Azul de Arroyo discovered an ability to bring back the dead at a young age, starting with animals, and eventually her fourteen year old sister who died from an illness. When Azul and Isadora travel to a new place, that is imbued with the presence of Lord Death, Azul loses her sister again. Azul is determined to bring Isadora back, but she is confronted by one of Lord Death's Emmisaries who is out to stop her at all costs. Now Azul is caught up in a world she wasn't expecting and facing betrayals and secrets, as well as conflicted feelings for Lord Death's Emmisary, Enjul.

Mistress of Bones is the first book in a fantasy duology. The premise of the book really grabbed my interest with the combination of a young necromancer, the acts of the gods, a faceless witch, and romance. I really enjoyed the different agendas that all of the characters had, and it kept the story interesting. The court politics and scheming also brought great tension to the story.

I didn't find myself as invested in Azul's character, as much as other female characters in fantasy books, but I loved the power that she possessed and that she just wanted to be able to use it to bring back her loved one. And I think one of the reasons I had a harder time with this story, was because I felt like I didn't connect with any of the characters. There seemed to be too many and too much going on, that left me feeling like I just wasn't getting enough depth from the story. The romance between Azul and Enjul seemed to start out with the promise of a great slow burn, and then just fizzled, leaving me disappointed in their relationship. There also seemed to be a lot of side plots that didn't add anything to the main story for me, and there were too many unanswered questions with the world building by the time I reached the cliffhanger at the end of the book.

I think Mistress of Bones has a great underlying storyline and could definitely appeal to readers who enjoy multiple POV/timeline fantasy, with magic, gods, romance, questionable characters, and secrets and betrayals.

DNF at ~35%

I tried really hard to get into this one as the premise was very fascinating, but unfortunately this book isn’t for me.

Some of the things that didn’t work for me:
- The execution of the different POVs made it hard to stay invested in the story. The action was very slow/simple and with the swapping between POVs, it was very hard to keep picking up the book to continue reading, which is usually a sign that I am not becoming invested in the characters or the story.
- The movement between the present and various times in the past (a few days ago, a month ago, a year and a half ago, etc), made it quite difficult to conceptualize the timeline of events. I was never able to really ground myself as a reader and follow along with events as they occurred in the reading - I felt like I understood the events occurring but not how they related to each other or the story at all at times.

This story might be more enjoyable for those who enjoy a very slow build up and complex plotlines that interweave later in the story.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley & the publisher!

Mistress of Bones was a book I really struggled with, it never truly hooked me at any point. While the story is quite original, the writing felt very slow and heavy, often going in circles over the same ideas. Honestly, if a book doesn’t grab you within the first 50 pages, chances are it won’t do so later on either, and that’s exactly what happened to me.

I wouldn’t say it was torture to read, but it came close. It was slow, repetitive, and not particularly engaging. It also felt very impersonal in the way it was told, it didn’t make me connect with the characters or the story itself. So, even though the premise was interesting, I didn’t enjoy it.

Oh boy, where to begin with this... I struggled with this one. I started it in March, had to put it down due to life getting in the way, restarted it to try again, and then finally got it done. I even looked it up online to verify this is in fact YA and not adult, which adjusted the rating to be honest.

The overall idea is really interesting - Azul del Arroyo can essentially create life from the bodies of one who has died. This is a world where the Gods gave up their own bodies to keep the world from falling into a void, and here is Azul "stealing" from the god of Death. Dubbed a necromancer or "malady", she is stopped by Virel Enjul, emissary of the Lord of Death, and the two end of traveling to the capital to find another like herself, but one that enslaves the resurrected. That's an extremely basic summary of the book.

Here are my issues, and I have many but it boils down to a couple of things: I do not care.

I feel absolutely nothing for these characters, because there isn't really any development or depth to them. Azul has this amazing gift and has used it to "save" her sister's life, but has to keep this hidden. Cool. Makes sense.... except it doesn't. The reason being is the knowledge she has about her gift. How could she have all this knowledge when she hasn't really been using it? And the "romance" with Virel?? Not believable in the slightest. It was rushed with what felt like a check list of moments: have to Azul get lost in his eyes, have to have Virel feel the need to protect her without knowing why, have to have the "longing". But it's the way it is presented feels lackluster.

The time & POV jumps were also VERY obnoxious. Honestly, it took so much away from the plot that I got lost more than I gained anything.

Overall, it probably fine as an introduction to YA fantasy, but this read like a third draft that needed more editing and fleshing out of plot. The idea of Anchor is still lost to me - is it an ore? Rock? No idea. Considering that's a major factor in the plot, it's disconcerting. Perhaps I was expecting too much from this novel. It had such promise, but I don't feel the need to continue this series.

