The Bone Door

by Frances White

How far will you go to open The Bone Door?

When Hop awakens in an ancient labyrinth, he has no memory of his life or how, indeed, he got here.

He does not recognise the mysterious girl trapped with him.

And he certainly cannot identify the shadowy figure stalking him, whispering terrible things . . .

But there is one thing he is certain of.

He must escape.

The only way out of the labyrinth is through The Bone Door. But it lies behind a series of locked doors hidden across an array of realms.

As Hop travels deeper into the maze, he discovers that he and his companions may be more connected to the place and its horrors than he could ever imagine.

Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Adult, Fiction, Science Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Horror Thriller

528 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication May 7, 2026

About the author

Frances White is the award winning and internationally bestselling author of Voyage of the Damned, a magical queer murder mystery at sea.

She has a soft spot for writing unlikely, flawed, messy heroes and loves mixing humour and heartbreak.

Frances is passionate about bringing more LGBTQIA+ representation and fat positivity into fantasy.

When not writing, she can be found sewing costumes for conventions or researching obscure historical facts.

She has two cats, Apollo and Hermes, who she dutifully serves.

Reviews

[Frances White]

It's a common belief amongst authors that your second published book is the most difficult. That certainly held true for me. The Bone Door is the hardest book I’ve ever written. Maybe the hardest book I ever WILL write, though I do not put it past me to make my life more difficult, so perhaps not.

Like navigating a labyrinth, this story is not an easy adventure – it is one that demands something of readers, which, in these perilous times, is asking a lot.

The Bone Door is a story about trauma, friendship and hope enduring. At its centre is Hop—a boy who personifies all three of these things.

Hop is thrust into a hellish situation, an unsettling labyrinth where he must complete impossible tasks to survive. He is plagued by haunting shadows, and flickers of terrible memories. But despite all this, he constantly seeks the good. He befriends everyone without judgement (sometimes a poor choice!) and finds the light in even the darkest situations. Most of all he is kind, and I believe that to be a remarkable thing, whether you’re trapped in a labyrinth, or just scrolling social feeds. If even one reader takes that message away from The Bone Door, it will have been worth writing.

So yes, this may be the hardest book I’ve ever written, but if Hop’s and my journey has taught me anything, it is that sometimes the hardest things can be the most rewarding.

I really hope you enjoy The Bone Door, and thank you everyone who has taken a chance on it. It's a story that is very close to my heart, and I'm excited so share it with the world.

Please find an updated list of content warnings on my website.

[Val~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss+ for this DRC of The Bone Door by Frances White, to be published on May 12th, 2026.

The cover is so beautiful! I loved the idea of the story, but somehow I couldn’t connect with the narrative :( I’m sure somebody else can enjoy it more than me!

[Emma Sterner-Radley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frances (being a total sweetheart as always) let me read this book early on to give an author blurb, and I was absolutely hooked!
(Here’s how I blurbed it:
The Bone Door is a unique, emotional read that tackles trauma, empathy, human cruelty, and grief, but that also makes you laugh and appreciate the beauty of love and of being alive!)

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of THE BONE DOOR from the author, and am absolutely blown away by this intricate, twisty, dark fantasy. THE BONE DOOR is like an escape room, if each "room" constituted an entire realm, complete with its own lore, rules, and mysteries to unravel, and our crew is an unruly bunch of youngsters, led by the most adorable kid who ever donned rose-tinted glasses, Hop. Without spoiling all the jaw-dropping moments, which kept me re-evaluating what I knew, or thought I knew, about the world, the characters, and what could possibly happen next, I can just say that THE BONE DOOR is perfection. Highly recommend for all fantasy lovers, mystery lovers, and those who want to have their minds blown, repeatedly.

[Nikki Tucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Bone Door by Frances White is the kind of fantasy that grabs you by the collar and drags you headfirst into its labyrinth — and you will thank it for the bruises.

From the first disorienting page, White drops us into a waking nightmare: an ancient labyrinth, a boy with no memory, a girl he doesn’t recognize but cannot ignore, and a shadow that whispers truths too terrible to dismiss. The premise is deceptively simple, escape, but what unfolds is a brilliantly layered descent through strange realms, each more imaginative and unsettling than the last.

Hop is a compelling anchor in a world built on uncertainty. His amnesia isn’t a gimmick; it’s a tension engine. As he struggles to piece together who he is, the reader is forced to question everything alongside him. Every locked door hides not just a task, but a moral dilemma. Every realm pulses with its own logic and menace. White’s worldbuilding is audacious and intricate without ever losing narrative momentum.

