The Bone Charmer by Breeana Shields
Summary
On the day of Saskia’s kenning―a special bone reading that determines the apprenticeships of all seventeen-year-olds―her worst fear comes true. She receives an assignment to train as a Bone Charmer, a seer, like her mother.
Saskia knows her mother saw multiple paths for her, yet chose the one she knew Saskia wouldn’t want. Their argument leads to a fracture in one of the bones, with the devastating result of splitting Saskia’s future.
Now she will live her two potential paths simultaneously: one where she’s forced to confront her magic, and one where she tries to run from it. But when both paths become entangled in the plot of a rogue Charmer, Saskia learns that no future is safe, and some choices have unimaginable consequences. Only one future can survive. And Saskia’s life is in danger in both.
Book Details
The Bone Charmer by Breeana Shields
Publishes on May 21, 2019 by Page Street Kids
Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Dark Fantasy
Hardcover, 400 pages
Source: ARC from NetGalley / Publisher
My Rating: 3.5 Stars
About the Author
Breeana Shields is an author of fantasy novels for teens including THE BONE CHARMER, POISON'S KISS, and POISON'S CAGE. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a BA in English.
When she’s not writing, Breeana loves reading, traveling, and playing board games with her extremely competitive family. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, her three children, and two adorable, but spoiled dogs.
FATE IS PREDICTABLE. CHOICE IS NOT.
THE BONE CHARMER by Breeana Shields is a unique and captivating new YA fantasy about a heroine who faces two alternating paths in a world where bone readings determine your future.
Only on the day of Saskia’s kenning―a special bone reading that determines the apprenticeships of all seventeen-year-olds―she has an argument with her mother which leads to a devastating result, a fracture in one of the bones—splitting Saskia’s future. Now, two paths are mapped out for her, but which one is true?
“I’m afraid of what will happen if the bone heals...The thought of two different versions of myself wandering around Midwood is frightening, but imagining a version of myself suddenly winking out of existence terrifies me.”
I read and enjoyed Poison's Kiss by Breeana Shields and knew I wanted to try her newest YA fantasy about a world where magic and bones were tied together and a heroine who is caught somewhere between fate and breaking her destiny.
Told from alternating perspectives, the story weaves a fascinating tale of what happens when you try to alter your path, causing fissures or multiple paths to happen. Which one is correct creates tons of tension as the readers follow Saskia in two very different situations, but come to admire her spirit and determination.
The plot develops slowly as the world of bone magic is built. I overall enjoyed the story, especially the school that Saskia attends and her budding romance on one path and her complicated relationship with her mother that is explored on the other paths.
I kept wondering how the author was going to pull these two lives back together and if the mending of the broken bone that caused the fracture would really change anything, or if it was really up to our young heroine.
Breena Shield’s writing is rich and atmospheric, the worldbuilding is painted with a light hand with the focus on characters. I would recommend THE BONE CHARMER to fans of her writing and readers of YA fantasy who enjoy character-driven stories and split destinies.
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