I jumped into this book knowing it was a Viking inspired romantasy, which honestly sounded so good, and I was not disappointed at all - it contains a really unique magic system based on bone, soul and blood craft. The magic system was backed by so much lore which had me so invested in learning more. I’m so excited to continue the series as it was so different to other fantasy worlds I’ve read. The supporting characters also were well developed and actually interesting, and all of the relationships felt truly earned through out the story.

Roark was such a good morally grey MMC and LJ was able to create intimate moments with no words. The yearning killed me. I feel like this is going to be a romantasy series so many people are going to love (especially if you love a darker romantasy) so definitely add it to your tbr if you haven’t already!!

Read if you like:
🗡️ Viking inspired worlds
🗡️ Unique magic systems
🗡️ Non verbal MMC/sign language
🗡️ Slowburn
🗡️ Forced Proximity
🗡️Enemies to lovers
🗡️ Found family
🗡️ Reluctant bodyguard

Wow! Did I love this book? Yes. I was so drawn in! I'm in my Vikings era and this had me in a choke hold the entire time.
This one had so many amazing tropes that made this book incredibly entertaining, well written and engaged me the whole time. I'm obsessed.
I loved the hidden powers, the slow burn, the magic, forced proximity and more!

Broken Souls and Bones is a standout in the crowded romantasy space, offering a Viking-inspired fantasy world that feels both fresh and emotionally grounded. LJ Andrews crafts a story that balances grief, rage, softness, and strength without compromise—delivering far more than aesthetic appeal.

What truly elevates this novel is its character depth. Roark, the male lead, is a non-speaking character who communicates through sign language. His emotional presence is powerful, tender, and never romanticized. Lyra, the anxious and introverted FMC, is refreshingly real—her social anxiety isn’t a flaw to overcome, but simply part of who she is. Their dynamic is filled with tension, payoff, and thoughtful pacing in a genre often criticized for extremes in enemies-to-lovers arcs.

Andrews also excels in worldbuilding and side character development. Prince Thane adds humor, while women like Emy, Yrsa, and Hilda are written with substance, loyalty, and strength—never as mere foils. The magic system is complex and consequences are real, demanding emotional and intellectual investment that pays off.

If you’re tired of surface-level romantasy and want something with texture, ideological conflict, and a perfect emotional arc, this is it. No cringe nicknames, no flat tropes—just a richly layered, emotionally satisfying fantasy romance. Absolutely one of the best this year.

Broken Souls and Bones is a romantasy set in a world that draws inspiration in Norse mythology. It centres around Lyra, who possesses a rare form of magic that kingdoms go to war to possess. Lyra is stashed away as a child in a small village and has lived her life hiding her melder abilities. Until royal sentry Roark Ashwood and the royal Stav Guard uncover her and take her prisoner in order to deliver her to the King, where she will be forced to perform her melding.

I really found myself immersed in the world LJ Andrew’s has created, from the very first page I was captivated and invested in the story. The writing is easy to read, although it did take me a bit to get my head around the magic system, I found it very unique in its application. The dynamic between Lyra and Roark was delicious, they should hate each other, but neither can help being drawn to the other. Roark is mute and uses signs to communicate, regardless of this he can command a room. I enjoyed the slow burn romance and the way Lyra had to learn to communicate with Roark. There are also some enjoyable side characters, Prince Thane in particular was great value and had me chuckling.

This book well paced, with lots of tense, heartbreaking and beautiful moments. And then there are the twists - I predicted one of them, but there is a plot twist at the end that gave me whiplash. I admit, I had to suspend reality a bit to actually believe it. I was on the edge of my seat for the last 100 pages, it was pure chaos and it set up book two beautifully because I now cannot wait to see what happens. All up, it’s a really enjoyable read and if you like broadly bodyguards and fierce FMCs with lots of danger and tension, you’ll enjoy this one!

