Reviews

2 stars is probably the lowest rating I'll give a book, because the author clearly worked hard on their book, but god this was bad. I was confused the entire book, nothing made sense and there didn't seem to be a clear plot line. There was this overarching goal, but we were jumping from one thing to the next with very loose connections. It never flowed very well and even the characters' personalities seemed to change from one scene to the next. The writing was also just strange. I honestly even looked up the author to see if English was her first language, because some of the writing style was just so strange that it wasn't natural.
And there was just so much of the book/plot that I didn't like or understand. It was so weird how much trust is placed in the emperor’s concubine. I don’t understand how a whore has such high standings and is so well regarded. Like everyone loves her and her ghosts for some reason but she keeps saying they’re looked down upon and forced to live secluded in orchard house. And all of the relationships were so pedophilic. Obviously there were the bad ones that were condemned, but even the good ones felt creepy and uncomfortable. I don't know if it was just because the ages of the characters were so unclear, but it was just so bad I wanted to stop reading. There were so much other small plot points I could go into, but I just want to be done with this book.
Overall, the world and the plot just didn't make sense and I really wish this was better. There was so much potential with this world and "magic" system, that it was just disappointing.

sunnie's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

thecaffeinatedlibrary's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

If “Labour” by Paris Paloma & “What Was I Made For?” By Billie Eilish had a love child, it would be this book. Admittedly with a few more gothic embellishments, for ambience.

This was a character study, it was slow and sumptuous while still being dark and twisty. Following Charm was a delight, and I thoroughly enjoyed the mind melting experience of watching this resilient woman’s journey throughout the book.

The prose in The Bone Orchard is sublime, making me shudder and smile in the same sentence. I was captivated by the politics Mueller has crafted, and the lush settings that we are privy to seeing. I just could not get enough of this mystery of a novel that I highly recommend.

Content Warnings

myatrietley's review

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dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

allisoninfictionland's review

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dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

chrystylyn's review

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2.0

I did not like this book. I did enjoy talking about the book and complaining about it. I struggled so hard to finish it. I had no feelings or attachment to anyone in this until the very end I had a tiny bit of feelings for one character. That's it. Just a blip at the end for a very minor character. I'm so happy it's over.

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