The Bone Maker – Sarah Beth Durst
Harper Voyager | Paperback | March 9, 2021
The Gist
A war-worn team of legendary heroes gets back together after twenty-five years to stop an evil bone maker from raising an army of monsters and taking over the world—again.
Read if you like….
Dark fantasy
Stories about second chances
Epic worldbuilding
Slower paced reads
Standalone epics
Well-thought-out magic systems
The Verdict: Read it!
In The Bone Maker, Sarah Beth Durst asks the question: What happens after “The End”? What does happily ever after look like? How do the heroes move on? Can they move on? For Kreya, one of the Bone War’s legendary heroes, it’s not possible. The war with the corrupt bone maker Elkor cost her her husband, Jentt. Consumed by grief, Kreya eventually turns to the same forbidden magic that Elkor once used to fuel his spells and raise his army of monsters to bring Jentt back from the dead. Not only is the magic illegal and unethical, but using it takes days and years off her own life. Not that Kreya cares. The only thing that matters is gathering enough human bones to bring Jentt back for good and live their happily ever after—no matter how long that may be. It’s decisions like these where the moral grayness of Durst’s characters truly shines. And while at times it feels like Durst leans a lot on the legendary reputation of Kreya and her team, seeing the people they used to be only further emphasizes how each of these heroes is a shadow of their former self, allowing for themes like grief, trauma, and PTSD to be explored. Though the plot has a slower pace, it has a good, natural build that will keep readers hooked. The magic system Durst has created is also a delight and the real gem of this standalone fantasy. The system is complex but easy to grasp and the consequences of using magic are also clear, which is refreshing.
