What do you think?
Rate this book
Mistress of Bones #1
Mistress of Bones
"Like stepping into one of my favorite RPGs." - Susan Dennard, New York Times bestselling author of the Witchlands series
An epic, multi-POV debut fantasy perfect for fans of The Bone Shard Daughter and Six of Crows, where a necromancer trying to resurrect her sister gets embroiled in bigger, world-ending plans instead.
Necromancer Azul del Arroyo only wants one thing: to steal her sister back from Death by reclaiming her sister’s bones. But the Emissary of the Lord Death will do anything to stop her, no matter how alluring he finds her . . .
As their paths collide, they’re drawn into a deadly game of pawns and power with a count who begrudgingly works for a child king, a faceless witch who transforms the bones of gods into dreams she can peddle, and a long-lost half-brother with a secret of his own—and soon realize the fate of the lands is hanging in the balance.
For long ago the gods raised the continents, binding them with their own bones to keep humanity alive. But in an era when the gods’ sacrifice has been forgotten, Death might not be the only resentful god Azul must defy.
Swashbuckling, grand, and tragically romantic, Mistress of Bones is a can't-miss start to a duology about love, loss, and, of course, death.
An epic, multi-POV debut fantasy perfect for fans of The Bone Shard Daughter and Six of Crows, where a necromancer trying to resurrect her sister gets embroiled in bigger, world-ending plans instead.
Necromancer Azul del Arroyo only wants one thing: to steal her sister back from Death by reclaiming her sister’s bones. But the Emissary of the Lord Death will do anything to stop her, no matter how alluring he finds her . . .
As their paths collide, they’re drawn into a deadly game of pawns and power with a count who begrudgingly works for a child king, a faceless witch who transforms the bones of gods into dreams she can peddle, and a long-lost half-brother with a secret of his own—and soon realize the fate of the lands is hanging in the balance.
For long ago the gods raised the continents, binding them with their own bones to keep humanity alive. But in an era when the gods’ sacrifice has been forgotten, Death might not be the only resentful god Azul must defy.
Swashbuckling, grand, and tragically romantic, Mistress of Bones is a can't-miss start to a duology about love, loss, and, of course, death.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published August 5, 2025
65 people are currently reading
28801 people want to read
About the author
Maria Z. Medina
6 books123 followersBorn and raised in Spain, Maria Z. Medina loves everything speculative and fantasy. She is a writer and an avid MMORPG player who discovered the joy of making up stories at a young age, aided by her grandmother’s love for books and sci-fi/fantasy TV shows. Her short fiction has appeared in various fantasy and science-fiction publications.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 261 reviews
April 9, 2025
may god save me from books with interesting and promising premises but shitty executions in the future
August 8, 2025
A dark, bone-chilling fantasy with gorgeous ideas, but I struggled to connect
I wanted so badly to love this one — with necromancy, gods, a grieving sister, a deadly island, and magic systems steeped in death and sacrifice, Mistress of Bones had a setup that absolutely screamed my name. It promised epic stakes, lush worldbuilding, layered politics, and morally complex characters. And to its credit — it delivered on many of those fronts. The prose is atmospheric and haunting, the world imaginative and intriguing, and the themes around sisterhood, power, and defiance of divine forces were right up my alley.
But the execution left me feeling… adrift. The constant shifts in timelines and POVs pulled me out of the story more often than they pulled me in. I often found myself flipping back to figure out where I was, whose head I was in, and how it tied to the previous chapter. And for a character-driven reader like me, that made it difficult to build emotional investment — even in Azul’s compelling arc. I wanted to feel her desperation, to root for her fight against death itself. But with the structure jumping so rapidly, it was like trying to hug a ghost — beautiful, but never quite tangible.
Still, there were moments that glimmered. The bones-as-magic concept is original and haunting, and I truly appreciated the Spanish-inspired mythos. Characters like Azul, Nereida, and Enjul had the strongest emotional presence, and I’m hoping the sequel gives them even more room to grow. There's so much promise buried in these pages, and despite my disconnect this time around, I'm tempted to revisit the story once book two is out — maybe it’s the kind of duology that reveals its magic better in hindsight.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press / Wednesday Books for sharing this teen fantasy romance digital review copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
medium blog
instagram
facebook
twitter
I wanted so badly to love this one — with necromancy, gods, a grieving sister, a deadly island, and magic systems steeped in death and sacrifice, Mistress of Bones had a setup that absolutely screamed my name. It promised epic stakes, lush worldbuilding, layered politics, and morally complex characters. And to its credit — it delivered on many of those fronts. The prose is atmospheric and haunting, the world imaginative and intriguing, and the themes around sisterhood, power, and defiance of divine forces were right up my alley.
But the execution left me feeling… adrift. The constant shifts in timelines and POVs pulled me out of the story more often than they pulled me in. I often found myself flipping back to figure out where I was, whose head I was in, and how it tied to the previous chapter. And for a character-driven reader like me, that made it difficult to build emotional investment — even in Azul’s compelling arc. I wanted to feel her desperation, to root for her fight against death itself. But with the structure jumping so rapidly, it was like trying to hug a ghost — beautiful, but never quite tangible.
Still, there were moments that glimmered. The bones-as-magic concept is original and haunting, and I truly appreciated the Spanish-inspired mythos. Characters like Azul, Nereida, and Enjul had the strongest emotional presence, and I’m hoping the sequel gives them even more room to grow. There's so much promise buried in these pages, and despite my disconnect this time around, I'm tempted to revisit the story once book two is out — maybe it’s the kind of duology that reveals its magic better in hindsight.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press / Wednesday Books for sharing this teen fantasy romance digital review copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
medium blog
Want to read
February 13, 2025a necromancer trying to resurrect her sister gets embroiled in bigger, world-ending plans instead...
October 23, 2024
This book is freaking amazing. Fragments of characters and timeline are put together to create a collective whole, and it is such a unique way to tell a story that works out incredibly well.
Plus, it has a romance between a necromancer and an emissary of death, which was unhinged and brilliant and made my brain want to explode. It's so amazingly good.
Plus, it has a romance between a necromancer and an emissary of death, which was unhinged and brilliant and made my brain want to explode. It's so amazingly good.
February 22, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and authors for this ARC. Sadly, this is a DNF for me at 56%. I have to call it quits.
The description for this reminded me of one of my favourite reads so I couldn’t pass it up.
I was left feeling rather underwhelmed by this read. I think the beginning of this book wasn’t gripping enough, especially considering the promise the premise held. I kept putting the book down to scroll on my phone - which is never a good sign for me. It missed the mark on the emotional aspect of it all.
The thing I struggled with the most was the back & forth between past & present. Especially the multiple ; days earlier chapters. I think it would’ve been easier to demonstrate relationships before everything unraveled. This would’ve built the emotional attachment to characters as well as hit the mark surrounding the aspect of deaths. I think that when someone dies right at the beginning of the book, it doesn’t serve to try to convince the readers to be sad about it afterwards.
