Bonesmith had me hooked from the very beginning.

The main characters of this book were likeable, the world building was great and the magic system really interesting. The entire book felt very well thought out – from the characters backgrounds and the setting all the way to the plot line.

However I did feel like some parts of the book were predictable and the plot took multiple turns and directions which became almost a bit overwhelming for me.

Nonetheless everything was executed pretty well and it came together very nicely in the end.

I would definitely recommend this book to other readers and am excited to see what the sequel will hold!

sadly this one wasn’t for me!

while i enjoyed the plot itself and the way magic is employed in this world, i found the characters to just be very theatric. it was very difficult to see them as individual characters in their own right and not just plot devices. unfortunately it did really mar my enjoyment. i did enjoy the writing style other than this though, and i’d be first in line to read an adult novel from this author.

Fun, thrilling and adventurous. Really loved the idea of the story and the characters were good but could have done with some fleshing out in terms of their personalities.

- Ghost-fighting / necromancy
- Darker YA fantasy - on the upper end
- Enemies turned allies and lovers
- A quest full of the undead and battles
- A kidnapped prince
- Dual perspective
- Interesting world building & magical elements
- Can’t wait to read the sequel

I can't believe how good this was! Bonesmith had everything I love in a fantasy book, and when I say I couldn't put it down, I mean I couldn't put it down. We have a strong FMC that I want to be friends with, a MMC warrior who quickly became my favourite character, and necromancy scenes I would love to see on the big screen. The writing is stellar, the world building is fantastic, and as we embark on a quest, secrets and betrayals are revealed. Definitely recommend.

I'm so mad at myself for not reading this sooner!!

The tension, the magic, the world-building, and the romance! I can't it was so good! I'm so excited for Ghostsmith and I will be picking it up as soon as it comes out!

Bonesmith is a dark, lush tale with a gripping plot that would make a great Halloween read.

The magic system in the book was simple to grasp and it became more interesting with new revelations coming to light in the second half of the book. It was a bit predictable, but I didn’t mind it. Metalsmiths and Bonesmiths drew their power from the metals or bones. Although, bonesmiths had to dig graves and go to lengths to access their powers and were shunned by metalsmiths for this.

What we could have done without in the story was the Romance, which was half-baked. It was hurried and forced into the story. Anyway, this book was a solid read for me.

Thank you, Hodder and Stoughton for the DRC of the book!

Really enjoyed this!
The magic system and world building are brilliant, so unique and in depth enough to really capture your imagination.
While the plot was a little predictable that didn’t bother me, it has great pacing and action to make up for it!

I have sadly DNF'ed Bonesmith at 18%, I have been trying through most of October to read this one but it just isn't working for me which is a shame as I adored Crown of Feathers, I don't know if it's the style but I'm just finding this dragging for me and I wish it didn't as I've heard good things but I don't think it's for me :(

Well damn that was something! It was definitely a very unique fantasy series and I’m definitely curious to see what happens next. The work building an magic system are what shines through the most in this book, reminding me a bit of game of thrones (people trapped behind a wall, revenants, political intrigues) all the while being it’s own story with a great main character. She’s young and reckless, strong and I really liked her, she’s clearly not perfect and always goes head first into things but not straight up stupid either (at least towards the end). My only complaint would be concerning the friendships and relationships with Leo and Julian, they’re not given enough time to develop more naturally, Leo and Wren literally have 2 scenes together and we’re then told they’re friends, it felt a bit forced. Same goes with Julian, there wasn’t a lot of chemistry between them, she starts caring for him very quickly, out of the blue. Outside of that, the plot twists did surprise me and the vibes were 100% there for the Halloween season. 4 stars.

I really enjoyed this fast pacedc fantasy! The world building and magic were so intriguing. I loved the characters and the chemistry between Wren and Julian. It is definitely a darker YA Fantasy, which I loved. I can’t wait to read the next and final book.

Firstly, thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC. I am so sorry it’s taken so long for me to get to this one, I’ve had a lot going on in my personal life so trying to get to ARCs as quickly as I can. BUT GUYS. When I tell you I haven’t read a book that I’ve literally wanted to inject into my veins in forever I mean it. This was beyond God Tier, this was a ten star read. I will make this book my whole personality and I will not stop raving about it. It is PERFECTION. Nikki I love you, and thank you for this work of ART.

