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The Bone Charmer #2
The Bone Thief
“I was absolutely swept away by the world of The Bone Charmer.” – Kendare Blake, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Three Dark Crowns series
A deft exploration of the weight of grief and cost of revenge, Breeana Shields’s Bone Charmer duology reaches its spine-tingling conclusion in this high-octane fantasy-thriller.
Saskia returns to Ivory Hall to train in bone magic, determined to stop Latham from gaining the power of all three Sights—past, present, and future. But danger lurks within the fortress’s marrow. Trials are underway for the apprentices, and the tasks feel specifically engineered to torment Saskia, which is exactly what Latham wants.
As she grows increasingly more suspicious, her thirst for revenge becomes all-consuming. Together with the friends she can trust and the boy she loved in another lifetime, Saskia traces clues from Latham’s past to determine what he’ll do next. Their search leads them across Kastelia and brings them to a workshop housing a vast collection of horrors, including the bones Latham stole from Gran, and the knowledge that the future isn’t all that’s in jeopardy—but the past as well.
A deft exploration of the weight of grief and cost of revenge, Breeana Shields’s Bone Charmer duology reaches its spine-tingling conclusion in this high-octane fantasy-thriller.
Saskia returns to Ivory Hall to train in bone magic, determined to stop Latham from gaining the power of all three Sights—past, present, and future. But danger lurks within the fortress’s marrow. Trials are underway for the apprentices, and the tasks feel specifically engineered to torment Saskia, which is exactly what Latham wants.
As she grows increasingly more suspicious, her thirst for revenge becomes all-consuming. Together with the friends she can trust and the boy she loved in another lifetime, Saskia traces clues from Latham’s past to determine what he’ll do next. Their search leads them across Kastelia and brings them to a workshop housing a vast collection of horrors, including the bones Latham stole from Gran, and the knowledge that the future isn’t all that’s in jeopardy—but the past as well.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published May 26, 2020
8 people are currently reading
2135 people want to read
About the author
Breeana Shields
5 books420 followersBreeana Shields is an award-winning author of fantasy novels for teens including THE SPLENDOR, THE BONE CHARMER, and POISON'S KISS.
When she’s not writing, Breeana loves reading, traveling, and playing board games with her extremely competitive family. She lives near Washington D.C. with her husband, her three children, and two adorable, but spoiled dogs.
When she’s not writing, Breeana loves reading, traveling, and playing board games with her extremely competitive family. She lives near Washington D.C. with her husband, her three children, and two adorable, but spoiled dogs.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
July 11, 2021
4.5 Stars
This was definitely better than the first with all of the action that was going on between the bone games and trying to solve the past and future. I loved how everything came together at the end and the choices that were made.
This was definitely better than the first with all of the action that was going on between the bone games and trying to solve the past and future. I loved how everything came together at the end and the choices that were made.
May 25, 2020
1) The Bone Charmer: ★★★★
I'm excited to be a part of the THE BONE THIEF blog tour with The Fantastic Flying Book Club from May 20th - May 26th, 2020!
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, Page Street Publishing, in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! In no way does this affect my rating or review.
All included quotes have been taken from an ARC and may not match the finished publication.
Content Warning: Death, Torture, Attempted Murder, Overall morbid tone
First off, I must say that it’s very difficult to write a review for this book as it will certainly spoil book one, The Bone Charmer for anyone who hasn’t read it. Please, readers, beware reading this review if you haven’t picked up this duology yet!
When I read The Bone Charmer last year, I was blown away by, first of all, it’s uniqueness, and secondly, the plot twists. The Bone Thief in absolutely no way, loses pace in the plot as it picks up shortly after where book one ended. With her mother dead---murdered by Latham for her bones, Saskia is next. Now stuck in a different timeline where most everything is different, Saskia must uncover Latham’s true intent with her family’s bones before it’s too late.
Desperate to retrieve the stolen bones of her Gran and mother after she was murdered to stop him from gaining all three sights, Saskia quickly learns that Latham is onto her scheme to catch him when he sends her a book made from the skin of her mother. With time running out, Saskia must undergo incredible trials at Ivory Hall orchestrated by Latham himself. Purposefully designed to torment her, Saskia’s desire for revenge grows into something dark, hindering her from trusting her friends and putting others’ before her ambitions.
Ultimately about how revenge can cloud one’s judgment, and the process of healing from the grief of losing a loved one, The Bone Thief is an intensely introspective end to the The Bone Charmer duology. Same as my thoughts for book one, I wish there had been much more detail in the characters’ appearance and overall world building. I feel like this is a world my gothic atmosphere-loving self would want to get lost in and just could get a good enough glimpse into.
Vulgarity: None.
Sexual content: Minimal - kissing only.
Violence: Moderate.
My Rating: ★★★★
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I'm excited to be a part of the THE BONE THIEF blog tour with The Fantastic Flying Book Club from May 20th - May 26th, 2020!
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, Page Street Publishing, in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! In no way does this affect my rating or review.
All included quotes have been taken from an ARC and may not match the finished publication.
Content Warning: Death, Torture, Attempted Murder, Overall morbid tone
It’s both the blessing and the curse of being a Bone Charmer. Seeing people for who they really are and for who they could have been in a different life. Knowing the potential for good and evil in all of us.
First off, I must say that it’s very difficult to write a review for this book as it will certainly spoil book one, The Bone Charmer for anyone who hasn’t read it. Please, readers, beware reading this review if you haven’t picked up this duology yet!
When I read The Bone Charmer last year, I was blown away by, first of all, it’s uniqueness, and secondly, the plot twists. The Bone Thief in absolutely no way, loses pace in the plot as it picks up shortly after where book one ended. With her mother dead---murdered by Latham for her bones, Saskia is next. Now stuck in a different timeline where most everything is different, Saskia must uncover Latham’s true intent with her family’s bones before it’s too late.
Revenge is a jealous master, Gran used to say. She meant it as a warning---a plea to always seek forgiveness instead of vengeance. But that was before Latham killed her. Before he killed my mother.
Now I've given my entire body---heart and soul---to my plan for revenge. I'm the handmaiden of vengeance.
There's no time for love.
Desperate to retrieve the stolen bones of her Gran and mother after she was murdered to stop him from gaining all three sights, Saskia quickly learns that Latham is onto her scheme to catch him when he sends her a book made from the skin of her mother. With time running out, Saskia must undergo incredible trials at Ivory Hall orchestrated by Latham himself. Purposefully designed to torment her, Saskia’s desire for revenge grows into something dark, hindering her from trusting her friends and putting others’ before her ambitions.
I’ve been making the same mistakes as Latham. His whole life was consumed by a burning desire for revenge. He had something lovely with Avalina, but he let his bitterness become more important than anything else. He was willing to let happiness slip through his fingers in pursuit of making those who had wronged him suffer.
Ultimately about how revenge can cloud one’s judgment, and the process of healing from the grief of losing a loved one, The Bone Thief is an intensely introspective end to the The Bone Charmer duology. Same as my thoughts for book one, I wish there had been much more detail in the characters’ appearance and overall world building. I feel like this is a world my gothic atmosphere-loving self would want to get lost in and just could get a good enough glimpse into.
Vulgarity: None.
Sexual content: Minimal - kissing only.
Violence: Moderate.
My Rating: ★★★★
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May 22, 2020Gah, why do duologies always make me so happy? I always thought I was a series type of person, but for some reason I always find that I REALLY love duologies. The Bone Charmer duology is definitely something that I wish I was seeing more frequently from people! It’s so unique and amazing written, yet I feel as if the books are still relatively undiscovered. So, I’m here today to try and convince you to check this duology out!
Ok, but let’s talk about the magic system. I mean, it’s so unique! Plus anything related to bones always makes me think of City of Bones and automatically makes my shadowhunters obsessed self happy. But anyways, I always find it so intriguing when people only have one specific type of magic. I don’t know, it just makes more sense to me that that would be the case. I mean, whenever I think of what type of magic I’d want it’s always something very specific.
But this series is just so intricately interwoven and I was just enamored with the world. Plus the writing was just so beautiful. It was flow-y and swept you away without being too overworked. There’s just something about fantasy mixed with an almost quest-like storyline that will always remain an endearing classic with me.
You can view my full review & giveaway on my blog! I also post about a lot of different types of books!
Reader | Bookstagrammer | Blogger | Reviewer
@ya.its.lit - https://www.instagram.com/ya.its.lit/
Blog - https://yaitslitblog.wordpress.com/
Ok, but let’s talk about the magic system. I mean, it’s so unique! Plus anything related to bones always makes me think of City of Bones and automatically makes my shadowhunters obsessed self happy. But anyways, I always find it so intriguing when people only have one specific type of magic. I don’t know, it just makes more sense to me that that would be the case. I mean, whenever I think of what type of magic I’d want it’s always something very specific.
But this series is just so intricately interwoven and I was just enamored with the world. Plus the writing was just so beautiful. It was flow-y and swept you away without being too overworked. There’s just something about fantasy mixed with an almost quest-like storyline that will always remain an endearing classic with me.
You can view my full review & giveaway on my blog! I also post about a lot of different types of books!
