RJ Barker’s world in The Bone Ships is a rich, vibrant tapestry. The reader is immersed from the start, drowned in the sheer audacity of the writing. Each sentence had a lot of love poured into it, and it comes across clear as a clarion. The prose is dense with strong slice-of-life elements and creates a sense of “otherness” without crossing over into inaccessible. The use of vernacular is masterful, neither too extreme nor too campy, contributing to the je ne sais quoi that pervades the novel as a whole. The world is strange, disturbing, and filled with dangers the characters must navigate at every step… yet which is entirely normal to them in context.

The book opens with Joron Twiner, son of a poor fisher, drunk on a beach. Joron is Shipwife (captain) to Tide Child – a black, dead ship manned with a crew of men and women condemned to die for their crimes. They live according to the Bernlaw, a set of rules for those at sea, as enforced by the Shipwife. Joron, however, is not fated to remain Shipwife for long when Lucky Meas, daughter of Thirteenbern Gilbryn, ruler of the Hundred Isles, appears before him in his drunken stupor and challenges him to a duel for the two-tailed hat he wears as symbol of his station.

Lucky Meas, in a thoroughly unshocking twist, wins their duel… but breaks tradition by sparing Joron’s life and keeping him on Tide Child as her Deckkeeper (second in command). He’s a proud ship, Tide Child, made of Arakeesian bones – one of the last of the titular bone ships – but he’s been neglected through Joron’s inexperience and incompetence. Meas quickly and immediately assumes command, cleaning and organizing Tide Child as Joron never could. Meas was made for the sea and takes to command with a firm and steady hand. She balances the various factions aboard with competence and grace, viewing each as pieces on a gameboard ready to be put into play – Joron included.

“Clean this deck,” she said, “coil the ropes, stack the shot and tie down the gallowbows. Get Tide Child ready to fly and fight, for that is what we will be doing, make no mistake about it. And I know you are a rough lot, so when the time comes” – her eyes roved around, settled on Kanvey, settled on Cwel, settled on Barlay – “that you feel the need to test me. Then do it like deckchilder, do it to my face.” She rested her hand on the hilt of her sword. “Because the Bern sought to give me to the ships as a light when I was a babe, even after the sea returned me. And in the ceremony the Mother came upon them, and she said I would not die then as sacrifice and I would not die in treachery, you hear? She said I’d die fighting. So unless you question the will of the Maiden or the Mother or the Hag, you’ll pull your blade to my face, ey?” Again her roving eye, her fierce, bird-of-prey features waiting for a reply that never came. Only silence faced her. “Well, to it then! Move!” And they did, and inside Joron something twisted, and he learned – in a moment of shock and revelation – how much he desired what she had, that easy command, the way she barely seemed to feel the weight of the two-tailed hat on her head. “Twiner” – she spat on the deck – “come with me to the great cabin.”

Meas does not leave Joron to flounder and fail in his new role. Although she is a harsh taskmaster and will brook no incompetence, she is excellent at spotting potential. While Joron doesn’t have the skills of a leader yet, she knows how to foster the seed she sees in him. By placing Joron into situations where he must make a choice, by dropping small tidbits of advice, and by orchestrating favorable outcomes, she allows him to grow into the role of Deckkeeper and earn his place aboard the ship.

In the beginning, Meas is focusing on developing the small crew she took from Joron as well as on getting them safely to land where she can augment their numbers. I’ve seen a few people mention this slow pace bothered them, and while that is understandable… I was so drawn in by the gorgeous prose and the fresh feel of the world that I would have happily devoured the full novel even if nothing of particular importance occurred in the whole thing. Even after the plot picks up in the second half, the writing continues to be wonderful. It is a style of writing which lends very well to slice of life, as showcased in the first half of the book. The Bone Ships is carried on the characters, the atmosphere, and the world the reader is thrust into with little explanation or hand-holding. It’s brilliant.

While there is enough familiarity in the world for a reader to latch onto and avoid feeling completely adrift, it’s still a joy to discover more and more of the culture through small hints and off-hand comments throughout the books. It is a fundamentally different world with just enough parallels to echo our own conception of sea and society. Some passages are musing, commenting on aspects of the world from someone who lives in it. Some passages mention a new title, creature, or idea which hasn’t been touched on previously. I often felt as though I was watching the dust and grime of a long-interred fossil being slowly brushed away, word by word, revealing the shape beneath.

We learn about the horrors of the sea – a writhing, fearsome thing in The Bone Ships. It is filled to the seething brim with faceless serpents, longthresh ready to devour you, stinging jellies, bone borers. Our own ocean is more of a threat than it is a death sentence. The sea of The Bone Ships is the more than a threat – it is a promise. To go into the water is to go to a terrible, painful death. That is the Sea Hag’s promise, and the only mercy she might show is that your death be quick.

