This book was a delightful mix of The Name of The Wind and Memoirs of a Geisha, but instead of telling the story of a famous, powerful hero, it seems we have a villain. We follow Tea, a scorned witch who tells a stranger how she came to be on an isolated beach resurrecting demons - how her magic was discovered as she resurrected her older brother who was killed on the battlefront, her training, and how she was ever scorned and feared by other witches and ordinary people, the mysteries surrounding the dark forces looming on the horizon, the boy she loved... - all while wondering: is she really that evil? And how did the naive, hopeful girl we see beginning her journey, become the sad, vengeful witch we find on that lonely, bone streaked beach?

This first book covers the beginning of Tea's journey, while also hitting at darker times to come later on. The writing is engaging and it's very easy to like and relate to the characters, especially our MC. The side characters are also very funny and entertaining and it's nice to see Tea building these connections, even though we know that it won't last as we have interspersed chapters of Future! Tea telling her story. The romance is also a tiny spec on the story, but it adds some flavor, especially in lieu of the revelation of the final chapter of the book. I also liked the whole magic system and the idea of heartglasses. There aren't many twists here, but I don't think they were needed as I was engaged in the narrative already. I like where the book left us because it's almost impossible not to want to pick up the sequel right away. Can't wait to check it up soon!

I requested this one when I found out that the author, Rin Chupeco, is a Filipino. I would support my fellow countrymen wherever.

The author’s writing skills really captivated me from start to finish, getting lost in her fictional world. Her story was very descriptive, very vivid. I just wish there were more plots to the story. It kind of just lost its state where everything was just descriptive words.

There wasn’t a lot of plot in this one, but there was some gorgeous world-building and very complex characters. Unfortunately, the last fifty percent of this book felt like it would never end.

I really enjoyed the Bone Witch. I started reading the book and then I picked up the rest of it on audiobook and I would recommend it either way. There were parts that were a bit slow but overall this is a story worth continuing.

I started this book and could not finish it. The plot didn't catch my eye and I simply coule not get past the first couple of chapters. Initially, I was drawn in because of the cover and description but once I got in there, I just couldn't get into the story.

I enjoyed reading this book and will recommend it to students who are interested.

Tea, at 12, accidentally raises her brother, Fox, from the dead. He becomes her constant companion and her protector. She is taken to a special school to learn how to harness her powers and is treated poorly by the other Asha. It is soon clear just how powerful she can really be. By accident she returns to life dead rats from the walls, and a dead king from where his body was hidden in the floor.

I did listen to this book through my Kindle while driving for 6 hours. I made it through, but there were some points it almost paused to listen to a different book and return. I'm glad I didn't. There are some slow points, but in the long-run are all important parts for character development.

In the end I enjoyed the book and am glad I didn't give up or take a break. Keeping the whole book in mind, I give it five stars. I enjoyed it, especially when I got to the fast pace about 3/4 through the book! I was given the opportunity to read the book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is one of my favorites I read this year. I love the similarity between it and Memoirs of a Geisha ay least in atmosphere. The MC is strong and powerful and I can not wait to see her story unfold.

The Bone Witch has lyrical writing, great world-building, and an interesting premise. It is also a book that requires patience; the pacing is slow, there's very little action, and a dreaded love triangle. This book has and audience, but I am not one of them.

A really exciting and on the whole fast paced novel, I really enjoyed it. I did find that the latter half couldn't maintain the pace of the first, but still a really enjoyable read.

I'm clearing out books that I requested ages ago and have been on sale for years! I really enjoyed this title.

This was such an interesting read full of unique magic that doesn't need to be explained in order to make a good story. I was enthralled right from the start. There could have been more depth to the characters, but since it's the first in a series, I wasn't expecting as much of that until probably the 2nd book.

I loved the premise of this book, and the world the author created. The writing was beautifully descriptive (although there were a few grammar slip ups/typos that interrupted the flow) and I felt pretty enchanted with the story as a whole. My only issue with this book is that I felt like I was reading one long big set up to ...nothing. I get there are books that follow it and that the first book's purpose is to set up the world and all of that, but I felt it should have had some sort of more conclusive/climactic ending that would have left me wanting to read more. I just never felt that "have to read through the night" urgency, which has put me off to reading the other books that follow it.

Emotional, atmospheric, immersive, dark, and beautiful. I loved every second of this story and couldn't stop turning the pages. I needed to find out more and see what was going to happen. The magic is enchanting and fascinating.

This book is very memorizing! It took me on an amazing fantasy adventure filled with a melting pot of multicultural representation and amazing attention to details. Once you start reading this book, you will be unable to put it down.

I have heard a lot of heavy praise for this title from reliable friends, and I think this book was affected a bit too much by that commentary. It wasn't horrible or bad by any means at all, but it did struggle with holding my attention, which is the exact opposite thing a book should do to you. I think if people go into this book not having those high expectations then they can enjoy this a lot. I'm very annoyed that external conversation greatly affected my own perception before I even delved in.

Unfortunately, I didn't have time to finish this book, and cannot provide substantial feedback. I really liked what I have read, and hope to finish it when I have the chance!

Haunting. Rin Chupeco does fascinating things within the genre, and then takes the genre and makes it entirely new.

This is a book about necromancer, but there is very little necromancy despite a promising start where our protagonist Tea accidentally raises her brother from the dead.

In this world, being an asha (a magic user) is more than using magic: there's a rigorous training from childhood that involves learning how to sing, dance, play music, and use martial arts. So after bringing her brother back to life, Tea is taken by an asha to one of these training houses where we witness her ascent. In alternating chapters, it's revealed that Tea herself is telling this story to an unnamed bard, and she has become a terrifyingly strong asha indeed.

Ultimately, I wanted more details about Tea's craft and how she's impacted by it. Is she fascinated or repulsed by dead things, and does that change as she progresses in her training? We don't know. We also learn so little about the relationship between her and her risen brother despite a psychic bond mentioned late in the book. There are lots of other details, especially about food and clothing, which I typically love but found frustrating here because it felt like fripperies on an unstable foundation (though I did love the sideplot about the male-presenting character who wants to dance in the traditional female-only performance). I'll probably skip the other volumes.

A deliciously dark tale. I cannot wait to sink my teeth into the rest of this series. She can be a little annoying but I kinda think that’s part of the point.

I really want to read this book still. I have it in print and all the books are so pretty and look amazing. Will read at some point and see what I feel.