2.5 stars.

Though there was a great premise for this book, there were some problems with the execution. I think my experience would have been vastly improved had I been able to read it in the original Hungarian. There is always that possibility of losing the power of writing and context in translation and that may have been a large part of my issue here. In fact, there are some clear issues with the translation. Some pieces do not make sense and there are some obvious inconsistencies/errors in the construction of sentences. Even the title is technically incorrect. The translation of the Hungarian title to English should be Bonfire, not The Bone Fire. Though I suppose a stretch could help The Bone Fire make sense as well, I question which the author intended for the English release.

As it was presented, there were some fantastically written parts to it and I can see why Dragoman is considered a great author. The pieces come together a bit haphazardly, as if constructed in vignettes rather than a continuous plot, but things do weave together once you get a feel for the book. I did struggle to make it from beginning to end though, as I was frequently lost or confused by what exactly was happening. This could be a factor of how the book was originally written, or it could again be something of a construct caused by translation. It is very difficult to tell. Either way, this disjointed nature dragged down the pacing of the plot for me and prevented me from truly getting immersed in the story.

I did appreciate the magical realism elements to the story and wanted more explanation of these parts. There were a lot of things left hanging and I could have perhaps grown more attached to the characters and events if my understanding had been greater. This was also the case for the ending. It was apparently designed to be somewhat open ended (which I do struggle with on occasion), but it was also abrupt. There was a lot of tension and building in the last few pages of the book and then it just stopped. I honestly wondered if I wasn't missing a piece of my file (read as an e-book) until I read reviews that indicated the same issue.

I have a hard time saying I wouldn't recommend this book...for two reasons. 1. I do not have any Romanian background and don't understand the history of this region very well. This make speak much more to someone who does have that connection. 2. I don't speak Hungarian. I really think that someone who is able to read the book in its original state would be likely to enjoy it. I think that this experience may have created additional understanding in the story that would have lead me to bump my rating up by a star or more.

* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *