5.0 out of 5 stars Complex and compelling

C.M. · 28 March 2018

I loved the writing and the descriptive style, it fits well with the flow of the story. Chupeco takes the reader to the past, the present and also Tea in the future. The future speaks of darkness and vengeance, the past of pain and death, and the present of uncertainty and discovery.The parallels between the asha and Geisha’s are an interesting element of the story. Women are considered entertainment for the men, and yet the asha are also revered at the same time. Tea finds it difficult to reconcile her inner turbulence with the dainty and effeminate skills her peers excel at.She finds a home thanks to Lady Mykaela, who intends to train her as a dark asha, but first she is asked to follow all orders blindly and instead of exciting learning opportunities she becomes nothing more than a skivvy.The ability to read a person via their heartglass is such an interesting concept. It leaves doors open for discrimination, judgements and exclusions. Mykaela can see the potential in Tea, but has no idea just how much power she has, and neither does Tea. Unfortunately the power also escapes on occasion, which is code for loss of control.One of Tea’s lighter dark moments is raising her beloved brother from the dead, which binds them in a way they both find it hard to cope with, especially when he starts to defy the strange connection they have.Throughout the story the reader is given a glimpse of what Tea becomes and is heading towards, and it isn’t pretty. Which event or betrayal turns her into the powerful bone witch with an axe to grind? The dark being intent on destroying those who have wronged her.This was hands down one of my favourite reads of 2017. Chupeco is incredibly talented, has masses of potential, and deserves to be right up there with the big names in the Fantasy genre. This is YA, so I would really like to see the author let loose beyond the borders and restrictions of young adult.

4.0 out of 5 stars The Bone Witch

S.(.F. · 6 October 2017

Tea had no idea she was a Bone Witch until the day she accidentally raised her brother from his coffin in the middle of his funeral! She didn't quite bring Fox back to life in the traditional sense of the word but his spirit is back and his body is now much more indestructible than it was before. Although people often seek out Bone Witches when they are in need of help they are also treated with suspicion in most villages so Tea is lucky to be accepted as an apprentice to another Bone Witch called Mykaela. Tea and Fox travel with Mykaela to the city where Tea will begin training in magic skills to become an Asha.The story is skilfully told in two parts, there is young Tea who is a little naive and desperately trying to find her place in the world, she is eager to learn and willing to do whatever it takes to achieve her goals, then there is an older Tea, one who has obviously seen more of the world and who has become jaded because of it. She is a harder character and one who is set on revenge for the wrongs she has suffered and she is telling her story to a travelling Bard. The two stories unravel alongside each other and it was really interesting waiting to see how the younger version of Tea would eventually become the older one.I've seen a lot of mixed reviews for this book but I enjoyed every minute of it. The main complaint amongst my friends has been that the story was a little slow to unfold and they struggled with some of the language but I personally though the writing was absolutely beautiful. Yes this is a fairly slow story but the world building is so rich and detailed that I just loved spending time exploring it. I can definitely see why the story is compared to Memoirs of a Geisha because Tea's apprenticeship was very similar to Geisha training. This is a fantasy world but it's definitely based on Japanese culture and I think Rin Chupeco did a brilliant job bringing those two elements together.The Bone Witch is a very promising start to a new series and I'm definitely looking forward to reading the sequel to find out what happens next.

A New Perspective on Magic - Worth Reading More than Twice

X.V. · 12 May 2020

I cannot have loved a book so much and not written a review. So, let's do this: A No Spoilers Review on the Bone WitchTwelve-year-old Tea Pahlavi's only claim to strangeness is an insatiable love of reading--something ill-suited for young women in her culture. That is, until her brother, Fox, returns from the front lines in a pine box. At his funeral, overwrought by loss, she feels that somehow, somewhere, he is calling out to her, begging for her help. Without entirely knowing that she has, Tea answers--and watches in shock, along with all her family, as his grave rips open and he simply climbs out.As you can imagine, chaos ensues. Tea (pronounced Tee-yah) is a Bone Witch--a dark-magic user, able to animate and command the dead--and just by existing, she finds herself walking a a path of destruction that threatens all the kingdoms. How does a girl from a farming village turn into such a fearful figure? No need to wonder. Split between an unnamed narrator called the Bard and the Witch herself, the story is told from end-game, as Tea relates her life story to the Bard and prepares to wage war on a world that has demonized people of her craft for centuries. The elaborate backstory (while sometimes jarring in its detail) centers on a classic parable of good vs evil--but with Tea on the classically evil side, and fully leaning into the expectations leveled on her, it leaves the reader solidly in the Bard's court. Good or bad, Tea's story is worth telling, and worth reading.The Bone Witch is a sweeping fantasy, part cultural exploration and part epic war-time struggle, told from the eyes of a woman of color, and populated by a cast of characters from all backgrounds. It boasts a rich world of countries, all named and bearing their own distinct, discernible cultures. Issues of class, discrimination, gender and identity are all addressed with an artful ease, with special focus paid to the power of love--not just the classic type, but the love of family, and the power that love can give you.Tea and Fox are easily the most enjoyable part of the book. Despite his fate, Fox manages to be both stalwart protector and wry, level-headed companion, neatly contrasting Tea's passionate and sometimes taciturn presence as the main character. He keeps her grounded, and she literally keeps him walking, each taking turns tweaking the other's nose and having their back. They talk and argue and debate, and no matter what happens, they love each other. That this is so refreshing in a genre is a shame, but it is refreshing all the same. The other characters are also distinct and enjoyable, enough that I would read a series about each of them and not even blink. Special mentions for Kance, Kalen, Lihk and Khalad, all of whom represent more than they seem to on sight. Every revelation about these characters feels like a gift, and I enjoyed their presence immencely.The fantasy genre is overburdened, to say the least. Between Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones, there's a format that's expected. Feminine, fair-skinned elves and big, dark-hided "savages." Violence for the sake of violence. Gratefully, the Bone Witch does not follow this trend. It had me in the first page. It's like Memoirs of a Geisha, where the geisha are essentially the magical class, feared and revered for their power over the world. Narrators Emily Woo Zeller and Will Damron do an outstanding job bringing this world to life. I loved the book so much that I bought the paperback, just to have it. I am a picky reader, and rarely listen to or read a book more than once. Not only have I finished this book twice, but I've started trying to get everyone I know to read it. If you want a new angle on the fantasy genre, this is it. The characters are lovely, the plot (while sometimes elaborate) is engrossing, and the world feels like a place that exists. I would dearly love a Netflix adaptation of this, because one movie would never do it justice.