This is the first in a YA fantasy duology following Wren, a Bonesmith/Valkyr (a powerful ghost fighting warrior) who is about to compete in the Bonewood Trials which is the most important competition in a Valkyr noviciates life. If she wins she will finally gain the respect and adoration of her father and grandmother, also known as the heir and head of the House of Bone respectively. When sabotage causes her to fail she is sent to the Border Wall which is their last line of defence against a wasteland called the Breach where the undead roam unchecked and ready to attack should a living person wander into their midst. Wren isn’t particularly happy about this because the wall hasn’t faced an attack in years and she wants a chance to prove herself. Then a prince from the House of Gold is kidnapped and Wren sees her chance to reclaim her family’s respect. If she can rescue the prince and make it through journeying into haunted woods to do so then she will be hailed as a hero. It’s a shame she has to team up with a member of the House of Iron, her house’s and her land’s mortal enemy. As they journey further into the Breachlands however, they find that the least of their problems is each other and some roaming undead. Something far worse is brewing and the consequences could be unfathomable.

This. Freaking. Book. It’s pitched as Game of Thrones meets Gideon the Ninth and although I haven’t read Gideon the Ninth, I have read Game of Thrones and the White Walkers were one of my favourite aspects so I was STOKED when I saw that this element was what inspired Bonesmith. The author put such a cool and unique twist on the concept though and the magic system and the world building was just immaculate. I would say this is definitely high fantasy as the plot and world are incredibly complex and intricate but in an interesting and exciting way. You get to hear the history behind the way the world is now and then there are all of the political aspects and the different houses and magical abilities.

The twists were so expertly crafted as well, I had to FORCE myself to put this book down because I just needed to know where the plot was going and there are so many mysteries and things that the characters have to discover and work out. The stakes are incredibly high so you desperately want these characters to find the answers as much as you want to know yourself. Speaking of the characters, I ADORE THEM. I loved that the enemies to lovers/friends/allies plot was actually enemies to lovers/friends/allies. Like these two characters HATED each other and that just added to the tension between them and the slow build up of their relationship.

I am just absolutely obsessed with this book and I need the sequel right now but I also don’t want it to end. I wholeheartedly recommend this book, especially if you love a good high fantasy to stick your teeth into with lots of political intrigue, world building, complex but not ridiculously complex magic systems, characters arcs and immersive writing. This was released on 25th July and you need to go and buy it now. I will be buying myself a physical copy so I can annotate the absolute monkey business out of it. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.

I can't decide if this is a 4.5 or a 5 star so we are just going to go with a 5 star.
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This is everything I love about Fantasy but with a brilliant dark undertone. The title itself just screams pick me up. This really did have a touch of everything Friendship, Betrayal, Romance, Found Family, Magic, and Action.
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It is well written, and the magic system has been explained well. Our main character is called Wren, a young woman who has dreamt of becoming a Valkyr, a ghost-fighting warrior, and what she was born to do.
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But she has been set up to fail and is disgraced and exiled to the border wall. In the wastelands, how is she ever to become a Valkyr now, to prove her father wrong? her operation comes with a visit from the gold prince. Wren's whole world is going to change forever. Nothing with ever be the same.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc of this title in exchange for this honest review.

Bonesmith was a fun and refreshing read. Enjoyed the world, magic and characters, though the plot did get a bit boring towards the end. Still very excited to read more of this series.

This was really great! I wasn't sure what to expect, but I definitely enjoyed this more than I was expecting to! I haven't read the author's first series yet, but after reading this I am way more intrigued to do so. The worldbuilding was easy to digest, I enjoyed the various perspectives we got to see from all 3 main characters, and the romance was well done too. I loved the magic system, I thought it was so cool and spooky, with ghost magic, bone magic, and spirits all abounding in this world!

I will say that the big twist was pretty obvious - I guessed it about 100 pages before it was revealed, but it didn't mean that I didn't enjoy the rest of the book and I am excited to see where this series will go!

