This is a great queer fantasy that is dark and brutal as it depicts the fallout of an abusive relationship that threatens to end the world. While it largely focuses on the trauma and abusive Dimitri was dealt, there was still a thread of hope woven through as his friends and lover support him through trying to heal and take the throne his abuser stole from him. The magic system that was based on Jewish folklore was fascinating and creepy, it made for such a well realised world that I would love to read more about. I listened to the audiobook and all three narrators were fantastic. I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. Have to say, I was annoyed that I wasn't given an option to send the ebook proof to my kindle easily, and I don't understand why the send to kindle button wasn't available. I could only send a pdf which was a nightmare to read on my kindle which is why I just got the audiobook instead.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! I really enjoyed the theme of found family in this book but I struggled to read about the violence and abuse. If you like a slow burn I would recommend it, but also highly recommend reviewing the trigger warnings before reading. I think this may not have been the book for me, but I could see other people really enjoying it!

This book was all vibes and no editing. The pacing was super chunky, the world building was almost nonexistent, the characters lacked depth (we literally got more pieces of character back story in the second to last chapter than we did the entire book), the climatic part was very anticlimactic. That being said, I was still hooked on reading it. It’s very dark and atmospheric, and the multi-POV was fun to read. This book definitely won’t be for everyone, but the vibes were there

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The Sins on their Bones was an interesting dark queer fantasy with Jewish religious worldbuilding. The three main male leadswere all interesting even Alexey's delusional self but it was Vasily who truly shined as a character for me.
The protagonist, Dmitri was a great dive into suffering a abusive relationship and the aftereffects including healing from the experience.

I really loved Vasily and Dmitri's relationship and the elements of soul binding with the two of them was a nice way to develop their relationship and characters. Most of this novel is a character study into each of the leads while revealing the event that lead them to where they each are in the present and unveiling Alexey's true evil.

The plot moves faster at the 50% mark, which leads to the plot of Dmitri eventually killing his abusive ex boyfriend, Alexey. I can't wait if there is a sequel after the ending if Alexey's resurrection and how the dynamic between Vasily and Dmitri will ply out with him back on the throne as the Tzar.
Overall, 4 stars.

A promising set of ingredients and a vivid world, plus generally good sentence-level and paragraph-level prose. But this needed serious editing with respect to characterization and structure (these aspects of the book are inextricable from each other). Dimitri comes off early on as whiny and self-pitying, so it's hard to understand the continued devotion of those around him, while Alexey is so OTT evil that Dimitri's love for him is unfathomable. By the time I learned much of anything about the backstory, it was too late to believe in it or to care.

And why "dubbyk" rather than "dybbuk"?

The concept for this was really good, but the execution was lacking. The characters were flat, there was a lot of telling and not a lot of showing, and the stakes never felt real because the protagonists didn't seem to take them seriously.

This book clearly worked for some people judging by the reviews I've seen, but it didn't work for me.

Sometimes love is not forever. Sometimes relationships end. Sometimes you transform your lover into an unholy monster bent on world domination. That’s the gist of The Sins on Their Bones, by Laura R. Samotin. Heavy on tragedy and pathos, this is a book steeped in magic and mysticism yet not always satisfying in terms of pacing or plot. I received a copy in exchange for a review.

Dimitri Alexeyev used to be the Tzar until his magically reanimated husband overthrew him for being a softie. Now in exile from Novo-Svitsevo, he and his court come to the unenviable conclusion that the only way for Dimitri to retake his throne and save his people from Alexey’s depredations is to kill the unkillable thing that Alexey has become. Easier said than done, of course. Meanwhile, hopped up on dark power, Alexey is determined to harness as much of that power as possible to create an army of demons that he can use to take over the entire world.

Do … do we call this a love story? The love between Dimitri and Alexey is central to the plot of this book, yet they are definitely on the enemies side of the lovers-to-enemies equation even at the start. I would have to describe the principal feeling that suffuses this book as ache. Not only does Dimitri ache for Alexey (and, though Alexey would not always admit it, vice versa), but all the supporting characters seem to ache as well. Whether it’s for someone or for something, each character has an ache, a want, a desire unfulfilled. This is a story about the depths of loss.

