Masquerade of Bones

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Book 1 of Masquerade of Bones
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Pub Date Feb 25 2025 | Archive Date Jul 15 2025

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Description

A blood oath. A botched heist. A dangerous deal with the enemy.

Everly Thorn knew she was doomed when the bones of dead dragons and other magical beasts began whispering to her. She’ll do anything to keep her cursed gift a secret for fear of being used as a weapon to hunt other witches in hiding.

Reeling from her parents’ murder and broken betrothal to the crown prince, Everly has racked up a fortune in gambling debts. Her job as an exhibit curator at the Menagerie of Extinct Magical Creatures doesn’t pay enough to keep the collectors from threatening to take her home—the only thing she and her brother have left.

Silas Drake is an infamous outlaw in need of a witch with a unique set of skills and exactly the kind of man Everly has vowed to stay away from—cruel, dark, and deadly. He’s determined to steal a powerful dragon relic being held in the Menagerie’s vault.

When Silas discovers Everly’s secret, the ruthless shadow summoner presents her with an impossible choice—swear a blood oath to help him steal the relic and secure her financial freedom, or be handed over to the authorities.

Everly, however, is done taking orders from men who want to control her and refuses to accept her fate without a fight. She’ll risk everything - including her hardened heart - to undermine Silas Drake and his dangerous band of thieves.

Tropes: enemies to lovers, villain gets the girl, shadow daddy, heists, forced bonds, royalty, arranged marriage, found family, fake dating, outlaws, magic, and dragons.

Content Warning: Masquerade of Bones is a dark southern gothic romantasy intended for an adult audience and includes graphic depictions of public hangings, violence, blood, gore, decapitation, chronic illness, references to mental illness, reference to suicide ideation, alcohol & drug use, prescription drug abuse, drugging of others, military conscription, hazing, slut shaming, bondage (not the fun kind), torture of prisoners, abuse, an implied threat of sexual assault by a side character, death of a child on page, explicit language, explicit sexual content, public sex, and use of magic during sex. Please read with care.

A blood oath. A botched heist. A dangerous deal with the enemy.

Everly Thorn knew she was doomed when the bones of dead dragons and other magical beasts began whispering to her. She’ll do anything to...


Available Editions

EDITION Paperback
ISBN 9781958602034
PRICE $18.99 (USD)
PAGES 418

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Average rating from 27 members


Featured Reviews

Epic romantasy full of magic, battles, snark, royal betrayals, witches, and adventure all the way. A winner for all fantasy fans and delivers on a HFN that can lead to more, but definitely satisfies on all counts.

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This book should be the next Romantasy hit.

4.75⭐
🌶️🌶️ Open door, descriptive

The world is rich and interesting. Not totally new with witches and dragons and powers, etc, but they're all twisted in a new and interesting way. Things do not go as expected and the story stays interesting and engaging.

I agree with others that the beginning starts at full force and quickly tapers to something sort of slow. I actually put the book down at 17ish% and almost didn't pick it back up, but I'm glad I did. I finished the rest in one sitting and now I'm desperate for more. The good news is, this book is satisfying enough on its own and knowing there will be more is just icing on the cake.

Thanks to NetGalley, Specter Publishing and J. Ember Hintz for this eARC.

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Thanks for the advanced copy of this amazing book! The relationships are very realistic and I loved the bond between the witches ! The relationship between the main couple was written really well! I would recommend to anyone who enjoys witchy stories with dragon shifters ! I can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next!

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SPOILERS IN REVIEW:
“Masquerade of Bones” is an enchanting and immersive fantasy that weaves together a rich world of magic, political intrigue, and compelling character dynamics. The story centers on Everly, a witch who can sense magic through the bones of creatures. In a society where magic is forbidden, Everly struggles to keep her abilities hidden while navigating a world of secrets and betrayal. After the murder of her parents, Everly was forced to care for her brother, Adrian, and was ostracized by the royal family, including her former betrothed, Prince Gideon, who is now in a position of great power.

