Interesting and intense

I’ve not listened to nor read a book with quite this take on psychic powers and mental illness. Keeps one engaged and paying attention. That being said, I was a bit relieved when it was over. Not a relaxing read, but well done. The narrator did a spot on job.

2 people found this helpful

Enjoyed it...but Mentally Exhausting

Whew....where to begin!? The concept of this book was so unique that I can't firmly place it into one genre. It has mystery, intrigue, court politics, and romance (albeit not much). It's a dark fantasy novel but with touches of sci-fi and even felt a little steampunk-ish(?) at times. I loved the fresh idea that this book encapsulated, and I did enjoy it, but there were so many issues that I just couldn't rate it any higher.

The book is mentally exhausting! I spent the first 1/4 of the book extremely confused and almost returned it to get my credit back. I'll admit that I remain confused about many facets of the book, but you do get a better grasp as it progresses. This also may be one of those novels that's better to actually read than to listen to, as the dialogue becomes quite confusing between Charm and her bone ghosts/alternate personalities when listened to via audiobook, although the narrator was great. I also had a hard time visualizing the world. It is fantasy, after all, and this might be due to lack of creativity on my part, but I could never get a firm visual for the buildings, dresses, people, etc. This is one of the few examples where more descriptive world-building could have been used.

Fair warning that this isn't a "feel good" book. It's mostly dark throughout, and I didn't feel any satisfaction with the rushed conclusion either. The villains are beyond vile and there was no redemption for any. While there isn't any explicit sex, it is heavily implied due to Charm running a brothel. That doesn't bother me, but I know it does some people, And it's chock full of violence, physical and sexual, towards the women, some whom are portrayed as very young, which was painful to read at times.

Believe this could have been an excellent book, probably my favorite of the year, if it had been done slightly different. Nonetheless, I do applaud the author for her unique idea.

2 people found this helpful

such a contemporary way to build character

the characters in this book have a unique relationship as individuals and as a whole. this book is a compassionate and on point description of the multiple and changing selves that each person is. so refreshing!

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A Fantastic, UNIQUE Take on Gothic Fantasy

This novel ticked all the right boxes for me in a SSF story. Firstly, it is UNIQUE. The worldbuilding is really something to behold. From the story’s onset the reader is introduced to a fascinating world containing boneghosts – aspects of Madame Charm herself, for whom she grows bodies made from bones grown in her bone orchard combined with “empathy fluid” in coffin-like vats. These boneghosts, Pain, Justice, Pride, Shame, and Desire, serve as Orchard House’s sex workers, each with basically Madame Charm’s face but with various differences (e.g., skin tone, deformities, apparent ages). Firedrinkers, psychically-gifted constables, hide behind mirrored helmets and body armor such that one cannot distinguish whether they are males or females – the lack of differentiation enhanced by their helm’s ability to render the wearer’s voice androgynous. Crystal-encased mindlocks – stolen technology from a conquered land – are set in the temples of Firedrinkers (and Charm herself) protect psychics from going mad, but at a cost – they force the individual to comply with their orders of suffer intense pain. And then there’s the anti-aging drug Rejuv.

If the worldbuilding wasn’t enough to make me fall in love with The Bone Orchard, the characters really push my fondness for this novel over the top. Madame Charm is not only the epitome of the strong female character surviving in the strictly patriarchal society of a Victorian era-like world, smart, clever, and resolute, sure, but also compelling. Her boneghosts take on lives of their own, some I’ve become angry at by their actions, some have deeply saddened me to the point where I had to pause and regroup before continuing on, and on several occasions I’ve found myself vocally cheering for them. And though these women are really the highlight of the tale, there’s one mysterious character who I found to be the most intriguing of all, and of this I shall say no more!

All of this along with clever writing (the sort that makes one stop and shout “YEAH!” when encountering particularly brilliantly-written passages), meticulous attention to detail, and the ability to make one actually care about the highlighted characters makes it utterly surprising that this is the author’s debut novel.

Highly recommended and a refreshing departure from the norm in gothic fantasy. Five stars for both the author and the narrator.

2 people found this helpful

Strange but entertaining

Very weird premise and a bit confusing at first but very enjoyable. I ended up liking it.

1 person found this helpful

Mystery, Politics, and Psyche

I just finished The Stardust Thief the other day, so The Bone Orchard is the second debut novel I've read this. I'm on a real streak here because these authors are killing it! This is a completely different type of fantasy. It's more low key than what I usually read. While the fantasy elements aren't restrained, neither is magic the solution to the conflict.

Just a heads up - there's a bit of a learning curve. The author believes in the intelligence of the reader, so the story dives right in. I find these types of early chapters easier to digest in ebook rather than audiobook, but I was still able to follow along. The narrator did an excellent job.

The Bone Orchard is a layered multi-mystery story. While the main mystery is about who murdered the emperor, that's not the heart of the story. I actually wasn't very invested in who did the deed, although I enjoyed seeing the protagonist unravel the different political machinations involved. My interest was mostly engaged in the mystery of the protagonist's future and how she would ultimately come to terms with herself. I was also interested in her mysterious past which was only hinted at in the first half of the novel.

This does not read like a debut. The story is strong from beginning to end. While it's completely different in tone than Ninefox Gambit, there is a similarly confusing aspect to this book, but it will make sense by the end. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys strong characterization, gothic feels, and won't be frustrated at getting answers in bits and pieces.

1 person found this helpful

The Bone Orchard

The plot doesn't really line up with what the back cover says. It's more accepting herself, all of herself, Charm.and not needing to hide behind pain. Charm splitting herself up into different bonehosts was a challenge to listen to. It was a struggle to read.

Brilliant

A clever indictment of the usual fantasy tropes wrapped in a satisfying story with compelling characters, tight writing, and fine narration.

So complex, but so good!

It is very complex in the beginning. They throw you into the story/world. A forward would or prologue would have been nice to set the stage of what to expect before chapter 1. I found that slowing the reading to .9 speed helps a lot with understanding and following along up the story.

I loved the character development and symbolism through our the story. The description of multiple personalities was wonderful.

It was hard for me to imagine the world but that didn’t bother me as much as it normally would because the concept is so enticing.

I really recommend slowing the reading to .9 as soon as the book starts to give yourself a chance.

Eh

I had no idea what was going on for 3/4’s of the story. It wasn’t until the end that everything made sense, and not in a clever way. The cover is beautiful and immediately draws the reader in but the story doesn’t live up its expectation. Plus, the story was very long. It was painful to get through.