ein fantastisches Werk mit Hexen und dunkler Magie

T.B. · 21 April 2017

* Cover:Seit ich das Cover zum ersten Mal erblickte, musste ich es einfach haben. Denn es ist nicht nur lila (eine Farbe, die es so gut wie gar nicht in meinem Regal gibt), sondern auch die ganze Gestaltung gefällt mir unheimlich gut.* Persönliche Meinung:Nach den ersten drei Kapiteln habe ich das Buch für einige Tage beiseite gelegt und war mir nicht so sicher, ob ich es zu Ende lesen wollte. Mich verwirrte einiges am Anfang, was natürlich auch an der Sprache liegt, denn obwohl ich sehr viele englische Bücher lese, wartete dies mit einigen Wörtern auf, von denen ich zuvor noch nie etwas gehört hatte. Aber auch die Perspektiven fand ich seltsam verwendet - Erst folgten einige Seiten in kursiv, die die Gegenwart schilderten aus der Sicht eines fremden Barden und dann kam das Kapitel, aus der der Sicht der Protagonistin von ihrem Leben in der Vergangenheit. Und so wechselte sich das ganze ab.Als ich es dann Tage später doch wieder in die Hand nahm, war ich umso überraschte, wie sehr es mich plötzlich mitriss und ich in das Geschehen eintauchen konnte. Von da an empfang ich es nicht mehr als langweilig, sondern habe es regelrecht verschlungen.Wie das Ende vom ersten Band ausgehen würde, war mir längst klar und doch saß ich dann völlig perplex da und konnte es nicht fassen. - Ich lag falsch. Selten, dass mich ein Buch so überraschen konnte, wie dieses.Und nun heißt es sehnsüchtig auf die anderen beiden Bände warten.* Das Besondere:Die Protagonistin Tea ist nicht wie die üblichen Romanheldinnen. Wer hier eine perfekte Vorzeigeschülerin erwartet, der irrt. Denn Tea ist stur, aber auch loyal und ziemlich ehrgeizig. Auch wenn sie anfangs so ihre Probleme mit ihrer neuen Gabe hat, so gibt sie sich Mühe hineinzuwachsen.Auch wartet diese Geschichte mit tollen einzigartigen Fantasyfiguren auf, die das Reich heimsuchen.* Fazit:Ich gebe dem Buch ganz klar 5 ***** Sterne und empfehle es jedem der gerne englische Bücher liest, Hexen und vor allem Totenerweckung liebt.

This made me buy the whole series

R.D. · 10 August 2024

I forgot to review this! So this is a brilliant book.I'm not going to summarize it because the summary it already has works fine and the other people are probably doing it. I got this as a part of Prime first reads. I was surprised it actually had follow up books. This is a solid fantasy.It's set in a world where magic is rare and certain magics rarer. I find the sort of reference for the dark it has as "It's not about dark is bad, it can be, but how you use it" to be a refreshing choice. It steadily reveals the story as it goes along. Tea is... A tricky character and kind of hard to initially like but she is likeable. Not in hard to read ways but in terms of being somewhat closed off by the time we see her.It's beautiful. Love and loss. Fantasy can have a hard time at making you feel something real vs feel something in story but you can feel the absolute devastation and joy when it came to in the series. Some things come a little fast in the first book but the author definitely corrects it as the series goes on. I highly recommend for those who like Dark Fantasy and heartfelt romance.I *would* say older teen theme wise. Not because it gets particularly graphic but because a lot of these themes are very dark.

Really Really Good

S. · 8 July 2018

This is not to be missed. Book 1 of a trilogy - I downloaded the second one as soon as I finished the first & if it hadn't been close to midnight I'd have kept reading. Can't wait to get work out of the way tomorrow so I can keep reading.

Beautiful!

M.G. · 20 May 2017

I started this book thinking that it would be boring...this is the first time i'm wrong! Not only i couldn't put it down but really it was original a new story not the predictable ones. I rally wasn't so captivated since the throne of Glass series... can't wait for the next book!!