This book has slotted itself into one of my favourites of the year and just adds to how much of an incredible and beautiful writer LJ Andrews is at creating such an immersive and intriguing world that you find within the captivating story of Broken Souls and Bones.

As with all of her books the world building is incredible and utterly fascinating, I loved that this was very much a Viking based story and found it so interesting and captivating, the magic system of Bone magic, Soul Magic and Blood magic is so unique and I can’t wait to learn more about each one as the story progresses.

LJ writes such relatable characters that it’s impossible not to love them. I found Lyra and Roark so relatable and I loved how the slow burn of their relationship develops as the story progresses from enemies to lovers, to him becoming her bodyguard and slowly into lovers. Every look, hand gestures that end with a simple touch was written so beautifully, the side characters even have such richness in their backstories.

This was such a complex story filled with so many twists and turns, secrets and questions that I can’t wait to have answered, the ending makes me so excited for what’s to come next. This book is amazing and such a wonderful new series to introduce new readers to her writing and storytelling. I will always recommend LJ’s books and this one didn’t disappoint highly recommend!

Thank you so much to the publisher for the eARC to read and review prior to publication.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC!

I loved the LJ Andrews Ever King series, so I was super excited to get approved for this new series! This world is heavily influenced by Norse culture, though doesn't include any fae like in the author's other series. Everyone here is human, but some people are called crafters. These people basically have this world's form of magic, which takes the form of either bonecraft, bloodcraft or soulcraft. Only certain people have the craft, and it's not even guaranteed in a family.

There's a fourth type of person who is very rare - melders, who can use all three types of craft. Lyra, our main character, is a melder who has spent all her life hiding from the various royals who would love to seek her out. By law, all melders belong to King Damir, and he's determined to find her and use her abilities. Alongside this, the kingdom of Dravenmoor is determined to eliminate her out of fear of her melding craft.

As you might expect, Lyra has carefully avoided using her craft in order to avoid being caught and brought to the king. Despite this, when she does use her craft, it's unusually powerful, and she discovers that being powerful just increases the risk of using it. Those who use their craft on the living experience negative effects, and the king wants Lyra to meld for him, no matter the cost to her. On her side is Kael Darkwin, her best friend and brother figure who would do anything to protect her.

Our male main character is Roark Ashwood, aka the Sentr,y who is fealty bound to King Damir's son, Prince Thane. Roark is a Draven, so is looked upon with distrust despite the fact he has Thane's utter confidence. Roark is a silent character with scars on his throat that cause him to use a form of sign language. He's grumpy and moody yet finds himself drawn to Lyra and vice versa. She picks up on his hand speak unusually fast, and they can't understand their obsession with each other. Prince Thane is funny and, despite his father, kind and caring - the type of person you want on your side. He's arranged to be married to Princess Yrsa of the Myrda kingdom, who we also get to know. Finally, there's Emi - another Draven who is a bonecrafter who refuses to let Lyra push her away.

The magic in this world was interesting and enjoyable, while the world-building itself was generally pretty good. I did get vibes of A Fate Inked In Blood if anyone has read that, but it's different enough that you can easily enjoy both books without seeing too many similarities. As they're both Viking-inspired, they were always going to be compared in some way, and it more than stands up on its own. The characters were enjoyable, and I liked their relationships with each other - you really felt the history between them all and understood their fierce loyalty. Kael was a sweetheart and his unwavering support for Lyra was lovely - it's also nice to get a male/female friendship that doesn't ever veer towards romance.

As well as King Damir, who is our obvious baddie, there's also Skul Drek - the mysterious and feared assassin for the Draven's who has plenty of reason to want Lyra dead. The threat is always just around the corner in this book, and for the most part there's not too many moments where I rolled my eyes. We've (for the most part) got sensible characters in this book!

I'm looking forward to reading the next book, even if I have to wait for an absolute age now! Anyone who enjoyed LJ Andrews other books will enjoy this one just as much!

Once again, L J Andrews has created a rich, unique fantasy world to be instantly immersed in. I really enjoyed diving into this new world, which still feels like it has a lot to offer.
LJ has a way of writing flawed characters who you can’t help but route for, while also writing some of the best found family groups that’s I’ve read. The representation is there, with Roark being the first MMC that I’ve read, to not speak at all. He and Lyra still have the best banter, and I feel like that element makes their relationship that much more special. Lyra is loyal to a fault, always willing to go above and beyond for those she loves. I cannot wait to see where these two go in book 2.

This book is fast paced and full of action, making it hard to put down. With shocking twists at the end, you’ll be begging for the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House and LJ for the arc of this book.

Vikings, a unique magic system, love and loss I absolutely loved this book!
A true enemies to lovers, angst and banter 100% recommend.

— 5 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“To claim something as his—a strike, a skill, a horn of ale—Ashwood tapped whatever he wanted three times."