Reader | Bookstagrammer | Blogger | Reviewer
@ya.its.lit - https://www.instagram.com/ya.its.lit/
Blog - https://yaitslitblog.wordpress.com/
March 22, 2020
Thank you so much to Page Street Kids for providing me with a copy of The Bone Thief, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review!
Please note this review is for book 2 in the series, and will include spoilers for the first book, The Bone Charmer! If you haven’t started this duology yet, stop here and add The Bone Charmer to your TBR!
The Bone Charmer was one of my most unexpected favourite books last year and I have been waiting patiently (impatiently) for the sequel!
With Saskia’s two life paths becoming one at the end of The Bone Charmer, she has now returned to Ivory Hall to commence training in Bone Magic (hiding the fact that she’s already been trained illegally by her mother and has the tattoo that could expose her secret). Upon learning they will need to participate in ‘The Bone Games’ this year, she teams up with some of the friends she had on her previous path. But in this lifeline, it’s the first time she’s meeting some of them, and Bram has no idea they were matched in Saskia’s other path. With tasks that seem designed to particularly torment Saskia, she’ll need the help of her team to not only get through the games, but to catch Latham and retrieve her mother’s bones.
I think this series has been so clever and intriguing. Keeping track of who knew what on each path was actually a lot of fun and Saskia’s anguish over the choices she has had to make was devastating. I’ve really loved the bone magic system throughout the duology. It was so unique and developed so well! I felt like the world building was even better in The Bone Thief than the first book. We got to see some new places, such as the city of Leiden, a place made entirely of glass, and the author’s magical descriptions had me right there, walking those streets. I honestly don’t know what I loved more in this conclusion, the harrowing tasks in the game or the anguish of Saskia’s left over romantic feelings for Bram, from the expired pathway.
This series has been so underrated in my opinion, and I’d love to see more people experience the magic!
Please note this review is for book 2 in the series, and will include spoilers for the first book, The Bone Charmer! If you haven’t started this duology yet, stop here and add The Bone Charmer to your TBR!
The Bone Charmer was one of my most unexpected favourite books last year and I have been waiting patiently (impatiently) for the sequel!
With Saskia’s two life paths becoming one at the end of The Bone Charmer, she has now returned to Ivory Hall to commence training in Bone Magic (hiding the fact that she’s already been trained illegally by her mother and has the tattoo that could expose her secret). Upon learning they will need to participate in ‘The Bone Games’ this year, she teams up with some of the friends she had on her previous path. But in this lifeline, it’s the first time she’s meeting some of them, and Bram has no idea they were matched in Saskia’s other path. With tasks that seem designed to particularly torment Saskia, she’ll need the help of her team to not only get through the games, but to catch Latham and retrieve her mother’s bones.
I think this series has been so clever and intriguing. Keeping track of who knew what on each path was actually a lot of fun and Saskia’s anguish over the choices she has had to make was devastating. I’ve really loved the bone magic system throughout the duology. It was so unique and developed so well! I felt like the world building was even better in The Bone Thief than the first book. We got to see some new places, such as the city of Leiden, a place made entirely of glass, and the author’s magical descriptions had me right there, walking those streets. I honestly don’t know what I loved more in this conclusion, the harrowing tasks in the game or the anguish of Saskia’s left over romantic feelings for Bram, from the expired pathway.
This series has been so underrated in my opinion, and I’d love to see more people experience the magic!
December 4, 2021
3.5 stars
April 16, 2022
4.5 stars, only because one character's outcome seemed a bit abrupt and I wish two others were alive.
Very thrilling though and the weaving of past and present was great!
Very thrilling though and the weaving of past and present was great!
August 9, 2020
At the end of The Bone Charmer, we saw Saskia’s two futures become one. Now, she returns to Ivory Hall to participate in The Bone Games, which is made to help test Saskia (but it turns out to seem like her own personal torture). She teams up with her friends and Bram, the boy she loves, to pass The Bone Games and defeat Lathan once and for all. But Saskia learns that it’s not just her future and her friends that are at stake – it’s also the past. As Latham works to gain the ability of all three Sights, Saskia works to stop him while also struggling with her grief and some of her past choices.
The Bone Thief is a brilliant sequel to The Bone Charmer, one filled with intense emotions and the struggle between what is right and what needs to be done. The characters really helped to enhance these emotions swirling throughout the book - some of the side characters even helped Saskia control said emotions. But the relationships Saskia builds with these characters were beautiful and just what she needed in this time of her life.
Shields did an amazing job of portraying Saskia’s revenge. She wants revenge against Latham for everything he has done to her and her family, and she lets that revenge (and her grief) overpower everything else. She’s devastated at the past and present choices she has had to make. I could feel the emotions Saskia was fighting – her romantic feelings for Bram, her appetite for revenge, and her grief for losing her mother. Her emotions are so powerful and raw in this story, and it’s really what made her character growth so exceptional in this story.
The struggles Saskia faces with the second path she was on in the first book are still relevant in this book. Even though that path no longer exists, the feelings she experienced do, such as her love for Bram, who is a different Bram in her current path. It was interesting to see Saskia's path grow from the first book and watch her make certain decisions that could potentially alter her past and future. She was, ultimately, a brilliant well-developed character.
One of my favorite parts of this duology was the bone magic system. Saskia explores her bone magic further in The Bone Thief during The Bone Games and on her journey to take revenge. I love how Shields further explored the three Sights. She weaved this enchanting magic system into a beautiful and captivating world.
And the world building. I thought the world building in The Bone Charmer was phenomenal, but Shields developed the world further in The Bone Thief in such a brilliant way. The world is so well depicted and beautifully described. Shields brought this dazzling unique world to life; I felt like I was walking the halls with Saskia in Ivory Hall or assisting her on her many dangerous adventures. It was, overall, an enchanting world.
The Bone Thief had one of my favorite endings to a duology. It’s smart and equally fitting, and wonderfully ties up the duology. It’s a story about revenge, grief, love, and finding your true path in life. It’s a well-developed fantasy duology that I believe many fantasy readers will love.
The Bone Thief is a brilliant sequel to The Bone Charmer, one filled with intense emotions and the struggle between what is right and what needs to be done. The characters really helped to enhance these emotions swirling throughout the book - some of the side characters even helped Saskia control said emotions. But the relationships Saskia builds with these characters were beautiful and just what she needed in this time of her life.
Shields did an amazing job of portraying Saskia’s revenge. She wants revenge against Latham for everything he has done to her and her family, and she lets that revenge (and her grief) overpower everything else. She’s devastated at the past and present choices she has had to make. I could feel the emotions Saskia was fighting – her romantic feelings for Bram, her appetite for revenge, and her grief for losing her mother. Her emotions are so powerful and raw in this story, and it’s really what made her character growth so exceptional in this story.
The struggles Saskia faces with the second path she was on in the first book are still relevant in this book. Even though that path no longer exists, the feelings she experienced do, such as her love for Bram, who is a different Bram in her current path. It was interesting to see Saskia's path grow from the first book and watch her make certain decisions that could potentially alter her past and future. She was, ultimately, a brilliant well-developed character.
One of my favorite parts of this duology was the bone magic system. Saskia explores her bone magic further in The Bone Thief during The Bone Games and on her journey to take revenge. I love how Shields further explored the three Sights. She weaved this enchanting magic system into a beautiful and captivating world.
And the world building. I thought the world building in The Bone Charmer was phenomenal, but Shields developed the world further in The Bone Thief in such a brilliant way. The world is so well depicted and beautifully described. Shields brought this dazzling unique world to life; I felt like I was walking the halls with Saskia in Ivory Hall or assisting her on her many dangerous adventures. It was, overall, an enchanting world.
The Bone Thief had one of my favorite endings to a duology. It’s smart and equally fitting, and wonderfully ties up the duology. It’s a story about revenge, grief, love, and finding your true path in life. It’s a well-developed fantasy duology that I believe many fantasy readers will love.
June 28, 2020
Disclaimer: I received this arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The Bone Thief
Author: Breeana Shields
Book Series: The Bone Charmer Book 2
Rating: 3.5/5
Publication Date: May 26, 2020
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 15+ (violence, gore, romance)
Publisher: Page Street Kids
Pages: 384
Amazon Link
Synopsis: Saskia returns to Ivory Hall to train in bone magic, determined to stop Latham from gaining the power of all three Sights—past, present, and future. But danger lurks within the fortress’s marrow. Trials are underway for the apprentices, and the tasks feel specifically engineered to torment Saskia, which is exactly what Latham wants.
As she grows increasingly more suspicious, her thirst for revenge becomes all-consuming. Together with the friends she can trust and the boy she loved in another lifetime, Saskia traces clues from Latham’s past to determine what he’ll do next. Their search leads them across Kastelia and brings them to a workshop housing a vast collection of horrors, including the bones Latham stole from Gran, and the knowledge that the future isn’t all that’s in jeopardy—but the past as well.
Review: I was really excited to read this book (because, I mean, I look at the cover it’s gorgeous!) Anyways, the book was a lot better fleshed out for the character development then the previous book and I was so happy for that! The pacing is great and the plot is still so intriguing! I also felt like the world building had gotten better!