"The sea was full of ugly creatures but beakwyrms were famously among the worst. They looked like the intestine of a kivelly when it was cut from the bird to make sausage: pink, glistening and shot through with blood. The creatures surfed the waves of foam that the boneships kicked up. Each was as thick as a big woman or man and about ten or fifteen paces long, not as big as he had seen but big enough. The wyrms ended bluntly, like fingers, and they had no eyes or nose or any way Joron could see for them to sense the world around them, but Hag knew they had teeth. When attacking, the whole end of a beakwyrm would draw back and reveal it was little more than mouth, row upon row of serrated teeth right back into the darkness of its throat, teeth that could chew through flesh and bone and so noisy to work few. Iridescent frills spiralled around the wyrms’ sickly pallid-pink flesh, propelling them forward in a twisting, shimmering dance through water and wave before the ship. They spun around one another as if they were lovers dancing."

Even the friendlier beasts are strange and awful; the people of the Hundred Isles enslave the Gullaime, a race of bird-like creatures capable of controlling the wind. I am deeply curious about the origins of the Gullaime, which are hinted at but not revealed. Their magic exacts a high price and functions on somewhat mysterious principles, but I question whether even the Gullaime themselves truly understand what they are capable of or if they still have true knowledge of their history.

“The closer Tide Child came to the creature, the more of it he could make out: the filth of its once-white robes, the bright colours of the leaf mask that covered the pits where its eyes had once been, the sharp and predatory curve of its beak. Underneath the robes was an inhuman body, three-toed feet with sharp claws, puckered pink skin tented against brittle bones and punctuated by the white quills of broken feathers. He did not know why the gullaime lost their feathers, only that they did, and he guessed it was due to the filth they chose to live in. The source of all lice and biting creatures on any ship was the windtalker, as any deckchild knew.”

In addition to these more beastly touches, it’s always interesting to see matriarchies represented in SFF – especially ones which are flawed and gritty (a la Kameron Hurley’s Del Dame Apocrypha). The Bone Ships does not disappoint in this regard. Birth defects are common and passed down genetically, so when a child is born perfectly it’s a cause for celebration. Babes who are marked, missing limbs, or with other problems are called the Berncast, and occupy the lowest echelon of society. Women who are able to give birth successfully to children who are without flaw may be raised from the Berncast and to the Bern, their rank dictated by the number of successful, perfect births they’ve had. Thirteenbern Gilbryn has brought forth 13 children, more than any other woman, and by virtue of it rules all the Hundred Isles. She has men around her, the Kept, who were born perfect and give her a greater chance of bearing more perfect children. This is also reflected in the gods they revere. The Maiden, the Hag, and the Mother. This is a society ruled by fertility.

“Beneath this web, bathed in light, sat Thirteenbern Gilbryn, proud of what she was. Her hair was grey now, and she wore no colour in it – a break with tradition, but she was a woman who did not feel the need to advertise her authority. She wore a skirt, and her flat breasts hung down to her navel, almost covering the stretch marks across her belly, which had been painted in bright colours, the scars of her battles there for all to see: the marks of her power. There was no denying the strength in the Thirteenbern’s body, and that was why she showed it. She flaunted her fertility. This woman was the bringer of thirteen perfect children to the isles and claimed title as mother of all. Her skirts were of iron, laced together with birdgut and enamelled with stylised fish which danced across her lap. Like Meas she wore long boots. Unlike Meas, who stood upon a ship of shame, she sat upon on the throne of tears, a seat of polished and bonded varisk carved into the semblance of firstborn children, each child weeping as they held up the weight of the Thirteenbern and through her carried the weight of the entire Hundred Isles.”

This book was deeply impressive on all fronts. I can’t wait for the sequels, and I am incredibly excited to dive into RJ’s earlier books – how is it possible that I’ve been missing out on so much great writing for so long? Fortunately, that will no longer be the case! The Tide Child Trilogy is looking to be one of my favorite recent series, and it is one I fully intend to shout about long and hard. Highly, highly recommended.

The Bone Ships are ships made from actual dragons from days long gone. The Tide Child is a ship.. but, crazily also a main character!! Truly fascinating what RJ Barker has accomplished with this amazing tale! An amazing set of characters that will leave the readers reeling with anticipation of how they will react in various scenarios from sea battles to pirates. The story falls into a genre of its own.. as the author has created a world that exists only in his mind and the minds of his readers! Not an easy feat in today's world. Could easily become the next generations Lord of the Rings! Five stars ALL THE WAY!!!

I was press-ganged by this book for three days… taken into the hull of a ship with bilge water, murderers, and thieves. The Bone Ships is an awesome escape that feels at times a cross between Mad Max and Master and Commander.

