About the Book
Title: The Bone Witch
Author: Rin Chupeco
Series: The Bone Witch #1
Genre: YA Fantasy
Edition Read: Kindle eBook
Pages: 375
Dates Read: December 1 – 3, 2023
Blurb: A story of scorned witches, sinister curses, and resurrection, The Bone Witch is the start of a dark fantasy trilogy.
When Tea accidentally resurrects her brother, Fox, from the dead, she learns she is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy means that she’s a bone witch, a title that makes her feared and ostracized by her community. But Tea finds solace and guidance with an older, wiser bone witch, who takes Tea and her brother to another land for training.
In her new home, Tea puts all her energy into becoming an asha—one who can wield elemental magic. But dark forces are approaching quickly, and in the face of danger, Tea will have to overcome her obstacles…and make a powerful choice.
Review
This was a very beautiful book to read. It’s been on my radar for a while and I was so glad that the Reindeer Readathon brought it back to the forefront of my list.
One thing I really liked was the framing device. Tea’s story of growing up, coming into her powers, and starting her training as an asha is contrasted with the knowledge that she will eventually be exiled for something horrible. We don’t fully know what that is yet, which is why I will definitely be finishing this series in January, but as of right now, it is hard to picture this young, sweet girl as doing anything that would merit such a punishment. She is extremely powerful though, so maybe something got out of hand. She definitely seems to be holding a grudge of some sort. More mysteries to find out!
I also really loved this story world and the types of magic that exist there. The heartglass that everyone carries is a very simple bit of magic that I want to learn more about. Learning about the asha and their training was also really beautiful to read. I’ve not really seen many magical characters like them. Folks on Goodreads compared them to Geishas, which is part of their work, since they are expected to know how to dance, play music, and entertain when requested for social gatherings. But they are also warriors, tasked with fighting these huge monsters. It’s just another thing that is such a contrast but plays against each other so well.
There were parts here and there that had some pacing issues – some chapters really dragged in places – but the prose and descriptions of everything made the world seem very vivid and real, which I always appreciate in a fantasy setting. It definitely made me want to keep reading and, as I said, I will be reading the rest of the series once the readathon is over.
GoodReads rating: 4 stars
Categories: Books I've Read
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