The Sins on Their Bones is a gripping, atmospheric and dark tale about the (former) Tzar of Novo-Svitsevo and his court after a war has been lost and the throne stolen. It is a tale of love, abuse, the loss of innocence, self-doubt, dedication and healing. I must say, this is like nothing I have ever read before.

We begin the story following Dimitri and his court as they are in hiding. The betrayal of Dimitri's husband is already over, the war is lost, and we only begin to learn of what has happened to these characters. I enjoyed the author's choice to begin the story at this point because I feel like we really didn't need to accompany them through the war. This gives room to let us learn more about the characters themselves, the way that they have been hurt and broken as well as how they begin to heal.

I truly enjoyed the fact that we received three POVs. First, that of Dimitri. Then, that of his spy-master Vasily. Lastly, we get to see Alexey's view, who is both Dimitri's husband as well as the usurper of the throne. I was especially impressed by the author's ability to write Alexey. He is clearly an unreliable narrator, and it is intriguing to look into his mind and see how he perceived the war. I feel like this is a very hard thing to write and Samotin managed this perfectly.

I have to say that this is a very character-driven story. While I understand where other reviews saying that "nothings happens" are coming from, personally I feel like they do the narrative and the characters injustice. We get insight into three character's minds and follow them while they deal with their trauma and their hurt. We learn a lot about them and about what makes them who they are. Especially for Dimitri, this is necessary to make his character develop from "I don't care anymore" to "let's save our country". Dimitri needed time to process what happened and what needs to be done, and time is what Samotin has given him. I can only applaud her for having patience with her characters instead of throwing them into action immediately.

The queer rep in TSTB is gorgeous. The author wanted to create a world in which queerness is accepted, respected and normal, which she definitely accomplished.

Overall, I do recommend this book if you are up for a character-driven, atmospheric and dark political fantasy about loss, pain and healing. Be aware of the trigger warnings that the author has posted. I have given the book 4.5 stars, rounded down to 4 on GoodReads.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada as well as Laura R. Samotin for providing me with an arc for this book. This review reflects my honest opinion on the book.

This book was a multi-POV queer, dark fantasy. The book was a political fantasy that drew from Jewish mythology and heritage. I highly recommend checking content warnings before reading this book, but the heavy topics were handled well, and this book packed an emotional punch. I felt the book accurately portrayed the complexities of abusive relationships and the toxic dynamics and lingering feelings that can continue even after the relationship has ended. I also appreciated that the book showed both an abusive relationship between two men and a healthy relationship between two men. Often, depictions of abuse in fiction are centered around a boyfriend/husband abusing his female partner, so it was nice to see representation outside of this norm.

My biggest struggle with this book was the pacing. This book is very much a character study, focused on their emotional journeys. We were dropped into a world after a major conflict that resulted in a leadership change, and this led to some confusion for me at the beginning. As a result, the beginning felt very slow. I wish we got more details about the original conflict instead of just focusing on the aftermath of it. As a result, the book felt like the second book of a duology and not the first.

I really enjoyed the world building, which was rooted in both Jewish folklore and Eastern European history. This world wasn't as complex as some fantasy novels, but it was still interesting. I had a good understanding of the society and the magic system, which kept me invested in this story. And the turns in the plot towards the middle/end of the book continued to hold my interest.

Thank you Penguin Random House and netgalley for this e-arc!

Unfortunately this is a DNF at 200 pages for me. I can’t push through it any longer. This is really difficult for me because I usually will point blank refuse to leave a book unfinished unless I have proper cause. With this book, I feel I do.

Starting with the positives, this book has beautiful LGBTQ+ rep, is super atmospheric and is on the whole well written. I enjoyed the seamless trans/ non binary rep and felt that each character was a well rounded individual - which is hard to do with a big cast. There were just a few stumbling blocks for me, which are as follows (spoiler warning!!!).

1- Why is it made such a big deal that Dimitri didn’t shoot Alexey if he was already immortal…? It wouldn’t have done anything?

2- There was a lot of focus in sex here. I’m not prudish, it’s not something I stray away from in books (hello spicy romance contemporaries) but this felt like it was overused. It didn’t feel relevant to the plot after a while. Maybe this was for a reason that later was brought to light in the rest of the book.