To that end, I really liked how languid this book is at times. The pacing is really slow (and I do have some criticisms of that to come). Dimitri is so, so broken throughout this book, from start to finish, because of what has become of his husband. This is not a story of heroism, patriotism, or fighting the good fight. It’s a story about the uncomfortable fact that if a loss doesn’t kill you, life goes on. Dimitri didn’t die. (Alexey did, but look what that did for him!) Dimitri has survived to watch the monster he created overrun his country and potentially the world. That must be a kind of living hell, and Samotin does an excellent job exploring what that would be like for someone.

The people who surround Dimitri do their best to bolster him, though they can only do so much. I enjoyed meeting these supporting characters and learning what we do about them. I wish we had learned more. The book focuses extremely tightly on three characters. Samotin sketches out, more or less successfully, distinct personalities for the rest. Nevertheless, the result is that this book feels far more intimate than your standard epic fantasy, much more like a stage play.

My biggest issue with this book, however, is how Samotin eschews showing flashbacks in favour of telling us about what happened in the past. I’m not a show-versus-tell purist. But I can only read so many scenes of characters sitting around telling us about how bad the war was, about how awful Alexey’s heel turn was, etc., when it is entirely possible to simply show us those moments. I understand Samotin starts this story very deliberately from a certain place, basically Dimitri at his nadir. Alas, the constant looking back and wallowing in the past made me wonder at times while I was reading whether the story should have started earlier.

Regardless, I can’t fault Samotin for the premise, for Alexey’s transformation and subsequent machinations. The tragedy that underpins this story is simple: Dimitri feels guilty for being the cause of Alexey’s transformation, yet Alexey left him little choice. Both men are responsible for what happens. I really liked how the story draws out and sustains a kind of narrative revulsion for Alexey’s character: his coldness, his cruelty, his dominating streak. He is a study in inhumanity as much as Vasily is a study in humanity, each man orbiting Dimitri, a study in misery and regret. These apposite characterizations are extremely satisfying.

The Sins on Their Bones is a clever, character-driven novel. I like that Samotin draws upon eastern European and Jewish folklore and history, which are all underrepresented in fantasy. I like the overall setup, the way that Dimitri and Alexey are at odds, and how Samotin unspools each man’s thoughts and feelings. I like the queernorm society. Overall, this is a rich, sympathetic, resonant novel—one that I wish I had connected with more.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher Penguin Random House for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

TW: abuse, addiction, sexual abuse, PTSD, domestic partner violence, anxiety, depression

“The Sins on Their Bones” is a powerful and original Jewish inspired fantasy with two estranged husbands on the opposite side of a civil war and their kingdom trapped between them. Years ago Dimitri met and fell in love with Alexey, and when he was forced to become Tsar of his country, Novo-Svitsevo, Alexey became his consort. However their love was anything but beautiful and romantic, with Alexey soon revealing himself as deeply abusive and driven by thoughts of god like power. Now years later, Dimitri is a broken man after fleeing his home with only a few supporters, including his loyal spymaster Vasily. Through a form of religion called the Holy Science Alexey has become something terrible, dying and resurrecting himself into an immortal and indestructible body with the voice of God echoing in his head. Now ruling as Tsar, Alexey seeks to build an army of demons in human bodies to turn Dimitri’s empire into something twisted and dark. As things worsen for everyone, Dimitri and Vasily create an elaborate ruse where Vasily will infiltrate Alexey’s court to gather information as Dimitri seeks a way to kill the husband he still, despite everything, loves. Over time Vasily and Dimitri begin to fall in love with each other, but it’s not that simple- if Dimitri wants to protect Novo-Svitsevo from Alexey, it will mean killing the husband he still feels for and possibly sacrificing the spymaster he’s depending on.