Built of the bones of great sea dragons and armed with gallowbows to defend the Hundred Isles, these boats are deadly weapons against raiders of the Gaunt Isles and other enemies… but the Tide Child is not one of the best. It is a blackboat, crewed by the dregs. Populated by a foul-mouthed bird, a man-sized avian supernatural windmaker, and surrounded by any number of sea creatures to snatch them off decks… sabotage and misdeeds abound.

The leaders of this expedition: Lucky Meas and Joron Tiller. Both cursed and demoted to the scourge of the fleet, the Tide Child. Captain Joron is quickly usurped by Lucky in the first couple pages of the book, yet she installs him as her second.

A plan to take out a newly discovered dragon, an arakeesian… to take the corpse, the bones for the Hundred Isles, and quite possibly turn the sway of the war.

Barker combines the known criminality crew with their unknown and mysterious backgrounds… a treacherous channel between the motivations of the vaulted rulers and the peons in the hull. I loved the training scenes to get the sailors into shape: to get it ready for voyage and prepare to shoot the grand bows.

I love the building of the exposition: the crew, the mythos of the setting, the sea and all that rides above and swims below. Take this adventure. You won’t regret it!

5 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to Orbit Books and the author for an advanced copy for review.

Thank you Orbit and NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. It was truly a pleasure to read this book. It had everything an epic fantasy novel should have: fantastic world building, intriguing characters without them being an eclectic mix (i. e. a band of misfits), an epic quest, politics, backstabbing, new vocabulary (without needing a dictionary) and weirdness. This world (the One Hundred Islands and the Gaunt Islands) is utterly different than ours. It is mostly open ocean filled with creatures that want to kill everything.

The book is exclusively told from the perspective of Joron the Shipwife (captain) of Tide Child, a black ship (those of the One Hundred Islands condemned to death but must serve on a fleet ship and under fleet orders). Joron comes under immediate pressure from Lucky Meas who speaks the phrase "Give me your hat". A phrase that they say started a legend.

I won't go into much more of the plot but the story follows Joron and Meas as they embark on a mission that could end the war between the One Hundred Islands and the Gaunt Islands. A war to control the dwindling supply of Arakeesian bone (from beasts that have disappeared) that they use to build the Bone Ships. There is an expansive group of characters that come in and out of the story that come in and out of the story.

The book is a literary seafaring epic with great pacing and intense action. The story arc wraps up nicely for being the first book in a new series. I cannot wait for more.

OK. Now that I have your attention. I’m just going to jump right in because no matter how many times I tried to cut down my review of The Bone Ships, book 1 of The Tide Child Trilogy? I couldn’t get it shorter than it is now.

The bone ships are exactly what they are called, ships made of ancient dragon bones, and manned by crews of the damned, criminals sentenced to fight a war with no end, by lands with little natural resources due to toxic land and a dwindling population.

Fertile women rule the caste system and have full courts of fertile men at their disposal while all the rest are sent out to fight this endless war. They have no choice, are given no other purpose. If they can produce children, they must stay in service of the women to fertilize women at the will of the women that rule. If not, they are sent to fight the wars. Criminals on bone ships painted black, infertile men on bone ships of white.
The Tide Child’s fleet only means of redemption being a great heroic act that has pretty much never come to pass. But when it becomes rumored that the ancient dragons long since thought extinct may be near, the fleet of The Tide Child sees a shot at redemption by capturing one of these lured beasts.

Barker immediately hooked me by literally breathing life into the Tide Child. It could have been just a ship, a vessel in which the fleet was sailing. However, it was both built as a character and a world. Whether it was the significance of the bones, which grew even more in weight with the realization that the dragons are not extinct, after all or the center piece of action-packed duels on the seas, the Tide Child was handled brilliantly on both fronts.

Barker is deftly able to create a world around The Tide Child that lends itself to combat with others seeking the capture of these magnificent ancient dragons, fighting the wills of mother nature, and magnificent sea creatures. One such creature, Gullaime, is a windtalker that assists ships by controlling the winds. Despite the crucial part it can play in the journey of a ship, its unnatural demeanor restricts many from calling upon it unless the fleet is in dire straits.

The fleet manning the Tide Child equally jump off the page. Uniquely written from a third person point of view, Joron, a man whose hopelessness and despair have sent him straight to the drink. Joron’s character arc is one of the most compelling in The Bone Ships.

Having quite enough of Joron’s letting The Tide Child rot, stuck in a bay, dilapidated by rot, covered in human foul, he is challenged by Lucky Meas and she easily beats him to take over as Captain, “Shipwife,” of The Tide Child- and not a moment too soon.

Lucky Meas is swashbuckling sonofabitch with all the force and might one would need to get the Tide Child to resemble a ship more than sewage. Then there are the boarders. I say boarders because it is no fleet. A fleet works together. A fleet has each other’s back. Hell, a fleet doesn’t take room and board on a ship and just dock it in a bay to rot.

