“Bonesmith” has a brilliant magic system and a spooky fantasy setting, but holy info-dumping, Batman!

Most fantasy books you do have to push through the first 100 pages or so and this is no exception. Once you get past it though, there’s constant info-dumping from characters talking to each other. Props to Nicki Pau Preto for not having her main characters constantly ask and receive the info though. 

If you put your head down and muscle through the info-dumping, “Bonesmith” is the start of a very interesting  duology. It features some of the classic fantasy tropes and has some good twists. Info-dumping aside, it’s also well written and pretty evenly paced. 

Very fun book spooky read. Even if you guess a bunch of twists a mile off, the payoff and the scrappy band of friends are well worth it. My only quibble: it is so obviously what if we made a straight, mostly white version of Gideon the Ninth? I spent half the book just marveling how the author could be inspired by a gayass POC necromancer book and carry over….only the necromancy bits.

I had no idea what to expect going into this book, but I had a blast! A great job is done immediately investing the reader in Wren's story by having her exiled (and treated horribly by her family, seriously someone come get them!). Wren is a flawed MC, but also snarky and fun to read.
The lore/world building is cool and unique enough to be interesting to read about. There's a ton of secrecy and things definitely not seeming as they are. Plus a little political intrigue too! I liked the inclusion of multiple povs and that really helped round out the character building. I feel like I'm not doing it justice, but seriously if you read the synopsis and it sounds interesting give it a go!
I'm super excited to read the sequel when it comes out! and happy it's a planned duology!

Counting down the days to the sequel.

GOD. This was so, so good. I loveee the world building, the characters and especially (because I am a romance reader first and foremost, sue me) the relationship.

Pau Preto creates a magical world with both deep and fascinating history and magical system that still manages to not overwhelm the reader (as so much fantasy has tended to do lately). 

I was originally going to write this review being like "I guessed all the twists but it was still fun", I have to admit that while I guessed the major ones (hehe) I actually did *not* guess all the twists. I was very convinced of myself. It was a bit embarrassing. So, unless I'm just dumb, I think even seasoned YA readers will still have some surprises in this! And even if you do guess all of it from the start, for me that wasn't disappointing in the least, the book was still very fun and enjoyable!

Julian and Wren. My babies, my loves, my Romeo and Juliet. These two, you guys, these two. The tension? Unbelievable. The care they have for each other? So high. The constant urge they have to make out even when they're trying to hate each other? Not hidden in the LEAST. They spent a lot of time in the book just with each other (duh) and at times that really felt like a romance novel (with some death involved). They learned to care for the other so quickly, to appreciate and love them and just like them, we were able to forget the outside forces that would tear them apart.

At the end, Julian and Wren and poor ole me were confronted with the real world again and god, did it hurt. Did their choices make sense? ....I guess? doesn't mean I have to like them 😭😭😭😭😭

There's loads of reveals (some of them a bit too convenient for me lmao but that's YA for ya) and Wren's ready for a new chapter in her life – and I'm excited to read it.

A fun YA fantasy action novel - it was action packed and funny where it needed levity. I think it starts a bit slow but builds up to some big reveals that end in a cliffhanger for the next book.
 
I liked the characters and their banter a lot. I think that the character work saves this from becoming very generic: while there are some cool worldbuilding bits, I think that the plot is definitely reliant on tropes to carry it through. But! It was an enjoyable story all the same. 

When I saw it comped with Gideon the Ninth, I thought that meant lesbian necromancers. That's not the case. There's one side character who is implied to be bi/pan and that's it. However, bone related powers and magic are my jam so I enjoyed this even with the lack of lesbians! The Game of Thrones comp is far more accurate with the political conflict, twists, and betrayals that are unearthed throughout the story. Also a good enemies to lovers stories with an actual pair of enemies!

I am, however, tired of the trope of grandparent disliking granddaughter for no actual reason except for the circumstances of her deaths and therefore, I had to cut down a star because it made me eye-roll. However, I will still be giving the sequel a chance.