I love the idea of the aftermath of an epic fantasy novel. How do heroes act after they no longer have to save the world? What if the world still needed saving? This is a story idea that I want to see more of and that's why this book interested me.

Oh, and because there are necromancers, necromancy is such a fun magic type and it really brings up a lot of moral questions. 'The Bone Maker' does bring up some of these questions and it does it in a way that was interesting.

But as you can tell, this book was rated three stars and that's because there are some plot issues that I just couldn't suspend my disbelief for. The world had a lot of interesting concepts, the magic of using bones to enhance attributes, make creatures, or see the past and future was fun, but at times it got confusing. Then the bigger darker magic didn't seem to have a lot of it's finer points fleshed out.

Another issue I had was the characters felt young. These are people in their late forties and early fifties and they felt like YA characters at times. I couldn't believe that they had been heroes once by the way they acted and reacted to things. Even people who were supposed to be older still acted like they were in their twenties.

My last big issue needs to be talked about, so I'll do it in a way that doesn't cause any spoilers. There is a moment when something happens and the characters go 'oops, let's do a redo and save the day'. It cheapened the ending for me. The whole ending felt rushed and the payoff didn't live up to the rest of the book.

I hear Durst's other books are fantastic and I plan on adding them to my TBR to see if this was a one-off flub.

The Bone Maker by Sarah Beth Durst focuses on a group of hero's who 25 years ago managed to save the world from an evil and inhumane bone magician called Eklor. Eklor mass murdererd many innocent people in order to complete his goals. Thankfully the team were able to stop him but it was very costly and many lives were lost. Since then the group has disbanded and are now living semi normal lives. However, everything changes when these rusty old hero's must reunite to once again fight an old evil.

This was a fast paced and action packed standalone fantasy novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. I really needed a simple and easy book to read and this was definitely that. The month I read this(November) was a pretty mentally draining month so I really needed a novel that I could easily immerse myself into. This was definitely one of those novels as it was easy to follow and get through.

What I really enjoyed about the story was the depiction of the characters. Many of the characters were a lot older and I guess wiser which I haven't come across since Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eame (A must read for fantasy fans). These are people who know they don't have the va va voom they once had. They have to be smarter and thoughtful in their actions, which is understandable obviously.

I loved all of the characters as they had big personalities and had their own distinct voices. At the very beginning of the story we meet Kreya who was the leader of this band of merry hero's. We find her attempting to steal bones from a dead corpse in order to resurrect her husband, Jent. Jent who was the teams thief, sadly lost his life 25 years ago during the infamous Bone War. You feel that Kreya has a lot of regret over Jent's death and has found everyday difficult since his passing. I found her sadness and feeling of loss over losing Jent really heartbreaking like she's not been in touch with anyone since what happens and lives all on her own. Her character somewhat focuses on the matter of "what would you sacrifice to save a loved one".

"It’s always about time, Kreya thought. How much you use, how much you waste, and how much you waste regretting the time you already wasted."

Other characters include Zera who I absolutely loved because she had so much confidence in herelf and believed in her sauce! She now living it large with lots of money and is well known to flaunt her riches. Above all else however, I loved her closeness to Kreya. Even after everything that has happened she still loves Kreya and truly cares about her. Other characters include Stran the muscle of the group. He's now a family man and farmer. I must say there's one point in the story where things go a bit pair shaped for him which had me ready to throw hands at the people who hurt him! Stran was a very likable individual and I loved how much he cared for his family. Then we have Marso a bone reader who by analysing bones can tell the future. However, these days Marso's mind has been broken into tiny pieces 😅.

Basically you can tell all the heros are dealing with some type of PTSD. Even though it's been 25 years the war was so horrific and Eklor's evilness is something these hero's can't forget at all.

"We’ve already had a war in my lifetime. I’d never wish for another. So much death. So many bones, she thought"

Finally, the villain Eklor was one creepy dude like I'll level with you. If me and Eklor were stuck in a room together I'd get the Ek outta there lool. However, I did like how Sarah Beth Durst makes you sympathise with him at a point. Then you're like wait a minute why am I???? Dude killed millions?? Like huhhhh. What this does is make you really question his actions and I guess begs the question as to what is true evil. It's Eklor, Eklor is true evil who am I kidding.

So yeah overall I liked the characters but I do wish we could have seen a bit more from the POV of the other characters. In fact, I would've been loved to see what was going inside Eklor's mind at times. But yeah I felt I had known this group for years and honestly I would love to read a prequel of this book. It would give the chance to bond with the characters even more.

