gate which is the equivalent of Hell. To make matters more complicated, for a Leuress to become a Ferrier, she must accomplish a difficult task to complete the Rite of Passage; that is to summon their one true love (Amoure) by playing a special Bone Flute that would draw them out blindly and then seducing them with a dance until they are too captivated to realize that they are about to be sacrificed to appease the gods.
Another thing I liked is that the Leuress may have magic, but it is not summoned without wearing their graces which are the bones of their kills that grants them various abilities. For example: a peregrine falcon grants sharp sight while a tiger shark grants speed. This is a unique magic system that involved bones and animal sacrifices despite its brutality.
*MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD*
Now we move to the part where the book fell short.
• We start by character development. I really like the characters and I believe they are in dire need of development (excluding Sabine) since they offer so much to the story but it cannot progress without the characters growing with it.
• The romance was.. poorly executed? I mean I was excited to learn this has one of my favorite tropes (enemies-to-lovers) but it was very rushed and unconvincing. I still feel like Ailesse and Bastien are at the stage of infatuation/attraction rather than Love despite the last scenes in the book. I want their romance to have a better chance in the second book and hopefully the author will develop at a good pace and succeeds at making butterflies flutter in my tummy.
• The climax was weak and predictable.
• I want to see more world-building. This world has so much to offer please give me more of it.
• What happened to the Famille after Odiva was gone? Please give them a more prominent role they’re intriguing and I want to see the more powerful leuresses in action.
Bone Crier’s Moon gave me a story that I was immersed into although it failed to deliver a few elements that I hoped to see in it. I hope Purdie remedies that in the sequel because I’m definitely picking that one up.
After thinking about it, it was a disappointing read after all.. it had potential but it’s the magic system is what’s making me want to read the sequel.
I was pulled into the story from the very start. The writing was immersive and the plot was intriguing. We explore this story from three POVS:
• Ailesse: The daughter and heir of the Matron of Bone Criers or as they call themselves “Leuress”.
• Bastien: An 18 year old boy seeking to avenge his father’s death whom was killed by a Bone Crier when he was a child.
• Sabine: Ailesse’s best friend and companion <~ probably my favorite character in the book. She had the most development and really grew on me.
Each character had something to add to the story overall but I have to say I liked both Ailesse and Sabine far better than Bastien whom I found to be the most bland out of them all and lacks proper character development which I hope will be delivered by the second book.
I enjoyed the concept of Bone Criers and their role in ferrying the dead lest they cause havoc for the living. The Unchained are meant to pass through Elara’s gate (Heaven) while the Chained are destined to fall into Tyrus’s gate which is the equivalent of Hell. To make matters more complicated, for a Leuress to become a Ferrier, she must accomplish a difficult task to complete the Rite of Passage; that is to summon their one true love (Amoure) by playing a special Bone Flute that would draw them out blindly and then seducing them with a dance until they are too captivated to realize that they are about to be sacrificed to appease the gods.
Another thing I liked is that the Leuress may have magic, but it is not summoned without wearing their graces which are the bones of their kills that grants them various abilities. For example: a peregrine falcon grants sharp sight while a tiger shark grants speed. This is a unique magic system that involved bones and animal sacrifices despite its brutality.
*MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD*
Now we move to the part where the book fell short.
• We start by character development. I really like the characters and I believe they are in dire need of development (excluding Sabine) since they offer so much to the story but it cannot progress without the characters growing with it.
• The romance was.. poorly executed? I mean I was excited to learn this has one of my favorite tropes (enemies-to-lovers) but it was very rushed and unconvincing. I still feel like Ailesse and Bastien are at the stage of infatuation/attraction rather than Love despite the last scenes in the book. I want their romance to have a better chance in the second book and hopefully the author will develop at a good pace and succeeds at making butterflies flutter in my tummy.
• The climax was weak and predictable.
• I want to see more world-building. This world has so much to offer please give me more of it.
• What happened to the Famille after Odiva was gone? Please give them a more prominent role they’re intriguing and I want to see the more powerful leuresses in action.
Bone Crier’s Moon gave me a story that I was immersed into although it failed to deliver a few elements that I hoped to see in it. I hope Purdie remedies that in the sequel because I’m definitely picking that one up.
After thinking about it, it was a disappointing read after all.. it had potential but it’s the magic system is what’s making me want to read the sequel.
October 11, 2020
I genuinely loved reading this book. It was a fun adventure into the world of Bone Criers, and I really liked the characters and plot line as well! In my opinion, it was a nice, quick fantasy read with fun elements and an actually interesting story.
I really don't feel like writing a long review of this book, so here are just a few points I want to talk about:
-the characters I actually loved! Bastien was really dreamy, Aliesse fierce and protective. My favorite character has to be Sabine, though. She got mistreated on this book and deserves better! I better see her get an amazing end to her story in the next book.
-I know this isn't really important, but I love the French names! Sabine and Aliesse and Julienne are such pretty names; I genuinely like them.
-I really liked the whole French-inspired world. Kathryn Purdie herself said it's essentially "her love letter to France", and it shows, what with the whole world being almost a historical version of France, but with Bone Criers.
-I think the Bone Criers are actually a very creative concept, and my favorite part of them is that they actually use the bones of their kills to give them powers, which I think was so cool.
-On a side note, though, the fact that the main theme of the Bone Criers was that women don't need men (except to have children *that too, GIRLS ONLY*) for anything, and that we can kill them lol
I loved that haha :) We love independent women, and of course, there was an abundance of independent women in this book.
