Actual Rating: 4.5 stars

Writing
This book was actually REALLY good! The writing was very gripping & interesting. I read 75% of this book in 1 day because I was just so into the story, I just couldn’t put it down! I really enjoyed the writing. The author did an awesome job of describing the world & magic system thoroughly but it never felt like info dumping which was awesome. The characters developed well throughout the book, some good & some bad but the development was there and it felt natural.

Plot
The plot of this book is so freaking interesting. This book basically follows two possible futures after a certain point in time and it was done SOO well! There was action & drama in both sides that kept you on your toes! It was very unpredictable as well which is awesome. The whole plot just flowed really well on both sides. I thought things might of been confusing but that definitely wasn’t the case. The author did an awesome job of writing this unique plot and I loved it.

I also love that there was never any confusion when it came to the 2 different plots we were following. Obviously both sides followed the same MC & I feel like she felt different in each side and she developed differently because of what she went through on that side. It was just written really well!

Characters
The characters are kinda hard to talk about because there were 2 versions of most characters, one in each possible future. The characters in each future developed really well though & I was really invested in these characters. Especially so on one of the futures and I really liked one of the romances , which is really weird as I’m just not usually that person. All the characters were really well done, the good guys & the bad guys. They were all written very well! I think that is all I’ll say about the characters as otherwise it is going to get too confusing by trying to avoid spoilers if I actually talk about the characters individually.

Overall
I really enjoyed this book! The characters were awesome, the world was super interesting, the magic system was unique and interesting as well. Everything about this book was just interesting & fun. It dragged me in and did not want to let go! I really hope there is a sequel to this book. It ended as if it was leading into another book but there is no series for this book on Goodreads and I can’t find any info for it! I really hope there is though! It was just so good and also, like I said, the ending felt like it was leading somewhere else & I need to know!!

In a world where your future can be told by a bone charmer, society is balanced by those who can set a person on the best fit path. But when Saskia has her own reading and is given a future she didn’t think she wanted she accidentally breaks a bone in her reading. The breaking of the bone splits her future into two and she must find a way to consolidate them as well as piece the bone back together before she may cease to exist. All the while something seedier is playing in the background that brings danger lurking at her door.

The Story
This book was so much more than I expected! At first I only really cared about one of the POV, but I learned to cherish both sides of the story. Obviously in the end one of the stories is thought to stop existing, but I was definitely set up for a surprise with the direction the story went.

Fighting the future is reminiscent of time travel and going back in in time to fix things. Except instead of changing something in the past and then seeing the reaction you don’t quite know if the future is what your reaction is going to be? Anyway, all if it is so mind boggling and I guess I can understand how some people don’t really care for futures/time travel books, but when they’re done this well I relish it.


The World Building
So the world building isn’t super in depth. We have this society where there are people with bone magic (and people who don’t have it to) and they get some special training to hone their skills. The skill vary depending on the bone magic, and none are really put in depth, but I don’t think I would have appreciated the book as much if a thorough report of how each one worked was included. The amount that was there was sufficient to keep the plot going. I loved the multiple dimensions to bone magic. It wasn’t just that Saskia was read to be a bone charmer, but the type of bone charmer she was – and the fact that there were types as opposed to one all seeing person was clever. I love that there was unraveling of the past, seeing the future, and in her case seeing the current happenings.

I think it’s important to remember that the book is called Bone Charmer, which means we don’t really need to know all about the society and where they live and what it looks like etc. The story was about the bone charmer. Therefore, the fact that I am normally enthralled with world building, I was still satisfied with what amount I got. The focus was on that particular magic and that was enough. If you’re expecting a lot of differential in the bone/blood magic included in this, there really isn’t much going on, so please don’t be disappointed. Aside from different types of bones doing different readings, and the infusion of blood with the readings, there isn’t too much to it.

There was a little bit on how the society revolved around these bone readings and I found it super intriguing, because not everyone could get one and there are obviously more than just the regular professions. So it ended up being this idea of this magic that is built upon an already functioning, non-magical type of world. There was one instance in fact of how the dangers on how one could overly spend and invest in bone readings and how that money could be better spent equalizing the bone readings to those of lower classes.

