Really enjoyed this one! I know historical Russian setting has kind of been done to death in fantasy in the past few years, but Samotin was really successful with this one. It's a dark and at times painful story, but I love to suffer a little. Very interested to see what else this author writes in the future!

This book was such a thrill for the heart really. It took me a good amount of time to read because it was tinged through by this melancholy sense of desperation- of wars already waged, hearts already broken, promises long shattered. You come into the story after everything has settled, the soldiers have stopped fighting. Dimitri and his friends, the remainder of his court, have been living in a foreign country after Dimitri’s husband, Alexey, waged war and became the new Tzar. Alexey has consolidated his power through his new Holy Science, making himself immortal and strange.

Despite the heavy past that weighs on the cast, there's an ultimate tone of hope. Despite it seeming like all is over, this small group has not given up- not wholly. They see Alexey for what he really is: a blasphemer who has perverted the country’s love of God. Hope to win, despite the lingering pit in Dimitri's stomach that he'll never be able to get over what he once had so he can kill Alexey.

I actually almost stopped when I was about halfway through because it was making me sad and it was all feeling rough. But once you hit that mark it picks up rapidly and I read the second half all in one sitting.

I think this book’s conversation on abuse, especially at the hands of someone you love, is one of the most interesting and compelling pieces of the puzzle. It's Dimitri's biggest obstacle: how to come to terms with what has happened, how to rectify this with the feelings that still exist in him, how to move on because he has to- even if he doesn't feel ready. And the themes of found family and healing slot right in there.

I always say I won't skim other ppls reviews and then I do. I won't say I disagree that this book feels like a sequel to a book I never read. But I also think there's something compelling in that. There's a real haunting sense to it. The world has ended and there's nothing you can do to stop the hurt because its already happened. The only thing left to do is pick up the pieces and keep moving. I am definitely biased as someone who loves memory studies and looking at aftermath and memory and how the moving on is viewed. Regardless. I really enjoyed reading this and you should give it a go!

Really enjoyed this dark fantasy debut! It was hard to put this book down once I got started. It explores darker themes, but does it so well. I loved the darker religious themes as well. The writing was great and seeing the story from our three main POV's kept me coming back for more. All of our characters were fully fleshed out and the slower pace at the beginning really allows you to understand them and their motivations. The ending definitely leaves me excited for the sequel.

(4.25 stars)

When I saw the description of this book, I knew I had to read it. It has been described as a queer dark fantasy. The story takes place in a fictional version of 19th century Eastern Europe/Russia and is drenched in East European Jewish mysticism, folklore and traditions. Yes, there’s a Tsar, but he’s Jewish! This world also treats same-sex relationships as nothing unusual, which is another refreshing aspect.

The story follows Dmitri’s efforts to regain control of Novo-Svitsevo. He used to rule Novo-Svitsevo as Tsar, but lost to his husband, Alexey, in a civil war. Alexey is now immortal, having undergone a resurrection/transformation via what he calls the Holy Science, a twisted version of the fictional religion of Ludayzim. Dmitri is in exile now, with a few of his faithful court. The plot took quite a while to take off, but once it did, I was hooked.

Chapters are told from three POVs: Dmitri, Alexey, and Vasily who is Dmitri’s close friend and spymaster. The book design is beautiful, with illustrations at the beginning of each chapter and illustrations of two playing cards that figure in the story.

It’s not an easy read; be aware that there is a lot of violence and gore, body horror, human experimentation, and abusive relationships, among the content warnings. There are also quite a few very explicit MM sex scenes throughout the book. Dark magic pervades the whole story, which includes both angels and demons.

The story talks to us about the long-term effects of abuse and trauma, about deep friendships, facing our faults (and realizing that some things weren’t our fault).

The final chapter hints at the possibility of a sequel. If that happens, I’ll be reading it.

Don’t skip the Author’s Note at the end!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Canada for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Once I got into this one, I did not want to put it down! It took my brain a while to adjust to having a villain character who was really a villain, not the enemy in an enemies-to-lovers arc. All three POV characters were interesting, and I thought it was impressive that Alexey remained unlikable but still engaging because I feel like we are often predisposed to love the bad guy.

I would recommend this to people who enjoyed the Grishaverse series and want to try something darker, those who enjoy more fantasy than romance (but still some heart-wrenching moments), and anyone who wants to hang out in a queer fantasy world.

I do think TSOTB reads a bit like it could be the second or third book in a series, rather than the first, so if you're someone who doesn't enjoy being dumped into the middle of things it might not be for you! (Everything is well-explained and I love this sort of set up, but it's not for everyone.)