-I was kind of indifferent to the rest of the Bone Criers other than Sabine and Ailesse, and didn't care much for Jules and Marcel that much.
-The plot definitely threw me off. I expected this book to be a bit slow, but I found that it wasn't slow at all, quite the opposite at times. I couldn't keep my hands off the book!
-reading the reviews on Goodreads, I expected to love Cas and ship him with Sabine, but Cas *seems* to be the villain in the next book, so I'm not really sure about him. I would love it if he ended up with Sabine, and Bastien with Ailesse, though!
okay, so nothing else is currently coming to mind (I'll probably remember something in the middle of the night lol), so my overall review:
I had a whole lot of fun reading this book, and really couldn't find anything wrong with it! This review doesn't go very in depth but if you want a review to tell you about the flaws of the book (which I'm sure there are) just read other reviews at this point because I got nothing.
I can't wait to read Bone Crier's Dawn in March of 2021!
ugggghhh 2021 can't get her soon enough so I can read all the sequels to the amazing books I read this year!!
5 stars :)
I really don't feel like writing a long review of this book, so here are just a few points I want to talk about:
-the characters I actually loved! Bastien was really dreamy, Aliesse fierce and protective. My favorite character has to be Sabine, though. She got mistreated on this book and deserves better! I better see her get an amazing end to her story in the next book.
-I know this isn't really important, but I love the French names! Sabine and Aliesse and Julienne are such pretty names; I genuinely like them.
-I really liked the whole French-inspired world. Kathryn Purdie herself said it's essentially "her love letter to France", and it shows, what with the whole world being almost a historical version of France, but with Bone Criers.
-I think the Bone Criers are actually a very creative concept, and my favorite part of them is that they actually use the bones of their kills to give them powers, which I think was so cool.
-On a side note, though, the fact that the main theme of the Bone Criers was that women don't need men (except to have children *that too, GIRLS ONLY*) for anything, and that we can kill them lol
I loved that haha :) We love independent women, and of course, there was an abundance of independent women in this book.
-I was kind of indifferent to the rest of the Bone Criers other than Sabine and Ailesse, and didn't care much for Jules and Marcel that much.
-The plot definitely threw me off. I expected this book to be a bit slow, but I found that it wasn't slow at all, quite the opposite at times. I couldn't keep my hands off the book!
-reading the reviews on Goodreads, I expected to love Cas and ship him with Sabine, but Cas *seems* to be the villain in the next book, so I'm not really sure about him. I would love it if he ended up with Sabine, and Bastien with Ailesse, though!
okay, so nothing else is currently coming to mind (I'll probably remember something in the middle of the night lol), so my overall review:
I had a whole lot of fun reading this book, and really couldn't find anything wrong with it! This review doesn't go very in depth but if you want a review to tell you about the flaws of the book (which I'm sure there are) just read other reviews at this point because I got nothing.
I can't wait to read Bone Crier's Dawn in March of 2021!
ugggghhh 2021 can't get her soon enough so I can read all the sequels to the amazing books I read this year!!
5 stars :)
April 10, 2020
Bone Crier’s Moon
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What a book! The world building was absolutely amazing✨ These myths about Bone crier’s and their gods, beliefs and Light fits my aesthetic too well🌅
But first, let’s admire the beyond beautiful cover illustrated by Charlie Bowater! I love Bowater’s work, and this cover is everything🌙
But let’s move on to the characters cause I got some tea🍵 Where is the depth may I ask? It took some time to get to know these characters, and I still feel they’re just strangers. For example, Bastien grew up alone and became a wanted thief. That’s basically all we got, where’s the backstory?🙈
The only character who developed throughout the book was Sabine, and to be honest I don’t think it was enough. The only think she achieved was that she wanted to get better at killing⚔️
I wanted that relationship badly💗 This had such potential, but I just didn’t care about them. It felt forced, like suddenly they where in love because why not.
I’m still interested to read the sequel, I need to know where this is headed. Though I expected more🥱
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What a book! The world building was absolutely amazing✨ These myths about Bone crier’s and their gods, beliefs and Light fits my aesthetic too well🌅
But first, let’s admire the beyond beautiful cover illustrated by Charlie Bowater! I love Bowater’s work, and this cover is everything🌙
But let’s move on to the characters cause I got some tea🍵 Where is the depth may I ask? It took some time to get to know these characters, and I still feel they’re just strangers. For example, Bastien grew up alone and became a wanted thief. That’s basically all we got, where’s the backstory?🙈
The only character who developed throughout the book was Sabine, and to be honest I don’t think it was enough. The only think she achieved was that she wanted to get better at killing⚔️
I wanted that relationship badly💗 This had such potential, but I just didn’t care about them. It felt forced, like suddenly they where in love because why not.
I’m still interested to read the sequel, I need to know where this is headed. Though I expected more🥱
September 2, 2021
Finally finished!!!
Ok so I don’t frequently read YA or fantasy and obviously not YA fantasy but something about this book just drew me towards it.
This was very fun and atmospheric I really enjoyed the world and the magic system it was something that I had never read before. It was a little slow to start but then started to pick up its pace around the 50 page mark. That being said I didn’t love this one. The book was perfectly fine it just didn’t click with me. I think if YA fantasy is your typical genre then probably you will really enjoy this one! Especially if you love a sprinkle of romance within your fantasy books.
Ok so I don’t frequently read YA or fantasy and obviously not YA fantasy but something about this book just drew me towards it.
