This title was a Did Not Finish. Unfortunately, I was unable to connect with it whether it be for characters, storyline or writing style.

Thank you for providing me with a copy.

Thank you for the chance to review this book, however, unfortunately, I was unable to read and review this title before it was archived.

‪I don’t know why but I like stories where people can bring back the dead; it just fascinates me to no end and that’s how The Bone Witch caught my attention. ‬

‪One of the things I loved about The Bone Witch was how diverse and unique this story was, I don’t think there’s anything else like this out in the book world and that’s what makes it so special. I also like that instead of it being a fast paced read, the author took her time navigating this dark world and I ate up each word as if it was the last book in the world.‬

‪Now I’m eagerly awaiting the sequel and I know it will be worth the wait. ‬

I read about a quarter of this book before I gave up on it. The opening was very intriguing and I was hooked. Then the character arrives at the school where she is to learn more about her abilities and things became very boring and slow.

The Bone Witch is a beautifully written book, although can be a little slow and heavy on description. It is an interesting story and take on the young adult fantasy novel. I look forward to reading more by the author.

Was not able to read this book before it expired. I believe I would have liked it based on the synopsis. I did buy it for my daughter when it came out, though, and she absolutely loved it!

If you're into witches and into non-elemental magic systems, this trilogy is off to a great start. Tea didn't meant to raise her brother with her necromantic asha magic, but Fox came back from the dead. The story follows Tea through her training told with glimpses of Tea from the future. Intricate, creepy, and exciting, Tea's journey follows a bit of a "chosen one" path with solid choices that give a nice edge.

The world-building is A+. No detail is left unturned and the magic system is delightful. I really enjoyed Tea and Fox's relationship. A close-knit relationship between brother and sister that leaves room for arguments and challenges. Tea's connection with the other asha women also made for strong story-telling. Oh, and the monsters. I loved all the creatures and how Chupeco showed us all the different manifestations of asha magic, as opposed to Tea just reading them from a book.

The middle, for me, slowed down a lot. It wasn't for lack of sequences because the dialogue between the characters was quite delightful as was Tea's imperfections. That being said, it did serve a purpose but perhaps it could have tied in a bit better with the end.

The last flash-forward sequence had me gasping and I can't wait to see where Tea's journey goes next.

This book wasn't for me. I hoped it was magic realism but it was more like fantasy, which is a genre I don't enjoy. Sure fantasy fans will love it but it wasn't my thing.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free digital ARC of this book. This book is true to its title description. The reader won't be disappointed when reading this book.

Rin Chupeco's The Bone Witch is gorgeously written and so interesting. Tea is a bone witch, meaning she can raise beings from the dead. Powerful and feared, Tea must leave home to train with a more experienced necromancer. This first book in the series mostly chronicles Tea's training. However, the book is set up as a story within a story, and so the reader gets glimpses of a more powerful Tea recounting her tale, which definitely piqued my interest.

The Bone Witch reminded me more than anything of Miriam Foster's City of a Thousand Dolls. It has a similar geisha-like training aspect to it. The setting is truly rich and lavish. I'm definitely curious about the sequel.

Lovely great read!! Highly enjoyed the overall plot and quite gripping if I do say so! Really enjoyed it immensely

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book and decided to review it. This in no way affects my opinion.

DNF @ 9%

I am dreading going back to this one so that is how I know I need to DNF it. I was intrigued by the magic but the way it was written was just Not For Me™. I didn't like the flashback between the past and the present with the italics and the two different "narrators" basically telling the same story. I didn't find the world to be that enthralling to make up for how much I didn't like the writing so that is why this one is just a nope for me.

I couldn’t finish this. I made it about 20%. I love the cover. I liked the plot line. But like many other reviewers I thought it was tons of description and not much story. Barely anything happened to make me want to keep reading.

Unfortunately I DNF’ed this book. They style & story just wasn’t for me, I’m sure others may enjoy it. It just didn’t click for me and I was uninterested after the first couple chapters.

Tea comes from a magical family. All of her sisters are witches. But when Tea accidentally raises her brother, Fox, from the dead, she realizes that her magic is nothing like that of her sisters. She is a bone witch, and she is feared and shunned for her powers. Finally, under the guidance of another bone witch, Tea gains an education and learns to harness her powers of darkness.