I loved the allegory seen there that portrayed the idea of something that should be accessible to everyone as it being a common right, not just something extra for those who can afford it.

The Characters
Saskia is such an entitled brat in the beginning that I almost immediately hated her. I loved her character ARC and how she learned through her own unsheltered experiences how to view the world. Her whole life was somewhat controlled by her mother as she constantly was able to do bone readings on her as she was growing up (her mother is a bone charmer as well) and the way she breaks the barriers that her mother’s path sent her on was smoothly written. She obviously stumbled a little on the way, but I love how she comes through at the end. Despite her desires she still holds true to her nature, and is completely honest with herself if not with others.

Did not finish. This book has a gorgeous cover and a great synopsis. I was finding myself feeling uninterested in the story and the characters. This book just wasn't my style.

I ended up not finishing this, it just wasn't capturing my attention. I found that I couldn't connect to the story or the characters or really care what was happening to them.



The Bone Charmer was a fascinating read! This was an intricately woven novel full of wonderful twists and turns. One event acted out in anger, splits Saskias reality into two. The Bone Charmer bounces back and forth from each of the timelines that Saskia is living, one as a tutor. And one as a bone charmer. Even though it's back and forth I found it fairly easy to follow what was going on and found myself quickly engrossed in the world of blood and bone magic. The characters were well written and I liked watching Saskias relationships develop over time/timelines, especially the one with her mother. And Bram😍I'm ready for book 2 right now!

Full review will be posted to my Blog Via RockStar Book Tours. Thank you for gifting me the Galley. My review will be posted soon.

I really loved The Bone Charmer. The pacing was great, the characters were intriguing, but most of all I really loved the unique way the story was told. Having two POVs from the same character is such a new twist that kept me on my toes through the entire book.

Oh oh oh oh, I really really liked this one! I was really excited to read it as soon as I saw that gorgeous cover, but let’s dive into what really works with this story.

First off, the world building was excellent. I really felt immersed into this place and its customs and beliefs. The way that bone magic works is very interesting and something I would love to learn more about. We get to see some of the training that goes into being able to work with the bones – and there are several different kinds of bone magic, including healing, seeing the past, present or future, controlling animals, etc. – but because of the way that Saskia evolves, her training ends up being highly unorthodox in both of her realities. In the next book (oh, please let there be a next book!), I think we will see even more of this.

Speaking of those two realities, I absolutely loved how they both mirrored each other, but were also distinctly different. It was enthralling to see how they were going to eventually connect at the end.

Basically, I loved everything about this book. I loved the twists and turns (of which there were many), I loved the characters, and I just adored the world. As I said before, I really hope that there is a second book in the works. The ending definitely sets things up that way and I want to see what happens next.

As I am writing this it is 10:10 pm EST, I have just finished this book, I am very much IN MY FEELINGS and have a desire to write a full essay about this book, oh and I have work tomorrow at seven in the morning. So future me I am truly sorry but I know you'll understand lol, I would like to thank the lovely people at Rockstar Book Tour for letting me in on the book tour for The Bone Charmer by Breeana Shields and for providing this E-ARC! So let's get started, as some of my old time followers know I have reviewed a book by Breeana Shields before and it was actually her debut three years ago! It was Poisons Kiss and I will leave the links down below from my blog review and booktube review if you want to check it out:)! So long story short welcomes back Breena! As we all know synopsis comes first, then my personal fangirly thoughts and lastly the Jheart ratings! 

"  In Saskia’s world, bones are the source of all power. They tell the future, reveal the past, and expose secrets in the present. Each village has a designated seer who performs readings for the townsfolk, and in Midwood, the Bone Charmer is Saskia’s mother.

On the day of her kenning—a special bone reading that determines the apprenticeships of all seventeen-year-olds—Saskia’s worst fears come true. She receives an assignment to train as a Bone Charmer, like her mother, and even worse, a match-making reading that pairs her with Bram—a boy who has suspicious tattoos that hint of violence.

