Rin Chupeco

Tea's gift for death magic means that she is a bone witch, a title that makes her feared and ostracized by her community, but when an older bone witch trains her to become an asha--one who can wield elemental magic--Tea will have to overcome her obstacles and make a powerful choice in the face of danger as dark forces approach.

The Bone Witch

Jordan H

** spoiler alert **
           Finally finished this thing! 

Thoughts: 
I've been reading quite a few reviews on Goodreads and I must say I pretty much agree with most of them. Nothing really happens the entire novel, and then the last 20 pages you're supposed to be excited cause there's a super short and mildly confusing fight scene? 

Man, way too many details about very minimally important things. I don't think I've ever read so many damn details about a piece of clothing. 

I ended up giving it 2 stars, but more like 2.5 stars. Could've cut out about 200 pages of "developpement" and added some real plot. Fair effort in creating this fantasy world - but basically just Memoirs of a Geisha with magic. 

Shmeh.

Tea can raise the dead, but resurrection comes at a price in the launch of a lyrical new fantasy series... Now in paperback When Tea accidentally resurrects her brother from the dead, she learns she is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy means that she's a bone witch.She puts all her energy into becoming an asha. But dark forces are encroaching, and in the face of danger, Tea will have to make a difficult choice about how to use her power.

Aishling

I’d give this 4.5 stars but marking it as 5 cause I want the ratings to go up. 

This story was amazing!! I have no idea why the overall ratings aren’t higher, and this bothers me cause I do judge my books based off rating but for this story I went on the rating of a reviewer I trust and I’m damn glad I did. 

I honestly cannot fault this book at all, the world building was amazing (it did take me a bit to get used to the terms) and all the characters are great. 

I think maybe I loved this so much because the world building was very similar to what goes on in “memoirs of a geisha” which I also loved. 

I’m literally ordering the next two books ASAP.

Farra McChesney

What an incredible adventure! An ending led up to with a huge twist I didn't expect & a final scene I hoped for for many chapters as well. Worth a read and I cannot wait for book 2!

Intricate world building, wonderful foreshadowing. Goes back and forth between past and present.

Charlie Winchester 

Geena Bosworth

This is one of my favorite series. It took me a while to get into the first book, but the second and third books are just amazing. I think I read the second book in one day because I was just obsessed. I highly recommend reading The Bone Witch series!!

I kept thinking it was over and then it wasn't. There were like 3 climaxes, which threw me off. Other than that, pretty solid read. 

Alex T Hughes

Stephanie V. Sather

She hadn't meant to raise her brother from the dead...and everything changed after that day. Follow Tea as she's whisked away to learn the ways of the asha, finds romance, and catch glimpses into her modern day as we find out this story is being told to a bard in Tea's modern day. Fall in love with the cast of eclectic characters, the world building, and the story as you wonder at the mystery of what spurned Tea to her current state?

I was looking for a fantasy story more to my tastes at my library. Something darker maybe. The cover art, along with the synopsis drew me in.

The story is two pronged. It follows Tea, both as she grows up, and after she has been exiled from her home. Jumping back and forth between both time periods once in each chapter as more is revealed. Tea is basically a dark witch with the power of necromancy. Loved and feared. 

Honestly, there wasn't anything I didn't really dislike, other than it ended before her full story could be told, since it is part of a series.

Ariel Johnson

Why did I pick this book to read?

I was looking for a fantasy story more to my tastes at my library. Something darker maybe. The cover art, along with the synopsis drew me in.

What is this book about?

The story is two pronged. It follows Tea, both as she grows up, and after she has been exiled from her home. Jumping back and forth between both time periods once in each chapter as more is revealed. Tea is basically a dark witch with the power of necromancy. Loved and feared. 

What did I like about this book?

The way the story was told - Done through the perspective of Tea, exiled, telling a bard of her past. This pushed the mystery of why she was exiled in the first place. Kept the pace easy to follow as well.

The characters - Most of the characters are kept simple unless they are needed for the story. Kept it easier to focus on who was important. Tea, being the main focus, was easy to like and sympathize with.

What did I dislike about this book?

Honestly, there wasn't anything I didn't really dislike, other than it ended before her full story could be told, since it is part of a series.

Would I recommend reading this book?

Yes! 

Gisela Ayala 

3.5 if I'm being honest, it wasn't life-changing, but I it kept me entertained and its concept was pretty new to me. It kind of reminds me of Game of Thrones but with witches - and I might be biased but I love the dark witches so much or "asha" as they are called in this book. 

The book goes back and forth between the present and the past, with the present being Tea recounting how she became exiled to a journalist (best way to describe him). The past is how she came into her power and training to be an asha. Because of this, (and it's not just this book) but many books that do this seem like they are explaining a lot and I can understand where people might not like it. The first few chapters were information overload, and I think the author could have spread it out a bit more. 

