This is a revised and updated edition of a book previously published long enough ago that I have no memory of having read it, but evidently I did and gave it only 3 stars then. Obviously, like the author, I much prefer the revised, updated edition, because this is most definitely 4 stars and I enjoyed it very much.
The story takes place in a very complex now desert world with humans and humanoids, great cities and desolation, and here and there the creations of Ancients. The society like the cities are tiered, and the rest is far too complicated to explain, but follows the exploits of a humanoid and human relic dealer partners as they attempt to find ancient relics without gaining too much notice by the higher tiers, yet somehow still getting in far, far over their heads. Fascinating and exciting. Solid characterizations and great world-building. Highly recommended.

Rating: Alright, 2.5 stars, rounding to 3 because it's Martha Wells

I want to start this by saying that Martha Wells is one of my absolute favorite authors. Murderbot Diaries and Books of the Raksura are some of my favorite series. This book just was rather a letdown.

This book was originally published in 1995 with an updated copy coming out in 2023. I think that this really highlights how much Martha Wells has grown as an author over the last 30 years of her career. We have trademark Wells elements to this story: a super intriguing and unique world, a disaster main character, dry and snarky humor, but the list pretty much ends there.

I think that the thing that hurt this book the most in my opinion was the pacing. This reads like a plot-driven novel, but the plot was meandering and never fully clear. I feel like it was mostly about hanging out with Khat in this world, but there wasn't enough character interaction or development to make me fully care about Khat, or his close acquaintances of Elen and Sagai.

I think that you can see the bones of what is to come from Martha Wells, so I appreciated that, but this is definitely not a favorite. I am very glad I read it, and I am going to continue through her backlist, I'm just not quite as excited about it anymore.

Thank you to Tordotcom and Netgalley for an early copy of City of Bones, which released September 6, 2023. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

First off I feel like the synopsis on the back of this book is a bit misleading. There is no "find[ing] themselves as the last line of defense between the suffering masses" nor is there a "fanatical cult"

Khat is a kris, a mage created humanoid race designed to survive in the desert, hired to escort Elen, a young but powerful upper class woman known as a Warder, into the waste. It just conveniently happens he's a relic dealer and helps her identify the purpose of the item she has gone into the waste to test. He is then hired by her boss to locate additional relics suspected to power a machine left by the Ancients. Elen, Khat, and a few other friends end up in the middle of multiple political plots and power grabs and have to figure out how to survive.

The worldbuilding is fantastic, the story is good, but I just couldn't connect with the characters. I didn't care about them or what happened to them. They just fell flat to me.

If you're really into unique and extensive magical universes and don't care about the characters I definitely recommend this. It didn't feel like anything I have ever read before.

I remember liking City of Bones when it came out in the mid-90s, but not enough for it to join the list of books by Martha Wells that I would re-read on a regular basis. With a revised and updated version coming out this year, however, I decided to give it another go.

The book has a very busy plot. There’s political intrigue between the city’s ruler and his heir as well as the rival factions of magic users allied with each of them. Both factions are trying to find a set of artifacts created by the much more magically powerful Ancients, and relic hunter Khat is coerced into joining their search. Being enmeshed in their schemes is bad enough, but Khat is also engaged in his own fight with a relic broker who wants to employ Khat in his illegal trade and won’t take no for an answer. And overshadowing everything else is the mystery of the purpose of those ancient artifacts.

All that keeps the story moving, but my favorite part of the book is Khat himself. Khat is a member of a people who were magically bioengineered by one of the Ancient mages, and regular humans despise them as soulless. Being estranged from his own people, Khat has only a few good friends, and he’s constantly having to deal with prejudice in addition to all his other troubles. But Khat is smart and stubborn and incredibly resilient, and he perseveres through everything that’s thrown at him.

My fondness for Khat is probably the cause of my niggling sense of dissatisfaction with the ending of the book. He meets the challenges thrown at him, but when it’s over, Khat is still an outcast from his people and disdained by most, other than a few friends. He’s not unhappy with his life, but I want more for him after everything he goes through.