Saskia knows her mother saw multiple paths for her, yet chose one she knew Saskia wouldn’t want. Their argument leads to a fracture in one of the bones. Broken bones are always bad luck, but this particular set of bones have been infused with extra magic, and so the break has devastating consequences—Saskia’s future has split as well. Now she will live her two potential paths simultaneously. Only one future can survive. And Saskia’s life is in danger in both"



Alright so Saskia was a likable character it just depended on which Saskia I was reading about and what she was getting into at times lol. She all around is a character that you understand her intentions but you just wanna scream at her because of the things she will get herself into. Though all of her reactions were caused by actions that were most of the time out of her control, it's sorta like her hand was forced half the time. It's like the old saying darned if you do darned if you don't, which wasn't fair at times because this whole book revolved around her future but what you learn in this story is that fate has the final say. When reading both paths of her life I think her character development was very spot on which I think Breeana is going to be very well known for because I felt the same way with her first main character in Poison's Kiss. Breeana just knows how to time things very well with her main characters because, in my opinion, Saskia grew even though at times it was a hard pill to swallow. Now I will say I did favor one path more than another because ooooo somethings happened and my heart was completely invested in every part of it! I am not saying the other path wasn't great the other one just hit different for me lol. But I will say there were times with Saskia I truly felt for her but then I remind myself she knows the bones choose the fate at the end but it's the choices she makes that determine overall what happens to her. I know that doesn't sound right but trust me when you read the book or have read it you understand where your girl is coming from. 

I really do not know how I feel about the relationship situation throughout the WHOLE book, but I will say I like how it ended but sadly part of the book I was a little bit confused on where the romance was. ( I am a romance junkie I always have to look for it sorry NOT sorry) okay to be fair now thinking about it, I will say it has a slow burn romance and that certain things don't make sense until about 25% into the book so I won't say anything bad about it because of SPOILERS ASF!!!!!!! So I am going to talk about Saskia relationship with her mom rather than a romantic relationship. Even though this is a fantasy book the mother-daughter relationship between Saskia and Della felt real life like in a nutshell, all Della wants to do is protect Saskia but sometimes the women goes WAY to far and I am not overreacting. But to give her the benefit of the doubt all she wants to do is keep Saskia safe but that also led to Saskia not making her own choices and that lead to Saskia taking certain matters in her own hands when things should've been talked out better and would've ended better between them. They are both very stubborn characters and to be honest when the bumped heads it sorta reminded me of my relationship with my mom at times lol. So you should already know who side I was on the majority of the time lol #letmehaveasay # Imateenagerwithavoice! But you could clearly tell that they loved each other they are just so much alike that they clash and it's hard for either of them to see the others point of view. 

So I LOVED this plot, the world, and the magic element I think it was my favorite aspect of this book and I am more of a romance freak lol. But no Breeana made such a creative and innovative world that I couldn't help but to fall in love with it! It was so interesting reading about how the magic works and how the whole world is set up around it I for sure had a perfect image on how everything was set up as well on how it looked. It was very new and fresh to me and I feel like this world can harvest more books and I personally want a five book series lol. Also, neither paths felt like it outshined the other the paste each section had worked out very well at the end even though it made me HELLA in my feelings like I feel like this pain was intentional lol JK but seriously the ending had me on my head! Another thing Breeana is great at is writing villains readers will hate with all of their beings because the person who is the antagonist in this book is just dreadful like I just ooooo I have so many thoughts on said person because they truly pissed me off. I kinda wish I did spoilers because these are the times I would be going off about everything lol but this gives you the opportunity to hear about a great book you should totally pick up! 

