I feel like this read just didn’t meet expectations.

The beginning was the most enjoyable and I liked the world building but it ended up feeling too wordy and dense.

Would definitely give this another read in the future now I know the story but it’s maybe just not the sort of read for me on a kindle.

I really wanted to enjoy this, it started out so promising and I loved the sounds of it so much. Sadly I struggled through it, but wasn’t rewarded with the story I hoped for. I really didn’t like the man character, things felt quite inconsistent with her abilities as well. The chapters just seemed to switch too different characters with little sense of crossover or explanation, it felt unsettling. The genres really didn’t mix well
This just wasn’t for me.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

No, this one is not for me. I struggled through it but found that the mix of genres did not really work and the main character was just annoying. More work is needed to make her abilities logical and consistent.

This started out really well. The first chapter drew me in and began some very interesting world building, with just the right amount of angst at the end of the chapter that I really wanted to read more and see what happened.

Then the next chapter switched to life aboard a spaceship and didn't even follow the familiar character who we met in the first chapter and saw taken away. This didn't work for me. Perhaps if the original situation had been further developed, melding a primitive Fantasy world with science fiction could have been doable, but having my investment in the first characters cut off so suddenly completely lost me.

As a result, I never really got invested in the story to the degree I had been at the end of the first chapter. I think this author can write well, but would be better sticking with one genre at a time.

This fusion of two of my favourite genre's, fantasy and sci-fi, was exactly what I needed and an great escape to world filled with twists and turns.

This book is a strange mishmash of fantasy and sci-fi that didn't seem to work, or at least it didn't work for me. I quite liked some of the fantasy sections, and even the brother being taken by a spaceship sort of worked. But then we move to full-on sci-fi in a way that is incredibly jarring and not obviously linked until later. I couldn't get used to it, even as it became clearer. I think the book needed more work or to pick one genre and run with it.

Lindsay has created a stunning world of complex characters and situations that makes readers question what it truly means to be good and evil.

I loved this book even thought I have been seeing so many mixed reviews I wanted to give this book and this author a chance, I like to go into a book not really knowing much about it so this was perfect for me. New to me Authors are my favourite so this was always going to be a highly anticipated book. Thanks so much to Harper Collins for a review copy of this one.

I will be buying a copy when it is released. My advice would be if you arent sure whether you are in the mood for a sci fi or fantasy pick this one up and you will get the best of both worlds

Sonara has been wrongly accused of murdering her brother and her mother, the Queen, who has always found her to be a mistake, sentences her to death. But she gets a second chance at life, brought back by the shadows and the heart of the planet itself.

When I started reading the book, I was a little confused as it seemed to be set in medieval times and then there was some fantasy and sci-fi. The story itself was quite interesting, but it could have been written better. I had difficulty getting into this book and finishing it.

Alas, this one just didn't work for me. It was all just one giant confusing mess. I did read an ARC so hopefully perhaps some of my issues were resolved before release, as a few more rounds of editing could have transformed it into a great story.

The supporting characters were the best part of the story for me. I mean, one of them has a wyvern as a pet ... errr.. maybe more of a side-kick. I'm not sure dragon-like creatures should ever be considered "pets" - definitely more of mutual symbiotic relationship, since there is always the possibility you may end up as a crispy crunchy snack.

The story was really let down by the MC. Their gift / curse / powers were a wee bit confusing and seemed conveniently flexible and inflexible for no reason other than to add unnecessary tension to the plot. Their power of "detecting and manipulating auras" seemed to conveniently have the ability to open doors , detect "auras" of hunger and decay and then other times just not work. We're continually told what an awesome stabby little unicorn they are, but they were as dull as a box of hair. You get whiplash from the continuous angry love / hate relationships they have with other characters and the conveniently useful / uselessness of their powers. Ultimately, it was a mundane and forgettable read.

Recommended for fans of: Melissa Bashardoust, Gravemaidens, All the Stars and Teeth, Amber & Dusk, A Throne of Swans

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers, HQ, for the ARC.

I think this book tried too hard to be different. It is a mix of fantasy and science-fiction that at times didn't blend together well. Too many different elements were included when I think that a more refined focus on just a few of them would have made this book better.
On paper, this is exactly the type of thing I devour in a couple of days but I didn't really connect with Blood, Metal, Bone which is probably why it took me ages to finish. There's nothing outstanding about this but it is an alright escape to another world.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title. This was my honest review.