However, I still felt like there could have been more for the world building and I feel like that romance lacked in this one. The romance was there, but it wasn’t doing it for me. It felt a lot more cliché and tropey than in the first one and I got tired of it fast.
Verdict: It’s a great story!
Book: The Bone Thief
Author: Breeana Shields
Book Series: The Bone Charmer Book 2
Rating: 3.5/5
Publication Date: May 26, 2020
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 15+ (violence, gore, romance)
Publisher: Page Street Kids
Pages: 384
Amazon Link
Synopsis: Saskia returns to Ivory Hall to train in bone magic, determined to stop Latham from gaining the power of all three Sights—past, present, and future. But danger lurks within the fortress’s marrow. Trials are underway for the apprentices, and the tasks feel specifically engineered to torment Saskia, which is exactly what Latham wants.
As she grows increasingly more suspicious, her thirst for revenge becomes all-consuming. Together with the friends she can trust and the boy she loved in another lifetime, Saskia traces clues from Latham’s past to determine what he’ll do next. Their search leads them across Kastelia and brings them to a workshop housing a vast collection of horrors, including the bones Latham stole from Gran, and the knowledge that the future isn’t all that’s in jeopardy—but the past as well.
Review: I was really excited to read this book (because, I mean, I look at the cover it’s gorgeous!) Anyways, the book was a lot better fleshed out for the character development then the previous book and I was so happy for that! The pacing is great and the plot is still so intriguing! I also felt like the world building had gotten better!
However, I still felt like there could have been more for the world building and I feel like that romance lacked in this one. The romance was there, but it wasn’t doing it for me. It felt a lot more cliché and tropey than in the first one and I got tired of it fast.
Verdict: It’s a great story!
June 4, 2020
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. You can view my other reviews/posts on my blog ladyandstar.wordpress.com
It has taken me a while to write this review because I wanted to get my thoughts in order. I loved the first book and I loved the second book, but there was ONE thing in this book that makes me not want to rate it 5 stars like I did The Bone Charmer.
For those of us that did read The Bone Charmer, we know that Latham is our bad guy, he's a super bad guy. We don't know why he's going after Saskia and the mystery of this is what made me love this series. Obviously we find out why he is doing what he's doing and let me tell you, I wasn't impressed with the reasoning. I thought it could have been a stronger motivation. You'll understand once you read it.
Besides that issue though, everything is great. The ending felt a little too easy in a way, but I'm just here for the drama and the happy endings.
I enjoyed getting to see Saskia learn and grow from Bram a second time, although I just wanted them to just fall in love already! We meet up with some old friends and the story is like watching a movie from your childhood as an adult. There are certain things you remember, things you thought occurred but didn't, and things that occur you don't remember at all. It's kind of a fun mind trick.
Besides my slight disappointment with the ending, I would still rate this book a 5 // 5 stars. Honestly, the creativity of this series and the growth we see in all of the characters outweighs my thoughts on the ending.
If you haven't ordered a copy of The Bone Thief please go do so! It's a great series and it's worth the read.
It has taken me a while to write this review because I wanted to get my thoughts in order. I loved the first book and I loved the second book, but there was ONE thing in this book that makes me not want to rate it 5 stars like I did The Bone Charmer.
For those of us that did read The Bone Charmer, we know that Latham is our bad guy, he's a super bad guy. We don't know why he's going after Saskia and the mystery of this is what made me love this series. Obviously we find out why he is doing what he's doing and let me tell you, I wasn't impressed with the reasoning. I thought it could have been a stronger motivation. You'll understand once you read it.
Besides that issue though, everything is great. The ending felt a little too easy in a way, but I'm just here for the drama and the happy endings.
I enjoyed getting to see Saskia learn and grow from Bram a second time, although I just wanted them to just fall in love already! We meet up with some old friends and the story is like watching a movie from your childhood as an adult. There are certain things you remember, things you thought occurred but didn't, and things that occur you don't remember at all. It's kind of a fun mind trick.
Besides my slight disappointment with the ending, I would still rate this book a 5 // 5 stars. Honestly, the creativity of this series and the growth we see in all of the characters outweighs my thoughts on the ending.
If you haven't ordered a copy of The Bone Thief please go do so! It's a great series and it's worth the read.
June 4, 2020
-More action and more drama than its predecessor.
-Saskia was even more colddhearted and selfish in this one. She treated her friends very badly. I hate people like her, the type that keep secrets and only unveil when they want help. She took her loved ones for granted. I do not understand why they were ready to lay down their lives for her two seconds after meeting her. She doesn't give a fuck about you, hun. Her friends and literally all secondary characters were made to aid her. They didn't have any other purpose. No depth at all.
-I feel bad for Bram. I am sorry fate had Saskia in store for you. She treated him like shit and it's clear he was here to help her too. He deserves better.
-Everything was too easy. Too delibrate. The bone games felt like they lasted a few mins. They had the answers the second they read the details. Everyone was skilled in their magic while only started in training??? Too easy
-Did not expect the end Latham got. All good for the hero and the villian. Both satisfied. Hm, this is new to me.
-Some things would be revealed and I'm like didn't we... already know that? Was this supposed to be a twist? Lmao
-Hella negative thoughts but all in all, not the worst duology I've read. Better for lower YA fantasy readers.
-Saskia was even more colddhearted and selfish in this one. She treated her friends very badly. I hate people like her, the type that keep secrets and only unveil when they want help. She took her loved ones for granted. I do not understand why they were ready to lay down their lives for her two seconds after meeting her. She doesn't give a fuck about you, hun. Her friends and literally all secondary characters were made to aid her. They didn't have any other purpose. No depth at all.
-I feel bad for Bram. I am sorry fate had Saskia in store for you. She treated him like shit and it's clear he was here to help her too. He deserves better.
-Everything was too easy. Too delibrate. The bone games felt like they lasted a few mins. They had the answers the second they read the details. Everyone was skilled in their magic while only started in training??? Too easy
-Did not expect the end Latham got. All good for the hero and the villian. Both satisfied. Hm, this is new to me.
-Some things would be revealed and I'm like didn't we... already know that? Was this supposed to be a twist? Lmao
-Hella negative thoughts but all in all, not the worst duology I've read. Better for lower YA fantasy readers.
August 5, 2020
3.5
I was less impressed with the second book in this series than I was with the first. The appeal of the first novel was seeing two timelines play out, and now that there’s only one timeline, the singular story became a little dull. Watching Saskia go to school took up the majority of the first half of the book, and it felt like we started at the beginning again. I was also frustrated by all the time spent on Saskia pining over Bram and the fact that she wouldn't just come clean to him about everything that happened between them in her other life. Saskia treated Bram and her other “friends” badly in this installment, and was generally not that considerate of them, unless she was trying to use them for her own benefit. She was constantly asking them to do things that they weren’t comfortable with in an effort to get what she wanted. Saskia repeatedly said things like “I would never ask if it weren’t important” and “I probably shouldn’t ask this of you, but I need it” and “I hate that I’ve put her in this position, and yet I can’t bring myself to reject her offer”.
"Revenge is a jealous master, Gran used to say. She meant it as a warning—a plea to always seek forgiveness instead of vengeance. But that was before Latham killed her. Before he killed my mother. Now I’ve given my entire body—heart and soul—to my plan for revenge. I’m the handmaiden of vengeance. There’s no time for love."
The rule about only being bound to one discipline was something that seemed strange to me when it was first introduced, but ultimately wasn’t something that played a large part in the first novel. Unfortunately, the plot of the second novel revolves heavily around this law, and I got tired of Saskia’s constant dilemma of trying to hide her affinity for more than one magic/sight. There really wasn’t much plot development in the beginning of the novel beyond Saskia going to school (again), meeting the people that she already knew, and constantly being worried she’d be found out for her secrets. It felt like one big regression instead of an exciting continuation of where things were left in the first novel. We were taken through many of the same things over again, and it felt like this was a less interesting version of a story we’d been told before.
I was less impressed with the second book in this series than I was with the first. The appeal of the first novel was seeing two timelines play out, and now that there’s only one timeline, the singular story became a little dull. Watching Saskia go to school took up the majority of the first half of the book, and it felt like we started at the beginning again. I was also frustrated by all the time spent on Saskia pining over Bram and the fact that she wouldn't just come clean to him about everything that happened between them in her other life. Saskia treated Bram and her other “friends” badly in this installment, and was generally not that considerate of them, unless she was trying to use them for her own benefit. She was constantly asking them to do things that they weren’t comfortable with in an effort to get what she wanted. Saskia repeatedly said things like “I would never ask if it weren’t important” and “I probably shouldn’t ask this of you, but I need it” and “I hate that I’ve put her in this position, and yet I can’t bring myself to reject her offer”.
"Revenge is a jealous master, Gran used to say. She meant it as a warning—a plea to always seek forgiveness instead of vengeance. But that was before Latham killed her. Before he killed my mother. Now I’ve given my entire body—heart and soul—to my plan for revenge. I’m the handmaiden of vengeance. There’s no time for love."
