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.

This is a book that I was super excited for, however I couldn’t get into it. I don’t know if it’s just me but I found it super confusing and I struggled to get interested in the world and connect with the characters and as a character driven reader, that lack of connection really hindered my enjoyment of the book.

This book seems really interesting and I am intrigued by the story but I couldn't get into it. Maybe if I got an audio of it I could but not as an ebook. I really wish I could.

I thoroughly enjoyed the character development, world-building, and multiple point of views in a shifting time frame. I found the latter easy to follow and plot-propelling--it was especially interesting to read the same scenes from another character's point of view, glimpsing his/her thoughts without hindrance.

In terms of world-building, this novel was rich with religious politics and the conflicts that typically follow differing points of views. Namely, this unfolded in the tension between Azul and Enjul, as the former took on a more liberal idealogy of death while the latter was considered more traditional. There were also cultural differences grounding the main characters' opposing sentiments and how refreshing to read real-world dramas through a fantastical lens.

Azul and Enjul's dynamic was often described in "cat and mouse" terms; however, I think this was a bit of an embellishment, considering Enjul, being an emissary of Death, knew all along that Azul would never achieve her clandestine goal of locating her sister's bones and resurrecting her. The real conflict of note for me was figuring out the identity and motivations behind the second necromancer. That being said, though, I loved the snippy dialogue between Azul and Enjul. It read very realistically and cleanly for me. I only wish they had more time to explore the obvious romantic tension that existed between them from the moment they first met.

I was so excited to read this book, but it was confusing from the first page. I felt like we were thrown a lot information with islands, names etc at once that I couldn't keep track. Then the time jumps made it just too confusing for me.

This really is a captivating story and it has a good premise. A young girl who can bring the dead back to life with just a single bone. An emissary of Death who wants to stop said girl. There were also many more characters in the story who played supportive roles or had their own agendas.
I feel that with the amount of character is and time jumps it made it a bit hard for me to keep track of everything going on. I've read books with multipl pov before and had no trouble keeping up so maybe it was the time jumps that got confusing. I really wanted to love this book but just couldn't. I feel if the flow was a bit smoother and a little less complicated this book could've been a 5 star for me.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for letting me ARC review this book.

*4.75 stars*

This book has left my jaw on the FLOOR. The characters are AMAZING, so deep and imperfect and obsessed, and the plotlines are insane to me. I have been on the edge of my seat the whole time.

The premise on which the plot is built is already so interesting, but the fact that we keep getting more and more angles to this story, every character is involved in its own way (which sounds weird to say but I mean that everyone is closely entwined with it and has been for years without the others knowing) and that makes it so interesting to me. It's filled with action, but not in a way where it's constant battles and war, more like a kind of politics-reminding action (except there's no politics and I'm just trying to explain how GOOD this is) It kind of gave me "The Familiar" vibes in the best of ways (and not only because they're both of spanish inspiration, I swear).

Overall I'm VERY glad this is a duology and will be found biting my nails off waiting for the second one!!!

I thought the premise of this book was fantastic although I feel it needs a glossary or some brief summary as it got quite confusing at times it jumps around a lot, I'm disappointed as I know this is my type of book, I found myself not wanting to pick it back up and it took me a while to read, it was a bit of a slog, like I said maybe a glossary or a brief summary at the beginning would of helped!

3.5/5

Mistress of Bones is an impressive debut that blends gothic fantasy, swashbuckling adventure, and intricate world-building. The story follows Azul, a necromancer trying to bring her sister back to life, while navigating court politics and being hunted by a servant of Death.

Azul is a standout protagonist—strong-willed, resourceful, and determined, making her easy to root for. The world-building is exceptional, especially the unique bone magic system, and the prose is sharp, complementing the action with precision, particularly in the rapier duels. The world feels both fantastical and grounded, drawing the reader in with every page.

While the wide cast of characters enriches the story, it occasionally distracts from the main plot, and the flashbacks can slow the pacing at times. However, these are minor issues in an otherwise thrilling and well-crafted narrative.

In all, Mistress of Bones is a captivating fantasy debut with rich world-building, strong characters, and unexpected twists. A must-read for fans of immersive fantasy and complex protagonists.

Thank you to NetGalley and Publisher for the ARC!

I wish someone had told me, going into this book, how long winded it would be. I was expecting something gripping, perhaps even chilling, as the rest of these winter months float by-- something eerie and hopeful and kindling. I don't think I really got anything out of it. The problem is the beginning of the book is so heavy handed with it's info-dumping, and barely any of it is utilized throughout the plot. I found myself often lost and struggling with multiple perspectives, jumping around, and context told-and-n0t-shown.

That being said, this is very reminiscent of Kerri Maniscalco's Hunting Prince Dracula-- the characters are collaborators, forced business partners, more than they are anything else and put themselves to the task of uncovering secrets left and right. And I loved Kerri's books, but this had a lot of the same issues: the glittering Court of Cienpuentes was more of a gothic backdrop we hardly see. Lots of people are /from/ there, lots of traveling /to/ there, but not enough of actually being there.

On the plus side, however, one of my favorite tropes: *He* definitely falls first, which was delightful, but under utilized.
In all, I was really underwhelmed. It's not *bad*, just not for me.

I'm sorry but I've tried very hard to get into this book a multitude of times but it was so slow paced and there was nothing that really hooked me into the story for me to complete this... It's sadly a DNF and I would have refrained from giving a star rating but I can't submit a review without one so unfortunately it's a 1 star for me...

This book was frustrating because on one hand, it was incredibly confusing to follow, with the timeline jumps and the many characters, but on the other hand, the characters are compelling and interesting, and all their different motivations and desires are so layered and complex. I almost think there are too many characters in this book, though, and not enough time is dedicated to helping the reader understand and remember who they are, which again, in conjunction with the timeline differences, makes this book difficult to follow. That all being said, something I think is done really well in this book is Azul's adherence to her quest to resurrect her sister. It's a front-facing goal for her throughout the whole story, but it's never pushed too hard or too unnaturally. Likewise, I think the book did a good job of keeping the plot interesting--the parts of it I could follow, anyways--and there was always another twist with every chapter that kept me guessing.