The Bone Charmer tells the tale of Saskia, a girl who lives in a world where bones are the source of magic. There are various types of bone magic, but the most important type is Bone Charming, in which the past, present, or future can be seen. Saskia comes from a line of Bone Charmers, but doesn't want to carry on with it. During the Kenning, which is a coming-of-age ceremony in which one's career and romantic match are chosen, one of the bones used in the reading breaks, which causes Saskia's future to split into two very different paths, both of which contain dangers.

The Bone Charmer is truly unlike any other fantasy novel I've ever read. It's told from Saskia's point of view throughout the entire thing, but when Saskia's future splits, so does the narrative. From there on, we read the lives of two Saskia's on two different paths. Both narratives were so compelling, and at each chapter break, I wanted to skip forward and continue reading that storyline. I did find one narrative to be a bit more interesting than the other, but I don't want to give anything away. It's a book you really need to experience for yourself. There were definitely things I didn't expect to happen at all, with twists around every corner. 

I really enjoyed that we got to see a strong, yet strained mother-daughter relationship in this book, since most fantasy novels typically have a protagonist out on their own. I also enjoyed that romance wasn't a big element in this book. (I was worried their would be a weird, parallel world romance!) I liked that all of the characters had their own secrets and motivations. You never know who you can trust. :)

I'm deducting one star as I felt like one of the storylines lagged a bit and was less interesting than the other at some points. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed reading the bone charmer and can't wait for the sequel to come out, because I need to know what happens next!

*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an e-arc of this book. All opinions are my own.*

Rating: 5/5 Penguins
Quick Reasons: AHHHHHH MY HEART HURTS SO BADLY; this was a wildly fantastic journey; what was up with that ending, though?!; I need more of this--I need more of this right now; complex, well-rounded characters; surprising from beginning to end

HUGE thanks to Breeana Shields, Page Street Kids Publishing, the Fantastic Flying Book Club, and Netgalley for sending complimentary galleys my way! This in no instance altered my read of or opinion on this title.



---It's always been a prickly thing between us, her insight and my ignorance. And the other way around, too. The bones can't show her my heart.---



With that said... I need you all to stop what you're doing. I need you to stop what you're doing RIGHT NOW and go order this book, because oh, my PENGUINS, is this book fantastic. I especially want to take a moment to call out the dual perspectives that occur....from two very different "realities" / alternate timelines. Breeana Shields put a lot of thought and insight into crafting the realities within in very different, equally surprising ways. Every step through these pages was honed with purple prose and so, so many different heartstrings. I will be drooling over this book for a long while to come -- it's been SO long since I last gave a book 5 Penguins, after all.

There was a moment in this book where I thought I knew where we were headed. I thought I KNEW where Breeana Shields was leading me. I was wrong...and I was absolutely DEVASTATED when I realized it, even as elated as I was when I continued reading and watched the rest of the story unfold. I'll admit, though, that I was a bit disappointed with the ending. It felt TOO abrupt; there was a sense of finality there that I don't think has a place at that point of the story, given there are still some loose ends I need to have tied up. I can't imagine not seeing how the rest of everything plays out...but I suppose, if I have to, that's what I'll learn to do.



---I instruct my eyes to open, but they won't obey. It's too much effort. And so I give up and let the darkness swallow me, let it sweep me away to a place where pain doesn't exist and hearts can't be broken.---



This was a fantastically atmospheric, beautifully crafted read, and I cannot wait to see what Breeana Shields does next with her writing genius. If you've been waiting for a sign to put this book on your "need to order" list, let this review be it--you'll not regret it! I recommend this read for lovers of alternate timelines, strong-willed characters, and surprising plot points. Let the bones charm you, Penguins, and remember: every choice you make casts more than just one change.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for approving me to read this title. I absolutely fell in love with this book, the characters, and this world.
I love the two different paths the main character takes and being able to read about them both! I thought it was so unique and held my attention the whole time!

I read Poison’s Kiss by this author so definitely had to read this one! The author writes wonderfully in a way that can capture and keep hold of my attention! I really liked the split timeline here between same girl but two different paths. I definitely preferred the bone charmer path. Also, Bram!!!!

The Bone Charmer tells the tale of Saskia and her journeys after her kenning. Her Bone Charmer mother has the power to see multiple future paths for Saskia, but Saskia believes her mother only picks the path she will despise the most: the path of a Bone Charmer and with the guy she does not love. But all actions have consequences and Saskia’s future gets split into two paths after her bone fractures. And in each path, she faces unforeseen dangers that will not only harm her, but the people she holds close. Saskia must decide which path is meant to be her future before its too late.