And then there’s the shadow.

The stalking presence that threads through the story is genuinely chilling — intimate, psychological, predatory. The whispers feel personal. The dread feels earned. This is fantasy that doesn’t shy away from horror, and the result is intoxicating.

What elevates The Bone Door beyond its inventive premise is its emotional and philosophical core. Beneath the shifting landscapes and impossible trials lies a story about identity, memory, choice, and the terrifying freedom of self-knowledge. As Hop draws closer to the titular door, the stakes transform from survival to something far more existential.

For those who wondered whether White could recapture the brilliance of Voyage of the Damned — the answer is no. And that is precisely the point. This is not a reconstruction of past magic. It is not a repetition of familiar triumphs. This is evolution. This is expansion. This is a deeper, darker, more intricate layer of storytelling — the kind of imaginative growth that proves White is not retracing her steps but carving entirely new corridors. Even the boldest characters of her previous work would be stunned by the scale of what she builds here.

By the time the final door opens, you will be breathless.

Five stars, without hesitation. I would follow Frances White into any labyrinth she dares to dream next.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing for this gifted ARC!

This book hooked me in from the very beginning. It is so unique, so dark, so thought provoking and just so incredibly interesting. I've read Frances White before and enjoyed their writing so I knew it was a high chance that I would enjoy this as well, and it just did not disappoint.

The story is so interesting, I've never really read anything quite like it. It's a huge story on grief, dealing with trauma, anxiety, and friendship and love. It has an element of trials to it, different doors/realms that they need to get through to progress through their journey. The story is centered around children, it is very much an adult book though, but children are the center of this. It does get incredibly heavy and dark and brutal, so if you have a hard time reading about children in perilous/deathly situations, take care with this one.

There are so many messages throughout this entire book. Whether it's standing up for people who need help, remembering that it's okay to not smile all of the time, or being accepting of people who are different than you are, it was so impactful. It was so deep, and it just gets progressively more thoughtful as you get further into reading it.

I also massively connected to the main character, they demonstrate the same anxiety habit that I have. It was the first time I have ever seen it in a book, and honestly it was really great to read and have that connection. I could really feel how the character was reacting in those moments. This is not a light book by any means, it will make you think, it will horrify you in a lot of parts, but it will also make you remember that there is good in the world too. Heavy and thought provoking are probably the main ways I would describe this book. I absolutely recommend, but be mindful of your triggers if you have any. This releases May 12th!

*This ARC was given by Harlequin Trade Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*

[Jerrica · Rating 5 out of 5]

“‘If you’re scared of everything, you’ll miss so many beautiful things.’”

The Bone Door took me by surprise in the best, most emotionally unexpected ways.

After falling in love with Voyage of the Damned, I have been clawing at the walls with excitement for The Bone Door. Never in a million years did I think I would be gifted such an incredible opportunity to read it early!

We begin this journey with eleven year old Hop who has no memory of who he is, where he is or how he got there. He will, however, give you all the fun facts about flora. And he’ll immediately be your friend. In order to escape, he needs to complete several seemingly impossible tasks to get to the Bone Door- the only way out.

I did not expect this was going to be such a dark and emotional read. (But I was fully aware this is an adult book and bad things were going to happen!!) In my opinion, Frances White perfectly weighs the dark heavy themes with the humour and light. Balancing it in a way that half the time I was crying I would end up laugh-crying, but without taking away from the seriousness of whatever was happening.

“‘Okay, so you’re broken. But I’m not afraid of that. It just means there are more parts of you to love.’”

Hop is absolutely loveable, very relatable to me in certain ways, but I easily fell in love with the rest of the characters too. They have some of the most fun/humorous dialogue I’ve ever read! I feel like their personalities really shine through and you so desperately want to protect them from all the bad.

I went into The Bone Door with such high expectations that I cannot believe how much they were exceeded. I honestly can’t wait to read it again and expect I will very soon!

I am forever grateful to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, HarperCollins, everyone and anyone who made this ARC opportunity possible! Most of all, I am grateful to Frances White for creating this incredible journey.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I finished this book a couple of day ago and I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about it.

A boy wakes up in a labyrinth not knowing his name or past and starts talking to a skull he pulls from a skeleton laying around the floor. He wanders for a bit and finds a girl, allegedly also with no memories or name, so he calls her Amber based on her orbs of amber in place of her missing eyes. They are about to pass through a door and escape when he hears a child calling for help so he runs back and grabs her and calls her Little - because she is literally small. They go through the door and end up in the house of an owl (with eyes full of galaxies) who tells them she works for the master of the labyrinth and if they pass through 4 rooms they can use the Bone Door to exit the labyrinth. This doesn't really make sense to me but sure, so they go into the first room and pick up some more children missing body parts - limbs/noses/ears. How weird thinks Hop (for that is the name to other kids have bestowed upon the main character due to his nature) that he's not missing any parts!

