EDIT: I originally had this at 3 stars but really it’s a 2. I just don’t think this book accomplished what the synopsis promises. To be honest, I read this less than a week ago and it’s already becoming a fading memory. I wanted to love this book and it just missed the mark.


Original Review:

I didn't have strong feelings about this book one way or the other. I did think there was some originality regarding the mythology and culture of the bone crier's as a group, but there is a focus on killing animals in order to take on their strengths that could definitely rub people the wrong way.

I guess the biggest detractor for me was the romance between Bastien and Ailesse. I was ready for it to be angsty and swoony, but it didn't feel like there was really any arc to their relationship. They wanted to kill each other, then they were obsessively in love, with little development of them as characters or as a potential couple. There are some moments of time passing where I guess they could've grown together, but I would've liked to see it.

That said, I didn't hate this book. It's fine.

One last thing I want to mention is the audiobook, which if I was rating would get a 1.5/5 stars. The production value just isn't good. The male voice actor has such an annoying tone to his voice. He does this gravelly whisper that just did not work for me at all. Also, his inflections and cadence are
really strange. I can't quite put my finger on it, but between the whispering and the cadence, it was like he was trying to create some sort of hurried tension that I did not like at all. The women voicing the lady protagonists were better, but there were times I lost track of whose perspective we were in because there really wasn't much of a difference in their voices, aside from one speaking at a slightly higher pitch. Part of that has to do with the writing as well, but I wish the voice actors' voices had been more distinct.
Another problem with the audiobook is that the sound quality wasn't consistent throughout. One character would be narrating, and the voice and sound quality would sound one way, then the next sentence would sound completely different, as if it was being recorded in a different room or using different equipment. This was prevalent throughout the audiobook, and there were times it even sounded muffled. Now, I don't expect that an actor is going to sit down and record hours upon hours nonstop in only one take. However, the production team should have ensured that the quality of the recording was consistent throughout the production, because having such drastic differences in sound quality was distracting.

That being said, it didn't affect my rating of this story. It could've been the most phenomenal audiobook ever and I wouldn't have given it more than a 3/5. But if you are looking to pick this up I would suggest steering clear of the audiobook.

I doubt I'll pick up the sequel, but who knows?