I didn't get that this book would be such a short story, I was more for the synopsis and the beautiful cover. The plot and idea are good, a retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice, but sapphic! But the overall delivery wasn't the best for me, partially because it is so short, the world building and the character development weren't at all there, which was a bummer since I actually liked the vague idea that I got of it. The romance was also a bummer, I didn't actually feel it, I would like to, because I like the characters but it was rushed.
About the story, Teagan and Cress, a married couple, go on a mission because Teagan is dieing of something... We get it further on the story but it is still confusing as to why it happened. Cress and Teagan got in a big fight before the mission to the shadow realm, which is a very dangerous place, and Cress went alone. We also get to know parts of the lives of cress and teagan like how they met, their studies and a bit about the family, but it isn't much, and again it is more of a tell versus show since there is not much "space/time". While reading the book I felt that I didn't know much about them, and that I didn't really care much either, I found that I just kept reading because it was short.

As a novella, and keeping in mind that it is really short and, obviously as a result of that, underdeveloped, the book isn't bad. I feel that I wouldn't recommend it normally, unless you're really looking for a short story.

The ending wasn't my favourite, the journey wasn't that excited and didn't got me hooked, overall was a medium read.

Rating: 2,5/3 stars

Thanks to Nyx Publishing and the author for this Netgalley ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I think I really over-hyped this in my head because I heard 'sapphic Orpheus and Eurydice retelling' and was immediately invested. It was still good; I found the two main women really relatable and I enjoyed the way their relationship was explored. But I thought the world-building was really lacking (although I understand that this is essentially a novella, so it's a lot harder/not always necessary to do that). I still enjoyed it, but I would say it didn't quite meet my expectations.

Thank you Nyx Publishing for an E-arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Bone Way at first had all the things that would make for an amazing tale.

Mythology retelling? Check!
Sapphic Romance? Check!
Dangerous Journey? Check!
Idea of a compelling Villain? Check!

Unfortunately, the novella suffered with most of the above. This was one of those stories, that definitely would have benefited from being a longer book, rather than a novella. It was too short to fully get the love between the two main characters, which we also mostly only got through multiple flashback sequences. Had we had a chapter or two before the plot goes on, I feel we would have seen a much better relationship between the two women.

The journey and the Shadow Princess are what I was looking forward to the most, yet both went by so quickly that I am still unsure of how the plot progressed. I wish we could have gotten a bit more of the journey's danger, less flashbacks telling us why things are terrible. Then, I -definitely- wish we coulda gotten way more with the villain.

Overall, it was a quick story, but I think that's exactly the reason I rated it so low.

First of all I want to thank NetGalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.

And now onto said review. I feel like I would have needed a hundred pages more to be able to fully connect to the characters and the story. I liked the premise, what I read was fine, but I felt like it was not enough. I would have loved to see more backstory to the main characters, I don’t find what we need enough to root for them as a couple. I would have also loved to see more of the Princess, she seemed interesting but we didn’t get enough to grasp me.

Writing a short story is hard for the very reasons this one didn’t get me as interested as it should have. It’s still an entertaining read, but I feel like it could have been more than that.

This book takes you on a journey through the shadow realm. It also takes you through a journey of love, heartbreak, and thrills. The book follows Teagan as she goes into the shadow realm to retrieve her wife and hopefully, save both of their lives. Teagan has been bitten by a monster from the shadow realm which poisons her more and more every day. The only cure is with the Shadow Princess. The Princess is known for being cruel and ruthless, as is described in the myths about her. The book was pretty good, 3.5 stars. I was expecting the book to be much longer, but for being a novella it’s really good. I read the book in one sitting and was really interested the whole time. The only complaint I have is that the book isn’t longer. I found that the book was really rushed and I couldn’t quite bond with the characters and the world very well. I was interested in the romance, but everything happened so quickly I couldn’t really find myself fawning over the love story. I also think that they should’ve had a harder time getting back to their world, the Princess just kind of let them go, which was super out of character. I found the Princess’s story a lot more interesting than either of the main characters. I would love to get a whole book about her one day ;), but for now, I did enjoy this novella and I hope you will too!