In terms of the magic system it was a pretty simple concept but executed very well. Bones along with talismans give the protagonists super powers such as super strength, speed, inanimate different objects and other things which I won't say because SPOILER. I loved Marso's ability to tell the future as it's both a blessing and a curse for him. This dynamic was great in my opinion because he knows things that will happen but obviously can't share those things with others. But yeah the magic system was pretty cool and reminded me a lot of The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea G Stewart (absolutely brilliant).

Finally, I thought the writing was very simple and easy to comprehend what was going on. Sarah Beth Durst's writing was very imaginative and flowed really well. Even though it's a standalone the ending wraps up everything really well and no holes are left unfilled. Although, it now makes me wish more books are set in this world in the future! The action scenes were also super intense and exciting! The crew face giant monsters, an undead army, and of course Eklor.

"Dirt flew. Rocks were tossed. Jentt felt sweat pour off his body. He felt his muscles strain. He inhaled the dirt-saturated air, and he had never felt more alive."

So yeah I'm pretty chuffed with this standalone. I wish there would've been more time to explore the world a bit more but maybe in the future? I would definitely like to read more from Sarah Beth Durst in the future hopefully 😊. Thank you so much to Jamie and Harper Voyager for sending this to me. I am super super grateful.

An action-packed story starring a charming cast of middle-aged heroes who set out to save the world with bones. A book for young-adult fantasy lovers or someone just looking to read something uncomplicated and entertaining.

This book was described as adult fiction on NetGalley, but it was either labeled incorrectly or the author, who typically writes YA fiction, can't shake her established writing style. However, while I do not typically enjoy YA books, I actually didn't mind this time around. The writing itself may have been a bit shallow, but the story itself was not, and the likeable characters and exciting, if cliché, narrative arc made it a genuinely enjoyable read.

The Bone Maker tells story of a band of heroes who saved the world from an evil bone magician 25 years ago, and who now must reunite and dust off their skills to do it all over again. I really appreciated the fact that the protagonists, especially the women, were all older. You don't see that often in speculative fiction (or any kind of media, since women become useless when they turn 30 y'know). There wasn't a ridiculous amount of character development, but I still felt invested in the relationships between the characters. That is where I think this books shines.

The magic system, like the rest of the world, was not over-developed or complicated. The book primarily deals with themes of death and resurrection through the use of bone magic. The bones do other things as well depending on who is wielding them: they can give their users powers, animate inanimate objects, and tell the future. To me, the mechanics were interesting and unique (though, I have not read many of the "bone" books that seem to be published by the dozens nowadays).

Overall, this was a delightful, easy read and just what I needed to get out of a reading slump.

In The Bone Maker, you'll meet a bunch of people that reminded me a little of [book:Kings of the Wyld|30841984]. An old band getting back together to fight evil? Sign me up! In this book, you'll meet Kreya a middle-aged widow that is looking to resurrect her husband, Jent. He died sacrificing himself during the bone war twenty-five years ago where he and four other people acted as heroes to save Vos against a man who mass-murdered people to get to his goals. Kreya thought she'd killed him. Everyone thought Eklor was dead... but is he truly dead? After all, Kreya managed to resurrect Jent by using some of Eklor's notes so what is to say Eklor didn't plan in advance...

Overall, I really enjoyed this book but be aware that is it slow-going. I found the ideas behind the bone making, bone reading etc really interesting. I loved the characters and they made up for the slow-pace. It wasn't all white and black with Kreya as she did some forbidden things like use human bones to see her loved-one again. I'm happy I got to discover this standalone as it is my first book by this author. I might read some of her other books in the future.

<i>(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

Note that this review will go live at the link on Jan 1st, 2021.

I finally did it, you guys. I finally finished a Sarah Beth Durst novel! This is not the author’s fault. The publisher has been sending me ARCs of her books for a while now. I received the entire Queens of Renthia trilogy, plus an eARC of Race the Sands. I just couldn’t get into the former (My fault, I was interested but it just didn’t grab me enough to read in print. I rarely do that anymore.) And the latter came at a time when my brain was just not going to allow me to engage with any new media. (Hello, pandemic anyone?)

So I’m quite happy that I was capable of finishing this one. If you’re one of those people who bemoan (rightfully) the lack of grown-up protagonists in fantasy novels, then you should definitely pick this one up. ALL of the main characters in this story are middle-aged and up. It’s a refreshing change from that same old hero’s journey we’ve seen dozens of times. Once you’re past your twenties, a teen-aged hero can be as annoying as they are engaging.