Bonesmith is a fantasy novel filled with ghosts, magic, royalty, betrayals, and an enemies to lovers, slow burn, central romance. The novel follows Wren, a bonesmith, who has been banished to the Border Wall - a defence against the Breach where the unpredictable dead roam free. When a House of Gold Prince gets kidnapped, Wren sees this as an opportunity to prove she can be a valued warrior. Bonesmith kind of has some Dragon Age vibes. I really enjoyed the magic system - definitely a highlight of the novel as was the romance between Julian and Wren was really fun - enemies to allies to friends and so on but also tons of betrayal and stuff going on. The plot itself, while predictable at times, held my interest. A solid high fantasy novel.

This book has everything a ya scifi/fantasy-book needs: believable character, good world building, good writing, interesting plot. Mostly, I liked that the heroine had such a decisive character!
Mind, it's not for those who need information right away. Throughout the first half of the book, the reader doesn't really know what's going on.

This is the best book I've read in SO LONG and I'm soooooo ecstatic that it's one I was hyping up for myself. This never happens - loving a hyped book. It's exactly what I wanted Gideon the Ninth to be. It'll be my 3rd 5 star for the month. This book was everything! I also had the audio alongside and the narrator was superb. I loved these characters, the slow burn but how the romance wasn't at the forefront, the development. You can bet I'm buying the rest of the series!

Wow, this was a nice book to read. I thought it was a very original story. I also liked the main character and how she developed in her character. I initially expected her to fall for the charming prince, but was surprised she chose something else. I also really liked that this charming prince wasn't just the princey-type and didn't wait around to be fended for. He took matters in his own hands. The story was well written and I am looking forward to the next book.

The story is about Wren who is a bonesmith. She has to fulfill a trial, and as daughter of the most important man of all the bonesmiths, she really has to prove herself. However, ofcourse that doesn't work out the right way. Wren got send away and has to earn her place back home. But in doing so she embarks on a wild adventure, gets often side tracked and finds allies along the way. How can she find the truth and her way back home? And does she even want to when she knows the truth?

A thrilling story with great characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher Hodder & Stoughton for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

TW: death, violence, injury, description of corpses, body horror, ghosts

I initially wanted to read "Bonesmith" because of its gorgeous cover, done by Tommy Arnold, and because of comparisons to "Gideon the Ninth". I kept reading because I couldn't put it down, I found myself caught up in the world of bonesmiths after only a few pages. This book follows Wren, the granddaughter of a powerful matriarch, as she tries to succeed in the final trial to become a fully fledged bonesmith. Her job is to protect from ghosts that grow violent the longer they're connected to their bones, and it's one she takes great pride in. However an act of sabotage by someone she trusts leads to Wren being banished, forced to serve as border control on the Wall preventing the dead from attacking the living on the other side of the Breach. It's here that she learns more about the history of the traitor, long believed dead Ironsmiths and her own father's mysterious and controversial past. When the third prince of the kingdom, Prince Leo, comes for a visit, Wren sees an opportunity to regain favour and return home; this is ruined when he's kidnapped and dragged over the Breach into a land full of ghosts by an unknown group. Forced to side with an Ironsmith who shouldn't exist (and who helped to kidnap the Prince before being turned on) named Julian, Wren plunges into a world where the dead walk and long held secrets are about to erupt. Over time, Julian and Wren go from hereditary enemies to depending on one another, especially when it becomes clear that the world behind the Wall is only getting worse.

I loved this book, Wren is such a powerful main character and her attitude drives the story forward at a break neck pace. Likewise, Julian is a wonderful foil to her: cautious and more thoughtful even after his own people turned on him. I wish we'd had more time with Leo, he brought an enjoyable humour that was different to Wren, and I'm hoping the world will be further expanded. The world building is gorgeous and dark, with just enough disturbing horror and violence to truly set it apart from other similar YA; I loved the magic system, especially in how the different regions told versions of the same historical events. I'm looking forward to seeing where this series might go next!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC of Bonesmith.
This book has everything you could wish for. Ghosts, mysteries, secrets, love and betrayal. I was hooked from the very first page. It's quite fast-paced. The heroine is funny and doesn't always do what she's told. I can't wait to see what happens next. Because the ending left me wishing for more.