Saskia is a fun and wholly original character that doesn’t want her future to be defined by a kenning. She knows what she wants to do and, yet, it’s tradition to have a kenning. I would have liked to have seen a bit more character development on Saskia, but I have a feeling the sequel will unveil even more of Saskia’s character and her future.

Breeana Shields knows how to weave a world. The world in The Bone Charmer is fascinating and beautifully depicted. Both of Saskia’s paths are well-written and uniquely created. At first, it was a bit confusing trying to determine which path I was reading but once I figured that out, the story started to pick up and really developed into a fun adventurous story. And I enjoyed the aspect of Saskia’s future being broken into two paths. It made me think of what would happen if my future broke into two paths: what path would I want to be my future?

I also really enjoyed the idea of bone magic and blood. I found the idea to be fascinating and seeing Saskia explore bone magic in one of her paths was really interesting. A Bone Charmer has the capability to use magic to either see the past, present, or future, but they cannot see all three. Saskia can see the present but not the past or future, which is a really neat concept. All three are wonderfully explored in The Bone Charmer, and I thought it was unique to see just how different bone magic is used for each reading.

Anyone who knows me (and my love for the fantasy genre) knows how much I enjoy a good plot twist. And, boy, does The Bone Charmer have plot twists. The Bone Charmer kept me on the edge of my seat with anticipation. I wanted to know the potential outcome of each of Saskia’s paths and what that did for her character development.

Overall, The Bone Charmer is captivating and weaves together magic and the possibilities of one’s future. I look forward to seeing how Saskia’s story continues in the sequel!

The Bone Charmer comes out May 21, 2019.

After reading the synopsis of the book I new I had to get it. I mean magic in bones, yes please! With that being said I was a little disappointed in the read. I really enjoyed Saskia as a heroine and I like that there were several different types of bone magic and how we followed (SPOILER) Saskia's two different time lines. But I found some things just left me confused. For one we really don't get many interactions with Saski'a's suppose love interests Bram who is seen in one of her futures and one of her timelines we follow and Declan her childhood friend and the other love interest in the second timeline. I also believe that the worldbuilding could do with some work when creating a fantasy you need to establish a great worldbuilding as readers we trying to see a whole new world where we have never seen before. And there really was no explanation to the Kenning why everyone must take and what's the purpose. As well as the magic system, there a few bone charming differences. But non of them are really explained and they also have multiple names for them that I was getting quite confused on whos bone magic was what. I will leave on a high note I did like the underlying theme that is it fate that decides for us or is it choices. that affect our future.

Overall I found The Bone Charmer to be an intriguing read with a few worldbuilding and plot hiccups. .

I admit that I read the summary when I picked this book on NetGalley, but by the time I got around to reading it, I had forgotten what it was all about. So when I got to the chapter where the timelines split, I was like What!!!! I admit that it through me off, but within a couple of pages I realized what was going on and I thought that it was brilliant. The author does a fabulous job of telling the two stories and keeping them separate yet intertwined at the same time.

Saskia is a third generation bone reader, but she has her doubts about letting her life be guided by them. Her journey through understanding fate versus choices, love of her family and grief is one we can all relate to. Both of her story lines go in very different directions, one that was what her mother wanted and the other what she wanted. She takes charge of her life in both of the stories eventually, although it is a bit of a struggle for her. She is bright and powerful, but she lacks confidence in herself and her abilities.

There are two romances, each timeline as a different beau, so it is not really a love triangle. In both cases she was bone matched to each of the boys. In one, she was happy about the match, the other not so much. We get to know both Bram and Declan, but not as well as I would have liked. I loved how one of the romances played out, even though I wasn’t sure about it at the beginning.

It is really hard to explain the plot with out giving things away, but lets just say that there is a bit of a slow start, but the last half of the book is amazing as things start to fall apart for Saskia. The world building was good, but could have been a bit better. The bone magic was fascinating, and there were other types as well as the Bone Charmer. What I found most fascinating about the book was the exploration of fate and choices. When her mother talked to Saskia about her readings and as Saskia did her own readings, there were many paths that the bones showed them. It was their responsibility to decided the best path. That is a lot for anyone to take on. It is emphasized that most people just used these readings as a starting point, but still made choices that could change their paths. There was an interesting side character though in the Tutor story line, that never made any decisions without a bone reading. Her dependency on the bones was almost addictive to her. She was held up as the example of how bone readings could be harmful.

Another interesting thing about this world was the idea that when ever some sort of trauma or very emotional event happened to a person, a tattoo would appear somewhere on their body that represented the emotion that they felt. When they fell in love a tattoo encircled their wrists, a traumatizing event would also cause a tattoo. Their tattoos helped tell their life stories, which was very interesting to me.