I wasn’t fond of the main characters. Azul was 19 but acted like a 13yo. I liked Nereida and the secrecy surrounding her character but we didn’t see her enough. I think this book also had too many POVs and that didn’t work well to fluff the characters personalities. Especially since the beginning wasn’t strong enough to carry this many POVs. Even with the multiple back & forth chapters - I found it hard to root for the main FMC. I didn’t feel any attachment to these characters and this made the plot kind of unappealing to me.
I wish I had enjoyed this more than I did, but reading is subjective and I hope others enjoy this book.
The description for this reminded me of one of my favourite reads so I couldn’t pass it up.
I was left feeling rather underwhelmed by this read. I think the beginning of this book wasn’t gripping enough, especially considering the promise the premise held. I kept putting the book down to scroll on my phone - which is never a good sign for me. It missed the mark on the emotional aspect of it all.
The thing I struggled with the most was the back & forth between past & present. Especially the multiple ; days earlier chapters. I think it would’ve been easier to demonstrate relationships before everything unraveled. This would’ve built the emotional attachment to characters as well as hit the mark surrounding the aspect of deaths. I think that when someone dies right at the beginning of the book, it doesn’t serve to try to convince the readers to be sad about it afterwards.
I wasn’t fond of the main characters. Azul was 19 but acted like a 13yo. I liked Nereida and the secrecy surrounding her character but we didn’t see her enough. I think this book also had too many POVs and that didn’t work well to fluff the characters personalities. Especially since the beginning wasn’t strong enough to carry this many POVs. Even with the multiple back & forth chapters - I found it hard to root for the main FMC. I didn’t feel any attachment to these characters and this made the plot kind of unappealing to me.
I wish I had enjoyed this more than I did, but reading is subjective and I hope others enjoy this book.
July 25, 2025
I absolutely loved this book’s concept, its characters and story. The prose was lush and beautiful. But the multiple timeline and POV shifts made it really hard to follow the story. I felt confused for nearly the whole book and I’m actually still a little confused, if I’m being honest.
I think this would be a great book for those that enjoy being a little confused, and don’t mind a nonlinear timeline.
I will say that even though this book didn’t really work for me, I’m still very interested in trying other books by this author in the future.
Audio Narration: 4.5/5 Really great performance! Not too slow at 1.0x and the pacing is consistent! Pausing is a little extended which can be a little frustrating, especially if you’re trying to speed it up. Inflection is fabulous and I really enjoyed the character voice variations!
3.25⭐️| TikTok | IG |
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press/Wednesday Books for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
I think this would be a great book for those that enjoy being a little confused, and don’t mind a nonlinear timeline.
I will say that even though this book didn’t really work for me, I’m still very interested in trying other books by this author in the future.
Audio Narration: 4.5/5 Really great performance! Not too slow at 1.0x and the pacing is consistent! Pausing is a little extended which can be a little frustrating, especially if you’re trying to speed it up. Inflection is fabulous and I really enjoyed the character voice variations!
3.25⭐️| TikTok | IG |
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press/Wednesday Books for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
August 5, 2025
⭐️ 2 stars ⭐️
A big thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Expected Publication Date: August 5th, 2025
I wanted to like this one, I really did, but I couldn’t connect with the plot at all. The concept is great: necromancy, gods, using bones to bring people back to life? It’s all right up my alley, but the execution is disappointing. I even found myself skimming after a couple chapters. The lore dumping at the beginning, the amount of characters introduced (with no apparent reason to consume space on the page), the POV and timeline jumps… this book is messy to say the least and it made it impossible to actually understand and appreciate the world-building, politics, and characters. I feel like I read the bare-bones (pun intended lol) version of an epic fantasy novel. With a bit of fine-tuning - a more concise timeline, more focus on developing the actually important characters, and more organization - Mistress of Bones could be fantastic.
also a little nitpicky, but why do blurbs bait readers with popular books like Six of Crows when the book is in no way similar to Six of Crows?
A big thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Expected Publication Date: August 5th, 2025
I wanted to like this one, I really did, but I couldn’t connect with the plot at all. The concept is great: necromancy, gods, using bones to bring people back to life? It’s all right up my alley, but the execution is disappointing. I even found myself skimming after a couple chapters. The lore dumping at the beginning, the amount of characters introduced (with no apparent reason to consume space on the page), the POV and timeline jumps… this book is messy to say the least and it made it impossible to actually understand and appreciate the world-building, politics, and characters. I feel like I read the bare-bones (pun intended lol) version of an epic fantasy novel. With a bit of fine-tuning - a more concise timeline, more focus on developing the actually important characters, and more organization - Mistress of Bones could be fantastic.
also a little nitpicky, but why do blurbs bait readers with popular books like Six of Crows when the book is in no way similar to Six of Crows?
February 7, 2025
☆ Fun Factor 3/5
☆ Writing Style 3/5
☆ Characters 4/5
☆ Plot 4/5
☆ Setting 3/5
☆ Feels 4/5 (OWWW YOU GOT ME)
☆ Spiciness 0/5 (there is maybe one kiss scene if you squint)
☆FOR FANS OF: Leigh Bardugo'sThe Familiar and Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Gods of Jade and Shadow
Ultimate verdict ☆☆☆☆/5
☆☆☆Best Character Award goes to:☆☆☆ Virel Enjul is my exact type of character, tailored personally to my weaknesses
Review: Sometimes Dead is Better
Atmospheric, gloriously dark and deep, and beautifully tragic characters coupled with an interesting magic system that hinges on collecting a bone from the person our necromancer Azul wants to revive equals a book I read in one sitting over the course of an evening. It was REALLY good and not at all what I was expecting from the tags.
We have Azul who can revive the dead with a bone, some dirt, and a piece of her soul who wants nothing more than to bring her dead sister back. And then in the opposite corner we have Virel Enjul, enigmatic Emissary of the Lord Death who loves his god and HATES that Azul defies death through her magic.
You see, it's marketed as a Romantasy and it's really just not; while the two leads have chemistry through their ideological differences and bickering, it never culminates in a true romance. They bicker they banter, in fact the best parts of the entire book was their dialogues with each other. And when THAT moment happened, I was utterly gutted and had to walk away. But there's none of the Romantasy tropes here; no sex, no handholding, no I love you's, no nothin' so if you picked this up because you WANTED a hot romance between a necromancer and a servant of a death god, keep walking. HOWEVER, their banter is so enjoyable and made me think about who's "side" I was on in this. Their gradual change from enemies to reluctant allies was a real treat. This is a GREAT fantasy book, not really a romance like. At all.
There were quite a few really good OH SNAP moments that made me have to lean forward in my reading chair, many good twists and turns that kept me interested. The ending sets up for room for a sequel if the author wants it and I liked this one enough that I would definitely read more. For a debut novel, this was especially excellent and I look forward to more from this author in the future, she's really creative.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this early copy in exchange for an honest review!