When so much of romantasy is dominated by faeries and vampires, it's nice to have a change of pace and read something with VIKINGS!! This book gave me a similar feel to A Fate Inked in Blood but brought its own unique mythology and characters to the table, including my new husband and the latest to join the shadow daddy ranks, Roark Ashwood. I haven't seen sign language being represented this well in a fantasy book before, and I really appreciated the way it was accepted so naturally as a means of communication and didn't diminish Roark's strength or courage.
Kudos to Lyra for fighting her feelings for him for as long as she did, because I would have been asking 'what are we' the second that man was assigned to be my bodyguard. The found family trope in this book was done really well, and it felt like all the side characters served a purpose in the story, which sometimes I find doesn't happen when there is a large cast. But LJ Andrews managed to make me care about (aaalmost) everyone. It was a bit of a slow starter, and took me until around the 50% mark to really start flying through, but when that slow-burn started BURNING and the action kicked up a notch, I was hooked. Did I guess some of the plot twists? Yes. Did I still love reading the reveals? Absolutely. This world feels like it has so much potential, I'm excited to see it explored more in the sequel!

PSA TO ALL FANTASY AUTHORS: DO NOT PUT THE GLOSSARY ON THE LAST PAGE OF THE BOOK, WITHOUT TELLING READERS AND EXPLAINING THE WORLD BUILDING THROUGH THAT, BECAUSE IT’S BLOODY ANNOYING.

What’s with books that I’m so excited for being let down? 😭 From the beginning, the book just jumped right into the story, but no exposition to support it. So I just felt like I was missing something in the magical system and worldbuilding. Like, even though this had everything, from dual POV, enemies to lovers, and an interesting plot/world. But,the writing and dialogue made the end result just a letdown. Plus, the political intrigue was missing, so without knowing why and the motivations surrounding this book, the majority of it was kinda pointless 🤷🏽‍♀️
2.5

DNF at 16%

I was SO excited for this book but I couldn’t connect with the writing style. I struggled through it and felt like the paragraphs were really choppy and was missing sentences. Also having one character called by three different names (first name/ last name/ title) was so confusing to me. I kept waiting to get into the story but I just couldn’t

Fantasy and romantasy is currently overrun with fae courts, dragons, vampires, and morally ambiguous shadow daddies trying to out-brood each other. And I love it, yet simultaneously, I’ve read enough of them to last me several reincarnations. So when Broken Souls and Bones introduced me to Viking-inspired fantasy romance, I perked up. Then I devoured it.

But Broken Souls and Bones didn’t just win me over with aesthetics. It felt fresh because it gave space for grief, silence, rage and softness, all coexisting without cancelling each other out.

What really stood out to me was Roark, the male lead, who communicates using sign language. It’s clear LJ Andrews put in the work to get it right. The signing is so vividly described, you can almost see his hands moving and feel the weight behind each gesture. As a non-speaking character, Roark isn’t reduced or romanticised. He’s a protector without being possessive, and emotionally present without being sanctified.

Furthermore, FMC, Lyra is anxious, introverted, and emotionally intelligent. Not the kind of FMC who’s “not like other girls,” but one who is like a lot of us. Her social anxiety isn’t framed as a flaw to be cured, it just is, and that’s what I loved.

Meanwhile, everyone has a take on the balance of enemies-to-lovers… whether it’s too insta-lust/love, too slow-burn, too much vitriolic enmity, not enough true enmity. We’re all just Goldilocks out here testing the porridge, hoping for the right temperature.

But perhaps timing isn’t the problem. Substance is. I don’t care if they kiss on page 50 or in book two, if there’s no emotional backbone, I’m out. But Broken Souls and Bones delivered a perfect amount of tension, ideological friction and payoff.

That balance is why I quietly bumped this book’s rating up to five stars when I couldn’t stop thinking about it a week later. LJ Andrews clearly knows how to balance fantasy and romance without flattening either. There’s texture and nuance. I’m surprised this book isn’t more talked about. I feel it’s one of the strongest romantasies I’ve read this year and I’ve read a lot of them.

