I loved the cover of this book and was sold on it being around witches (I'm a sucker for magic). The twist of Tea being a bone witch will set this title apart from other YA titles focusing on magical girls. A great first novel for a series, although I do feel like the second half slowed a bit. A great addition to any YA collection.

I had a really hard time getting into this book. While I loved the idea of it (necromancy and an outcast sister, sounds so cool!) it just felt like I was barely skimming the surface of the story. The pace was incredibly slow for my taste, and I wish Tea was a bit more dynamic. I enjoy fast faced fantasy novels, and still think the premise of the book is fantastic. Though this one really felt like it was written for a young audience, opposed to some YA's that can get by with entertaining both young adults and adults alike.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

First, I had mixed feelings about this book.  There were times I enjoyed it, times I thought I couldn't finish it, and at the end I felt the need for the second installment.

Rin has a wonderful skill for world building, and though I admit at times I felt confused about pieces of it, wanting and needing to refer back to previous sections, it was a rich and thoroughly crafted world.  I loved the different influences of cultures that speckled the book.  From the world, we meet a young woman named Tea.  At times, I disliked the main character, becoming annoyed with her antics and thoughts, but needed to remind myself that she is a young child in most of the book.  The supporting characters weren't fully developed, but they developed enough to keep from being one dimensional.

I will note that this is a dual timeline book, so be prepared for an interwoven story of past and present.

I don't want to give much about the details away, because you can easily grasp that from the synopsis.  I just want to say that if you can make it half way through the book, the ending is worth it and you'll be wanting more.  I know I look forward to the second installment of this series.

Let me start by saying this is one of the most beautiful covers I have ever seen. On to the review-Ok, a bone witch that can raise the dead, magic and fantasy-count me in! Incredible world building and beautiful writing; however, that’s all I saw this as.  I really lost interest about a little of a quarter way in, simply because I wanted more from Tea.
  I will continue on with the series to see how everything else develops as I think this was such an original and unique storyline.

I would like to thank Rin Chupeco and Sourcebooks for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

Every once in a while, I stray from historical fiction to venture into the world of Fantasy. This particular fantasy novel is for young adults and delves into the themes of magic and resurrection. The main character is named Tea and she is born into a family with magical abilities - hers is raising the dead. Her unusual talent thrusts her headlong into conflict with much darker forces. It is up to save the world.

The story unfolds through Tea's point of view as she talks about the past and future. As with most fantasy novels, the first third or half of the book moves along at a slower pace in order to introduce aspects of a new world and unusual characters. The ending culminates succinctly and will urge readers to read the next installment.

Definitely recommended for young adults in your family who love lyrical fantasy!

I really wanted to like this book. The premise sounded amazing and then look at that cover! So gorgeous. The book started out pretty good. The writing had some really beautiful imagery. But as I kept reading, the main character Tea really just got boring for me. The plot was so painfully slow that I just had to give up. I decided to DNF the book at the 67% mark.

I always feel the need to justify a less than stellar review.
The Bone Witch reads more like a prequel than a first book. Most of the book is spent split between past and present, with the past giving Tea's back story and the present setting up book two. Honestly, book two sounds very interesting, but I feel like I spent 400 pages waiting for a story that won't happen in this book.
A lot of this is a disconnect between me and the author in terms of style. She writes with a lot of color and clothing description while skipping on describing events or areas more deeply. The other major issue I had was a lack of glossary for the foreign terms. There's a short glossary for kingdoms, but doesn't do much to help the reader in this book.
I made it through the story and would want to read the next one, but I really didn't jive well with waiting a whole book for a story that never happens while focusing on robes and dances for 400 pages.

The Bone Witch is a fantasy story that centers on Tea, a girl who discovers that she is a dark Asha (or Bone Witch) with the power of necromancy. She accidentally raises her brother Fox from the dead and what ensues is Tea training as an apprentice for 3 years. The story has 2 simultaneous timelines, one in the future with Tea telling her story to a bard, and the second being the story itself.