This was very fun and atmospheric I really enjoyed the world and the magic system it was something that I had never read before. It was a little slow to start but then started to pick up its pace around the 50 page mark. That being said I didn’t love this one. The book was perfectly fine it just didn’t click with me. I think if YA fantasy is your typical genre then probably you will really enjoy this one! Especially if you love a sprinkle of romance within your fantasy books.
June 29, 2020
Meh. I don’t get the hype. It was ok, but just that. Ok.
Contrary to other reviewers, while I didn’t particularly care for the animal killings, I didn’t think they were too graphic or extreme either.
My main problem were the characters themselves. I loved Sabine, but I think that the book would’ve been better if it solely focused on her, rather than having 3 POVs (which changed so abruptly btw). I didn’t care for the other two at all. They were rather bland characters and weakened the book with their so-called romance. I found Sabine to be a much more empathetic and relatable character, in comparison.
I don’t think that I’ll be continuing this duology. There are better fantasies out there.
Contrary to other reviewers, while I didn’t particularly care for the animal killings, I didn’t think they were too graphic or extreme either.
My main problem were the characters themselves. I loved Sabine, but I think that the book would’ve been better if it solely focused on her, rather than having 3 POVs (which changed so abruptly btw). I didn’t care for the other two at all. They were rather bland characters and weakened the book with their so-called romance. I found Sabine to be a much more empathetic and relatable character, in comparison.
I don’t think that I’ll be continuing this duology. There are better fantasies out there.
September 8, 2020
This book really surprised me with the characters, I did not expect to like as many characters as I did. The only character that was meant to be likable that I didn’t care for was Sabine, and I thought I was going to prefer her over Ailesse and Bastien. This stories pacing was well done especially towards the end when everything is coming to an end. The plot was very interesting, and I really liked the enemies to lovers romance in this book. One of the things that I didn’t like was how the author didn’t go into more detail of the mythology. Also, the ending I loved it, and it makes me wonder if the new character we meet then is going to be a villain and he is just acting dumb. Overall, I enjoyed this book and I’m looking forward to seeing how this duology will end.
September 30, 2021
the first half of this book was so good and the last half was just me 🤨🤨🤨🤨🤨‘ing until it was over :/
March 4, 2020
Real Rating: 3,5 stars
Bone Crier's Moon tell us the story of three main characters: Sabine, Ailesse and Bastien.
Sabine and Ailesse are best friends and part of a clan of Leuress, women who ferry the dead into the underworld or paradise. They must do it with the help of bones from animals and a sacred bone flute. If the dead are not ferried they become something like invisible danger.
Bastien is a boy driven by revenge because his father was killed by a Leuress. And so our story begins.
Even if the book also overused YA tropes, I was still invested in the plot and the trope of star crossed lovers. Honestly, I did not care much for Sabine's POV, but I loved Ailesse's.
So without further delay, what I liked:
- The concept of the star-crossed lover called "amouré" acting as a sacrifice for a bigger end.
- Strong friendships.
- The mythology the author created (Bone Criers, Leuress etc).
- I liked to see roles reversing: at the beginning, we have one "less strong" girl and one "stronger". In the end, their roles are somehow reversed but in a good way.
- I liked to see a parental figure that actually had some complexity in her and was not just the usual "parent is villainized because yes".
- The gorgeous cover. I would buy this book just for it, really.
What I did not like:
- I do not like the part where they have to kill animals, but I understand the purpose of it...but it still hurt. I wish there was no need for that. It left me uncomfortable and I had to ignore it in order to enjoy the book. I lowered my rating because of it.
- The plot twist at the end was a bit weak because at the beginning of the book I totally saw it coming. Maybe if the first meeting scene wasn't so fast...
- Supporting characters were okay. They have plenty of potential to develop in the next book.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I'd recommend it for those who enjoy French Folklore or enemies to lovers trope.
ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review (Thank you!)
Bone Crier's Moon tell us the story of three main characters: Sabine, Ailesse and Bastien.
Sabine and Ailesse are best friends and part of a clan of Leuress, women who ferry the dead into the underworld or paradise. They must do it with the help of bones from animals and a sacred bone flute. If the dead are not ferried they become something like invisible danger.
Bastien is a boy driven by revenge because his father was killed by a Leuress. And so our story begins.
Even if the book also overused YA tropes, I was still invested in the plot and the trope of star crossed lovers. Honestly, I did not care much for Sabine's POV, but I loved Ailesse's.
So without further delay, what I liked:
- The concept of the star-crossed lover called "amouré" acting as a sacrifice for a bigger end.
- Strong friendships.
- The mythology the author created (Bone Criers, Leuress etc).
- I liked to see roles reversing: at the beginning, we have one "less strong" girl and one "stronger". In the end, their roles are somehow reversed but in a good way.
- I liked to see a parental figure that actually had some complexity in her and was not just the usual "parent is villainized because yes".
- The gorgeous cover. I would buy this book just for it, really.
What I did not like:
- I do not like the part where they have to kill animals, but I understand the purpose of it...but it still hurt. I wish there was no need for that. It left me uncomfortable and I had to ignore it in order to enjoy the book. I lowered my rating because of it.
- The plot twist at the end was a bit weak because at the beginning of the book I totally saw it coming. Maybe if the first meeting scene wasn't so fast...
- Supporting characters were okay. They have plenty of potential to develop in the next book.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I'd recommend it for those who enjoy French Folklore or enemies to lovers trope.
ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review (Thank you!)