A really great start to a new series. I can’t wait to see where it all goes, I can’t even begin to predict it all. Saskia is a great character and I find her world a fascinating place to spend time in.

The Bone Charmer is the kind of book that knocks the breath out of you. And then revives you, just a little bit, enough that you see the light at the end of the tunnel and hope that it's not, you know, THE light. But enough with my ridiculous metaphors.

Saskia is a seventeen year old girl who has lost almost everyone dear to her in the last year. When her bone kenning doesn't go as she hopes, her life splits into two different realities. Both were equally captivating and as they wove closer and closer together I got more and more worried - but I still didn't see THAT ending coming.

This story punches hard in the feels. HARD. That is undoubtedly it's strong point. The worldbuilding is a little vague, as the world is clearly a fantasy that is loosely based in some type of medieval European setting. The different magics - all involving bones - aren't spelled out in detail, but enough to keep them separate and for their basic uses to be clear. 

I loved Saskia, though she seemed a little spoiled at first. She grows so much through the story, it was quite painful at times. She is brave, but a little reckless. Her mother too, I felt a lot for. I think she could have been more open with Saskia and it might have spared them a lot of the struggles they went through, but she was doing as any parent with a heart would, and trying to spare her daughter further pain. 

The idea of two realities worked a lot better than I was expecting! I got confused at the very end, but I think that is because the characters were equally confused. Phew. That ending. Please, PLEASE tell me there will be a sequel! I need to know!

There isn't really a lot of romance in this book! There is some, but it's really in the beginning stages and was just super sweet. I did really like that Saskia had a history with her interest, instead of it being an insta-love thing. In the end though, this is NOT your typical "love saves the day" or even a HEA. I did really like a certain guy, ahem. Again, PLEASE let there be a sequel!

4/5 stars overall. Lovely story that completely held my attention!

Review will be posted at the link below as part of the blog tour, on 20 May.

The Bone Charmer by Breeana Shields is a phenomenal exploration of a young woman’s desire to take fate into her own hands, and how it can go so devastatingly wrong. I was hooked from the start, with these brooding characters full of secrets and lies. Our heroine is left to tease out the way to her salvation with nothing but her wits, and the bone magic in her veins. This was exactly the kind of book to get me out of my reading slump. What makes this even better is that the world in this story has been split into two realities, and despite what you may be hoping for...you can be sure fate is the most unpredictable thing of all.

In Saskia’s world bones are the source of all power and she and the women of her family come from a long line of Bone Charmers; seers that can reveal the past, present, or future paths for the people of Midwood. On the day of Saskia’s kenning (the bone ritual that will reveal her apprenticeship), her worst fears are realised. Not only will she become a Bone Charmer like her mother, but she’s also been matched with Bram, a young man with tattoos on his hands and a seemingly violent past. Unhappy with the turn of events and knowing her mother deliberately chose the path Saskia didn’t want, she argues with her mother, resulting in the breaking of the bone used in her kenning. A bad omen to be sure, and one with catastrophic consequences. For now instead of one future, Saskia’s future has become split in two, and she must now live two lives simultaneously. Unfortunately for her, there are dangers awaiting her. She needs to figure out how to fix it before it’s too late and there’s no future for her at all.

With that summary out of the way, let’s talk about this book! I was definitely sceptical of how this story would play out with two separate paths happening simultaneously, but it honestly flows so well. You know as much as both Saskia’s know, and as the story goes on the pieces come together the way a puzzle would. The world building is simple and adequate, nothing too elaborate going on. The magic system is something that I would have loved a little more elaboration on because while I got the general gist of all the types of bone magic that exist in the world, I wanted to delve a little more. This is definitely an aspect I would love to see explored more in the following book. That being said, I quite loved the air of mystery that permeated throughout the book, even through the end.

Character-wise, I would definitely say that I felt that Saskia had the most to grow and learn in the story. She’s very naive and brash, and driven by her emotions. As you can guess, this definitely gets her into more trouble than actually helping her solve her problems. Her love interests Bram and Declan I wanted to get to know a little better than we did. There is a lot of potential for growth for both of these characters, and I think we’re building to that, but that makes the romance in this story a definite slow burn. In both worlds, you get to see the same characters, but maybe in a different light than before. And the villain! I loved that there was some vulnerability there (however brief it may have been), giving us some hint as to what was motivating his actions. I also didn’t see the villain coming, so needless to say I felt quite betrayed by my own reader’s intuition.