☆ Writing Style 3/5
☆ Characters 4/5
☆ Plot 4/5
☆ Setting 3/5
☆ Feels 4/5 (OWWW YOU GOT ME)
☆ Spiciness 0/5 (there is maybe one kiss scene if you squint)
☆FOR FANS OF: Leigh Bardugo'sThe Familiar and Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Gods of Jade and Shadow
Ultimate verdict ☆☆☆☆/5
☆☆☆Best Character Award goes to:☆☆☆ Virel Enjul is my exact type of character, tailored personally to my weaknesses
Review: Sometimes Dead is Better
Atmospheric, gloriously dark and deep, and beautifully tragic characters coupled with an interesting magic system that hinges on collecting a bone from the person our necromancer Azul wants to revive equals a book I read in one sitting over the course of an evening. It was REALLY good and not at all what I was expecting from the tags.
We have Azul who can revive the dead with a bone, some dirt, and a piece of her soul who wants nothing more than to bring her dead sister back. And then in the opposite corner we have Virel Enjul, enigmatic Emissary of the Lord Death who loves his god and HATES that Azul defies death through her magic.
You see, it's marketed as a Romantasy and it's really just not; while the two leads have chemistry through their ideological differences and bickering, it never culminates in a true romance. They bicker they banter, in fact the best parts of the entire book was their dialogues with each other. And when THAT moment happened, I was utterly gutted and had to walk away. But there's none of the Romantasy tropes here; no sex, no handholding, no I love you's, no nothin' so if you picked this up because you WANTED a hot romance between a necromancer and a servant of a death god, keep walking. HOWEVER, their banter is so enjoyable and made me think about who's "side" I was on in this. Their gradual change from enemies to reluctant allies was a real treat. This is a GREAT fantasy book, not really a romance like. At all.
There were quite a few really good OH SNAP moments that made me have to lean forward in my reading chair, many good twists and turns that kept me interested. The ending sets up for room for a sequel if the author wants it and I liked this one enough that I would definitely read more. For a debut novel, this was especially excellent and I look forward to more from this author in the future, she's really creative.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this early copy in exchange for an honest review!
February 21, 2025
A rich, unique world with a massive cast of great characters. Gothic Fantasy with a capital F—at so many points this felt like adult high fantasy rather than romantasy. A necromancer trying to bring back her sister gets co-opted into court politics while being hunted by a servant of Death. This is advertised as a swashbuckler and you know what? It really is, and good. I felt like I was watching a Three Musketeers movie but with resurrection.
It’s kind of shocking this book does so much so well. It has the opposite problem every other YA novel on offer these days has, where this story is actually adults, acting like adults, dealing with adult problems in adult ways. So refreshing. The wide cast is both a strength and a weakness: the world has so much life and the side characters are given so much due, and sometimes this pulls attention away from the main plot/couple in ways that aren’t technically wrong but do stall the action a bit. That and the flashbacks (god, the flashbacks) can make this a challenge to follow at times.
But mostly this is nitpicking. So little is technically wrong with this story that it makes the parts it handles with less grace more frustrating. Amazing world, great prose, and so many interesting characters. Read it for the swashbuckling and the bizarre world; stay for the plot twists, which actually floored me.
(Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.)
It’s kind of shocking this book does so much so well. It has the opposite problem every other YA novel on offer these days has, where this story is actually adults, acting like adults, dealing with adult problems in adult ways. So refreshing. The wide cast is both a strength and a weakness: the world has so much life and the side characters are given so much due, and sometimes this pulls attention away from the main plot/couple in ways that aren’t technically wrong but do stall the action a bit. That and the flashbacks (god, the flashbacks) can make this a challenge to follow at times.
But mostly this is nitpicking. So little is technically wrong with this story that it makes the parts it handles with less grace more frustrating. Amazing world, great prose, and so many interesting characters. Read it for the swashbuckling and the bizarre world; stay for the plot twists, which actually floored me.
(Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.)
March 23, 2025
Mistress of Bones, which will be available on August 5, 2025 is a novel with a good cast of characters, all of whom have been well developed. Likewise, the world building is also well done.
The ways societies honor and approach their gods and goddesses is a main theme in the novel. Questions regarding the relevance of gods; do the gods listen to us, watch us or hear us are questions raised throughout the book. As is the question of how powerful are the gods over peoples every day lives.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to author Miriam Medina, Wednesday Books publisher and Goodreads for this opportunity.
The deal between Azul and Nereida De Guzman gets lost to the relationship between Azul and Virel Enjul, Emissary of the Lord Death.
Likewise, the role of Emire De Anvi in the storyline is also lost. It takes a very long time to understand what De Anvi's story has to do with the overall tale. It is at the halfway point in the novel that the Nereida and De Anvi plots start to become more clear.
The ending leaves many questions to be answered. I hope there will be a sequel.
The ways societies honor and approach their gods and goddesses is a main theme in the novel. Questions regarding the relevance of gods; do the gods listen to us, watch us or hear us are questions raised throughout the book. As is the question of how powerful are the gods over peoples every day lives.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to author Miriam Medina, Wednesday Books publisher and Goodreads for this opportunity.
The deal between Azul and Nereida De Guzman gets lost to the relationship between Azul and Virel Enjul, Emissary of the Lord Death.
Likewise, the role of Emire De Anvi in the storyline is also lost. It takes a very long time to understand what De Anvi's story has to do with the overall tale. It is at the halfway point in the novel that the Nereida and De Anvi plots start to become more clear.
The ending leaves many questions to be answered. I hope there will be a sequel.
August 15, 2025
Mistress of Bones was an entertaining story about Azul's quest to get her sister back in a world where the gods had influence but are now gone, their bones holding up the continents and stopping humanity from falling into the void. In terms of world building, I thought this book had a very interesting premise - floating continents, dead gods, and a necromancer trying to save her sister. In Mistress of Bones, Azul brings her sister back to life when they're younger, using a power she keeps hidden, just to lose her once again and have to try to find a way return her to life for a second time. Unfortunately for Azul, this happens while they're traveling to the Lord Death's continent. Here her gift is particularly reviled and she ends up attracting the unwanted attention of an Emissary of the Lord Death who is now doing his best to prevent what he sees as a perversion of his god's will should Azul be successful.
I enjoyed our leading cast of characters. Azul could be impulsive at times and didn't always make the best decisions with the information that she had, but she was admittedly young and hadn't gone out of her way to engage with people other than her sister for most of her life. She was foolhardy and driven, not afraid of doing whatever was needed to reunite with her sister. Virel Enjul, the Emissary of the Lord Death, was also an interesting character. He was imperfect while trying to maintain the illusion of total control, and his surety in the Lord Death's plans created an interesting push and pull between him and Azul. Their attempts to see eye to eye despite having wildly contrasting views on the gods, death, and the value of life was something I enjoyed a lot.