July 25, 2023
In this French-inspired world, Bone Criers are all female and have the job of ferrying spirits, using the bone flute, to Elara's Heavens or Tyrus's Underworld. They get their magic/enhanced abilities from the bones of animals. They wear the bones on them and they are called Grace Bones. Every Bone Crier should have 3 Grace Bones, except for the Matrone (leader) of the Bone Criers/Leurres, who should have 5.
To prove their dedication to the gods, they have to kill their amouré (their fated lover). The Bone Crier and amouré will meet on the night of the Bone Crier's rite of passage. They lure their amouré to them by playing a song on the bone flute. The Bone Criers are basically Sirens that walk on land. They are given a choice to kill on the night of their rite of passage or stay with their amouré for exactly one year, in hopes of producing an heir, and then killing them.
Ailesse is the daughter of the Matrone. She is eighteen and just got her third grace bone, meaning she is ready for her rite of passage and ready to become the next Matrone of the Leurres. She has no plans of living with her amouré for a year. Sabine is her best friend, but she doesn't want to be a Bone Crier or kill animals.
Bastien is a wanted thief, whose father was killed by a Bone Crier when he was young. He wants revenge for his father and plans to kill another Bone Crier in exchange for his father's life. He is accompanied by his friends, Jules and Marcel, who are siblings. Their father also got killed by a Bone Crier. Together they plan to avenge their fathers’ deaths.
The first thing I have to say is that I read this book because of the gorgeous cover. Next, I was disappointed by this book.
This book was told in 3 first-person POVs. Which I hated because:
1. I don’t like first-person POV for more than two characters
2. I kept getting confused between Ailesse and Sabine
I enjoyed the magic system, the mythology and folklore, and the world-building this story had. Despite being 480 pages, it was a really quick read (probably because I was skimming through 200 pages) .
I didn't like the characters. I kind of liked Sabine and her character growth. They were very bland and boring. Another thing that was bland and boring was the plot. Only the first and last fourth of the book was interesting. The rest of the stuff in the middle was so boring and some scenes could have definitely been cut out. There were a couple of plot twists. I got the first one. The last one was probably the most interesting.
Obviously, there's going to be an enemies-to-lovers romance/trope between Ailesse and Bastien. The romance was bland as well and I didn't like the way the romance was developed. It felt kind of forced. The thoughts and speech of the characters, especially Bastien, were boring as well. The only things I can remember him saying are "merde " and describing Ailesse with "damn [adjective]". Also, there was a love triangle (what a surprise).
The ending was confusing, shocking, and it made me kind of upset. The sequel will probably be a mess, but I will obviously give it a try if the cover looks stunning.
To prove their dedication to the gods, they have to kill their amouré (their fated lover). The Bone Crier and amouré will meet on the night of the Bone Crier's rite of passage. They lure their amouré to them by playing a song on the bone flute. The Bone Criers are basically Sirens that walk on land. They are given a choice to kill on the night of their rite of passage or stay with their amouré for exactly one year, in hopes of producing an heir, and then killing them.
Ailesse is the daughter of the Matrone. She is eighteen and just got her third grace bone, meaning she is ready for her rite of passage and ready to become the next Matrone of the Leurres. She has no plans of living with her amouré for a year. Sabine is her best friend, but she doesn't want to be a Bone Crier or kill animals.
Bastien is a wanted thief, whose father was killed by a Bone Crier when he was young. He wants revenge for his father and plans to kill another Bone Crier in exchange for his father's life. He is accompanied by his friends, Jules and Marcel, who are siblings. Their father also got killed by a Bone Crier. Together they plan to avenge their fathers’ deaths.
The first thing I have to say is that I read this book because of the gorgeous cover. Next, I was disappointed by this book.
This book was told in 3 first-person POVs. Which I hated because:
1. I don’t like first-person POV for more than two characters
2. I kept getting confused between Ailesse and Sabine
I enjoyed the magic system, the mythology and folklore, and the world-building this story had. Despite being 480 pages, it was a really quick read (probably because I was skimming through 200 pages) .
I didn't like the characters. I kind of liked Sabine and her character growth. They were very bland and boring. Another thing that was bland and boring was the plot. Only the first and last fourth of the book was interesting. The rest of the stuff in the middle was so boring and some scenes could have definitely been cut out. There were a couple of plot twists. I got the first one. The last one was probably the most interesting.
Obviously, there's going to be an enemies-to-lovers romance/trope between Ailesse and Bastien. The romance was bland as well and I didn't like the way the romance was developed. It felt kind of forced. The thoughts and speech of the characters, especially Bastien, were boring as well. The only things I can remember him saying are "merde " and describing Ailesse with "damn [adjective]". Also, there was a love triangle (what a surprise).
The ending was confusing, shocking, and it made me kind of upset. The sequel will probably be a mess, but I will obviously give it a try if the cover looks stunning.
March 30, 2021
4 enjoyable stars ****
”You will die, Bone Crier. Because you are mine.”
So this is the first YA fantasy I have read in a few months and I must say, I really enjoyed it (which I wasn’t expecting!). This book really piqued my interest with soul mates (but with murder/sacrifice), bone magic, and mythology. It was a great fast-paced read and I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the rituals etc., to become a Ferrier (someone who ferry’s the dead).
This had a great friendship between two best friends; Ailesse and Sabine. It was great to see their internal thoughts of one another and how they compared themselves to each other.
This also included an “enemies-to-lovers” romance which I am a sucker for too. I enjoyed seeing the scenes between Bastien and Ailesse- I much preferred the angst and hatred at the beginning though.
Sabine was a character I definitely loved throughout the book- she just went from strength to strength- and would do anything for Ailesse and to get her back.
