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ninetalevixen 's review for:
The Bone Witch
by Rin Chupeco
content warnings:
rep:
I think I gave this 3.5 stars when I first read it in 2018, and all I can say is that I definitely missed a lot of the nuances. A lot of Chupeco's brilliance is in the subtleties of the storytelling, the implications and slow-build arcs, which I certainly appreciate a lot more now than I did two years ago.
For example, the brief interim chapters narrated by the Bard — I originally thought them superfluous interruptions to the main narrative. But seen in the context of the trilogy, they provide framework and foreshadowing, a dual timeline that builds more tension, a sharp contrast between a more innocent Tea and the slightly-older Tea who has seen and done some haunting things. I do still think this structure somewhat unbalances the flow of the novel, though it does serve multiple purposes fairly effectively.
And you know what I totally missed the first time around? The interpersonal relationships. They're absolutely fantastic, ranging from Tea and Fox's sibling (plus asha/familiar) bond to Tea and her asha sisters/mentors to Tea and Likh's friendship to Tea and Kance's mutual fascination to Tea and Kalen's changing dynamic. While the infrastructure for a grand romance is present, it's not yet in full swing, which allows the familial and friendly relationships to shine in a way they often don't get to.
Diverse worldbuilding and characters are a strength in just about every Chupeco book I've read, and this is no exception. The asha community is richly cultured with vibrant traditions, complex hierarchies and loyalties, a society that demonstrates the power of women; the interactions between members of different kingdoms/nationalities offers insightful social commentary without really outright preaching. Also, can we just take a minute to appreciate the brilliance of the whole concept of heartsglass?
The plot itself is actually a refreshing balance between an academic narrative (with all Tea's lessons, including some practical interpersonal/sociopolitical coaching that I wish they'd taught us in public high school) and a dark fantasy drama. Chupeco manages not to overload the reader with new information or too many rapid action sequences, while keeping the plot from getting boring.
So all in all, this won't be everyone's cup of tea, but its unique setup certainly deserves more hype beyond the (devoted but relatively small) bookish community.
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CONVERSION: 11.3 / 15 = 4 stars
Prose: 5 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 8 / 10
Emotional Impact: 7 / 10
Development / Flow: 6 / 10
Setting: 9 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: 5 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 4 / 5
Rereadability: 4 / 5
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[2018 original review below]
I really loved the worldbuilding of this book - the magic system, the social hierarchies, the eight (?) kingdoms (see, there's a sign: I just finished this book and I've already forgotten) - but it was really just the backdrop for the plot and characters, with which I wasn't quite as satisfied. The descriptions are lovely, but don't really add to the substance of the novel either. For example, when Tea reads people's heartglass (which are kinda like mood rings) she vividly describes the colors but doesn't explain what it means, which really just feels like holding out on us.
Tea (pronounced Tey-uh, which we don't actually realize until a good bit into the book and, at least for me personally, threw me off and distanced me from the character) is likable enough, as are Fox and Lady Mychaela and all the rest of the primary cast. That is, minus the bard who tells the interim "chapters"; he didn't really have a personality that I could distinguish, which works for a passive storyteller but not so much when he is an active character in the narrative.
Also, at some point the interim chapters bored me rather than engaging me. They worked pretty well as a hook, but they were too short and shallow to really advance the "subplot" being told. It's a balance that works onscreen but not so much on the page.
Spoiler
necromancy, blood magic, off-page major character death(s) [then resurrection], minor character deaths, hazing, misogyny & slut-shaming, mentioned honor killingrep:
Spoiler
Asian-coded setting & cast, demi/grayace MC [Tea], likely-trans major character [Likh], implied-WLW major character [Zoya], queer-coded secondary character [Rahim]I think I gave this 3.5 stars when I first read it in 2018, and all I can say is that I definitely missed a lot of the nuances. A lot of Chupeco's brilliance is in the subtleties of the storytelling, the implications and slow-build arcs, which I certainly appreciate a lot more now than I did two years ago.
For example, the brief interim chapters narrated by the Bard — I originally thought them superfluous interruptions to the main narrative. But seen in the context of the trilogy, they provide framework and foreshadowing, a dual timeline that builds more tension, a sharp contrast between a more innocent Tea and the slightly-older Tea who has seen and done some haunting things. I do still think this structure somewhat unbalances the flow of the novel, though it does serve multiple purposes fairly effectively.
And you know what I totally missed the first time around? The interpersonal relationships. They're absolutely fantastic, ranging from Tea and Fox's sibling (plus asha/familiar) bond to Tea and her asha sisters/mentors to Tea and Likh's friendship to Tea and Kance's mutual fascination to Tea and Kalen's changing dynamic. While the infrastructure for a grand romance is present, it's not yet in full swing, which allows the familial and friendly relationships to shine in a way they often don't get to.
Diverse worldbuilding and characters are a strength in just about every Chupeco book I've read, and this is no exception. The asha community is richly cultured with vibrant traditions, complex hierarchies and loyalties, a society that demonstrates the power of women; the interactions between members of different kingdoms/nationalities offers insightful social commentary without really outright preaching. Also, can we just take a minute to appreciate the brilliance of the whole concept of heartsglass?
The plot itself is actually a refreshing balance between an academic narrative (with all Tea's lessons, including some practical interpersonal/sociopolitical coaching that I wish they'd taught us in public high school) and a dark fantasy drama. Chupeco manages not to overload the reader with new information or too many rapid action sequences, while keeping the plot from getting boring.
So all in all, this won't be everyone's cup of tea, but its unique setup certainly deserves more hype beyond the (devoted but relatively small) bookish community.
-----------
CONVERSION: 11.3 / 15 = 4 stars
Prose: 5 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 8 / 10
Emotional Impact: 7 / 10
Development / Flow: 6 / 10
Setting: 9 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: 5 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 4 / 5
Rereadability: 4 / 5
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[2018 original review below]
Spoiler
3.5 stars, probably.I really loved the worldbuilding of this book - the magic system, the social hierarchies, the eight (?) kingdoms (see, there's a sign: I just finished this book and I've already forgotten) - but it was really just the backdrop for the plot and characters, with which I wasn't quite as satisfied. The descriptions are lovely, but don't really add to the substance of the novel either. For example, when Tea reads people's heartglass (which are kinda like mood rings) she vividly describes the colors but doesn't explain what it means, which really just feels like holding out on us.
Tea (pronounced Tey-uh, which we don't actually realize until a good bit into the book and, at least for me personally, threw me off and distanced me from the character) is likable enough, as are Fox and Lady Mychaela and all the rest of the primary cast. That is, minus the bard who tells the interim "chapters"; he didn't really have a personality that I could distinguish, which works for a passive storyteller but not so much when he is an active character in the narrative.
Also, at some point the interim chapters bored me rather than engaging me. They worked pretty well as a hook, but they were too short and shallow to really advance the "subplot" being told. It's a balance that works onscreen but not so much on the page.