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The Murder of Crows #1
See These Bones
Some superheroes want to save the world. Damian is just hoping to save himself.
In the post-Break world of superpowers, necromancy is the one gift nobody wants. Everyone knows what happens to Crows; they go mad and they go bad. That's the story of infamous mass murderers like Crimson Death, Gravedigger, and Sally Cemetery. It's also the story of David Jameson, an otherwise unremarkable man who came home one day and killed his wife, orphaning their five-year-old son, Damian.
Thirteen years later, Damian has inherited more than just grey eyes and a beak of a nose from his father. He too is a Crow, doomed to become a killer unless he can find a way to avoid the violent madness endemic to his powers. When a Finder offers enrollment at Los Angeles' Academy of Superheroes, he jumps at the chance, believing training could be the key to changing his fate. His classmates despise him, the majority of his teachers want him expelled, and his mom's ghost hasn't said a word since reappearing when he was nine, but Damian isn't the kind to give up. He's going to take control of his destiny or die in the process.
It's that or end up like his father.
See These Bones is a post-apocalyptic, superhero, coming-of-age ghost story... with expletives.
In the post-Break world of superpowers, necromancy is the one gift nobody wants. Everyone knows what happens to Crows; they go mad and they go bad. That's the story of infamous mass murderers like Crimson Death, Gravedigger, and Sally Cemetery. It's also the story of David Jameson, an otherwise unremarkable man who came home one day and killed his wife, orphaning their five-year-old son, Damian.
Thirteen years later, Damian has inherited more than just grey eyes and a beak of a nose from his father. He too is a Crow, doomed to become a killer unless he can find a way to avoid the violent madness endemic to his powers. When a Finder offers enrollment at Los Angeles' Academy of Superheroes, he jumps at the chance, believing training could be the key to changing his fate. His classmates despise him, the majority of his teachers want him expelled, and his mom's ghost hasn't said a word since reappearing when he was nine, but Damian isn't the kind to give up. He's going to take control of his destiny or die in the process.
It's that or end up like his father.
See These Bones is a post-apocalyptic, superhero, coming-of-age ghost story... with expletives.
446 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 5, 2019
353 people are currently reading
1747 people want to read
About the author
Chris Tullbane
21 books212 followersChris began as a gleam in someone’s eye, but birth and childhood were quick to follow. He’s been fortunate enough to live in Spain, Germany, and all over the United States of America, and is busy planning a tour of the distilleries of Scotland.
He currently lives in Nevada with his angelic wife and ever-expanding whisky collection and occasionally ventures outside to peer upwards, mutter to himself about ‘day stars’, and then scurry back into the house.
Chris is the author of multiple series; The Murder of Crows, The Storm Who Rides, The (Second) Life of Brian, and The Many Travails of John Smith. He frequently shares updates on his author website at https://christullbane.com.
He currently lives in Nevada with his angelic wife and ever-expanding whisky collection and occasionally ventures outside to peer upwards, mutter to himself about ‘day stars’, and then scurry back into the house.
Chris is the author of multiple series; The Murder of Crows, The Storm Who Rides, The (Second) Life of Brian, and The Many Travails of John Smith. He frequently shares updates on his author website at https://christullbane.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 174 reviews
October 24, 2019
I received a copy of this book for free from BookSirens in exchange for an honest review.
And honest it shall be. For the first 50% of See These Bones I absolutely hated it. By 100%, I am confused and slightly optimistic.
After the "Break", an apocalyptic event that resulted in people developing superpowers, Damian is a Necromancer (a 'Crow'), a type of 'power' best known for driving anybody who has it insane and turning them into (usually mass-) murderers. And now he has to go to school! Wa-hey can you imagine what everyone will think!?
I really struggled with See These Bones. The main reasons being the writing style, and the main character (which are pretty inexorably linked). Everything else is borderline decent.
It is written first person from Damian's perspective (other than a couple of third person interludes), and realistic or not, it is the most obnoxious, disgusting depiction of an 18 year old's inner monologue I've ever experienced. The narration is stupid and immature, and I honestly came so close to putting down the book several times throughout as a result. There's a lot of addressing the reader, such as;
I don't know whether this is the author being up himself, or the character, but it amounts to the same thing. These add nothing to the book. Similarly, the constant pathetic ogling of any and all female characters adds nothing to the book. Any women are, in the same sentence they're introduced, measured for hotness and their specific attributes listed, and these are all repeated whenever that character comes up from then on.
I am not even joking, the first two acts of the book have at least one instance of cringe-inducing commentary on female characters a page. Here's some I've picked out at random;
Like, what is this adding? Damian is a stupid, horny 18 year old? We can get that without it feeling slimy and cringy, thanks. It's just so immature and pathetic.
So. That said, by the end of the book I begrudgingly came to like Damian a little in between these fits of being a sexist douche. His core character and struggle is interesting and to a point sympathetic, and his battles to figure out what exactly his power is and how he can use it for good are alright-ly done.
The world building is pretty bare-bones but it kinda works. There's not much you can do to make 'Post-apocalypse due to superpowers' sound less silly than it does, so I think not even bothering works in the book's favour. The differeing superpower 'classes' (for want of a better term) are interesting, though I can't exactly see the benefits of some of them.
The characters (especially the two female characters who aren't immediately assessed as potential sexual conquests, who ironically are the only two female characters who Damien befriends) are quite well done and entertaining despite the writing's best efforts to be painful.
I have other gripes - it takes itself far too seriously (lots of end-of-chapter 'foreshadowing' about "If only we knew at the time.. but we didn't. And now it's too late!" and such) for a book about (again) post-apocalypse with superpowers, it leans very hard on 'Pre-Break' cultural references, which are then explained away by the main characters not understanding them, or the one character who does explaining it, and a few other things, but nothing as major as the writing style and sexual objectification of literally every female down to the old lady who works in the medical bay.
Honestly on the whole I came out of See These Bones feeling a lot more positive than I thought I would at about the 25-50% mark. Credit to Tullbane, he has written an engaging and easy-to-read story, even if it is sloppy and kind of annoying and insulting a lot of the time.
Dominion help me, I'll probably read the others.
And honest it shall be. For the first 50% of See These Bones I absolutely hated it. By 100%, I am confused and slightly optimistic.