Wow wow wow! This was not what I was expecting but I really enjoyed it! This is definitely a lot darker than I thought it would be so TWs should definitely be checked. I didn't want this to end. The characters actually felt human. I cannot wait to see what Samotin comes out with next after finishing TSoTB.

I’m usually a high fantasy reader, so I was unsure about this one when I received an ARC from NetGalley. However, I was drawn in immediately by the storyline and wanted to know what had happened to cause this war that the characters were reeling from. I thought the use of different narrators was very well done and wasn’t confused about who was speaking.

I did find there to be a few too many sex scenes for my preference, but I had no problem skimming them to get back to the plot.

Overall I really enjoyed the book and I would love to read more by the author!!

What I Loved (at a glance):
🖤Dark Magic
🖤Queer Representation
🖤Betrayal
🖤Chosen Family
🖤Espionage
🖤Wonderfully Written Heartbreak

Sins on Their Bones was a longer read for me, mainly because I wanted to do my best to understand political and religious systems as a Canadian with no knowledge of Jewish culture. It seemed very well done! One thing is that while there are romantic elements, this is not really a romantasy in my books, so please don’t go into it expecting that. It beautifully deals with subjects like manipulation, narcissistic lovers, and depression post-heartbreak.

Once I started to understand what the systems looked like in the world building, I was entranced by the found family aspects as well as the bit of romance.

I honestly just dove straight into this book knowing that the premise was about two ex-husbands flung onto opposite sides of a war, so damn was I delighted to find I loved this book so much. It’s definitely not a read for everybody—the plot generally moves very slow, and the focus is less on the war and more on the characters themselves. I ambled through the first 10-15% struggling to see where the story was going, but once I realised this more character than plot heavy, I began to enjoy it a lot more.

All of the characters in this book are fully fleshed out, and even though they might make decisions that are very rash and stupid, you get a good sense of why they’re doing so. Their inner struggles and conflicts are so very real, and you really get to feel their pains. Laura Samotin does such a good job of making you understand where they came from and how they got to where they are, and that’s undoubtedly what kept me going even when I found the plot to be absent in the first half. The found family dynamic in this book is just so, so good. This isn’t a story that’s very focused on it’s worldbuilding, and you really only get a few sparse details about the overall larger setting, but I think Samotin does a fine job at making you understand elements which are key to the plot, so that you’re not left wanting to understand more. Also, I think the sequel will expand a lot on the larger aspects of the religion, so I’ll be holding my fingers till then.

I also can’t talk about this book without screaming about its main romance, because it is so. so. good. Both Dmitri’s realisation about his unhealthy relationship with Alexey to him finally admitting how much he cares about Vasily was so ridiculously well written. I am a sucker for pining, and this book does that so well. You see exactly why the characters care for each other, so when they finally kiss, it’s so well worth it. A lot of the main themes of this book revolve around learning to accept yourself and overcome toxic and abusive relationships, and Samotin handles that with such care. Though I had a few issues with the pacing at the start and the handling of some plot points at the end (they seemed very rushed over and not dwelt on enough), I had a really good time with this book and I cannot wait to hear news of the sequel.

5 stars

Favourite blurb: "'If I die first, Annika said. 'I'll tell you the secrets of heaven," Dimitri finished,"

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I liked the book a lot! It started directly with Dimitri grieving for the lost spiritually of his husband. This book is about Dimitri trying to save his country from his husband and his belief in the devil. Samuel. It shows the aftermath of the war between him and his husband where he fled because he could not shoot him dead. It shows his interaction with his court: Ladushka, Mischa, Annika and Vasily. Vasily in particular and Dimitri has a relationship going on when Vasily tries to heal and help Dimitri against memories of his husband. Dimitri is very affected by the memories of his husband as can be seen reading the book. The court's interaction is very straightforward and does not drag on. This book did have some fantasy element in it as they can invoke the power of angels and devils. The book features characters with lgbt.

The archangel invoked by the main characters said: "Just as your sins are written on your bones," and "so will you bear the name of God." I guess this is where the name of the book came from.

They will say: "If I die first, I'll tell you the secrets of heaven" as a mantra similarly found in Six Of Crows

Vasily cares and tries to heal Dimitri, he is so caring.

The ending is a cliffhanger and there should be a second book. When it comes out, I will try to get my hands on the other books in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley for this copy of ARC.