The rule about only being bound to one discipline was something that seemed strange to me when it was first introduced, but ultimately wasn’t something that played a large part in the first novel. Unfortunately, the plot of the second novel revolves heavily around this law, and I got tired of Saskia’s constant dilemma of trying to hide her affinity for more than one magic/sight. There really wasn’t much plot development in the beginning of the novel beyond Saskia going to school (again), meeting the people that she already knew, and constantly being worried she’d be found out for her secrets. It felt like one big regression instead of an exciting continuation of where things were left in the first novel. We were taken through many of the same things over again, and it felt like this was a less interesting version of a story we’d been told before.
August 14, 2020
Good twists and turns, adventure, and a strong emphasis on friendship! A bit weak on the romance and villain motivation. Saskia was horrible and obsessively focused on her task yet I didn't hate her. I also think some characters were underused like Niklas. Still, the pacing was great.
In the midst of Saskia's quest for revenge, the apprentices have bone games, different trials they must complete for their studies. I enjoyed the first one because it dealt with morality and the law, whereas the second one felt a bit YA tropey.
I think for the most part this was a fitting conclusion though I liked the first book better. The different bone magics and their subsets are still fascinating to me. I wouldn't mind another story set in this universe.
3.5
In the midst of Saskia's quest for revenge, the apprentices have bone games, different trials they must complete for their studies. I enjoyed the first one because it dealt with morality and the law, whereas the second one felt a bit YA tropey.
I think for the most part this was a fitting conclusion though I liked the first book better. The different bone magics and their subsets are still fascinating to me. I wouldn't mind another story set in this universe.
3.5
May 29, 2020
Everything I wanted it to be and more. I can’t recommend this duology enough!
Saskia is intent on revenge. She’s returned to Ivory Hall (a magic school) but with another version of hers memories. Including, a deep love for a boy who doesn’t love her in this reality. She and a team of friends are a part of the Bone Games. A dangerous competition that will require their wits, strength, and consciences. Leading to a heartfelt, satisfying conclusion without being schmaltzy.
Saskia’s growth as a character and her acceptance of her choices, bad and good, was one of my favorite parts. The romance was full of longing and the perfect amount of slow burn. The friendships were such a beautiful part of the story. You couldn’t help but love her Bone Games team. The fantasy-world was unique and well-developed. A must read!
Saskia is intent on revenge. She’s returned to Ivory Hall (a magic school) but with another version of hers memories. Including, a deep love for a boy who doesn’t love her in this reality. She and a team of friends are a part of the Bone Games. A dangerous competition that will require their wits, strength, and consciences. Leading to a heartfelt, satisfying conclusion without being schmaltzy.
Saskia’s growth as a character and her acceptance of her choices, bad and good, was one of my favorite parts. The romance was full of longing and the perfect amount of slow burn. The friendships were such a beautiful part of the story. You couldn’t help but love her Bone Games team. The fantasy-world was unique and well-developed. A must read!
August 21, 2025
Alternate timelines have knotted in on each other and our young protagonists have to find themselves and each other in order to save the world they're stuck with, and try to create the world they want.
Saskia continues to be an almost frustratingly too-human character. And too teenager. There are places where you can see, where an adult can see, a more logical path. A path where she trusts those in charge just a little more, where she gives her friends just a little more benefit of the doubt, where she acts just a little less rashly, and things might turn out okay... but she's not an adult. She's a teenager and many of her suspicions of authority turn out to be accurate. Plots on plots on plots layer The Bone Thief as Shields brings her twisty-turny duet to a pretty satisfying conclusion.
Saskia continues to be an almost frustratingly too-human character. And too teenager. There are places where you can see, where an adult can see, a more logical path. A path where she trusts those in charge just a little more, where she gives her friends just a little more benefit of the doubt, where she acts just a little less rashly, and things might turn out okay... but she's not an adult. She's a teenager and many of her suspicions of authority turn out to be accurate. Plots on plots on plots layer The Bone Thief as Shields brings her twisty-turny duet to a pretty satisfying conclusion.
June 21, 2024
Wow. Just wow. I cried real tears reading the ending of this book. I was so scared that, after how well the rest of the story was written, the ending would be a massive letdown. It was one of the most touching conclusions I have read in a long time. Kudos to the author, I can no longer breathe through my nose because I cried so much during the last 20% of this book.
January 11, 2023
I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first book. However, it was worth it to finish the story. Just found the story line not as intriguing.
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January 17, 2021 ***Spoilers***
I was highly anticipating the release of the Bone Thief after reading and loving the Bone Charmer last year. However, I was slightly disappointed with this book.
The magic system wasn’t fully fleshed out in the first book, but I forgave it because the magic wasn’t really the driving force of the plot and the story structure was so intriguing enough to keep me engaged in the story. I was excited to explore the magic system more in this book. I was excited to solely follow Saskia’s training at Ivory Hall and not split time between her two timelines. I was also hoping to delve deeper into Latham’s motivations and plans. However, I didn’t feel like any of that happened, and this book left me feeling a little confused.
We didn’t get to see Saskia train because the bone games took up most of the plot, and they were one of my least favorite parts of the story. The games did not seem to make much sense and felt like convenient plot devices to put Saskia and her friends in the opportune places they needed to be to discover secrets. I do realize there was a spy in Ivory Hall who was manipulating the games and could have been intentionally putting Saskia in these positions, but the games still fell flat.
Honestly, the games shouldn’t have taken place at all. There is a credible threat against a student’s life, yet they continue with the games sending students out and about and putting them in situations where Latham could easily access Saskia. I couldn't help but see that parallel between the Bone games and the Tri-wizard Tournament in Harry Potter. However, In Harry Potter, Dumbledore had more motivation for letting the games go forward than Norah did. Norah's lack of motivation made the reveal that Norah was the spy in Ivory hall super obvious and disappointing.
n Harry Potter, I firmly believe Dumbledore’s motivation for not canceling the Tournament was rooted in the fact he knew that the timeline that leads to Voldemort’s defeat with the least bloodshed was the timeline in which the Tournament takes place and Cedric Diggory dies. In the Bone Thief, Norah has no such motivation. Leaving the only explanation for the games to proceed being that Norah is working with Latham and trying to give him access to her. It may have not been as obvious if the fact Latham was the one orchestrating Saskia’s tasks in the games wasn’t basically revealed in the synopsis for the book.
The bone games weren’t my only issue. The magic system was never really explained, and I would get confused about how it worked from time to time, especially bone charming. I think this contributed to my confusion surrounding the concluding events of the book. I kept getting lost with what was going on with the magic between Saskia and Latham.
Saskia says her mom and Gran possibly didn’t come back in the remade timeline because their bones were used in the magic, but so was Saskia’s hand. Yet, it was remade. In fact, the whole thing with Saskia’s hand was weird to me. I though Saskia needed to be an intensifier in order to be useful to Latham. So she had to be murdered to be an intensifier. Then all of a sudden Latham only needs her hand to complete the spell? Ritual? Reading? I didn’t entirely know why he needed Saskia’s bones (it also was not entirely clear what Latham was doing). I thought that he was trying to perform a certain spell or type of magic, but he was breaking bones and trying to heal them to pick what path he would take. It just felt like regular bone charming, but with some attitude, nothing special or super unique especially since that was the plot of the first book.
Also, how did he know about the breaking of the bones and changing the future? Did he learn that from the events of the first book? Did his plans change at some point? Did he always know? If it is common knowledge that if a bone breaks it could cause branches in time, why was everyone so surprised in the first book when it happens? It also didn’t feel like this fit in with what I knew of bone charming. It felt like Saskia’s futures split because a bone broke during the keening and Saskia’s future then branched off from that point in time. In Latham’s case, he was changing the past. Was Latham using the bones to do readings of the past and then broke them purposefully? If so, can he see the past? I thought he was a third sight bone charmer, not first sight. Does he have all three like Saskia? And why didn’t he remember what happened like Saskia and her friends did? or did he?
Latham’s motivations were not explained. I couldn’t figure out what he wanted by changing the past. In the first book, it felt like he was more focused on Avalina, but in this book it felt like he was more motivated by power and being on the Grand Council.
In the end, I liked how Saskia didn’t choose revenge but instead chose compassion which lead her to a happy future for everyone. However, I just wish there was more explanation in this story.
I was highly anticipating the release of the Bone Thief after reading and loving the Bone Charmer last year. However, I was slightly disappointed with this book.
The magic system wasn’t fully fleshed out in the first book, but I forgave it because the magic wasn’t really the driving force of the plot and the story structure was so intriguing enough to keep me engaged in the story. I was excited to explore the magic system more in this book. I was excited to solely follow Saskia’s training at Ivory Hall and not split time between her two timelines. I was also hoping to delve deeper into Latham’s motivations and plans. However, I didn’t feel like any of that happened, and this book left me feeling a little confused.
We didn’t get to see Saskia train because the bone games took up most of the plot, and they were one of my least favorite parts of the story. The games did not seem to make much sense and felt like convenient plot devices to put Saskia and her friends in the opportune places they needed to be to discover secrets. I do realize there was a spy in Ivory Hall who was manipulating the games and could have been intentionally putting Saskia in these positions, but the games still fell flat.