3-I didn’t like the timeline of events. We spend 100+ pages with Dimitri licking his wounds and his court trying to pick up the pieces. I really did enjoy seeing the way they were so emotionally open with each other, and all incredibly empathetic… but it got a bit drawn out for me. Also, we start after a whole coup and war have finished. I’d have loved to at least have a preface with some action, possibly with Dimitri facing Alexey on the battlefield. Truly I double checked if I’d actually requested a second book in the series multiple times when I first started reading this lol.

So that’s my thoughts on this. Laura R. Samotin is a very capable writer with fantastic concepts, so much so that I’ll definitely check out anymore releases of theirs. This just wasn’t a hit for me. I won’t be giving it a star rating as I feel that’s unfair having not read the majority of this book!

I enjoyed how atmospheric this book was. I am confused as to how it was marketed as a romantasy, because it’s not that… This book is dark, political fantasy. I wish we weren’t dropped in right after a big conflict happened, because I was really confused as to how we got where we were when the book started. I thought the queer and Jewish representation was well done. I did struggle with the pacing of this book, I genuinely felt like nothing happened for the longest time. This also isn’t really a love story, it’s full of abuse and toxic relationships. The overall idea was really interesting but I feel like if we got more backstory and more plot I would have enjoyed it more. Please please check the CW’s before reading this one. It’s a lot.

CWs: sexual violence, abusive relationships, blood & gore, trauma, sexual content, injury, war, torture, death, human experimentation

I was finally able to get a different copy of this book to review instead of having to read it on my phone.

Firstly, dark content warning obviously. You’re probably already aware of what you’re getting into when you purchase this book, but please make sure you’re in a good headspace before tackling this masterpiece. This is a heavy read.

Honestly I tend to stray away from darker books because I am a good vibe reader, but I was very intrigued by the blurb and I felt like I had to try this one out. I am so glad I did. This was a well written and very nuanced book. I read it all in one sitting, that’s how good I found it.

The relationships in this book were very dynamic. The relationship between Alexey and Dimitri? CHILLS. Vasily and Dimitri? Soooo heartwarming and it kept me going. The found family vibes? OBSESSED. The side characters I lived for.

The first half of the book was hard for me to get through at first, but it wasn’t any fault of the author or writing, I’m just a little sensitive and it was very angsty. The portrayal of Dimitri and just how much he was suffering was written very realistically and I just wanted to wrap him up in my arms and tell him everything was going to be okay. Thank god for his found family. I’m glad they were able to pick him up by the bootstraps and get him to keep on keeping on.

The plot was very well written and engaging to me. As a plot girlie, I was very satisfied. The action sequences were fun, and that climax? Whew…I was on the edge of my SEAT. The cliffhanger? IM FERAL, I NEED THE NEXT BOOK SOON.

Overall, this was a knockout for me and I’m glad I pushed myself to read it. I would have missed out on an amazing read had I let my reservations stop me from checking this out.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Canada for my arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Sins on Their Bones had absolutely fascinating characters and I really enjoyed the multiple POVs that we get. I love getting to be on both sides of a conflict and get into the head of the ‘bad guy’ to really understand their motives. Alexey was such a great villain, I was both captivated by his POV but also angered at his thoughts and actions (which made for great reading). Vasily and Dimitri were also great characters, they were really tested in the story and showed so much resilience. It is not a light story, and it’s definitely worth reading the CWs if you are concerned, it is a story of violence and resilience. Themes such as abusive relationships and trauma are explored throughout the story.

I really enjoyed the world building that Samotin created. I felt like I was transported into post war Novo-Svitsevo. I enjoyed that she drew inspiration from her Jewish heritage and experiences (the authors note is such an interesting read at the end, don’t skip it!). The pacing was also excellent, I found myself unable to put it down so I read it in two sittings despite the emotionally heavy content.

I really enjoyed this book and I’m really interested to see where the sequel in this duology goes plot wise. It felt like it could have been a standalone right until the end but I am really interested in finding out what comes next in this story. I have so many questions!

Thank you @netgalley & @penguinrandomca for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. The Sins on Their Bones is out on May 7th! If you’re looking for your next queer normative fantasy, let it be this one!

