The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco

 

Greetings Stack Worms! 

I loved this book! Yes, I did. I gave it 5 stars on Goodreads along w/ a short spoiler-free review. I felt like this was Memoirs of a Geisha just w/ witches and monsters. 

The format of the story is told from two different timelines. The first is present-day being told by a bard reviewing the last Bone Witch, Tea. The second is the past where Tea is telling the bard her story. 

The story starts off when Tea accidentally brings her deceased brother, Fox, back from the dead. She comes to find that she is a Dark asha, also known as a Bone Witch. She can raise the dead by drawing on the Dark using certain runes. She is taken to train by another Dark asha, Mykaela. At first Tea isn't happy with being taken away from her family, but slowly comes to terms that it wouldn't have been safe for her, her family, or her newly made familiar brother, Fox. In light of this, plus her need to control her magic, she tries to make the most of it. 

During her years of training, she learns self-defense, dancing, singing, entertaining, and how to use her magic in a way that wouldn't drain her of her life. She also befriends a shopkeeper, a retired general, and a shop assistant. She becomes a full Asha early when she defends The Willows from a daeva known as an Azi. Her adopted sisters Polaire, Mykaela, and Altaecia are happy at her speedy rise in the ranks of Asha. Tea's popularity doubles after she defeats the Azi. 

The bard while being told the story notes that Tea is raising other daevas for some unknown reason. As Tea tells the bard about her crush on Prince Kance and her fear that Mykaela was dying, she's drinking odd potions which helps her control the daeva she raises. Slowly, he realizes that she's planning on starting a war with the world. Tea is angry that they killed the love of her life, Kalen, and in the end, brings him back from the dead to wreak havoc on those that wronged them. 

Now I'm not sure how to pronounce Tea. There are moments in the book where we are told it's Tea (like tea leaves) then another it's saying Tey-uh. However, all of her siblings' names are simple: Fox, Hawk, Wolf, Lily, Violet, Marigold, Daisy, Rose, Lilac. So, I just pronounced her name like tea the drink. It would match the theme of her mother's naming convention. 

I loved all the descriptions of the hua and hair ornaments. When Tea went shopping with her asha-ka housemother. It all sounded gorgeous and I adored every paragraph. The writing is great. Plus, her friendship with Likh (I pronounced it Leek), a shop assistant, is cute. I'm unsure if his character is supposed to be trans because he wants to become an asha when all male spellbinders are forced to become Deathstalkers. He likes dancing and wearing dresses. Now Likh might just be a feminine boy and that's ok, but I kinda felt like something else was going on. I'll have to continue reading the series to see. 

The part where Tea tames the Azi is awesome. I'm a fan of writers making the main characters have monsters become their pets. Also, revenge. I love a good revenge story. 

Have you read The Bone Witch? What did you think about it? Complaints? Likes?