This book is truly fascinating. It sets the scene for a story full of political scheming, betrayal, and supernatural elements. The idea of a leader seeking redemption and vengeance against his tyrant ex-husband is both gripping and unique.

The interactions among Dimitri, Vasily, and Alexey are particularly intriguing, as each character wrestles with their motives and yearnings amidst the turmoil of warfare and power struggles. Dimitri's resolve to free his nation from Alexey's oppression while dealing with his conflicting emotions for Alexey and Vasily adds richness to the plotline and hints at character growth.

Introducing aspects like Alexey's ability to resurrect himself and summon creatures from the demon realm brings an exhilarating and unpredictable twist to the narrative. It further heightens the challenges faced by Dimitri and his allies as they confront hurdles in their mission to overthrow Alexey and restore harmony to Novo Svitsevo.

In essence, this novel offers an immersive reading journey, blending intrigue, romance, and supernatural elements that will surely captivate readers from start to finish. It delves into the themes of love, sacrifice, and the repercussions of authority, appealing to enthusiasts of historical fiction and political intrigue.

"I wanted so badly to tell you that if you died, I would follow, because it's no longer the secrets of heaven I would wish to whisper to you. It's that I love you."

4.8 Stars! My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I just finished this moments before writing this review and I think this story will stick with me for a long time. It's a story about death, pain, grief, and love. I cannot speak on the story's relationship to Judaism, but the roots of Eastern European politics are incredibly well done. It's a story about how goddamn hard it is to recover from an abusive partner while also trying so goddamn hard to accept love back into your life.
So much happened in the last quarter of the book, but it didn't feel rushed. I wish more time was spent with Vasily and Dimitri in the immediate aftermath. There was a moment in the last chapter where Vasily knows to rewrite all of Dimitri's correspondence since he is unable to write legibly anymore, and I thought that was just a perfectly small way to show love.

In hindsight, the frustration I felt at Dimitri in the first half was incredibly unfair. The amount of abuse and pain that man went through felt insurmountable, even as the reader. He makes me think of the quote from Space Mom Carrie Fisher: Stay afraid, but do it anyway.

Recommended: sure
For lots of character exploration and the relationships between them, for endless feelings of self-loathing and despair and the glimmer of love and hope that offsets the pain, for a story of emotion

Thoughts:
This is a lucky book where it was a much heavier focus on characters and introspection than I expected, but it was done in a way that quietly sucked me in. I didn't feel bored at any point, even though I could objectively look at it and see that if I plotted out everything that had happened event-wise, there wasn't much there. The inner thoughts of the characters is so richly developed that I just got lost in learning who each of them were and the tangled ways they connected to each other.

There are three main narrative points of view: Dmitri, Vasily, and Alexey. I would normally expect that to result in at least one of them reading pretty thinly, but they are all so deeply defined. I felt like I knew so much about all of them even fairly early on in the story. It made it easy to understand why they felt and acted the way they did in certain situations. The characters largely all hated themselves which was pretty tough to read just for how depressing it was, but also worked well for the book because I very clearly understood their state of mind, ways of thinking, and how that would affect the way they interpreted things.

Sex is an emphasis in this book, and though it's open door and somewhat explicit, it's not particularly gratuitous or extended. Sex serves a purpose in this book, both for the story and for the characters. There was often a second narrative beyond the physicality of it: some characters seeking, escape, or power, or comfort.

There are pretty much only two locations in the entire story, both of which are established from the start. This again feels like it should have worn thin, but there's such a heavy focus on emotion and planning that it drew me in anyway. And I promise, when things did start to happen, I was suprised by how they went (in a good way). I will probably continue the series, but I also feel like I could stop here and be fine with that. It's a tremendously atmospheric experience, so be ready to sink deeply into the characters with this one.

Thank you to WunderKind PR and Penguin Random House for a free advanced copy. This is my honest review!

The Sins on Their Bones is messy and toxic but lovely and I'll be thinking of this book for a while to come. As it contains dark themes definitely check the content warnings before jumping in.

The story explores love, loss, trauma, grief, friendships, abuse and healing. The way we carry the blame for something that was not a fault of our own. How friendship, love and (chosen) family can help on the path of healing, while it's messy and painful there can be moments that are lights in the dark.

The book has great diversity, is a queer-normative world and is rooted in Jewish folklore which creates a rich and beautiful background. The characters and relationships between them feel real and get fleshed out as you move through the book.