📖 𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 448 pages
👤 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: L.J. Andrews
🏢 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫: Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House
📅 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞: 15 May 2025

What you can expect:
— Adult Dark Fantasy Romance
— First Person X Dual POV
— Enemies-To-Lovers
— Slow Burn Romance
— Hidden Identity
— Unique Magic System (Blood, Bone & Soul)
— Found Family
— Bodyguard Trope
— Touch Her And Die
— Villain Gets The Girl
— Non-Speaking MMC X Sign Language Rep
— Morally Grey Characters

𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: sexually explicit content, blood & gore, descriptive injury, mutilation of a child (past), threatened sexual assault, characters in peril and torture.

𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲:
Broken Souls and Bones is the first instalment in the Stonegate series by author L.J. Andrews. I am once again blown away by the magic that seems to spark upon Andrew's fingertips as she weaves the threads of this intricate tale into an elaborate and immersive reading experience. The setting of the world felt vast and I cannot wait to continue to learn more about the world and its inhabitants in the next book. I recommend reading the first 20% of the book at a gradual pace to best familiarise yourself with the magical system and all of its necessary components. The magic felt more extensive and exploratory than my previous experiences with the author and I loved getting to experience something new which also felt innately familiar. L.J. Andrews is my number one favourite author and it was a joy to discover something new set apart from her other book series' whilst following the familiar style of writing with the ease of returning home. Everything about the way this author writes feels atmospheric and purposeful as we are guided towards the end goal through mystery, magic and intrigue. The fast-paced writing left me enraptured in its clutches in its unwillingness to let me go, and nor was I willing to put the book down. The tumultuous tale that we stumble down is full of emotional found family ties, a unique cast of characters and an immersive storyline that will leave you vying for more. If there's ever a book that you are considering picking up in 2025... please make it this one.

𝐏𝐥𝐨𝐭:
Broken Souls and Bones begins with a heart-racing prologue which immediately thrusts us into a thrilling high stakes plot shrouded in mystery and despair. I was immediately invested and in desperate need of answers which I am thrilled to say were not a disappointment. I loved getting to follow Lyra on her journey as she is forced to better learn about her Craft; the type of magic that the people within this world possess. Unseen forces seek to tear down the walls of the kingdom in order to stop Lyra from using her magic through any means necessary, and suddenly she finds herself having to choose before the innocent and those she considers family. I loved how the plot itself was a slow-build as there is always more questions than there is answers. Every inch of development we are granted is filled with a purpose we are yet to learn, and I had a lot of fun seeing everything begin to unravel before our character's own eyes as lies and deceit begin to plague the caste they now call home. Friend, ally or foe... the truth is you never really know who can be trusted which made for a more thrilling reading experience. I've long learned to pay attention to the author's words as there is often subtle hints dropped into the dialogue so I was thrilled to accurately guess one of my theories. The aftermath of that theory, however, left me in shock. If anybody here watched Twilight: New Moon before reading the books and experienced the same level of shock that I did when Edward asked Bella to marry him just for the movie to end... yeah. That's how shocked I was by the end of Broken Souls and Bones. I'm talking jaw dropped, eyes practically bugging out of my head as my hand taps on my kindle in disbelief that it's the end. The identity of the villain completely blindsided me which was such an emotional rollercoaster to find myself on. I loved every single minute of this journey and I'm very excited to see where the plot will lead in the rest of the series. This book provided a lot of intrigue and build-up to the overarching plot, so I'm very excited to see it all come to fruition in the sequel.

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬:
Lyra Bien is a woman after my own heart who suddenly finds herself on a path of self-discovery after the majority of her life was spent living in lies and deceit. Suddenly the quiet life she'd relished in has been stolen from her by a kingdom that wishes to utilise the vast power in her veins regardless to whether she is willing or not... and Lyra will do whatever it takes to keep her loved ones safe. I absolutely adored Lyra's softness and quiet resolve that made her no less foreboding and powerful. Her strength manifested in subtler ways that was best suited to her personality and I really enjoyed getting to see her come into her power. I've always adored how author L.J. Andrews writes her heroines to be empowering as they are equally as fierce and powerful as their male counterparts. It's an equal give and taken which emboldens the women on their journey and it's refreshing to see them embracing their potential with the support of their close circle. Fear of her own potential was something that Lyra carries throughout the book and it was really rewarding to see her realise that she is the one in control of her power, and not the other way around. Her reluctance to do harm and compassionate nature made Lyra an easy character to fall in-love with and root for. Seeing her find her voice and an unlikely group of people to consider as not only allies, but also friends, was a wonderful development that I can see Lyra find herself in need of within the next book. She really comes into herself and flourishes as time within the story continues to progress and I adored seeing how her unwavering sense of love and loyalty comes back around in times of need. I really think we're going to get to explore a much darker side of Lyra's character in the second instalment of the series after that mind blowing ending... and I'm very excited to see where her journey will lead next as she delves deeper into her forgotten history.

