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A review by dliterate
Root and Bone by Jessica Raney
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Thanks to @curseddragonship for making the ARC of 'Root and Bone' by Jessica Raney available on @netgalley
'Root and Bone' is a contemporary fantasy/horror story, focusing on two sisters, Leona Monroe and Jewel Spencer, whose magic allows them to see what's going on below the surface of their Appalachian home town. When a local woman is brutally murdered, and her ghost appears with murderous intent, the sisters are drawn into the search for her killer - and find themselves coming up against a series of increasingly dangerous foes along the way.
While I wouldn't say that Root and Bone is groundbreaking, I do think it's a solid new addition to this subgenre. The dynamic between Leona and Jewel is well-established, as are their relationships with Leona's ghost companion, Cale. They work well as a trio who are largely situated in contrast to the other characters around them.
Unfortunately, things get a bit messier once you start moving beyond the three main characters. You find yourself immediately dropped into a world where there are supernatural elements present, but the parameters of this world - and its interaction with the non-magical world - are never clearly established. This, combined with the fact that it's never quite made clear what time period the story is situated in (it seems to be the 1950s or 60s, maybe?), made it feel like, as a reader, I was always slightly off-kilter. I hope this is something that later books in the series can address.
Overall, despite some fuzziness in the details of world, I did enjoy the book more than not. I think there's a lot of potential here, if some of the issues with this book can be addressed in the sequels. I'd recommend giving it a go, and will be keeping an eye out for the next instalment in the series.
CWs: mild gore, domestic violence, misogyny, violence
Rating: 3.5
'Root and Bone' will be available for purchase from the 14th of May
'Root and Bone' is a contemporary fantasy/horror story, focusing on two sisters, Leona Monroe and Jewel Spencer, whose magic allows them to see what's going on below the surface of their Appalachian home town. When a local woman is brutally murdered, and her ghost appears with murderous intent, the sisters are drawn into the search for her killer - and find themselves coming up against a series of increasingly dangerous foes along the way.
While I wouldn't say that Root and Bone is groundbreaking, I do think it's a solid new addition to this subgenre. The dynamic between Leona and Jewel is well-established, as are their relationships with Leona's ghost companion, Cale. They work well as a trio who are largely situated in contrast to the other characters around them.
Unfortunately, things get a bit messier once you start moving beyond the three main characters. You find yourself immediately dropped into a world where there are supernatural elements present, but the parameters of this world - and its interaction with the non-magical world - are never clearly established. This, combined with the fact that it's never quite made clear what time period the story is situated in (it seems to be the 1950s or 60s, maybe?), made it feel like, as a reader, I was always slightly off-kilter. I hope this is something that later books in the series can address.
Overall, despite some fuzziness in the details of world, I did enjoy the book more than not. I think there's a lot of potential here, if some of the issues with this book can be addressed in the sequels. I'd recommend giving it a go, and will be keeping an eye out for the next instalment in the series.
CWs: mild gore, domestic violence, misogyny, violence
Rating: 3.5
'Root and Bone' will be available for purchase from the 14th of May
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny and Domestic abuse
Minor: Gore and Violence