I just need to give a shout out to the side characters because this book doesn’t waste its supporting cast on filler. Prince Thane is hilarious. Kael is Lyra’s loyal brother-from-another-mother. And there are multiple women — Emi, Yrsa, Hilda — who aren’t written as foils or competition for Lyra. They’re layered, loyal, flawed, and feel like they exist outside the frame. Just women supporting women, surviving brutal systems together.

The worldbuilding and magic system sealed the deal for me. To be honest, the first half is quite intricate and demanding but once you wrap your head around it all, the reward is worth it. The magic system feels really unique. Lyra’s power isn’t pretty, it’s horrifying and crunchy with consequences. I love magic that exacts a price, especially when it forces characters to grapple with power, morality and identity. That’s what made the worldbuilding and plot extra compelling.

Also, and I cannot stress this enough: no cringe nicknames. I was at peace.

And finally, FYI for my fellow animal lovers: no dogs or wolves die, even though there was an opportunity for that to happen earlier in the book. There are plenty of other content warnings though, so be mindful of that.

If you liked A Fate Inked in Blood or any other Viking-inspired romantasy, odds are this will work for you too. But even if Nordic-inspired romantasy isn’t on your radar yet, it should be. This was my first foray into it and I loved it. If you’ve been burned by too many copy-paste romantasies lately, give this one a shot. It surprised me with heart, weight and soul.

My heartfelt thanks to Penguin Random House Australia & NetGalley for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

** spoiler alert **

3 Stars

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When I started reading this book up to the 6% mark I was tempted to DNF multiple times (and the only reason I didn't is because I always give a book til 20%). The first part of the book was a mixture of slightly intriguing and intensely painful. There was soooo much exposition. So much telling and explaining and throwing names and histories around that I wanted to throw the book away. Why not just let me find this stuff out organically??

In addition to this I found the author often didn't explain things or contradicted herself. At this point I still don't know why this ridiculously strong and powerful sentry and bodyguard to the crown Prince, who hates melders decided to sneak around, write liar and run off like a coward when he got a few plums thrown at him??? Was it just to have a 'meet-cute'?? Totally unbelievable.

What else is unbelievable? Saying that he's 2 heads taller than her but then in chapter 14 when he grabs her and pulls her to his body they're described as "chest to chest, I could feel the thud of Roark's heartbeat against my own"... I'm sorry? What? How does that work? Anatomically?

Also, she learns his language very quickly to the point that it feels like in a day she can decipher long sentences of what he's saying and have a conversation with him, but then the next day she struggles to decipher a simple word? And he needs to resort to writing? Oookay... This makes even less sense when you realise at the end that her 'soul" understood his words? Except when he needed to write them....

And when they finally arrive at the palace in Stonegate there's no guards standing at the door? No mechanism to open the gate? We just have our burly MMC push the heavy palace does open with his bare hands... Sure, why not? 🙄

Before their first sex scene he's wearing pants with no belt to hold them up and they're falling 'seductively low', then later in the same scene he fumbles with his belt to take them off?

Going through the market at Stonegate for the first time, their wandering is slowed by all the admirers and old women pressing sweets into Roark's hand, but at the end of the book Lyra wonders if he'll revert to being the 'resented' sentry?

When Lyra is threatened by Tomas, Roark heard the entire conversation then needs to sprint and run, then climb the stairs before he can reach them.. how could he possibly hear what was going on but be so far away?

I think what I'm trying to say is that the story telling is inconsistent, and required me to suspend my disbelief too much. The author wrote whatever works best for a particular scene not for the book as a whole.

She also wrote for convenience. For instance, what is the point of a fealty shard if you can just sever the fingertip to break the bond? Also why would the king take the shard from a place so easily severed? Makes no sense, surely he'd take it from the base of the neck for instance? Also to introduce this concept at the 95% mark after they've fled, felt cheap. And frustrating. And soured my feelings towards the book.

She also decided to set the story in a Viking-ess world without altering it enough that it felt frustrating. You have Jarls (Viking chiefs) with Viking sounding names for places Skalfirth, Jorvandal as well as Fjords.. and then you have Stonegate? You have Viking/Norse sounding character names: Thorian, Marta, Edvin, Hilda, Jakobson, Henrik... But then you have Celtic names Kael and Thane, Greek name Lyra, Slav name Damir. You have the Guard called Stav.. again Slav sounding. And this is all people from there, not the other kingdoms. If you wanted it to be Viking then stick to Viking.. otherwise makeup the world in its entirety and don't borrow words like Fjord and Jarl and Skald? I found this really... I don't know.. disrespectful and ultimately jarring to read.

In general I absolutely LOVE multiple POV stories. It just adds so much depth and nuance. That being said, I think this was somewhat poorly done. Whenever a section starts it has the POV characters name at the top italicized.. and thank God it does because the characters don't have a distinct enough voice to tell them apart. I glanced over the heading once and read over a page thinking I was in Lyra's POV only to read an interaction with another character that didn't make sense, lo and behold I was in Roark's POV. That should not have been able to happen

I did enjoy the MMC - he has an awesome name Roark. I love that. I also liked having a main character and a love interest that had a physical disability (in this case being unable to talk and communicating via sign language). That was really amazing for the author to include and must've had it's own challenges in writing. And I think she smashed it out of the park.

Overall the story had a lot of potential, but it felt rushed and lacking the attention to detail that really would've taken it to the next level. I also felt that the magic system wasn't explained very well and I found that frustrating throughout. But, I enjoyed it enough that I would probably read the sequel to see what happens next.

I imagine this would be suited to people who prefer YA Romantasy as that's how it read to me: simpler and full of tropes, lacking the finesse and complexity I would expect in an adult novel.

4.5 ⭐️

A Viking inspired slow burn romantasy with a magic system that involves blood, bone and soul craft.
The story follows Lyra, a coveted Melder who has survived her childhood by hiding her secret craft. But once the King discovers the lost Melder to be alive, he sends his Sentry to find her and bring her to work for him. Roark Ashwood - a fierce soldier from an enemy kingdom who was abandoned by his people as a child after they severely wounded him leaving him unable to speak. Roark was raised to loathe Melders for the gruesome power they harness that has the ability to corrupt a person’s soul. However, there is an undeniable connection between Lyra and Roark and when he is forced to protect her at all costs and Lyra learns his hand communication so quickly, the pair soon realise there is a familiarity they can’t explain and begin to fall for each other.

A slow burn enemies to lovers with forced proximity… excuse me while I eat this up!
The unique magic system using blood, bone or soul craft is very is interesting however I found it confusing in the beginning especially understanding what a Melder was and does, but once it clicked, it clicked!
I love the dual POV, especially loved Roark’s chapters as his character doesn’t have much dialogue but when he just ‘tap, tap, tap’ - enough said! Both main characters are likeable, strong and fiercely loyal. I also adored the side characters, especially Thane, Emi and Kael and loved the relationship developments throughout the book.
While one particular plot twist was quite predictable, more twists kept unravelling until the very last page and I did not expect that! My jaw was on the floor! I love this book, I am hooked on this story and can’t wait to read more about Lyra and Roark!
This was incredibly exciting, mysterious and engaging. I would recommend this to anyone! Particularly if romantasy is your go-to genre, you’ll love this!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House Australia for the eARC!

This book wasn't right for me, but it absolutely could be right for others!

What I liked:
* I found the magic system fascinating, I was drawn to the Norse influences and enjoyed learning about the various kinds of craft
* The found family type relationships between Thane/Roark, and Lyra/Kael.

What didn't work for me:
* I'm not a newbie to fantasy, but I was confused for a good chunk of the beginning. The world building was quite confusing and hard to follow, I kept having to refer back to previous elements I had bookmarked which for me signals the writing isn’t leading me through well enough (I don't usually need to do that when I'm reading fantasy)
* The first half was very slow, even by halfway through we still don’t seem to have any real idea what’s going on in the broader plot, besides the fact that Lyra is a melder and now works for the king under roark’s watch.
* I just wasn't connected to the characters or romance. I would've loved to read more small moments of delight between them to show me why I should care about their love story. I felt it was mainly just based on this strange feeling they both had that the other was special, but I wasn't feeling much chemistry or tension in their interactions.