One character I took a long time to warm up to was Nereida De Guzman. She maintained her own council for almost the entirity of the book, not giving up information on her motivations or plans until nearly the end of the novel. She is a character I'm not sure if I like, but anticipate will play a larger role in subsequent books now that she's been more fleshed out. I look forward to seeing where her story goes from here.
Finally, the area where I felt this book fell a bit short was in the initial establishment of the world. We got a lot of information right away at the beginning of the book, but until the characters were moving through the world and interacting with people, it was hard to put the information we had into context and truly grasp the larger themes of the setting that were in play. I had a hard time putting together many of the locations and understanding the scope of the world and its politics until later in the book than I would have liked. It gave me a similar feeling to the couple of instances where I accidentally jumped into the second book of a series rather than starting with book one. As an avid fantasy reader, I'm used to the world building that has to happen to give a story room to take place, but this one gave me a run for my money for the first chunk of the novel. I got there, and I still really enjoyed the world Medina built, but I wish we had eased in a little bit more and accumulated some of that initial world building information more gradually.
Would I recommend this book? Yes
Will I read the other half of this planned duology? Yes
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing Group for the chance to read and review this story!
I enjoyed our leading cast of characters. Azul could be impulsive at times and didn't always make the best decisions with the information that she had, but she was admittedly young and hadn't gone out of her way to engage with people other than her sister for most of her life. She was foolhardy and driven, not afraid of doing whatever was needed to reunite with her sister. Virel Enjul, the Emissary of the Lord Death, was also an interesting character. He was imperfect while trying to maintain the illusion of total control, and his surety in the Lord Death's plans created an interesting push and pull between him and Azul. Their attempts to see eye to eye despite having wildly contrasting views on the gods, death, and the value of life was something I enjoyed a lot.
One character I took a long time to warm up to was Nereida De Guzman. She maintained her own council for almost the entirity of the book, not giving up information on her motivations or plans until nearly the end of the novel. She is a character I'm not sure if I like, but anticipate will play a larger role in subsequent books now that she's been more fleshed out. I look forward to seeing where her story goes from here.
Finally, the area where I felt this book fell a bit short was in the initial establishment of the world. We got a lot of information right away at the beginning of the book, but until the characters were moving through the world and interacting with people, it was hard to put the information we had into context and truly grasp the larger themes of the setting that were in play. I had a hard time putting together many of the locations and understanding the scope of the world and its politics until later in the book than I would have liked. It gave me a similar feeling to the couple of instances where I accidentally jumped into the second book of a series rather than starting with book one. As an avid fantasy reader, I'm used to the world building that has to happen to give a story room to take place, but this one gave me a run for my money for the first chunk of the novel. I got there, and I still really enjoyed the world Medina built, but I wish we had eased in a little bit more and accumulated some of that initial world building information more gradually.
Would I recommend this book? Yes
Will I read the other half of this planned duology? Yes
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing Group for the chance to read and review this story!
July 24, 2025
A necromancer determined to raise her sister gets caught up in political dealings and intrigue.
Audiobook Stats:
⏰: 11 hours 48 minutes
🎤: Ana Osorio
Publisher: Macmillan Young Listeners
Format: Multi POV/Timeline
I found the narrator to be clear and concise in her narration. I never had to adjust my speed and was able to listen within my typical range.
Themes:
🦴: Rebellion
🦴: A sisters love
Representation:
🃏: Spanish Mythology
Tropes:
💗: Enemies to Allies
💗: Necromancy
💗: Swashbuckling action
🥵: Spice: 🚫
Potential Triggers: domestic violence **check authors page/socials for full list.
Short Synopsis:
Azul wants nothing more than to keep her gift as a necromancer a secret and to raise her sister from the dead. A second time. But she can't seem to reach the bones that she needs to do so. And every attempt to reach them is interrupted by other people's motivations and political aspirations.
General Thoughts:
This is a book that had an absolutely stunning premise and idea, but felt just a little short for me on execution. The multiple timelines were super jumbling for me. We jump from anywhere to today, before or after the present timeline, to anywhere within 45 minutes of the present timeline. There was just too many variations in the timelines for me to get a solid footing on the story. I found myself spending most of my time trying to keep the timeline straight versus enjoying what was happening.
I really enjoyed the characters. They felt very solid and like people I could easily root for or against. I really liked what was happening with all the different characters and none of them felt boring to me. The characters and the storyline, which was also super interesting, are what kept me reading this book through the duration.
I honestly feel like if I read the second book coming out in the duology that I will have to reread this first book. Due to the jumbling timelines and how disconnected everything felt I know I missed a lot of plot points. This might be the type of book that for me is more impactful upon a second read. The storyline and characters were good enough for me to maybe do that in the future.
Overall, a super exciting storyline because I love necromancer stories. I felt like the interpersonal relationship to between the characters were extremely interesting and clouded in mystery. I felt like some of the motivations were definitely interesting and also shrouded in mystery and I would love to see where those end up. But the jumbling timelines and the disjointed way the book was written really impacted my enjoyment overall.
Disclaimer: I read this audiobook via free ALC through NetGalley and Macmillan Audio. All opinions are my own. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Audiobook Stats:
⏰: 11 hours 48 minutes
🎤: Ana Osorio
Publisher: Macmillan Young Listeners
Format: Multi POV/Timeline
I found the narrator to be clear and concise in her narration. I never had to adjust my speed and was able to listen within my typical range.
Themes:
🦴: Rebellion
🦴: A sisters love
Representation:
🃏: Spanish Mythology
Tropes:
💗: Enemies to Allies
💗: Necromancy
💗: Swashbuckling action
🥵: Spice: 🚫
Potential Triggers: domestic violence **check authors page/socials for full list.
Short Synopsis:
Azul wants nothing more than to keep her gift as a necromancer a secret and to raise her sister from the dead. A second time. But she can't seem to reach the bones that she needs to do so. And every attempt to reach them is interrupted by other people's motivations and political aspirations.
General Thoughts:
This is a book that had an absolutely stunning premise and idea, but felt just a little short for me on execution. The multiple timelines were super jumbling for me. We jump from anywhere to today, before or after the present timeline, to anywhere within 45 minutes of the present timeline. There was just too many variations in the timelines for me to get a solid footing on the story. I found myself spending most of my time trying to keep the timeline straight versus enjoying what was happening.
I really enjoyed the characters. They felt very solid and like people I could easily root for or against. I really liked what was happening with all the different characters and none of them felt boring to me. The characters and the storyline, which was also super interesting, are what kept me reading this book through the duration.
I honestly feel like if I read the second book coming out in the duology that I will have to reread this first book. Due to the jumbling timelines and how disconnected everything felt I know I missed a lot of plot points. This might be the type of book that for me is more impactful upon a second read. The storyline and characters were good enough for me to maybe do that in the future.
Overall, a super exciting storyline because I love necromancer stories. I felt like the interpersonal relationship to between the characters were extremely interesting and clouded in mystery. I felt like some of the motivations were definitely interesting and also shrouded in mystery and I would love to see where those end up. But the jumbling timelines and the disjointed way the book was written really impacted my enjoyment overall.