To make these pirates an actual fleet, sparing Joron’s life, which she did not have to do, would be her last show of mercy. From then on it would be, direction given, direction followed. And Joron would learn, too. He would not just find his voice as a leader with men he didn’t even know but strength from the people of his lineage.
Lastly, it is impossible to talk about The Bone Ships without discussing the Goddesses worshiped in The Bone Ships. Of the mother, the Maiden and the Sea Hag, it is the Sea Hag that is most feared. Being the darkest and most violent of them, she is believed to grasp the dead in the sea.

Within the first 80 pages or so of The Bone Ships there are a lot of characters and terms thrown at you, but the glossary at the back easily guides you through it. Once that passes everything comes together with great ease and the story takes off. It is impossible to put down. The characters are larger than life, the world is one to get lost in and despite being a fantasy, the action never stops.

Barker’s take on dragons was both unique and evoking of an array of emotions. It truly pissed me off that an ancient creature’s bones were used for ships (thinking also of elephants and ivory, for example), and don’t get me wrong- not mad in terms of not liking the book, but that it brought an evil aspect to the society, and new lens to how the dragons were treated that I hadn’t encountered before. And then when they became hunted, to ultimately what happens upon encountering them.

As remarkable a read as The Bone Ships is, I would be shocked if the next installment didn’t build on and continue the high bar set by its predecessor.

Thank you so much to Orbit Books via NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own!

Honestly I just want to start by saying that The Bone Ships is one of the best books I have read all year, and I can't wait to have it in a hard copy with the rest of the trilogy!! I KNOW I will be re-reading this! I was swept away by all 500+ pages and never felt bored, never skimmed, and definitely can't wait for the sequel.

*description omitted*

I will start by saying that the cover and internal map are both really awesome designs, and I think the map adds a lot to the story. It is helpful to be able to visualize the ship's route and have some sense of scale to the journey they are on.

The story itself is completely unique to anything I have ever read before, and very dark as well. The entire war at this point is based on stealing children from the other side to sacrifice their souls as corpse lights on their ships. Additionally, each healthy first born of the Hundred Isles' women is sacrificed in the same regard. These souls seem to make the ships literally alive, as when the ships take damage, the corpse lights go out. This doesn't seem like an intelligent way of life to some people, which may or may not be one of the many sources of intrigue, treason, and subplotting within the empire.

There are also black ships of the dead, where the brilliant white ship is painted black to signify that those on board are condemned to death as criminals. They sail to their deaths.... Good lord what an amazing cast of characters as well. Meas, the ship's captain, or shipwife, is one of those morally grey characters that I wanted to hate but ended up loving. She is known as the best shipwife in the isles, if not the world, and stole command of the black ship Tide Child from the other main character, Joron Twiner, who had an arc of growth and leadership that made me proud of him. My favorite character was probably the Guillaime, I wanted to set the book down and clap when he finally did his thing but I really can't talk about him without spoilers, but trust me. The same concept kind of goes for the sea dragon, an amazing being but too full of spoilers. The ship's crew was such a rag tag bunch but they faced soooooo many things together including learning discipline, enemy ships, inclement weather, traitors in their midst, and becoming unsung heroes... Watching the crew come together was a huge strong point for me.

I also can't get over how well Barker describes, well, pretty much everything. The flora and fauna as the crew discovers new places, I felt like I was there. The ships themselves felt so visible in my mind as well, even the clothes and uniforms and weather. The language and ship slang is done impeccably as well, right down to Black Orris! The one other thing that really had my spine tingling were the naval battles, holy cripe does this book describe a naval battle or two!!

So long story short, I absolutely 100% recommend this book to anyone with any slight interest whatsoever in fantasy, dragons, pirates, sea life, old gods and legends, treason, morally grey characters, women in charge, snarky animals....basically read it. Thank you again to Orbit Books and NetGalley for this early read! The book comes out September 24th so be sure to preorder if it sounds up your alley!

This is the story of Joron Twiner, a fisherman’s son who finds himself the shipwife (captain) of the Tide Child, a black-painted bone ship crewed by condemned criminals. At least… he was the shipwife, and not a good one, or even a skilled one, until his ship was more-or-less commandeered by Meas “Lucky” Gilbryn, the bravest, fiercest and most decorated shipwife that the Hundred Isles has ever seen, and also consequently one of the children of the current ruler of the Hundred Isles. She makes Joron her Deckkeeper, the first officer, and shenanigans ensue.