The world-building in this novel is stellar, creating a society rife with tension, where magic is feared and persecuted. Everly’s journey is fraught with personal and political conflict, and the introduction of Silas—an enigmatic reaver working for the rebel cause, who turns out to be a dragon—adds an exciting layer of mystery and danger to the plot.

One of the strongest elements of “Masquerade of Bones” is its character development. The multitude of characters is introduced seamlessly, each with depth and complexity that makes them relatable and easy to connect with. Everly’s inner struggle to hide her secret powers, while balancing her responsibilities to her brother and navigating the political landscape, makes her a compelling and sympathetic protagonist. Silas and Everly’s relationship is full of tension, mystery, and chemistry, evolving at just the right pace to keep readers hooked.

The dialogue throughout the book feels natural and relatable, enhancing the authenticity of the character interactions. The pacing is smooth, with the plot unfolding in a way that keeps the tension high without feeling rushed. There’s a perfect balance of action, emotional depth, and intrigue, with each chapter driving the story forward.

“Masquerade of Bones” is a captivating read for anyone who loves fantasy novels filled with complex characters, rich world-building, and an exploration of power, betrayal, and self-discovery. It’s a promising start to what could become a fantastic series.

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Oh wow I was so in love with this book it only took me two days to finish! The witches aspect was amazing and fun and the world building was detailed and helped bring the story to life. Talk about Shadowdady Silas.. ugh I just loved it honestly. Hoping there is more to come!

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So this is what obsession feels like...

Say hello to my first 5* of 2025!

From page one, I was in love with the writing, the world, and the magic structure.

Halfway through, I didn’t want it to end, and was praying it wasn’t a stand alone.

By the last page, I wanted to obnoxiously message J.Ember Hintz, to praise her, and try to make her my new best friend! I still might!

Masquerade of Bones follows Everly, a witch in hiding who, after the loss of her parents and her broken betrothal to the Prince, is just trying to keep a roof over her and her brothers' heads. Enter Silas (He’s going on my book boyfriend list!) a witch who knows Everly's secret, and after witnessing her knack for unraveling wards, blackmails her into a blood oath, forcing her to help him and his motley crew steal a powerful relic.

I felt this story was perfectly paced. I flew through it, and was begging for more by the end. This is one of those books where there is so much material to work with that I cannot wait to see where the story goes. I’m praying to all the Gods that there is a book #2!!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and J, Ember Hintz, for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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Absolutely adored this story, which balances toe curling steam with intrigue and plot twists. Despite all the trigger warnings at the start, Masquerade and Bones is a light read.
The world building is limited, launching straight to plot - which I love but know more detail orientated readers will find frustrating. We don’t really get much description of our characters either (again, something I greatly appreciate but know others find annoying). However I did have to accept that I wouldn’t have a strong understanding and just trust the process as terms and magical systems were introduced.
I absolutely hope this is the first book in a series, but that we keep the main voice as we explore the back/future stories of the other players.
I also want more of Pig.
Highly recommend if you want a light HEA fantasy, are comfortable with slightly darker themes, and enjoy foreplay in its rawest form.
I was given this as an eARC, and the author is completely new to me. A couple of minor typos “I called out his mane” found and amused me.

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This is the next Romantasy everyone needs to obsess over!

Everly is a Witch in disguise hiding her magic from the crown to avoid serving in the military. Down on her luck after her parents death and her engagement to the crown prince being broken, she make some shady and dangerous deals. Deals that will throw her head first into danger and temptation.

It's been an age since I have been so excited about a new "system" of magic. I love how magic the humans use stems from relic from other magical creatures. The fact that witches don't live long as the magic burns through them adds an extra layer of fear for the characters who literally live fast and die young.
The romance element is very well done we have an excellent shadow daddy, who veers to the darker side of grey at times. This is a slow burn which works well with the enemies to lovers aspect of the relationship.
The world building is great we are given information at a good pace without info dumping and we know there are several kingdoms with their own political systems.

The only thing that I found a little odd is how much the fmc sweats- it's mentioned alot alot. She is sweaty in almost every chapter, I am not sure if it's going to be a plot point or not, I hope so otherwise it is a tad weird.

I am so excited for the next book in this series and I am already obsessed! Yes obsessed with this new fantasy world.

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