"The start of an edge-of-your-seat, action-packed epic fantasy series from the irreverent Jackson Ford, where a wild band known as the Bone Raiders harness the power of gigantic, fire-breathing lizards to defend their homeland.

WE DIDN'T START THE FIRE...BUT OUR GIANT FIRE-BREATHING LIZARDS DID.

You don't f*ck with the Rakada. The people living in the grasslands of the Tapestry call them the Bone Raiders, from their charming habit of displaying the bones of those they kill on their armour. But being a raider is tough these days. There's a new Great Khan in the Tapestry. He plans to use his sizeable military to get rid of the raider clans. And then there are the huge fire-breathing lizards that are straying into the grasslands a little too often these days.

Sayana is a raider scout. She knows that to protect their way of life, she needs do something drastic. Like convincing her clan to ride those huge lizards, instead of horses. Sayana doesn't know how to do it without being eaten and/or cooked alive, but she'd better figure it out fast - or she and her clan, along with every other raider in the Tapestry, will be wiped out."

YAS, dragon riders by a slightly different bent.

I absolutely LOVED THIS!! What a story. I need this on my shelf. I will be telling EVERYONE about The Bone Raiders. The storytelling was well woven and it played out like a movie in my head only I’m not sure which would be gnarlier, my imagination or the CGI version of araatans. I can’t wait to cosplay a Rakada!

I can never thank you enough for letting me read this arc!

The Bone Raiders is the action-packed start to a new fantasy series by Jackson Ford. It follows the Rakada, a chaotic clan of badass women who roam the grasslands, raiding villages and striking fear into the hearts of anyone unfortunate enough to fall in their path. But the Great Khan’s army is forcing the people of the plains to move to his growing capital city, and life as a raider is getting harder. That’s when Sayana comes up with a genius, foolproof, totally sane plan: tame the araatan, gigantic, fire-breathing lizards, and ride them instead of horses. No problems there, right?

What a fantastic debut fantasy novel! Ford created an immersive, fully fleshed-out world with a dynamic setting and imperfect characters that grow on you like a wart (never change, Khunbish). One heaping order of unrequited lesbian yearning, please! The pace slowed a bit in the middle but this was quickly corrected and the story finished with an explosive action scene and twist I didn’t see coming. I can’t wait to get my hands on the Broken Binding edition of this upcoming release and to see what this series has in store next.

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit books for an advanced copy. Jackson Ford’s Frost files series are some of my favorite books, so I couldn’t wait to pick up the Bone Raiders. This book is the first in a fantasy series about the Bone Raiders, also known as the Rakada, who live as raiders who roam the wilderness, scavenging from other tribes and the land. The twist is that the Rakada are all strong, fierce and independent women, who don’t want the traditional life of marriage and children. There is not much comparison between this book and the Frost files, except that the characters in both go from one impossible, crazy situation into another. The Bone Raiders situation, though, seems very dismal and hopeless throughout the book. I need a little hope and cheer right now but there is not a whole lot to be found. However I still strongly recommend this book, in order to get to know the Rakada. It’s impossible not to cheer them on and hope it will somehow work out for them. This book is special because instead of being just another book about a band of male soldiers, these are all complex women who fight and think and love one another, animals, and the planet they live on. Jackson Ford proves that men can create strong, interesting female characters you care about and root for. I will definitely be looking for book two in this series.

A solid read. Action packed start with a GoT kick off. How to Train Your Dragon middle. Fight for your freedom. And ***SPOILER*** rebel against your parent/born to life attitude to fight for what you want. Very much looking forward to seeing how this series progresses.

Thank you to NetGalleg and the publisher for an early copy of this book! Below is my honest review.

DNFed at 25%. Nothing super wrong with this, but I did fall asleep twice while trying to read it. It’s not necessary boring, but I didn’t find it interesting.

(ew). Also featuring unforgettable supporting characters who quite honestly steal the show frequently with humor, fresh perspectives, depth, and FIRE.

For fans of fantasy who want a solid story without 500 pages of tedious world building.

*these ain’t yo mamas dragons, so buckle in princess

Thank you Orbit for providing me an ARC through NetGalley for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Well written, incredibly fast paced, and full of compelling characters! The world building (inspired by Mongolia, I believe) was also really interesting and well done. Overall I enjoyed this and would absolutely recommend to fans of epic fantasy.

Personally, I did struggle with the humour at times, but that’s the only complaint I have.