Kreya was the leader of the motley crew of heroes who saved the world twenty-five years ago. At great cost, they defeated the necromancer, Eklor, and his skeleton army. That would be the end of the story in some worlds, but in this one, it’s just the beginning.

The tank has gone on to live a life of obscurity as a farmer with his wife and children. The mage has broken his mind by looking at truths that no one else is willing to believe. The support has leveraged her fame into a life of luxury and idleness where she can be properly adored by her fans. The leader is now a recluse, breaking the laws she once upheld just to recapture a bit of happiness for herself. And the thief? He’s dead. Most of the time.

Now, after 25 years, they have to start over again. Not as young and optimistic heroes, but as aging citizens with all the baggage that growing up involves: paying the bills, taking care of the kids, old betrayals, lost loves, and one-time mentors that aren’t the perfect image they once seemed…

It didn’t change my life or anything, but The Bone Maker is a solid novel that stands out from the crowd enough to be worth the time and is engaging enough to keep you reading until the end. It was an enjoyable way to pass a couple of days. Pre-order it now, so you’ll have it in March, as a Pandemic Birthday gift to yourself.

Frankly, I don't think there is anything Sarah Beth Durst could put out that I wouldn't enjoy.

Though, I will say that this was probably my least favorite book by her. It was still enjoyable, still incredibly creative, but I was surprised to find this felt more like YA fantasy than adult. And there is nothing wrong with YA (in fact I tend to enjoy YA more as it has always felt more diverse and creative than adult fantasy in general) but it's just not what I was expecting.

I will say, one of my favorite things about Sarah Beth Durst is that she makes her heroines older - and I don't mean mid-twenties. It's refreshing to have a character be in their thirties or forties, and I've noticed it is something she does for each of her books. Her descriptions are vivid, painting a world you can easily picture in your head, and her characters will stay with you long after you've shut the book for good. Also? The magic system and the different styles of magic associated with bones? Might be one of the coolest things I've ever read.

This book is stuffed full of potential.

There's a great story here with so many interesting elements, but I just couldn't connect with the prose and by extension, the characters. It reads very YA market for me with simple, repetitive sentences/dialogue but is obviously not made for a YA audience with our main characters being firmly adults and dealing with mortality and complex adult relationships. I really loved the beginning section and thought the set up was really good. But this story just never got to the level of depth and nuance that I was hoping for. :(

The Bone Maker has one of the neatest concepts I've seen in a book: what happens after the 'chosen ones' vanquish the great evil? Kreya and her companions are middle-aged, but that doesn't stop them from being completely badass. Kreya's relentless love for her husband was one of the main things that drew me in, and I felt so sad for her when she couldn't be with Jentt. Her friend Zera, although very eccentric and prideful, was such a good friend to her and I loved her personality. The Bone Maker really explored the nature of evil, as well as love and forgiveness, in such a unique way. I always love books by Sara Beth Durst, and although this wasn't my favorite, I did really enjoy it and loved how it drew from and built up the chosen one trope.

"Some of us are better at hiding it than others, but we are all broken. You can’t live without breaking a few times. But that doesn’t mean that’s a bad thing. It just means you’ve lived in the world."

The Bone Maker is a standalone adult fantasy, set in a society nestled in the mountains of Vos where magic comes from bones, usually animal bones. It is set 25 years after The Bone War when a corrupt bone worker broke the fundamental rule of their society and used human bones to animate his machines. We pick up with Kreya who has spent the last 25 years in isolation learning how to use this forbidden art of human bone magic to resurrect her dead husband. Kreya is unable to overcome the obstacles she encounters on her own and so turns to her old team from the war days for support.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was a really engaging premise and magic system with entertaining characters. One of my favorite things about this book was that these characters are all seasoned humans. These aren’t young guns just dying to defeat the baddie and go out in a blaze of glory. We follow a band of middle-aged folks. Zera is a successful and established businesswoman, Stran is a family man, Kreya has become a complete hermit who is incredible at what she does and has experienced intense loss, and Marso has had to deal with so much trauma he feels broken beyond repair.