After the "Break", an apocalyptic event that resulted in people developing superpowers, Damian is a Necromancer (a 'Crow'), a type of 'power' best known for driving anybody who has it insane and turning them into (usually mass-) murderers. And now he has to go to school! Wa-hey can you imagine what everyone will think!?
I really struggled with See These Bones. The main reasons being the writing style, and the main character (which are pretty inexorably linked). Everything else is borderline decent.
It is written first person from Damian's perspective (other than a couple of third person interludes), and realistic or not, it is the most obnoxious, disgusting depiction of an 18 year old's inner monologue I've ever experienced. The narration is stupid and immature, and I honestly came so close to putting down the book several times throughout as a result. There's a lot of addressing the reader, such as;
I'm not forcing you to listen, even though we know I could. Any of you can take off whenever you feel like it.
Say hi to hell for me when you go. (p 141)
I don't know whether this is the author being up himself, or the character, but it amounts to the same thing. These add nothing to the book. Similarly, the constant pathetic ogling of any and all female characters adds nothing to the book. Any women are, in the same sentence they're introduced, measured for hotness and their specific attributes listed, and these are all repeated whenever that character comes up from then on.
I am not even joking, the first two acts of the book have at least one instance of cringe-inducing commentary on female characters a page. Here's some I've picked out at random;
I nodded, almost as impressed by that statistic as I was by the way the line of her legs led up to a truly spectacular ass. (p 25)
My eyes were reserved for the woman next to her. Gabriella Stein was probably fifteen years older than Isabel, but barely looked it, with olive skin, sun-kissed golden hair, and curves that made me think of Alicia… or at least what Alicia might have grown up to be, had she gotten the chance. She introduced herself as Ms. Stein—meaning I still had a shot!—and would be teaching the classes on Control. Since I wasn’t even sure what my powers could do yet, let alone how to control them, I was looking forward to a healthy bit of… personal instruction. (p 79)
I wasn’t going to complain about Olympia in makeup though. Even if my very presence did scare the glow right out of her. She and a few other women almost made our shapeless grey Academy sweats look good. (p 85)
Winter—but her burgundy halter top was low-cut.
Like… ridiculously low-cut.
Poltergeist had tits. (p 154)
Like, what is this adding? Damian is a stupid, horny 18 year old? We can get that without it feeling slimy and cringy, thanks. It's just so immature and pathetic.
So. That said, by the end of the book I begrudgingly came to like Damian a little in between these fits of being a sexist douche. His core character and struggle is interesting and to a point sympathetic, and his battles to figure out what exactly his power is and how he can use it for good are alright-ly done.
The world building is pretty bare-bones but it kinda works. There's not much you can do to make 'Post-apocalypse due to superpowers' sound less silly than it does, so I think not even bothering works in the book's favour. The differeing superpower 'classes' (for want of a better term) are interesting, though I can't exactly see the benefits of some of them.
The characters (especially the two female characters who aren't immediately assessed as potential sexual conquests, who ironically are the only two female characters who Damien befriends) are quite well done and entertaining despite the writing's best efforts to be painful.
I have other gripes - it takes itself far too seriously (lots of end-of-chapter 'foreshadowing' about "If only we knew at the time.. but we didn't. And now it's too late!" and such) for a book about (again) post-apocalypse with superpowers, it leans very hard on 'Pre-Break' cultural references, which are then explained away by the main characters not understanding them, or the one character who does explaining it, and a few other things, but nothing as major as the writing style and sexual objectification of literally every female down to the old lady who works in the medical bay.
Honestly on the whole I came out of See These Bones feeling a lot more positive than I thought I would at about the 25-50% mark. Credit to Tullbane, he has written an engaging and easy-to-read story, even if it is sloppy and kind of annoying and insulting a lot of the time.
Dominion help me, I'll probably read the others.
October 17, 2019
Superhero origin stories can have iffy execution but Chris Tullbane created an interesting character in an interesting world that off riffs off X-Men. There has been an apocalypse along with the introduction of superpowers! Our main character is an 18 year old whose father killed his mother. Father has superpowers and the son has the same one. First part of the book covers him getting from the orphanage to the school, second part is him learning to control his still unidentified superpower. Then it manifests.
Damian is an unpopular superhero type because Crows always go crazy. Others don’t seem to know seeing the dead is part of that power. It’s an interesting power in an interesting coming of age story. He’s a fun mix of snark, sorrow and foreshadowing. Pacing is good and all the characters are rounded. His superpower is really interesting. I’m really looking forward to the rest of the trilogy.
I received a free review copy but my opinions are my own. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Damian is an unpopular superhero type because Crows always go crazy. Others don’t seem to know seeing the dead is part of that power. It’s an interesting power in an interesting coming of age story. He’s a fun mix of snark, sorrow and foreshadowing. Pacing is good and all the characters are rounded. His superpower is really interesting. I’m really looking forward to the rest of the trilogy.
I received a free review copy but my opinions are my own. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 31, 2020
The plot is intriguing, kept my attention the whole time. I don’t read YA books which are set in high schools because they don’t interest me anymore - way too much teenage drama for my liking - but in this school the kids a superheroes in training.
Damian was a little too much sometimes. Too much talk about sex or mostly the absence of it. And too much swearing for just the sake of it. But I liked him more than didn’t. As the story goes on, he starts to realize he has friends, he can have friends.
What book comes to mind is Pride and Prejudice. Okay I know, but bear with me just a little bit more. Pride and prejudice dominates the whole book. Damian is too proud to ask for help, to admit he is in deep trouble. The other characters - with a couple of exceptions like Bard - are so full of prejudice that they can’t see or just don’t care who Damian really is instead of what he is.
In this world superheroes are real. But where there are superheroes there sure are villains too. The good guys are Capes, the bad guys are the Black Hats. Damien wants to be a Cape. There is a problem though. He is a Crow, a necromancer destined to be a villain. Because every Crow goes mad and becomes a killer, eventually. So when Damian gets a chance to change his life, he takes it. He goes to the Academy where powered kids study to become Capes. Damian thinks his life will take a turn for the best. But the other students know what he and they hate him for it. Most of the teachers too. But Damien won’t let them stop him to change his destiny.
The book is full of fascinating powers, telekinesis, flying, teleporting. The characters behind them less so. To be fair there are some I liked, Silt and Vibe are two girls who don’t care Damian is a Crow, they become friends. Their conversations made me laugh a lot.