Disclaimer: I read this audiobook via free ALC through NetGalley and Macmillan Audio. All opinions are my own. This is my honest and voluntary review.
April 4, 2025
This was an amazing read, I loved the world and the character and the plots, and I need for this to be a series!
July 8, 2025
despite a delightful premise and stunning world building, the execution of this story didn’t land where i was hoping for it to go.
first, let’s understand this is NOT a romantasy, ya or otherwise. this is plot driven fantasy, which i adore, but was misrepresented by the classification of this book. there are three potential love stories in this book and not one single one ends up with a kiss. and i love a good slow burn. there’s zero tension. zero passion. zero longing. noticing some beautiful eyes or a brilliant mind is NOT equal to falling in love.
i was immediately drawn in by the concept of this book. the worlds built on the bones of their gods, the conflicting world views and religions, political intrigue and deaths … it was all an excellent start. however, it was derailed quite quickly by an enormous cast, several of whom made no emotional or story impact whatsoever. i LOVED the narrator, however names were so similar in pronunciation it was often difficult to recall who people were (this i assume would be rectified by a visual of the names) and how they fit in to the story. i went an entire chapter thinking someone was a brand new character only to realize they’d been introduced chapters earlier. the constant bouncing back and forth in the timeline added to the layered confusion and, at the finale of the book, i still do not understand what exactly it was about. which is so unfortunate because i wanted to adore it.
to wrap up, i think this book has good bones (haha) but needs more time with a developmental editor to polish up plots and storylines. i’m intrigued enough to read a sequel, but it definitely won’t be a priority book.
first, let’s understand this is NOT a romantasy, ya or otherwise. this is plot driven fantasy, which i adore, but was misrepresented by the classification of this book. there are three potential love stories in this book and not one single one ends up with a kiss. and i love a good slow burn. there’s zero tension. zero passion. zero longing. noticing some beautiful eyes or a brilliant mind is NOT equal to falling in love.
i was immediately drawn in by the concept of this book. the worlds built on the bones of their gods, the conflicting world views and religions, political intrigue and deaths … it was all an excellent start. however, it was derailed quite quickly by an enormous cast, several of whom made no emotional or story impact whatsoever. i LOVED the narrator, however names were so similar in pronunciation it was often difficult to recall who people were (this i assume would be rectified by a visual of the names) and how they fit in to the story. i went an entire chapter thinking someone was a brand new character only to realize they’d been introduced chapters earlier. the constant bouncing back and forth in the timeline added to the layered confusion and, at the finale of the book, i still do not understand what exactly it was about. which is so unfortunate because i wanted to adore it.
to wrap up, i think this book has good bones (haha) but needs more time with a developmental editor to polish up plots and storylines. i’m intrigued enough to read a sequel, but it definitely won’t be a priority book.
August 7, 2025
If you like fast-paced intrigue YA fantasy with unique worldbuilding and not focused on a central romance, you might like this book. It's not perfect, but imo it's better than the current rating suggests.
Original review below:
First things first: the cover lied to me. This is not a romantasy.
This is a multi-pov, multi-plot fantasy with around 4 secondary characters whose plots intertwine with our protagonist, Azul, so around 5 main-ish characters total and another 5 or so important side characters. The narration is in 3rd person and at some points veers into omniscient by showing what someone else than the pov character thinks, or by foreshadowing future events. There are numerous flashbacks interspersed in the story. There are 3 romantic sub-plots, but 2 of them are very minuscule and even the one that isn't, feels subdued and secondary to the plot and other motivations of the characters.
Okay, with this out of the way, I know the author doesn't control the cover design, so let's judge the book for what it is and not what I expected it to be.
Pluses:
Creative worldbuilding. We have world built upon bones of the gods, interesting religion system, characters with mysterious powers (often themed after the gods, i.e. Death, Life, Dreams), cultural differences between different lands, and a general "swashbuckling" vibe, i.e. pistol & rapier era.
In the sea of paint-by-numbers, run-of-the-mill YA this was refreshing, surprising, unpredictable. It wasn't just following a storytelling beat sheet or crafting a plot like a theme park ride / obstacle course. I commend the author for being bold, taking risks both with structure and with reveals & plot twists. A lot of the time I couldn't predict where the story will turn next.
Characters with strong convictions. Many characters were either motivated by wanting to protect / save their family members, or by their religious and political convictions. They weren't always "right" and some of their goals could be selfish or misguided, but they pursued their goals relentlessly. I often get annoyed if the characters have some "pressing plot goal" but conveniently forget about it to socialize, explore or get entangled in a romance.
Minuses:
This story is cramped, rushed. For a 320-page ARC I've got more plot and side characters than I've seen in some 600-page books. I wonder did the author wish to write a trilogy but didn't get a green light from the publisher? Was there pressure to reduce wordcount?
We're often jumping from plotline to plotline, from present to past, from pov to pov. This makes it hard to follow, and even harder to get connected emotionally to the parade of different characters.
For a big part of the story we also don't know what are the side plots even about. What kind of favour will Nereida ask of Azul? Who is the Faceless Witch and what does she want? Who is De Anvi and what was his role in all the political intrigue? What is Enjul's end goal? Things get a bit clearer as the story progresses, but a lot of things are left in the dark - hopefully explained and wrapped up in a sequel (this is a duology supposedly).
There's a big reveal at around 60% to the reader, but not to the mc, Azul. I thought it would have been more impactful if we learned the truth alongside the protagonist. Like this, it undercut the mystery significantly.
Tying to this, I had no emotional connection to the majority of the cast. Romantic scenes felt perfunctory. Scenes full of danger or tragedy left no impact on me, even though I commonly cry reading dramatic or emotional moments in books. It all felt lacking emotional depth. All the characters' motivations made logical sense, but I didn't FEEL their anguish alongside them. I could somehow feel Azul's obsession about Isadora, but everything else fell flat for me.
Azul herself, despite being 19, behaved in a way as if she was completely oblivious to fairly obvious consequences of her actions. I don't mind when YA protagonists are lacking foresight and self-awareness because this is often a trait of the young, I'd take that any day over a character who's inconsistent, i.e. sometimes acts smart and then randomly catches an "idiot ball" just to have the plot rolling or gets "distracted by a hot person". But be warned if you have allergy to "immature" characters in YA, Azul reads very stubborn and yolo sometimes.
Also while I usually dislike characters forgetting their goals due to romance,
In the end, I think this deserves a solid 4 star. It was engaging but not impactful. Still worth more imo than the 3.5 average it sports now. 3.5 to me is when I struggle to finish.
I would recommend this title for readers of plot-driven YA fantasy, readers interested in multi-pov braided plot stories with more distant narration, people who love unique worldbuilding, fans of swashbuckling vibes, and those who seek YA fantasy with less romance focus in them.
Thank you Netgalley & Wednesday Books for the ARC!