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for me to review; all opinions expressed are my own.

Overall, it's been an enjoyable, fun read but it was not a book that I've really loved.
The characters and their dynamic reminded me a bit of Riyria or Mistborn - second era. That was a really strong point for me and I've really enjoyed that part.
The worldbuilding was quite well fleshed out! Different types of people, plants, animals, and general idea for the circumstances that we're being shown are really interesting! You can imagine really well actually being next to the characters and following their adventures.

What lost me a bit was that the big mystery of the book was pretty interesting but I have comparison to books where I couldn't sleep until I got to know more and that wasn't at that level. That being said, I'd still rate this book 4 stars but the ending was a bit anticlimactic for me and that lowered it to ⭐⭐⭐ for me. It still was something I'm glad I've read and I've enjoyed it, but it won't be a book I'll remember for a long time if that makes sense.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for granting me access to an e-arc.

City of Bones was released years ago but is being republished in 2023. Since I have loved all of Well’s Murderbot series I was excited to jump into a different type of story produced by her. This is the type of fantasy I’m used to reading where we are light on romance, heavy on world building with really good plotting. I was happy to see that even in a different setting than Murderbot you could still see all of the great imagination and political plotting come through. Like most epic style fantasies, it will require the reader to be a little patient up front as the world is shaped around you.

Khat is a historian and Krisman (think Dune sand people, but bioengineered to Survive in the deserts), he is also a man that lives on the edges of society making a living trading in goods that may or may not have been procured legally. The city in the middle of the desert he lives in, is a caste type system with the elites living in upper tiers with the cleanest water and as you fall in wealth or usefulness you are placed into lower and lower tiers until you are deemed useless and cast out into the desert. In a bind, he is tasked by someone cloaked from the upper tiers, a Warder, to take them out into the deserts to one of the caches from the ancients.

Elen is a warder who has possibly broken a few rules and taken artifacts out to the desert to see if they can fit them into one of the rooms of the abandoned historical sites. It sets her and Khat onto a journey where they may have uncovered a pandora’s box that could lead to the saving or destruction of the world they live in. Bringing the artifacts out of hiding sets the scene for the beginning of a political intrigue. Khat will have to find a way to steal some more artifacts, keep out of the Queen’s clutches and hopefully not get himself or any of the friends killed in the process.

This is a classic fantasy and I really enjoyed a lot of it. There was danger, intrigue, the threat of destroying the world with only a small band who could possibly save it. I liked the differences in the tier system in the city and how it worked along with the human and Khisman differences. Khat has a lot of dangers to jump through as his bones are even extremely valuable. There are some magics in the book as well employed by the warders and dangers in using them that added an interesting twist of sorts to the story. Plenty of puzzles to tease out in this epic adventure.

“What magic does is to open the mind to the world, and sometimes the world isn’t what we think it is.”

A big thanks to NetGalley and Tor for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Yes! The Martha Wells that was before Murderbot.

City of Bones by Marhta Wells is a fantasy novel she wrote before the amazing sensation that is Murderbot. The city of Charisat, a tiered monolith of the Ancients’ design, sits on the edge of the vast desert known as the Waste. Khat, a member of a humanoid race created by the Ancients to survive in the Waste, and Sagai, his human partner, are relic dealers working in the bottom tiers of society, trying to stay one step ahead of the Trade Inspectors. When Khat is hired by the all-powerful Warders to find relics believed to be part of one of the Ancients' arcane engines, he, and his party, begin unraveling the mysteries of an age-old technology.
This they expected. They soon find themselves as the last line of defense between the suffering masses of Charisat and a fanatical cult, bent on unleashing an evil upon the city with an undying thirst for bone.
That, they did not expect.

I honestly love anything Martha Wells puts out. I loved Murderbot. I loved Witch King. And I loved this one too. Though to not as much as a degree, as it did drag on and was quite different than her more recent work. But at the same, that is expected of an author's debut. I mean, look at V.E. Schwab's The Near Witch. Learning takes time, and there is always time for an updated edition.

