Crown of Bones ticked all the boxes in what I look for in YA fantasy. It has adventures, friendship, intrigue, and romance, besides having an original magic system, which is intricate but easy to understand. Savants call to raise a phantom, kind of like a familiar, which they can master and gain power from.
We met a bast cast of characters along the way. Ash, non-savant a scribe, is tasked with recording the achievements of Marcus, heir to the throne of Baiseen, as he travels to Aku, where he will be able to learn how to be one with his phantom. But there is so much more in this story than that.
Having so many characters was a bit confusing at the start. But after a while, it became easier to recognise them and tell them apart.
I loved the atmosphere. We spend most of the book at sea or near the water in general, one of my favourite tropes ever. The chapters were short and full of action. I was pleasantly surprised at the beginning because there were so many things happening and I was only 30% in!
The overall plot was confusing but equally gripping. After reading the first book, I still have no idea about half of the thing going on. But I don't dislike it. I only made me more intrigued. We merely got a small reveal at the end, but there is still so much to discover.
So, it was full of up and downs, but I will definitely be looking forward to the sequel.

I was so excited to read this book because I’ve been hearing amazing things about it and a lot of people have been talking about Kingdom of Souls lately so I was super intrigued, not only by the cover but by the premise. And overall I have to say that there were some elements that I really enjoyed about it but there was some thing about the pacing and the plot of the book that made it dragged a lot and made my enjoyment of it lower.

CROWN OF BONES is the story, mainly, of three young people and a group of traveling companions who live in a world where some (called savants) have phantom companions and associated abilities. They must train and earn their distinction, noted by color, before they can take their place in society. Marcus is the heir to a kingdom but has a hard time connecting with his phantom, Ash is a non-savant who a skilled documentarian, and Kaylin is a mysterious seafaring young man with motives of his own. Together, they overcome obstacle after obstacle and uncover the largest threat in their lifetime.

The beginning is very meandering and slow-paced, following our characters on a long and storied journey to their eventual destination. Once they reach where they want to go and the book begins to explore the world in which they live and the rules that govern it, it becomes so much richer and more fascinating. Not only that, but the characters actually have things to do and room to grow. But then, by the climax and falling action, they’re back to just being worried about making it place to place and all character/interpersonal relationship growth is stalled and out on hold until, presumably, the next book. But it’s that delay that honestly makes me unsure I want to keep reading.

I'm interested in seeing where the series goes from here despite the way that this ended (I really don't enjoy cliff-hangers that are done this way), and I thought that this was a solid debut novel.

I was drawn into this book because of its premise, which reminded me of an anime I used to watch as a kid called Shaman King. I thought that the magic system was really interesting, but I wanted to know more about it and learn more about the phantoms themselves. With the hierarchy of the coloured robes, I wish more time had been spent on establishing this to make it clear what the differences really are between the colours and the powers of the phantoms. Crossing my fingers that we get more of this in the next book!

I loved the world-building and found myself pretty swept up and intrigued with the plot up until about two thirds of the way in. I kept wondering what was going to happen next, but then found it all to be a tad predictable towards the end. And again, I really don't enjoy these kinds of cliffhangers! It didn't feel like we got any kind of answer to any question, or any sort of resolution. But if you enjoy this sort of torment, I bet you'd like this book!

Outside of the three main POVs, I found the side characters to be pretty forgettable aside from which kind of phantom they had, which is unfortunate since they all had a bit of a role in the story itself, especially Beliar, who I kept forgetting about (aside from his cool phantom).

I wanted to enjoy the characters more than I did, especially Ash. I thought she was such a good female lead, but then she started to feel very 1D in the way that she falls for one of the other characters so quickly and continues to hear voices and not explore or wonder about this at all. She keeps making these mental notes to 'ask about X', but then doesn't and gets distracted by a boy, and it drove me nuts! For a character who is meant to be so intelligent, it bothered me. I bet we'll get some of the answers to these questions in the next book, and I suppose I'll just have to wait for that!

Based on my thoughts, I decided that this felt slightly younger on the YA scale for me, though the violence gets quite graphic and bloody. Please keep this in mind if you plan on reading!