What I liked:

The writing in this one is goooooorgeous! Rin Chupeco needs to win all the awards for her beautiful writing. This story is poetry in prose form. The characters are really enjoyable. I loved the way Chupeco writes the siblings, and there are so many strong, kick ass women in this book. The best thing though? They aren’t all strong in the same way. Strong has many definitions. The setting was lush. Because Chupeco writes so beautifully, her descriptions of setting are really quite stunning and you feel like you’re in the world. Pretty diverse representation

What I didn’t like:

It was a bit slow at times. The premise is exciting and I was really into this world that talks about politics and magic and good vs. evil, but I feel like book 1 was really a set up book, and that the action will be more central in the next story. Don’t get me wrong, that’s fine, but sometimes I need more off the bat. The ending: I wish that we’d seen more of what happens after that last action. Again, this goes back to me wanting more action in this novel and wanting to see more of the Tea who is telling her story to the bard. But that's what the next novel will be for!

Would I recommend this book?

Yes, absolutely. Especially as I think it sets up what will be a fantastic sequel.

I received this book free from the publisher through NetGalley. In exchange, I was asked to write an honest review and post it. My thanks to them both.

Loved this book, loved the world building, and loved the monsters! This is one of the most creative concepts for a fantasy book I have read. The culture of the Geisha mixed with the world of magic and witches. It is also written really well. 
The cover is what first got my attention, not the best way to judge a book, but it was so pretty and worked out this time. 
Tea is a normal young girl anxious to find out if she will have a magic affinity and what it will be until he beloved older brother is killed in the army and she accidentally brings him back from the dead. She discovers that she is a “Dark Asha,” on of the most powerful and feared of all the asha. She then must leave her home to be trained with the skills of what we think of as geisha but also as a dark witch. 
My only and very small issue was that at first I had a hard time with some of the made up words or words in other language. But I caught on fast enough. Hoping we are going to get a sequel to this one.

I really tried to get into this book, but I could not. I do not know if it was because I was in a reading slump and picked this up at the wrong time or if this book just wasn't for me. I did make it half-way through though. If I do pick this book up again it might be from my local library. I give 1.5 stars for my rating and a 5 star for the cover. The cover is beautiful.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book (despite seeing many unfavorable reviews). Tea was likable and a relate-able character for the age group that I teach. I look forward to reading the next installment.

I’ve been going back and forth in my mind on how to review this book. Having anticipated it for so long, I honestly thought it would be more—and yet, I can’t say I’m all that disappointed either. Sparse at is might have been on story and plot development, The Bone Witch has a lot else going for it, including topnotch writing and impressive atmosphere.

The book introduces us to twelve-year-old Tea, a bone witch. Unfortunately for our protagonist, she came to discover her powers for necromancy in the worst way possible—by accidentally raising her older brother Fox from the dead, while everyone looked on at his funeral. From that moment on, the siblings’ fates were forever linked. But now that she has been identified as a dark asha, a magic user that deals with death, Tea must be taken away to receive the proper training. In this world, bone witches do not have the best reputations to begin with; within many communities they are feared and reviled, despite the crucial role that bone witches play—for you see, only they can defeat the demonic beings called Daeva, creations of the False Prince that resurrect every so often to plague the populace. During her training, Tea will not only learn how to control her powers, she will also be learning how to fight the Daeva.

Not long after Fox’s resurrection, an experienced bone witch called Mykaela comes to take Tea and her brother away to a school for dark asha. Far from home and still reeling over the fact that her life has been changed forever, Tea nonetheless puts all her efforts into learning all she can for the next few years, gaining control over her powers while also further bonding with Fox, the one tie she has to her family. Throughout this time, her resolve is tested again and again—and the challenges include more than just an appraisal of her magical abilities. Tea uncovers a whole other world of secrets among the leaders and other ashas at the school, some that may hold dire consequences for her homeland and those she cares about.

The story here is very simple. While I wouldn’t exactly say I was bored for most of the first half of the book, plot development in this section was admittedly on the sluggish side, especially once we got past the ruckus over Fox’s surprise resurrection. Instead the narrative spent a lot of time building up the relationship between Tea and her brother, which thankfully was something I enjoyed. Despite Fox’s awkward status as an undead, they say that no one can come back from the afterlife unless they truly wanted to, and it was clear that love and protectiveness for his little sister were the main driving forces behind his character. It was heartwarming to see his support for Tea, especially during her early years at the school at a time when she needed his guidance the most. In fact, this attention to siblings’ character development and the strengthening of their bond was likely what saved the book for me and kept me from losing interest completely.

