In the world of the Hundred Isles, ships have been built from the bones of sea dragons--white, gleaming ships, equipped with corpse lights. But there are also black bone ships, captained and crewed by condemned criminals. And Joron Twiner finds himself on Tide Child, a black ship, in retaliation for killing the son of a powerful official in a duel.
Joron Twiner presents an intriguing protagonist as he gradually grows from an angry, depressed, nineteen-year-old and begins to question the rules and history of his society. I found this particularly interesting as the growth is slow and not readily accepted as Joron clings to the traditions he has been raised to accept.
Lucky Meas takes command of the Tide Child from Joron and not only allows him to live, but gives him second in command. Lucky Meas has been Shipwife (captain) of one of the most famous of the bone ships and has become a legend for her courage and skill in battle. How did she become condemned to a black ship? Whatever the reason, Meas is a leader and she is able to get both ship and crew into shape through force of will.
Meas, Joron, and the crew of the Tide Child are in search of the last sea dragon and the attempts to protect it or kill it.
(At the end, there is an appendix ranks in the Fleet and the Hundred Isles that (in my opinion) should have been at the beginning to help the reader adjust to this new world. Definition of the bern, berncast, Fleet ranks, etc. would make entering the world easier.)
I had not read RJ Barker before, but as soon as I finished The Bone Ships (knowing it would probably be a year's wait before the next in the series comes out), I ordered Age of Assassins, the first in Barker's Wounded Kingdom trilogy. Which lets you know how much I liked the book and the author. I literally put my Kindle on large print and walked while reading--mostly inside because adding the heat index to 98 degrees made walking outside too damn hot.
Read in August; blog review scheduled for Sept. 2.
NetGalley/Orbit Books
Fantasy/Adventure. Sept. 24, 2019. Print length: 512 pages.
DI Lena Lorezen is sent to investigate by a boss she doesn't trust. The victim was the head of a children's home, and the investigation leads to links to the past.
Not a bad mystery/police procedural, but the romance of Lena's reconnection with her youthful boyfriend felt like the author was trying to include a romance for a target audience.
Read in July; blog review scheduled for Sept. 2.
NetGalley/Amazon Publishing, UK
Police Procedural. Print length: 240 pages.
Both books sound good to me! I'll definitely keep them in mind. :)
ReplyDeleteBone Ships was an original take on fantasy, and I enjoyed it!
DeleteI totally understand about walking inside. However, I don't walk carrying my Kindle. Ha! Audiobooks for me, but I do understand that you were reading a book you had in e-book format. Yes, I'm so ready for cooler temps.
ReplyDeleteAudiobooks would be a good idea for keeping the mind occupied for walking, but not always available. :) Either way, they provide a great incentive for getting those steps in!
DeleteWow, you seem to be reading more books than ever. All these double-book reviews mean you must be on quite a pace this year. I've actually tried reading on a Kindle while walking a shaded path in a local park during the middle of the day because not too many people are out there at that time - still managed to run into a tree and pull the cap right off the top of my head in the process.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I need to wait a long time before publishing a review, so I'll put more include more than one at a time. I wouldn't try to do this outside--just in the house and more in the form of pacing. :)
DeleteThe Bone Ships sounds amazing! I'm adding that one to my list for sure! :D
ReplyDeleteI wasn't sure that I would like this one at first, but in the end, I found myself completely engrossed with The Bone Ships and went on to read more by Barker!
DeleteBoth of these sound like books I'd like to check out! While I don't mind a romance in a mystery (and sometimes I really enjoy it), I want it to feel natural and not like well, let me check off a box here and add this.
ReplyDelete:) I don't mind a romance that feels like a natural development, but The Body on the Beach didn't feel like that.
DeleteI agree with all the comments that The Bone Ships sounds wonderful! Fantasy often tends to be rather derivative of other older books. This sounds like a breath of fresh air!
ReplyDeleteI enjoy epic fantasy, but it is often dependent on the characters because the worlds are very similar. The Bone Ships does have a freshness to it. :)
DeleteThe Bone Ships sound amazing, and Joron and Lucky wonderfully complex -- in particular, I am ready to see Lucky take control of the ship through sheer force of will. I dislike shoehorned romances for the sake of it (or an audience) -- especially when there's a *really* good mystery involved.
ReplyDeleteThe Bone Ships was full of complexities and adventure. :) The Body on the Beach romance didn't contribute at all.
DeleteThe Bone Ships sounds amazing. And The Body on the Beach sounds good. I like the occasional romance in mysteries, but it can be annoying when it doesn't feel like a natural part of the story.
ReplyDeleteThe Bone Ships was an intriguing world full of interesting characters. :)
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