This world worships the Sea Hag (among a couple of other gods) and everyone knows that the Hag loves nothing more than boats made of the bones of dragons on her waters, and so that is what she gets. There haven’t been true sea dragons for a long time, but their bones persist long enough that huge ships crewed by over a hundred men and women sail across this world’s oceans. The Hundred Isles are at war with the Gaunt Isles and vice versa. A war that has been raging for as long as anyone can remember. There are those who want this war to end, and to do so, they plan to stop more bone ships from being made. Since there are no dragons, there are no more bones. If there are no more bones, there can be no more warships. So, it might be a good idea that nobody knows about that sea dragon that’s been spotted up north…

There was some really interesting and unique ideas here that I think were fleshed out very well. It really gave me a solid image of this rough and hard seafaring society, while using unique terms for bits of the ships, or ranks of the crew, or even the sun. It wasn’t ever hard to understand what those things were, even if the words were unfamiliar. Humans aren’t the only creatures in this world, either. There is a race of bird-people in this one known as the gullaime, and ships in the fleet usually have one of them aboard, as they can control the wind. Tide Child is no different in that, as there is a gullaime aboard, but this one is extremely aggressive, and refuses to speak to the shipwife, or anyone else, and just stays in their cabin all day.

A very well written nautical adventure that made me feel like I was on the seas myself at times. RJ Barker has some fantastic worldbuilding here, with this unique but very easily imagined world of sailors that also seems to revolve around fertility and the bearing of children, in its way. I really ended up cheering for Joron, and warmed up to Meas as well after a time. Joron was a character who I felt became better and better as the story went on, from a drunkard to quite a clever man, willing to risk his life for his crew. I wanted these sailors to succeed in their endeavor to hide (or protect) the first dragon seen for ages. Joron’s relationships to others in the crew, especially the gullaime, were really well done, and made me legitimately feel for this crew when they were in danger and the odds were against them (which was quite a bit more than never).

I’ll admit that this one slowed down a lot in the middle for me, and I found my interest waning a bit, but it definitely picked back up in the second half. The prose was always strong, but the plot seemed to slow right down with all of the sailing, and sailing, and sailing, which, to be fair, is necessary to the whole nautical adventure thing. This slowness didn’t last for too long though, and it picked right back up with plenty of action. The last 20% or so of this book was an edge-of-your seat adventure and I absolutely couldn’t put it down!

So, all told, while I didn’t love it quite as much as I loved Girton’s adventures, it was pretty close! I still really quite enjoyed my time with Joron Twiner, and I look forward to the next adventure in this series! Many buckles were swashed!

Thanks to the author, as well as Orbit via NetGalley for the review copy!~

The Bone Ships was one of my most anticipated releases of the year. I was lucky enough to get a physical ARC and as soon as it showed up I started reading it. I am an absolute sucker for criminals in fantasy novels, so I was pretty sure that I was going to enjoy this book. The only thing I was worried about is that since it takes place on a ship that it would have tons of descriptions of the workings of a ship and I would get bored. Luckily for me R.J. Barker did a great job giving you just enough information, but not boring the reader to death with the details.

I absolutely loved the characters in this book. Joron was an interesting character and I loved how much he changed throughout the novel. In the beginning he was an alcoholic and when the ship, Tide Child, was in his care it was a messy disaster. Lucky Meas became captain and whipped the whole crew into shape. She was fierce, bold and brave. She inspired Joron and the crew to become brave as well. At times I swelled with pride at how far they came and the camaraderie between the crew. I also loved the gullimae. The gullimae was a bird-like creature that controlled the wind who Joron was tasked to befriend. When the two of them grew closer it just made me so happy. The gullimae was so well written and an excellent aspect of the book.

The plot was so much fun. The hunt for the sea dragon was such an adventure and Tide Child had to fight several ships along the way. R.J. Barker's writing was full of action and never wasted words on filler scenes that would bore the reader. I loved the entire book so much. It felt like a cross between a fantasy quest and a pirate story. I also am really glad that R.J. Barker didn't try to shove a romance into this story. It didn't need one, but it's hard to find a book that doesn't have a romance in it lately.

The Bone Ships was everything that I wanted it to be and more. The plot didn't have unexpected twists, but at the same time it didn't end the way I thought it would. After reading this I want to check out Age of Assassins, but I'm also psyched that there will be a sequel.

*Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an early copy in exchange for an honest review.*

DNF @ 7%

I think I'm at a time in my reading life where I have to be instantly interested in a book in order to finish it. (Exceptions may apply.)
I could've maybe gotten into the world and characters but neither grabbed me. And because it's a unique world there seems to be an excess of description which is not something I like.
Friendly advisory: there is a glossary.


Hold on to your hats, I've got something to briefly discuss regarding the "strong independent" women on display in this book. "Strong independent" women are worthless, self-aggrandizing idiots who live in fear of being vulnerable and of needing someone else. That’s not strength. Vulnerability and flaws are what make characters rich and endearing. “Strong independent” women are an obnoxious fabrication I find completely uninteresting. And yes, I'm a woman.

