The Bone Maker

A Novel

By: Sarah Beth Durst

Narrated by: Soneela Nankani

Length: 16 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

"Durst consistently defies expectations." (Publishers Weekly, starred review) 

From award-winning author Sarah Beth Durst, a stand-alone epic fantasy set in a brand-new world of towering mountains and sparkling cities, in which a band of aging warriors have a second chance to defeat dark magic and avenge a haunting loss. 

Twenty-five years ago, five heroes risked their lives to defeat the bone maker Eklor - a corrupt magician who created an inhuman army using animal bones. But victory came at a tragic price. Only four of the heroes survived. Since then, Kreya, the group’s leader, has exiled herself to a remote tower and devoted herself to one purpose: resurrecting her dead husband. But such a task requires both a cache of human bones and a sacrifice - for each day he lives, she will live one less. 

She’d rather live one year with her husband than a hundred without him, but using human bones for magic is illegal in Vos. The dead are burned - as are any bone workers who violate the law. Yet Kreya knows where she can find the bones she needs: the battlefield where her husband and countless others lost their lives. 

But defying the laws of the land exposes a terrible possibility. Maybe the dead don’t rest in peace after all. 

Five warriors - one broken, one gone soft, one pursuing a simple life, one stuck in the past, and one who should dead. Their story should have been finished. But evil doesn’t stop just because someone once said, “the end”. 

©2021 Sarah Beth Durst (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

Bad

If you like prose like “I’m just a hero doing her very best,” then this is your book. If you like “heroes” that are heroic for no apparent reason, given their lack of skills and smarts, then this is your book. Otherwise, stay away.

Frustratingly meh

For the most part the book is fine I think. I just couldn’t seem to connect with most of the characters except Zira. Everyone but her was completely naïve! To the point I wanted Eklor to win just cause everyone else was an idiot who somehow didn’t realize what he was very clearly doing. I could go on and on about my issues with it but it’s to much to type out.
All in all the setting is interesting, only 1 of our 5 hero’s is interesting, and the narrator was really good.

Kept going back and starting over

I guess it’s ok but not for me. I kept going back and forth rereading. I was looking for more

Middle aged women in fantasy!

Finally a book that recognises women read their teens’ books not because we want to be teens but because we enjoy fantasy . The rating I gave this book reflected that.

Great!

It is a bit of a slow burner to start but keep going and you will be rewarded!

So many things wrong with this story & narration

This book looked interesting. . . somebody said it was fantasy for adults, well some of the characters may have had a few grey hairs but emotionally they acted like teenagers and were very two dimensional. The story is weak but dose pick up a bit towards the end and produces more clarity, which is much needed as the beginning feels like you are thrown into the middle of a story.
The narrator sounds like a 'valley girl' and Zera (not sure if that is how it's spelt in the actual book) sounds so much like Samantha from sex and the city. It was really annoying.

Slow start but a great listen

It took me a chapter or so to get into the book but once I had listened for an hour or so I was hooked. Really enjoyable listen