I really wanted to love this book as it sounds right up my street with the mix of fantasy and Sci-Fi however I ended up dnf-ing it. I just couldn't get into the story or feel any sort of connection with the characters.

I might try and pick this up later on down the line but for now it just isn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing me with a copy of the book.

I really enjoyed Blood Metal Bone. My favorite thing was the mixing of worlds a little spacy opera and a little historical fantasy.

Also, the Devil of the Deadlands is awesome, I enjoyed having such a strong female character! You need to read this book!

I requested an early copy of this book thinking that it would be a straightforward fantasy book, but I was quickly proven wrong. Blood, Metal, Bone is part medieval-like fantasy and part science fiction, which I was not expecting. The book follows Sonara who lives on a planet with horses and swords, and Karr, a smuggler on a spaceship. I think the combination of these two elements was done really well as the reader could distinguish why the differences existed, but it didn't feel too complicated.

I liked the characters within Blood, Metal, Bone, but I would have loved to have learnt more about them. I didn't find them particularly intriguing, and they all feel a bit generic. With a bit more background about some of the side characters, it would have felt a bit more well-rounded and I would have felt a stronger emotional connection to them. I would have also liked to have read a bit more from Kerr's POV, as most of the book was told from Sonara's POV, which did get quite repetitive towards the end.

One thing that makes Blood, Metal, Bone memorable for me was the lack of romance. There always tends to be a romance between some of the characters in traditional YA fantasy, even if they are not the main characters, but there was no romance at all in this book. Instead, it was much more focused on family and found-family, which I would like to see more within books.

Blood, Metal, Bone is the first Lindsay Cummings book that I have read, and I liked her writing style. It didn't feel like there were any unnecessary words or phrases; everything served its purpose. But this did mean that I wanted a little bit more world building and setting description. I would have loved to have found out more about the surrounding area and the landscape. I also found myself getting lost where the characters were on the planet, so I think a map would greatly benefit this book.

The ending of Blood, Metal, Bone was not what I was expecting, which meant I was hooked to the final page. I usually can predict plot twists, and while I got some of them, I didn't manage to get them all. This made a nice change for me.

Overall, I enjoyed reading my first Lindsay Cummings book and would pick up any new books that she releases in the future. I would definitely recommend Blood, Metal, Bone if you are not traditionally a science fiction reader, as it could be a good introduction into the genre.

If I was to sum up this book in one word, it would be: odd. There's nothing wrong with reading something a bit odd, and a bit out there, but this really was just... odd. I wasn't at all prepared for the move from the first part of the story onto drug-stashing science fiction, especially as I was really enjoying the writing and story up to that point. I'm struggling to find what to say because, although I did enjoy the rest of the book, it really was just... odd.

Well I have to say Blood, Metal, Bone was a real surprise. Going by the description of the book I had no idea that this story would include sci-fi and I’m glad because I probably wouldn’t have picked it up to be honest.

I’m not the biggest fan of sci-fi but I’m pleased to say that it worked really well in this story and although I did prefer reading the more fantasy side it was still gripping.

I loved the world building in Blood, Metal, Bone, it isn’t over powering but gives you enough to visualise. Whether I was with Senora riding through the desert on horseback wielding a sword or with Karr the smuggler somewhere up in space the images formed easily in my mind which I love.

We’re told the story of Senora and the story of Karr and as I was reading I wasn’t sure how they’d connect but they peiced together perfectly. I had real trouble putting this book down, some parts I could see coming, others had me stunned and I was swiping those pages desperate to see what was coming next.

I liked the characters in the book, you get to know the two main characters fairly well, they have a back story but some of the others were and still are a bit of mystery. At first I really wanted to know more about them but as the story unfolded it didn’t seem to matter as much as I was just so caught up in what was happening.

This is the first book I’ve read by Lindsay Cummings and I really like her writing style, it was easy to read even if it was in part a genre I’m not comfortable reading. Those parts didn’t feel like a struggle at all.

Blood, Metal, Bone is a fast paced, gripping story. It’s unique and one I will definitely recommend.