The Bone Way by Holly J. Underhill undertakes an Orpheus/Eurydice inspired tale where two wives, Cressidae and Teagan, attempt a dangerous journey to the Shadow Realm to seek an impossible boon.

I wanted to love this novella (and lately SFF novellas have been some of my favourites), but unfortunately I was rather tepid on it. Structurally, most of the romance is developed through flashbacks, which takes away from the urgency of Cressidae and Teagan’s quest in the present timeline. It also leaves less room for worldbuilding, which was spotty and left me feeling at times like this was Generic Fantasy Universe #293.

In addition, though I don’t mind established relationship stories, I found it hard to connect with the emotional stakes between Cressidae and Teagan since we were told more than shown they loved one another. The sudden shift of focus to the backstory of a different character near the end made the pacing suffer as well.

While there’s certainly potential and the prose and thematic subjects, this story sadly did not stand out in my memory long after reading. Ultimately, The Bone Way may work for those seeking a short, straightforward novella with a neatly packaged ending, I wanted more depth from almost every craft element.

Thank you to Nyx Publishing and NetGalley for an advance reading copy. All opinions are my own.

“Teagan was so angry she burned.”

A sapphic twist on the classic story of Eurydice and Orpheus, where Orpheus travelled to the land of the dead to attempt to bring his love Eurydice back to life. Teagan is dying and her only hope is to make a deal with the dark princess who rules a kingdom of the dead but when Teagan refuses to risk her wife, Cressidae’s life, Cress leaves in the middle of the night to complete the journey alone. Now Teagan must find her wife, save herself and escape the Shadow Realm.

The book was a surprisingly easy read, it wasn’t over complicated and reminded me of a fantastical bedtime story or short folk tale with a singular message or focus so to speak. In saying that, it lacked depth, despite being a novella, there could have been a lot more emotion conveyed. Especially with the romance and love between the couple. I could see the author, through the use of flashbacks, trying the establish that history and relationship but it fell flat. It was meant to be an epic love, but it just wasn’t there. They met and were married within a year or so and they’ve been together two, but I feel none of that heat, that history or why it all happened so fast. I’m not caught up in their love story I’m on the outside looking in and wondering why everything is happening the way it is. It's always amazing to see queer retellings but for that reason, I also want to see and know more, I’m always gasping for relatable sapphic reads and this was lovely but not enough.

The adventure and plot was a lot of fun, one review I read described it as Studio Ghibli worthy and I could definitely see those vibes with a touch of the Lord of the Rings, I would love to see this story developed further, especially in graphic novel format with all that amazing imagery. The Shadow Realm was interesting and unique which kept me reading but I would just love to see it developed further. There were so many questions I had about the context and creation which were unanswered and there were so many opportunities, when I look back, for twists and turns that were left out. It follows a very simple story arc. Similar to the romance aspect, I know there could have been so much more.

This feels like a taster to what not only this story could be but a taster to what Holly J. Underhill can accomplish. I’m excited to see where she goes next and how she develops but for now, this is an enjoyable easy to read short story that could have been so much more.

"The Bone Way": 3⭐

(Unpaid Review: thank you to @netgalley, @hollyjunderhill and the publishers for sending me an eArc copy in exchange for a review).

I was absolutely stunned by the cover and concept of this book. Everything with witches on it calls my attention instantly. I was really excited to get to read this story.

However, it felt a little blant and vast. The author failed to execute timings correctly and the romance felt so weak. In every book, there has to be a little romance.

Still, it is a pretty good book to start fantasy with!

i'm usually not at all a fan of novellas, but this one was simply wonderful. i adored the messiness of both cress and teagan as they argued throughout their journey, and before. the worldbuilding was also shockingly well done for a novella, to the point where i almost forgot that i was reading one. moreover, teagan's bond with her deceased mother and the depiction of her grief were heartwrenching and well done. all in all, a great little read with more than enough sapphic love!

Orpheus and Eurydice sapphic retelling? Sign me in.
Intriguing premise and very well built world, I really loved how innovative the idea behind the book was.
Good writing and characters.
Would recommend.

This book was soooo good! I was so excited to read this sapphic Orpheus and Eurydice retelling.

I will update with a full review soon!

**Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review**
"The Bone Way" by Holly J. Underhill is a sapphic debut novela retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice set in a well-thought-out world where magic and industrial-era technology work together.
This was such a cute little story and a great retelling, the writing was beautiful and the world so well-built, I hope we get more from it because it would be a waste to confine it to 160 pages.
The relationship was adorable, especially when they first met, I wish we had gotten more detail on that day instead of a summary, I would've liked to see them fall in love. At the end, when they actually interact on the fictive present, they lost a little chemistry, though.
I felt the ending itself to be rushed, they got out of problems too easily and convinced the antagonist nearly immediately, I would've liked to see more tension throughout those last chapters. I'm also not sure about the title of the book, as I feel it doesn't encapsulate the whole story.
Overall, I am giving this 4/5 stars and hope we get to see more from this author and this world in the future.

First of all, the cover is absolutely gorgeous and the premise of the story is amazing. Apparently it’s loosely a retelling of mythology but I’m not familiar with the story. While it definitely held my attention and was enjoyable, I don’t feel like the world building, characters, relationship, or the “perilous” journey were developed enough in such a short amount of time for me to genuinely become invested.

The main character, Teagan, follows her wife, Cress, to a land ruled by death and a sinister princess of darkness. While the trip was perilous, Teagan manages the whole journey without any significant struggle or conflict. This fell a bit flat considering she was walking through extremely perilous and frightening environments to reach her wife. Throughout the book, the story switches between present day and the past. For a book less than 200 pages, I don’t think this was the best choice. It did not allow the romance between Teagan and Cress to develop enough for the reader to become invested, nor did it allow for any world building or plot to completely form. I didn’t even know why they were taking the Bone Way until a few chapters into the story. I felt like I should have cared more, but there was not enough development in the story for me to hold on to.

I think this story has great bones, no pun intended. The potential is there and I love the premise, but I think it needed more meat to build up the romance, the characters, their backstory, the story of the dark princess, and the world as a whole. If this story was more complete and better developed, it definitely had potential to be a 4 or 5 star story. As it is, however, it is a 2 star book for me, which means it was okay, I liked it well enough, but there was more that I didn’t like than I did like and I probably won’t read it again. Overall, it was enjoyable, but I wish there was more!

The Bone Way is a fantasy novella. It follows a young witch named Teagan whose wife, Cress, goes into The Shadow Realm, a queendom of death, in order to save Teagan from the poison slowly killing her. We follow Teagan as she goes after her wife in order to make sure she comes back alive.

I really liked how this novella was told. I love a fantasy story with a quest with a clear goal and this book definitely had that. I was a little unsure how it would work to tell a big fantasy story as a novella rather than a full length novel but this turned out to be easily solved. It just jumped right in instead of opening with chapters and chapters of background we open with Cress already gone and Teagan leaving to follow her with their backstory told as Teagan takes her journey through the Shadow Realm. I really liked this and I must say I actually preferred it to the slowness of the opening of a lot of other fantasy stories.

That said I had a few issues with the book. The final confrontation with the Shadow Princess felt kind of messy. The Princess arrives out of nowhere and says Teagan and Cress broke her rules by touching and they convince her it didn't count. My problem? They didn't touch. I went back and reread sections after the confrontation afraid I'd missed something but it never explicitly says that they touch let alone draws attention to it.

In addition I was expecting more nuance with the Shadow Princess' character and storyline, especially after Teagan arrives at the Deathly Palace so I was a little disappointed by that. I also wish the poison had more impact of the story. It's constantly mentioned but it doesn't really impact Teagan or slow her down until near the end. As a chronic pain sufferer I was hoping there would be a bit of representation here. Maybe she could have been slowed down or had to use a cane to balance. Instead she runs and moves with ease apart from one moment in part two and in the climax of the story.

Overall I enjoyed this novella and I would definitely recommend it for anyone after a fast-paced queer fantasy story.