Original review below:
First things first: the cover lied to me. This is not a romantasy.
This is a multi-pov, multi-plot fantasy with around 4 secondary characters whose plots intertwine with our protagonist, Azul, so around 5 main-ish characters total and another 5 or so important side characters. The narration is in 3rd person and at some points veers into omniscient by showing what someone else than the pov character thinks, or by foreshadowing future events. There are numerous flashbacks interspersed in the story. There are 3 romantic sub-plots, but 2 of them are very minuscule and even the one that isn't, feels subdued and secondary to the plot and other motivations of the characters.
Okay, with this out of the way, I know the author doesn't control the cover design, so let's judge the book for what it is and not what I expected it to be.
Pluses:
Creative worldbuilding. We have world built upon bones of the gods, interesting religion system, characters with mysterious powers (often themed after the gods, i.e. Death, Life, Dreams), cultural differences between different lands, and a general "swashbuckling" vibe, i.e. pistol & rapier era.
In the sea of paint-by-numbers, run-of-the-mill YA this was refreshing, surprising, unpredictable. It wasn't just following a storytelling beat sheet or crafting a plot like a theme park ride / obstacle course. I commend the author for being bold, taking risks both with structure and with reveals & plot twists. A lot of the time I couldn't predict where the story will turn next.
Characters with strong convictions. Many characters were either motivated by wanting to protect / save their family members, or by their religious and political convictions. They weren't always "right" and some of their goals could be selfish or misguided, but they pursued their goals relentlessly. I often get annoyed if the characters have some "pressing plot goal" but conveniently forget about it to socialize, explore or get entangled in a romance.
Minuses:
This story is cramped, rushed. For a 320-page ARC I've got more plot and side characters than I've seen in some 600-page books. I wonder did the author wish to write a trilogy but didn't get a green light from the publisher? Was there pressure to reduce wordcount?
We're often jumping from plotline to plotline, from present to past, from pov to pov. This makes it hard to follow, and even harder to get connected emotionally to the parade of different characters.
For a big part of the story we also don't know what are the side plots even about. What kind of favour will Nereida ask of Azul? Who is the Faceless Witch and what does she want? Who is De Anvi and what was his role in all the political intrigue? What is Enjul's end goal? Things get a bit clearer as the story progresses, but a lot of things are left in the dark - hopefully explained and wrapped up in a sequel (this is a duology supposedly).
There's a big reveal at around 60% to the reader, but not to the mc, Azul. I thought it would have been more impactful if we learned the truth alongside the protagonist. Like this, it undercut the mystery significantly.
Tying to this, I had no emotional connection to the majority of the cast. Romantic scenes felt perfunctory. Scenes full of danger or tragedy left no impact on me, even though I commonly cry reading dramatic or emotional moments in books. It all felt lacking emotional depth. All the characters' motivations made logical sense, but I didn't FEEL their anguish alongside them. I could somehow feel Azul's obsession about Isadora, but everything else fell flat for me.
Azul herself, despite being 19, behaved in a way as if she was completely oblivious to fairly obvious consequences of her actions. I don't mind when YA protagonists are lacking foresight and self-awareness because this is often a trait of the young, I'd take that any day over a character who's inconsistent, i.e. sometimes acts smart and then randomly catches an "idiot ball" just to have the plot rolling or gets "distracted by a hot person". But be warned if you have allergy to "immature" characters in YA, Azul reads very stubborn and yolo sometimes.
Also while I usually dislike characters forgetting their goals due to romance,
In the end, I think this deserves a solid 4 star. It was engaging but not impactful. Still worth more imo than the 3.5 average it sports now. 3.5 to me is when I struggle to finish.
I would recommend this title for readers of plot-driven YA fantasy, readers interested in multi-pov braided plot stories with more distant narration, people who love unique worldbuilding, fans of swashbuckling vibes, and those who seek YA fantasy with less romance focus in them.
Thank you Netgalley & Wednesday Books for the ARC!
March 16, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed the character development, world-building, and multiple point of views in a shifting time frame. I found the latter easy to follow and plot-propelling--it was especially interesting to read the same scenes from another character's point of view, glimpsing his/her thoughts without hindrance.
In terms of world-building, this novel was rich with religious politics and the conflicts that typically follow differing points of views. Namely, this unfolded in the tension between Azul and Enjul, as the former took on a more liberal idealogy of death while the latter was considered more traditional. There were also cultural differences grounding the main characters' opposing sentiments and how refreshing to read real-world dramas through a fantastical lens.
Azul and Enjul's dynamic was often described in "cat and mouse" terms; however, I think this was a bit of an embellishment, considering Enjul, being an emissary of Death, knew all along that Azul would never achieve her clandestine goal of locating her sister's bones and resurrecting her. The real conflict of note for me was figuring out the identity and motivations behind the second necromancer. That being said, though, I loved the snippy dialogue between Azul and Enjul. It read very realistically and cleanly for me. I only wish they had more time to explore the obvious romantic tension that existed between them from the moment they first met.
In terms of world-building, this novel was rich with religious politics and the conflicts that typically follow differing points of views. Namely, this unfolded in the tension between Azul and Enjul, as the former took on a more liberal idealogy of death while the latter was considered more traditional. There were also cultural differences grounding the main characters' opposing sentiments and how refreshing to read real-world dramas through a fantastical lens.
Azul and Enjul's dynamic was often described in "cat and mouse" terms; however, I think this was a bit of an embellishment, considering Enjul, being an emissary of Death, knew all along that Azul would never achieve her clandestine goal of locating her sister's bones and resurrecting her. The real conflict of note for me was figuring out the identity and motivations behind the second necromancer. That being said, though, I loved the snippy dialogue between Azul and Enjul. It read very realistically and cleanly for me. I only wish they had more time to explore the obvious romantic tension that existed between them from the moment they first met.
June 5, 2025
Necromancer Azul del Arroyo only wants one thing: to steal her sister back from Death by reclaiming her sister’s bones. But the Emissary of the Lord Death will do anything to stop her—no matter how alluring he finds her…
I wanted to love this book. The premise is so unique and full of promise—necromancy, sisterly devotion, a mysterious emissary of Death? Yes, please! The world-building was solid, and I genuinely liked the characters. But despite all that, I had a hard time staying engaged with the story.
I listened to the audiobook while reading (which usually helps me stay focused), but I still found myself struggling to get through it. There were definitely moments I enjoyed, and elements that stood out, but overall, it just didn’t quite click for me. The audiobook was well done and the narrator’s did a good job.
Not a bad book by any means—just one that didn’t fully capture me the way I’d hoped. Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.
I wanted to love this book. The premise is so unique and full of promise—necromancy, sisterly devotion, a mysterious emissary of Death? Yes, please! The world-building was solid, and I genuinely liked the characters. But despite all that, I had a hard time staying engaged with the story.