There are some serious questions that were left unanswered. The ending made me swear and it resulted in me wanting to know what happens to Damien next.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ghost Falls Press for my copy. All opinions are my own.
Damian was a little too much sometimes. Too much talk about sex or mostly the absence of it. And too much swearing for just the sake of it. But I liked him more than didn’t. As the story goes on, he starts to realize he has friends, he can have friends.
What book comes to mind is Pride and Prejudice. Okay I know, but bear with me just a little bit more. Pride and prejudice dominates the whole book. Damian is too proud to ask for help, to admit he is in deep trouble. The other characters - with a couple of exceptions like Bard - are so full of prejudice that they can’t see or just don’t care who Damian really is instead of what he is.
In this world superheroes are real. But where there are superheroes there sure are villains too. The good guys are Capes, the bad guys are the Black Hats. Damien wants to be a Cape. There is a problem though. He is a Crow, a necromancer destined to be a villain. Because every Crow goes mad and becomes a killer, eventually. So when Damian gets a chance to change his life, he takes it. He goes to the Academy where powered kids study to become Capes. Damian thinks his life will take a turn for the best. But the other students know what he and they hate him for it. Most of the teachers too. But Damien won’t let them stop him to change his destiny.
The book is full of fascinating powers, telekinesis, flying, teleporting. The characters behind them less so. To be fair there are some I liked, Silt and Vibe are two girls who don’t care Damian is a Crow, they become friends. Their conversations made me laugh a lot.
There are some serious questions that were left unanswered. The ending made me swear and it resulted in me wanting to know what happens to Damien next.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ghost Falls Press for my copy. All opinions are my own.
April 20, 2023
fuck this book
March 14, 2024
Absolute DESPISE the fortelling at the end of chapters, one of the worst shows of writing ability an author can do, instead of leaving massive plot points up for contention (like the MC being kicked out) and the MC becoming some kind of monster far in the future- we are straight up told this at the beginning, it’s genuinely horrible and frustrating- once this began happening I started skim reading and felt like I wasn’t missing anything at all because I knew what was coming anyway, it pulls away the suspense of what might happen and just leaves us with the “oh well this is how it happens” and now that I’m on book 2, it gets worse. That’s not to discuss the characters misogyny and the fact his such an irredeemable asshole that doesn’t really redeem himself. Just a really meh read all around.
May 15, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. For those who have read the Super Powereds series by Drew Hayes, then the premise of this one might be quite familiar as this takes place in a school for super heroes in training. However, there are more than enough differences to make this a completely different story.
This book follows Damian, an orphan who is also a necromancer, or a crow, as they call his kind in this world. No crow has ever been a super hero before because all of them go crazy and start killing people at some point. The question is, can Damian be the exception?
I liked Damian as the main character. He has a tragic back story that makes you feel for this character. That he never plays the victim and just gets on with what life throws at him just makes me like him more. That kind of investment in a character is a sure-fire way to get me invested in the story and such was the case here.
Unfortunately, because I am so invested in the character, I care how he gets on and about the trials he goes through. This is where this story loses a star for me.
This book is filled with injustices towards the main character. I am not talking about the necessary conflict that drives the story; I am talking about over the top actions towards the main character that is a little too much to stomach. It’s not enough that he has a tragic back story and a hard life, every character needs to hate him and treat him awfully all the way through the story. As you might suspect, this changes with a few characters, but not in a way that I would say was satisfying. It was more like they suddenly stopped hating him and we were just supposed to be okay with that.
The best analogy I can think of here is that it is like a black student turned up at a white supremacist school where every character is an over-the-top racist who does nothing but hate the main character for no reason other than the colour of their skin. This might build a sympathetic main character, but if you want us to like any of the other characters in this book, then the author is going to have his work cut out for him to redeem these characters. Even the best redemption arcs can only work so many times.
By the end of the book, I’d say that the author bit off a little more than he could chew. Some characters had pretty decent arcs that made their turn believable. Other characters just stopped hating him which was unsatisfying because there was no apology, no scene where they make peace with the main character or get any kind of justice for their horrible actions, there is just a ‘racist’ one day and then a normal person the next.
The result of this is that at the end of this novel, the only character that I care about is the main character and I don’t like the rest. There are a few that I think can be saved, but mostly I don’t sympathise with any of the other characters and that is a problem in a series like this where I am sure some of those characters will have to die at some point to give the story some stakes. If the author wants the reader to care about their deaths, then he will have to work hard in the next book to turn around my opinion about these characters.
Overall though, this is a frustration more than a serious flaw. It’s enough to keep this book from getting to 5 stars, but I enjoyed it nonetheless and I am looking forward to what comes next.
One final note that isn’t just about this book; I really wish the trope of training people to defend themselves by beating them up without teaching them first would die out already. This is not how we teach in the real world. People need to be taught the basics before you beat the crap out of them, even if you can heal them afterwards. This is just bullying, not teaching, and it doesn’t even serve a purpose. The story will have you believe that it’s to humble the students and show what they are fighting for. However, the characters who need to learn this lesson (the ones who are physically dominant), don’t learn it because they don’t lose the fights, they instead inflict pain on others.
I understand why this trope exists, but I would recommend looking at how militaries train their recruits. They show them what to do and then put them through hell together, testing their limits, humbling them when they can’t succeed at something, and then developing comradeship as the characters learn to get through their ordeals together.
Every time I come across this trope it kicks me out of the story and the same was true here. Again, this isn’t a big issue, and it’s not unique to this book, but it does annoy me.
This book follows Damian, an orphan who is also a necromancer, or a crow, as they call his kind in this world. No crow has ever been a super hero before because all of them go crazy and start killing people at some point. The question is, can Damian be the exception?
I liked Damian as the main character. He has a tragic back story that makes you feel for this character. That he never plays the victim and just gets on with what life throws at him just makes me like him more. That kind of investment in a character is a sure-fire way to get me invested in the story and such was the case here.
Unfortunately, because I am so invested in the character, I care how he gets on and about the trials he goes through. This is where this story loses a star for me.
This book is filled with injustices towards the main character. I am not talking about the necessary conflict that drives the story; I am talking about over the top actions towards the main character that is a little too much to stomach. It’s not enough that he has a tragic back story and a hard life, every character needs to hate him and treat him awfully all the way through the story. As you might suspect, this changes with a few characters, but not in a way that I would say was satisfying. It was more like they suddenly stopped hating him and we were just supposed to be okay with that.