⭐4/5 stars⭐

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Sins on Their Bones by Laura R. Samotin is a multi-POV Queer Ashkenazi Jewish dark fantasy about moving on from toxic relationships and finding a partner who loves and respects you rather than wanting to control you. Dimitri was the Tzar of Noto-Svitsevo before his estranged husband, Alexey, took the throne from him. After a civil war that leaves Dimitri with only a few people from his court, he runs from Alexey and makes a plan with Vasily, his spymaster and lover, to invade Alexey’s court and bring the immortal down.

Laura R. Samotin doesn’t pull any punches when depicting Alexey’s obsession with Dimitri, his desire for control, and how far Alexey is willing to go to get Dimitri back. Alexey even takes Dimitri’s half-brother, Ivan, who looks remarkably like Dimitri, as his lover. When we’re inside Alexey’s head, we can see just how dangerous Alexey is and how much he doesn’t view Dimitri as his own person or as a partner no matter what he tells himself. He ‘molded’ Dimitri, he crossed Dimitri’s boundaries to make him how Alexey wanted him to be, and Alexey cannot let go.

The romance between Vasily and Dimitri is vastly different from the relationship between Alexey and Ivan and Alexey and Dimitri. Vasily doesn’t want to own or control or dominate Dimitri, but instead wants to love him exactly how he is. By the time the novel starts, Dimitri has had time to examine his marriage with Alexey and knows Alexey is not only bad for him but is bad for Ivan as well, but a part of him does still love Alexey. This was so realistic and really showed how complex abusive relationships can be because that love from the beginning of a relationship doesn’t just automatically go away once you realize someone is hurting you.

The worldbuilding is strongly rooted in Eastern European and Jewish traditions and folklore. There’s a bit of an Anastasia vibe with Dimitri’s story as the only surviving member of the royal family and him being on the run, but it’s not a retelling so much as a very loose reimagining. Samotin does include additional readings for people if they are interested in the ideas presented in the work and I love it when authors provide avenues that they trust and they think are useful to help their readers continue learning about real world experiences, cultures, and religions presented in fantasy.

I would recommend this to readers looking for Queer Jewish fantasy, fans of Anastasia retellings and reimaginings, and those looking for a fantasy exploring leaving toxic exes.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the opportunity to read this book early.
I was very excited to read this book based on the troupes, synopsis, and the beautiful cover art.
The first few pages did grasp my attention and was interesting; however; I struggled to connect with the characters/story and found myself skimming through the pages.
I wish we would have gotten more of a background to the events that occurred prior to this book. At times I felt lost.
I did DNF around the 30% mark as I felt lost to where I was and the lack of connection to the character/plot.
While I feel I am not the target audience for the story, I feel some readers may enjoy this debut novel. Congrats on the author on their debut novel, I’m excited to see how their career flourishes.

While I thought the premise of this book interesting, what I really wanted was the story of the rebellion. It started where I wanted the story to end. Like I wanted the story of how everything came apart. Not what we got instead. And there was almost too many characters.

This book was quite odd. I liked the writing and the story structure, but, as it often happens to me when reading multiple POVs, I wasn’t a fan of one of them, so I ended up skimming over some of those chapters. This story often got very gory and violent, and honestly, I thought it went on for too long. There was a whole lot of death and suffering. The worldbuilding felt kind of small though, so it was hard to care about all those hypothetical lives and the country the characters were trying to protect. Still, I think this book had a lot of quality, especially in the characters, and that it will be a sure 5 stars for a lot of people.

A story where the setting is the Jewish folklore where dark magic makes us immerse ourselves in a descriptive journey for the characters to make a great evolution.

A reading that presents us with an interwoven story that takes us to a the hard events that the characters go through.

The flashbacks immerse us to know better the whole picture of the protagonists, and in the present we focus on the points to lead to healing,plus the magic system is amazing.

It has been a good read even though dark fantasy is not very my type, it has been an experience that I enjoyed.

I recommend it if you don't mind this kind of setting.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

DNF around 15% due to accessibility issues with eARC format; the file would not work on my e-reader and the text in NetGalley Shelf app was way too small for me to read without difficulty. A Kindle format would have been appreciated here. What I did manage to read of the story was promising and I may pick this up after release.