I don't even have the words to describe how much I enjoyed The Bone Witch. This book is absolutely fantastic. I can't believe it took me so long to pick it up. Anything I say about this book will sound like it was written by a child compared to the eloquence of this book, but I will try.

The best thing about The Bone Witch by far was the writing style. The writing is dark and lyrical and you can easily find yourself completely lost in the story. The characters were described with such detail that they jumped off the page and felt real. While the book does jump right into the story without much initial introduction to the world, as the story continued, I found that I could clearly picture every aspect of it. If you like lyrical and descriptive stories, you will be salivating over The Bone Witch. If you want a lot of action in your books, you will not find it here. But it is very much worth the read anyway.

Stylistically, The Bone Witch reminded me of The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (another absolutely fantastic read, by the way). The story is told in alternating perspectives - from Tea, as she recounts the past five years of her life as a bone witch, and from the man who is interviewing her for her story. The plot moves slowly through Tea's education, but details about her from the perspective of the interviewer are interspersed throughout the book, leaving the reader wondering how this young girl became such a powerful dark witch. I assumed that the remaining books in this series will continue in the same format, until Tea's tale of her past finally intersects with the interviewer's notes on the present.

The twist at the end of this book was spectacular. I seriously cannot wait for the next book to be released so I can devour it. I was hooked from the first page of The Bone Witch and I want to be back in that world so badly. You will not find a lot of action, adventure, or romance in this book, but it is so beautiful that you have to give it a try. It will be so worth it.

I thought that I would like this book but I wasn't able to get into this book at this time. Sadly this book did not finish the book.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

* 2.75/5 *

What drew me to this book initially was NECROMANCY!!! That is not a topic that I can usually find books on, especially not YA. Also, that cover! It is stunning. A+ to the cover designer.

Tea is a witch, or an asha. Ashas control elements: fire, earth, water, wind. Bone Witches are dark, they can reach beyond the boundaries of the living, in to that of the dead.. Her magic is dark, and powerful.. People fear her power. Tea learns she is a bone witch, when in grief; she accidentally raises her brother from the dead.
Tea has to leave her home to train to become an asha, under an older Bone Witch, to harness her power to fight against the Daeva.. the monsters that rise from the dead to wreck havoc. Tea is actually telling her story to a Bard, years after she was banished.

One thing that was amazing, and kind of scary, were the Heartglass necklaces. Heartglass will change colour depending on what you’re feeling.. But the scary part is that you can give your Heartglass away. If the person you give your Heartglass to is unworthy, they can use your Heartglass against you, to control you. There are also Heartforgers, who can make Heartglass using memories. I do believe they will have a bigger role in a future book.


It all sounds very interesting, but the final product left me wanting more. The writing was good, but not great. It was light, and charming. It was mostly description with little plot. I skim read the last half of the book, as it was so info-dumpy. The ending hooked me back in though, I didn’t see it coming. So I will look out for any future books, see if that cliffhanger is cleared up!

Such a creative book, even though some parts were boring.

I recently read The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco. I am anxiously waiting for the next book in the series/trilogy/companion book. Rin has not made it clear as to how this story will continue on but hints at least a sequel. First of all I really liked the main character, Tea. She has skills and finds out how powerful she is by mistake. She panics and resurrects her brother when she finds out he has died. I love her loneliness, her isolation at times. I loved the author's descriptions of the world that she lives in. The somewhat ancient asian feel to her surroundings. I guess my only complaint is that I wanted more. I could have lived in this book for another 400 pages! I wondered why we hear nothing more about her family and friends. There are hints of things to come that I am pondering which is always a good sign! I liked the quiet humor that appeared from time to time like an inside joke between the writer and reader. I got swept away in the descriptions of the city and the relationships and too soon I came to the end. And so I wait......

This cover is amazing! Isn't it? I absolutely love it. The description of the book was so promising too. I love, love, love YA fantasy and this had all the makings of something that could be amazing! Unfortunately, I found it pretty boring. I just couldn't get into it. Every now and then I'd get to part with beautiful prose. The descriptions were just lovely and I could picture the entire thing perfectly. However, the story moved too slowly. It took a long time before I finally figured out what the plot was. I really wanted to love this book, but I couldn't. Now, on the bright side, it really is a great story! The characters are wonderful, the plot is well developed, and the overall storyline is original. If it had moved faster, then it probably would have gotten five stars from me.

I give it three stars, simply because the story moved so slowly that it was incredibly hard to get through.