Alrighty now to the ratings I overall give this book a four out five stars I did enjoy this book at some points it was hard to piece things together which isn't a bad thing just had me a little confused which made it a bit challenging. But I do highly recommend this book and I hope and pray there is a second book and if there is I need it NOW!!!!  I am leaving all links down below about where to purchase this book, Breeana Shields, and the other links I talked about earlier! Thank you so much for the love and support and also if you are going to BookCon this year I'll see you there! Have a great day and remember <3 Always Love Your Books<3

I wasn't a fan of this book. The beginning didn't hook me. The cover also isn't the most appealing and I wish they would get a new one. The current one looks like the book should be a middle grade book rather than a young adult.

I have been on a bit of a contemporary kick lately, so it was fun to pick up this book in my first-love genre of fantasy. The world-building is my favorite part of fantasy books, and what a great world Ms. Shields has created in THE BONE CHARMER! I love the idea of the bone charmers and the different magics they wield. I was a bit worried it would be confusing to alternate chapters between the two possible realities for Saskia - the bone charmer and the tutor, as pictured on the book’s cover - but it really wasn’t at all. It was actually fun to switch between the two and watch the stories progress to a single point. I got completely engrossed in this world and happily went along for the ride. I love books that just suck me right in, and this was definitely one of those.

The only thing I didn’t realize is that this is - possibly? - the first book in a series, so as I got closer and closer to the end I was like, aw shucks! Although you could certainly read this book and be done with the story, there are some loose ends that I, for one, would definitely like to see tied up in a second book. I am hoping that there will be more from Saskia and Bram and the world of THE BONE CHARMER!

RATING: 4 stars!

**Disclosure: I received an early copy of this book for purposes of this blog tour. This review is voluntary on my part and reflects my honest rating and review.

Oh noes, the dreaded DNF! I have only DNFed 6 books before this one, so yeah. Here’s the thing: I don’t think this one was necessarily bad, I just think try as I might, I could not get into it. And I wanted to, oh how I wanted to! This was one of my most anticipated books of the year. So I am not ruling out trying again? I got to I think 31% before tagging out which is a pretty good go of it.

My real issue was that I could not care about Saskia in either world. She was just not compelling to me as a main character, and as such I didn’t really care about what happened to her. And the world-building was lacking for me. I wanted to have some background on where we were, how this magic system worked, etc, and I had a lot of trouble with the plot because I didn’t understand why any of what was happening was happening.

It does have quite a few high reviews, so this could be a personal thing, but I gave it several chances and it just didn’t work for me. Sadness.

I found it easy to insert myself into the main characters perspective. She developped from seeking a quiet and safe life to risking it all to uncover the truth. There were some of Saskias decisions that didnt completely make sense to me. For example her going to a shady ship without telling anyone, or how she kept looking for a vein to use the needle when she clearly didnt need one the first time she used it to get a couple drops of blood. I enjoyed Saskias complicated relationship with her mother and how she comes to realize that shes been unfairly hard on her. One example was when she complains her mother doesnt care about her safety and later on says her mothers always been too over protective. Her mothers not the only one she's been hard on, we also get a cute hate to love romance where she's been hard on the love interest without truly knowing him. I was happy to see some female friendships, but it felt like she kept them at arms length so we didnt get to explore the friendships as much as I was hoping.

Both of Saskias two possible futures were very compelling, and I liked that she still felt like herself in both time lines. I loved how in one future her reading sends her on the path she hoped to avoid while the other gave her exactly what she wished for. I was excited to see where each would lead and if they're would be any similarities between them. I had some predictions, but for the most part I wasnt sure in what direction the author would take the story. The contrast between the reassurance of knowing ones future and feeling caged by it was fantastic. I enjoyed seeing Saskia figure out that fate and freedom can coexist. It had a wonderful message about believing that our decisions can shape our future while still trusting that things happen for a reason even if its not what we want right now. The mystery and danger in both futures was very gripping with its shocking betrayals and sinister villain. I did find it odd the villain didnt have protection against magic though.