The best analogy I can think of here is that it is like a black student turned up at a white supremacist school where every character is an over-the-top racist who does nothing but hate the main character for no reason other than the colour of their skin. This might build a sympathetic main character, but if you want us to like any of the other characters in this book, then the author is going to have his work cut out for him to redeem these characters. Even the best redemption arcs can only work so many times.
By the end of the book, I’d say that the author bit off a little more than he could chew. Some characters had pretty decent arcs that made their turn believable. Other characters just stopped hating him which was unsatisfying because there was no apology, no scene where they make peace with the main character or get any kind of justice for their horrible actions, there is just a ‘racist’ one day and then a normal person the next.
The result of this is that at the end of this novel, the only character that I care about is the main character and I don’t like the rest. There are a few that I think can be saved, but mostly I don’t sympathise with any of the other characters and that is a problem in a series like this where I am sure some of those characters will have to die at some point to give the story some stakes. If the author wants the reader to care about their deaths, then he will have to work hard in the next book to turn around my opinion about these characters.
Overall though, this is a frustration more than a serious flaw. It’s enough to keep this book from getting to 5 stars, but I enjoyed it nonetheless and I am looking forward to what comes next.
One final note that isn’t just about this book; I really wish the trope of training people to defend themselves by beating them up without teaching them first would die out already. This is not how we teach in the real world. People need to be taught the basics before you beat the crap out of them, even if you can heal them afterwards. This is just bullying, not teaching, and it doesn’t even serve a purpose. The story will have you believe that it’s to humble the students and show what they are fighting for. However, the characters who need to learn this lesson (the ones who are physically dominant), don’t learn it because they don’t lose the fights, they instead inflict pain on others.
I understand why this trope exists, but I would recommend looking at how militaries train their recruits. They show them what to do and then put them through hell together, testing their limits, humbling them when they can’t succeed at something, and then developing comradeship as the characters learn to get through their ordeals together.
Every time I come across this trope it kicks me out of the story and the same was true here. Again, this isn’t a big issue, and it’s not unique to this book, but it does annoy me.
February 4, 2021
This book strongly reminds of super powereds with the post apocalyptic touch of Brandon Sanderson’s steelheart. I’d give it a 3.5. It could have been much better but for more than 50% of the book the MC is powerless and treated badly. Granted, the MC isn’t a simp and he has an abundance of attitude, but at the end of the day I don’t enjoy reading about weaklings. Now to the good parts; this book was much darker than I initially expected with thoughtful world building and an interesting power classification system. It’s one of those series that may not be amazing but leaves you intrigued and hungry for the second book.
October 31, 2019
You're going to need a box of kleenex and a seat belt! Great book! Imagine waking up one day and the life in comic books is real plus we still have science. Need less to say, the world goes into the crapper with regular people caught in the middle. Eventually, two sides emerge the Black hats and the Capes - secretly I think they should be the White hats but its not my book. There are tv shows, merchandise, endorsements, etc. Every kid wants a power, they want to go to The Academy. Meet our hero Damien, he is a Crow. They are always a Black Hat, he is going to be the first Cape if he can survive the first year, stay sane and not raise an army of the undead to eat his classmates! I received an advanced copy for free, and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.
October 18, 2019
Such a great twist on the Superhero story!
I enjoyed this book very much and was taken by surprise with how wonderful and likeable the main character Damian is. As a Crow, he's a necromancer and the other students of his new school don't like him because of this as it's believed that Crows turn mad as they get older...
Damian's story starts out very fast paced and there are great side-characters as well. I also loved the way this school works and the unusual dean.
The worldbuilding is wonderful and the take on the superhero genre is fantastic.
More books like this one, please!
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this awesome eARC.
I enjoyed this book very much and was taken by surprise with how wonderful and likeable the main character Damian is. As a Crow, he's a necromancer and the other students of his new school don't like him because of this as it's believed that Crows turn mad as they get older...
Damian's story starts out very fast paced and there are great side-characters as well. I also loved the way this school works and the unusual dean.
The worldbuilding is wonderful and the take on the superhero genre is fantastic.
More books like this one, please!
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this awesome eARC.
March 16, 2021
5/5
This book was a fun read which contains elements from Super Powereds and MHA but never felt like a ripoff.
The main character, Damian was witty and sometimes frustrating but never was a bore to read.
I genuinely have no idea why this book isn't talked around much.
A really good Super Hero book.
This book was a fun read which contains elements from Super Powereds and MHA but never felt like a ripoff.
The main character, Damian was witty and sometimes frustrating but never was a bore to read.
I genuinely have no idea why this book isn't talked around much.
A really good Super Hero book.
December 1, 2025
Me ha parecido un bastante buen libro que no me ha gustado por ser del género que es: young-adult, también conocido como "esto está lleno de niñatos haciendo cosas de niñatos".
La historia muy bien; hace como 30 años hubo un evento que provocó que hubiera personas con superpoderes. Al principio hubo caos pero con los años se organizaron y hay Capas -los buenos- y Sombreros Negros -los malos-. Los superpoderes están organizados por categorías (fuerza, velocidad, vuelo, fuego, teletransporte, etc...) y niveles en función de la potencia. Los jóvenes que manifiestan poderes van a "La Academia" a ser formados como Capas. Hay un tipo concreto de poder, algo así como nigromancia, llamados Cuervos que es el grupo al que pertenece el protagonista. Y este libro cuenta el primer curso de este chico en la Academia.
Hasta aquí todo bien. Un Hogwarts de superhéroes pinta genial....
¡Pero es que todos son unos putos niñatos! O quizá todos los libros de YA sean así y por eso mandé a tomar por saco ese género hace mucho tiempo. De hecho es que si llego a saber que es así no lo hubiera ni empezado.
En resumen, si te gustan los libros de género young adult, este te va a gustar porque está muy bien. Si no es así, ni te acerques.