I am a huge fan of Entangled Teen's books but for me, thought I keep hearing wondering things about this book, I just can't get into it. I have picked it up a few times and only have gotten about 20% through it. I will try it again but for me, so far, I am struggling to understand the concept of it so it just isn't working for me. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I feel like one of those people who run marathons. Or compete in triathlon's. Which, I guess, is a weird thing to say because I'm comparing people exercising to me reading the Crown of Bones. Then again, I was exercising my brain in order to understand everything that was happening within this book. It is still weird to state such a thing.. but this book took me forever to complete and I just think it would take me forever to complete a marathon and such.

Back to the book, in the beginning the prologue definitely sucked me in. I just wanted to know more about phantoms and this entire world. Then I got to meet the characters and eh - they were okay. I honestly didn't care for the little romance bits and pieces.. or even the hints of betrayal. Heck, I will even admit that Ash definitely intrigued me.. but nothing really happened until the end of the book.

At least for her. She was just kind of in the background for most of this book and I'm just like.. 'Wait, aren't you a main character girl?' Besides her, you get to meet Marcus and Kaylin. Again, none of these characters really caught my attention. They had potential to do so but in the end nothing really happened.

In the end, it was an okay book with zero consequences. It's like something would happen and they would just go on with their lives. Then the ending was kind of interesting.. but I don't even know if I want to dive into the sequel because of the nothingness in this book. Maybe if there's some serious character growth..

What an amazing start to what can only be an awesome series! I’m so glad I got this arc. It had a little bit of everything you would look for in a ya fantasy including some romance! I loved the different POV’s & I can’t wait for book 2!

What an action packed story! Literally from page one, the ball is rolling. Heir apparent, Marcus Adicio, has yet to hold his phantom to form after years of training and even when he finally does, the King is not impressed. But now that he has he can finally make the trek to Aku, and ancient school that will determine whether or not he is ready to move on to the next yellow and hold onto his title as Heir to the Throne of Baiseen. The journey there however, is not an easy one. As the Heir to a kingdom with many enemies he faces threats at every turn and he and his comrades, 3 other Savants and his lifelong friend Ash, feel in over their heads.

First off, this book sets it up as if Marcus and Ash are going to get together. That's what I was really hoping for. Instead Ash ends up with a sailor lad who joins their rag tag group and I was not a fan. I liked Kaylin and I liked Ash, didn't like them together. I just didn't see what their relationship added to the story and it really seemed to distract Ash from her duties of recording Marcus and Belair's journey to become yellow robes. Who Kaylin is was also left unsolved. My theory is that he's Marcus's older sacrificed older brother.

Other than the relationship between Kaylin and Ash, I really loved this book. The magic of phantoms is so unique! I wish we'd gotten to see Ash call her phantom much earlier in the book, she has the potential to be such a badass. I really wanted her to just bust out onto the battle field and tear up some Arturian butt. I was also very curious about her sightings of Talus, a women who supposedly died hundreds of years ago. It was almost as if Aku and all of it's ancient magic were urging her to realize that she has a Phantom.

I just really can't wait to see where Ash and Marcus are headed in the next book. Together they could be an unstoppable power couple.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. So thank you Netgalley.

In this book, we follow a group of characters travelling to the island of Aku in order for two of our characters to level up in their phantom training. Phantoms are essentially magical aspects of a savant (a person with magic) and are the magic in this world. During this travel, our characters encounter a few problems and a mysterious guy who ends up joining them on their travels.

That description is bad but honestly explains more than the Goodreads description as far as what happens in this book.

We are in a rich and dense world that I’m pretty sure only the tip of the iceberg has been explored due to everything going on in the world.

The characters are really interesting and I was easily able to love them, especially Ash who is our main female character and non-savant (aka non-magic person) who we see her POV. Other POVs we see are Ash’s best friend and savant named Marcus and the mysterious guy named Kaylin as well as another character whom I’m not going to say because of possible spoilers.

This book has so much going on yet feels so quick. I can’t really think of a single thing I hate out this book except I want more in this world because of what has been learned in this book (I can’t say anything else because of spoilers). This is the start to a great fantasy series that I need more or because of how good it is.

