Bone Crier’s Moon by Kathryn Purdie

Hello, my lovely readers!
I am still on a mission to finally catch up with all the wonderful books I got in a subscription box. So, today we’ll talk about Bone Crier’s Moon!

Bone Crier’s Moon on Goodreads

The Plot (as found on Goodreads):

Bone ​Criers have a sacred duty. They alone can keep the dead from preying on the living. But their power to ferry the spirits of the dead into goddess Elara’s Night Heavens or Tyrus’s Underworld comes from sacrifice. The gods demand a promise of dedication. And that promise comes at the cost of the Bone Criers’ one true love.

Ailesse has been prepared since birth to become the matriarch of the Bone Criers, a mysterious famille of women who use strengths drawn from animal bones to ferry dead souls. But first she must complete her rite of passage and kill the boy she’s also destined to love.

Bastien’s father was slain by a Bone Crier and he’s been seeking revenge ever since. Yet when he finally captures one, his vengeance will have to wait. Ailesse’s ritual has begun and now their fates are entwined—in life and in death.

Sabine has never had the stomach for the Bone Criers’ work. But when her best friend Ailesse is taken captive, Sabine will do whatever it takes to save her, even if it means defying their traditions—and their matriarch—to break the bond between Ailesse and Bastien. Before they all die. 

The Rating:

Oh, this ended up being quite nice!
I do, however, have to confess that I did have some trouble getting into the book. While I was fascinated by the concept from the get-go, I was a little annoyed with the attempted enemies to lovers trope, we’re working with here. Don’t get me wrong, it’s well written, but I might just have been jaded by the concept. Furthermore, the story and folklore applied here unfold a bit slowly. But I was so interested in the concept, I wanted to know more and I wanted to know right now.

However, after a while I was sucked into the story so fully, I didn’t even care and was totally on board.

As I mentioned before the whole thing about the bone criers was such a great idea. It’s unique and fascinating yet it seems to draw from other folklore at times. Worldbuilding can make or break a story and Purdie definitely succeeded here. It’s not just how she describes the mechanics of being a bone crier, the surroundings, the city, everything in this book is presented in a way that will immediately conjure images in your head.

For a while, this may be a bit of a slow burn but towards the end, we get plot twist after plot twist and revelation after revelation. After the first couple of chapters, I wasn’t sure whether I’d want to read the sequel. By the time I had finished I needed the sequel, like, yesterday! Purdie sets things up perfectly for the next installment with a cliffhanger that came not with a fizzle but with a bang.

Bone Crier’s Moon has something to offer for everybody: found family, romance, friendship, action and fighting, some supernatural aspects along with a fascinating backbone to the worldbuilding. So, despite initial trouble, I ended up liking this one tremendously and can’t wait for Bone Crier’s dawn!

Did you read this book? Let me know in the comments what you think!

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