This was a strange book for me because it’s incredibly slow paced, with very little happening for the first half. The characters are deeply complicated and grey and there was some scenes where their motives just didn’t make any sense. Dimitri is one of those characters, he has been completely broken by Alexey and made to be fully dependent on him, and since failing to kill his estranged husband during the war he has fallen to pieces; the scenes of him lying in his room, remembering their romance and sleeping with Vasily to recreate those moments with Alexey, were incredibly difficult to read. I found his relationship with Vasily hard to root for because he and Alexey are still so deeply obsessed and heartbroken over each other. Vasily was my favourite character, collecting information and identities through backyard taverns and other places filled with those fleeing the war, and I enjoyed the parts where we got to see Alexey seeking out members of a particular bloodline to build his army as it actually moved the story forward. Although the writing is beautiful, and the emotions of the characters so powerful, I really struggled to finish this book.

Thank you Publisher and Netgalley for this advanced copy.

This book broke my heart and fixed it again

CONTENT WARNING: intimate partner violence and sexual abuse (from POV of both victim and abuser), PTSD, anxiety, depression, alcohol abuse, POV character with mention of childhood sexual abuse (off-page), gore, drug use

I was so hyped when I heard about this book. For me, finding out about an upcoming queer, Jewish-themed fantasy is like showing a cat that you’ve got catnip. It’s just a matter of time until I need to have it. And let me tell you — Sydney McKay came through big time, sending me a hard copy of the ARC just as I got approved for an e-ARC through NetGalley.

First of all, I want to talk about the Jewish representation, since it is Jewish American Heritage Month. I’ve always lived under Christian hegemony. Granted, it’s in a place where there is a significant Jewish population, and there’s a sense of peaceful coexistence the majority of the time, but this book really gave me an understanding of what things might look like in a world where Christian influence was absent. The overwhelmingly Jewish representation in this book was wonderful and so welcome.

Simple things like seeing a rabbi when getting married or needing guidance were slipped into the story or going to shul (Yiddish for synagogue), and more complicated things, such as aspects of Ashkenazi Jewish folklore and mysticism are woven into the plot of the story. In this heavily Russian-inspired fantasy, locations that we don’t even always connect with Christianity, like St. Petersburg, are swapped to names like Rav-Mikhailburg. It took me a minute to make the connection, but it was so cleverly done that my mind was blown when I finally realized. (For readers who aren’t familiar with the tern, Rav is a Hebrew word that refers to a rabbi that has been specially trained to provide guidance about Halacha, or Jewish law.) This makes sense, because we don’t have saints.

Speaking of making changes to the world, I always love when an author has free rein to create an entirely new world from their own imagination, and chooses to make it queer-centric rather than heteronormative. I mean, if you’re writing about a Jewish tzar, anything is possible, right? In this story, all three POV characters are gay, and there is other LGBTQ representation as well in the side characters, and being queer is just accepted as a normal part of life, the way it should be. People have enough to worry about, we don’t need unnecessary divisions to hate each other along.

Now the good stuff—the story itself. It starts at a place that seemed counterintuitive to me as a series reader, but lends itself well to a standalone novel. The story begins with Dimitri and the remaining members of his court in exile after the loss of a civil war started by his estranged husband, the new Tzar of Novo-Svitsevo. Dimitri is struggling with grief over not just the loss of the war and being Tzar, but also the estrangement of his husband, Alexey. Dimitri’s loyal spymaster, Vasily, hatches a plan to infiltrate Alexey’s court to gather information so they can take him down. But it’s complicated by the fact that Alexey has perverted religious principles, calling it the Holy Science, and recreated himself into something immortal and indestructible.

My biggest issue with the book is where it started. It picks up after the civil war has already ended and the dust has settled, although it sounds like things would be quite intriguing during the civil war, and even everything leading up to it. The way that all of these characters interact with each other, as well as having a tzar usurped by his own husband could make for a really good story, especially with the dynamic that exists between Dimitri and Alexey. Instead, we get little bits of information dropped throughout the story, but it never quite felt like I got the entire picture of what had occurred.

