The Bone Maker by Sarah Beth Durst
Synopsis:
Twenty-five years ago, five heroes risked their lives to defeat the bone maker Eklor—a corrupt magician who created an inhuman army using animal bones. But victory came at a tragic price. Only four of the heroes survived.
Since then, Kreya, the group’s leader, has exiled herself to a remote tower and devoted herself to one purpose: resurrecting her dead husband. But such a task requires both a cache of human bones and a sacrifice—for each day he lives, she will live one less.
She’d rather live one year with her husband than a hundred without him, but using human bones for magic is illegal in Vos. The dead are burned—as are any bone workers who violate the law. Yet Kreya knows where she can find the bones she needs: the battlefield where her husband and countless others lost their lives.
But defying the laws of the land exposes a terrible possibility. Maybe the dead don’t rest in peace after all.
Five warriors—one broken, one gone soft, one pursuing a simple life, one stuck in the past, and one who should dead. Their story should have been finished. But evil doesn’t stop just because someone once said, “the end.”
Review:
I haven’t read many long, fantasy novels lately, as I have so many books in my TBR pile. But this sounded like a unique twist on magic, and I’ve pretty much read (and reviewed) almost every children’s and YA novel written by Durst. She’s a favorite author of mine. So, of course, it didn’t take any coaxing to check this out. And I wasn’t surprised at all to quickly get caught up in this story.
Kreya lost the love of her life 25 years ago, but has been trying to bring him back ever since using illegal magic. But the past evil that killed him seems to be back. This is an exceptional fantasy packed with engaging character, gruesome magic, and a complex and captivating plot. It’s a thrilling read with adventure, drama, friendship, romance, and intrigue. I enjoyed every bit of this impressive novel.