Honestly, the games shouldn’t have taken place at all. There is a credible threat against a student’s life, yet they continue with the games sending students out and about and putting them in situations where Latham could easily access Saskia. I couldn't help but see that parallel between the Bone games and the Tri-wizard Tournament in Harry Potter. However, In Harry Potter, Dumbledore had more motivation for letting the games go forward than Norah did. Norah's lack of motivation made the reveal that Norah was the spy in Ivory hall super obvious and disappointing.
n Harry Potter, I firmly believe Dumbledore’s motivation for not canceling the Tournament was rooted in the fact he knew that the timeline that leads to Voldemort’s defeat with the least bloodshed was the timeline in which the Tournament takes place and Cedric Diggory dies. In the Bone Thief, Norah has no such motivation. Leaving the only explanation for the games to proceed being that Norah is working with Latham and trying to give him access to her. It may have not been as obvious if the fact Latham was the one orchestrating Saskia’s tasks in the games wasn’t basically revealed in the synopsis for the book.
The bone games weren’t my only issue. The magic system was never really explained, and I would get confused about how it worked from time to time, especially bone charming. I think this contributed to my confusion surrounding the concluding events of the book. I kept getting lost with what was going on with the magic between Saskia and Latham.
Saskia says her mom and Gran possibly didn’t come back in the remade timeline because their bones were used in the magic, but so was Saskia’s hand. Yet, it was remade. In fact, the whole thing with Saskia’s hand was weird to me. I though Saskia needed to be an intensifier in order to be useful to Latham. So she had to be murdered to be an intensifier. Then all of a sudden Latham only needs her hand to complete the spell? Ritual? Reading? I didn’t entirely know why he needed Saskia’s bones (it also was not entirely clear what Latham was doing). I thought that he was trying to perform a certain spell or type of magic, but he was breaking bones and trying to heal them to pick what path he would take. It just felt like regular bone charming, but with some attitude, nothing special or super unique especially since that was the plot of the first book.
Also, how did he know about the breaking of the bones and changing the future? Did he learn that from the events of the first book? Did his plans change at some point? Did he always know? If it is common knowledge that if a bone breaks it could cause branches in time, why was everyone so surprised in the first book when it happens? It also didn’t feel like this fit in with what I knew of bone charming. It felt like Saskia’s futures split because a bone broke during the keening and Saskia’s future then branched off from that point in time. In Latham’s case, he was changing the past. Was Latham using the bones to do readings of the past and then broke them purposefully? If so, can he see the past? I thought he was a third sight bone charmer, not first sight. Does he have all three like Saskia? And why didn’t he remember what happened like Saskia and her friends did? or did he?
Latham’s motivations were not explained. I couldn’t figure out what he wanted by changing the past. In the first book, it felt like he was more focused on Avalina, but in this book it felt like he was more motivated by power and being on the Grand Council.
In the end, I liked how Saskia didn’t choose revenge but instead chose compassion which lead her to a happy future for everyone. However, I just wish there was more explanation in this story.
May 24, 2020
All included quotes have been taken from an ARC and may not match the finished publication. Thank you so much to Page Street Kids for providing me with a print copy of The Bone Thief, in exchange for an honest review!
✿ From The Desk of Gwendalyn Anderson✿
The Bone Thief
Breeana Shields
The Bone Thief by Breeana Shields is the second and final book in The Bone Charmer series. The Bone Charmer left so many loose ends that I have been in agony patiently waiting on pins and needles for this next sequel. I was definitely not disappointed.
An addictive fantastic duology that will suck you in, with masterful executed writing. Absorbing fantasy fiction, with a stunning intricate magic system, that was completely easy to follow. A book to leave you breathless, as perfectly paced storyline unfolds.
Shields takes the reader alongside our protagonist, Saskia's. In her emotional struggles of despair and longing for her loved ones that spurn her toward her quest for revenge. At the ending of the first book Bone Charmer, Saskia’s two life paths became one. She arrives back at the Ivory Hall to continue her training in Bone Magic, all the while cleverly hiding the fact that her mother had illegally trained her. She keeps her tattoo hidden that could expose her secret. Saskia’s stuck in a life path that is different than the one her mind remembers. Sorrow and rage drive her in an all consuming quest to catch Latham. Her course is set on retrieving her mother’s and grandmothers bones, and bring Latham to justice before she becomes another one of his casualties. As her training excels, There is an announcement that of The Bone Games, and all must participate. Teams are formed and partnerships and friendship are strengthened. Saskia’s will need the help and the alliance not only in The Bone Games, but also with the havoc that Latham is casting over her life. This was a nonstop read from the moment I opened the book. I was captivated by the books characters and felt fully immersed into Saskia’s overwhelming desire for vengeance and her loss for her mother. I thought the romance was perfect. The drama and world building was excellent, but what I really appreciated was the message that was underlying element within these stunning magical atmospheric pages.
The story tales a hard look at the ultimate effect of revenge and bitterness that clouds our judgement and stints our growth, when what really is needed is forgiveness. This allows you to move forward in the healing process of recovery from death and grief.
A wonderful completely thrilling satisfying conclusion to an enjoyable fantasy duology.
April 17, 2022
A SOLID DUO.
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This was a good duology!! I thoroughly enjoyed both books. And even though this one didn’t have the same pop as the first, I still liked it and the final conclusion.
It’s such a cool magic system. I love the vast options that magic has in the world and that tattoos play a huge part in their lives. What type of events they’ve gone through, if they’ve fallen in love, or mastered a magic. It’s interesting and one of the best parts of the series.
Saskia is a main character I liked a lot. A bit stubborn, and occasionally making mistakes made her feel real. She was also tender and loyal to those around her. I would have looooved a bit more romance like there was in the first book. Nothing really happened until the end and I wish it had flowed through the entire story more.
At times I thought the plot didn’t matter or fit the revenge plot idea from the first book. The further the book goes, things seem to round out. The tasks that Saskia and her friends are asked to do start to converge with the final showdown.
It’s a great duology with easy, magnetic writing. Even if I was struggling with the plot at times, I still never felt the need to skim. A lesser known duo to definitely look into!
Overall audience notes:
- Young adult fantasy
- Language: very little
- Romance: kisses
- Violence: physical altercations, magical weaponry, attempted murder
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This was a good duology!! I thoroughly enjoyed both books. And even though this one didn’t have the same pop as the first, I still liked it and the final conclusion.
It’s such a cool magic system. I love the vast options that magic has in the world and that tattoos play a huge part in their lives. What type of events they’ve gone through, if they’ve fallen in love, or mastered a magic. It’s interesting and one of the best parts of the series.
Saskia is a main character I liked a lot. A bit stubborn, and occasionally making mistakes made her feel real. She was also tender and loyal to those around her. I would have looooved a bit more romance like there was in the first book. Nothing really happened until the end and I wish it had flowed through the entire story more.
At times I thought the plot didn’t matter or fit the revenge plot idea from the first book. The further the book goes, things seem to round out. The tasks that Saskia and her friends are asked to do start to converge with the final showdown.
It’s a great duology with easy, magnetic writing. Even if I was struggling with the plot at times, I still never felt the need to skim. A lesser known duo to definitely look into!
Overall audience notes:
- Young adult fantasy
- Language: very little
- Romance: kisses
- Violence: physical altercations, magical weaponry, attempted murder
September 30, 2020
This book was alright, but the first one was better. I waited two years to read it, so I was a bit disappointed when it wasn’t as interesting as I’d hoped. It was just slow and kinda dull to the point where I was wading through chapters and the plot wasn’t very impressive. However, I enjoyed the side characters (especially Talon and Tessa) and Breeana Shield’s lovely writing style will always draw me in.
June 15, 2022
The Bone Charmer duology by Breanna Shields: 4.0
Includes: The Bone Charmer and The Bone Thief
Storyline: 4.0
Characters: 2.5
Writing Style: 3.0
In the first book, The Bone Charmer, the main character, Saskia, makes a grave error, breaking one of the bones utilized in the telling during her fortune telling session and ultimately has two life paths she is following simultaneously. In one life she gets her wish and is a tutor and is promised to the boy she loves. The alternative life path has her going to the Ivory Hall to train to be a Bone Charmer and is promised to a boy she detests. Only one path is the proper one and she must fix her mistake before it is too late or else she will cease to exist. The only way to repair the damage is to have the broken bone that caused the divergence to be mended and that takes time. So as the bone mends, Saskia lives two completely but interconnected lives. In both, her and her mother are in danger. As she journeys through these two alternate paths, she learns that what you think you want is not always what you truly desire and people that were considered friends may not be and those she thought were enemies could actually be allies.
The first book followed Saskia in her dual life paths, switching back and forth between them. It was interesting and kept the suspense to a high level. The second book, though continuing the story, was not as good as the first. The broken bone has fully mended and Saskia’s two life paths have ceased, leaving her in her proper ‘fate”. Though she quickly finds her two previous alternate lives merged in some ways and though she is cognizant of the occurrences of the other life path, she is the only one. She has secrets that can get her sent to prison and is trying to keep from accidently revealing information she gleaned in her other life path to the people around her. In The Bone Thief, Saaskia is going after the individual who destroyed her life and is trying to kill her. She is bent on revenge. She is at Ivory Hall, hiding her skills while trying to find the man who ruined her life and is out to kill her. At the same time, her and her team are faced with many challenges that seemed to be targeted at tormenting Saskia and putting them all in danger.
