His Holy Bones

Overall series rating: 4.5 stars

This series does what all great fantasy should do: it serves as a reminder to challenge the bad in our own world, and appreciate the good.

The world-building was so incredibly rich, and each book added a new layer. By now, at the end of the series, I feel so immersed in this world that if someone were to ask me to name the planets in the solar system, I think I might proceed to say “Mercury, Venus, Nayeshi, Mars....”

I loved that I was slightly confused at the beginning (and middle...all the way up until the end really). Hale revealed just enough information in each book to make me feel invested, while setting up new questions to keep me wondering and quickly flipping pages. I also appreciated the back and forth time jumps; they helped to both conceal and explain information about the plot and characters.

Speaking of the characters! They were what I loved most about this series, particularly John/Jahn/Jath'ibaye and Kyle/Ravishan/Kalil. I grew to know them slowly, through their own journeys to learn and relearn themselves and each other–as men, as lovers, and as powerful, godly beings.

This series was quite the adventure. Like all adventures, it had its rough patches, but overall it was an incredibly enjoyable read with lovable characters, a sweet relationship, and a unique fantasy storyline.