While I am so very grateful for the ARC, I am having to DNF at 54% when I began really dragging myself through it at 32%. I can see this book being enjoyed by those who really loved the quick world-building and plethora of namedrops in the beginning of The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo or the quickly switching point-of-views of Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland. Mistress of Bones is listed as a romantic fantasy and I've failed to pick up on any chemistry or romantic undertones at all beyond the subtle indications that someone's physically beautiful in some way.
The world is so very interesting and it kills me to not be able to see this tale through to its conclusion but I'm just not having a good time reading it. I'm floundering and trying to connect with these characters but the story is so disjointed and the time jumps back and forth between past and present do it no favors when those instances don't further the plot in any meaningful way. The cadence of narration reminds me of my biggest gripe in old high school reading curriculums where we read The Scarlet Letter or Frankenstein - there's just far too many words. It needs to be trimmed down significantly so that the focus can remain upon the plot rather than the decorations and lore of the world around the characters.

DNF at 32%. I couldn’t get into the story. The world building was interesting, and I enjoy fantasy books about necromancy, but I didn’t like any of these characters and was a little confused the whole time I was reading it.

DNF at 12%

This has one of the worst info dumps I have read in many years. This really needs to be cleaned up and trimmed down to keep readers interested. The very beginning about the younger sister wanting to raise her other sister from the dead is just fine. But then it throws you into endless paragraphs of why these clothing styles matter, religious lore and always telling you what's important. This is what authors and writing courses tell you not to do. A lot of this information can be saved for later in order to speed up what's going on and narrow in on what actually matters. I did not like getting all this stuff thrown at me and I didn't care. I lost interest very quickly.

I tried to get into this one but really wasn't enjoying it. Idk if it was the characters or the flipping back and forth between the past and the present but I couldn't get invested in the story and didn't have any desire to pick the book up to find out what happens next. The cover is stunning and made me think I would enjoy the book but sadly I don't think this one is for me.

First, I'm grateful to the publisher for granting me an e-copy and a chance to read this. Unfortunately this just wasn't for me. It's an early DNF at 26%-- I wasn't captivated by the characters or the plot. The premise sounds interesting and promising, but the execution just fell flat. But don't let that turn you off-- give it a chance because everyone is different, and what may not work for others may work for you.

Azul del Arroyo is a young woman with the ability to bring people back from the dead by touching one of their bones. When her sister Isadora died, Azul secretly resurrected her. Years later, the two of them are given the opportunity to travel. Upon stepping foot on new soil, Isadora immediately dies again. Azul is held for questioning and vows to bring her sister back again.

Emissary Virel works for Death and is called in to investigate the murder. He suspects Azul is a necromancer, which is repulsive to him and Death, and plans to take her away to see what makes her tick.

When it becomes clear that there is a second necromancer actively bringing people back to life, Azul and Virel have to work together to bring them down, while still trying to achieve their own opposing agendas.

This book had interesting world building. The gods have given the world their bones, called Anchor, to stabilize the continents. Over time, people have dug up Anchor to be used elsewhere. There is legislation being discussed to prevent Anchor from being dug up.

I think this book was hurt by the multiple POVs and jumping around in time. De Anvi is a character we're introduced to early on but doesn't actually do much until the very end. He even acknowledges that he doesn't know who Azul, our main character, is. Maybe he has more to do in a sequel, but all the witch/court drama felt like a totally separate plot line. Nereida helps Azul escape in exchange for bringing someone back to life, but then she seems content to just wait around for Azul as things get more and more complicated.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Book for the opportunity to read and review this book which I am unfortunately DNFing at 55%.
I have been trying to get through this book for a few weeks at this point even going so far to committing myself to read only 2 chapters a day and I still can’t force myself to get through this book. I care so little about these character and this plot that to continue any further would just create resentment and honestly force me to be so negative toward this book that I would rather just DNF and say this book isn’t for me.

Who doesn’t love a good book about necromancers? The world of the dead is so mysterious yes fascinating. This book is in the top ten of my favorite books of the year. I can’t wait to read book two!

This is a complex young adult dark fantasy. It’s not part of a series, but it ends on an open note.

The plot centers around a young woman who can bring people or animals back from the dead using only a bone. She travels with her sister to a foreign land and is quickly targeted by an emissary because of her death magic.

The story features many twists and turns, spans numerous locations, and is told from several different points of view. There’s a lot of magic and lore woven throughout.

Certain parts were captivating, with plenty of action and intriguing magical elements. However, I had difficulty fully immersing myself due to the frequent shifts, not just in point of view, but also in time. I also struggled to keep track of the characters, as many had multiple names, ranging from first and last names to noble titles or professional designations.

Around the halfway point, I became more invested and began to understand what was happening, but it took effort to push through the initial confusion.

This could be the beginning of a very compelling series, with many characters who could easily support deeper, individual stories.

Spice: 0.5/5
Plot: 4.5/5
Writing: 4/5
My Enjoyment: 4/5

First things first: the cover lied to me. This is not a romantasy.
This is a multi-pov, multi-plot fantasy with around 4 secondary characters whose plots intertwine with our protagonist, Azul, so around 5 main-ish characters total and another 5 or so important side characters. The narration is in 3rd person and at some points veers into omniscient by showing what someone else than the pov character thinks, or by foreshadowing future events. There are numerous flashbacks interspersed in the story. There are 3 romantic sub-plots, but 2 of them are very minuscule and even the one that isn't, feels subdued and secondary to the plot and other motivations of the characters.