A slow burn. Good, but a slow start. There are a lot of similarities with another book that I recently read: the high-cast scholar seeking ancient wisdom is the female lead, a harsh and dangerous terrain, a brave and adventurous low-cast male lead, and loads of plotting and intrigue. Of course, Wells came first.

4 stars

Book Summary:

The city of Charisat is vast – and deeply separated. Each tier of the city represents another class of people. Those on the upper levels live grand lives, while those below...do not. Khat and Sagai live on the lower tiers, and they've made decent lives for themselves.

However, there's no denying the constant threat to Khat. He is from outside, and that puts him in constant danger. Yet even he can't resist the offer to look into a new Ancient artifact, knowing full well that trouble it will likely dump in his lap.

Side note: This is the edited and revised version of City of Bones, released in 2023. The novel was originally released in 1995. Having not read the original, I can't speak to what changes were made.

My Review:

Oh wow. I'm not going to lie, guys; I wish I had read City of Bones sooner. It's SO good! I instantly fell in love with this world and genuinely wish there was more of it (I checked, and I can't find any proof that the story continues into a series? Please tell me I'm wrong).

The story is split into two perspectives: Khat and Elen. Both come from vastly different lives and seeing how their stories wove together was a delight. Likewise, I enjoyed reading about this world's magical and political systems. Martha Wells is brilliant when it comes to worldbuilding.

Speaking of, you can see glimmers of her other series in City of Bones. Khat has some elements in common with other protagonists. That's not a bad thing. I love seeing authors play with similar tropes and designs, perfecting them as they go.

It's been far too long since I dove into a dystopian fantasy. I forgot how much I enjoy these complex elements and storytelling styles. I need to treat myself to books like this more often.

All things said and done, reading City of Bones has further convinced me that I desperately need to read through the rest of Martha Wells' backlog – ASAP. I'm clearly missing out!

Highlights:
Dystopian Fantasy
Magical Archaeologists
Complex Fantasy System
From the Author of MurderBot Diaries

Trigger Warnings:
Prejudice

I absolutely love Martha Wells writing style. The world building and character development in City of Bones is outstanding. There was so much vivid world building throughout the book that I felt I was inside the world along side the characters.

The story takes place in the city of Charisat, a post apocalyptic desert city. Our main character, Khat is a bit of an outcast but I found them very charming.

I couldn’t put this book down. It’s a great read and I’m quite pleased it was rereleased.

I really enjoyed this one. Our MC Khat is interesting, unique, and likeable. I enjoyed his humor and wit, and learning about his Krismen heritage. I really liked his interactions with Elen, (I'm greedy and wanted more!)

I really liked the desert setting, and the tiered city of Charisat. And the Warder powers were interesting. I would love to have another story with these characteris. Even a short story to explore more of their friendships, and the world.

Thank you to @tor and the author for the copy to review!

Ahoy there mateys. This is a standalone fantasy that has been reissued with the author's preferred text.  I found the post-apocalyptical fantasy world building to be lovely.  I really enjoyed the wasted landscape, the cities struggling to survive, and the importance of water to the culture.  I loved the non-human kris race.  I loved the trade of relics.  I thought the main character of Khat was worth rooting for.  This is, however, a slow build up.  The actual reasons for the conflict are not revealed until the 3/4 mark.  The mystery was a bit lacking and I thought the climax to the ending was fast paced and not that all interesting when the truth comes to light.  The solution to the problem was basically a character's magical intuition.  I am not a fan of that these days.  I also cannot say that this book is super memorable.  The details are already starting to fade.  There was one character introduced in the very end that had an expected entrance and ending.  I loved that.  Glad I read it but not in the least of favorites.  Arrrr!

Martha Wells continues to be a favourite author of mine. I’m glad I waited to read this so that I was able to start this series with fresh eyes with this new version. I highly recommend anything Martha Wells has written.

A slow and thoughtful start that ramps up to an exciting latter third. I first encountered Martha Wells as a sci-fi author with her Murderbot series, and only learned that she had fantasy roots when I read her recent novel The Witch King. I really liked City of Bones as I found it to balance worldbuilding and character development nicely, and I thought the story was fresh and interesting. Although this might not be for all fantasy readers as it takes some time to get going, those who enjoy a carefully fleshed-out world are in for a treat.