Overall, the story was okay. The concept of simultaneously living two separate lives and how choices can change life paths was an interesting concept. It could have been a very absorbing and fascinating story. The story seemed a bit forced. Concentrating on the diverging paths of her life based on her choices and how they merged into a more full life would have been a sufficient story independently. Including the villain and the plot to kill Saskia’s family, detracted from the story and over-complicated it. I believe Ms. Shields would have done better if she had made these two separate stories instead of combining the two separate storylines, it was too much.
Another problem with this story was the main character, Saskia. She was an annoying character throughout. Saskia was very self-centered and consistently wallowed in self-pity. She was an individual who expected the world to revolve round her and when things went wrong, she rarely took responsibility. She was quick to sacrifice and risk others for her own means and afterwards, though she showed minor regret, she exhibited she would not hesitate to do it again. The villain was just as single-minded as Saskia, and the two were more similar than she cared to admit.
Overall, I found the idea behind the story fascinating, the execution though, was disappointing. I would not try to persuade anyone from NOT reading this series, but I would hesitate in recommending it.
Includes: The Bone Charmer and The Bone Thief
Storyline: 4.0
Characters: 2.5
Writing Style: 3.0
In the first book, The Bone Charmer, the main character, Saskia, makes a grave error, breaking one of the bones utilized in the telling during her fortune telling session and ultimately has two life paths she is following simultaneously. In one life she gets her wish and is a tutor and is promised to the boy she loves. The alternative life path has her going to the Ivory Hall to train to be a Bone Charmer and is promised to a boy she detests. Only one path is the proper one and she must fix her mistake before it is too late or else she will cease to exist. The only way to repair the damage is to have the broken bone that caused the divergence to be mended and that takes time. So as the bone mends, Saskia lives two completely but interconnected lives. In both, her and her mother are in danger. As she journeys through these two alternate paths, she learns that what you think you want is not always what you truly desire and people that were considered friends may not be and those she thought were enemies could actually be allies.
The first book followed Saskia in her dual life paths, switching back and forth between them. It was interesting and kept the suspense to a high level. The second book, though continuing the story, was not as good as the first. The broken bone has fully mended and Saskia’s two life paths have ceased, leaving her in her proper ‘fate”. Though she quickly finds her two previous alternate lives merged in some ways and though she is cognizant of the occurrences of the other life path, she is the only one. She has secrets that can get her sent to prison and is trying to keep from accidently revealing information she gleaned in her other life path to the people around her. In The Bone Thief, Saaskia is going after the individual who destroyed her life and is trying to kill her. She is bent on revenge. She is at Ivory Hall, hiding her skills while trying to find the man who ruined her life and is out to kill her. At the same time, her and her team are faced with many challenges that seemed to be targeted at tormenting Saskia and putting them all in danger.
Overall, the story was okay. The concept of simultaneously living two separate lives and how choices can change life paths was an interesting concept. It could have been a very absorbing and fascinating story. The story seemed a bit forced. Concentrating on the diverging paths of her life based on her choices and how they merged into a more full life would have been a sufficient story independently. Including the villain and the plot to kill Saskia’s family, detracted from the story and over-complicated it. I believe Ms. Shields would have done better if she had made these two separate stories instead of combining the two separate storylines, it was too much.
Another problem with this story was the main character, Saskia. She was an annoying character throughout. Saskia was very self-centered and consistently wallowed in self-pity. She was an individual who expected the world to revolve round her and when things went wrong, she rarely took responsibility. She was quick to sacrifice and risk others for her own means and afterwards, though she showed minor regret, she exhibited she would not hesitate to do it again. The villain was just as single-minded as Saskia, and the two were more similar than she cared to admit.
Overall, I found the idea behind the story fascinating, the execution though, was disappointing. I would not try to persuade anyone from NOT reading this series, but I would hesitate in recommending it.
April 27, 2020
ARC provided by Page Street Publishing via NetGalley for an honest review.
I really enjoyed The Bone Charmer last year and was eager to see where this story was going to go next. I was very curious about whether or not this book would include multiple time lines again or stick to the final one that we ended up with at the end of book one. This story although very different in its approach to the story was just as fascinating and compelling as the first.
At the end of the first book, only one of the possible paths that Saskia’s life was taking survived, and it wasn’t my favorite one. But that turned out okay, because the story was better for it. Especially her relationship with Bram. I still really liked Bram in this book, even though he was a bit stand offish with Saskia. I was happy to see that their relationship had to develop on its own all over again. Bram and all of her friends at Ivory Hall were well developed and they were all from the many different bone magic sections.
Saskia’s journey through out the book was amazing. She really struggled with her grief not only for her family, but also the timeline that she sort of remembers but can also now see with her bone magic. Her anger and her need for revenge was also very up there, and you could see her obsessing over Latham and what he was doing and why, almost takes over her life. Her ability to see multiple paths not only in her future, but her past, was very hard at times. The story really highlights how the choices we make change the course of our futures, and one small thing could still totally change an outcome.
We get to see a bit more of the world that Saskia lives in, and we also see more of the magical system. I would have liked a bit more of an explanation of why people were bound to one very specific type of magic in this world, for example healers could only heal diseases or mend broken bones, but not both. I would think that would be hard not to use some of the other disciplines that adjoin yours, as the group that helps Saskia soon finds out.
The plot was really well done, although I did sort of miss the dual narration of two different Saskias from the first book. The story did get a little draggy in the middle and the big reveal of who was working with Latham on the inside wasn’t that big of a surprise, but the ending was amazingly well done. Some of the trials that the group has to go through were quite scary, but intriguing, including the black market. The writing is also very well done and I really loved the detail of everything from clothes, to food and the different bone magics.
This duology has not been getting the attention that it so richly deserves. It is very beautifully written and the characters and magical system are very original. If you are looking for a solid fantasy with a brilliant main character and a great supporting cast of friends then you should pick this series up and give it a try.
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I really enjoyed The Bone Charmer last year and was eager to see where this story was going to go next. I was very curious about whether or not this book would include multiple time lines again or stick to the final one that we ended up with at the end of book one. This story although very different in its approach to the story was just as fascinating and compelling as the first.
At the end of the first book, only one of the possible paths that Saskia’s life was taking survived, and it wasn’t my favorite one. But that turned out okay, because the story was better for it. Especially her relationship with Bram. I still really liked Bram in this book, even though he was a bit stand offish with Saskia. I was happy to see that their relationship had to develop on its own all over again. Bram and all of her friends at Ivory Hall were well developed and they were all from the many different bone magic sections.
Saskia’s journey through out the book was amazing. She really struggled with her grief not only for her family, but also the timeline that she sort of remembers but can also now see with her bone magic. Her anger and her need for revenge was also very up there, and you could see her obsessing over Latham and what he was doing and why, almost takes over her life. Her ability to see multiple paths not only in her future, but her past, was very hard at times. The story really highlights how the choices we make change the course of our futures, and one small thing could still totally change an outcome.
We get to see a bit more of the world that Saskia lives in, and we also see more of the magical system. I would have liked a bit more of an explanation of why people were bound to one very specific type of magic in this world, for example healers could only heal diseases or mend broken bones, but not both. I would think that would be hard not to use some of the other disciplines that adjoin yours, as the group that helps Saskia soon finds out.
The plot was really well done, although I did sort of miss the dual narration of two different Saskias from the first book. The story did get a little draggy in the middle and the big reveal of who was working with Latham on the inside wasn’t that big of a surprise, but the ending was amazingly well done. Some of the trials that the group has to go through were quite scary, but intriguing, including the black market. The writing is also very well done and I really loved the detail of everything from clothes, to food and the different bone magics.
This duology has not been getting the attention that it so richly deserves. It is very beautifully written and the characters and magical system are very original. If you are looking for a solid fantasy with a brilliant main character and a great supporting cast of friends then you should pick this series up and give it a try.
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April 1, 2020
Synopsis:
A deft exploration of the weight of grief and cost of revenge, Breeana Shields’s Bone Charmer duology reaches its spine-tingling conclusion in this high-octane fantasy-thriller.
Saskia returns to Ivory Hall to train in bone magic, determined to stop Latham from gaining the power of all three Sights—past, present, and future. But danger lurks within the fortress’s marrow. Trials are underway for the apprentices, and the tasks feel specifically engineered to torment Saskia, which is exactly what Latham wants.
As she grows increasingly more suspicious, her thirst for revenge becomes all-consuming. Together with the friends she can trust and the boy she loved in another lifetime, Saskia traces clues from Latham’s past to determine what he’ll do next. Their search leads them across Kastelia and brings them to a workshop housing a vast collection of horrors, including the bones Latham stole from Gran, and the knowledge that the future isn’t all that’s in jeopardy—but the past as well.
