Happy Friday JR! Today, in celebration of tomorrow being Friday and this being both the shortest and the longest week ever, I am so excited to share an intriguing and captivating fantasy novel with you! It is another book I’ve discovered thanks to the awesome team at Rockstar Book Tours, and seriously, these guys have AMAZING taste! Be sure to check out their website for all past and upcoming tours!!!

“Tomorrow, my future will be decided by my dead gran’s finger bones. It’s how my whole life has been determined-with bones and blood and snapping flames.”

Magic is my jam. Magic, bones, blood, AND flames?! Oh dark delights, I’m in. And The Bone Charmer did not disappoint on any level.

I honestly don’t even know where to begin with this review. Everything about this book has me swooning. I can’t think of a book where the main character is both POV’s but in different timelines. At first, I was a bit skeptical that it would make the story repetitive, or confusing, but by the bones, I should not have worried at all! The different timelines took the suspense and escalated it, like, one million percent. And somehow, as we learn answers in one timeline, we are still left with just as many questions in both timelines, so that by the end, I was reeling with tension. It’s brilliant story telling and I am here for more!

Another thing the alternate timeline POV did, was allow Shields to explore the different aspects of Saskia’s personality and inner thoughts in an incredibly intimate and clever way. We all have the lurking question ‘what if’ come up throughout our lives. What would our life be like? What would we be like? And here, we get to actually explore that question with Saskia. For a coming of age tale, this is such an inventive way to explore two life paths, along with the positives and negatives of each. The idea that there is no perfect path is such a powerful message, and I am thrilled at how it was presented and discussed throughout the story.

I also really loved the examination of fate and choice, and how one isn’t necessarily the same as the other. This is such a beautiful message in a fantasy novel, because it really ensures the reader knows that choice can impact your future, no matter what fate says. That fate is a likelihood, not a path set in stone, and it is both heartwarming and heartbreaking reading how Saskia learns this truth on both of her life paths.

The ending is both perfect and brutal and a punch to the face all at the same time. Be warned, it is a cliffhanger, and will for sure leave you gasping for more. I NEED MORE!!! But it’s also such a satisfying ending. There’s so much to think about and digest. This book is one of those rare gems that you need to read more than once to fully capture and appreciate all the hidden nuance woven into the story. Having to wait and savor the journey feels right, necessary even.

If you love fantasy, magic, and journeys that make you examine your own life and choices, you will fall in love with The Bone Charmer.

Thank you Rockstar Book Tours and Page Street Publishing for sending my a copy and including me on this blog tour!

The Bone Charmer is out now, check out the link below and grab your copy today. Don’t forget, there’s a giveaway below! Enter for a chance to win one of three finished copies.

“I was absolutely swept away by the world of The Bone Charmer.” – Kendare Blake, #1 NYT Bestselling author of Three Dark Crowns

In Saskia’s world, bones are the source of all power. They tell the future, reveal the past, and expose secrets in the present. Each village has a designated seer who performs readings for the townsfolk, and in Midwood, the Bone Charmer is Saskia’s mother.

On the day of her kenning—a special bone reading that determines the apprenticeships of all seventeen-year-olds—Saskia’s worst fears come true. She receives an assignment to train as a Bone Charmer, like her mother, and even worse, a match-making reading that pairs her with Bram—a boy who has suspicious tattoos that hint of violence.

Saskia knows her mother saw multiple paths for her, yet chose one she knew Saskia wouldn’t want. Their argument leads to a fracture in one of the bones. Broken bones are always bad luck, but this particular set of bones have been infused with extra magic, and so the break has devastating consequences—Saskia’s future has split as well. Now she will live her two potential paths simultaneously. Only one future can survive. And Saskia’s life is in danger in both.

Title: THE BONE CHARMER

Author: Breeana Shields

Pub. Date: May 21, 2019

Publisher: Page Street Kids

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Pages: 400

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD

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.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads

3 winners will receive a signed finished copy of THE BONE CHARMER, US Only.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the tour for excerpts, reviews, and more chances to win!

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

5/21/2019- BookHounds YA– Excerpt

5/22/2019- Smada’s Book Smack– Review

5/23/2019- The Pages In-Between– Review

5/24/2019- A Dream Within A Dream– Excerpt

Week Two:

5/27/2019- Lifestyle of Me– Review

5/28/2019- Some Books & Ramblings– Review

5/29/2019- Book-Keeping– Review

5/30/2019- Jena Brown Writes– Review

5/31/2019- Confessions of a YA Reader– Excerpt

Week Three:

6/3/2019- Two Points of Interest– Review