Crown of Bones is definitely a fantasy book you are not going to want to miss. It’s by far one of my favorite fantasy books of all time. This electrifying read grabbed my attention from the first chapter and refused to let me go until the end. I was enamored with this story and this beautiful world. The characters are so well-developed and swoon worthy (I swooned over ALL the scenes with Kaylin), and constant threats plaque these characters from every corner. Wilder did SO well bringing this world and story to life.

The story idea is beyond brilliant. Savants, like Marcus, are able to raise a beast, a Phantom. Non-Savants cannot raise a Phantom. Marcus, Ash’s best friend, is Savant but consistently struggles to control his Phantom. His struggles, internally and externally, make his storyline truly fascinating. He’s a character who faces so many struggles, but learns (and fights) to overcome these struggles. And though Marcus is a main character, the most interesting main character, in my opinion, is Ash. She’s non-Savant, but something doesn’t quite sit well with her. She’s an enthralling character that I just needed to know more about. Her past contains several secrets that slowly are brought to light, and that only worked to thicken the plot. Ash is easily one of those characters I could not get enough of, and one I could easily relate to.

But if I’m being honest, while I loved Ash, I was giddy for every single chapter that contained the charming and mysterious sailor, Kaylin. He’s so mysterious to the point that not even the reader knows if he harbors evil intent. And even though that stayed a big mystery for the majority of the book, I still rooted for him. Kaylin brings a new perspective to the group that sheds light on certain aspects of this magical world, and that light makes Ash question so many things. He pushes his way in to this close-knit group of friends, but as the reader, I did not mind one bit.

Wilder’s writing is fresh and bright and gripping. Wilder has crafted a book that is brimming with lush prose, captivating world building, and an exquisite magic system. While Wilder has created fabulous and quirky characters, the true strength of this book lies within her storytelling and world building. The world is so vividly captured that I could see every detail of this world in my head. It’s that type of world building I’m always looking for, and Wilder did an absolute excellent job bringing this world to life.

Overall, Crown of Bones is a top fantasy book for me that I will continuously recommend to every reader I can. I am impatiently waiting for the sequel, especially after that deliciously well-executed cliff hanger. Crown of Bones is out now! If you love fantasy books with beautiful characters and a unique storyline, I implore you to read Crown of Bones!

This was such an immersive fantasy with a unique cast of characters. The world-building was well done, and I could visualize everything easily. Crown of Bones was such a delightful fantasy to read!

I ended up liking this book way more than I thought. I originally picked it up because it sounded sort of interesting, but by the end I was captivated. I liked the range of different characters, I liked the plot and I liked how the magic element in this book was different from other fantasy books. I like when books have multiple view points. Although I thought Ash had too many chapters over Marcus. I found her whiny and annoying at times. She does get more interesting at the end. I would like if the side characters were more developed and were in it more as I found them interesting. Particularly I want more on Marcus’s brother and Samsen.. I am excited to see how the story continues in the next book.

Crown of Bones is the first installment in A. K. Wilder's Crown of Bones series. Wilder has created a world of savants and phantoms, and creatures made to serve those who call them. Amassia is the third planet from the sun whose seven continents have, over millenniums, formed a single landmass surrounded by sea. *Think Earth before the continental drifts separated the 7 major continents we have today.*

This is a world that is broken into Potentials and Non-savants. Potentials are children whom the Bone Throwers deem worthy
to try to raise a phantom. They are sent to the sanctuaries at
eight years of age. The brown-robes receive intensive training to
see if they are indeed savant. Most will fail and go back to their
families, declared non-savant. Those who do raise their phantom
will stay on as blue-robes and train up through the ranks, as far
as they can go.


Ash was orphaned at age eight; she's best friend of Prince Marcus Adicio; she's a 17-year-old non-savant wordsmith whose dream is to set foot in every realm of Amassia. Though she hasn't raised a phantom of her own, other phantoms are oddly curious about her. Ash’s connection to Marcus's phantom and the voices in her head may the biggest mystery of this entire story.