The switch between the two time lines was well paced and felt cohesive despite the situations being different. The writing had an easy flow to it with a good amount of dialogue. I really enjoyed how the bone magic was completely integrated in every aspect of the world and the way it played an important role in the characters lives. It was such a fascinating and intricate magic system. The bones have all kinds of different uses and people with different abilities to use them. I did find Saskias second sight a little confusing at first, but it does get explained as the story progresses. I thought the tattoos that show up after an emotional experience was an awesome feature to the world. Theres also a whole castle made of bones where people with magic go to learn their craft, and that school setting was a lot of fun. I wish we got a bit more history or lore on how bone magic came about, but overall it was well developped and captivating. I really hope we get more books in this world. I need to know how the story will resolve itself.

FATE IS PREDICTABLE. CHOICE IS NOT.

THE BONE CHARMER by Breeana Shields is a unique and captivating new YA fantasy about a heroine who faces two alternating paths in a world where bone readings determine your future.

Only on the day of Saskia’s kenning―a special bone reading that determines the apprenticeships of all seventeen-year-olds―she has an argument with her mother which leads to a devastating result, a fracture in one of the bones—splitting Saskia’s future. Now, two paths are mapped out for her, but which one is true?

“I’m afraid of what will happen if the bone heals...The thought of two different versions of myself wandering around Midwood is frightening, but imagining a version of myself suddenly winking out of existence terrifies me.”

I read and enjoyed Poison's Kiss by Breeana Shields and knew I wanted to try her newest YA fantasy about a world where magic and bones were tied together and a heroine who is caught somewhere between fate and breaking her destiny.

Told from alternating perspectives, the story weaves a fascinating tale of what happens when you try to alter your path, causing fissures or multiple paths to happen. Which one is correct creates tons of tension as the readers follow Saskia in two very different situations, but come to admire her spirit and determination.

The plot develops slowly as the world of bone magic is built. I overall enjoyed the story, especially the school that Saskia attends and her budding romance on one path and her complicated relationship with her mother that is explored on the other paths.

I kept wondering how the author was going to pull these two lives back together and if the mending of the broken bone that caused the fracture would really change anything, or if it was really up to our young heroine.

Breena Shield’s writing is rich and atmospheric, the worldbuilding is painted with a light hand with the focus on characters. I would recommend THE BONE CHARMER to fans of her writing and readers of YA fantasy who enjoy character-driven stories and split destinies.

3.5 Stars

I knew immediately after reading the description for this book that I had to read it. Bone magic? Split realities? Count me in. I didn't quite know what to expect or hope for with this book, but after I finished reading it, I couldn't help but feel a bit let down. There are so many fantastic qualities about the book - the setting was interesting, the writing style was awesome, and the plot was well done (even if it seemed a bit transparent to me). The pace of the book definitely differs. From the beginning until about 2/3 of the way through, it felt like the story was moving so incredibly slow. I honestly didn't know if I could make it through. Finally, the last section of the book is jammed with action and a fast pace. I'm glad I pushed through to make it to the more interesting parts because that's what turned the book around for me.

I absolutely loved that we have one main character but two perspectives. Saskia's reality (or future) gets broken in two at the beginning of the book and the majority of the rest of the story is told from alternating timelines. We get to see into Saskia as the tutor and Saskia as the bone charmer. I really liked this writing style - it made the book pretty unique. I don't think I've ever read another book where the main characters are variations of one person. The plot was solid with one big twist (for me at least) and the rest was basically what I expected would happen. I was disappointed at how it ended. I mean, it was a good ending that wrapped up the story - but the final parts didn't really have me on the edge of my seat like I thought I would be. The pace, the pretty boring 2/3 of the book, and the predictability definitely didn't give me the reading experience that I'd expected or hoped for in the slightest. This is wholly my own personal opinion and nothing against the book or the author. I know a ton of readers will really love and enjoy this novel, but for me it turned out to be just a bit above "okay." I do recommend it for fans of YA, fantasy, mystery, and romance.

**Review can be found at https://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/ **

Saskia has always feared the magic that speaks to her, so much so that she wants nothing to do with the life her mother believes will be hers. On the day of her keening where her future will known, Saskia unleashes a chain of events that even her mother could not predict. Every choice can lead down a different path, and Saskia's life has split in two different directions. Which was her true path?