Having come to the work of Martha Wells through her Murderbot series, I was intrigued when this “updated and revised” edition of one of her early novels, City of Bones, popped up. But if you’re looking for the fast pace and wise-cracking snarky tone of that series, this one might not be for you. This book is more likely to appeal to fans of Ursula K. LeGuin, N.K. Jemisin, or Frank Herbert. Khat, a member of a non-human species called the krismen, normally works as a dealer of ancient relics in the city of Charisat with his human partner, Sagai. Although both Sagai and Khat are outsiders in Charisat, they are some of the most knowledgeable about the Remnants, structures left over from an ancient civilization whose purpose is unknown. When Elen, a young member of Charisat’s elite Warder class, hires Khat to take her to the closest Remnant, a sequence of events is set in motion that could destroy what’s left of civilization.

Likes: The world building of this book, which just straddles the line between sci-fi and fantasy, is stellar. A post-apocalyptic society layered over an ancient society that was far more advanced, and whose scattered and spotty remains are revered but poorly understood, is a fascinating place to explore as a reader. I loved the descriptions of the Waste, the ancient ruins, and artifact market, and Charisat, which is literally divided into levels that divide people into specific castes. The characters are complicated and layered, and often mysterious (even to themselves). There’s a noirish bent to the book that I really enjoyed, with lots of double-crosses and people having to decide where their loyalties lie.

Dislikes: I enjoyed the slower pace, but I like slow-paced sci-fi and fantasy. If you’re looking for something snappy, this won’t be for you. There were a couple of subplots involving Khat’s past that ended up just being a distraction from the main plot for me. And I wish a few of the characters had more airtime, like Khat’s partner and his family. But overall, I would highly recommend this to fans of Dune, The Left Hand of Darkness, or the Broken Earth trilogy!

FYI: murder, violence, death of a family member, racism.

I LOVE the Murderbot series, so I was super excited to read this early!

This is a revised/ revamped version of a previously published story following a post-apocalyptic world. It started off slow but I found myself really enjoying it. The world and system is well-structured and described in detail enough to make it vivid to the imagination. I enjoyed the characters, especially Khat who is a scholar of sorts. Overall, this was a really fun read that I can definitely see myself picking up in the future.

There is a lot to like in this book and it starts with the care that Wells puts into Charisat. It has its ruling class and patricians, but it also has an academy and some humans that retain a certain range of skills that verge on the magical. She does particularly well in describing the life of the lower classes. The city’s hierarchy is reflected in its construction with various tiers allocated to the social classes and the Elector occupying the highest. I wished that Wells or the publisher had taken time to provide some maps of this fascinating place.

I loved it! Highly recommend.

Welcome to Charisat, a bustling town on the edge of the great Waste, all that remains of most of the world following apocalyptic events in the distant past. Artefacts from before the event are highly sought after, and form a busy trade – legal and less so – in the city. Treading a fine line between the two legal positions is Khat, one of the krismen desert dwellers, and an outsider with no status. He’s left unsure as to which camp his expertise is required, when the chief Warder – a power in the city – requests his help with the Ancient Remnant structure, a mysterious place in the Waste.

Pursued by a rival faction, attacked by pirates, and soon on the hunt for two specific relics, Khat is soon thrown in with no one he can trust, and no idea how far this quest is going to go…

I must confess, I didn’t get on too well with Martha Wells’ more recent fantasy, Witch King, and so I was a little trepidatious about this older work. I have no idea how much has been revised and updated for this new edition, but I’m pleased to report that I really needn’t have worried – this was great!

The world building is the first thing to impress me. There’s a sense of depth that we don’t necessarily see, but which adds layers that you feel could be explored. Not everything was clear: I didn’t quite understand the whole ‘pouches’ thing (don’t ask, you’ll know if you read it!) for instance. In fact, it’s a good thing that we don’t go too deep into unnecessary explanations, e.g. of how the magic works, or what the apocalypse was. It’s all just background and richness.