The relationships were where this book really excelled. It features a range of personality types and relationship dynamics, and revolves around trauma in toxic relationships and how that plays out for individuals. What made this book stand out was the way that it didn’t just offer the perspective of the person who has experienced trauma in the toxic relationship, but it also offered two additional perspectives—one from the other half of the toxic relationship who is responsible for the trauma, and one from someone outside the relationship who has been trying to help his friend in any way possible. It made for interesting reading, although it was painful at times. There are multiple explicit sex scenes in the book, and one in particular was quite disturbing in how violent it was; despite being between two consenting adults, it sounded almost like a sexual assault, except that it wasn’t. The story also pays special attention to how our past deeds can deeply haunt us, effectively writing our sins on our bones.

Overall, this was such a great book, but I do strongly urge readers to be mindful of the trigger warnings. This is a really dark story, and like so many Jewish stories, involves a lot of pain, but characters who are able to find joy amidst the pain. Characters in the story rely on the people around them for emotional support, to help them cope with and manage their trauma, and to untangle what they’re culpable for and what to stop blaming themselves for. This is evident in the epigraph of the story, which says (in the uncorrected ARC version) “To all those who have lost a throne and think that it’s their fault.” But the story was fantastic and the characters were the kind that I’m able to connect with, and the feeling of seeing my own culture show up casually on the pages of a book made me feel incredibly seen. This is a book I can eagerly recommend to anyone who is able to handle the content warning, and I’m looking forward to reading more of Samotin’s work in the future.

This was a very atmospheric book. With very heavy, despairing sort of vibes. Not in a way that made me feel depressed or bleak, but the characters spend the book hiding away, dealing with grief and trauma, after Dimitri's husband has taken over as a cruel undead tyrant. And I felt that heaviness that surrounded them.

Unfortunately, I didn't feel the relationships. There was so much angsty emotion, the relationships were messed up and complicated, and I loved the idea of the dynamics. But I never really felt the emotion. I don't know if it was me or the book or simply my mood.

For most of the book, the pacing was slow. I don't think much happened other than going to a library a few times, summoning a few otherworldly creatures, and having sex.

I got more into the book closer to the end though. Pacing picked up, I felt emotions a bit more, some interesting things happened, and there was a lot of tension. I think the tension could've been drawn out more, certain things ended up happening more quickly and easily than I thought they would, but I enjoyed what I got.

The characters were well-written enough, but I don't have any strong feelings about them.

The world was queer-accepting and Jewish-inspired. The fantasy elements with angels and demons and immortality were cool.

At this point in time, there's no indication on Goodreads, Amazon, or the publisher site that this is the first in a series. But the ending makes me think it might be. So now the emotion I'm left with is confusion and frustration. Expecting a standalone and then getting an ending with a big open plot thread affects my reading experience. Assuming it is a series, I actually think the next book may be something I would enjoy more, I just would've liked to know in advance.

Overall, I never really got into the relationships, but this was an atmospheric story with an interesting fantasy world, and others may enjoy it more!

hm hm hm ok i can't deny that quite often in this book i was like ... hell yeah. but i couldn't help but think that this book feels slightly like a sequel? i wanted to be with these characters earlier in the story. and i think a lot of the logic inside of it didn't hold up to massive amounts of scrutiny. it was really trying to do a found family thing but didn't imbue everyone with enough for it. it overused phrases. and the end was rushed and sometimes incredulous? but also sometimes wicked.

ANYWAYS. it was still fun to read. enjoyed largely.

Get ready because there is so much going on for this one, it was really interesting. It’s a queer dark fantasy debut that is set in a Jewish folklore-inspired reimagining of 19th century Eastern Europe. It’s being pitched for fans of Leigh bardugo so that kind of gives you the vibe it’s going for. It’s following two estranged husbands and a spymaster on opposite sides of a civil war. It really is as rich as it sounds. There were some problems I had but overall, enjoyable!

