Book Review: Bonesmith by Nicki Pau Preto 5/5 stars!

 With the amount of books I've read  about "bones" this year  maybe my water theme was an error... perhaps it will reveal itself to be skeletons all along.  Alas, I chose water. But of course, I'm still going to mood read my way through 2025!

and Bonesmith was something I NEEDED.  

And you may be in need of someone who does the right thing also....

  Although this is a YA  novel, the themes and story can be appreciated by a wide audience. 

  Wren is a Bonesmith, a warrior of sorts against the undead and the reader meets her just as she is about to undergo the trials to determine her placement.  Always a risk taker, she can't resist a dare which sets her on a path of adventure, magic, political intrigue and a (very very small) smidge of romance. 

   I was unsure if this would be a book for me, but within about 35 pages, I was hooked. I could not put this book down, I had to know asap  the fate of Wren, her found family/friends and honestly which plot was a web of lies and which was truth. I don't want to give anything away, so I'm keeping this short?

Who should read this book?

   Those in need of a Hero(ine). Especially if you might be one in need of a flawed hero(ine) who may not always make all the right moves.

Lovers of Fantasy- this book is full of lore, magic and details that dance across the page building the world of the Smiths (Bone, Gold, Iron, Ghost, Silver...) There are some daring sword adventures, as well as some scenes with a sort of grappling hook device and terrifying ghosts to battle, as well as terrifying authority figures. 

Persons who enjoy coming of age tales, as the growth and development that Wren displays is enjoyable to observe as the book unfolds.  

persons who should avoid this book - those hoping for detailed on page romance.  This is just not the book for that. 

This book is a perfect one for a film adaption, and I found myself really hoping for that as the storytelling just lends itself to cinematics. 

Some have criticized that they could "guess the plot twist" but it is YA  intended for 14 and up- and to be fully transparent , I could generally tell a plot twist was coming, but not always what would be the twist. And honestly, a lot of readers do really enjoy sayin "I knew it! I knew it!"  so this was not an issue for me.  

Have you picked up the Bonesmith? Don't wait too long! 

STATS

First Published 2023

Pages: 464

Available as an Audio Book : YES

Trigger Warnings:  death, mild violence, war, lies, political conflict, family turmoil  

(this is not a full list, read responsibly)