What worked for me:
- I loved the magic system in this book. There are three different ways that bones can be used, and while there are rules around each of the “trades” within the guild of the bone workers, we don’t necessarily learn them all. It was fun to see the different ways that they were used and to discover more about it as we went. The setting was also very different from what I usually see being completely built on different mountains and having some types of technology. This is something that I would have loved to see a bit more exploration of, honestly.
- The characters: Zera was my favorite. She was sassy and funny and completely her own person. I felt like it was a different dynamic than we usually get between teammates because they have such a past history together. It was really enjoyable to see older characters and to see the different perspective that they had on things as adults.
- I thought that the pacing was excellent throughout and that it never seemed to drag. There was always enough happening that I was engaged and looking forward to whatever happened around the next bend.

What didn’t work for me:
- My main complaint in this book was that there were some points that became somewhat repetitive and came to feel a lot like telling rather than showing. I felt like Kreya had some major realizations about her personality, her style of leadership, and how she relates to other humans throughout the story, and while most of it felt organic when she first made the realization, many of these were repeated multiple times. When these repetitions came up, it started to take me out of the story and took away from that characterization for me.
- Character development: Kreya is our main character, and I thought that her character was fleshed out pretty well for the length of the book. We got to see her make several big realizations and to grow as a character. We also got to see the team come together again as adults, which was fun. For brief periods of time in each chapter we are given a limited 3rd person POV from the other characters. While this was enjoyable, it did set my expectations that we would see each of those characters fleshed out more in their own right rather than just seeing them as characters from Kreya’s perspective. Because of that, I personally just didn’t get the depth from the other characters that I usually like from my characters if we are given their POV.
- I touched on this briefly earlier, but I would have loved to get more background on the world and the culture. I absolutely loved what we got, but I felt like we only got brief snippets of the world. I would have loved to get more info about the culture and society as well as to learn more about the world that we saw. I thought that the descriptions that we got were fantastic. So this isn’t really something that didn’t work, I just wish I had more!

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I would probably read it again, so my rating is a 3.5/5. While it didn’t hit an overall 4 for me, it was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed some of the characters.

I received this ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

The concept of this book was interesting. The world itself was like nothing I had seen before. Of course, I’ve seen necromancy and bone magic- but never a world in which that is the only magic. Additionally, this felt like the aftermath of a YA fantasy where they save the world. I really loved the idea of this and how it was executed. The heroes have aged quite a bit, and each has dealt with the trauma in individual ways. These ways were not always healthy, but they were what they had to do. This book made me feel so many emotions. I cried over characters I didn’t expect to and I was proud of characters that initially I wasn’t interested in. Durst did a fantastic job of developing the character growth of both their past and present and developing a world that was amazing to read about.

ARC provided by NetGalley for an Honest Review
Having read The Deepest Blue by this author and thoroughly enjoying it, I had high hopes for this book. The blurb had me intrigued but unfortunately I never really got into this book. I felt dropped into this unknown world that I really wish was developed more. I’ll be honest my mind has been on holiday mode which perhaps contributed to my lack of connection with the book but really I started lost and it took like a third of the book for things to make sense. The heroine was part of a group, let’s call them bone magicians, who all in their own way read, speak to, share power and manipulate bones. Years ago in the midst of a battle against their realms worst enemy Kreyas husband is killed and she basically just abandons everyone and everything she knows, for around twenty five years-if I remember correctly. Through this time Kreya has used her bone powers to give life to things, most importantly on occasion her husband (his time ‘alive’ is always limited). 😳 Long story short Kreya needs the help of her old friends to once again save the world. Parts of the story were fun and enjoyable but in a general sense it was a bit predictable. I also wasn’t a fan of the end which wrapped up far too quickly for my liking. [I hated that after being denied and turned away time after time from trying to help, the group returns, saves the world and then they run away in fear without receiving so much as an apology or thank you. It didn’t sit right with me after all they went through. (hide spoiler)] While I never really connected with the book it was a very unique and interesting story, I think characters being able to use power from bones is a fascinating concept.

As soon as I read "....created an inhuman army using animal bones...." in the synopsis for The Bone Maker by Sarah Beth Durst, I knew I had to read this novel, it turned out to be more amazing than I had anticipated. The Bone Maker is a legitimate Epic fantasy, with a cast of bone witches all past their glory, we meet Kreya, who loved her husband so much.... that she reanimated him from scavenged bones. And the rest of the cast is just as fascinating.

Having our heroes presented to us well into their adulthood gave them infinite levels of nuance and complexity. My investment in the fates of my heroes was deeper because they felt so real. The world building, the magic system, and the story are all so special and singular. Please don't sleep on The Bone Maker by Sarah Beth Durst, it'll be on your favorites shelf guaranteed.