I did have some issues with the book however, so not a full 5 stars from me. I found that the romance aspect between two of the characters shifted from hatred to love VERY fast, too quickly, without a natural progression or evolvement; so I didn’t enjoy that part.
Also, a new character was introduced in the last 100 pages and I just found this last part of the book to be SUPER rushed- almost as if the author was clamouring to get the book finished.
I’m not too sure if it’s because this story is told from 3 POV’s and so the author was trying to fit toomuch in? But I just felt certain things could’ve been developed and explained upon a lot more.
I additionally wanted to learn more about Odiva (the matronne of the Bone Crier’s) and find out more about her history, as we have clues about her past but not a full picture. Maybe this will be developed upon in the next book?
Overall a super fun read which held my attention, and other than those few things I wanted expanded upon more. I will be reading book 2 soon!
”You will die, Bone Crier. Because you are mine.”
So this is the first YA fantasy I have read in a few months and I must say, I really enjoyed it (which I wasn’t expecting!). This book really piqued my interest with soul mates (but with murder/sacrifice), bone magic, and mythology. It was a great fast-paced read and I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the rituals etc., to become a Ferrier (someone who ferry’s the dead).
This had a great friendship between two best friends; Ailesse and Sabine. It was great to see their internal thoughts of one another and how they compared themselves to each other.
This also included an “enemies-to-lovers” romance which I am a sucker for too. I enjoyed seeing the scenes between Bastien and Ailesse- I much preferred the angst and hatred at the beginning though.
Sabine was a character I definitely loved throughout the book- she just went from strength to strength- and would do anything for Ailesse and to get her back.
I did have some issues with the book however, so not a full 5 stars from me. I found that the romance aspect between two of the characters shifted from hatred to love VERY fast, too quickly, without a natural progression or evolvement; so I didn’t enjoy that part.
Also, a new character was introduced in the last 100 pages and I just found this last part of the book to be SUPER rushed- almost as if the author was clamouring to get the book finished.
I’m not too sure if it’s because this story is told from 3 POV’s and so the author was trying to fit toomuch in? But I just felt certain things could’ve been developed and explained upon a lot more.
I additionally wanted to learn more about Odiva (the matronne of the Bone Crier’s) and find out more about her history, as we have clues about her past but not a full picture. Maybe this will be developed upon in the next book?
Overall a super fun read which held my attention, and other than those few things I wanted expanded upon more. I will be reading book 2 soon!
December 25, 2020
What a great surprise I got with this book, I liked it so much, and that cover, WONDERFUL 💖
The concept of the plot impressed me and I didn't expect to like it as much as it did.
"Bone Crier's Moon", presents us with a story where women attract their love, his soulmate to sacrifice it, and thus fulfill their duty of ferrying good and bad souls of the kingdom between the living and the dead.
Now, the beginning is slow, many details need to be read carefully because the plot can seem somewhat confusing if you get to read quickly, I will not lie, I even read some of the first chapters twice, but then when the time comes as in any story where the protagonists meet for the first time, I devoured him.
The book is written in three POVs. Ailesse who is in charge of making the sacrifice and Bastien who arrived to make a mess by kidnapping her to get revenge on her and her species. On the other hand, we have Sabine, Ailesse's best friend who, after being present at the kidnapping, plans to rescue her.
Romance is an enemy to lovers, and although I felt that it happened very quickly that they hated each other at the beginning and then loved each other, as it was not surprising, I am used to most books in less than two months already loving each other, enjoy your moments of connection and where they know each other more emocionally.
Throughout more than 400 pages, there are several surprises and plot twists that I didn't expect at all, and I want to say that although it doesn't seem at first that Sabine's chapters are important and that maybe everything revolves around Ailesse and Bastien. Sabine also goes through a change in her character and there are some secrets she discovers about herself and although there are still things to be explained in more detail, I imagine and hope that the second book will clarify it.
Overall, It was a fantasy with characters and a well constructed plot, I enjoyed so much, and I'm waiting for the second book because that ending leaves everything in suspense...
⭐4 STARS ⭐
The concept of the plot impressed me and I didn't expect to like it as much as it did.
"Bone Crier's Moon", presents us with a story where women attract their love, his soulmate to sacrifice it, and thus fulfill their duty of ferrying good and bad souls of the kingdom between the living and the dead.
Now, the beginning is slow, many details need to be read carefully because the plot can seem somewhat confusing if you get to read quickly, I will not lie, I even read some of the first chapters twice, but then when the time comes as in any story where the protagonists meet for the first time, I devoured him.
The book is written in three POVs. Ailesse who is in charge of making the sacrifice and Bastien who arrived to make a mess by kidnapping her to get revenge on her and her species. On the other hand, we have Sabine, Ailesse's best friend who, after being present at the kidnapping, plans to rescue her.
Romance is an enemy to lovers, and although I felt that it happened very quickly that they hated each other at the beginning and then loved each other, as it was not surprising, I am used to most books in less than two months already loving each other, enjoy your moments of connection and where they know each other more emocionally.
Throughout more than 400 pages, there are several surprises and plot twists that I didn't expect at all, and I want to say that although it doesn't seem at first that Sabine's chapters are important and that maybe everything revolves around Ailesse and Bastien. Sabine also goes through a change in her character and there are some secrets she discovers about herself and although there are still things to be explained in more detail, I imagine and hope that the second book will clarify it.
Overall, It was a fantasy with characters and a well constructed plot, I enjoyed so much, and I'm waiting for the second book because that ending leaves everything in suspense...
