I think the cover of the book is really pretty and the imagery conveys a sense of strength and power. I was drawn to the premise of this book and was excited to read it. I liked the characters and the writing style was okay, but there was something missing. The story was okay but there was nothing memorable able the characters or the story. I never found myself connecting with them or invested in their outcomes. I do think other readers will enjoy this book,because it isn't bad.

I was so intrigued by the premise of this book when I requested it, but something just didn't click for me as I read through the story.
I liked the characters, I didn't mind the plot, but maybe I still feel a little off or confused. If you enjoy a book that leaves you feeling this way, then certainly give it a try!

“Mistress of Bones,” by Maria Z. Medina

I love love loved the necromancy plot, so unique and interesting and had so much culture imagery and lore (I ate it up!!!). I felt like the world building/ plot was confusing at times but still engaging. My favorite part of the book was the brothers POV best, it kept me glued to the story so hard. I really liked this book and liked how it stands out as unique from others I read. 4 out of 5 stars.

-Necromancy
-Multi POV

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

I love necromancers and this had a cool overall plot. I was very interested in Azul's story and wish this had just been from her point of view. There are quite a few POV characters and a non-linear timeline that combined to make me confused about what exactly was happening and pulled me out of the story. Maybe I'll reread this when the sequel comes out to see if it's easier to follow the second time around.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the copy.

In theory this book is everything I've ever wanted, but unfortunately in reality it didn't hit the mark. The world building was ok, but something about the plot just didn't capture me. It was fine, but not a book I'd revisit.

Thank you to the publisher for sending a copy for review

I really liked the concept of this story and the magic system seemed unique compared to other stories. The fact that the main character is a necromancer and how she can bring people back with their bones was cool. The plot was a little forgettable though.. I think there was a rival necromancer who was doing bad things and the main character was trying to discover who it was?

I really enjoyed this one! I actually forgot what the premise was before I dove in, and I'm kind of glad I did because it only made reading it all the more enjoyable. Put swashbuckling anywhere in the description and I'm sold

The description of this book instantly caught my eye and while it didn’t quite live up to my expectations, there were still elements I appreciated. The premise had a lot of potential, but I found the beginning a little slow, and I struggled to stay fully engaged—I kept finding myself distracted, which usually means I’m not totally hooked. I think the emotional impact could’ve been stronger, especially given the themes the book was tackling.

One thing that didn’t quite work for me was the structure. The constant jumping between past and present felt a bit jarring. I would’ve loved to spend more time getting to know the characters and their relationships before everything started unraveling. That buildup could’ve helped create more emotional weight, especially around the moments of loss.

I didn’t totally connect with the main characters, particularly Azul, who felt younger than her age. That said, I found Nereida intriguing—I just wish we’d seen more of her! There were quite a few POVs in this story, and I think a more focused approach might’ve helped deepen the character development, especially since the beginning didn’t quite establish a strong enough foundation for all of them.

All in all, I really wanted to love this, and while it wasn’t the right fit for me, I hope others connect with it more than I did. There’s definitely a unique story here for the right audience.

[Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to review this ARC with honesty.]

Necromancers? Yes, please. Gods forgotten? Here for it! Death emissaries? Seriously, give!


This story seemed right up my alley and while I did for the most part enjoy it, some of the POVS, plot of said POVs and timelines seemed to be a little bit jumbled. Some parts of the story, I genuinely couldn’t figure out why it was brought up (even while waiting for some connection to happen) and maybe some did but it was so spaced out, I maybe missed it or it was so subtle it was hard to catch. I’m not quite sure if it was a me problem. I even went to check what others thought and my understanding is, others did find the story disjointed. But look, I DID still enjoy the story. The ending seemed weird yet that weird that makes you want to see the next book to understand better. Again, I did like the concept. The execution of it seemed a little off but I still had a decent time. I probably would read the next one to tie up loose ends.