There’s such a melancholy that Saskia has about seemingly having this predetermined life when there are so many paths that could have been chosen. That was something I loved to see explored. The relationship between mother and daughter is very thoughtfully looked at and examined. However, themes of free will or a predestined fate as well as family are what really made this such an interesting read for me. I loved the implications that magic has on these themes. Especially how bone magic affects the narrative of free-will vs. predestined fate. The realizations that she makes throughout the story help the reader come to the understanding that the future is malleable, despite our best efforts and knowledge, we’re only in control of how we choose to react to those situations.

Honestly, there wasn’t much I didn’t love about the book. Maybe a little more world building and a better explanation of the magic system, but other than that I fell in love with this book and it’s characters...especially Saskia and Bram. I need to know what happens next! I’m rating this book a 9/10! Not only did it get me out of my reading slump, but gave me lots of things to think about. Pick it up if you get the chance and let me know your thoughts! I’d love to know what you think!

DNF @25%
This was a bummer that I didn't like this or could get into it. The world building is limited to the point where I can't envision character looks, clothing, any archeitucutre or what the world even looks like. We only get the colors of cloaks, hair color or the skin color of another character. Not being able to picture anything of the world isn't a good sign for me. Also the main character felt like an outsider of this world. She doesn't act like she's from that world and we don't really get the initial reason for why she acts this way. The world is set in a way that it sounds like that's how it's always been. While people in society do question why things are, she doesn't act like she's grown up in that environment. The two timelines were initially very confusing that I had to re-read an earlier chapter to know what was going on. I do like the idea of bone magic, but everything else felt so underdeveloped that I couldn't continue reading. A major bummer for me :(

Saskia's journey revolves around her mother's reading of her future. And through a turn of events, her future path has been split into two - a future she desire for herself and the one her mother chose from her. But what starts off as a book about these two different decisions and paths, turns into a story that becomes almost thriller-like. But what captivated me was how all the characters, Saskia included, relate to both her fate and her agency to influence their future.

The Bone Charmer asks us how our knowledge of the future will effect both our sense of self and our decisions. In Saskia's society, you can pursue this knowledge to the ends of the earth, and your wallet, if you want all without bringing you closer to the truth of your future. It's a careful dance between how this knowledge effects your very actions in this moment. And about whether we have the ability to effect our future, or if it's written in stone.

I swear, I flew through the last 1/3 of this book like the world was on fire. So good! Breeana Shields balances the two timelines (Saskia as a Bone Charmer and a tutor) so cleverly, keeping both equally exciting. I expected the tutor-timeline to fizzle out, but both paths were well matched with their dangers and intrigues. The dual threads also made the reveal of information particularly interesting; Saskia's uncovering of secrets was well braided together.

The magic system was also wonderfully wrought, complex without feeling convoluted. It presented questions on fate vs choice, and how certain outcomes are inevitable, no matter how far you run. The functions of the bones were *so cool,* and I loved how anatomy placed such a huge role! Seriously, the whole system was my favourite part of the novel. The world-building occasionally felt thin, but the racing plot made up for it! Likewise, the romantic storyline was a touch stale, but by the finale, I was satisfied.

THE BONE CHARMER is a solid start to a new series, with plenty of twists and palpable tension. If the blurb intrigues you, it won't disappoint! 4/5

The Bone Charmer is one of those rare books that have left me feeling more than a little conflicted. On the one hand, it’s a well-written and fun book that I enjoyed very much and devoured in a just a few days…but on the other hand it’s an acutely flawed book that left me feeling frustrated and semi-underwhelmed, which is a fairly annoying place to be in when finishing a book.

Let’s start with the aspects of the book that didn’t work. First, the utter lack of world building is infuriating. I know next to nothing about this universe, how it functions, and the people that reside in it. Is this the only country in this universe? If not, how does this country work in relation to others? Do other countries have magic? Why do only some people have magic? I have no answers to any of these questions. I’m not even sure what the people in this world look like, what they are wearing (other than cloaks, they are always wearing cloaks), the style of architecture, etc. Are the roads paved? Do they ride horses or just walk? They have boats, but do they have any other modes of transportation? What is the extent of their technology? I kept waiting for something to be described for more than a brief sentence (if at all), and I kept coming up with nothing. I get irritated with books that spend too much time on set dressing, but at least they give you something to go on.

The character building is another rather weak point in the story. We learn the most about Saskia—our MC—but even what we know about her is fairly limited. The other characters either have murky and unclear motivations/backgrounds, or they have none at all and they feel totally extraneous. So much of the story revolves around Saskia and her mother, but by the end of the story her mother felt more like an afterthought than an incredibly important character. The Big Bad was also not fleshed out at all, and his motivations felt so shallow as to be nonexistent. I’m assuming some of this will be built on in the next book, but their needs to be at least some foundation for them in book one. One character in particular (who I won’t name due to spoilers) was incredibly important to the story, and yet had absolutely no character building or motivation at all. It wasn’t so horrible as to make the book unreadable, but it does make the story feel shallow and unfulfilling.