(Y sí, Xabi, está en inglés. Si no, te lo recomendaría)
La historia muy bien; hace como 30 años hubo un evento que provocó que hubiera personas con superpoderes. Al principio hubo caos pero con los años se organizaron y hay Capas -los buenos- y Sombreros Negros -los malos-. Los superpoderes están organizados por categorías (fuerza, velocidad, vuelo, fuego, teletransporte, etc...) y niveles en función de la potencia. Los jóvenes que manifiestan poderes van a "La Academia" a ser formados como Capas. Hay un tipo concreto de poder, algo así como nigromancia, llamados Cuervos que es el grupo al que pertenece el protagonista. Y este libro cuenta el primer curso de este chico en la Academia.
Hasta aquí todo bien. Un Hogwarts de superhéroes pinta genial....
¡Pero es que todos son unos putos niñatos! O quizá todos los libros de YA sean así y por eso mandé a tomar por saco ese género hace mucho tiempo. De hecho es que si llego a saber que es así no lo hubiera ni empezado.
En resumen, si te gustan los libros de género young adult, este te va a gustar porque está muy bien. Si no es así, ni te acerques.
(Y sí, Xabi, está en inglés. Si no, te lo recomendaría)
May 23, 2022
3.5 stars. VERY similar to Drew Hayes’s Super-Powereds series (both Hogwarts for superheroes, and handle many aspects of that setting very similarly). That said, entertaining enough if the genre appeals, and the second and third books improve on the first.
January 9, 2022
Re-Read Jan 2022
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This delivered on the promise of the blurb and then some. The tone is funny, sarcastic, self-deprecating and doesn't take itself too seriously. At the same time there is real emotional depth, dark themes treated seriously and a plot that will keep you reading into the wee hours.
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This delivered on the promise of the blurb and then some. The tone is funny, sarcastic, self-deprecating and doesn't take itself too seriously. At the same time there is real emotional depth, dark themes treated seriously and a plot that will keep you reading into the wee hours.
October 29, 2021
I think I've found a new favorite author, and I don't say that lightly.
This is great. Sure, it's teensploitation superheroes, but it's also well-thought-through on every level, from the world to the plot to the characters. I love a great ensemble cast. I got super invested, and picked up the sequel right away.
This is great. Sure, it's teensploitation superheroes, but it's also well-thought-through on every level, from the world to the plot to the characters. I love a great ensemble cast. I got super invested, and picked up the sequel right away.
March 28, 2023
I really tried. I rarely don’t finish a book but this one is the exception. The main character is such a sexist piece of shit who objectifies every woman he meets. Not to mention how the female characters are blatant stereotypes. The world building and power system is too boring to make the book redeemable. Hope to never read anything from this author again.😍
October 24, 2024
See These Bones is told from the first person perspective of Damian Jameson who is recruited by a finder to attend the Los Angeles’ Academy of Superheroes. Damian is a crow. These are the most feared power. They are also responsible for the current state of the world.
We learn that Damian’s father David, also a crow, went mad and killed his wife, Danian’s mother when he was five. Now eighteen, Damian understandably has a chip on his shoulder. He is socially awkward and has the sex riddled mind of a hormonal teenager. He isn’t all bad and reminds me of an early Harry Dresden. Personality wise, he has nowhere to go but up.
This first book follows Damian through his first year at the academy. We get to know the other first years in his squad and get a general knowledge of the world. A crow is basically a necromancer, and Damian can see ghosts but doesn’t understand his power and desperately wants to avoid going crazy. Despite his immaturity, at his core, we see the good person Damian is striving to be, but not before he makes mistakes and shuts himself off from others.
The story starts off slowly, but I soon found myself hooked and the events that occur towards the end when Damian believes he will never be a cape sold me on the series. I love how the author has Damian speaking directly to the listener.
If you like books set at a private academy filled with superheroes and can get past Damian’s adolescent thoughts, I think you’ll discover a kickass series with some fun potential. I love Chris Tullbane’s later works, The Many Travails of John Smith, and have already begun listening to Red Right Hand, the second novel in the Murder of Crow series.
The audiobook is narrated by Joseph Vernon, who grew on me as I listened. He nailed Damian’s voice and those of his teammates. If you decide to listen to the Murder of Crow series, Tullbane just released a bundle with an extra novella story; The Murder of Crows Boxed Set: The Post-Break World: The Murder of Crows.
Perfect for fans of Jim Butcher and Brandon Sanderson. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
We learn that Damian’s father David, also a crow, went mad and killed his wife, Danian’s mother when he was five. Now eighteen, Damian understandably has a chip on his shoulder. He is socially awkward and has the sex riddled mind of a hormonal teenager. He isn’t all bad and reminds me of an early Harry Dresden. Personality wise, he has nowhere to go but up.
This first book follows Damian through his first year at the academy. We get to know the other first years in his squad and get a general knowledge of the world. A crow is basically a necromancer, and Damian can see ghosts but doesn’t understand his power and desperately wants to avoid going crazy. Despite his immaturity, at his core, we see the good person Damian is striving to be, but not before he makes mistakes and shuts himself off from others.
The story starts off slowly, but I soon found myself hooked and the events that occur towards the end when Damian believes he will never be a cape sold me on the series. I love how the author has Damian speaking directly to the listener.
If you like books set at a private academy filled with superheroes and can get past Damian’s adolescent thoughts, I think you’ll discover a kickass series with some fun potential. I love Chris Tullbane’s later works, The Many Travails of John Smith, and have already begun listening to Red Right Hand, the second novel in the Murder of Crow series.
The audiobook is narrated by Joseph Vernon, who grew on me as I listened. He nailed Damian’s voice and those of his teammates. If you decide to listen to the Murder of Crow series, Tullbane just released a bundle with an extra novella story; The Murder of Crows Boxed Set: The Post-Break World: The Murder of Crows.
Perfect for fans of Jim Butcher and Brandon Sanderson. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
January 17, 2023
Fantastic start to what I hope is an expanding collection of superhero books. Character development, world-building, backstory, all blend into an engaging and expletive-filled thrill ride. The protagonist, despite his failings and weaknesses, is an incredible choice for the anti-hero champion. His battle against stereotypes and his own pent-up mental issues makes cheering for him and watching, reading, and waiting to see what he does next a natural conclusion.
August 9, 2022
best cliffhanger ever
This is by far one of the best cape-punk genre books I’ve read, largely because the characters are believably flawed. Flawed and human. Which makes the idea of superpowers more scary than exciting.
Very eager to continue reading and following the author
This is by far one of the best cape-punk genre books I’ve read, largely because the characters are believably flawed. Flawed and human. Which makes the idea of superpowers more scary than exciting.