I listened to the audiobook while reading (which usually helps me stay focused), but I still found myself struggling to get through it. There were definitely moments I enjoyed, and elements that stood out, but overall, it just didn’t quite click for me. The audiobook was well done and the narrator’s did a good job.
Not a bad book by any means—just one that didn’t fully capture me the way I’d hoped. Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.
June 29, 2025
I absolutely loved this book! Reading Mistress of Bones felt like peeling the layers off of a delicious fruit with every new reveal more tantalizing than the last. By the end of the story, I couldn’t believe I would have to wait at least a year to know how things would end. The other highlights for me in Mistress of Bones were the sisterly bond between Azul and Isadora, which was central to the story even though we don’t see much of Isadora, as well as the game of cat and mouse between Azul and Virul. The underlying romantic tension between Azul and Virul was phenomenal and I loved the pieces of world building we got in this book. It reminded me a bit of Tara Sim’s The Dark Gods so if you enjoyed that you will likely enjoy this book
Thank you to Wednesday Books for sending me an eARC in exchange for my honest review
Thank you to Wednesday Books for sending me an eARC in exchange for my honest review
April 11, 2025
Excellently written, I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this or not. The plot is a good balance that keeps readers engrossed from beginning to end. The narrative pulls you in as you delve deeper into the story. Great read and would definitely recommend you read it!
I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway, thank you to the author for a chance to read and review.
I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway, thank you to the author for a chance to read and review.
August 15, 2025
2025 reads: 211/300
2025 tbr: 50/111
i received an advanced listening copy and hardcover finished copy from the publishers as part of their influencer programs. i am leaving this review voluntarily.
necromancer azul del arroyo only wants one thing: to reclaim her sister’s bones so that she can steal her sister back from death. the emissary of the lord death will do anything to stop her, though, no matter how alluring he finds her. however, they soon find out that the fate of the lands is at risk, and azul might have to defy more gods than death to keep humanity alive.
with such a gorgeous cover and being comped to the bone shard daughter and six of crows, both of which i loved, i was quick to add this to my tbr. i can see similarities with both comps, from the bone magic to the technical heist (i mean, azul was aiming to steal back her sister’s bones and life, after all). this book was its own, though, and i enjoyed seeing how medina explored the necromancy and other magic aspects. there were also so many interesting relationships depicted, from estranged siblings, to enemies attracted to one another, even to what was essentially a parasite and a host.
this is a rare critique from me, but i do think this book would have been even more enjoyable for me had i read an ebook or physical copy. with the way this book flipped between past and present and various characters, i had trouble keeping the story and the timeline straight. the narrator, ana osorio, had a lovely voice, but i think my personal disconnect with the audiobook was due to the unique nature of the storytelling.
overall, though, this was an intriguing book. i would recommend this to ya fantasy readers.
2025 tbr: 50/111
i received an advanced listening copy and hardcover finished copy from the publishers as part of their influencer programs. i am leaving this review voluntarily.
necromancer azul del arroyo only wants one thing: to reclaim her sister’s bones so that she can steal her sister back from death. the emissary of the lord death will do anything to stop her, though, no matter how alluring he finds her. however, they soon find out that the fate of the lands is at risk, and azul might have to defy more gods than death to keep humanity alive.
with such a gorgeous cover and being comped to the bone shard daughter and six of crows, both of which i loved, i was quick to add this to my tbr. i can see similarities with both comps, from the bone magic to the technical heist (i mean, azul was aiming to steal back her sister’s bones and life, after all). this book was its own, though, and i enjoyed seeing how medina explored the necromancy and other magic aspects. there were also so many interesting relationships depicted, from estranged siblings, to enemies attracted to one another, even to what was essentially a parasite and a host.
this is a rare critique from me, but i do think this book would have been even more enjoyable for me had i read an ebook or physical copy. with the way this book flipped between past and present and various characters, i had trouble keeping the story and the timeline straight. the narrator, ana osorio, had a lovely voice, but i think my personal disconnect with the audiobook was due to the unique nature of the storytelling.
overall, though, this was an intriguing book. i would recommend this to ya fantasy readers.
July 6, 2025
Mistress of Bones
by Maria Z. Medina
YA Fantasy
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: Aug 5, 2025
St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books
Ages: 14+
Upon stepping onto a new land, Azul's sister crumbled into dust. Determined to bring her back again, Azul will do anything to get back to the city where her bones lie.
It is the Emissary of the Lord Death's duty to stop her, to capture her, and to study her.
Thinking she'd escaped him, she searches for her sister's bones, taking refuge in her brother's home. A nobleman, her mother (a surrogate mother), birthed for that family.
The Emissary caught up with her. Discovering that someone else was waking the dead, she agrees to help find the person.
This was an okay story, but it wasn't as action-packed or attention-grabbing as I was hoping. The world was interesting, as was Azul's gift (power). But in a way, I thought the Emissary was more interesting than Azul. He was a very well-developed character for.... spoiler... Azul's character was also developed, but something was missing, what, I don't know. I do know that some of the rambling could have been taken out.
As for the ending... I wasn't expecting … spoiler, but I was expecting... spoiler and spoiler...
There is violence, (no, not swashbuckling) and a touch of romance, but it didn't even get that far so I think this is suitable for readers fourteen and older.
The book cover is cool, though it makes it seem as if there's more to the book, and that's the same with the title. Yes, bones come into play, but I don't feel that it matches her character. Maybe the title of the next book will better suit her character, which I may read.
A low...
3 Stars
by Maria Z. Medina
YA Fantasy
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: Aug 5, 2025
St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books
Ages: 14+
Upon stepping onto a new land, Azul's sister crumbled into dust. Determined to bring her back again, Azul will do anything to get back to the city where her bones lie.
It is the Emissary of the Lord Death's duty to stop her, to capture her, and to study her.
Thinking she'd escaped him, she searches for her sister's bones, taking refuge in her brother's home. A nobleman, her mother (a surrogate mother), birthed for that family.
The Emissary caught up with her. Discovering that someone else was waking the dead, she agrees to help find the person.
This was an okay story, but it wasn't as action-packed or attention-grabbing as I was hoping. The world was interesting, as was Azul's gift (power). But in a way, I thought the Emissary was more interesting than Azul. He was a very well-developed character for.... spoiler... Azul's character was also developed, but something was missing, what, I don't know. I do know that some of the rambling could have been taken out.
As for the ending... I wasn't expecting … spoiler, but I was expecting... spoiler and spoiler...
There is violence, (no, not swashbuckling) and a touch of romance, but it didn't even get that far so I think this is suitable for readers fourteen and older.
The book cover is cool, though it makes it seem as if there's more to the book, and that's the same with the title. Yes, bones come into play, but I don't feel that it matches her character. Maybe the title of the next book will better suit her character, which I may read.
A low...