Okay, with this out of the way, I know the author doesn't control the cover design, so let's judge the book for what it is and not what I expected it to be.

Pluses:

Creative worldbuilding. We have world built upon bones of the gods, interesting religion system, characters with mysterious powers (often themed after the gods, i.e. Death, Life, Dreams), cultural differences between different lands, and a general "swashbuckling" vibe, i.e. pistol & rapier era.

In the sea of paint-by-numbers, run-of-the-mill YA this was refreshing, surprising, unpredictable. It wasn't just following a storytelling beat sheet or crafting a plot like a theme park ride / obstacle course. I commend the author for being bold, taking risks both with structure and with reveals & plot twists. A lot of the time I couldn't predict where the story will turn next.

Characters with strong convictions. Many characters were either motivated by wanting to protect / save their family members, or by their religious and political convictions. They weren't always "right" and some of their goals could be selfish or misguided, but they pursued their goals relentlessly. I often get annoyed if the characters have some "pressing plot goal" but conveniently forget about it to socialize, explore or get entangled in a romance.

Minuses:

This story is cramped, rushed. For a 320-page ARC I've got more plot and side characters than I've seen in some 600-page books. I wonder did the author wish to write a trilogy but didn't get a green light from the publisher? Was there pressure to reduce wordcount?

We're often jumping from plotline to plotline, from present to past, from pov to pov. This makes it hard to follow, and even harder to get connected emotionally to the parade of different characters.

For a big part of the story we also don't know what are the side plots even about. What kind of favour will Nereida ask of Azul? Who is the Faceless Witch and what does she want? Who is De Anvi and what was his role in all the political intrigue? What is Enjul's end goal? Things get a bit clearer as the story progresses, but a lot of things are left in the dark - hopefully explained and wrapped up in a sequel (this is a duology supposedly).

There's a big reveal at around 60% to the reader, but not to the mc, Azul. I thought it would have been more impactful if we learned the truth alongside the protagonist. Like this, it undercut the mystery significantly.

Tying to this, I had no emotional connection to the majority of the cast. Romantic scenes felt perfunctory. Scenes full of danger or tragedy left no impact on me, even though I commonly cry reading dramatic or emotional moments in books. It all felt lacking emotional depth. All the characters' motivations made logical sense, but I didn't FEEL their anguish alongside them. I could somehow feel Azul's obsession about Isadora, but everything else fell flat for me.

Azul herself, despite being 19, behaved in a way as if she was completely oblivious to fairly obvious consequences of her actions. I don't mind when YA protagonists are lacking foresight and self-awareness because this is often a trait of the young, I'd take that any day over a character who's inconsistent, i.e. sometimes acts smart and then randomly catches an "idiot ball" just to have the plot rolling or gets "distracted by a hot person". But be warned if you have allergy to "immature" characters in YA, Azul reads very stubborn and yolo sometimes.

Also I must add I didn't find the romance very believable due to how much of a backseat it was taking in the story.

In the end, I think this deserves a solid 4 star. It was engaging but not impactful. Still, I'm surprised this has such low average rating because I didn't struggle to finish and I enjoyed the story.

I would recommend this title for readers of plot-driven YA fantasy, readers interested in multi-pov braided plot stories with more distant narration, people who love unique worldbuilding, fans of swashbuckling vibes, and those who seek YA fantasy with less romance focus in them.

Thank you Netgalley & Wednesday Books for the ARC!

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC, but this is a DNF for me about halfway through. The premise is fascinating as it follows a magic system that includes necromancy but the world building is difficult to follow and I was struggling to stay connected to the story.

This book had such a cool idea — gods, death magic, forbidden deals — but it didn’t fully land for me. The timeline jumps made it hard to connect with the story, and Azul, the main character, felt way younger than she was supposed to be. I loved the dark, haunting vibe and the whole necromancer-falling-for-Death’s-emissary romance (seriously, iconic), but I just couldn’t get fully invested because the emotional attachment to the characters never really hit. Still, if you’re into chaotic gods and dark, messy fantasy, it might be your thing.

Enjoyed this one! Very compelling and interesting world Medina built in this book, and the main character was very engaging to read! The amount of POVs did make things a bit muddy and hard to follow at times, though. Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday for the arc!

The premise of this was so unique! I thought the writing throughout was exceptionally beautiful and the magic was super interesting!

Thank you Netgalley, the publishers and the author for sending me this arc of “Mistress of Bones”.

I have to say, it is quite an interesting read with complex world-building, an invigorating plot and shocking cliffhangers that had me at edge. The plot is so unique and compelling which made this a memorable read.

But… and there is a but..

I felt like the complex world building made it harder to follow who the characters were. There were so many characters and several POVs that I just found myself questioning who’s who and who are they related to.

All in all, it is such a different read and I really enjoyed the writing style!

I loved the overall premise of this book. The story was unique as were all of the different characters we meet throughout the book. I was rooting for the main character the whole time and felt connected to her. The chemistry between the two main characters was fantastic. It was definitely emotional towards the end and I think it ended perfectly.