Very eager to continue reading and following the author
August 30, 2023
2.5 rounded up. Amidst the endless misogyny (only directed towards women the protagonist finds attractive, of course), poor writing decisions (breaking the fourth wall at the end of every chapter to foreshadow some Big Event is a little excessive), and really unlikeable characters (literally everyone) is a really good story. Do I want to continue this series? I'm not sure. I may start the second book and see how long it takes before the douche of a protagonist annoys the shit out of me before quitting. (Probably within a page, if the first book is anything to go by.)
June 23, 2024
Absolutely loved this audiobook. About a teenager trying to learn to become a superhero with a unique power of a necromancer. This book is slightly dark at times as most SH don’t have the best upbringing. But I liked that. Kept my interest. I wasn’t sure about the narrator at first but he grew on me and actually sounds good for the mc’s personality. Moving on the next
Character list, could be spoilers:
These Bones:
-Allen Jackson: big, animal shifter
-Caleb”Super Sonic” : duel powers, hovers, jitterbug, flyboy
-Damien Banic: crow
-Dominian- multiple powers
-Eric Thorson “Viking”:
-Erin pearson : wind dancer,
-Evelyn“Worm Hole” : teleportor petite
-Freddie Vikas “muse” amplifier
-Ishme: “Phenix”: 17 yo, Fire
-Jeremiah Jones “Stonewall”: roommate, stone shifter
-Kaylie Wati “Vibe”: Empath, 5ft, golden skin, electric blue hair.
-London: raven hair, fire
-Mathew Stritch: stalward fighter, 1st match, 1st roommate
-Olympia: light bringer
-Nadia“Orca”: (crows crush) blonde, sea foam eyes
—Patty: hydro water
-Prince :
-Paladin: good fighter (father famous cape/ Crow shirt)
-Santiago: Druid
-Shane Stevenson: Balm: healer, ginger
-Sofia“Silt”: female, earth shaker
-Tessa: Poltergeist
-Winter “Penelope”: white hair
-Vicram: War Child, 3rd yr indian guy
Teachers:
-Bard: President
-Nicoli: Combat
-Gabriela Stein: Control
-Alexa”Midnight”: Counselor
-Amos: History
-Isabelle Ferris: Ethics
-Emory Goldsmith : Projection, Perception
-Jessica Stritch: Weapons
-Macy Johnson: Mobility
Stalward: word for a fighter
Alecia: slushie maker, 1st gf, died
Book 3
Derrick looks young old,
Reese tattoos on temples red blue
Emma
Stark: scarred face
Mammoth
Silt
Walker
Super sonic
Cagney: dark w/ long dark braids pulled back
Gage
James/ Dagger
Lady mechanic, tall long brown hair
Cob
Joe
Denali
Character list, could be spoilers:
These Bones:
-Allen Jackson: big, animal shifter
-Caleb”Super Sonic” : duel powers, hovers, jitterbug, flyboy
-Damien Banic: crow
-Dominian- multiple powers
-Eric Thorson “Viking”:
-Erin pearson : wind dancer,
-Evelyn“Worm Hole” : teleportor petite
-Freddie Vikas “muse” amplifier
-Ishme: “Phenix”: 17 yo, Fire
-Jeremiah Jones “Stonewall”: roommate, stone shifter
-Kaylie Wati “Vibe”: Empath, 5ft, golden skin, electric blue hair.
-London: raven hair, fire
-Mathew Stritch: stalward fighter, 1st match, 1st roommate
-Olympia: light bringer
-Nadia“Orca”: (crows crush) blonde, sea foam eyes
—Patty: hydro water
-Prince :
-Paladin: good fighter (father famous cape/ Crow shirt)
-Santiago: Druid
-Shane Stevenson: Balm: healer, ginger
-Sofia“Silt”: female, earth shaker
-Tessa: Poltergeist
-Winter “Penelope”: white hair
-Vicram: War Child, 3rd yr indian guy
Teachers:
-Bard: President
-Nicoli: Combat
-Gabriela Stein: Control
-Alexa”Midnight”: Counselor
-Amos: History
-Isabelle Ferris: Ethics
-Emory Goldsmith : Projection, Perception
-Jessica Stritch: Weapons
-Macy Johnson: Mobility
Stalward: word for a fighter
Alecia: slushie maker, 1st gf, died
Book 3
Derrick looks young old,
Reese tattoos on temples red blue
Emma
Stark: scarred face
Mammoth
Silt
Walker
Super sonic
Cagney: dark w/ long dark braids pulled back
Gage
James/ Dagger
Lady mechanic, tall long brown hair
Cob
Joe
Denali
February 27, 2020
An example of a book that fascinated and compelled me, despite my fairly intense dislike for the main character (I felt for him, but I didn't like him: so angry/mistrustful/teenage!). Usually I have to feel connected to characters to be so drawn in by a book, or perhaps I connected with him more than I'd like to admit. (Also I'm not generally excited by superhero stories.) Anyway, I was deeply interested in the world created and how the story was told, and intrigued with what I thought might be going on. (And despite all hints throughout the book, I was surprised.)
Glad to have challenged myself with this, and looking forward to additional stories/books in the series.
Glad to have challenged myself with this, and looking forward to additional stories/books in the series.
January 20, 2021
My Hero Academia set in a post-apocalyptic Mad Maxian world with a snarky but relatable protagonist? Yes, please! I’d picked this book up on a whim and am glad I did; it was such a fun ride. I particularly liked our main Damian, a genuinely good character with a propensity for near-4th wall breaks, and I felt invested in his growth throughout the book. The book ends with plenty of not-quite-cliffhanger story threads left dangling, whetting one’s appetite for the next. Now excuse me while I go binge read Red Right Hand, haha
April 18, 2020
Excellent Future Superhero Read That Is Fun And Gritty
This book is a great to read with its wiseass protagonist and fanciful future world filled with perpetually warring super hero's and villains. Can't emphasize enough how enjoyable it was to discover this first novel by an author who is sure to become a major force in the field.
This book is a great to read with its wiseass protagonist and fanciful future world filled with perpetually warring super hero's and villains. Can't emphasize enough how enjoyable it was to discover this first novel by an author who is sure to become a major force in the field.