A Charming Tale about a group of friends who had fought together in the Bone War against a corrupt and evil Bone maker who used his talents to create hideous animated creature from animal parts and bone who they destroyed. The tale begins with the fact that one of the five was killed in the War. His wife has preserved his body and used forbidden bone magic to bring him back to life for short periods of time. She is running out of resources and reaches out to her old friend to obtain more talisman to be able to go on a quest to get enough bones to resurrect her husband completely. The talisman gives strength or speed or the ability to fly which will help make the journey easier. Unfortunately during the journey they also discover that the evil bone maker they believed they killed is very much alive. The five friends band together to fight evil again but will they be able to finish what they started???
This was a fun adventurous read blending dangerous circumstances with breathing fallible heroes. The friendship and camaraderie is enchanting. The world-building is perfect for a fantasy story.

The Bone Maker by Sarah Beth Durst was PHENOMENAL. It sucked me in from the first chapter and didn’t let go even once.

This story is a refreshing mix of “heroes save the day” combined with some taboo magic and found families. Sarah did a fantastic twist on a typical hero story, instead telling us a story of what happens after the heroes save the day. It was delightful to read and I stayed up entirely too late in order to finish it.

As a stand-alone, I felt it was remarkably done in that it managed to answer all my questions about the past without being too bogged down in flashbacks, while still staying very much in the present actions that the heroes were going through. It left nothing unanswered and nobody was left hanging at the end!

It also explored some powerful commentary on what war does to a person and how society can often forget the humans behind the heroes, which was very poignant and emotional. The characters were fantastically developed and realistically flawed. Sarah’s character development is beautiful.


A big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Bone Maker is not a usual story. It doesn’t start out with one character—or even a group—being slowly introduced to their allies in the story and the readers outside it as they face a new enemy. Instead The Bone Maker reunites a group of heroes who know each other and who each already have their scars from the enemy they must fight again. In some ways, it was a great look at what happens to the heroes after they’ve won (as they thought they had), but in others, it was a challenge for readers to see the characters as they obviously must see each other.

One of the first big points of the story is that Kreya has been using illegal magic using the taboo ingredient of human bones and needs her old friend Zera’s help to obtain more. Their culture hinges upon using animal bones for magic, but human bones are burned specifically so that they can’t be used. The taboo is so ingrained that Zera pukes when she finds out Kreya has been using them. Yet, within the same chapter, Zera agrees to help Kreya get more. As a reader at this point, I wasn’t invested enough to feel the emotion of this change (if there was any), and through to the end, I didn’t know the characters’ history enough to understand it, and that was certainly an issue.

Mostly, that sums it up. I liked everything in The Bone Maker all right, but the world and it’s history weren’t delved into enough to make me love it.

I was given access to an e-copy of The Bone Maker in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thanks to Harper Collins and Netgalley.

This book feels different from the other Durst books I have read, but this one still delivers. The story starts off with an action sequence and spends a good amount of time describing the magic system and the character's motivations. It later on becomes apparent that the character, who first presents as a type of rogue thief, is actually something else, and has a history as a famous person within this world. To me, the story lagged a little bit in the middle as it was setting up it's pieces for the last 40% of the book. When the main antagonist came onto the scene, the plot started to really move. Back story was exposed and there was plenty of court intrigue presented as well. What seemed like a love story became a love story within the context of a larger struggle-and that romance took a back seat in the second part of the novel.

The author may be channeling some frustration with current government into the writing but an interesting take here is that this book occurs AFTER an alluded to but not depicted earlier battle with the main antagonist. You don't often get much about what happens afterwards in a story and in this case, it was written like a novel length epilogue to a story, with a middle aged female protagonist, yet you still got to go on the hero's jouney with her. Durst fans will like this, of course, and I think there will be a strong crossover with Naomi Novik, Tad Williams and Fran Wilde readers, and they should pick up this novel. Well done. This definitely has a fresh feel to it.

This is hands down the best book I have read this year. I loved it so much! There's so much story and adventure packed into this book, that by the midway point it felt that other books would have just been ending. There is not a single bit of boring storytelling in this and I found myself really taking the time to imagine the scenes (I know it's sort of lazy I guess when I don't, but in other fantasies I have read it's just tedious).