Having said all of that, I still really enjoyed the story, which is a testament to how lovely the writing is and the strength of the concept. The magical system is intricate, unique, fun, and more than a little creepy (which I’m all about), and I’m hoping it is explored more in book two. I was also impressed that I found myself rooting equally for both of Saskia’s timelines, and I was genuinely concerned for the people in each of them. It’s so disappointing, then, that the other aspects of the book were so lacking because if it is this engaging then think of what it could have been like with world building and character arcs.

Overall, I did enjoy this book, and I might even read book two, but if the lack of world building and character arcs aren’t addressed I don’t think the concept can carry a second book.

A thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for my early copy of this title!!

Synopsis-
On the day of Saskia’s kenning—a special bone reading that determines the apprenticeships of all seventeen-year-olds—her worst fear comes true. She receives an assignment to train as a Bone Charmer, a seer, like her mother.

Saskia knows her mother saw multiple paths for her, yet chose the one she knew Saskia wouldn’t want. Their argument leads to a fracture in one of the bones, with the devastating result of splitting Saskia’s future.

Now she will live her two potential paths simultaneously: one where she’s forced to confront her magic, and one where she tries to run from it. But when both paths become entangled in the plot of a rogue Charmer, Saskia learns that no future is safe, and some choices have unimaginable consequences. Only one future can survive. And Saskia’s life is in danger in both.

Thoughts:
A very different approach and the split timeline was incredible as a reader giving various perspectives, and a broader look at character development, and world building!! Saskia is a great female main character with traits that every reader can relate to, as well as enjoy throughout the entire reading experience. In a lot of ways it is like watching her grow, watching the other characters grow as well through her magic ad split timelines. The magic was incredibly different, and I love the combo of Magic used to create it!! Original, delightful, and darkly entertaining!! Murder, romance, betrayal, and much more bring this story to a five on my list this year!!

I had pretty high hopes for this one, but I'm quite disappointed: the writing was good, but the world and characters were weak.

This book reminded me strongly of Tessa Gratton's Strange Grace - the heroine, Saskia, is the daughter of the town's leading Bone Charmer, a witch who uses bones to see the future. But when a bone-reading to see her future goes wrong, Saskia becomes trapped in two realities. In one reality, she's been paired with Bram, a boy she's spent her life being terrified of; in another, she's with Declan, a boy she used to love but is now acting suspiciously.

In both realities, she's in danger.

Okay, so first of all: the worldbuilding was weak and confusing .

There are a whole bunch of bone magics available - in addition to bone charming, there's bone breaking, bone singing, etc. I struggled to keep these different areas clear in my head. It doesn't help that each individual bone magic seems to have a bunch of other names too, e.g. bone singers are also called Watchers. Even Saskia's own area of expertise, bone charming, wasn't always explained very well; I have absolutely no idea of how the other areas work.

The physical worldbuilding was also poor. Nothing about this fantasy country is described. What's their system of government? Who rules them? Are there other countries in this universe? If not, why not? The character names were all clearly Anglicised, but there was zero description of anything not in front of Saskia's own nose.

That includes characters. I know Declan and Bram are blond and dark-haired, respectively, and I think Saskia is blonde too. But I have no real idea of what any of the characters look like.

The romance was astoundingly weak. In fact, I'm not sure I'd even say there's a romance. We honestly learn nothing about Declan, let alone his motivations, and she barely interacts with Bram.

Overall

There must be a sequel planned, because the ending was extremely open and non-conclusive, but I'm not sure I have enough interest to read it.

Well-paced, solidly written, and interestingly formatted, the magic systerm seemed both out of the box and subtly done, though there could have been some better world-building in general. Things did get a bit confusing toward the end, but I wonder if the ebook format made it more difficult to follow and transition between the two timelines; those were overall kept neatly in line and integrated information well between the two. I did wish for better development of the side characters and Saskia's relationships with them (especially Bram - I felt that the final twist of her forgetting him lacked punch because their relationship wasn't particularly robust - but delving a bit more into her past with Declan seems in order too, considering how little they actually have in common) but the book in general seems like a bit of a prologue. I generally prefer my books to be able to stand on their own a little bit more rather than only working as part of a series, but the core relationship between Saskia and her mother along the writing quality would bring me back to read a sequel.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.