Thank you so much to Penguin Random House Canada for this arc in exchange for an honest review. This book deals heavily with trauma and it does not skim over anything. It is authentic, honest, and brutal. It does not shy away from the topic at hand and it was refreshing to see how Samotin navigated this without trauma-dumping or romanticizing it. Nevertheless, this book was simply good. I had no expectations going in other than to keep an open mind, and other than a lot of the aspects that I can see heavily triggering other writers, this story was interesting, kept me captivated, and succeeded in what it sought to do. However, I just couldn’t remember much or take away much after the conclusion of the story. That’s not a bad thing, however. Sometimes, that is all a story is.

The Sins on Their Bones is a queer, Jewish, dark fantasy reminiscent of Shadow and Bone meets Full Metal Alchemist. While the premise sounds incredible, and the writing that I saw was very good, unfortunately I will be unable to finish this novel after having read approximately 30%. The author did mention trigger warnings at the beginning, but I thought I would be able ok with the contents. However I was wrong, the contents of this book are a little too much for me to handle personally, so I will be unable to continue. But from what I did read, I can see others liking this provided they’re ok with the trigger warnings and graphic content.

Dimitri Alexeyev was an accidental Tzar. He had parents, brothers, brothers who had children … he was far enough away from the throne that he could relax, settle into a life with his new husband, and simply enjoy his days in peace and quiet, wrapped in Alexey’s devotion. All of that was destroyed with the violent deaths of his family, leaving Dimitri the Tzar of Novo-Svitsevo — and leaving Alexey a mere step away from the power he so desperately wants.

Alexey is a man of faith, who turned to the Holy Science for power. He sought God and was answered. Accustomed to commanding Dimitri, in bed and out, he was taken aback when Dimitri actually said no, when Dimitri tried to stand between his people and Alexey’s religious madness … and now, Dimitri is the Tzar in exile, with a handful of faithful followers and a husband who is amassing armies large enough to swallow the world.

A husband who is coming for him.

Dimitri’s court consists of Misha, a gifted healer; Ladushka, a devoted friend; Annika, a reluctant general; and Vasily, his spy master, who is also a bedmate. Not a lover, though. Dimitri’s heart still yearns for Alexey — the Alexey who he married, the Alexey he loved. Vasily is devoted to his Tzar, the man he will always love, even beyond death.

This is a book that draws heavily from the Ashkenazi Jewish culture. It’s a significant element in the story, with prayers, demons, and angels a constant companion to the characters. There is also quite a bit of gore, violence, cruelty, and murder, as well as marital rape and the rape of a child, so be aware of these are triggers for you.

Dimitri feels like a very passive character, often waiting for someone to tell him what to do. Part of this is due to his own nature, being more inclined to yield and follow rather than argue and lead, but he’s also suffering from PTSD, thanks to the emotionally abusive relationship he endured with Alexey. When Dimitri was married, it was neither with his permission nor his involvement. His parents arranged for a political union and handed him off. When he became Tzar, it wasn’t because he wanted it, simply because there was no one else. When his husband told him to perform a blasphemous ceremony, Dimitri did as he was told.

Vasily is Dimitri’s fuck buddy, someone who served him and who was called into his tent one night and made his lover. The power dynamics of their relationship aren’t really examined. By the beginning of the book, Dimitri is already languishing in exile, sometimes letting Vasily into his bed … but only if Dimitri has a blindfold on so he can pretend Vasily is Alexey. And only if Vasily fucks him the same way Alexey fucked him. Dimitri goes along with this because he loves Vasily, but in his POV scenes — especially at the beginning — his thoughts were less about loving Dimitri and more about hating Alexey. A religious ritual has Dimitri and Vasily sharing dreams and thoughts while Vasily goes back home to spy on Alexey. And it’s in these dreams that the two men actually start talking. But it’s a lot of telling. A lot of words, declarations of love and fondness backed up because they can feel each other’s emotions, but it’s still just the book telling me what they feel, rather than showing the characters experiencing these moments.