The characters are likeable enough. Khat is our main pov, and his position as an outsider makes him cautious but also on the ‘nicer’ side of the city’s factions, for the reader. The patrician classes don’t come across all that well! We do spend a lot of time with Elen, one of the Warders who has come from wealth and doesn’t really understand ‘real’ life, in many ways. I particularly warmed to Khat’s business partner, Sagai, a frustrated scholar with a warmth and goodness about him.

Pace-wise, and this is a bit of a slow burn story. I advise to settle in and enjoy the journey, losing yourself in the heat of the desert city that comes to life with the descriptions, and by the time events pick up pace you’ll be invested – and also wondering where everything is going to go, I suspect. It’s a cleverly subtle and fresh story that doesn’t fall into tropes, keeping me glued to the page right to the end. Recommended.

With a powerful combination of post-apocalyptic fantasy, treasure hunting academics (paging Indiana Jones!), and a mysterious relic that threatens to unleash catastrophe, City of Bones has all the right ingredients to create one hell of a story. Throw in a collection of standout characters with complicated motivations that seem to be threatening to leave our heroes at cross-purposes and a lingering sense of unease and tension, and you've got another standout novel from Martha Wells. I will say that I was a little disappointed with some character growth, (Elen being the prime suspect), and some other little bits and pieces in the novel that I felt just didn't fit.

Overall, Wells doesn't disappoint with this reworked version of her original story, and fans of her most recent fantasy novel Witch King may want to pick up a copy of this fantasy if they are hungry for more work in that vein.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tor, and Ms. Wells for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

I understand that this book was first published in 1995, some eighteen years ago, and I did not read the original version so I cannot say what is new in this one. There is no author's note sharing what was updated or changed, sadly. However, I really really enjoyed this. Why Martha Wells' name is not in every top-10 list of fantasy, I will never understand. Her skill at evoking a fully-built, tangible imaginary world is breathtaking. In City of Bones I could feel the dusty heat, hear the jangle of coins and rumble of cart wheels. Wells is a magical storyteller and this was a perfect all-in-one story. I suppose Khat, the main character, could have further adventures but his story has a perfect arc here.

Charisat is one of the few remaining cities in a post-apocalyptic desert world following a cataclysmic event. The history of said event is parceled out slowly over the course of the story and becomes more and more ominous as events unfold. Khat, the main character, is a member of a bioengineered humanoid race who has left his enclave in the desert Waste and is making a living as a relic dealer in Charisat (where his non-human race perforce makes him the absolute lowest caste). His business partner is Sagai, a foreigner from one of the other remaining cities. Khat becomes ensnarled in a business deal with a warder (sort of a magician, and nearly the top caste) to find specific relics dating from ancient pre-apocalypse times.

This is absolutely great fantasy in action and I enjoyed every minute. The beginning was, to be honest, a bit of a slow burn, but that's only because the author is setting up the story for a rapid upturn in plot momentum and does not intend to waste a moment explaining or retreading old ground. You, the reader, have been given more than enough time and information at the beginning to be able to keep up when things start moving swiftly. I wouldn't say that City of Bones will displace my #1 spot but it's easily found its way into the top 10. I suppose it's time to glom Wells' backlist now since clearly I'm a full on sucker for her writing style.

5 stars.

City of Bones is a twisting fast paced read that teeters on the boarder of fantasy and dystopian. Wells has an amazing flair with world building. From the depth of the Waste and Charistat to each little detail, the world is thought out and well developed. While there is a lot of information, Wells is kind to the readers by info dumping all this knowledge. The story is strong as well. There is plenty of mystery and twists as well as a romance. The characters are also diverse, unique and interesting. The interactions and bonds developed with characters and through the story are natural and engaging. The characters are even relatable. I'm a sucker for a strong female character, and City of Bones gave me that and more. I was fully engaged through the entire book and enraptured with Wells' writing. I have not read the previous releases of this title, so everything was new to me. This is definitely a book we will add to our collection and one that I will have on my own personal shelves.