I enjoyed the 3rd person narrative, it was written well and quite clear whose thoughts and feelings I was reading throughout the multiple POV's. It started slow and picks up later in the story but that allowed me care about the characters deeply. The book left a soul crushing impression, broke my heart and put it back together. I loved reading it and would recommend it if you like dark fantasy and are okay with the content warnings.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm very intrigued by the premise of this book, and the opening chapter was good. However it was only released as an ARC available within NetGalley's app rather than also available for Kindle download. In this format I was unable to enlarge the font since it was so locked down, and the small text made this inaccessible to me. Had I known this ahead of time I would not have requested the book. So why am I reviewing it anyway, you ask? Because it seems unfair to penalize me for having poor eyesight - if I don't review, it counts against my feedback ratio percentage and thus makes it more difficult to be approved for future requests. This is an unfair and discriminatory situation. I'm giving the book five stars because this isn't the authors fault and I want this book to be successful. We need more Jewish stories with queer representation! I look forward to reading the book once it is published and I can obtain a format that allows for a larger font size.

THE SINS ON THEIR BONES by Laura R. Samotin gives the reader a lot to admire. It introduces us to a well-realized secondary world with shades of 19th century Russia, a magic system rooted in Eastern European Jewish folklore, and a society that’s completely queer-accepting on every level. The story digs into trauma, and into the bonds between a chosen family. I enjoyed it very much, but a couple of issues kept me from loving it the way I wanted to.

First, and most subjectively: Samotin didn’t give me quite enough of the telling details I needed to feel I was right inside Dimitri’s well-established relationships with his friends. That made it tougher for me to invest in their collective struggles or revel in the smaller moments they spend together. Certain things about their dynamic also rang just false enough to take me out of the story; like how Alexey supposedly considered them all his good friends but had no idea Vasily, who the text implies has been a core part of the group since long before the war, existed.

Second: she doesn’t foreshadow revelations so much as offer up a précis well ahead of more detailed explanations. I can understand why she decided to take this route, given how many sensitive topics she explores, but I felt it stole much of the story’s urgency. For example, the things we learn about Alexey’s past behaviour would’ve carried more weight for me had I experienced Dimitri’s slow acceptance of what I’d put together for myself via context clues, rather than Vasily’s blunt assessment so early on in the narrative.

That said, I like most of what Samotin does here and I’ll definitely read her next book, whether it’s a sequel (there’s space for one, though TSOTB has a proper ending) or something entirely new.

I found this book so interesting. The characters were well written, the plot kept me interested, and overall it was a great book.

LOTTE - ★★★

I had a hard time assigning a star rating to this book. Overall, I think three stars is suitable.

At the start, I really enjoyed The Sins on Their Bones. Samotin does an excellent job of setting the scene. Despite the story starting somewhat in the middle, or even after a lot of the events in the story, you get a good sense of the characters, the world and the plot.

However, there were a couple of things that made it hard for me to fully enjoy the book.

My first issue is the amount of sex scenes. I know “spice” is hugely popular among certain readers these days, and in and of itself, sex can have a place in a story. However, there are so many sex scenes in this book, to the point that they take up valuable space where we could have had some story instead. Eventually even one of the characters remarks that two people are busy banging when they REALLY should be on their way to move the story forward. It’s not until almost halfway through the book that they stop boning and get to the point.

My second issue is that while Samotin does a pretty good job starting the story in media res, we don’t really get enough throwbacks to the events that happen before the book starts to really experience them. Mostly the events just get mentioned, and they sound pretty cool! As the end of the book has some set-up for a sequel, I am left wondering why The Sins on Their Bones itself isn’t the sequel to another book. This would have given us more time to see characters fall in love, instead of just being told that they’ve had feelings for a long time. There’s plenty of interesting material and story for a first novel, so I didn’t quite understand the choice to begin the story where it does until I read the acknowledgements. The author does explain her reasoning here, but perhaps as an editor, I would have recommended a different approach to the story.

Partly because of these factors, I feel the pacing in The Sins on Their Bones is off. The beginning drags on for too long, and the ending is quite rushed.

In her Author’s note, Samotin expresses that one of her main goals with the book was to convince her audience of how interesting a story about Jewish folklore and myths can be. In this, I would say she has definitely succeeded. I was also happy to see a fantasy world in which queer characters are portrayed as completely normal.

--------------------------------------------------------------
PETER - ★½

The Sins on Their Bones has a pretty good marketing blurb, but unfortunately, I found it more frustrating than enjoyable to read.