⭐4 STARS ⭐
Want to read
March 4, 2020Ok but HOW stunning is this cover?
December 29, 2023
It was alright. The male audiobook narrator wasn’t great but the women who voiced Sabine and Ailesse did great.
December 24, 2020
Do you believe in that thing called "love at first sight"? Well I used to think it's all crap until I saw this book. Well okay, I mean the cover.
I started this one only because of the pretty swoon worthy cover but turns out that inside of this book is as pretty as outside.
Ailesse is destined to kill her one true love in order to become the matron of bone crier's. Bone crier's keep the deads from preying the livings. On the other hand Bastien's one and only goal is to kill Ailesse to avenge his father's death.
Clearly this is doomed love which I totally adore. There are so many things I love about this book.
First of all that cute enimies-to-lover trope. I'm a total sucker for that. And then there comes the amazing friendship between Sabine and Ailesse. I didn’t like Sabine that much at the beginning of the book but she managed to made me fall for her character by the ending
Last but not the list the PLOT. It was so amazingly written ❤
And yet I think this is too long. It could be more fast. I found myself skipping a lot of pages.
I would have loved this book even more if it was a stand alone.
Aside from this facts,I'm pretty sure I'm gonna read the next one. (I've gotta feeling that this one is going to be Sabine's book. And I'm already shipping Sabine and Prince Cas with my whole heart)
I started this one only because of the pretty swoon worthy cover but turns out that inside of this book is as pretty as outside.
Ailesse is destined to kill her one true love in order to become the matron of bone crier's. Bone crier's keep the deads from preying the livings. On the other hand Bastien's one and only goal is to kill Ailesse to avenge his father's death.
Clearly this is doomed love which I totally adore. There are so many things I love about this book.
First of all that cute enimies-to-lover trope. I'm a total sucker for that. And then there comes the amazing friendship between Sabine and Ailesse. I didn’t like Sabine that much at the beginning of the book but she managed to made me fall for her character by the ending
Last but not the list the PLOT. It was so amazingly written ❤
And yet I think this is too long. It could be more fast. I found myself skipping a lot of pages.
I would have loved this book even more if it was a stand alone.
Aside from this facts,I'm pretty sure I'm gonna read the next one. (I've gotta feeling that this one is going to be Sabine's book. And I'm already shipping Sabine and Prince Cas with my whole heart)
May 23, 2020
*tightens ponytail*
*stretches fingers*
*cracks neck*
I hope you're all wearing sunscreen because there's about to get some crazy roasting done here.
Where to even start? Oh, I know!
*inserts Simon Cowell 'it's a no from me' GIF*
Bone Crier's Moon by Kathryn Purdie had the potential to be so epic. And after seeing that cover done by the crazy talented Charlie Bowater, I considered myself a goner. I wasn't surprised that this book was one of my most anticipated releases of 2020. But I was not prepared for this Disappointment.
If you loved this book. That's great! I'm happy you did! I'm honestly sad that I did not like it. But if you did, you might want to stop reading because this review might get a bit harsh.
I'm someone who's very generous with her ratings. I easily give 4 and 5-star ratings and always rate up rather than down. So me giving this book 2 stars is a rare occurrence. But I had simply too many issues with this book to ignore them.
To start this salty essay, I'd like to address that BCM was marketed as a Dames Blanches retelling with an enemies-to-lovers romance. What's not to love, right? I was so ready for an epic romance and witchery. In reality, I read something that was duller than an empty walnut. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's start off at the beginning.
The book started off great! I loved the writing style and the introduction of our main characters and setting. The world descriptions were beautiful, and the little teasers of the french mythology had me craving for more! But it didn't take long for the issues to start piling up.
Very early in the story, I started to grow tired of the characters. I found myself rolling my eyes too often at their childish behavior. They're supposed to be in the 16-19 age range, but they acted like a bunch of 12-year-olds instead. The dialogues felt superficial and immature as if they were written by an inexperienced teenager.
Though the three main characters (Ailesse, Sabine, and Bastien) have more depth than the side characters (Marcel and Jules), none of them felt very dynamic. Even now, a day after I finished BCM, I still wonder whether the characters were round at all?
But Jules and Marcel were definitely the flattest characters. I expect more from sidekicks, especially in fantasy. These two could rival pancakes in the race to flat-dom and come out winning.
The further I got into the book, the more I was yearning to discover more sides of these characters, to discover dimension. But unfortunately, we stayed in the Timmy Turner universe and never traveled to the Jimmy Neutron one.
Next, we have the romance. You can't expect a great, earth-shattering romance if the characters are flat and monotone. So this romance was blander than a cup of lukewarm water that's pretending to be tea. If you want your tea to be good, you need it spicy, sweet, and scalding hot, not just watery substance. So yeah, to quote Simon Cowell, "It's a no from me."
The spark? Nonexistent.
The heat? Lmao bish what? It's winter.
Banana milkshake? No Miss, no shmexy banana scenes for you and no sweet and creamy moments that leave you pining.
The relationship between Ailesse and Bastien felt forced from beginning to end. The evolution felt staggering, kind of like an old bumpy road from the few scenes we got of them interacting. When reading an enemies-to-lovers story, you want that slow-burn, that pining and craving that has you turning pages to get to the big moment you've been waiting for. You want smooth asphalt to cruise over.
