I should have looked into this book a bit more before just reading it after I received a copy from the publisher. I didn't realize it was a prequel to a series I have not read, whoops.

I did not realize that this was a prequel so was confused.

I was so lost, so I didn't finish the book. The writing is absolutely beautiful.

I didn't realize this was a part of a series and it ought to be marketed as such. I was confused, not knowing what was going on half of the time. Also, the pacing was slow and not quite for me.

So bored with this book. It is a prequel to a series I haven't read and I have no idea what is going on. That would be fine if it is interesting but it isn't. I am giving up after reading about a quarter of it.

I absolutely loved this series as a kid. I loved being able to look back and have Cadvan's past and personality be flushed out more. While I absolutely love and recommend this book to anyone that loves fantasy like Harry Potter, Graceling, and even LoTR, I do think that if they are interested to read the "The Calling" and the sequels first. It allows for some of the nuances and thrill of being able to finally get the backstory of one of the characters even more enthralling than just reading it first.

I dnf after a few pages cause it was not for me. Thank you for the arc though

I didn't really like it as much as I thought I would. Maybe because I hyped it up in my head because of the author's previous series. I loved the Books of Pellinor so much growing up! Some of my best memories include rereading The Naming, the first book of the series. Maerad's journey was just so incredible and the world of Annar was vast and complex. When I set off to read this book, I was excited, even though I knew it was about Cadvan, her mentor. But the way the author wrote about his life, it sounded like a summary from a Wiki page. I didn't feel any emotion coming off the page, nor did I get much information about Cadvan's Annar that I didn't already know about... I wanted something new.

Unfortunately, this book was sent to me after its publication date and it wasn't until I received it that it was a prequel for a series I know nothing about. I thought I would like it, but I couldn't connect since I was missing most of the story.

I should have looked into this book more prior to requesting it because I didn't realize it was a prequel.

It was pretty hard for me to get into the book because I didn't understand most of what was going on.

The pacing was a little slow for me, but it's just my personal preference.i loved the cover and the title, and this is probably a beautiful prequel to the series, but it wasn't for me.

I enjoyed this even though I haven't read any of the others in the series or anything from this author as a matter of fact. I loved it, it was deep dark and engaging.

I adored the original series and this reminded me of how much. Couldn't put it down.

Cadvan, a disgraced Bard living in exile, now cobbles shoes in a small mining town. Haunted by one tragically malevolent act and continually tormented with the consequences of what he has done, Cadvan must reunite with those he hurt the most and face the evil forces that he let into the world.

While The Bone Queen is a pretty typical fantasy story with mage-like Bards facing down an evil sorceress, the author’s characters and use of language truly make this book stand out. To begin with, Cadvan (our hero) is an emotionally scarred wreck of a man. Coping with the aftermath of a nearly unspeakable evil act, Cadvan doesn’t know if he will ever get his life back together or if he even deserves to. And, honestly, neither does the reader initially. It’s an unusual place to start with a leading character, but Croggon makes it work beautifully. The next Bard we meet just happens to be one Cadvan crippled. Seeing these two characters interact and eventually come to understand one another fascinated me. Their relationship is complex, textured, and felt very authentic.

Reading The Bone Queen reminded me of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. Part of that has to do with the layered history and mythology Croggon has created for her world. Some forces have been in motion for centuries, others for decades, and still others more recent. But much of the similarity comes down to the way Croggon writes; even her individual word choices are at times Tolkien-esque. The Bone Queen herself is the best example of both of these. She is what Galadriel would have become had Galadriel taken the One Ring when Frodo offered it to her.

Finally, The Bone Queen is a stand-alone prequel to Croggon’s Books of Pellinor series. I have not read any of the other books, so I cannot comment on how well this volume fits in with what Croggon has written already, but I can say that The Bone Queen is a full novel in its own right. I was able to jump right in and not feel like I was missing any critical information. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book!

The Bone Queen is a prequel to Alison Croggon's Pellinor series, one that I have not read yet. Reading this story, I felt bogged down, like I was trudging through waist high mud with every sentence I read. It felt like an epic fantasy, and although I read epics, this one wasn't my style. I liked the story, as much of it as I could understand and the characters were well written. This wasn't my cup of tea, but Croggon has a large fan base who will love this book.

I received an ARC copy of this book via Netgalley and Candlewick Press.
in exchange for an honest review.

I, like many others, didn't realize this was a prequel for an already established series that had been published ages ago. It's not that I wish I hadn't given it a shot, it's just that this felt "info-dumpy" about the universe instead of a natural unfolding and world building. I found myself stopping halfway through because I just wasn't riveted by it.