The first section also spent a considerable chunk of time on world-building. To the author’s credit, she has created a fascinating universe in The Bone Witch, filling it with a complex system of magic which became almost too convoluted at times. There are many types of ashas, or witches, in this world—most have powers that are based around the elements like earth, air, fire, etc. The book doesn’t really go into the details of each kind of magic, only telling us that the kind Tea has, i.e. death magic, is different. Apparently there is an entire set of other rules for bone witches, even though there’s no rhyme or reason as to why, and while they are considered to be a type of asha, it is also generally accepted that they are just “special”. Then there are the Daeva, plus the convenient fact that bone witches just so happen to be uniquely equipped to deal with them. Don’t get me wrong, the concept itself is interesting, but at the same time a lot of it feels way too “constructed” for me to find it convincing.

In the face of all this, the idea of heartglasses almost feels extraneous. To give you a crash course on what these things are, in this world everyone wears a mood ring like bauble around their necks called a heartglass, and they can change color depending on what the person is feeling. It is a more than a piece of jewelry though, because it many ways it is also part of the wearer’s identity and soul. They also hold cultural significance, as lovers can opt to exchange heartglasses (though given the dire consequences in the event one person becomes less committed, I don’t know why anyone would risk doing this) and as well the power of potential witches can sometimes be gleaned from the color of their heartglasses. However, heartglasses can also be forged. Not surprisingly, despite all the focus on world-building, I still have a lot of questions. If I do end up continuing this series, it is my hope that the next book will provide more information on ashes, the magic system, heartglasses, etc. and explore how it all fits together.

For now, I plan to take a wait-and-see approach. I didn’t love The Bone Witch, but I also saw a lot to like about the book, including great characterization and fantastic atmosphere. In addition, the magic system holds plenty of potential—though world-building probably needs to be streamlined and polished up a bit. I guess I’ll wait for reviews before deciding whether or not to dive into the sequel; if book two beefs up the storytelling and improves the plot, I just might give this series another try.

So the beautiful cover drew me to this book initially.  This was a hard book to get through for me since the story seemed to go so slow due to all the world and character building.  Set in a world filled with magic, Tea is born into a family that has more magical abilities than most.  Her sisters use their magic to help their community by healing the sick and the heartbroken.  But when Tea's favorite brother dies, she accidentally raises him from the dead, revealing that she is a rare, powerful and often feared bone witch.  Her magic is dark and she has the power to raise the dead.  Taken from her community to protect her and mentor her, wiser and older ashas try to teach her everything she needs to know to control her magic for the safety of others and to battle the dark forces that bombard her world.  Told in alternating past and future points of view by Tea, you see the beginning of Tea's training and the banished asha she becomes, hungry for revenge for all she lost.  The question of how Tea's best intentions to save her world and her mentor leads to her banishment draws you into this book and leaves you wanting the next book in the series to come out soon.  

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.  

I received an advanced readers copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I first started reading The Bone Witch. I was super excited because the synopsis sounds awesome and the cover is stunning. I was really hoping to fall in love with The Bone Witch. 
But unfortunately, I had an extremely hard time getting into the story. I started reading it in February and it took me just over a month to finish reading it. I even contemplated giving up and not finishing. But I dislike not finishing reading books that I have started and I didn't hate what I was reading. The plot of the story really intrigued me and I wanted to find out what was going to happen. So you might be wondering why it took me so long to read if I was still so interested to find out what happens. Overall, I think my main difficulty was that a lot of the story is very detailed descriptions and not a whole lot of action. 
I was also a bit thrown by how the story is told. The Bone Witch alternates between younger Tea to older Tea and the Bard. The older Tea/Bard chapters are almost like an interview where Tea is telling the Bard about her life. It didn't really take away from the story for me, but it did take a few chapters for me to get used to it. 
About 60% into the story is where I started to feel more connected with the characters and what was happening. There was more character and relationship development. There was more action. Yes, the story still had a lot of descriptions, but I was really starting to enjoy what I was reading. I started to get hooked to the story and finding out what was going to happen. In fact, I read the last 40% of the story in just a few days.
I did like the characters. I really think Tea is a good main character. She has a lot of character growth throughout the story. Which I liked a lot. I also enjoyed the relationship developments between Tea and the other characters in the story. It wasn't hard for me to care about her and want to know what was going to happen to her. 
My favorite thing about The Bone Witch was the ending. What an ending! I was completely hooked by it and now I want to know what is going to happen next. I definitely have plans to read the next book to find out what will happen. I just hope it is more like the last 40% of the story.