I had started reading this after trying to read two other popular fantasies and being immediately put off by the main character being eighteen years old. I get it, YA is having a time right now and that's great, but I wanted a story where the heroes are my age and this book was it. It is so refreshing to read a book this good, in the fantasy genre, that had characters in their thirties/forties!

The story is about five friends who have already saved the world and must do so again. Kreya, the logical leader who makes bone constructs (think bones and whatever other material that can be combined to make a robot, whether it's wood, fabric, or metal). Jentt her husband who acts as the thief and scout for the group. Zera her best friend who can carve talismans from bones to make people and constructs fly, gain speed, be stealthily. Stran their big lovable boulder of a friend and finally Marso, their bone reader who can read the future and past in the bones.

Zera is my favorite character, her personality was fun, sassy, loyal, heart warming. Honestly I'd love to see another story in this series and if not based on the Five, then based solely on her.

Below are some quotes I pulled out.

"As she descended the spiral stairs, she paused on the third level to check on her husband. He lay, as always, carefully wrapped in white linens. “Tomorrow, we’ll watch the sun rise together,” she told him. “You’ll say something that will make me laugh, and I’ll make willow tea that you’ll ruin with too much honey. And then we can do whatever you want. Walk in the woods. Mend that step you’re forever tripping over. We’ll have time.”"

:O

"It was comforting to be surrounded by so many books, as if the past experience of all the authors could protect her from the unknown future."

Although I have never felt protected, who can't say they haven't felt comforted by being surrounded by books?

"Twisting in the saddle, Zera tried to check, but the horse’s fur blocked her view.The horse snorted until she pulled herself back up.“You’re a fussy one.” She decided that meant it was a boy."


"Opening her eyes, Kreya noticed that the other rag dolls were clustered around, some on the bed and some by her feet. She gathered them into her arms, and they swarmed all over her, patting her hair and stroking her back.
----------------------------------------------
She looked down at the little crushed scout in her arms. "


Why did these little creatures have so much personality to them? I wanted to cry reading that!

"Without thinking about whether he could or not, she asked, “Marso, any predictions?” “Death and doom,” he replied. “I don’t need bones for that.”"


Thanks to the author Sarah Beth Durst, Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions are mine.

Sarah Beth Durst does it again. She has quickly become my favorite author with Race the Sands, The Queen of Blood, and now, The Bone Maker.

Durst has an exquisite skill for creating an entire world within the first five pages of her books. (No really, read the first five pages of each of the books I mention above.)

Durst writes books for all ages, and The Bone Maker is adult fantasy for people who love YA Fantasy for all the right reasons. The pacing is quick and suspenseful, the characters are well-developed, and the dialogue isn't overwrought. I laughed out loud at the wit of some of the characters and I teared up at least a few times.

Durst brilliantly captures the story that happens after the story concludes. I was worried it might read like a sequel to a book I hadn't read, but my worries were misplaced. Our hero is 25 years past her prime and glory, and we get to go along on her journey of discovering what it means to save the day in a much more mature, measured, but no less badass way.

If you still read YA Fantasy but are looking for a more complex level of self-reflection, moral crisis, and love/partnership, The Bone Maker is a great read. However, it may miss the mark if you are seeking pages and pages of scenic descriptions, a ton of "will-they-won't-they" sexual tension, or levels of plot complexity which require notes or diagrams to follow, which, to be honest, usually bore me or bother me.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC, which I received in exchange for this honest review. And thank you, Sarah, for writing another inspiring world which has lit so much up in my imagination.

Sarah Beth Durst is an author who's rapidly becoming an insta-read for me. The Bone Maker features many of the things that make her books so strong: unconventional older heroines, worlds that are just developed enough to be interesting, and appealingly standalone stories. Despite the somewhat dark subject matter (yes, bones are the magic source) there is no gritty grimdark here. Great found family dynamics, interesting characters and worldbuilding, and overall a very enjoyable read.

"The Bone Maker" is a new standalone epic fantasy featuring a bevy of witches who use bones and spells on talismans to save the world. Twenty five years after saving the world, the five witches are in sad shape with one sort of dead, one who isolated herself in a tower among constructs made of bones and her late husband's corpse which like Dr. Frankenstein she reanimated with stolen human bones, and others not surviving too well.

Although marketed as an adult fantasy, this one hovers more closely around young adult fantasy in genre. It's a world that seems rather primitive except for the cable cars and the magic crawling carriages. Bones are what makes everything work here from mechanical contrivances to corpses. Overall, a bit disappointing.