The Bone Witch

I've known a bit about this trilogy for sometime but I never thought I would read it because my tbr is already so huge. But my dear friend Krisha assured me that it's brilliant and we also chose it as the May BOTM for our Stars and Sorcery book club, so here I am. And it definitely didn't disappoint.

I loved the world building in this book. The whole book is essentially the main character Tea learning about the world around her, the histories of all the eight kingdoms, the various kinds of magic and monsters and we learn it all right alongside her. Even though not in huge detail, we get to know the distinctions between each kingdom and it's people, how it all came to be and what are their beliefs. The witches in this world are called asha and there are various different kinds of them including the elementals and the necromancers. We also get a good glimpse into how these asha are trained and their daily lives - all of this could feel boring to some readers but I liked the steady pace, and there was always something happening to keep me interested. There was also a bit of Middle Eastern influence in the world, from using face veils to the food consumed and also some of the very familiar language used and I absolutely loved it all. I'm not much of a fan of descriptions but the way the wraps (called hua) that the asha wear, their combs and their hairpins are described, it's all totally stunning. There is not a lot of plot in this book, but I thought this brilliantly developed world made up for it.

Tea is such an interesting character. From a scared girl who just can't believe that her brother is dead to a Dark asha who is confident in her magical abilities, her development is phenomenal. She is good at heart, has a lot of interest in learning more about her abilities and is not afraid to use it. She is also quite clever and quick witted, using her skills to almost manipulate others to agree to her proposals. However, she also sees that despite the very important job she and others like her perform as a Dark Asha, which essentially leeches off their life force, the people will never truly respect her kind. She is also unsure about the methods used to get rid of the monsters or daeva of this world, and just wants to find a better way. Most of this story is actually a flashback, but we also get to see Tea on a totally different path in the present, and that made it all even more interesting for me. I can't wait to see how this amazing powerful asha with good intentions veered away from her friends.

There are so many wonderful relationships in this book, the major one being between Tea and her undead brother Fox. They are bound due to the magic that she performed, but their bond is much stronger than that. She loves him with all her heart and he would do anything to protect her. I'm very very eager to know how their dynamic changes later in the series. Tea also forms some very special friendships with the other asha who mentor her and I really enjoyed all their interactions. Well written female friendships are hard to come by, so I really liked that this book had multiple such ones. There also seems to be a budding romance but it's only hinted at, whereas the ending completely shocked me, so I'm even more excited to see how the love story will play out.

To conclude, I can say that I found this book very interesting to read with its phenomenal world building and amazing cast of characters. If you are looking for more plot driven or action packed fantasy, this might not be the book for you. But if you enjoy slow paced but excellent storytelling with characters you can't help but love, then I think you'll really enjoy this book. The book seems to have taken quite an interesting and dark turn towards the end, and I can't wait to read what happens next.

The Bone Witch is about an usually powerful and rare necromancer named Tea who is not expected to save the world but change it, for better and for worse. Her tale is told from two perspectives: that of a bard who finds seventeen-year-old Tea in exile and Tea herself as she tells him her story, beginning with discovering she had power over the dead when she unwittingly resurrected her brother during his funeral. The writing is lovely, but I thought what made this a standout novel was this storytelling structure and the extra dimension it added to Tea's character. The world was fascinating as well, though I felt this is where the book faltered a bit by providing a lot of information yet not enough about some aspects. However, I loved the main character and how she embraced her power, and I can hardly wait for the sequel.

Full Review on My Website

My first Rin Chupeco book and I can say with my whole heart that I am a chupec-hoe. This immersive and intricate world Chupeco created swallowed me in from the first page. It was so easy to dive into this book, which I can't say for a lot of the other fantasy reads I've encountered.

This writing style is one of my favorites, because it keeps you intrigued & engaged since we're going back + forth between the past & the present. The magic system was well-written, dark, and crafty. I loved how Chupeco incorporated necromancy in Tea's world.

It does start off a little slow, but it goes well into detail about buildings and clothing and the history. I kind of zoned out at some parts, but once I got past all of that I started to enjoy the book more. I like that each chapter alternates from the past and the future, and that kept my interest going. I feel that this first book is a great build up of Tea and her magic and the relationships she has with the people around her. Makes me excited to start the second book!

