Book Review | The Bone Witch, by Rin Chupeco

The beast raged; it punctured the air with its spite. But the girl was fiercer.

Tea is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy makes her a bone witch, who are feared and ostracized in the kingdom. For theirs is a powerful, elemental magic that can reach beyond the boundaries of the living—and of the human.

Great power comes at a price, forcing Tea to leave her homeland to train under the guidance of an older, wiser bone witch. There, Tea puts all of her energy into becoming an asha, learning to control her elemental magic and those beasts who will submit by no other force. And Tea must be strong—stronger than she even believes possible. Because war is brewing in the eight kingdoms, war that will threaten the sovereignty of her homeland…and threaten the very survival of those she loves.

 

I’ve been wanting to read this ever since I laid eyes on that gorgeous cover. It’s taken me far too long to get around to, and I’m super happy I finally read it!

So, there were a lot of negative reviews for this book, but for me, this was a solid 5 stars, and I knew it was going to be before I even got halfway through.

I mean, first of all, the main characters name is TEA!

(And yes, I know it’s Tae-yuh, but the author didn’t clarify that until the end of the book so she is now officially Tea forever. Sorry *pokes tongue*)

Secondly, it’s about WITCHES. I love myself some witchy books.

And thirdly, the lore in this was amazing— it was so detailed, so wonderful… like a south-eastern Skyrim. It was heavenly to read about.

Now I am the queen of impatience. I hate slow things, and one of the biggest complaints people had about this book was that it was slow, and boring, and nothing ever happened.

To which, I just say… question mark?

I, for one, did not find this book slow. The pacing was perfect, considering how much world building we had to process. And how could anyone find this book boring? I mean, if they were expecting the entire world’s cultures and traditions to be unraveled in the first 100 pages then where would the suspense be? I really liked seeing Tea grow and evolve as she revealed her story to us, and in turn, we learned about new things at the right time. And not to mention that there are still cliffhangers!!

 

What I Liked:

1 | The hua’s— but more specifically, the story and tradition behind the hua. I love how each one is unique to represent each individual, and that wearing another girl’s hua is a huge offence. I love it!

2 | I also adored the concept of the heartglasses! The meaning behind it was so powerful and I think it was this point in the book where I truly began to fall in love with it.

3 | I really enjoyed the distinct difference and transition between young Tea and older Tea. Not only does Chupeco write characters well, but she creates suspense well. I was wondering how our adorable little Tea came to be so cold and cruel.

4 | The exposition at the end— without spoiling anything, I did NOT see that coming! (but thinking back there were clues EVERYWHERE and it all makes perfect sense!)

5 | I loved Polarie— she was one of my favourite characters.

 

What I Disliked:

1 | I was hoping we’d get to find out how Tea got exiled to the Sea of Skulls, seeing as she was talking about it the whole time. BUT, that just means we get more books so I’m not even mad!

2 | I feel like the very end was kind of rushed and it was a little bit hard to follow.

 

Things I’m Looking Forward To Learning:

*Warning: Spoilers Ahead*

1 | How did Daisy die? (HA! You thought I’d forgotten that tiny detail, huh?)

2 | How did Tea get exiled? What did she do?

3 | WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON WITH KALEN AND KANCE??? HOW DID KALEN HAPPEN????? WHAT HAPPENED TO KANCE???

 

Final Thoughts:

Honestly, this book is fantastic and I’m really sad that there’s not a bigger fanbase backing it. I would love to see some fanart of the huas and the characters and the lands and cultures! It’s really interesting to me!

 

Tea Rating:

Mint Tea | The most exclusive tea rating. This book is a breath of fresh air.