One thing I really liked about the book, there were a few plot twists that I did not see coming at all. THAT ENDING! I never saw it coming, EVER. The story really hooked me, despite it being slow, but the author has some beautiful writing and I can't wait to read the next one.

2.8 maybe.... This book could not keep my attention for too long. My ADHD hit like crazy as i read the book. It had an amazing concept, the powers are super awesome, there are some characters I liked but none of them got to the point where I can say I connected with them. I did like the intervals of the POV of another character kind of looking into the future. Overall it was just too slow with me, very little character development, and there was absolutely no plot, but the cliffhanger was great.. not sure if I will read the next book.

Dee B. 

Definitely interested in continuing on with this one

jess

This was almost certainly the most interesting fantasy I've read in a while, and on the whole, I really liked it. The worldbuilding was some of the best I've seen! It was complex and fascinating and very unlike anything I've seen before, and I think Asian-inspired? So that was very cool. I did get a bit confused with the magic system but I don't believe that's necessarily a fault. Complex magic systems are awesome, yo. 

I really liked Tea and all the other asha and it was wonderful getting to know them all. The asha system was great and really different. Like I said: amazing worldbuilding. 

I did find that it was quite slow at parts, and not all the present-day narrations managed to hold my interest; honestly, I just skimmed a lot of them. (view spoiler)[I was also quite frustrated with the ending because like, so many things came straight out of nowhere in the present narration and I felt like we had so, so much more to catch up on before we could even get the context for present-day Tea. I felt totally lost. (hide spoiler)]

Marissa Davis

I actually really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to start the second book. While I found it hard to understand since I don’t have a physical copy but audiobook form. I will get myself a physical copy and make this a re-read in 2022.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I started this book. To be honest, I picked it for the cover. The simplicity and covers of the trilogy really drew my eye.

But I ended up quite enjoying this book. Very rarely is necromancy magic given to the main character of a story and portrayed as a heroic trait, albeit looked down upon heroic trait. The dual time lines had me a little caught off guard at the start, but I appreciated here the two narrators (in the audiobook) to show not only change of POV but also of time period. 

It’s odd for me too, to have a main character at a younger age that I find quite naive and infuriating, but have her only barely older self feel much wiser and level headed. 

Overall, however, I enjoyed this book and the world it created. I liked the focus on death/dark magic beyond the classic elemental types and how they might fit together. 

Tace

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I started this book. To be honest, I picked it for the cover. The simplicity and covers of the trilogy really drew my eye.

But I ended up quite enjoying this book. Very rarely is necromancy magic given to the main character of a story and portrayed as a heroic trait, albeit looked down upon heroic trait. The dual time lines had me a little caught off guard at the start, but I appreciated here the two narrators (in the audiobook) to show not only change of POV but also of time period. 

It’s odd for me too, to have a main character at a younger age that I find quite naive and infuriating, but have her only barely older self feel much wiser and level headed. 

Overall, however, I enjoyed this book and the world it created. I liked the focus on death/dark magic beyond the classic elemental types and how they might fit together. 

Vilde

A really intriguing story. The narrative style took me by surprise, in a good way, as it drives me onwards. I found Emily Zoo Zeller's performance as Tea (which I thought was Tia throughout the entire audiobook) a touch too soft-spoken. But overall, I did enjoy the narrators, Zeller and Will Damron. I can see that there has been comments about the descriptions of everything — that didn't bother me, but that's perhaps because I'm listening to it whilst working. The one point that is the downside for me, is the fact that I felt that the ending was too abrupt. The Bone Witch feels like a set-up book.

Amie ONeill

4.5 Stars

I really enjoyed this one. 
I loved the setting and the characters although some were unlikable I really liked them all. The writing was beautiful yet also simple enough to get through. Neither being a bad thing. 
The plot kept me hooked from the first chapter. 
I’m very glad I read this one and can’t wait to see where the rest of the series takes me.

illa

This was such a slow and bland read. I don’t really plan on reading the next one, but we’ll see. I will admit Fox’s and Tea’s sibling relationship was fun to read about and had some kind of potential.

Virginia Parnell

Maegan Kennedy

Flavia Louise

I just kinda lost interest in the story a little bit towards the end. This want to continue the series

Alexa Jade

so this was good and had elements to it that reminded me of other books but not in a bad way. my issue is just that I dont care? i’m not invested in any characters and/or their success/storylines. I don’t regret reading it but I won’t be continuing with the series either.

Laura Kehoe

REREAD IN 2019:

I originally gave this 3.5 stars, but after reading it again, I think I’m bumping it up to a full 4 stars. I considered giving it 4.5 or even 5 stars, but there are still a few slower spots and things felt a bit awkward at the end. But I really do like this book a lot!




