Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

This is a Buddy Read for Call of the Bone Ships by R.J. Barker starting on July 23, 2025.


Happy Reading!

Thank you :)

Thank you also!

1. The Bone Ships (Jun 23) [link]
2. Call of the Bone Ships (Jul 23)
3. The Bone Ship's Wake (Aug 23) [link]

Availability?
Never seen these on sale.

I read this yesterday and loved it... great line somewhere in the opening where two women were saying something like "A male shipwife? No.... Men don't have the tits to be good shipwives." Great inversion of the usual sayings.

I especially love Joron's growth here--(view spoiler)[with him getting a chance to be a shipwife under Meas as she grows into leader of their small fleet, essentially Meas's second-in-command. And we also see Meas's rough exterior start to crack, as she leans on Joron harder as their people are targeted, killed, kidnapped...

So nice to have Quell wrapped up. I was sad to see Joron's shadow die... but now to have Quell take her place! Reminded me of the Vorkosigan books in some of the maneuverings.

Meanwhile, things aren't looking good for Joron for the conclusion... He's got the 'keeshan rot, and there's no cure. It can be slowed but not stopped... and I doubt the next book will focus on looking for a cure when 1) he's keeping it secret and 2) Meas & co have so much more to worry about. Like her mother's plans for the war, the poison for the 'keeshans, the prophecy of the guillame that oh, they'll free the guillame by burning the whole world down, and somehow Joron the "Caller" is connected to it all... the prophecy that Meas seems to fit, and her conviction that she will need to sacrifice herself...

The biggest death to hit me was poor Shorn... sacrificing himself for his Windseer... and Madora--or Mad Ora--is quite a fun addition to the crew.

And now Joron is down half a leg... proper pirate peg for him! (hide spoiler)]

I noted the tits line, too... cause I read your comment as much as anything...

I've been reading for the past 5hrs...

I'm not paying the best attention, which is on me, but I love the vibes of this series...

Bit of found family, like you said, and also real Pirates of the Caribbean vibes, with the pirate islands and backstabbing...

Better plotted though, lol. This is definitely worth a reread if you don't get much the first time around, IMO.

Finished! Only a bit behind... (view spoiler)[ I was also surprised that Cwell decided to be Joron's shadow. I was very very suspicious of her, o thought she would betray him and how could he even trust her. But now I do a little.

I agree with Nirkatze. Poor Joron. He has lost so many people, then his leg (and this was very surprising. Most stories they lose limbs because of a stab but in here it was because of infection and them they had to cut if off and he was very delirious and then drugged), and the keyshan rot he will lose his life...Yeah, they won't be searching for a cure, there is enough as it is with the maybe end of times thanks to the Caller and Windseer. Quite a lot of stuff for the final book (hide spoiler)]

I love (view spoiler)[the Cwell arc! I just love these books in general. But when done well, the tropes of having to win a motley crew to the MCs side, rehabbing an otherwise un-rehab-able character, and putting those together... this series has a lot of that. Cwell going from "WTH DON'T TRUST HER" to "I'm going to give you the knife and you either kill me or follow me" is just such a great move. And then you still don't know if you can really trust her... (hide spoiler)]