This was a very unusual book. The timeline moves back and forth a bit from the present day from the Bard's point of view to Tea's past in her point of view.

There are dragons or dragon-like creatures (not quite sure on that) that rise up and terrorize cities. The “Asha” have magical abilities and especially dark “Asha” have the ability to put them back down to keep the towns safe. The book seems like it is set in a cross between China, Japan and India. The “Asha” seem to be similar to the Japanese Geisha to me. They are taught to dance, sing and entertain the nobles when they come to town. But they are also taught to fight and use Runes.

Tea is discovered to be a dark Asha when she accidentally raises her brother. The end of the story has a bit of a cliffhanger and now I have to see what happens in the next book.

I was given this book from the publisher for free for an hones review.

This book was such a struggle to get through. I only finished it because the trilogy is included in my audible membership. The premise is very promising and I had high hopes for the book, but it under delivered in so many ways. The story is boring and I never cared for any of the characters. I might listen to the second book because I have it for free, but I'll have to give it some thought.

This review is also featured on Behind the Pages: The Bone Witch

Tea always dreamed of becoming an asha, a powerful elemental magic user. But when she discovers the dark runes by resurrecting her brother, the elements are blocked from ever reaching her. Instead, she must learn how to wield the dark, but never give in to its temptation and pull in too much power. It is a delicate balance she must achieve, and she's only just learning how powerful she may become. Temptation is around every corner, and something dark is lurking in the shadows. The Faceless are an ever present threat, and they may just take an interest in Tea.

The Bone Witch is a chilling coming of age tale filled with death and magic. As Tea struggles to navigate the new world she has fallen into, readers will find themselves faced with prejudice and discrimination. Tea can be a powerful and necessary asset to the empire. But bone witches are looked down on and sometimes only seen as tools in the war against the faceless and the creatures they control.

There are so many layers to this world Rin Chupeco introduces readers to in The Bone Witch. This first book is only the tip of an iceberg as Tea learns about the traditions of the asha, and what it takes to become one. The story unfolds as told by an older more experienced Tea. The cool and calculating girl that tells her story is vastly different from the one reader's experience. I want to know more about Tea's story and how she becomes the woman she is in the present.

Faced with the truth of a bone witch's fate, Tea sets forth to break traditions and carve her own path. However, it is not going to be easy and the reader quickly learns what happens to those who break from tradition. The Bone Witch is the perfect tale for readers who are looking for a darker young adult story.

yes yes I did type with my captions on nor do I care.. have a nice day/night hoomans :)

Let me just tell u.... THIS SHIT RIGHT HERE.... RIGHT MF HERE WAS THE BOMB OK MADE ME GET OUT OF MY READING SLUMP!!!! MY GIRL TEA MADE THE AZI GO AWAY LIKE AHHHH HOW EXCITING.... MISTRESS PARMINA WAS FUNNY OK SHE MADE ME CHUCKLE A BIT UK HERE AND THERE THEN FULL BLAST LAUGH AFTER THAT. I DIDNT LIKE ZOYA SINCE THE FIRST TIME SHE POPPED UP I WANTED TO PUT THE BITCH ON FIRE BUT UK I HAD TO KEEP MY COOL STILL WANTED TO BEAT THAT BITCH DONT CARE IF SHE A ASHA OR NOT SHE WAS GONNA GET FUCKED UP BY ME FOR MESSING WITH MY GIRL TEA U FEEL ME!!!...


Tea was 12 yrs old when she raised her brother from the dead like girllll nullll didn't know she could do that...nah I knew hahaha ok anyway fox can get it idgaf if he dead or not doesn't matter to me... dead foxy Roxy can get this coochie....


I thought Kance was a bad guy YALLL I WAS SOOO WRONG I MEAN WRONG ALL THE WAY I MEAN WHEN I FOUND OUT THE PERSON WHO DID ALL THE THINGS TO TEA I WASNT SHOCKED NAH I WASNT, BECAUSE BITCH I WAS LIKE THAT UGLY HOE.. SHE GOT SOMETHING GOING ON... THERES SOMETHING FISHY ABOUT HER VERY VERY VERY FISHY THEN BAM.