Content Warnings: grief, animal death, death of a parent, terminal illness, animal death, referenced sexual content

This sounded like everything I was supposed to love. A sapphic retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice? That's a story I have been wanting to read and write for ages. Yet this novella really fell flat and I was left so confused about the world

CW- grief, death, murder, terminal illness, animal death
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The Bone Way follows our protagonist as she follows her wife down into a version of the Underworld, and as she faces trials throughout.
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I was so excited for this book, but unfortunately it fell flat for me. To start, this would have benefited from being a full length novel, with more time to develop the characters and their relationship. The world building just wasn’t what it needed to be.
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I did enjoy that the sapphic relationship was already established. It is so necessary to see queer couples still thriving and in love, past the usual ending of a book.
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Really 3.5 stars, but rounded down. Thank you to NetGalley & publisher for the ARC <3

Like a lot of other readers, I didn't realize this was a novella and not a whole novel and I wish it was a full novel. I'm not sure it makes sense, but the whole time I was reading this, it felt a little more like a play (location A->B->C->D with interspaced flashbacks to fill in the blanks and lulls) than it did a book. Which isn't to say I didn't enjoy it nonetheless!! But this just wasn't enough- I feel like the author had so, SO much more story to tell and just didn't.

The standouts of this book for me were the flashbacks, world knowledge, and romance- I loved seeing Cress & Teagan be soft and in love and the way they admire each other was very beautiful. Lots of lovely sapphic writing there. I liked that this wasn't a beginning-to-end love story, it was two women who already fell in love, married, and are now facing a challenge together. Teagan's grief was quite well written and I loved the scenes where we saw her be vulnerable and feel her sorrows rather than shove them aside. I also thoroughly enjoyed the backstory of the Shadow Princess and would genuinely devour an entire novel dedicated to her.

Oddly enough for an adventure book, the adventure did not hit as hard as it should've though. The villain's motivations are unclear (at least to me) in a frustrating way, and the ending wrapped it up wayyyy too fast compared to how long it took to get there. There were unfortunately parts of the journey my brain just skipped right over and had to go back and reread which is rare for me.

Overall thoughts: I'm glad I got the chance to read this and it was a good use of an afternoon. I would be strongly inclined to read another book in the same universe, and although the author has room for growth, I'd argue that it's a pretty decent debut. I'm not 100% sure I'd recommend it to a friend though just because this book is like soup: it's nice and warm and you don't regret consuming it (and i love soup!!), but it just isn't substantive enough to be the whole meal.

I was given this arc a few days before the release of the book, during my finals week. I didn’t have the chance to read it before it came out. That’s why I can’t give it an actual rating.

I was quite disappointed with this book. I had high expectations but it fell flat for me. No sense of plot whatsoever.

So this book was unfortunately one of the victims of my reading slump from last month. I started it, and with no fault of the books own my mind couldn't stay focused. But now that I've kicked the slump, I was looking forward to picking this one back up. And while I did like a lot of this book, I feel like it missed out on a fair bit too.

This is a retelling of Eurydice and Orpheus but Sapphic and in a fantasy world. Teagan is trying to save her wife Cressidae, who entered the shadow realm alone to try to make a deal with the Shadow Princess. But even getting to the through the realm is a challenge let alone getting a deal made.

So I'll begin with what I like. I'm a big greek mythology fan- I devoured any mythology I could get as a child. And read the Illiad and Odyssey probably long before I should have. I joke sometimes that how was anyone surprised when I came out as trans when I was obsessed with Tiresias' life and story for years. And I also really enjoy retellings of these classic stories, whether they be movies like O Brother Where Art Thou or even books like Percy Jackson. And I really liked this interpretation of the story (and even the changing of the ending) I was very moved by the emotional story told here. And the fact it was queer is just *chefs kiss*. It's like this was catered to be something I would enjoy- and for the most part I did.

What I didn't like as much was the length of this, and it brought several things I feel like could have been more easily resolved in a longer work.

This is a novella, and it's fantasy and I just feel like the world Underhill built had a lot of potential but there were just a lot of elements that weren't as fleshed out and dynamic as might have been in a full length novel.

Additionally, a lot of this book is told in flashbacks, and in a full length novel I'm not opposed to flashbacks at all to learn more about characters- but in a book of this length I feel like it just took away space where different elements could have been introduced into the fantasy world to give a more full scenario. Neither were fully fleshed out as well as I felt they could have been.

There's a lot to like about this novella, I really liked the new interpretation of the story and the ideas it presented, I just wish the world had more depth to it. 3.5/5