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abby_can_read's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I really wanted to like this book. It sounded good and like something I would enjoyed. I just don't think it was for me. While the ending left me wanting to know what happens next, I won't be continuing this series.
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexism, Violence, and War
Minor: Animal death, Bullying, and Transphobia
dragongirl271's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco
Have you ever been pleasantly surprised by a book? I was with this one. I didn’t really know what to expect going in, so I wasn’t sure right away if I was going to stick with this book or not. Not only did Chupeco’s writing manage to pull me into the world of The Bone Witch, but the whole trilogy may very well be one of the best YA fantasy trilogies I’ve ever read.
The Bone Witch starts telling the story of our main protagonist, Tea (Tee-ah), in two different ways. The book begins with a bard finding her on the beach in his point of view. This is in the current time of the overarching story. We continue to get fed snippets from his POV at the end of each chapter. The bulk of the chapters are Tea narrating her story, set back in the past, to the bard. We learn of the discovery of her powers, her training as an asha (witches who use magic, entertainment, and sharp wit to influence the world around them), and the start of her realizing how great her magical potential is.
Chupeco gives us complex worldbuilding in small, easy-to-swallow doses that are conveniently wrapped up in lessons for Tea instead of always being pushed out in inner monologues (a complaint I often have with first-person writing). There’s some political intrigue. Mysterious side characters. A hint at a love story. Strong bonds between siblings. And a dragon!
The book is a tad long for YA fantasy and the plot is a bit slow - Tea enjoys narrating in slice-of-life doses as she grows, studies, and explores her new life. However, I’m a big epic fantasy reader so I’m quite used to both.
1st person POV - two narrators and timeline placements. Slow pacing. Beautifully creative worldbuilding and plot development. East Asian-inspired fantasy. Dragon!!
Moderate: Bullying, Death, and Grief
Minor: Animal death, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
kathrynleereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
In my mind, this book can be split into two very distinct parts, the first being the majority of the book, and the second being the last 100 pages.
For most of the book, the pace is slow, the plot basically nonexistent, and the character development mild.
Lady Mykaela- Despite having to deal with the daeva on her own for the most part, and without the presence of her heartsglass, Lady Mykaela is such a calming and positive presence. I do wish that she fought back against the kingdoms using her basically as a tool though.
Zoya-
Likh- I wish Likh had been a little more present in this book. I love his character and the debate that his presence brings up about tradition.
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Having Tea explain things to the Bard was a seamless way to foreshadow, and to fill readers in on things they may have overlooked, but I think the Bard’s reactions to Tea’s stories are so much more valuable.
Fictional worlds are sometimes hard for readers to grasp because even with different customs and traditions explained through world-building, it is not always easy to gauge the level of difference between that world and our own.
Putting aside the Bard and the added world-building element that they provided, I enjoyed the presence of the flash-forwards because of the intrigue they created.
Obviously, there are some slight spoilers released through the flash-forwards, but they are so far-fetched from the current direction of the story that it only builds the suspense more.
This book taught me that it is not world-building alone that makes or breaks a book, but world-building that is well-paced.
I can’t wait to find out what’s in store for Tea in the rest of the trilogy!
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Violence, and War
Minor: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Misogyny, Sexism, Medical content, and Classism
dark_lyn's review against another edition
4.5
I found it particularly hard to follow all of the character and place names, but I managed to muddle through. There are several maps, which looked pretty cool, and would probably be helpful. Sadly I found them tricky to read on my ereader or phone, and I'm not great with maps to begin with.
Graphic: Death and Violence
Minor: Bullying
tifftastic87's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Tea is a necromancy witch in a world where witches are known. Female witches are trained to use their rune magic to both protect and entertain the wealthy and high class. In their training to entertain they are very highly educated in history, dance, musical instruments and song, as well as fighting. Male witches join the military ranks as Death Seekers. Tea discovers her ability as a Dark Asha by accidentally raising her brother, a fallen death seeker when she is only 12. From here the story follows Tea as she is trained in her craft, but the training doesn't come easy and Dark Asha's are more feared and ridiculed than respected.
The story itself was a little slow, but is told in two timelines. When the reveal of why happens the story starts to pick up. As with most YA stories, Tea is incredibly strong and special. But it didn't feel as Mary Sue as it could have. We see her struggle with many things and we see her fail and we see her punished. I did enjoy the aspect of her making mistakes and learning from them, we aren't told she is smart but we see that she is smart. Though that doesn't mean she doesn't make stupid young teen mistakes. Which I greatly appreciated.
The building of the world and weaving of cultures honestly gives it extra points for me.
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Sexism, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Violence
charles237's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Moderate: Bullying
amre23's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Xenophobia, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Sexism, Violence, Grief, War, and Classism
Minor: Body horror, Terminal illness, and Alcohol
lakinglaze's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Death, Violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
jupiterlee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
However, I will admit that there was not a massive amount of it in this novel, but I am willing to put that down to the first novel world building.
This is the first time (I believe) that I have read a book that alternatives between past and present narrative. I found that this kept my interest peaked because you begin to wonder things when reading the present narrative, and you start to wonder if maybe Tea is the villain of the story. However, I did find it slightly confusing as not only was the present time from a different perspective but at times it was all just too much to continuously try and wrap my head around: the different names of the dark items, the different names of the creatures that the dark asha are trained to put down, what each heartglass means and the colours associated with emotions, and the various names of places and people at times was just too much for my head to remember who was who and what the creatures were (but I supposed you can argue that that is not all that important, but it can be frustrating when you cannot visual what you are reading).
I do think that a glossary at the bad with heart glass colours and emotions would have been extremely helpful (others might have found this easier to understand than I did but at times I just gave up remember what silver heartglasses meant and what the colours displayed in them was supposed to represent).
Another thing I will admit is that, for me, it was a very slow paces book, which I am not a massive fan of. While I understand that chapters on Tea's classes and her struggles as a novice are there to build character, I felt that it could be underwhelming at times and it made me not so eager to pick up the book when I had the time.
I will certainly be picking up the next novel due to the ending and the facts that were revealed, but I hope that we get to see Tea using more of her magic and her mischievous nature (which it seems we may with what the information she has decided to withhold from others in the last few chapters). I will also be interested to see what happens with two characters :- one that seems to have went from her forever ally to her enemy, and one that seems to have went from her forever enemy to her ally!
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Violence, and War
Minor: Bullying
ariel790's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Rin Chupeco kept an easy pace with enough detail to imagine Tea's world with ease. Although, not a unique technique, I did enjoy Tea's humble beginning told as if in the past while jumping back to the present at the end of each chapter. This gave a sense of mystery to be solved in how Tea ended up exiled. While this wasn't revealed, enough to keep Tea interesting is. Looking forward to book 2.
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Blood
Moderate: Bullying and War
Minor: Animal death, Terminal illness, and Violence