Marcus Adicio is the green-robe Heir to the throne of Baiseen. He's the third son of Jacas Adicio and raises a warrior phantom. Marcus is sent to the mysterious island of Aku where he is to tame his own powerful phantom or lose his status as heir to his non-savant brother. He’s also Ash’s best friend. De’ral is Marcus’s warrior, a phantom of massive size and who somehow seems to be attuned to Ash. The others who join Marcus & ash are:

Belair Duquan is a green-robe warrior savant from Tangeen who joins Marcus on the initiation journey to the Isle of Aku.
Larseen is a yellow-robe friend of Marcus who raises a jackal
caller phantom.
Samsen is a yellow-robe savant who raises a part caller-part alter phantom that is confined to various forms of birds. He accompanies Marcus on his initiation journey as guard.
Piper—an orange-robe, one of the top healers in the Baiseen
Sanctuary who raises a double-headed black serpent healer. She’s the official healer on Marcus’s initiation journey to the Isle of Aku.

Others of important:

Kaylin is the mysterious bosun’s mate formerly of the Sea Eagle who guides Marcus and his company when they are stranded on their way to Aku. He manages to gain the attention of Ash who is supposed to be observing and recording Marcus. Kaylin is connected to Salila.

Salila is a Mar (think mermaid) woman with extreme appetites, intractable will, and no obvious morals. Her only fear is Teern, known to all Mar as Father, and King of the Sea.

First Whistle Bones—also called the original whistle bones—the first twelve whistle bones, purportedly carved from the skeleton of King Er, which actually stem from much earlier times. Each represents one of the lots or ways on the path to An’awntia. Once made into a Crown of Bones, eventually, they were dismantled and sent to the sanctuaries for protection. Each is kept in a place of honor, symbolic of the responsibility and privileges of being savant. In order, they are:

Crown of Er (jaw) —First Lot—Awareness of Self

Tree of Eternity (vertebra)—Second Lot—Awareness of Body

Ancient Shearwater (scapula)—Third Lot—Awareness of Mind

Ma’ata (Femur)—Fourth Lot—Awareness of Feelings

Water Serpent (coccyx)—Fifth Lot—Awareness of Creativity

Mummy Wheat (radius)—Sixth Lot—Awareness of Service

Mask of Anon (cranium)—Seventh Lot—Awareness of Relationship

Scroll of Hetta (rib)—Eighth Lot– Awareness of Renewal

Arrow of Nii (femur)—Ninth Lot—Awareness of Expansion

Jenin Stones (Tibia)—Tenth Lot—Awareness of Leadership

Eye of Sierrak (fibula)—Eleventh Lot—Non-judgment

Prince of the Sea (scapula)—Twelfth Lot—Self-acceptance.

The story is told in multiple first person narratives which is a good thing since it gives the readers different views of what is happening over the course of the story. This story is action packed almost right out of the gate as we witness a stunning betrayal of a young girl who just raised a phantom but was stunted instead making it impossible for her to become a savant. As Marcus and his friends make their way to the Island of Aku, they are under a deadline. They must make it before the gates close for the season, or come back again next year. For Marcus, that means absolute failure.

Over the course of the story, it is apparent that there are those who want Marcus to fail. Which makes the actions of Kaylin that even more impressive as well as curious. What are his real plans? Will he betray Ash and break her heart, or will he ensure the she and Marcus make it home to Aku on time? Aku is a supposed to be a politically neutral island realm where all initiate savants go to train for advancement to yellow robes. Ash, however, finds that the school is holding many secrets that she is eager to expose. An act of betrayal tests the students loyalties and friendships after an unexpected attack leaves Marcus and his group struggling to find a way home.

Ash is my favorite character because she is constantly ignored, made fun or, and treated as a non entity. The voices in her head lead you to wonder who her parents were, and if they were able to do what she does with phantoms. Ash is an especially likable lead. From her foul mouth in several different languages, to her soft heart to her hungry curiosity. The ending of this book involves a huge cliffhanger that focuses on Ash so I won't dig deeper into what leads to this moment. I think the most interesting question is what are we supposed to think about Kaylin after all is said and done? He had a mission. He ignored it. He was told he must complete his mission or else. And yet, he stands with Ash and Marcus at the peril of his own future.