My Thoughts
Thank you so much Page Street publications for my copy of this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
This series has been amazing so far!! Dark, and twisted, yet romantic and touching. There are social themes like friendships, and love as well as hardships like grief and the weight it has on Saskia.
The character development was amazing and light hearted. They are all relatable in some ways, and certainly all lovable. The MC is perfect, she isn't a queen or princess, no major standing so watching her build herself up to an amazing person was even more thrilling!!
The magical system is complex but not hard to understand or follow. I love the sight theme!! It puts into question everything you thought you know about psychics and the magic they use!!!
The council delivers a small but necessary dose of political intrigue also. I love the numerous factors of this book that your reading!!
It was a fast read because it was so easy to get sucked into the plot, the magic, the friendships and vengance and betrayal.
A deft exploration of the weight of grief and cost of revenge, Breeana Shields’s Bone Charmer duology reaches its spine-tingling conclusion in this high-octane fantasy-thriller.
Saskia returns to Ivory Hall to train in bone magic, determined to stop Latham from gaining the power of all three Sights—past, present, and future. But danger lurks within the fortress’s marrow. Trials are underway for the apprentices, and the tasks feel specifically engineered to torment Saskia, which is exactly what Latham wants.
As she grows increasingly more suspicious, her thirst for revenge becomes all-consuming. Together with the friends she can trust and the boy she loved in another lifetime, Saskia traces clues from Latham’s past to determine what he’ll do next. Their search leads them across Kastelia and brings them to a workshop housing a vast collection of horrors, including the bones Latham stole from Gran, and the knowledge that the future isn’t all that’s in jeopardy—but the past as well.
My Thoughts
Thank you so much Page Street publications for my copy of this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
This series has been amazing so far!! Dark, and twisted, yet romantic and touching. There are social themes like friendships, and love as well as hardships like grief and the weight it has on Saskia.
The character development was amazing and light hearted. They are all relatable in some ways, and certainly all lovable. The MC is perfect, she isn't a queen or princess, no major standing so watching her build herself up to an amazing person was even more thrilling!!
The magical system is complex but not hard to understand or follow. I love the sight theme!! It puts into question everything you thought you know about psychics and the magic they use!!!
The council delivers a small but necessary dose of political intrigue also. I love the numerous factors of this book that your reading!!
It was a fast read because it was so easy to get sucked into the plot, the magic, the friendships and vengance and betrayal.
May 22, 2020
4.5 Stars
'The Bone Thief' is the thrilling conclusion to the fantastic young adult fantasy duology that readers are sure to love. I had some issues with the pacing of the first book, but this one didn't have that same problem for me. I was swept back into Saskia's world right from the very beginning and I didn't come back up for air until I had devoured the entire book in a few hours. Once I started reading, it felt like I had never left Saskia and her world and I always had to know what was going to happen next. I ended up reading the whole book in one sitting and loved it. Well, I loved everything except for the fact that it was the last book in the duology. I definitely wish this was going to be a longer series.
I continued to absolutely love Saskia as the main character. We got to see both Saskia as the tutor and Saskia as the bone charmer in the first book. I really loved this writing style - it made the book very unique. I don't think I've ever read another book where the main characters are variations of one person. Having learned so much about her and her variant futures, I felt like I knew Saskia on a whole new level compared to other characters. I loved learning more about the characters, especially Saskia (obviously). The other major characters were well rounded and realistic as well and I liked getting to know them more too. I absolutely loved learning about the different kinds of magic - especially bone magic - along with more history of the people and their world. The plot was exciting with lots of action that kept me on my toes. I don't do spoilers in my reviews so I can't say much more without accidentally giving something away. I thought it was fast paced, thrilling, and very well written. Like I said, I lost myself inside of Saskia's world and I loved it. Definitely recommended for fans of YA, fantasy, thrillers, mystery, and romance.
Disclosure: I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
'The Bone Thief' is the thrilling conclusion to the fantastic young adult fantasy duology that readers are sure to love. I had some issues with the pacing of the first book, but this one didn't have that same problem for me. I was swept back into Saskia's world right from the very beginning and I didn't come back up for air until I had devoured the entire book in a few hours. Once I started reading, it felt like I had never left Saskia and her world and I always had to know what was going to happen next. I ended up reading the whole book in one sitting and loved it. Well, I loved everything except for the fact that it was the last book in the duology. I definitely wish this was going to be a longer series.
I continued to absolutely love Saskia as the main character. We got to see both Saskia as the tutor and Saskia as the bone charmer in the first book. I really loved this writing style - it made the book very unique. I don't think I've ever read another book where the main characters are variations of one person. Having learned so much about her and her variant futures, I felt like I knew Saskia on a whole new level compared to other characters. I loved learning more about the characters, especially Saskia (obviously). The other major characters were well rounded and realistic as well and I liked getting to know them more too. I absolutely loved learning about the different kinds of magic - especially bone magic - along with more history of the people and their world. The plot was exciting with lots of action that kept me on my toes. I don't do spoilers in my reviews so I can't say much more without accidentally giving something away. I thought it was fast paced, thrilling, and very well written. Like I said, I lost myself inside of Saskia's world and I loved it. Definitely recommended for fans of YA, fantasy, thrillers, mystery, and romance.
Disclosure: I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
August 24, 2020
The main character Saskia has lost so much and where many people would lose hope she keeps on fighting. Saskia is set on the path of revenge where she realizes she has more in common with the villain then shes comfortable with. It really frustrates me when miscommunication is used to cause tension, especially in a romance. I dont find it very believable that Saskia would avoid hearing Bram out. Human nature doesnt typically work that way. I preferred the romance between Saskia and Bram in the first book, but I still enjoyed seeing them reconnect in this sequel. Now that the two different paths have become one I'm glad Saskia had her memories from the other path.
A couple of the characters made me suspicious and it turns out I was right not to trust them. I just wish Saskia would have seen it sooner. She should have been asking herself why the council didnt question the villains past lover and why they were assigning her team such terrible assignments. I did really love her team and how they all became super close friends who had each others backs no matter how hard the villain tried to cause distrust between them. Saskia friendship with her roommate Tessa was probably my favorite. I could tell it was in her nature to be a healer. She's so kind and caring I couldn't help but love her.
This sequel still had the amazing bone and tattoo magic that's incorporated in every aspect of their world. Theres many different types of bone magic like healing, divination, and battle. As for the tattoos, they appear on peoples skin whenever a big life changing moment happens. I really enjoyed the school setting and visiting the stunning glass city. We also get to experience an escape room type setting where Saskias team has to solve a puzzle to get out. The black market was another fantastic setting. I was having some trouble remembering what happened in each time line in the first book but once I got further into this sequel there was enough information for me to piece it together.
I think I preferred the first book because of the dual time line where Saskia lives two alternate paths at once. Besides that I loved how the plot featured a competitive elements with the bone games trials all the second year students take part in. They were intense and a lot of fun. I'm still not sure what the purpose of giving Saskia a spell book bound with the flesh of someone she cared about but I liked how twisted it was. There was always this undercurrent of danger with Saskia knowing the villain wants her dead. I think plot holes can be difficult to avoid when dealing with time travel but I think the author did a great job answering all my questions at the end.
*received for review
A couple of the characters made me suspicious and it turns out I was right not to trust them. I just wish Saskia would have seen it sooner. She should have been asking herself why the council didnt question the villains past lover and why they were assigning her team such terrible assignments. I did really love her team and how they all became super close friends who had each others backs no matter how hard the villain tried to cause distrust between them. Saskia friendship with her roommate Tessa was probably my favorite. I could tell it was in her nature to be a healer. She's so kind and caring I couldn't help but love her.
This sequel still had the amazing bone and tattoo magic that's incorporated in every aspect of their world. Theres many different types of bone magic like healing, divination, and battle. As for the tattoos, they appear on peoples skin whenever a big life changing moment happens. I really enjoyed the school setting and visiting the stunning glass city. We also get to experience an escape room type setting where Saskias team has to solve a puzzle to get out. The black market was another fantastic setting. I was having some trouble remembering what happened in each time line in the first book but once I got further into this sequel there was enough information for me to piece it together.
I think I preferred the first book because of the dual time line where Saskia lives two alternate paths at once. Besides that I loved how the plot featured a competitive elements with the bone games trials all the second year students take part in. They were intense and a lot of fun. I'm still not sure what the purpose of giving Saskia a spell book bound with the flesh of someone she cared about but I liked how twisted it was. There was always this undercurrent of danger with Saskia knowing the villain wants her dead. I think plot holes can be difficult to avoid when dealing with time travel but I think the author did a great job answering all my questions at the end.
*received for review
September 6, 2020
This book is a train wreck. I didn’t think the second in the series could be worse than the first, but oh was I wrong. I don’t even like rating things this low, but I haven’t felt like I’ve read a series with such wasted potential in a very long time.