Instead, things went from enemies, despising each other because *gasp* 'how dare they breathe and pollute my air,' to 'MY SWEET, MY LOVE, MON AMOUR!' insta-love. I mean, I was just reading, doing my thing, when dude suddenly flipped a switch without warning and expected me to keep up?! Nah fam, this is not how we do things here. We don't go from 'I will kill her' to 'I want to spend all the money in the world to make her smile'. Where the hell were the witty conversations in which they get to know each other? Where was the banter, the raging hot fighting dialogues where you find yourself screaming, "If you don't push her up against the wall and make out, I am going to lose my shit!!". But we got none of that. "Hello, 911? I'd like to report a crime because I've just been ROBBED!"
So yeah anywayssss, I apologize for my very loud and unflattering cackling while reading the "love declaration scene". If your ears heard that, my sincere apologies.
The final aspect I want to discuss is the world-building. Like everything else, it started out so promising! I loved the idea of bone criers and the whole mythology behind it! I loved the french setting and the witchy scenery. I was so excited!! But it didn't take long for me to yearn for more. I needed more information on bone criers and their history. I needed more from the world than the catacombs and the trees. I needed more than a fleeting sentence of commentary or description to visualize it all. There's a whole world of mythology and magic that Purdie could have included. Instead, it felt as if we barely scratched the surface.
To conclude this riveting essay on why this book was a disappointment, let me sum it all up one last time;
Characters: dull, flat, monotone, immature
Romance: hold up, let me get my magnifying glass and look for it
World-building: *hands shovel* dig deeper
And now, having finished this review, I shall proceed to yeet this book off my balcony in a very dramatic fashion. Thanks for coming to my ted talk.
*stretches fingers*
*cracks neck*
I hope you're all wearing sunscreen because there's about to get some crazy roasting done here.
Where to even start? Oh, I know!
*inserts Simon Cowell 'it's a no from me' GIF*
Bone Crier's Moon by Kathryn Purdie had the potential to be so epic. And after seeing that cover done by the crazy talented Charlie Bowater, I considered myself a goner. I wasn't surprised that this book was one of my most anticipated releases of 2020. But I was not prepared for this Disappointment.
If you loved this book. That's great! I'm happy you did! I'm honestly sad that I did not like it. But if you did, you might want to stop reading because this review might get a bit harsh.
I'm someone who's very generous with her ratings. I easily give 4 and 5-star ratings and always rate up rather than down. So me giving this book 2 stars is a rare occurrence. But I had simply too many issues with this book to ignore them.
To start this salty essay, I'd like to address that BCM was marketed as a Dames Blanches retelling with an enemies-to-lovers romance. What's not to love, right? I was so ready for an epic romance and witchery. In reality, I read something that was duller than an empty walnut. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's start off at the beginning.
The book started off great! I loved the writing style and the introduction of our main characters and setting. The world descriptions were beautiful, and the little teasers of the french mythology had me craving for more! But it didn't take long for the issues to start piling up.
Very early in the story, I started to grow tired of the characters. I found myself rolling my eyes too often at their childish behavior. They're supposed to be in the 16-19 age range, but they acted like a bunch of 12-year-olds instead. The dialogues felt superficial and immature as if they were written by an inexperienced teenager.
Though the three main characters (Ailesse, Sabine, and Bastien) have more depth than the side characters (Marcel and Jules), none of them felt very dynamic. Even now, a day after I finished BCM, I still wonder whether the characters were round at all?
But Jules and Marcel were definitely the flattest characters. I expect more from sidekicks, especially in fantasy. These two could rival pancakes in the race to flat-dom and come out winning.
The further I got into the book, the more I was yearning to discover more sides of these characters, to discover dimension. But unfortunately, we stayed in the Timmy Turner universe and never traveled to the Jimmy Neutron one.
Next, we have the romance. You can't expect a great, earth-shattering romance if the characters are flat and monotone. So this romance was blander than a cup of lukewarm water that's pretending to be tea. If you want your tea to be good, you need it spicy, sweet, and scalding hot, not just watery substance. So yeah, to quote Simon Cowell, "It's a no from me."
The spark? Nonexistent.
The heat? Lmao bish what? It's winter.
Banana milkshake? No Miss, no shmexy banana scenes for you and no sweet and creamy moments that leave you pining.
The relationship between Ailesse and Bastien felt forced from beginning to end. The evolution felt staggering, kind of like an old bumpy road from the few scenes we got of them interacting. When reading an enemies-to-lovers story, you want that slow-burn, that pining and craving that has you turning pages to get to the big moment you've been waiting for. You want smooth asphalt to cruise over.
Instead, things went from enemies, despising each other because *gasp* 'how dare they breathe and pollute my air,' to 'MY SWEET, MY LOVE, MON AMOUR!' insta-love. I mean, I was just reading, doing my thing, when dude suddenly flipped a switch without warning and expected me to keep up?! Nah fam, this is not how we do things here. We don't go from 'I will kill her' to 'I want to spend all the money in the world to make her smile'. Where the hell were the witty conversations in which they get to know each other? Where was the banter, the raging hot fighting dialogues where you find yourself screaming, "If you don't push her up against the wall and make out, I am going to lose my shit!!". But we got none of that. "Hello, 911? I'd like to report a crime because I've just been ROBBED!"
So yeah anywayssss, I apologize for my very loud and unflattering cackling while reading the "love declaration scene". If your ears heard that, my sincere apologies.