Crown of Bones was high on my list anticipated books especially considering it's a series starter. Unfortunately, I had a hard time getting into the story. I will pick it up again at a later date to try again. Thank you, Entangled Teen, for all you do and always giving me the opportunity to review your books.

This is an amazing debut novel from A.K Wilder. The world building and characters are stunning.

The magic system that is woven throughout the boom is lovely and I really enjoy reading about all the different types of Magic’s in this world.

I immediately connected with the characters and I cared what happened to them. Not only was the interactions between them all. I loved Ash and saw a lot of myself in her. I always enjoy reading stories with strong female characters and Ash is definitely one.

World building is something I find important in a book and I loved how A.K Wilder created the world in the Crown of Bones and I can’t wait to jump back into the world in the next book!

Overall I really enjoyed Crown of Bones and look forward to reading more from the Amassia series and from A.K Wilder.

I really wanted to love Crown of Bones. I liked the fantasy world, but I wish there had been more worldbuilding. The plot was very action-driven. As someone who typically enjoy character-driven stories, this was something I really noticed. So many much happened, but I barely know some of the characters. For my personal taste, I would have liked to have seen more focus on the development of the characters.

Overall, I did still enjoy Crown of Bones. If you like action-based YA fantasy books, you would probably really enjoy this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Teen for providing a ebook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a really fun fantasy story with a unique plot and world-building! I found this story hard to get into and I continually found it hard to focus and stay engaged. This is mostly due to the detailed world-building and large amounts of info-dumping throughout the story. It made it very hard for me to understand what was going on. That being said it was incredibly unique and original, and I loved the cloak and savant aspects. In terms of writing, I found it to be a well-written story -again, the info-dumps put me off- however, some of the points of view resulted in a lack of mystery and made my assumptions of whether the characters could be trusted or not very easy to find out. Overall, a solid fantasy story.

I enjoyed the world and the premise, but some of the characters fell a little flat for me. The magic system could've also been a little bit more fleshed out.

Thank you NetGalley and Entangled: Teen for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review

I'm actually a bit ashamed that the book is already out, and I still haven't finished reading my ARC.

For some reason, I'm really struggling to finish this book as I couldn't quite form a connection with the characters. Despite my issues, I am giving it a temporary 3 star rating on the basis that:
a) The writing isn't sloppy.
b) The storyline is actually intriguing.
c) I think the world building could be strengthened some more.

I am about half-way through the book, and I am determined to finish it.
I will provide a more comprehensive review once done. For now, I'm shelving this in the category - "has potential; can be so much more".

Thank you to Netgally and Entangled Publishing for the chance to read and review, "Crown of Bones" by A.K. Wilder. This book sucked me in from the beginning and never let go. I am so glad I took a chance and requested this masterpiece. What a fantastic way to start my 2021 year for reading! I really enjoyed the range of characters and the storyline. I felt such a sense of adventure while reading, like I was along for the ride.. The details and the scenery felt cinematic. This book would make an incredible tv series or even a movie. I was reading this book every chance I had .I honestly never wanted it to end. I really hope there is a continuation. A new favorite of mine for sure. I am certainly in love with this book and Wilder's fantastic writing.

This was the perfect read to help me escape my mind for a couple of hours. It's such a page-turner ... I mean it, if you're busy, maybe wait for a calmer day because one I got around 30% in I COULD NOT STOP.

I have been craving a magical escape and this was a perfect read! The perfect mix of magic, romance, and adventure, I loved following the journeys of Ash, Marcus, and the aforementioned "handsome guide".

There is such an interesting world built by A.K. Wilder only made cooler by the fact that she actually knows how to bone throw, which has clearly been an influence for this story. As for the plot, so much has happened, but without giving anything away I think Crown of Bones is the perfect start to the series and I can't wait for the next book!

While I eagerly await to see what happens as the plot thickens, I am even more drawn in by the character development and the romance! So many things have just begun to reveal themselves I cannot wait for everything to unfold!