The Bone Ships is set in a world where the ships are built from dragon bones, and those dragons have long been extinct. However, after hearing reports of a sea dragon, Lucky Meas commandeers a ship and its crew to set sail for the dragon. The two warring nations see this opportunity as a chance to gain power and glory, and shift the war in their favor.
I tried to give this book a chance after reading so many good reviews. I couldn't make it half way through, so to the DNF shelf it goes. The stars I'm giving are for the excellent writing, because it did flow well and the characters were solid right out of the gate. However, I just couldn't grasp the story. There seemed to be so much repetition that I felt like I was reading in circles. I was thrown into this world that I knew nothing about, with nothing explained. It was difficult to read with all the terminology and references that I had no idea what was being talked about. It sounds like a great premise, but it dragged out too much to keep my interest.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Synopsis

A brilliantly imagined saga of honor, glory, and warfare, The Bone Ships is the epic launch of a new fantasy from David Gemmell Award-nominated RJ Barker.

Two nations at war. A prize beyond compare.

For generations, the Hundred Isles have built their ships from the bones of ancient dragons to fight an endless war.

The dragons disappeared, but the battles for supremacy persisted.

Now the first dragon in centuries has been spotted in far-off waters, and both sides see a chance to shift the balance of power in their favour. Because whoever catches it will win not only glory, but the war.

Review

Thanks to the publisher and author for an advance reading copy of The Bone Ships (The Tide Child #1) in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this ARC did not influence my thoughts or opinions on the novel.

A modern-day Moby Dick, Barker’s The Bone Ships takes sail on the high seas and gives readers a swash-buckling adventure they will never forget. Though no Girton and Merela, Barker introduces us to another unlikely duo in Joran and Lucky Meas that will delight fans of his previous trilogy and new ones alike. There’s naval warfare, coarse language, plenty of rum drinking, and, of course, a sea dragon. What more could you want?

Yo Ho Ho, and get me that dragon’s bum!

I have to start off my full review by stating how much I simply love RJ Barker. His Wounded Kingdom trilogy, still to this day (over a year after King’s release), stands as one of my – if not my – favorite trilogies EVER. Girton Club-foot is hands-down one of the best protagonists I have ever had the pleasure of reading and adventuring with, and Barker’s prose is simply stunning.

Now, in regard to The Bone Ships, Barker gives us a completely different story, environment, cast of characters, and mood. In all honesty, this is a vastly different book than Age of Assassins was because the author is now well seasoned in his writing style and his originality is, once again, on full display: ships made out of dragon bones, carrying giant crossbows and crews made from prisoners, traitors, and exiles, and a giant prize in sight that could bring power to the ones ready to yield it, cross-threaded with a fresh take on “pirates”, their language, motivations, and fighting techniques gives even the casual fantasy fan plenty of love.

I thought Barker’s world-building was sensational, and the descriptions throughout had me feeling a little seasick and covered in seaspray if you catch my meaning. From the ships themselves to the seaside towns, the dense forests to the high seas, every bit felt real and fully fleshed to immerse the reader as deep as the bowels of the dragon.

I haven’t read many high seas adventures, but I know Rob Hayes is the most recent I have seen with his SPFBO hit, Where Loyalties Lie. I really wish there were more that would come across my lap as I wholly enjoyed reading The Bone Ships after growing up with fondness for Pirates of the Caribbean and Hook. I don’t feel that is a trope that is overdone in the least and Barker’s latest has me excited for Book 2 and on.

Though a bit heavy on the world-building in the beginning, Barker makes the wait wholly worth the while with an immersive seafaring adventure full of massive naval battles, a giant sea dragon, and enough witty banter to tide (pun intended) you over until the sequel hits in Fall of 2020.

**I was provided an electronic ARC by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**

In The Bone Ships, RJ Barker introduces us to a world in which being fleet is central to the way of life in the Hundred Isles. The fleet itself is made of ships constructed using the bones of sea dragons known as keyshan. We follow Joron Twiner, a fisherman's son, who after killing a man is condemned to a black bone ship reserved for criminals. He is quickly joined by Lucky Meas Gilbryn, first daughter to the honored mother of the isles and newly condemned. Meas, of course, will be nothing less than shipwife even on a condemned ship and this is where the story begins.

The world building that Barker accomplished in this book was significant. Clear hierarchical structures were established within the fleet and a sort of caste system for the society of the Hundred Isles. There was a clear religious system, superstition, and cultural practices not to mention the incorporation of magic and various species into the world.

That being said, the attention given to building the world meant that the pacing of the book suffered, at least for me. The first third of the book was entirely devoted to character/world development, which established a firm understanding for the reader, but left me impatient for some kind of overarching plot. Given the density of the amount of information being thrown at the reader, it definitely isn't a book that can be sped through.

While the plot definitely set in during the latter portions of the book, there was still a strong sense of "hurry-up-and-wait" vibes that anyone in a paramilitary organization such as the fleet would definitely find familiar.