The final aspect I want to discuss is the world-building. Like everything else, it started out so promising! I loved the idea of bone criers and the whole mythology behind it! I loved the french setting and the witchy scenery. I was so excited!! But it didn't take long for me to yearn for more. I needed more information on bone criers and their history. I needed more from the world than the catacombs and the trees. I needed more than a fleeting sentence of commentary or description to visualize it all. There's a whole world of mythology and magic that Purdie could have included. Instead, it felt as if we barely scratched the surface.
To conclude this riveting essay on why this book was a disappointment, let me sum it all up one last time;
Characters: dull, flat, monotone, immature
Romance: hold up, let me get my magnifying glass and look for it
World-building: *hands shovel* dig deeper
And now, having finished this review, I shall proceed to yeet this book off my balcony in a very dramatic fashion. Thanks for coming to my ted talk.
June 3, 2021
Blog Review: https://trishadoeseverythingbutstudy2...
This is 3.5 stars rounded down to 3.
I was really disappointed.
In between the cover and the fact literally everyone knows about this series led me to absurdly hype this book to be the thing that would save me from the insta-love train and actually give me an amazing romance.
Haha, No.
I'm not even going to pull my punches; the insta-love was awful. Just, I don't even want to talk about it. Let's just leave it at that. It was awful, I am so not shipping Bastien and Ailesse, and while I was enjoying all three POVs at first, after these two magically developed feelings I was only reading this for Sabine's POV.
The plot was okay, I was definitely enjoying the whole witch and witch hunter vibes before *glares* something destroyed it. I enjoyed all the sacrifice something to use powers thing, I always love that kind of give and take aspect to magic, though I do wish this had been more on the Serpent & Dove level rather than taking actual lives level.
Which reminds me, the literal amount of parallels between this book and Serpent & Dove is very, very suspicious. And since I didn't enjoy S&D either, because of the hype, mainly, so I was really bound not to love this.
The witch Allmother or something (where was the Allmother, again? what world was that?) hiding some deep secret that actually might be sacrilege or something but duping everyone else while hiding parentage of the kid; are you seeing where I'm going?? And considering I really liked Coco a lot more than Lou in the end in S&D, it's really no wonder than I liked Sabine.
What even is there left in this? Yeah, I liked Marcel, and I was okay with Julienne, but other than that, this was just badly disguised insta-love. And yes, at moments I would get caught up with it and start enjoying the romance, but then something or the other reminder of how rushed it was actually would come, and I would just lose interest. There's only so many times you can tell the reader it's not meant to be till they start believing it.
The whole magic with Bone Criers was probably my favourite part of this, and I really wanted to explore more about if maybe their magic could be used without killing animals and their soulmates, because I really feel that was an interesting plot point, but sadly none of that was explored a lot.
I did love the ending though, it was appropriately fast paced and full of sacrifice and betrayals like I actually expected this book to be. And the sneak peek of the next one didn't disappoint, but I still feel this book could have been a standalone, and nothing would really have been lost from the story.
I will definitely be reading the sequel, but perhaps in a few months; it's definitely not on the top of my TBR right now.
On the whole, an entertaining read, but definitely not living up to the hype. I would recommend it to anyone who likes the who witch and witch hunter trope, doesn't mind insta-love, a not very detailed magic system, and doesn't mind the insane amount of parallels to Serpent & Dove.
This is 3.5 stars rounded down to 3.
I was really disappointed.
In between the cover and the fact literally everyone knows about this series led me to absurdly hype this book to be the thing that would save me from the insta-love train and actually give me an amazing romance.
Haha, No.
I'm not even going to pull my punches; the insta-love was awful. Just, I don't even want to talk about it. Let's just leave it at that. It was awful, I am so not shipping Bastien and Ailesse, and while I was enjoying all three POVs at first, after these two magically developed feelings I was only reading this for Sabine's POV.
The plot was okay, I was definitely enjoying the whole witch and witch hunter vibes before *glares* something destroyed it. I enjoyed all the sacrifice something to use powers thing, I always love that kind of give and take aspect to magic, though I do wish this had been more on the Serpent & Dove level rather than taking actual lives level.
Which reminds me, the literal amount of parallels between this book and Serpent & Dove is very, very suspicious. And since I didn't enjoy S&D either, because of the hype, mainly, so I was really bound not to love this.
The witch Allmother or something (where was the Allmother, again? what world was that?) hiding some deep secret that actually might be sacrilege or something but duping everyone else while hiding parentage of the kid; are you seeing where I'm going?? And considering I really liked Coco a lot more than Lou in the end in S&D, it's really no wonder than I liked Sabine.
What even is there left in this? Yeah, I liked Marcel, and I was okay with Julienne, but other than that, this was just badly disguised insta-love. And yes, at moments I would get caught up with it and start enjoying the romance, but then something or the other reminder of how rushed it was actually would come, and I would just lose interest. There's only so many times you can tell the reader it's not meant to be till they start believing it.
The whole magic with Bone Criers was probably my favourite part of this, and I really wanted to explore more about if maybe their magic could be used without killing animals and their soulmates, because I really feel that was an interesting plot point, but sadly none of that was explored a lot.
I did love the ending though, it was appropriately fast paced and full of sacrifice and betrayals like I actually expected this book to be. And the sneak peek of the next one didn't disappoint, but I still feel this book could have been a standalone, and nothing would really have been lost from the story.
I will definitely be reading the sequel, but perhaps in a few months; it's definitely not on the top of my TBR right now.
On the whole, an entertaining read, but definitely not living up to the hype. I would recommend it to anyone who likes the who witch and witch hunter trope, doesn't mind insta-love, a not very detailed magic system, and doesn't mind the insane amount of parallels to Serpent & Dove.
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