This is definitely one for fans of "The Fate of the Tearling" by Erica Johansen.
A unique mix of fantasy and sci-fi that I rarely get to see, especially in YA fiction.
Without giving too much away there is a rich mythology to the worldbuilding from early on, including different cultures' creation myths which I found really interesting to compare.

There isn't really an introduction to the sci fi element in the story so I did find it a little jarring at the first chapter change in POV. It did take me out of the story a little. I'm not sure if either POV suffered from the fact of quite a lot happening and being put into the one book, however I did feel like the fantasy aspect and Sonara's POV was a little more fleshed out.

This book included one of my favourite kinds of magic, namely shadow and blood magic. After each character's traumatic event they are returned with different aspects of this power. While not being a completely unique idea I think the author did a good job of describing and building her own lore around it.
Would perhaps be a particularly good choice for fantasy readers that would also like to explore the sci fi genre.

Blood, Metal, Bone is by Lindsay Cummings. I was luckily enough to receive an e-arc of this on netgalley and was excited because I was a fan of Zenith and now I was so excited to read this so let’s dig in,

Blood, Metal, Bone is set on the world of Dohrsar where the land is split into three rival kingdoms. These kingdoms are ruled by various Kings and Queens who are revered by those who serve them. This is when we meet our main character, Sonara. Sonara is the bastard daughter of the Queen of Soreia, Iridis. Sonara being a bastard is looked down upon by her mother and the rest of society and so is forced to work and live in the Stables. Her only friend and confidant is her brother, Prince Soahm. But when her brother is taken in a beam of light, her mother blames her. Now she is sentenced to death and tortured and people don’t believe that she is wrongly accused.

But once she is left for death like something on the ground, the shadows grant her a second chance at life. Sonara is brought back to life as a Shadowblood. A shadowblood is a type of warrior with a magical power for the shadows that lingers in her blood. She has been cast out and hunted for her powers that she was gifted and now lives on the edges of society in the deadlands. Now revered herself, she is known as the Devil of the Deadlands, she survives by thieving her way through life and fighting for survival. She decides that she must find out what really happened to her brother on that night and will stop at nothing to do so.

When you look at this book, you get a mixture of sci-fi fantasy vibes from it and that is exactly what it is. It’s a concoction of tropes that they are both known for. This book deals with heavy subjects such as love

and loss between family members and ones that do eventually become like family to Sonara. Cumming’s writing style is one that I do enjoy but the only thing I didn’t like is that it’s only one book. If this book had been a duology, I believe it would have been so much better instead of being crammed into a 400 page book. Lindsay Cummings did an amazing job and it is a truly an entertaining read.

3 out of 5 stars.

Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me. I’m a big fan of fantasy, and like the odd sci fi, but this book seemed confused as to what it was. It was simultaneously trying to be high fantasy and sci fi, merging the genres in a way that left me disorientated, like I was reading two different books. The cover and description feel very fantasy to me which is why I was so interested in reading, but it just did not appeal. The big twist is easily spotted early on, and unfortunately I had to quickly skim read after 40% of the way through. The ‘world’ definitely has a lot of interest there, but the story for me just didn’t work.

This book was insane in a good way! There's some scifi, fantasy and medieval elements to it. The shadowblood thing was really different from everything I've read. There's no romance here, only people trying to survive doing what they think it's best. My only complaint is that the book is a bit repetitive sometimes but otherwise, it was a great stand alone fantasy.

This book is a unique blend of fantasy and sci-fi. I went into it thinking it was your normal mediaeval inspired and was in for a shock. I really wasn’t expecting the second point of view which is pure sci-fi and the start felt like you’re reading she completely different books. However if you are going into it thinking it will be sci-fi you will feel disappointed as it does lean slightly more on the fantasy side of things. However, despite my confusion at the start this blend of genres made it hard to predict a book, because twists came in the form of magic and science- almost anything was possible! I see this is both a positive and a negative, in that there are some twisted I just couldn’t predict and also this meant the sticky situations where never really unsolvable (it just depended on what the author wanted to happen). This book also has amazing world building (although I am still interested in some of the “off world” places), there is very limited romance which I know is rare to find, and it’s also a standalone!

Overall I really enjoyed this book, great characters, wonderful world building and it was unique with it’s blend of sci-fi and fantasy.