January 16, 2020
Worth moving to the top of your list
This school for superheroes novel has absolutely everything that a reader could ask for in the beginning of a new series. Great action. Complex world building. Solid character development. Very impressive.
This school for superheroes novel has absolutely everything that a reader could ask for in the beginning of a new series. Great action. Complex world building. Solid character development. Very impressive.
February 19, 2020
This book will be the death of me
An incredible debut to a captivating story. While the story maybe have started slower then my liking it quickly gained momentum. The action scenes, the humanization, and the character development were phenomenal. Can’t wait for more.
An incredible debut to a captivating story. While the story maybe have started slower then my liking it quickly gained momentum. The action scenes, the humanization, and the character development were phenomenal. Can’t wait for more.
April 28, 2023
I almost gave up after the first couple of chapters…
But there was enough there to keep me going. Enough of an interesting setting and backstory for the main character. And once the main character made it to superhero school (a.k.a. “The Academy”), the story shifts into high gear. It got so good that I bought the sequel before I was finished with book 1.
Yeah, I liked it that much.
Look, there aren’t many books that hold my interest these days. I find many of them meander too much, or I just don’t care about any of the characters. Even the ones that I follow to the end… Sometimes I feel like I’m just reading it out of routine.
But this book? This book had me looking forward to the next chapter, the next plot point, the next twist.
Okay, so I’ve read some of the other reviews that criticize the main character and how he (at least in the first half of the book) objectifies women. This hit a bit close to home because I read a lot of the same criticism about my own superhero novel.***
***No, I’m not going to name my book. The point isn’t to market my own work.
The point is, much of the same criticism I’ve seen about this book and the main character struck a nerve with me because I know the author’s intentions. And it’s not to portray women as sex objects. It’s about character arc. Let me explain:
The story is about an 18 year-old who is destined to go insane and become a mass murdering supervillain. He wants to combat that destiny by training to become a superhero. If that fails, he at least wants to be surrounded by powerful people who can stop him before he hurts anyone.
Damian, the main character, grew up in an orphanage after his father murdered his mother. He has no friends and is shunned by pretty much everyone because of his past, and later is shunned by his classmates because of his potential supervillain future.
So yeah, he’s not good with tact or empathy. He hasn’t learned to appreciate people beyond superficial traits. Also, he’s a horny 18 year-old surrounded by other equally horny 18 year-olds.
Guys, if you’re going to claim you didn’t have similar thoughts when you were 18… Or ladies, if a guy tells you he never thought such things… Well, I would never call someone a liar. But they’re lying.
Look, I get it. Some readers don’t like realistic characters. They want their protagonist to be lawful good and have very few flaws. Some find it hard to stick with a character they find repulsive.
I’ve said it elsewhere, but it bears repeating: As an author, it’s hard to write a deep character arc where the protagonist undergoes a major progression from unlikeable schmuck to a hero you root for. Make the character too unlikeable in the beginning, and you risk alienating the reader. Make them too likable, and there’s no character growth. No arc.
Damian undergoes major character growth. He’s not the same person by the end of the book as he was in the beginning. No, he doesn’t become a selfless feminist who’s in touch with his feelings. But he does become a better person. He moves from unlikeable schmuck to anti-hero. Someone who feels regret and is willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good.
But there was enough there to keep me going. Enough of an interesting setting and backstory for the main character. And once the main character made it to superhero school (a.k.a. “The Academy”), the story shifts into high gear. It got so good that I bought the sequel before I was finished with book 1.
Yeah, I liked it that much.
Look, there aren’t many books that hold my interest these days. I find many of them meander too much, or I just don’t care about any of the characters. Even the ones that I follow to the end… Sometimes I feel like I’m just reading it out of routine.
But this book? This book had me looking forward to the next chapter, the next plot point, the next twist.
Okay, so I’ve read some of the other reviews that criticize the main character and how he (at least in the first half of the book) objectifies women. This hit a bit close to home because I read a lot of the same criticism about my own superhero novel.***
***No, I’m not going to name my book. The point isn’t to market my own work.
The point is, much of the same criticism I’ve seen about this book and the main character struck a nerve with me because I know the author’s intentions. And it’s not to portray women as sex objects. It’s about character arc. Let me explain:
The story is about an 18 year-old who is destined to go insane and become a mass murdering supervillain. He wants to combat that destiny by training to become a superhero. If that fails, he at least wants to be surrounded by powerful people who can stop him before he hurts anyone.
Damian, the main character, grew up in an orphanage after his father murdered his mother. He has no friends and is shunned by pretty much everyone because of his past, and later is shunned by his classmates because of his potential supervillain future.
So yeah, he’s not good with tact or empathy. He hasn’t learned to appreciate people beyond superficial traits. Also, he’s a horny 18 year-old surrounded by other equally horny 18 year-olds.
Guys, if you’re going to claim you didn’t have similar thoughts when you were 18… Or ladies, if a guy tells you he never thought such things… Well, I would never call someone a liar. But they’re lying.
Look, I get it. Some readers don’t like realistic characters. They want their protagonist to be lawful good and have very few flaws. Some find it hard to stick with a character they find repulsive.
I’ve said it elsewhere, but it bears repeating: As an author, it’s hard to write a deep character arc where the protagonist undergoes a major progression from unlikeable schmuck to a hero you root for. Make the character too unlikeable in the beginning, and you risk alienating the reader. Make them too likable, and there’s no character growth. No arc.
Damian undergoes major character growth. He’s not the same person by the end of the book as he was in the beginning. No, he doesn’t become a selfless feminist who’s in touch with his feelings. But he does become a better person. He moves from unlikeable schmuck to anti-hero. Someone who feels regret and is willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good.
May 19, 2022
If you, like me, love a good anti-hero, this story is for you. I don't love dystopian fiction and rarely (never) read it. But I discovered Chris Tullbane through The Many Travails of John Smith, a laugh-out-loud series about a mediator to the supernatural community. My addiction to the John books made me decide to give See These Bones a shot, and I was surprised right out of my comfort zone.
First, Damian is a kid who's had every bad break imaginable, and he's pretty unhappy about it. One reviewer called him too angry and unlikeable, but I don't see it that way. He's a teen in a crappy situation. How else is he supposed to feel? Anyway, Damien gets something he never expected he'd have, and we're off.
Having experienced setbacks in my own life, I cheered hard for Damien; that kid broke my heart. Every win for him was a win for me.