My Recommendation:

I felt very disconnected from the characters and the story for a while. It also took me a very long time to get through the first 60% of the story. I became hooked on the last 40%. I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen and even read that part of the story in just a couple of days. The thing that kept me from loving The Bone Witch was all of the very detailed descriptions. I do like detailed stories, but this felt like an overload of detail which made the story feel slow and boring. I am really glad that I reached a point where I really enjoyed reading it. The last 40% definitely redeemed the story for me and has made me want to read a sequel, if there is going to be one. If you don't mind slow stories with a lot of details, then I think that you may really enjoy reading this one and should check it out.

Though I abandoned the book at 16%, The Bone Witch is a fantasy lover's dream. The cover is beautiful and the world building intricate. However, as I'm not well versed in fantasy, I could not get a good grasp of the world in my head and had trouble picturing it. I kept trying to push myself to read it, but it became too much of a task. Not the book for me right now...will pick it up again later.

What an amazing adventure!  The young protagonist, named Tea, learns she is a bone witch when she accidentally raises her brother from the grave. Their adventures together then begin in a new country where  Tea becomes an empowering force for the downtrodden, marginalized and unnoticed. Wonderfully drawn, compelling and layered characters keep the reader guessing at the outcome of Tea's journey, and this reader is desperately hoping for a sequel!

*I received this book in exchange for an honest review on NetGalley but, I ended up waiting until it was released and borrowing the audiobook from the library*

I am not quite sure how I feel about this book, it was fine, I didn't dislike it, I just didn't really like it either. I am sort of indifferent.
I think listening on the audiobook didn't really help, there was so much world building which is a good thing, it just got a little confusing listening to and keeping track.
I loved the backstory and all the effort that was put into the characters and the settings, there was just so much story and not enough action. It didn't seem to really come until the last few chapters and because of that the story dragged a little.
I liked Tea, and it's always a good thing when you like the main character, I just wasn't really invested in her that much and definitely not anyone else.
The concepts were fascinating, I think the heart's glass was my favorite part. It definitely made me think what it would be like to know anyone's emotions just by looking at them.
I also really loved the part about Lick. I loved the argument about the ridiculous gender roles in this universe and the rejection of them, that part made me very happy.

I believe the author said there will be a sequel, I am hoping that because there was so much backstory and world building in this one, that one will have more action.
That cliffhanger at the end though, I think that's enough to get me to read the sequel because what?????

Honestly, I loved the Bone Witch and I think it has potential to be a strong fantasy series.  While the plot does start out slow in the beginning, taking a back seat to strong character development and world building, it does eventually pick up.   And then, wow- the story really hooks you.  
I found the story to be beautifully written and I appreciated how descriptive and detailed the writing was, it really helped me get a feel for the world Tea lives in.  I am not one to shy away from a long story, and I felt like the first part of the novel, while a little long, was crucial to setting the stage for the story to properly develop in.  I felt like it gave me time to get to know the characters, like anti-hero Tea, her risen from the dead brother Fox, and Mykalea her bone witch mentor.  I also loved the world Tea lives in; the necromancy magic, the heart glasses, and how the apprentices were trained to be Asha- an awesome combination of Japanese Geisha and sorceress.  
Honestly, I can’t wait to find out what happens next and am anxiously awaiting the sequel.  I highly recommend for fantasy readers who like high fantasy and authors like Garth Nix.

This book focuses on the dark side of magic. The topic was unique and I enjoyed the format: switching between the main character growing up and in present day. The tone and pace of the book were good, but I found it hard to keep track of all of the kingdoms and people.

I have a love/impatience relationship with this book. (Notice not love/hate.)  Love because Riu's writing is gorgeous and flowing and descriptive...and impatient because OH MY GOSH the description got to be much and I wanted more action...
The characters have so much potential - Geisha-like warrior witches, Tea's kinda-dead-but-not brother Fox, the beasts she and the other bone witches fight...amazing. The book moves slowly, but you are waiting for the next action scene so you will stick with it....and then my interest began to mount...and then it ended. WHAT? I may be the first reviewer to ask when the next book is coming out after reading an ARC pre-released.