Overall, I found myself impressed with the world Barker created and wanting to read more about it, despite the slow pace and density limiting my reading enjoyment at the front end of the book. I am definitely interested to read more in this series, but this book shouldn't be one for readathons or any situations where you have a time crunch to finish it. Take the time to savor the world, and soon enough you'll be ready to man the gallowbows yourself :)

R.J. Barker's The Bone Ships follows the crew of Tide Child, a ship of the dead where those condemned to death for various crimes are sent to serve their time until taken by the Hag of the sea. Serving on the Tide Child the reader accompanies Joron Twiner, the first mate serving under Lucky Meas Gilbryn. All on board the ship of the dead are from the Hundred Isles. For years, those in the Hundred Isles have been at war with the Gaunt Isles over the large bones of extinct sea dragons, or arakeesians as they are so named here. Their large rib bones are used to construct warships, but as resources have dwindled, the fighting has grown more fierce and there are many who wish to halt the atrocities. But a new arakeesian has been spotted in the waters around the island nations and it threatens to start an epic battle that could tip the scales for one nation and cause future generations to be thrown into unending war.

Much like the tide, The Bone Ships ebbs and flows. I found the first two chapters and the final third of the book action packed, with a lot of world building in between, including showing the way the Hundred Isles' society functions and the class system that has led to many on Tide Child to feel as though they received a bad lot in life.

Built by Barker to be complex, calculating, and severe, Meas, as captain of Tide Child, proved her skill as a leader by transforming her crew into one that would be on a respectable ship. Having been a long standing member of the fleet, Meas turns the crew's resentment over being sentenced to a ship of death into pride in the service of a just cause. She inspires loyalty by showing that she is willing to complete tasks that are often considered below her captain status and by putting her life on the line or in the hands of subordinates.

One whose loyalty is won over by Meas, included Joron, her second in command. Softening Meas' edges, Joron offers a nice counterbalance to the narrative. As a recovering alcoholic who tried to drink himself to death rather than lead, Joron initially finds himself resentful of Meas and her leadership. What he quickly discovers is that Meas' guidance has helped him become a better version of himself, one that he is proud of. As the second part of this leadership duo, the two work nicely in tandem to balance each other and keep harmony on the ship.

Other characters surround Meas and Joron, most likable and, if not likable, certainly believable. As a novel in the fantasy genre, this also included the mystical gullaime, a bird-like character who can control the winds. As a reader, I appreciated that these fantasy elements were included, but they did not seem to overtake the narrative thread of the plot. Woven in seamlessly, they enhanced the characters and their actions, feeling natural to the world.

And while I predicted parts of the ending, I cheered with the crew of Tide Child. Now I really want to know what happens next to Meas, Joron, and their ragtag crew.

Final note, there is a glossary, which I did not know when I began my journey through The Bone Ships. I adjusted to the language of the caste system and the ship rankings after a few chapters, but it might also be helpful to reference these definitions while reading.

The Bone Ships by R.J. Barker is the first in his next fantasy work after the Wounded Kingdom Trilogy, which was one of the best fantasy series I have read in years. The Bone Ships is an incredible start to what promises to be another excellent series, but it is flawed in one respect. Unlike Age of Assassins, which was a great first novel in the Wounded Kingdom trilogy, The Bone Ships has a very steep "learning curve" in the world building. The world of the Bone Ships is very different than ours, and the beginning of the book is very unfriendly to new readers. However, I recommend that everyone stick with it, as the book is very rewarding and the overall storyline is excellent. I am eagerly looking forward to the second book in the series next year!

This is a fantastically epic adventure on the high seas. The crew is very piratesque but not actually pirates. They are marked for death but still the good guys. You probably shouldn't like them but dang it if you don't end up wanting to be on this ship serving right next to them.

RJ takes his sweet time introducing you to this world and the crew (the only reason for the docked one star as it got a little boring) but it's all worth it. I'm pretty sure I could sail a ship if I could remember half of what I read in the first half of this book but alas I am land locked, drank away most of my memory in my 20's and have no dragons to build a ship out of, so...

Halfway through the book the action hits and you are fully immersed in a world of intrigue, epic battles and sea monsters.

I will confess to feeling pretty indifferent about the book after the first couple chapters. I decided to press on so I could give a fair review. This was a book that grew into its own story as it progressed, and I went from indifferent at the beginning to trying to find out how long it would be before book 2 was published by the time I finished.

The cast of characters weren't exactly ground-breaking or novel in any way, but the dynamics of their interactions with each other were well done and I did enjoy "watching" their relationships unfold. I found a couple aspects of the plot fairly predictable, but that didn't detract from the fun of following along.

Overall, this may not be the one book that defines your year of reading but it's definitely worth the time, especially if you enjoy a nautical theme. A solid story, with good cast of characters. I will be looking forward to book 2.

In a world where ships are made of the bones of sea monsters, the Hundred Islands have warred against the Gaunt Islanders for centuries. Through this cruel and brutal world sails Lucky Meas and her questionably loyal and poorly trained crew of convicts, outcasts, and misfits. Only Meas and her depressed, alcoholic second in command, Joron, know their true mission: to save this world from itself.