This was like a YA supernatural/otherworld version of the movie Sliding Doors, where an event happens that could have gone in a different direction, and the storyline splits into two and the audience gets to see them both unfold at the same time. One choice was the easy, expected choice- but the other was harder, more challenging, but maybe the best choice.

I knew what I wanted for Saskia, but I had no idea what was the path she should really be on. I loved how Breeana showed how fate, or destiny or whatever you want to call it, had such a strong pull on life. Even when you thought you were making different choices, some people belonged together in some form or another and everyone will find their real path.

Let's take a minute to mention that I just love Bram, he was my favorite character (aside from Ami who was adorable and the best of friend). He faced some terrible scorn for things that were out of control and I totally blamed Saskia for that- even though Bram did not seem to hold anything against her, he was just wary. Even from the beginning of the story I did not care what his supposed misdeeds were, I just loved his broody silence. I will say that I was hoping for more romance in the story since it there was a part about match making and mates, but there was so much else going on that romance took a back seat (which completely worked for the plot, just not my heart- talk about slow burn here!).

I thought this was a standalone story, but I am going to say based on the ending and tons of loose ends, that this is the first in a series. I love the world Breeana created, full of dark bone related magic and wishes, political intrigue and death, and just a small sliver of hope and love thrown in for flavor. I can't wait to see what the next book will bring for Saskia the Bone Charmer.

Content Warning: Death, Murder, Overall morbid vibe with the theme of bones

"Tomorrow my future will be decided by my dead gran’s finger bones. It’s how my whole life has been determined--with bones and blood and snapping flames."

The Bone Charmer is a twisty little devious book---and I absolutely loved it! To be completely honest, I’ve never read anything quite like it. The Bone Charmer is creative, exploratory, and crafty. You’ll notice that my review for this book will be shorter than my normal reviews, because I just don’t want to spoil anything for anyone (which, should be everyone) who picks up this book! It’d be very difficult to talk about certain topics without it becoming spoilery, so I just won’t.

Saskia is the protagonist. Living in the town of Midwood, in a world where the bones of ancestors hold sway for everything, life looks very different.

”Masons craft the bone flutes that Watchers use to control animals and the weapons that Breakers use to protect our country. Mixers blend bone potions that Healers use to treat patients. And, of course, Charmers perform readings on us all.”

Saskia comes from a family of Bone Charmers--those who have the ability to read the past, present, and/or future depending on their sight ability. First sight is past, second sight the present, and third sight is the future. In this world, Bone Charmers are the most esteemed--as they are the “guides” for people of the community. When adolescents reach the age of seventeen, they are matched with their future apprenticeships through the Kenning--as well as their future partner.

Not having much experience with the Sight herself, Saskia’s afraid that her abilities will cause her to do harm instead of good. Her mother has the third sight, and can see into the future, which obviously causes issues for Saskia’s future. She and her mother have differing opinions of what she should pursue. After her Kenning, Saskia disagrees with her mother about the path that was chosen for her, and she ends up breaking a bone that was used in the reading of her future--also done by her mother. When the bone breaks, Saskia also has to live out the two different paths--the one her mom chose for her, and the one she chose for herself--until her fate is decided.

While I absolutely loved this concept, I had issues with two aspects. First, I have no idea what the characters looked like. It was really hard to feel attached to characters because they simply weren’t fleshed out. Secondly, there was very little world building, which I was so disappointed about! There are several elements of this world that sounded amazing from the few descriptions given, but that was it! I want so much more!!!.

Despite this, I really enjoyed this book. The ending is set up for a sequel, so I will anxiously be looking forward to that!

Vulgarity: None that I recall.
Sexual content: Minimal.
Violence: Quite a bit--considering there is a murder scene.

My Rating: ★★★★

The Bone Charmer by Breeana Shields 4 Stars **SPOILERS**

Do you have any tattoos? The ones for the people of Kastelia are extremely important. The Bone Charmer by Breeana Shields is one of the most unique reads I have ever read. While some classic YA tropes make a unfortunate appearance (hence the reason for four stars and not five), this book is definitely worth it.