Roark Ashwood was a character I knew I was destined to love from the very first moment we are introduced to his character. He has to be one of the most morally complex characters that I have ever read as I felt constantly in doubt of who his loyalties belonged to, which is saying something since Andrew's is already the creator of the iconic Erik Bloodsinger. His need to protect and brooding demeanour made him a difficult character to categorise and pin down per se... but I thoroughly enjoyed following Roark on his eventful journey from beginning to end. As a non-speaking character due to a previous injury that you learn more about as the storyline progresses, I found my experience with Roark to feel infinitely more emotional. Everything about Roark's words and the actions he took were done with purpose which made his development feel all that more impactful. His quietness progressed from frightening and intimidating into something soft and almost tender when surrounded by the few people that he loves. Roark's ability to command a presence and attain the respect of his peers was awe-inspiring and swiftly showed me upon introduction that he was a character to watch out for. I loved getting to know Roark more as his past began to unravel before his very eyes, and there was definitely some moments that left me audibly gasping with shock. The bonds he forged added much needed humanity to his character during the time we are meant to question his overall motives. I particularly adored his relationship with Thane as their bond was the perfect example that blood is not a requirement to make a family. Roark loves with intent and without abandon, and it was beyond thrilling to explore the unhinged lengths he would go in acts of defence of those loved ones. There is so much more of Roark Ashwood that we are yet to meet... and I'm going to be utterly feral in the wait for book two with my thoughts and theories on what will come next for his character.

𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭:
Broken Souls and Bones is a true enemies-to-lovers tale that had me giggling and kicking my feet from beginning to end. The romantic exploration between Lyra and Roark was a true slow-burn romance which I greatly appreciated as it provided the reader with the time to enjoy the progression from hate to love between two characters that logically should not fit, and yet in turn find themselves alongside their perfect match. The early attraction and yearning was written to absolute perfection as both characters battled with their inner emotional turmoil during a time when all they were determined to feel was animosity and rage. It makes the end goal all the more rewarding as we are taken on a tumultuous journey from beginning to end... and I truly think the romantic development between Lyra and Roark is my favourite to-date by this author. I adored how Lyra notably dedicated her time towards learning the language that Roark used with his hands so that she could better converse with him. It was such a beautiful moment to see Roark have that flare of recognition in his gaze and realise that he himself didn't need to work harder to be understood. His inability to verbally speak is viewed as a means of mockery and jest by those in a position of power and I hated that Roark was subjected to that behaviour. It helped make Lyra's keenness to learn how to seamlessly communicate with him all the more impactful, and I just adored her tentative progression with Roark as she began to understand that there was more to him than she initially taught to believe. Lyra and Roark took the time to truly know and understand each other as individuals which added a beautiful vulnerability to their relationship and aided in the believability of their romantic connection. The way they are willing to fight for the other left me constantly grinning in delight as there is nothing I love more than a bloodthirsty coupling. I'm very keen to see where their relationship will lead after the heart-wrenching ending of the book, and I’m choosing to have faith in the author’s regard for happily ever after because that ending makes me nervous.

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
Author L.J. Andrews is a literacy queen who can truly no wrong in my eyes. As my absolute favourite Romantasy author of all time I never once doubted that Broken Souls and Bones would be a story that I immediately loved and couldn’t wait to rave about. I adored that it held a familiarity to the author's work due to her compelling narrative voice whilst opening up my eyes to a new world and cast of characters that demanded to be explored. It's selfish of me to feel impatient for the second instalment in the Stonegate series considering I'm lucky enough to read this book five months before release... but I honestly can't help myself. I need to know what happens next, and I just know the second a preorder button becomes available I will be rushing to do so. This book is perfect for those who has been keen to read this author’s work whilst feeling intimidated by sheer vastness of world explored in her previous 12 books. Broken Souls and Bones offers a fresh slate to become familiar with her writing and hopefully fall in-love with it enough to go back and enjoy the Broken Kingdoms and The Ever Seas series.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲.

I loved it. Vikings are always a winner, and I enjoyed the mythology. I'd have liked maybe a pronunciation guide, because I can guarentee that I butchered all of the words/names.
The "enemies to lovers" was good. Not convinced they were real enemies to lovers, more a hatred based on miss-understandings as most seem to be. The plot twists were enjoyable, I did guess the Rourke one, but the Queen and old melder? Nope. Didn't see that coming.
I really enjoyed the magic system and the world building too, not too complex that it you spend half the book confused..
Would recommend !

This was brilliant! I enjoyed it so much.
The lore and world building are fascinating, I did have to pay attention so I could grasp everything but that is part of the genius.
Thane and Roark’s brotherly banter had me kicking my feet I just loved them.
I really appreciated the representation of sign language for communication. I haven’t seen this done for a main character before and it makes me feel so positive to know this will make people feel seen.
I will post reviews to retailers and social sites in due course.