Title: The Bone Witch
Author: Rin Chupeco
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication Date: March 7, 2017
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
I received an eARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Description from Goodreads
The beast raged; it punctured the air with its spite. But the girl was fiercer.
Tea is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy makes her a bone witch, who are feared and ostracized in the kingdom. For theirs is a powerful, elemental magic that can reach beyond the boundaries of the living—and of the human.
Great power comes at a price, forcing Tea to leave her homeland to train under the guidance of an older, wiser bone witch. There, Tea puts all of her energy into becoming an asha, learning to control her elemental magic and those beasts who will submit by no other force. And Tea must be strong—stronger than she even believes possible. Because war is brewing in the eight kingdoms, war that will threaten the sovereignty of her homeland…and threaten the very survival of those she loves.
My Thoughts
As I hope that you have understood from the title of the post. I LOVED this book. I know that there are several people out there who believed that it was rather dry or sleepy, particularly in the last half, and I do agree. However, I don't believe that the slow points were enough to deem this a boring or bad book.
During my senior year in high school, I took it upon myself to read Memoirs of a Geisha for fun. I figured it would be a little light reading and a good look at a culture that I knew virtually nothing about. Well, as the first one hundred pages of that book unfolded I was bored out of my mind. I actually threatened to toss it out of the school bus window so that it could be someone else's trash. But, I knew that there was a special gem there as long as I kept reading. I did. I love that book. The same is true with The Bone Witch.
Tea is a remarkable main character. This girl has goals and morals and she is so very willing to stick to them. I truly admire her gumption. However, she also has her own short-comings. She has a temper and, at times, needs to learn to hold her tongue. She is so very realistic that I found myself comparing her to girls in the classes that I teach. It was far too easy for me to consider how many of my students would act in any of Tea's situations. This is a true testament to Chupeco's characterization skills.
Chupeco is also a very skilled storyteller. It is obvious that this story is going places and will not stop until it gets there! I believe that this was especially clear in the "in between" story with the Bard and the older Lady Tea. Each time she used that framed story, she did a terrific job winding the two together. This talent is one of the reasons that I believe she added a little extra detail in the second half. In book 2, I am totally expecting her to wallop us with a heart wrenching experience that will only make sense to those of us who took the time to gather the extra information presented in The Bone Witch.
However, I believe I would do this book a disservice if I neglected the end. This book would have received five apples from me were it not for the end. What the heck was that? Where did that come from? I will stay away from giving too many details because I want you to read and to love this book like I did. Just know, that the ending could have been much stronger and will leave you with a gaping hole of confusion in your emotions. READER BEWARE!
My Rating
About the Author
For updates, events, and new releases, sign up for her newsletter at http://www.rinchupeco.com/newsletter ------------------------
Despite an unsettling resemblance to Japanese revenants, Rin always maintains her sense of hummus. Born and raised in Manila, Philippines, she keeps four pets: a dog, two birds, and a husband. Dances like the neighbors are watching.
She is represented by Rebecca Podos of the Helen Rees Agency. She is also fond of speaking in the third person, and may as well finish this short bio in this manner. While she does not always get to check her Goodreads page, she does answer questions posed to her here as promptly as she is able to. Find her at the following places instead:
Twitter: @rinchupeco
Pinterest: Rin Chupeco
Blog: rinchupeco.com
Ooooh, this sounds so good! I'm with you, just because a book is slow moving doesn't necessarily mean it's bad. Usually I prefer my lyrical reads to be slower, and it sounds like The Bone Witch is just that. Definitely need to get cracking on this one! :)
ReplyDeleteThe characters, the story, and the blending of it all was refreshing and intriguing! I fell into from the beginning. The story flows, even though it goes back and forth from present to past and back again. It made me wanting more. I could not put it down! This is a must read about magic, revenge, necromancy, and a young girl's journey to becoming the bone witch she was meant to be.
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