This book takes a unique turn in the beginning with the way that it’s written. When Saskia breaks one of her grandmother’s bones at her kenning, she throws her world and the story into disarray by splitting realities and breaking the focus of one story line and replacing it with two story lines. Both stories about our main character, but competing realities. Which one will be her reality and which path will cease to exists?

While I loved the uniqueness of this book and I hope that there is a sequel because I WILL be buying it, there were some technical flaws that I hope are fixed in the next book.
There was a ton of potential world building and unfortunately that’s where the author fell flat. I wanted to know so much more about this world and the history of it and what the layout of the cities were. I wanted details other than how the characters were feeling. I know what color the characters eyes and hair were but I NEED MORE. I want to be fully immersed in a world that an author has created and I can’t properly do that without details. I need to know, actually know what people look like and what houses, clothes, villages, rooms, type of food they eat. I need so many more details.

Overall, I really loved this book and the way it was written, I would just love more from the author.

So very impressed with this book! It took me a few chapters to really settle into the way that Breeana Shields wanted to tell this story, but once I was there I was hooked. Saskia's life has has always been dictated by bone reading. Each moment painstakingly created so that she'll stay on the path to her happiest life. That is, until it's her turn to find her true calling. I can't remember if I knew that this book was about to split into two stories, or not, but I can tell you that it's a wonderful way to navigate Saskia's journey.

First off, let me be the first to assure you that there is no love triangle in The Bone Charmer. You have no idea how happy that made me, since that's one of my pain points in YA lately. Instead, there are two very seperate romances here. As Saskia's life splits off, one road leading to what she believed she wanted and one road leading to what her mother believed was best for her, these two romances grow in very different ways. I absolutely loved how Shields doesn't shy away from putting Saskia through all manner of trials. As she follows each of these paths, she learns more and more about herself, her mother, and the two boys who she has been matched two. The idea that we don't always know what is best for us, even if we are so sure of it, is heavily featured in this story. It's perfection.

It's honestly tough to say too much more about the plot without giving anything important away, so I'll start focusing on the world building instead. In Saskia's world, as I mentioned above, bone readings are part of life. Matches, both with jobs and with romantic partners, are an essential part of a person's future. It was fascinating watching the way that this played out, in a place like Midwood. Much like our own world, the people with the most money always seemed to have an advantage over those who were poorer. The fact that Saskia's mother, the bone charmer herself, was so upset about that made me smile. This book speaks of "wild magic" and how it used to grow without monetary interference. As I found my way through Saskia's story I saw how that could both help, and hurt, a civilization. There's a lot of deep thoughts in this book, hidden in a way that almost makes them invisible. I loved every minute of it.

Was this book perfect? Perhaps not. There were a lot of things I wished for more of. I wanted more time with Saskia's potential matches. I would have loved more background on Saskia's family, and especially on her amazing mother. While the magic system was fairly well fleshed out, I also wished there would have been more time spent with Saskia as she learned to grow her abilities. I do believe that this is the first book in a series though, so I have hope! There's still time for all of this to become a reality.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my read through of this book! I'd recommend it to those out there who love "sliding doors" stories, and are looking for something without a love triangle. You might just enjoy it as much as I did.

The Bone Charmer was an intriguing and thought-provoking story about how our life doesn’t always turn out the way that we want it to. Saskia comes from a long line of Bone Charmers and she doesn’t plan to follow in her mother’s footsteps. When the day comes for the bones to decide her path in life, Saskia becomes upset and breaks the special bone in half causing her to have two paths in life. She will live each of these lives simultaneously until her mother can heal the broken bone but she must do it quickly for Saskia’s life is in jeopardy in both of them.

This book had me from the very first page and I couldn’t get enough of Saskia’s story. The Bone Charmer was a fresh, well-written and brilliant tale that had this reader guessing how Saskia’s story would actually end. Would she stay a Bone Charmer or a Tutor like she had originally wanted? This book is going to stay with me for some time.