Saskia is an incredibly unlikable protagonist. I can’t even call her a heroine because she just ISN’T. She repeatedly puts those who’ve helped her in danger, and compromised their future in order to get what she wants. She’s angry at Bram for not being the same person in this reality as the last. She keeps making stupid choices, saying “What other choice do I have?” Uh... so many. So. Many. Other. Choices. She says some version of “Latham will suffer so much for what he’s done to me”, but almost always gets foiled by him shortly thereafter. She comes across as impotent, selfish, and pathetic. Bram is barely beyond one dimensional, as are all the rest of their team. Latham barely appears, despite being the main villain, and the “traitor” is incredibly obvious, because there could literally be no one else. Shields spent no time offering up other candidates, so by the time it was revealed it was shockingly underwhelming.
Another thing that made me have a heart attack and die of not surprise? Latham being behind the challenges. What really surprised me is that every other adult seemed too oblivious to pick up on it. This girl has literally had her mother and grandmother murdered, the killer is still at large, and it doesn’t throw up any red flags that her team’s challenges are far more severe than anyone else’s?!
And here’s aplot hole head scratcher for you? Why was Latham able to use the bone flute made from Saskia’s mother’s bone on her if she was wearing a defensive amulet? I thought bone magic couldn’t work on you if you were wearing one... 🤨
Add in all the unnecessary gross stuff (looking at you spell book made of skin!), and the ridiculously too-neat ending, and this book lost all credibility for me.
Saskia is an incredibly unlikable protagonist. I can’t even call her a heroine because she just ISN’T. She repeatedly puts those who’ve helped her in danger, and compromised their future in order to get what she wants. She’s angry at Bram for not being the same person in this reality as the last. She keeps making stupid choices, saying “What other choice do I have?” Uh... so many. So. Many. Other. Choices. She says some version of “Latham will suffer so much for what he’s done to me”, but almost always gets foiled by him shortly thereafter. She comes across as impotent, selfish, and pathetic. Bram is barely beyond one dimensional, as are all the rest of their team. Latham barely appears, despite being the main villain, and the “traitor” is incredibly obvious, because there could literally be no one else. Shields spent no time offering up other candidates, so by the time it was revealed it was shockingly underwhelming.
Another thing that made me have a heart attack and die of not surprise? Latham being behind the challenges. What really surprised me is that every other adult seemed too oblivious to pick up on it. This girl has literally had her mother and grandmother murdered, the killer is still at large, and it doesn’t throw up any red flags that her team’s challenges are far more severe than anyone else’s?!
And here’s a
Add in all the unnecessary gross stuff (looking at you spell book made of skin!), and the ridiculously too-neat ending, and this book lost all credibility for me.
Read
July 9, 2020I have lots of feelings about this book. First, I loved the characters. Saskia and her friends are all great, and I loved following their stories. The choices that Saskia has to make were heartbreaking and I felt myself holding my breath so many times as she wrestled with which path to take and what the right thing truly was.
I’m a latecomer to this duology– I haven’t read the first book. I do this fairly often, and I don’t mind it. Occasionally the story is such that you really need to read the first book first. I could tell with THE BONE THIEF that there were references to things from the first book, but for the most part, I didn’t have trouble following the story or understanding what was happening. I think I’d have had a more emotional connection with Saskia’s memories if I’d read the first book, though. I felt deeply connected with her in this book, so I didn’t feel the loss as I read.
The one thing that I found challenging for me was that most of the bone magic centers around human bones. Who had possession of them and how they were used was really important. Saskia carries one of her grandmother’s bones with her through the story and is searching for her mother’s bones. It’s all very natural within the story world, but if I’m totally honest, every time something came up about using human bones for things, I felt my body physically recoil from the idea. I just found some of the traditions and magic rules in the story world to be really creepy and struggled to get past that. It’s totally a personal preference and not a reflection on the writing or storytelling, both of which I really enjoyed.
It’s definitely dark fantasy– I think fans of SHADOW MAGIC by Joshua Khan will really enjoy THE BONE THIEF.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I’m a latecomer to this duology– I haven’t read the first book. I do this fairly often, and I don’t mind it. Occasionally the story is such that you really need to read the first book first. I could tell with THE BONE THIEF that there were references to things from the first book, but for the most part, I didn’t have trouble following the story or understanding what was happening. I think I’d have had a more emotional connection with Saskia’s memories if I’d read the first book, though. I felt deeply connected with her in this book, so I didn’t feel the loss as I read.
The one thing that I found challenging for me was that most of the bone magic centers around human bones. Who had possession of them and how they were used was really important. Saskia carries one of her grandmother’s bones with her through the story and is searching for her mother’s bones. It’s all very natural within the story world, but if I’m totally honest, every time something came up about using human bones for things, I felt my body physically recoil from the idea. I just found some of the traditions and magic rules in the story world to be really creepy and struggled to get past that. It’s totally a personal preference and not a reflection on the writing or storytelling, both of which I really enjoyed.
It’s definitely dark fantasy– I think fans of SHADOW MAGIC by Joshua Khan will really enjoy THE BONE THIEF.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
December 17, 2022
DNF; stopped at page 141
This book is a perfect example of why I don't really like reading series, and why I typically avoid them: sequels are far too often disappointing in both writing style and content. This felt like a completely different genre than the first, and somehow managed to lose all of its original heart, as well; all the intrigue and mysticism of bone magic was sucked out of this book like a mosquito going to town at an outdoor summer festival.
While the first book had its poetic moments and truly fascinating premise, this sequel is full to the brim with overused YA tropes and gag-worthy moments - I swear to god, the romantic interest (Bram) was "pulling on the back of his neck" so much that it was more of an affliction than a quirky character trait. Speaking of romantic interests, all the angsty pining Saskia has towards Bram and the future they could've had is both tedious and nauseating.
Saskia is utterly obsessed with revenge, and there were far too many edgy statements about how she'll stop at nothing until Latham suffers as she has...or whatever. It just all felt so one-dimensional and unlike the Saskia that we grew to know and love in the first book. Sure, I get it, some truly horrible stuff happened to her towards the end of the first book, but going all dark like she did feels like the lazy way out - the change didn't feel natural, but instead it felt like a light switch was flicked and we got a new character with same name.
Last but not least, the whole concept of the "bone games" is just waaaay too Hunger Games and Harry Potter-y. Maybe if there was different contextual framing around how it was presented this wouldn't have been such a turn-off.
This book is a perfect example of why I don't really like reading series, and why I typically avoid them: sequels are far too often disappointing in both writing style and content. This felt like a completely different genre than the first, and somehow managed to lose all of its original heart, as well; all the intrigue and mysticism of bone magic was sucked out of this book like a mosquito going to town at an outdoor summer festival.
While the first book had its poetic moments and truly fascinating premise, this sequel is full to the brim with overused YA tropes and gag-worthy moments - I swear to god, the romantic interest (Bram) was "pulling on the back of his neck" so much that it was more of an affliction than a quirky character trait. Speaking of romantic interests, all the angsty pining Saskia has towards Bram and the future they could've had is both tedious and nauseating.
Saskia is utterly obsessed with revenge, and there were far too many edgy statements about how she'll stop at nothing until Latham suffers as she has...or whatever. It just all felt so one-dimensional and unlike the Saskia that we grew to know and love in the first book. Sure, I get it, some truly horrible stuff happened to her towards the end of the first book, but going all dark like she did feels like the lazy way out - the change didn't feel natural, but instead it felt like a light switch was flicked and we got a new character with same name.
Last but not least, the whole concept of the "bone games" is just waaaay too Hunger Games and Harry Potter-y. Maybe if there was different contextual framing around how it was presented this wouldn't have been such a turn-off.
May 26, 2020
As I said at the end of my review for the first book in this duology, The Bone Charmer, I was hoping that there would be a follow-up so I could dive back in to the world of the awesome bone magic Ms. Shields created and see what was going to happen to Saskia and Bram. I was thrilled to have the chance to take part in this tour and jump back in! I re-read The Bone Charmer before starting The Bone Thief, and I felt all of the emotions I felt the first time I read it. Going in to The Bone Thief, therefore, felt like I had caught up with an old friend and now I was going to find out what they’d been up to since we last talked.
It was so interesting to see Saskia trying to figure out her place as an apprentice at Ivory Hall while also tying to fulfill her pledge to get revenge on Latham for what he did to her mother and grandmother. My heart broke for her as she had to try to figure out who she could and couldn’t trust at every turn. The action was basically nonstop with not much time for breathing, and I pretty much raced through this incredible conclusion to this inventive fantasy duology. If you are a lover of fantasy, particularly worlds with new and different magic systems, pick up these two books! I think you’ll love them as much as I did.
Rating: 4 stars!
**Disclosure: I received an early copy of this book for purposes of this blog tour. This review is voluntary on my part and reflects my honest rating and review of the book.
It was so interesting to see Saskia trying to figure out her place as an apprentice at Ivory Hall while also tying to fulfill her pledge to get revenge on Latham for what he did to her mother and grandmother. My heart broke for her as she had to try to figure out who she could and couldn’t trust at every turn. The action was basically nonstop with not much time for breathing, and I pretty much raced through this incredible conclusion to this inventive fantasy duology. If you are a lover of fantasy, particularly worlds with new and different magic systems, pick up these two books! I think you’ll love them as much as I did.
Rating: 4 stars!
**Disclosure: I received an early copy of this book for purposes of this blog tour. This review is voluntary on my part and reflects my honest rating and review of the book.
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