Unfortunately I ended up DNF'ing this book, however I did read the majority of it before deciding to do so.
I was really disappointed about it being a DNF both because I had high hopes, and because there wasn't anything that I actively disliked. I don't think it's a bad book - I just wasn't gripped by it and didn't feel connected enough to the characters or plot.

Thank you Penguin Random House Australia and NetGalley for providing an e-ARC for me to review, all thoughts are my own 🫶

I was in the mood for a Viking romantasy and LJ Andrews understood the assignment.

A new world and plot from an experienced romantasy writer. Broken Souls & Bones follows Lyra, a melder (magic worker) who has been missing and hidden from the Kingdom since her childhood. She is brought to the King to improve his army by using a rare kind of dark magic to merge bones of dead warriors to increase strength and ferocity in battle. The enemy kingdoms hate that this magic and practice exist, so by doing as the King demands, Lyra puts herself and the kingdom in danger of attack. Enter her mute bodyguard, and outcast the enemy tribe, Roark.

The connection between Roark and Lyra was instant and palpable. The draw and the tension between the two was written so well I would have happily ignored the rest of the plot just for more of their interactions together. Roark is mute, and communicates in his own sign language which only a handful of individuals can understand. But Lyra picks it up extremely fast. It is such an intimate way of communicating and I loved how that added proximity and connection between the two MC's.

The magic system is so unique from other fantasy and romantasy books out there. It did take a little bit to fully understand exactly what was happening and the differences between the different kinds of craft. I felt that this particular aspect could have been explained a little better. The lore however, was well done, and throughout the narrative there were tales of the first Wanderer King told that were easier to follow.

Another draw factor was the mirror realm that Lyra would enter when she was melding. This really drew me in and held my interest while I was reading.

There are twists at the end. One I could see coming throughout the book (but I do read a LOT of romantasy), but the other took me by surprise for sure. I am VERY keen for book 2.

Thankyou to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Australia for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Narration:dual character, first person POV

Spice: 2/5

Tropes:
- Amnesia
- Unique magic system
- Bodyguard
- Forced Proximity
- Slow burn
- Entwined fates
- Found family
- Norse inspired world
- Mute MMC
- (kind of) enemies to lovers

I very rarely DNF books so it pains me to say I had to stop reading this at the 35 per cent mark.

My biggest gripe with Broken Souls and Bones is that this is an interesting idea with weak execution, both in terms of the writing and the world building. With sharper editing and some better development in the character and world departments, I really do think this could be a compelling novel but unfortunately it's just not there - at least in this version of the book (not sure if more edits are planned once ARC reviews come in).

Let's start with the world building. The concept of a Norse/Viking-inspired fantasy with a unique magic system based on blood, bones and souls really drew me in and I think with better execution, that concept alone would have made me ignore the weak writing just to spend time in a unique fantasy world. Unfortunately, the magic system feels underdeveloped and the world feels like a bizarre mish-mash of Viking lore (character names, raids, etc.), medieval England (courtiers, use of the term "ser") and a vague second-world fantasy setting. I really wish Andrews had committed to a more grounded Viking setting based on actual Scandinavian history and then woven the fantasy elements into it to make the world feel real and lived-in.

As for the writing, there are lots of little issues I could call out - clunky dialogue, weird sentence structure, the fact that the FMC alternates calling the MMC by his first name, last name or military title completely at random even in her internal monologue - but I think the bigger issue is that the characters are weak and there's an over reliance on telling instead of showing. Lyra is an uninspiring FMC that feels like yet another copy of the Ferye/Aelin/Violet stereotype (tough girl with a heart of gold and a soft side), Kael is the self-sacrificing blonde who is "like family", Roark seems set up to be another wounded brooding love interest and the rest are pretty one-note. Maybe those character weaknesses would be tolerable if the prose was beautiful, but it's not - it's repetitive, slow paced and spends too much time telling the reader how to interpret everything on the page.