The Bone Raiders is an absolutely exhilarating and action-packed book! There are exceptional characters like Khun who is hilarious and Sayana who is super fierce and cunning. This story has a wonderfully fresh take on the dragon fantasy genre, with the world building being immersive and reminiscent of our own. The story delves into themes of found family, camaraderie, and standing up for what's right. I was completely immersed in this book from beginning to end and highly recommend one. One thing of note, however, is that this book uses a lot of expletives quite liberally. It felt a little big jarring in the tone of this grandiose world, but you become used to it and it becomes apart of the humor.

<b>Disclosure Statement: I received an advanced reading copy of this novel from the publisher. My thoughts and opinions on the book are entirely my own and have not been influenced in any way by either author or publisher.</b>

I'll keep this short:

<i>The Bone Raiders</i> is almost exactly what it says it is in its description, but it's also an absolute triumph as a story. It's funny, it's heartwarming, it's surprising at times, and I absolutely fucking loved it.

But it's also deceptively smart, an exploration of what it means to stand up and actually take a side. It's all about making choices and living by consequence, of having to actually look at one's life and one's position and realize what it means to have to take a stake. It's got some absolutely brilliant character moments, and the plot feels tight.

If dragon fantasy is your thing, this is a fresh take on that genre--with a cast of colorful characters and a hell of a good time.

First and foremost I’d like think NetGalley and Orbit books for the iconic opportunity to read this book early. I am forever thankful ❤️
My review is an honest reflection of my feelings towards this book.☺️
When I got a little birdie telling that this book is FairyLoot’s Next Epic Fantasy Choice aka from the amazing @theautumnbookreads I thought it was my responsibility to read my ARC and let people know my thoughts on this book. And it was an honor to serve those asking for thoughts about this book 🫡
This book in short is: A adrenaline fueled funny as hell ride with a group of iconic characters as they fight to maintain their ways of life against a man whose soul mission is to conquer the Tapestry and eradicate those who don’t conform to idea of a the perfect empire.
These badass women absolutely stole their ways into my heart and had me giggling through out my reading of this book with their dialogue. The cast was so well balanced loved by me for their distinct and unique personalities and when, Princess ,a huge ass fire breathing lizard was introduced, girl I was gone with this book.
I honestly cannot wait to see what’s next for these badass warriors in their journeys. I just know it’s going to be even more iconic ❤️‍🔥
Would I recommend it? Yes yes yes and yes. I’m not an epic fantasy reader but this might just turn me into one ❤️
I hope you all check out this book in August when it’s released. You won’t regret ☺️

I was intrigued by the premise of this book, but was a LITTLE concerned by the tone of the blurb that it was going to be just one joke after another in an "Aren't I so hilarious?" way. Luckily, it wasn't. It certainly IS written with a sense of dry humor that you can certainly see throughout, but I didn't feel like it was done in a way that actually detracted from the story.

It's a fun book, and the main cast of entirely female characters was written very well. They're all very distinct and there's no sense of "women, amiright?" that you sometimes have to worry about with when the author is a dude, so good job to him on that front. The setting is fairly unique in modern fantasy, too, drawing on historical influences we don't see a lot...and of course, with the addition of fire-breathing lizards.

I DO think people might go into this book thinking there is going to be a lot more action than there actually is. There are, I think, five big action sequences throughout the book (the start of the book, the kidnapping, the wagon train raid, the raid on the camp, the finale) but most of the book is actually group dynamics and attempting to tame the araatan (of which there is also only one for most of the book, whereas the blurb makes it sound like there are many). While I did not mind this, I think the actual pace of the thing might be drastically different from what some people go into it expecting.

I do think some chapters from Tuya's point of view would have been a nice addition, but overall this was a pleasant surprise!

3.5 stars for me!

This novel came straight out of the gates swinging so if you like your fantasy with action sequences, this one will start you on the right foot. The pacing does slow dramatically when you reach the 40% mark, but once you’ve pushed past that it’ll pick back up!

The writing is heavily inspired by Mongolian culture and we follow a few different POVs, two are from the Rakada clan (aka Bone Raiders), Sayana and Hogelun. Khun, another Rakada, was one of my favorite characters despite not getting her POV. The novel feels a hair heavy handed on the “girl power” stance of their group but I do enjoy the different strengths they bring to the table. Having deaf representation was great! Hogelun has the most development in the novel, we really don’t see the others have an arc. I’m interested to see where the novel goes from here, whether we’ll get sequels, as it felt like a lot of laying groundwork. I think it needs something bigger from the characters now that we established the “how” of getting involved with aaratan. Based on the book blurb, I was expecting something that followed how the last chapter played out, but on a bigger, bloodier scale. (once you read it, you’ll see what I’m talking about, no spoilers here!) Our main antagonist wasn’t even what the book blurb promised, instead featuring his right hand woman, Yesuntei—another POV we get. Maybe I’ve been reading too many gritty narratives, but I was really wanting her torture preference to be amped up so her reputation was a foil to the Rakada and their actions. Her motivations needed some bolstering.

