I did not finish this book. I made it to 40%. This book is overly complicated with a confusing timeline and a bunch of characters with very similar names, making the story difficult to follow or care about. Further, I’m all for authors trusting readers to pick up on context and not be spoon-fed world building. That said, in this book the reader is plopped into a very unique world with little explanation as to how everything works. No element of the book kept me interested enough to tough it out.

The concept of this book was what intrigued me in the first place. I love stories that revolves around necromancers and death-related magic. And while the premise was promising, I find the execution for this book fell completely flat.

First of all, the world, while we get a good enough background at the start, was not fleshed out enough for me to read this and understand everything. It felt like there were so many holes missing and it made the reading experience quite frustrating. Aside from that, the plot itself doesn't flow well. It became interesting, and then nothing happened and it would feel so stagnant for a big chunk of it. The cast of characters was also a minus point because none of them felt like they were properly fleshed out, and I'm not particularly fond of the main character. She just reads like the usual empty-headed but arrogant kind of character while being out of her depths, and she's serving up nothing to me.

Overall, this book falls victim to a great premise but lacks the execution. I appreciate the author for writing this and anyone else who likes it, but this just wasn't for me

Necromancers are not normally known for practicing white magic so building cities on the bones of the dead does not seem like a wise way to appease the g-ds. So bringing your sister back from death seems like a smart idea. I really liked the concept of this story but it was a bit confusing sometimes. Which made it hard to immerse myself into the world. In some places I got so confused that I started to loose interest.

Overall the concept is brilliant but it just fell flat for me. I can see why some loved it though.

Mistress of Bones was an entertaining story about Azul's quest to get her sister back in a world where the gods had influence but are now gone, their bones holding up the continents and stopping humanity from falling into the void. In terms of world building, I thought this book had a very interesting premise - floating continents, dead gods, and a necromancer trying to save her sister. In Mistress of Bones, Azul brings her sister back to life when they're younger, using a power she keeps hidden, just to lose her once again and have to try to find a way return her to life for a second time. Unfortunately for Azul, this happens while they're traveling to the Lord Death's continent. Here her gift is particularly reviled and she ends up attracting the unwanted attention of an Emissary of the Lord Death who is now doing his best to prevent what he sees as a perversion of his god's will should Azul be successful.

I enjoyed our leading cast of characters. Azul could be impulsive at times and didn't always make the best decisions with the information that she had, but she was admittedly young and hadn't gone out of her way to engage with people other than her sister for most of her life. She was foolhardy and driven, not afraid of doing whatever was needed to reunite with her sister. Virel Enjul, the Emissary of the Lord Death, was also an interesting character. He was imperfect while trying to maintain the illusion of total control, and his surety in the Lord Death's plans created an interesting push and pull between him and Azul. Their attempts to see eye to eye despite having wildly contrasting views on the gods, death, and the value of life was something I enjoyed a lot.

One character I took a long time to warm up to was Nereida De Guzman. She maintained her own council for almost the entirity of the book, not giving up information on her motivations or plans until nearly the end of the novel. She is a character I'm not sure if I like, but anticipate will play a larger role in subsequent books now that she's been more fleshed out. I look forward to seeing where her story goes from here.

Finally, the area where I felt this book fell a bit short was in the initial establishment of the world. We got a lot of information right away at the beginning of the book, but until the characters were moving through the world and interacting with people, it was hard to put the information we had into context and truly grasp the larger themes of the setting that were in play. I had a hard time putting together many of the locations and understanding the scope of the world and its politics until later in the book than I would have liked. It gave me a similar feeling to the couple of instances where I accidentally jumped into the second book of a series rather than starting with book one. As an avid fantasy reader, I'm used to the world building that has to happen to give a story room to take place, but this one gave me a run for my money for the first chunk of the novel. I got there, and I still really enjoyed the world Medina built, but I wish we had eased in a little bit more and accumulated some of that initial world building information more gradually.

Would I recommend this book? Yes
Will I read the other half of this planned duology? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing Group for the chance to read and review this story!

I was so intrigued by this book - an emissary of death trying to capture a necromancer? Sign me up! Plus, the cover is absolutely gorgeous.

However, I really struggled with this book. The various jumps back and forth through time in the same chapter was both confusing and redundant, and it was coupled with a wide cast of characters that felt underdeveloped. The time jumps caused the pacing to be all over the place.

The ending left a lot of questions left unanswered. It does open it up for a sequel. The world itself was interesting and I feel that itself could have driven the story. I would have loved to learn even more about the gods and the Anchor, but that maybe explored in a later book.

Thank you to the publisher for an early copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I loved how absolutely unique this story is. It was just so much I didn't know I needed. The world building was great and really helped me visualize this world. The characters were all charming however there could have been less side characters. I also think the flashbacks threw off the story at times.