My Rating: 3 Stars

A dark, bone-chilling fantasy with gorgeous ideas, but I struggled to connect
I wanted so badly to love this one - with necromancy, gods, a grieving sister, a deadly island, and magic systems steeped in death and sacrifice, Mistress of Bones had a setup that absolutely screamed my name.
It promised epic stakes, lush worldbuilding, layered politics, and morally complex characters. And to its credit - it delivered on many of those fronts. The prose is atmospheric and haunting, the world imaginative and intriguing, and the themes around sisterhood, power, and defiance of divine forces were right up my alley.
But the execution left me feeling... adrift. The constant shifts in timelines and POVs pulled me out of the story more often than they pulled me in. I often found myself flipping back to figure out where I was, whose head I was in, and how it tied to the previous chapter. And for a character-driven reader like me, that made it difficult to build emotional investment - even in Azul's compelling arc. I wanted to feel her desperation, to root for her fight against death itself. But with the structure jumping so rapidly, it was like trying to hug a ghost - beautiful, but never quite tangible.
Still, there were moments that glimmered. The bones-as-magic concept is original and haunting, and I truly appreciated the Spanish-inspired mythos. Characters like Azul, Nereida, and Enjul had the strongest emotional presence, and I'm hoping the sequel gives them even more room to grow. There's so much promise buried in these pages, and despite my disconnect this time around, I'm tempted to revisit the story once book two is out — maybe it's the kind of duology that reveals its magic better in hindsight.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press / Wednesday Books for sharing this teen fantasy romance digital review copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I requested this book on a whim and was surprised how much I enjoyed it! There is definitely a lot of characters, jumping back and forth in time, as well as different cities and cultures to keep track of, but the story really held me in by its unique premise and focus on the characters instead of just romance, romance, romance.

The premise of this story is amazing & original- a necromancer trying to bring her sister back to life in a world where the gods bones are mined and their presence felt. The world is vibrant and feels like it has a lot of depth, but isn’t communicated smoothly to the reader. Overall the execution didn’t quite hit the mark for me, but the story and the world a lot of promise.

2.5⭐️

I will fully admit that I wasn’t sold on this one until about halfway through. More often than not, the MCs were insufferable in their own unique ways. Too naive and a zealot. But they both change in ways that remain true to their characters but ultimately make them more sympathetic.

Once I was onboard, I really enjoyed it. A Spanish golden age-esque fantasy world, and vibes that remind me of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Gods of Jade and Shadow and Hannah Whitten’s Hemlock Queen.

A society that frames its relationships to its gods in an interesting way.

Life and death
Necromancy
Grumpy/sunshine
Death(‘s emissary) and the maiden?
Kickass women with swords

The audio narration was really well done and dynamic despite being single narrator. This one has multiple POV shifts and every character stayed distinct. Not exactly sure how to classify this as far as genre is concerned, but that makes me even more interested in the next one so I can find out.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC & ALC.

A whirlwind of a book! Very cool world building and I loved the reveal of Azul being a ‘daughter of life’ instead of tying her to death, which seems to be a common trope nowadays. I also was shocked that it was her brother that was the other necromancer! I have no idea why I didn’t suspect him, but I attribute it to how lost in the world I got as I read. The nonlinear timeline was confusing at points.

I was invested in the outcome but not fully sucked into the story. I liked the characters and the twisted relationships they had with each other. I enjoyed the mythology as well. It felt a little clunky at times and longer than it's 330 pages.

There's a lot here to like. The story could be interesting and the magic is fascinating. But it feels like a rough draft. It feels like the characters still aren't fully who they're meant to be. I kept getting confused as to whose chapter I was in and had to go back to check - and I pretty regularly read books with multi-pov. It was difficult to remember where we were and the dual timelines didn't feel like they added anything to the story. There was so much there to like but not much there that helped me get there.

3.5
This YA fantasy was promising, it sounded like something I was going to love. I struggled to connect, I feel like the story was there but the execution was off. There was shifts in timelines and POVs which is usually enjoyable for me. But I found myself drifting off a lot. However there were many moments I enjoyed as well. The mythology and the characters. I still want to read the next book because I feel like maybe it will pull everything together. And I like the concept.

Extremely beautiful writing and an interesting premise. I love anything with necromancy and death, however I thought I was going into a romantasy with this book. Instead this is a multi POV and different chapters/different timelines wrapped up into 320 pages which felt rushed at points. But for a debut I really enjoyed the writing, am looking forward for more.

I'm not a big YA reader, but I did enjoy this book. The authorial voice reminded me of one of my favorite authors, so that was nice. I liked the overall idea and concepts of the book, but I think the executition didn't follow through with the "promise", if that makes sense.

This is a book with a really cool concept, however there were times it felt a bit info dumpy and hard to follow. I had to skip parts of it, especially during the pov switches and multiple timelines, as it took me out of the story. The execution needed to be a bit more concise, considering how cool the story is! I think this is a good book, it just needed to be a little less messy!

Thank you for the arc!