I can't comment much on the romance aspect as the main characters had only known each other for about 72 hours when I stopped reading, but even that was enough to see this was heading in the direction of insta-love/lust and faux enemies to lovers. There are lines about Lyra and Roark being attracted to each other literal hours after he abducted her from her home under threat of burning the whole town down - which, come on. He even mentions feeling a 'strange urge to protect her' (paraphrased) on page 60 ... while actively threatening her, her family and entire town. If they're going to be enemies, make them actual enemies. Commit to the bit.

One last gripe I need to voice is tied to the whole reason I picked the book up: Roark's disability. A past injury left him unable to speak so he communicates with a form of sign language, which I thought was a really compelling and unique element for a romantasy as Lyra would have to overcome that language barrier to really communicate with him and get to know him. I assumed the inability for them to communicate at first would play a major role in the enemies to lovers arc, as she would slowly come to fall for him as she gained the ability to understand him literally (through learning to sign) and more figuratively. Instead, Lyra seems to magically (yes, actual magic) starts to understand his sign language within 24 hours of meeting him and is having full conversations with him writing out long, eloquent statements in a way that just doesn't feel realistic. I'd be really keen to see people who actually rely on sign language to communicate weigh in on how accurate this representation is, but it felt like a bit of a cop out to my inexpert eye.

All in all, I really wanted to like this book and most of its weak elements would have been tolerable on their own - but all together I just couldn't get through it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Australia for this eARC to one of my most anticipated 2025 releases.

This was a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I am a huge fan of LJ Andrews. The Ever Seas and Broken Kingdoms series were fantastic. So I had very high hopes for this book and I wasn’t disappointed.

LJ does Nordic/Viking lore incredibly well. Everytime I have read something she’s written I have no issues following along. She build the world in such a way, that even when you’re confused or not sure of the world building, you get answers. She did that wonderfully in Broken Souls and Bones. The magic especially was fun to read and discover. It was very unique and unlike something I’ve read before.

Don’t go into this book expecting action after action and instant love or spice. The story and romance is a slow burn. But I personally loved the pacing of the book. LJ gives you time with the characters and the plot so you can take it all in. But I know that some people wil struggle with the pacing.

Lyra and Roarke are wonderfully written MCs. It’s not a massive spoiler but don’t want to reveal in the review but Roarke is different from other MMCs. He has a disability which I really admired LJ for writing a main character like this. It’s great to see disability representation in stories.

The cast of side characters and the found family aspect of the story was done so well. Characters are developed and get to shine and you fall in love with those characters.

The ending surprised me and now I’m over here like 😧😧😧 waiting for the next book. I believe LJ stated this is a two book series so hopefully won’t be a super long wait.

This is going to be my favourite read for May I think, and we're not even half way in. I don't know what LJ Andrews is sprinkling in her writing but it's working because I ate this book up and I'm left hanging for more.

Lyra, our FMC, is hiding away because of her rare and desirable magic abilities, when she is discovered by the Prince's sentry, Roark Ashwood. What follows is some fun, snarky banter, a strong dislike of each other and some delicious forced proximity when Roark is assigned to watch over Lyra.

Lyra is such a strong character and she shows early on how she is willing to sacrifice herself for those she loves, especially Kael, who is like a brother to her - she is willing to die for him (and he for her) from the very beginning of the book.
Roark brings new meaning to 'touch her and die' (but only if she doesn't kill you herself), he is absolutely ruthless in the best way but soft for her.
The chemistry between these two is fantastic, I love that they are a little bit grumpy / sunshine but he's not afraid to smile and have fun with her too.

I loved the magic system, it was different, a bit brutal and very well described / thought out. I really like the Norse mythology influences, I can see it in the settings, the character descriptions, the gods and mythology / religion described, it helped paint a picture for me.

I can't wait for more of this series, I devoured this book and I'm positive the next one will be no different.

