Title: Bone Weaver
Author: Aden Polydoros
Genre: Dark YA Fantasy
Publisher: Harlequin/Inkyard Press
Pages: 416
Release Date: 13 October 2022 (UK)
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Hello fellow booklovers, today I'm sharing my review of Aden Polydoros' Bone Weaver, an intriguingly dark and thought-provoking fantasy which seamlessly blends the rich and diverse folklore of Eastern Europe with Jewish and Imperial Russian history to create a beautifully vivid though unflinchingly bloody tale of power, persecution, grief, identity, found family and belonging.
An absolute must read for lovers of magic, monsters or mythology infused YA fantasy!
Synopsis
A haunting fantasy following Toma, adopted daughter of the benevolent undead, making her way across a civil war-torn continent to save her younger sister as she discovers she might possess magical powers herself.
The Kosa empire roils in tension, on the verge of being torn apart by a proletarian revolution between magic-endowed elites and the superstitious lower class, but seventeen-year-old Toma lives blissfully disconnected from the conflict in the empire with her adoptive family of benevolent undead.
When she meets Vanya, a charming commoner branded as a witch by his own neighbors, and the dethroned Tsar Mikhail himself, the unlikely trio bonds over trying to restore Mikhail’s magic and protect the empire from the revolutionary leader, Koschei, whose forces have stolen the castle. Vanya has his magic, and Mikhail has his title, but if Toma can’t dig deep and find her power in time, all of their lives will be at Koschei’s mercy.
Review
I adored pretty much every second of Aden Polydoros’ richly detailed world building & loved how viscerally immersive the setting felt. The fantastical elements and folkloric beings we encounter (like the man-tickling Mavka and river based Rusalka) were absolutely incredible and really made me want to do more research about them.
All the characters were well developed and wonderfully compelling, and Toma —our protagonist — was definitely a one of the most endearing. This is mostly due to how driven she is by her love (and unwavering loyalty) for her sister. But, I must admit my fave character had to be the charismatic Vanya, who manages to keep his easy going and friendly personality despite the atrocities he’s witnessed firsthand from being Strannik (one of the Empire’s religiously persecuted minority groups.)
The conflicts that all three encounter (and previously experienced) were absolutely heartbreaking at times, and made all the more poignant knowing that they parallel real world situations (both past and present) and struggles that diaspora/minority communities endure—especially in terms of cultural identity and nationality.
The pacing was a little slower than I would’ve liked but, the chance to explore the more surreal (fantastical) elements, as well as the slow burn romance between Toma and Vanya definitely helped to make up for it.
Overall, a gorgeously wrought and uncompromisingly dark fantasy that I genuinely couldn’t put down! Though I do warn there’s quite a lot of graphic violence (blood, death, body horror, gore) so do bear in mind if you decide to pick this up.
A massive thank you to Harper360YA for the incredible arc.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
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