The premise and setting bring all the ingredients for an exciting and original tale. Late 19th-century Eastern Europe is not exactly a well-explored backdrop for fantasy stories, and I actually liked that the story starts after our protagonist already lost the war and has had to retreat into exile. I feel like many authors would have felt the need to write the story during the war first; but the necessary details are conveyed through flashbacks and memories; it worked surprisingly well and is a relatively novel take. Great ideas to start the book with!

Unfortunately, that’s about as far as my positive impressions go. My lists of complaints is a lot longer. If I had to sum it up in a single sentence, it is that most elements of the novel are underdeveloped, and the parts that Samotin does spend a lot of effort on, made me want to put the book away rather than read it.

Let’s get into a bit more detail.

First, I think the plot is bad. No point sugar coating it. I recognise it was never going to be the book’s selling point, so I get that it wasn’t the author’s focus. But I found myself rolling my eyes pretty frequently.

The Sins on Their Bones feels like it is written entirely on the fly, with no effort spent to plant the seeds for problems or solutions before they become apparent. This is especially noticeable in the placement of flashback scenes or descriptions of the past, which give characters a motivation or required information to do a thing, right before the plot requires them to do that exact thing. A problem comes up, Samotin describes that the characters know how to solve it, and then the characters solve it, right before the next problem comes up, etc.

Emblematic is that several times when the characters run into a problem, the next scene features them going to the local library(/villain’s study) to look for a solution. Invariably, they will find a book which contains the key, with absolutely zero conflict involved. What is worse, the solution found in the book generally appears ludicrous to the reader, but the characters either do not mind or find “it is the only way”.

That latter trope is one that Samotin uses pretty heavy-handedly throughout The Sins on Their Bones. Characters will make some absolutely bewildering decisions without considering any logical alternatives , just so the plot continues to roll forward.

So you’re not reading for the plot. How about the prose? That, too, felt a bit under-edited. It might be a style preference, but the relatively long sentences and unbroken paragraphs of emotional outpourings made me read through some pages top left to bottom right without feeling the need to slow down anywhere.

Emotional outpourings you say? Is this just a character-driven novel and am I showing my biases? Well, yes and yes - but this book does not have strong characters. I guess we should say it has three main characters - Dimitri, Vasily, and Alexey - but out of those, only Vasily has any depth; both Dimitri and Alexey are caricatures. The other characters - Ladushka, Annika and Mischa - could literally have been deleted from the book entirely without changing a single emotional beat or plot element. Their single-minded (and entirely unexplained and unjustified - here, that prequel would have been welcome!) love for Dimitri means they’re flat as a pancake as characters. I guess Ivan deserves a mention, as perhaps the only character that I felt for during the entire book - but that is probably because he felt like a child and was literally repeatedly raped.

And there we have it - what The Sins on Their Bones really does.

The Sins on Their Bones is a big mess of dark emotions dripping from the pages: guilt, shame, fear of loss, desperation, anger, lust, depression - in such quantities as to feel gratuitous (and frankly, quite repetitive).

That last description - gratuitous and frankly repetitive - could also be applied to the sex scenes in this book. It feels as if every character interaction must contain at least a reference to sex or sexual desire. Multiple-page sex scenes - in the large majority of cases, portraying very (and I mean, very) unhealthy sexual relationships - are this book's bread and butter.

As a result, The Sins on Their Bones left me with the icky feeling that Samotin was constantly trying to shock me with cheap, ever-increasing emotional horrors at the expense of any real story or character development. As if she felt that just flooding the characters with absolutely terrible ordeals would stun me to the point where I would no longer notice the lack of a meaningful plot. The result is the opposite: because there is absolutely no subtlety to any of the misery, I found myself more detached from the characters rather than pulled in.

I have a long list of minor gripes, but the bottom line of this review is that while the idea of The Sins on Their Bones and the marketing blurb set the stage for a wonderful novel, the execution is severely mediocre as a result of a focus on traumatising the reader rather than telling a story. I am going to have to admit that I would not have finished this book if I had not received an advance reading copy in exchange for a review - so here we are.

First and foremost, you need to check trigger warnings for this book. It has some very graphic situations. I adored the story and the characters and it was an all around amazing novel. The found family in this is done so well and I loved it so much.

DNF pg 57

This is marketed as dark, and it really is, and it’s not the vibes I personally enjoy. I think this has a lot of potential, and I’m intrigued by the world and how Alexei because an undead being, but also the glimpses of Dimitri’s past with him makes me deeply uncomfortable in a way that makes it hard for me to continue. This is my own thing and in no way is intended to reflect on the book or story.