Actual rating is 3.5 stars

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started The Bone Witch. And to be honest, it isn't necessarily the kind of book I'd pick up on my own based off the description alone. But, after hearing so many good things about it, I knew I had to give it a read. And I'm so glad I did!

The Bone Witch isn't quite like anything I've read. It seems to have a little bit of everything: romance, political intrigue, magic, monsters, and necromancy. And oddly enough, they all work together incredibly well. Rin Chupeco created a rich, beautiful world that both terrifies and delights. 

I adored the characters in this book. Tea is a wonderful main character and I'm so intrigued with her. And the rest of the characters are all so fascinating too. Each one has their own unique personality and I love it. 

This book does tend to move a bit slow at times. While for the most part I really enjoyed the story and world, there were times when I got a little bored. But overall, I thought this was a great book and I'm interested to see where the story goes next!

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sheila

Hmmm, I'm a bit torn on this one. I think for me it's ultimately a 3.5. The cover art gets a full 5 stars though, omg.

Aside from some grammatical issues that I hope will be edited out, the world-building felt lazy. I feel like Chupeco spent so much energy in crafting Tea & supporting characters that everything else became a convenient mish-mash of stuff that was inspired by (and, in many cases, entirely appropriated from) Earth cultures. I'm simply not impressed by Earth-sim fantasy worlds anymore, so this was disappointing.

On top of that, there's very little action in this book. It's clear from early on that this is meant to be the first book in a series, but going through page after page of exposition is just tedious! There are pages upon pages describing (in detail) the variety of fabric designs used in huas made for Tea, the dazzling array of hair combs, etc. etc. & I just... 

It's doubly irritating because - again, as stated before, this is the first book in a series - there's little payoff at the end for all this. 

There IS a great action moment & plot twist at the end, and the characters Chupeco creates are unique and diverse. I think this series has potential, but this first book left me lukewarm. 

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

Katharina Hoffmann

*I guess you could say: this book wasn't my cup of TEA*


If it hadn’t been for the fact that this book was a book-club read, it might have become my first DNF in years. The only reason I sped through it is that I wanted to be done with it.

A 12-year-old girl named Tea accidentally raises her brother Fox from the dead. She is discovered to be a dark asha, a Bone Witch that can summon dark powers and, well, raise the dead. She is whisked away by another Bone Witch to begin her training at a magic school that trains asha (females who wield magic). The whole setting is Asian-inspired.

This book had me confused from beginning till the end, like thoroughly confused. I have no idea what the names of the countries are that they travel through. Mysterious-sounding names like “the Faceless” would be dropped without being explained. Apparently, they are the villains who trained monsters called daeva to fight for them? I have no idea.

The magic and world-building felt so underdeveloped in this book. The magic system makes zero sense! Everyone wears a heart-shaped (??) necklace called a heartsglass that changes colour depending on one’s mood (so it’s basically just like a mood ring). Some people’s heartsglasses are completely silver or completely black (why and what does that mean? I have no idea). You can also give your heartsglass away (haha, like giving your real heart away), but you would still keep your necklace only that it is empty from then on. You can pay heartforgers to make you a new heart (???), or you can try and find your old one.


Normal asha that are not necromancers can wield the elements like fire, earth, wind, water etc. How do they do that? At what cost? I have no idea, and I read the whole damn book.

The plot is- uhh- slow. Very slow. In the first chapter, Tea raises her brother from the dead. In the second chapter, she is visited by an older Bone Witch taking her away to train her as a dark asha. In the third chapter, they are already on the road? Everything happens so fast, and Tea’s connection with her family, parents, and siblings is never fully explored.

The rest of the book covers Tea’s two years at the asha school. It bored the hell out of me because nothing really happened. It was just Tea’s training and her attending tea parties and scrubbing the toiletries. It’s also weird that this book is marketed as young adult when Tea is only 12-15 throughout the book? The cover and synopsis of this book are so misleading! I read about a literal child who always blushes in the presence of the prince she has a crush on.


The plot was bogged down by overly descriptive writing. Every single hua (sort of like a kimono) the characters wear was described in great detail. After a while, I stopped trying to imagine what their outfits and food looked liked because it was just too much, too often, and too repetitive, and I simply didn’t care.

I wasn’t a fan of the narrative either. It altered between the past and the present. In the present, a 17-year-old Tea recounts her story to an unnamed Bard and in the past, we get to see 12-year-old Tea learning to be a Bone Witch. It made for a choppy reading experience, and the flow of the story was heavily disrupted.

The ending provided a twist (that I didn’t see coming but wasn’t awed by either) and a cliff-hanger which seems to have been put there for the sole purpose of getting people to pick up the next book in the series.

This book left me thoroughly confused for lack of explanation in places where it would have mattered and annoyed for the over-descriptive writing in places where it didn’t matter at all.

The Bone Witch

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