The Sins on Their Bones by Laura R. Samotin is a dark fantasy steeped in Jewish folklore

What I loved
- Unique magic
-well-done flashbacks
-excellent pacing
What didn't work for me?
A tad darker than I was prepared for going in please read trigger warnings on storygraph or provided by the publisher.
Who I recommend this title for

Dark fantasy lovers looking for a story that has a journey of healing and forgiveness at its core will find themselves at home in these pages.

Beautifully descriptive and evocative. Characters that come to life on the page as they struggle, grief, love, lose themslves and one another. Full of political intrigue, romance, folklore, and the best kind of world building.

The Sins on Their Bones was such a beautiful and heart breaking read. this book is inspired by Jewish folklore and i loved the way Laura weaved it into the story and world-building. it talks about abuse, trauma, and finding a way not only to forgive yourself but accepting forgiveness from others, it felt a lot like a healing journey. i would highly recommend checking the TWs before diving into this dark fantasy.
i really enjoyed Laura's writing style and found myself easily immersed in the story and i did enjoy the flashbacks and getting to learn more about the characters and the world itself as the magic system was so fascinating!
i am also a sucker for political intrigue and this definitely did not disappoint on that end and as much as i love my morally grey characters, i love how Laura made the villains just villains, and sometimes that's all you need because not everyone is redeemable.

this was such an emotional read and i found myself getting easily attached to the characters and the world that my heart ached for them at every turn.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC! CW: domestic and sexual violence, trauma, substance use, war.

This book had a really interesting concept, and I don't read or know much about Jewish lore so I was excited for that aspect. I thought it was important that the book showed an abusive relationship between two men, because this is not talked about much and men have unique experiences with DV. That said, I really wish that this part was own-voices and I thought the normalization of queerness in the book kind of prevented a deeper discussion of what that experience and healing means for a lot of people in real life. I also did not like the role of the "best friend" in repeating the sexual trauma of the MC because it was "what he needed." It just felt like trauma was a plot device.

Overall, the book felt repetitive and lacked depth in its characters, world-building and plot. It read like a sequel to a book that would have actually established deep relationships between the characters and relationships between the reader and the characters, but starting "in the aftermath" didn't work in this book in my opinion because the narration doesn't take the time to really show you why you should care. The first half of the book is just expository backstory and the political intrigue wasn't there for me. I didn't think there were enough visual details to feel engrossed in the actual plot whenever there was an actual scene written.

I also thought the relationships between a tsar and his political consort were very oddly intimate and tangled. It doesn't seem appropriate for the main relationship/emotions to be based on deep love and friendship with nothing else. The Jasmine Throne or Black Sun, for example, do a good job of exploring what love and friendships can look like in political alliances that are more nuanced and based on mutual respect and difficult choices--but this book seemed more like a group of teenage friends who we're supposed to believe are competent.

Not my usual type of read but I was decently happy with the story. It's got some heavy themes but the plot was good and made me rather emotional. There's a sense of forlorn nostalgia that permeates throughout that makes you long for a time you've never been in.

This was a bit too much for me. I love a good dark book, but it was too much.

That and the publisher made it so I couldn't read on my kindle. I struggle to read on my phone or laptop, so this format was really inaccessible and part of why I was unable to finish the book was because of this.

I was so excited for The Sins on Their Bones and my expectations were absolutely smashed through. Talk about a book which is the epitome of "all my enemies started off friends". It's about a person we love, who used to know us so well, who has this power to wound us, and who hurt us, wrapped up possession and toxicity in bows. The versions of us, of each other, that are gone. And these character dynamics ripped my soul out.

MESSY AND TOXIC RELATIONSHIP DYNAMICS GALORE. I loved it. All the character vibes were immaculate. The POVs of all three main characters were really fun. At first, the pacing was a little slow when it came to the plot, but I easily fell in love with all of the characters and the vibes were perfect. Some themes got a bit repetitive, but honestly I was so 10000% committed and here for the entire ride.

When things ramped up, I simply could not put the book down. Can't wait to see what Samotin does next!