Bone Crier's Moon by Kathryn Purdie

Bone Crier's Moon (Bone Grace, #1)

by Kathryn Purdie

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Kathryn Purdie comes a high-stakes fantasy duology flush with doomed romance and macabre magic, perfect for fans of Stephanie Garber and Roshani Chokshi.

Bone Criers are the last descendants of an ancient famille charged with using the magic they draw from animal bones to shepherd the dead into the afterlife—lest they drain the light from the living.

Ailesse has been prepared since birth to become their matriarch, but first she must complete her rite of passage: to kill the boy she’s destined to love.

Bastien’s father was slain by a Bone Crier and he’s been seeking revenge ever since. Now his vengeance must wait, as Ailesse’s ritual has begun and their fates are entwined—in life and in death.

Reviewed by thepunktheory on

4 of 5 stars

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Full review on my blog coming soon!

Oh, this ended up being quite nice!
I do, however, have to confess that I did have some trouble getting into the book. While I was fascinated by the concept from the get-go, I was a little annoyed with the attempted enemies to lovers trope, we're working with here. Don't get me wrong, it's well written, but I might just have been jaded by the concept. Furthermore, the story and folklore applied here unfold a bit slowly. But I was so interested in the concept, I wanted to know more and I wanted to know right now.
However, after a while I was sucked into the story so fully, I didn't even care and was totally on board.
As I mentioned before the whole thing about the bone criers was such a great idea. It's unique and fascinating yet it seems to draw from other folklore at times. Worldbuilding can make or break a story and Purdie definitely succeeded here. It's not just how she describes the mechanics of being a bone crier, the surroundings, the city, everything in this book is presented in a way that will immediately conjure images in your head.
For a while, this may be a bit of a slow burn but towards the end, we get plot twist after plot twist and revelation after revelation. After the first couple of chapters, I wasn't sure whether I'd want to read the sequel. By the time I had finished I needed the sequel, like, yesterday! Purdie sets things up perfectly for the next installment with a cliffhanger that came not with a fizzle but with a bang.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 1 January, 2021: Finished reading
  • 1 January, 2021: Reviewed