Mistress of Bones was an overall fun read. The story itself was a bit different than what I expected after reading the synopsis, but not in a bad way! I loved the concept of a necromancer story, since we do not see many of those available right now. It felt a bit like a side of fantasy that has not been deeply explored yet.
Like many other readers, I did find the world building to be a little confusing, but intriguing. I did like how many of the chapters started with flashbacks and switched character point of views often. I do think maybe labeling each chapter with the character would be helpful, though.
I do feel like not much information is provided about each of the main characters, but I am hopeful that this was done intentionally to create character growth in the next book!
The twist of who the second necromancer was really shocked me! I can generally predict what is going to happen in a book, but this one got me!
Overall, I found Mistress of Bones to be a unique and fun story to read and would recommend it to my friends and family.

I wasn’t a big fan of this book and only pushed through so I could give it a fair review.

The concept is super interesting but the story itself was too slow and confusing for me. There are too many characters to keep track of and the author switches between their first and surname too often that I was often lost.

I did enjoy how the chapters jumped around through the different characters and timelines, however maybe it would have helped if the beginning of each chapter stated which character it was centered around.

Lastly, I know that the romance isn’t a big part of the story and I was fine with that, but the few bits of “romance” that we did get felt random and out of no where. There was nothing in the story that showed me the main characters had any real feelings for eachother and I think it should have been left at platonic.

Mistress of Bones is a dark, atmospheric fantasy that will immediately grab the attention of readers who love necromancy, gothic settings, and morally gray characters. The eerie world building pulls you in immediately, and the magic system is fascinating. As a bookseller, I can see this book appealing to fans of dark fantasy and horror-infused storytelling. It has a strong, compelling protagonist, plenty of intrigue, and just enough twists to keep readers hooked. Plus, the cover is absolutely stunning!

I was intrigued by the premise of this book. I think I was expecting this book to give me something different, unfortunately I found it hard to read. I still do want to see what other work Maria puts out. I think the idea of the book was fantastic, but unfortunately I like many other readers found it hard to follow.

I am still very thankful for the opportunity to read the eARC and will keep an eye out for future work from Maria Z Medina!

I’m grateful to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an advanced copy of Mistress of Bones.

Now, this is a challenging question: did I enjoy the book? Eventually, I did. It took me until I reached the 28% mark to genuinely become interested in it, but from then on, I was thoroughly hooked.

However, the beginning of the book was quite confusing. It felt like the author was throwing information at me without adequate explanation, as if I was expected to have some prior knowledge. Additionally, there were too many characters being introduced in a short span, making it difficult to keep track of who was who.

Until the 28% mark, I found myself taking frequent breaks to scroll through my phone because I was either uninterested or confused by the unfolding events. Fortunately, the book picked up pace, and it became truly enjoyable.

Y’all, the plot twist with the identity of the second necromancer? I WAS SHOCKED. That was a good one, I was thoroughly impressed.

Let’s talk about characters real quick. Our main girl Azul, well… she’s kinda boring! She lacks a real depth beyond wanting Isadora back, but maybe we’ll see more of her character emerge in future books (I’m assuming there will be more). Enjul, on the other hand, exuded an air of mystery, and I felt like we were only given a few crumbs of information about him. Despite this, their tension was palpable. Nereida stood out as the most intriguing character to me. I found myself particularly drawn to her.

Overall, Mistress of Bones was a good book once it gained momentum. However, there are several unanswered questions that leave me eager for the continuation of this series.

This book was a bit of a mixed experience for me. On one hand, it was difficult to follow with its shifting timelines and large cast of characters, but on the other, those same characters were deeply compelling, each with layered and complex motivations. At times, I felt like there were simply too many names to keep track of, and the story didn’t spend enough time making them distinct, which, combined with the non-linear structure, made things even more confusing.
That being said, I really appreciated how Azul’s determination to resurrect her sister remained a driving force throughout the novel. It felt natural rather than forced, and her persistence gave the story a strong emotional core. The plot itself was engaging, full of twists that kept me guessing, even if I occasionally felt lost along the way. Despite its challenges, there’s a lot to admire in this book, and I can see it really clicking for readers who enjoy intricate, multi-layered narratives

I wish I understood enough to love this.

“Mistress of Bones” breathes life into the dead as young Azul brings her sister back to life only to find that it is a temporary fix. With time not on her side and an emissary of Death himself hunting her down she will stop at nothing to find her sister’s bones and bring her back once more.

A lot happens here and like mentioned above I have no idea if I have any of it right.

The main story of Azul was fantastic I loved her determination and wit that paired nicely with her fierce loyalty to her older sister. Completely unafraid of her gift of necromancy she takes on the gods and the humans who stand in her way uncovering another like herself who wishes to use such talents to build easily manipulated dolls. Watching her maneuver this world of backstabbing and betrayal she holds her own and remains true to her word and her singular goal even if it seems harder to achieve at the end than it did when she began.

To the other parts I truly have no idea what was going on with the twin kings and the Faceless Witch. This book does a lot of hopping around through time and point of view which works fill in the gaps for some sections but creates giant holes in others. I genuinely couldn’t tell you anything about this side plot with any confidence I was correct despite finishing the book minutes ago. I think it’s focus is that on the Gods playing a larger role setting up potential sequels but don’t quote me.

That being said it’s not a bad book just one I wish focused more on what we had or at the very least told a more chronological story that might have made it easier to keep up with because there were a lot of great ideas here and it’s a shame I feel left out of it.


**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

3.5⭐

Thank you Maria Z. Medina, St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

𝑴𝑰𝑺𝑻𝑹𝑬𝑺𝑺 𝑶𝑭 𝑩𝑶𝑵𝑬𝑺 is an epic and romantic debut adventure fantasy, where a necromancer trying to resurrect her sister gets embroiled in bigger, world-ending plans instead.

The concept of the book was very intriguing and the world-building and lore was very rich but felt flat and unexplained at times. It was hard to also keep up with the multiple perspectives overall.

The enemies-to-lovers romance between necromancer Azul del Arroyo and emissary of death Virel Enjul is unhinged and brilliant, with tension and chemistry dripping off the page.

Some of the twists were very unexpected and jaw-dropping that still rattles my mind. I think that aspect has been worked on really well.

Overall, I enjoyed the concept of the book but at times it was hard to follow and stay hooked. The ending seemed a bit ominous and room for a sequel.

Unfortunately had to DNF this similarly to other reviewers. The info dumping, multiple POV, and storyline jumped around was too jumbled up for me to understand; ultimately resulting in me not feeling close or resonating with the large cast.

Mistress of Bones is a dark, atmospheric fantasy that will immediately grab the attention of readers who love necromancy, gothic settings, and morally gray characters. The eerie world building pulls you in immediately, and the magic system is fascinating. As a bookseller, I can see this book appealing to fans of dark fantasy and horror-infused storytelling. It has a strong, compelling protagonist, plenty of intrigue, and just enough twists to keep readers hooked. Plus, the cover is absolutely stunning!

I wasn’t a big fan of this book and only pushed through so I could give it a fair review.

The concept is super interesting but the story itself was too slow and confusing for me. There are too many characters to keep track of and the author switches between their first and surname too often that I was often lost.

I did enjoy how the chapters jumped around through the different characters and timelines, however maybe it would have helped if the beginning of each chapter stated which character it was centered around.

Lastly, I know that the romance isn’t a big part of the story and I was fine with that, but the few bits of “romance” that we did get felt random and out of no where. There was nothing in the story that showed me the main characters had any real feelings for eachother and I think it should have been left at platonic.

If you had the chance to bring someone back to life, would you defy death and bring them back? In this story, we follow Azul Del Arroyo as she fights, bargains, and defies the Gods to try to bring her beloved sister back to life at the vehement protest of the emissary of the Lord of Death.

I found this book to be a great read. The world building was beautiful and made for very interesting lore with the various Gods and cultures of the lands. I did struggle with some of the pacing as it felt like in some parts of the book, the story was fast and others it kind of dragged a bit. But out side of the pacing, I found the book to be very entertaining, and immersive. I hope there is a sequel.

Mistress of Bones by Maria Z. Medina is a dark and enchanting fantasy that pulled me in with its rich world-building and deep themes of love, loss, and mortality. From the very first page, I was captivated by the eerie, almost gothic atmosphere and the high-stakes adventure that unfolded.

The story follows Azul del Arroyo, a powerful necromancer determined to resurrect her sister, no matter the cost. Azul is a fascinating protagonist—fierce, morally complex, and haunted by her past. As her journey intertwines with Virel Enjul, an enigmatic figure who becomes both rival and reluctant ally, the story takes on an intense, enemies-to-lovers dynamic that adds emotional weight to the plot.

Medina’s writing is lush and immersive, making it easy to get lost in the beautifully crafted world where gods, death, and power collide. The themes of fate, sacrifice, and redemption are woven seamlessly into the narrative, giving the book an emotional depth that lingers even after finishing.

That said, there were moments where the plot felt a little predictable, and I wished some of the character motivations had been fleshed out more. But even with these minor flaws, I found myself completely invested in Azul’s journey.

Overall, Mistress of Bones is a gripping and atmospheric debut that left me eager to see what Medina writes next. If you love fantasy with a dark edge, morally complex characters, and a touch of the macabre, this one is worth picking up. Solid 4 stars from me!

Very cool premise but I did struggle with the world building. I thought it was a me thing but, maybe I wasn't in the mood for this book, but it seems to be a theme in reviews. I still think this book is good and want to keep an eye out for more from this author. Just know it may be a struggle to read at times.