3 Stars
Read
July 5, 2025Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, at 40% in, I'm going to DNF. The premise sounded amazing, a necromancer trying to bring her sister back from the dead? Sign me up! Unfortunately, the execution just isn't going well at all. We don't really get a lot of character development from any of the characters in the book so far. With the sister, you would think that there would be more background laid out for her to form a connection, making you really want to root for Azul to accomplish her task. However, not much is provided. The story is also drawn out with different POVs, bouncing around past to present, which do not come together well. I found my mind starting to wander while reading this. I think it definitely could do with a thorough editing to keep the reader more engaged.
Unfortunately, at 40% in, I'm going to DNF. The premise sounded amazing, a necromancer trying to bring her sister back from the dead? Sign me up! Unfortunately, the execution just isn't going well at all. We don't really get a lot of character development from any of the characters in the book so far. With the sister, you would think that there would be more background laid out for her to form a connection, making you really want to root for Azul to accomplish her task. However, not much is provided. The story is also drawn out with different POVs, bouncing around past to present, which do not come together well. I found my mind starting to wander while reading this. I think it definitely could do with a thorough editing to keep the reader more engaged.
June 21, 2025
I cannot wait for the follow up to this book and it’s not even out yet I am OBSESSED. As a retired computer gaming girlie I was all in when I saw this was a lady necromancer but what I wasn’t expecting was the overwhelm of feelings I would end up with from the immense bonds of sisterhood. Mistress of Bones is what spooky girls dreams are made of, including a little slow SLOW burn warm fuzzies (if you’re into tall, blonde, and deadly). Crossing all my extremities that this gets a beautiful edition because I loved it
June 8, 2025
I loved this book! The flash backs and flash forwards might not be for everyone but I love that type of story telling. The characters were interesting and it ended on such a good cliffhanger. I can’t wait to read the next one even though this one is technically not out yet! Thank you to Goodreads and St Martin’s Press :)
March 14, 2025
LOOK AT THE COVER?!
...and now the gods want their bones back.
It's rare that I get hyped about announced books, mostly because I'm usually years behind with my reading, but also because my tbr is the height of Mount Everest...
But I bloody love the sound of this!
...and now the gods want their bones back.
It's rare that I get hyped about announced books, mostly because I'm usually years behind with my reading, but also because my tbr is the height of Mount Everest...
But I bloody love the sound of this!
August 3, 2025
DNF 31%. The premise for this book was SO GOOD but the writing fell flat. I felt absolutely zero connection to the characters- maybe a little for Enjul as he seemed to have the most emotion. The writing was clunky and lacked sophistication. There were so many simple sentences. I was getting upset with the amount of sentences that started with a preposition, which is unusual for me because usually I don’t care at all… but I just couldn’t continue with the writing style.
The world building took a good while to understand. I still found myself confused as to who was who. A glossary or something of that sort would have helped me. The constant change of POV was confusing.
To summarize: the story itself was interesting, but the writing and world building was just not for me.
Thank you Wednesday Books for the egalley!
The world building took a good while to understand. I still found myself confused as to who was who. A glossary or something of that sort would have helped me. The constant change of POV was confusing.
To summarize: the story itself was interesting, but the writing and world building was just not for me.
Thank you Wednesday Books for the egalley!
August 6, 2025
I am going to say 3.5⭐️ on this one (rounded up for Goodreads of course).
The premise was so good and sounded promising. I’m obsessed with the cover art and character art. Azul is a necromancer who can raise the dead using bones. She and the God of Death become tied up in a shared mission. Overall I just didn’t feel super drawn into the story. I had both the ALC and a digital arc. The audiobook narration is well done and enjoyable. I found myself needing to switch to the kindle edition though to better track the timeline switches and POVs.
This book had good writing, but the story just left me wanting a bit more.
Thank you to Wednesday Books for the e-arc and the author for the ALC. All opinions are my own.
The premise was so good and sounded promising. I’m obsessed with the cover art and character art. Azul is a necromancer who can raise the dead using bones. She and the God of Death become tied up in a shared mission. Overall I just didn’t feel super drawn into the story. I had both the ALC and a digital arc. The audiobook narration is well done and enjoyable. I found myself needing to switch to the kindle edition though to better track the timeline switches and POVs.
This book had good writing, but the story just left me wanting a bit more.
Thank you to Wednesday Books for the e-arc and the author for the ALC. All opinions are my own.
August 14, 2025
3.5 ⭐
Good concept just slightly confusing execution. The writing was good, the world building was very well done. The characters were where I struggled a bit. The POV's were all over the place. I was listening to the audiobook and there were no warnings when a POV changed (only one narrator) so I couldn't keep everything in order, which made it incredibly confusing. The book also went through some timeline switches which added to that confusion sometimes.
Overall its a good book, just a bit confusing.
The narrator did do a good job bringing the story to life. I do think this is an audiobook that could have been much better with multiple narrators.
thank you Netgalley & Macmillan Audio for the ARC! *all opinions are my own!*
Good concept just slightly confusing execution. The writing was good, the world building was very well done. The characters were where I struggled a bit. The POV's were all over the place. I was listening to the audiobook and there were no warnings when a POV changed (only one narrator) so I couldn't keep everything in order, which made it incredibly confusing. The book also went through some timeline switches which added to that confusion sometimes.
Overall its a good book, just a bit confusing.
The narrator did do a good job bringing the story to life. I do think this is an audiobook that could have been much better with multiple narrators.
thank you Netgalley & Macmillan Audio for the ARC! *all opinions are my own!*
July 19, 2025
Mistress of Bones was a Macmillan Audio pick. It’s set in a unique world created by the gods with their bones, and while the worldbuilding is lush, it did not feel immersive. By the 43% mark, I felt like there was a lot of movement by the characters, but not by the plot; although there was a good twist at the 63% point. In the end, I was invested in Azul’s goals and the interconnections throughout the story.
The book was multi-POV, which was fun in that there were POVs for which the connection to the plot was not made clear right away, and the story was also told in a nonlinear timeline. So the mystery of a few things took time to build up and the connections coming together were interesting. My only issue was that all the characters were a bit hard to keep track of for me—I’m honestly not sure why as multi-POV is usually enjoyable for me and I don’t tend to have a problem with non-chronological storytelling, but something about this particular set took me throughout the book to truly grasp on to everyone and their situations.
I think this book is four stars because I do want to see wth happens with Azul and the Lord Death.
Ana Osorio did a fine job with narration.
The book was multi-POV, which was fun in that there were POVs for which the connection to the plot was not made clear right away, and the story was also told in a nonlinear timeline. So the mystery of a few things took time to build up and the connections coming together were interesting. My only issue was that all the characters were a bit hard to keep track of for me—I’m honestly not sure why as multi-POV is usually enjoyable for me and I don’t tend to have a problem with non-chronological storytelling, but something about this particular set took me throughout the book to truly grasp on to everyone and their situations.
I think this book is four stars because I do want to see wth happens with Azul and the Lord Death.
Ana Osorio did a fine job with narration.
August 17, 2025
This cover absolutely drew me in. I enjoyed the story and the writing, but nothing about this book really hooked me.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 261 reviews