I read a lot of fantasy, so I’m used to plunging into fantastical rules with fantastical societies, cultures, and magic systems. Still, I’ve never entered a world quite as detailed and unique as the world of The Bone Ships. This is not some cheap Lord of the Rings knock-off. Barker has created a unique and incredibly lived-in world. The Bone Ships involves bird-people that are magical, blue whale-sized sea monsters, and ships that very nearly fly, yet it also feels incredibly real. The Bone Ships clearly takes inspiration from the Vikings; it’s a world driven by sailing, fishing, and raiding. And yet The Bone Ships remains its own creation entirely. Fantasy worlds can be so derivative, and it’s hard to find anything totally original these days. But The Bone Ships is truly unlike anything else I’ve ever read.

The vocabulary took quite a while to get used to, in part because I read the e-book version and didn’t know about the handy glossary at the back of the book until after I finished the story. Barker rewrites every seafaring term possible. Ships are commanded by a shipwife and crewed by deckchilder instead of a captain and sailors – and that ship is a he, not a she. I enjoyed how the vocabulary switch immediately plunged me into the story headfirst, making the world feel even more immersive.

However, the vocabulary takes an awful long time to get used to (especially without that glossary, and readers shouldn’t require a glossary to get through a book). To be honest, there were entire pages where I had no idea what was happening because the vocabulary was too foreign and dense. The writing is also dense in of itself, and the act of reading The Bone Ships became a lengthy and time-consuming endeavor.

About halfway through the book, the plot properly kicks off as the main quest is explained and then embarked upon. As a result, the second half skips along fairly quickly while the first half drags. Barker wants his characters to start at their lowest point so that they can slowly but surely improve to their best, but that means we have to watch page after page of initially unsympathetic characters drag their feet and moan and whine. Joron, the narrator, is quite insufferable in the first half. His backstory is fairly tragic, but he’s such a whiny, useless narrator that I quickly lost patience with him. For the first hundred pages, I badly wished the far more competent Meas was narrator instead.

And while the worldbuilding is very cool and very well thought out, I really, really wish the book didn’t pause the action for fifty pages to exposit on the Hundred Islanders’ culture and society. Because exposition, even interesting exposition, just isn’t that fun to read.

The Bone Ships has a lot of strengths, and I’m impressed at the unique fantasy Barker has created. But the pacing in the first half is painfully slow and likely to turn off potential readers. Perhaps Barker should have been a little less ambitious.

Thank you Netgalley, publisher and writer for an advanced copy of this book.
Great writing and story. Personally, I had not read anything similar, so it was very authentic to me. The characters are likable and there's good growth showcased on them. I am looking forward for the sequence.

Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for granting me an ARC.
I would rate this as a solid two stars; mostly because this isn’t my usual genre or what I like to read. If you like pirates and boats and pirate-lingo, this is for you. But I thought the book dragged quite a bit and was a bore, finding myself skimming and losing interest often. The pirate-lingo, while definitely thought out and very detailed and realistic, was hard to read through without being tedious to me. The fantasy aspect was interesting, I guess, but the book was very, very slow to start off and the reader just had to go along aimlessly reading about ship life with no idea where the plot is let alone headed. I may be a bit harsh but I definitely considered putting this book down unfinished but powered through because I didn’t hate it.

What a wonderful adventure! This was my first experience with R.J. Barker’s work and I came away quite impressed with his skill as a storyteller. He drops us into the fully-formed world of the Hundred Isles, a sea-dominated region that's peppered with small islands. Two warring territories, each equipped with extremely valuable ships made from ancient dragon bones, are stuck in constant and endless conflict. When the first dragon in generations is sighted, the race is on to be the first to track it down.

Barker’s prose is rich but rough and perfectly suited for a seafaring tale. You can taste the ocean spray and feel the sway of the ships as they traverse the angry seas. The world is filled with unique flora and fauna, but the setting still feels familiar and accessible.

The book also features really satisfying character work, most notably through the main characters Joron and Lucky Meas and the cultivation of their relationship with each other and with the rest of their crew. The connection that is forged between Joron and the Gullaime, the ship’s enigmatic, bird-like “windtalker,” is particularly touching. I hope we see more of the Gullaime in future books because the page (and I) lit up whenever it would appear.

Generally, I like to finish books quickly so I can move on to the next thing in my stack, but it was really gratifying to spend extra time with such a well-crafted novel. Even the artwork on the chapter headings is meticulously crafted and beautiful.

All in all, this is a superb start to an exciting new series. The worldbuilding, the prose, the character development, and the story beats are all top-notch. I’m already anxiously anticipating book two. In the meantime, I’m going to jump back and give Barker’s Wounded Kingdom trilogy a try to see if that is also to my liking.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.