Picture it, walking down the rows of books of your favorite bookstore, your gaze sweeping over hundreds and thousands of titles. You have a TBR at home, you really don’t need another book, or two, or three. But there you are still, and you see a title that snags your attention, and suddenly the book is in your hands. And after a cursory inspection of the back of the book and plot, you simply can’t put it back on the shelf.
Such was my experience when I picked up The Bone Ships by RJ Barker.
Synopsis
Two nations at war.
A prize beyond compare.
For generations, the fleets of the Hundred Isles have built their ships from the bones of ancient dragons to fight and endless war.
The dragons disappeared, but the battles for supremacy persisted.
Now the first dragon in centuries has been spotted in the far-off waters, and both sides see a chance to shift the balance of power in their favor. Because whoever catches it will win not only glory, but the war.
The Bone Ships by RJ Barker
Things I Loved
I must’ve been suffering from a pirate hangover after reading The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty. Because when I read the synopsis of The Bone Ships, I knew three things.
It had seafarers.
It had dragons.
And it was a completed trilogy.
So if I fell in love with the story I knew there was more I could devour instantly. Or as instantly as my wallet would allow.
World-building
This story thrusts you into The Hundred Isles and its inhabitants without much of a warmup, but it’s super rich and I found myself spellbound. It’s been a minute since I have found myself in a Fantasy novel that is totally separate from the real world. So many it seems either start in the real world and then take you to another realm, or you start in a parallel world. At least that’s been the case for my recent reads.
So this book hits you with a lot of new terms, and some have little explantation, whilst others have a quite thorough description.
Especially in regards to seafaring. Which is both fascinating and a lot to take in if you’re landlocked midwesterner like myself.
The world of The Hundred Isles though and its inhabitants are really well done. You get an immediate sense of how this world works. How people are rated and judged, and how people find their place in it, be it land or sea.
This book, being the first of a trilogy, does go into certain depths of descriptions. Like I mentioned, seafaring especially, gets a lot of love I the beginning. Which made this a big of a slog to get through the first two-hundred pages.
The Cast of Characters
Similarly to my last pirate read, this book features a substantial cast. And that cast is just as eclectic and fun to read, while maintaining a more serious adventure/fantasy tone.
Also, the Shipwife (captain) is a total badass, and between the crew and them, I found it difficult to narrow down my favorite character. Some you love because of how fierce they are, others you like because of how loyal. And some you love just because of how otherworldly and odd they are.
Honestly, I’d have to say Tide Child‘s Gullaime is my favorite so far. Though that may change as I continue reading the trilogy! We shall see!
Compelling Quest
Due to avoiding spoilers, I can’t go into much detail on this one. It does involve the dragon mentioned in the synopsis obviously. However, it’s not so simple a quest. In fact, as the crew of Tide Child set forth, and more details arise, it’s clear that there is more of a moral dilemma than one might think.
And with it being essentially a group of seafaring scalawags, morals can definitely be at the heart of conflicts.
Book one of The Tide Child Trilogy I feel only lets us scratch the surface of what’s to come in the overarching quest line. And it’s enough of a tease that, combined with everything else I liked about this novel, I will definitely be picking up book two, Call of the Bone Ships upon my next visit to Barnes & Noble.
Things I Didn’t Love
Slow Start
Now, I understand that this is book one of a trilogy. In being so, this books duty is to give as much background as possible.
There were two reasons this book was a bit of a slog for me, and why I ultimately gave it four stars.
Firstly, the heavy-handed seafaring terminology that gets thrown at you right at the start. Just one thing after another, and it’s super descriptive which is great. But at the same time it also feels I’m reading a little info-dump. But this is just my personal feeling.
Secondly, as I mentioned above, it’s about two-hundred pages in before I personally felt like the movie truly started rolling in my head unfettered. Similarly, The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi had a slow start. And it also began with a cast-gathering setup. I just feel like it was a bit more entertaining and held my attention better than the start of The Bone Ships.
In Conclusion
The Bone Ships is a promising fantasy, full of action and a wide cast of characters. Set against the unpredictable sea, the quest and ships will enrapture you.
As the story progresses, that sense of embarking on an important quest only intensifies until you find yourself holding your breath as battles ensue. Only breathing a sigh of relief as the smoke clears. Because unlike some novels, the plot armor is thin, and no one is truly safe.
If you enjoy pirates, the sea, dragons, and a lot of morally grey characters…The Bone Ships should be added to your TBR.
I gave The Bone Ships by RJ Barker
Until Next Time,
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