Thank you Orbit and Netgalley for my ARC!

I had a blast with The Bone Raiders! Jackson Ford delivers another fast-paced, wild ride packed with action, heart, and humor. The Rakada were such a cool and fresh addition to the world, and they stole every scene they were in.

While not every character’s arc was fully fleshed out, I appreciated how we still got glimpses into each of their stories. Khun and Hogelun especially stood out, their growth and development were some of my favorite parts of the book. Watching them evolve as characters gave the story an unexpected emotional weight that stuck with me.

And don’t even get me started on the lizard, who wouldn’t want to ride a fire-breathing lizard into battle? That alone earns bonus points.

I genuinely can’t wait for the book to be released officially and to see what’s next. I definitely recommend this one for anyone who loves smart, tough characters.

Give me fire breathing lizards and a baddass group of woman any day. Follow through with some banter and great pacing. I got through this in a day easy. A great entry into a new series. I have never read Jackson Ford before but. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series and checking out the authors backlog.
This story is told in the third person and has 4 povs. For those who are picky about their povs. But I totally found it to be a fun read and am anticipating the next installment! I need more!
Thank you to Orbit for the advanced reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3 stars

Really fun premise but the execution lost me pretty quickly. I think this could have been really great if done differently and I think there's room for improvement in the rest of the series.

The Rakada, referred to as the Bone Raiders by their victims, are dying out due to the campaign of the new ruler, killing off raiders and forcing rural citizens to leave their homes to service the government. After a series of misfortunes, Sayana ends up riding an giant fire-breathing lizard and hatches a plan for the Rakada to regain power, including the fire-breathing lizard of course.

I don't really have any problems with the characters or writing itself. I do think that the tone of the blurb makes this book seem like it's going to be really funny but there were only maybe a handful of jokes, which I didn't really have a problem with but I think readers should know. I think despite the promise of a close-knit group of vicious women, not enough time was spent establishing the closeness of their relationships. The bonds that did feel real make later events in the story not make a lot of sense, although I can't say much about that without spoilers. Also, I think the choice to start this with a lot of action really personally threw me off because I rarely find action scenes interesting and tend to skim them.

Not bad, just not for me with is fine. I definitely think you should give it a try if you think action scenes because the premise is definitely fun!

Thank you to Jackson Ford and Orbit for this ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!

Happy reading!

“Giant Lizards could f@ck right off!”

Yes you have my attention and yes I am all in now! This books starts out running and rarely lets up. I was totally engrossed from he first page. Is there a better intro for a character then Sayana’s? I think not. When we meet her she is tied to a pole with a giant fire breathing lizard called araatan burning people to a crisp.

The written is well done with lots of humor and banter between characters. The world building is immersive and well done. The characters are the best part. The others character development is spot on. The author easily creates characters that feel real and are relatable. Sayana and Hogelun are not perfect but they know that and just do not care. It was easy to get emotionally involved with the characters and stay interested in them as they evolved throughout the story.

Overall this was an fun and action backed read! How long do I have to wait for book 2?

I'm so pleasantly surprised to have had SUCH a blast reading this hilarious adventure. I wasn't expecting a new favourite in this book, but I've definitely found it and am now dying to get my hands on the next book. I've had a hard time in the past finding male authors who write strong, real female characters and I am so happy to see this cast of women at the helm of this story. They are complex, unique from each other, and so believable that I instantly loved following them.

Everything in this story impressed me, from world building to the scale of the conflict to the heart of the characters, and I can't say enough positive things. Love love LOVED every moment spent in this world, and I can't wait to go back.

It's one of the most captivating fantasy novels I've encountered in quite some time. The storytelling is endlessly engaging, drawing you into its richly woven narrative. If you appreciate the darker themes of Grimdark fiction, enjoy the intricate world-building of Brian Stavely, and have a fascination with lizards, you will be particularly enchanted by this unique interpretation of Eastern history. It's a refreshing and imaginative read that will linger in your mind long after you turn the last page.

This was a fun and fast paced book. It's a great start to a new fantasy series and I'm excited to see where we go in the next book and get even more of the raiders and there interactions with the araatans. This book was definitely brutal while still having a more light tone, I actually laughed out loud at multiple points in the book. I think my only complaint is that I feel like our arc with the villain of the story ended very quickly and it almost felt like it was off page with how quick it was handled. But this was still a good time and I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves an at times funny, fast paced, epic fantasy with massive fire breathing lizards!