Alexey is ambitious, curious, innovative, and a man of two natures. On the one hand, he keeps an injured demon as a pet — not because it’s a demon, but because it was injured and needed him. Ivan, Dimitri’s half brother who looks much like him, is taken as Alexey’s lover and, while he’s treated to the same rough and violent sex, is handled kindly. He knows he’s a replacement, but Alexey lies to him, telling the boy he’s wanted, loved, valuable, and important to make him happy. When Vasily is cozening up to him while under cover, Alexey responds to his overtures, even though he’s not interested, because he wants to keep Vasily content and friendly.

While I understand that people are complex and can hold more than one opinion at a time, it felt odd that Alexey — in his own POV chapters — while ruthless and violent, isn’t quite the monster he is in Dimitri’s mind. While he’s supposed to be the villain of the book, it also seemed strange that he’s the second POV character, given equal weight and and as much attention as Dimitri and Vasily. While his chapters were among the more interesting, dealing with the world and the region rather than what Dimitri would eat for breakfast, I don’t think they quite worked with the book as a whole. It felt like Alexey should have been either more of a monster or more of a person, not a confused and conflicted weather vane. Likewise, his ending is abrupt and felt like too little for someone who had been built up to be a powerful threat.

All in all, little of this book worked for me. I didn’t feel any chemistry between any of the characters. Dimitri never interested me and Alexey’s chapters undercut some of the monstrousness he was supposed to have, as his actions didn’t always line up with how evil he was supposed to be. The world building only really showed up in Alexey’s chapters, and while the magic system was interesting, it was drawn from real life religious beliefs, rather than being part of this world. It was an imperfect fit, with the world around the religious magic not always lining up, and it left me wanting more answers than the few I was given.

This isn’t a bad book, it just didn’t work for me, and personally, I don’t really think it’s good enough to recommend. However, as always, if you do choose to give this book a try, I hope you enjoy it.

A rich fantasy rooted in Jewish folklore that gently handles the painful, traumatic experiences of its characters with love and care, while ultimately celebrating the healing and renewed capacity to love that comes with time and kindness.

SINS is for its first half a slow paced character study, particularly of Dimitri, the former tsar recovering from an abusive relationship with his ex-husband Alexey (the current tsar, who is no longer quite human) and reckoning with his love for the man who abused him and stole his throne - while also wondering if he could come to care for his spymaster Vasily, who offers him love without conditions or toxicity.

The plot doesn’t really pick up until the second half of the novel (which is unsurprisingly the half I found more enjoyable). Although this is a duology, SINS ends on a satisfying note - I’m excited to read the sequel without being frustrated about cliffhangers or unresolved plot points.

I’d recommend this to readers interested in a slow burn romance, a deep exploration of characters healing from past trauma, and a world that draws heavily on Jewish folklore. Those looking for a faster paced fantasy may struggle with this a bit more, at least for the first half.

** Thank you to Penguin Random House Canda for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review**

rating: 3.5 /5 ⭐️ rounded to 4

I wasn't able to truly finish this book before the due date because of finals and other obligations, but I did find it enjoyable from what I read. Like others have said, the plot is a bit sluggish and I found it a bit hard to drudge through at times. The characters were full of depth and I enjoyed their interactions throughout what I read. I do believe that this would've done better as a series or something of the sort, as this had so much detail that should've been expanded upon even more.

Overall, this is a good book with great MLM representation and I think this is a great read for those of us hungering for LGBTQ+ fantasy reads. Give this one a try when you see it in the bookstores!!

Happy reading!

I did not finish this book in time. What I did read, I enjoyed - it was captivating and very well written. The visuals were stunning and I found myself immersed very quickly in the storyline and world building.

I think perhaps this would have benefitted from being a series. I lost sense of what was happening and why, as we didn't know enough about the world before the story starts to know what the stakes here are. The multiple POVs was also a hindrance to understanding what was going on, as we were reading three different perspectives on events we hadn't been shown.