READ THIS BOOK ASAP OR I WILL DESTROY YOU AND YOUR BOOKS/EBOOK OR ANYTHING U USE TO READ

Tea isn't sure what kind of gifts she'll have. Will she be a healer or good with plants like her sisters? When her brother dies, she can't live without him, so she brings him back from the dead. Now she knows she is a bone witch. Knowing that bone witches are feared and hated by many, Tea must leave her home and go before The Oracle to find out what is to become of her. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to the next one. I received a copy of this book from Net Galley.

This book has so much potential. I think the story is fascinating, but the writing leaves so much to be desired. When I got to the end of the book, the author's bio says that she used to write manuals for computer programs, and it dawned on me that maybe that was the problem. The story was SO boring despite there being quite a bit of action. There are 2 different time streams going, one where Tea, the main character is retelling her own story of becoming a bone witch, which is essentially a necromancer. The other time stream is the present, in which we know Tea has been banished from her land and her duties, and she's on a quest to raise daeva (Monsters) to avenge herself. Unfortunately, I just wish the author had chosen to go with one time stream or the other. The breaks in chapters when we are confronted with the present take away from the overall story. There is already so many things to keep track of: magic, runes, characters, heart glass meanings, etc. without also trying to track time. Also the past storyline was so detailed that it felt like I was pursuing a story that would never end. I admit, I ended up skimming through a vast majority of the chapters. I still don't think I missed anything really relevant having done that. I swear the only time the story got a little bit interesting was the “twist” in the romantic angle toward the end. I'll also give it some credit that unlike most YA books that focus a lot on the romantic element of the book, there was much more of a focus on Tea rather that Tea's crush. I also like the way the author set it up for Tea to be much smarter that YA heroines usually are when it comes to the love interest by giving her a mentor who was totally screwed (pun intended) by the love game. Her mentor serves a cautionary tale, but she also makes it so that Tea naturally would be less focus on that aspect of her life considering she was 11 to 15 the majority of the past story line. Anyway, I say all this to say that I like the story enough to pursue the next book, but I definitely need a break before I attempt to dive into the abyss that is this book again.

I am very excited for the rest of the books in this trilogy. I thought this book was decent but it was definitely (hopefully) setting up for the series.

I love the concept of this book. The magic, the atmosphere, the people, and the plot are all unique. I enjoyed very much getting to know Tea and the circumstances that get her to become a powerful Bone Witch.....I THINK she becomes a powerful Bone Witch. You get snippets throughout this book showing Tea being strong and wielding a power that the world has never seen. The majority of the time the book is going through Tea's life after she learns that she has the magic of a Bone Witch. It's almost like an origin story - we just don't know what makes Tea such a legend yet. There are a FEW exciting parts, however, most of the book is pretty boring. They go over her lessons, the people she meets, the roles of the different people, the history, etc. Which is great, but it's a little dull when that is the WHOLE of the book.

My rating would have been less if this was a standalone. Overall, I think this book gave a lot of information that built this world and these characters and I am excited to get to the next two books!

The writing is beautiful. The world building is superb. And that alone is why I'm not rating this (usually a DNF gets a 1-star from me). I think I just am not in the mood for a slow-paced novel right now. I've been reading it for over a MONTH. This is unheard of. I whiz through books. I would pick it up, read a few pages, think about how I felt like I was walking down the road with Tea, or seeing the bezoars right in front of me...and put it down, with no real compulsion felt to pick it up again.

Sadness. Because it is BEAUTIFUL. I will return one day to finish and write a full review.
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Welp. My ARC expired before I finished this...which, considering I started it more than a month before the release date...says something.

This is a very interesting take on dark witches. Despite the trials and difficulties she faces at such a young age, the MC manages to handle it all with cunning, grace, and unrelenting determination. This is another fantasy reminiscent of the Geisha ways but it does not take away from the story itself. It is set up to savor and leaves you wanting more.

This novel was a slow starter for me - great premise, but not one that grabbed me from the get-go. However, the writing was lovely throughout and that kept me willing to press on. I'm glad I did, because I think this is the start of a really interesting YA fantasy series. Tea is a compelling heroine, and watching her come into her power has been exciting. The author is peppering the narrative with hints of even bigger things to come, and I am definitely along for the ride. This one does require some patience, but for me it very much paid off.