No one does dark Romantasy quite like her!

If Viking-inspired fantasy is your thing, this book needs to be on your TBR. It’s packed with all the best tropes—enemies to lovers, forbidden romance, found family, bodyguard vibes, close proximity tension, a unique magic system, and the most satisfying slow burn.

This book had me hooked within the first few chapters. Since it’s the first in the series, there’s a good bit of world-building and magic system setup early on, but it never felt too much or overwhelming. The pacing overall was really solid and kept me interested the whole way through.

You’re definitely going to fall hard for our main characters, Roark and Lyra—but honestly, the side characters might steal your heart just as fast. I’m already obsessed with Prince Thane, Kael, and Emi!

Now let’s talk about the romance… oof, I was swooning so hard. Without giving too much away, just know Roark is the definition of “actions speak louder than words”—and I ate it up.

This book was a fun, Viking mythology inspired fantasty novel, and I devoured it.

Roark and Lyra were great main characters, and I thought the romance between them was slow burn perfection. Roark's communication style was interesting and well explored, and I think Lyra and Roark learning to compromise and communicate with one another was one of the things that made this romance so impactful.

I absolutely loved the found family aspect. The found family trope is of my favourite tropes, and this book handles it wonderfully. The friendship between Kael and Lyra was so beautiful, as was the friendship between Roarke, Thane and Emi. After the ending all of these characters endured, I need the sequel to this book IMMEDIATELY.

The story was described as having political intrigue, and while it was there I didn't think it was that well developed. I really wanted to see more of the politics at work between the clans. The book also did struggle a bit with pacing, in my opinion, but it was nothing too major.

I was so proud of myself for calling one of the plot twists, but even still, the ending was an absolute rollercoaster. I cannot wait to see how the rest of this series continues!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Australia for sending me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Okay, this was such a good time! I love all the men written by LJ Andrews but Roark? Yeah. He’s that man.

The found family in this was so special.

Loved.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25

I had really high hopes for this. Viking & Norse mythology inspired with a non verbal MMC had me so excited.
However this book was so incredibly slow and boring.
The magic system seemed really cool & unique. It seemed quite simple but I'm still confused about it, I don't think it was explained or demonstrated very well at all.
I was intrigued in the first 10% but then the plot hardly moved at all until everything happened in the last 20% - and I guessed two of the big reveals.
I didn't connect to any of the characters, I found them all quite dull. I was just terribly bored throughout the whole book. An action packed final 20% does not make up for the rest of the book unfortunately.

i’m kind of shocked at my own rating, as it took me some time to find broken souls and bones entertaining. the beginning is slow, as it unfurls the detailed world-building, introduces us to the characters and establishes the premise of this book. the magic system is incredible in its intricacies and there’s a lot of rich lore behind it that is so fascinating. once we’ve navigated the introduction, however, the remainder of broken souls and bones is fantastic—it’s contains action and adventure within the beautiful realms of stìgandr; unexpected dark secrets and hidden enemies; and one of the most intense, slow burning enemies to lovers romance, influenced by fascinating nordic and viking lore. the way lj andrews introduces broken souls and bones as the first installment of the stonegate series is both elaborate and immersive. i haven’t read lj andrews’ romances before, but her writing is detailed and the way she writes feels atmospheric and that everything contains purpose.

broken souls and bones begins with a prologue that’s vague however detailed and throws us into a heart-racing moment shrouded in turmoil and mystery. this book is lyra bien’s journey as she comes to learn her craft—the kind of magic the world carries and its people possess—and navigates her newfound life as the ‘melder’ for king damir at stonegate. there’s enemies lurking within the shadows, threatening to tear down the castle walls in an attempt to prevent lyra from using her new magic and lyra finds herself torn between following her duties and protecting the innocent. broken souls and bones unfolds in slow increments, but the bits of information we’re treated to is done so with reason and watching as secrets unravel themselves alongside the characters was captivating. every detail and every moment contained a purpose—sometimes we have answers to the reasons for unveiling the information, but there are still plenty of questions waiting to be answered!