All I can say is if you want a kid to root for, characters real enough to capture your imagination, and a superhero story with a healthy dose of reality, See These Bones is for you.
First, Damian is a kid who's had every bad break imaginable, and he's pretty unhappy about it. One reviewer called him too angry and unlikeable, but I don't see it that way. He's a teen in a crappy situation. How else is he supposed to feel? Anyway, Damien gets something he never expected he'd have, and we're off.
Having experienced setbacks in my own life, I cheered hard for Damien; that kid broke my heart. Every win for him was a win for me.
All I can say is if you want a kid to root for, characters real enough to capture your imagination, and a superhero story with a healthy dose of reality, See These Bones is for you.
December 22, 2021
Decidedly different to the usual superhero story.
A large part of the story is set in an academy for young people with superpowers, but thankfully there is none of the usual teen angst typical of a school setting. There is loads of action, some of it really violent, and a boatload of bad language from the main character. Usually bad language goes hand in glove with crappy storytelling, but this is so not the case with this series. Rather, the invective is an integral part of Damian's personality and surprisingly blends perfectly with the narrative.
The story is not without humour, and some rather mixed up referrals to what is commonplace at this time provides an unusual insight in to how our current traditions might appear to future generations.
A really good read, so I'm heading straight for book 2!
A large part of the story is set in an academy for young people with superpowers, but thankfully there is none of the usual teen angst typical of a school setting. There is loads of action, some of it really violent, and a boatload of bad language from the main character. Usually bad language goes hand in glove with crappy storytelling, but this is so not the case with this series. Rather, the invective is an integral part of Damian's personality and surprisingly blends perfectly with the narrative.
The story is not without humour, and some rather mixed up referrals to what is commonplace at this time provides an unusual insight in to how our current traditions might appear to future generations.
A really good read, so I'm heading straight for book 2!
July 22, 2022
So I’m a sucker for superhero stories and after reading the author’s John Smith series earlier this year (highly recommend btw), I’ve been looking forward to giving it a try.
Did not disappoint, was darker than I expected but it’s balanced well with humour and dialogue that’s right up my alley.
Damien is really likeable, and while he can be an ass he’s usually only responding in kind, so you even feel yourself getting frustrated on his behalf at the attitude he gets.
If by chance you’ve read ‘superpowereds’ by Drew Hayes, their along a similar vein, though I feel this series is dystopian for a reason.
I’m actually just shy of reading 50% of the 2nd book now and only just realised I hadn’t marked the 1st down as complete. So I can say honestly that so far this series has stayed consistently good.
Did not disappoint, was darker than I expected but it’s balanced well with humour and dialogue that’s right up my alley.
Damien is really likeable, and while he can be an ass he’s usually only responding in kind, so you even feel yourself getting frustrated on his behalf at the attitude he gets.
If by chance you’ve read ‘superpowereds’ by Drew Hayes, their along a similar vein, though I feel this series is dystopian for a reason.
I’m actually just shy of reading 50% of the 2nd book now and only just realised I hadn’t marked the 1st down as complete. So I can say honestly that so far this series has stayed consistently good.
October 28, 2022
I read all three books in Chris Tullbane's The Murder of Crows trilogy straight through, from the beginning of See These Bones to the end of One Tin Soldier. I neglected pretty much everything else in my life while I read these books because I COULDN'T PUT THEM DOWN!!!
These books are amazing page turners, filled with action, intrigue, depth, and heart. I'm not a huge fan of books featuring comic book type superheroes, but these books transcend the genre. This is a trilogy about what it means to be human (super or otherwise). Damian, the books first-person POV protagonist, is in many ways a cliche: the downtrodden orphan with a chip on his shoulder. But in Tullbane's hands he becomes so much more. Over the course of the three books, we see him develop from an ignorant, selfish, hate-filled brat into a selfless grown-ass man willing to save the world. Willing is the key word here. Damian is... complicated. He's no hero--more of an antihero--but he at least means well. Some of the time, anyway. It's just that life is bumpy, and things rarely work out the way they would in a typical coming-of-age potboiler. Against all expectations, including and especially his own, Damian not only manages to make some friends and win some admirers along the way, he comes to terms with his own inner monster. And make no mistake--Damian IS a monster! In the end (without giving anything away) this isn't really a story of redemption--that would be too much of a cliche. This is more a dark, gritty story of the struggle to survive when nothing and no one seems to want you to and snatching a (pyrrhic) victory or two when you can.
I loved these books. You've got superpowered teens in a post-apocalyptic setting, not my usual cup of tea, but Tullbane makes it all seem real. Whether you are a fan of the genre or not, if you love stories that explore the range of human nature and the struggle to maintain one's humanity in an incomprehensible world--and that keep you turning those pages with breathless anticipation--then you'll want to read these books. Just get the chores done first, because once you pick these books up, well....
These books are amazing page turners, filled with action, intrigue, depth, and heart. I'm not a huge fan of books featuring comic book type superheroes, but these books transcend the genre. This is a trilogy about what it means to be human (super or otherwise). Damian, the books first-person POV protagonist, is in many ways a cliche: the downtrodden orphan with a chip on his shoulder. But in Tullbane's hands he becomes so much more. Over the course of the three books, we see him develop from an ignorant, selfish, hate-filled brat into a selfless grown-ass man willing to save the world. Willing is the key word here. Damian is... complicated. He's no hero--more of an antihero--but he at least means well. Some of the time, anyway. It's just that life is bumpy, and things rarely work out the way they would in a typical coming-of-age potboiler. Against all expectations, including and especially his own, Damian not only manages to make some friends and win some admirers along the way, he comes to terms with his own inner monster. And make no mistake--Damian IS a monster! In the end (without giving anything away) this isn't really a story of redemption--that would be too much of a cliche. This is more a dark, gritty story of the struggle to survive when nothing and no one seems to want you to and snatching a (pyrrhic) victory or two when you can.
I loved these books. You've got superpowered teens in a post-apocalyptic setting, not my usual cup of tea, but Tullbane makes it all seem real. Whether you are a fan of the genre or not, if you love stories that explore the range of human nature and the struggle to maintain one's humanity in an incomprehensible world--and that keep you turning those pages with breathless anticipation--then you'll want to read these books. Just get the chores done first, because once you pick these books up, well....
Displaying 1 - 30 of 174 reviews