♡ lyra bien
lyra bien is cunning and intelligent, having lived unseen and forced to remain undetected due to the scars visible in her eyes. this characteristic signifies her abilities, her rare craft as the coveted melder who possesses all three crafts of bone, soul and blood. her gift doesn’t come without challenges however and her new title carries both fear and reverence in its name. she relishes her slow life in skalfirth, but when it’s upheaved lyra sacrifices it in exchange for her close friends to remain unharmed. i loved lyra’s quiet resolve, but this didn’t make her less dangerous or formidable, especially as her power manifests and strengthens in subtle ways throughout this book. one kind of female main character i love to read is someone who’s empowering and equally as fierce as the love interest—and lyra is the perfect balance and counterpart to roark ashwood. she undergoes an incredible journey of growth, as she learns and understands her unique powers, but this emboldens lyra and it’s refreshing to witness her embrace the new changes, rather than turn away from them. fear is something that lyra navigates in this book—of her power and the harm it could cause others—but her soft nature balances this. watching lyra grow as this book, with support from what started as reluctant allies to close friends, was wholesome and fantastic as she flourishes with time.

♡ roark ashwood
a man, especially a love interest, who uses actions instead of words to demonstrate his intentions will forever have me in the biggest chokehold! in roark’s case, he doesn't use speech but instead hand signals to communicate as he can't talk from an injury, making his gestures and intentions feel more deliberate, emotional and sincere. i knew roark ashwood would become a favourite of mine from the moment we’re introduced to this character—he’s morally complex and multi-faceted with dark secrets waiting to be learned. everything about roark and his actions held purpose, making his character development have more impact. roark maintains a command and presence over his men, able to retain the respect from them without issues, making him dangerous and threatening. as the book progresses, roark’s past begins to unravel allowing us to learn more about the man and his secrets. watching roark’s quietness transform from frightening intimidation into something softer, almost tender, was heartfelt as most of his change was directed towards lyra—he loves wonderfully and wholeheartedly, with intention and without abandon. i feel we’ve touched the surface of roark ashwood; there’s so much more to this man and his intentions hiding within the shadows.

♡ lyra bien + roark ashwood
i love a slow burn romance that is slow as it burns and unravels. i’m a firm believer that a proper slow burn allows us time to appreciate the growing affection between the characters, especially when they don’t like each other initially, providing the reader an opportunity to appreciate the romance more. the relationship between lyra and roark left me giggling and kicking my feet in absolute giddiness as, besides having a slow burn, featured enemies to lovers (my favourite), forced proximity, kidnapping and reluctant bodyguard—making the way these two unlikely characters fall in love all the more enticing. the notable time and dedication lyra put into learning roark’s hand gestures and language was heartwarming and the obvious realisation that he wouldn’t have to work as hard to be understood made me melt, as he’s often subjected to mockery by his fellow warriors! the effort both of them went into learning and understanding each other as individuals made their romance more heartfelt; the way they would fight for the other left me grinning in delight as there’s nothing better than a couple who not only protects each other, but fights together.

♡ the side characters
well-established found families is one of my favourite tropes in fantasy as, when done right, side characters support and enrich the leading characters’ journeys and personalities, and lj andrews delivered! the bond shared between kael and lyra was touching with the way kael would go to great lengths to protect lyra and ensure her safety. she’d also do the same in return without hesitation, despite kael’s protests. what started as reluctant allies, i love that lyra was able to seek guidance and eventually have confidence and trust in thane and emi, who became her friends and comrades in battle.

i’m going to be feral, waiting for the second book in the stonegate series, with thoughts and theories swirling endlessly in my mind following the jaw dropping ending of this book. broken souls and bones is an enthralling introduction to lj andrews’ newest series, leaving me excited to see where lyra and roark’s journey takes them in the next book. i now have an extensive backlog of enchanting and immersive worlds to devour in the broken kingdoms and the ever seas series, as we wait with bated breath for the second book’s announcement!