The writing feels like a children's book - I found it quite similar in style to The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly - but the content is graphic, gory and disturbing.

It turns out in the end the children are the shells for God's souls to end up in so they go through the door, Hop stays behind to work as the new Death.

I didn't really get it. There were a lot of mysteries that were just people knowing things they said they didn't all along and manipulating the other characters for various reasons. As I said before the content was VERY graphic and involved many different kinds of abuse.

I went into it thinking this would be a horror-fantasy and it more like a mythical/fairytale retelling but with strange characters that didn't work well together and the main character having serious flashbacks to previous things he'd suffered through but not knowing the full details of the events.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received an eARC from Netgalley and Michael Joseph Penguin Random House in exchange for my honest review.*

I was mostly attracted to this book's cover due to the rabbit and the mention of a labyrinth. It sounded like a cool escape room type thing. It was not at all like that. I didn't dislike it, but it just felt very very weird all the way through. Usually books about kids (these ranged in age from 6-14ish) are for kids. This definitely wasn't. To be fair, the author does say at the start that this book is all about trauma. I was ok with that, but it was a little uncomfortable.
This book is very well written, but a bit confusing. The story was very complicated and sometimes a bit hard to keep track of. The only part that felt like a continuity error was Amber suddenly acquiring a stick from out of nowhere in the first room. Everything else seemed consistent and was explained by the end, which is an amazing feat when you consider the storyline and characters involved.
I am really struggling to properly review this, as it's quite unlike anything else I've read. It did give me a hint of Piranesi vibes, a hint of Hunger Games, a hint of Library at Mount Char. I wanted to like it more, but I think the unrelenting optimism and good-ness of Hop was just a bit too much for realistic old me.

[Kaylin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC

This might be one of the weirdest books I’ve read in a while. I went in for the rabbit and the labyrinth, expecting something more escape-room fantasy, and instead got a surreal, fever-dream experience that felt very unlike anything else I’ve read. I didn’t dislike it, but it felt strange all the way through. The author is very upfront that this book is about trauma, and while I was okay with that, parts of it were uncomfortable in a way that didn’t fully land for me.

That said, the plot is undeniably clever. It’s intricate, layered, and constantly shifting, even when I wasn’t entirely sure what was happening. The writing is strong, and impressively, most of the story does come together by the end, which feels like a feat considering how complicated the storyline and characters are.

Still, this just wasn’t quite my cup of tea. At times I felt more bewildered than emotionally invested, and the unrelenting optimism of Hop was a bit too much for my more realistic tendencies. I kept wanting to connect more deeply, and while I appreciated the ambition and imagination behind the story, it never fully clicked for me.
If you love surreal, trippy storytelling with complex plotting, you’ll probably adore this. I wanted to like it more than I did, but for me, it landed in “interesting and impressive, but not totally satisfying” territory.

[Trish Pharand]

Thank you Netgalley for this gifted ARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️??? — I’m honestly not sure how to rate this

This might be the weirdest book I’ve ever read. From start to finish it felt like tumbling through someone else’s fever dream—or, more accurately, like accidentally wandering into an acid trip I definitely did not sign up for.

That said, I’ve got to hand it to the author: the plot is incredibly clever. It’s intricate, layered, and strangely mesmerizing in a way that kept me turning pages even when I wasn’t entirely sure what was going on. Every time I thought I had a handle on the story, it pivoted in a direction I didn’t expect.

But I’ll be honest: this is not my usual cup of tea. I admire the imagination and the sheer ambition of the narrative, but there were moments where I felt more bewildered than entertained. It’s one of those books where you close the last page and think, “What just happened?”—and not necessarily in a bad way, just… in a way.

If you love surreal, trippy storytelling with complex plotting, you’ll probably adore this. If you prefer something straightforward: proceed with caution.

As for the rating? I genuinely don’t know. It’s too strange to love and too impressive to dislike. Let’s just say: experience recommended, stars TBD.

[Elena M · Rating 2 out of 5]

Many thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

I would like to preface this review by stating that this is probably a "me not you" kind of situation.

This was one of my most anticipated books this year and so I am sad to admit this did not work for me. The themes of this book (grief, trauma, found family) are truly excellent and the author clearly put her heart and soul into the writing. The two key reasons this did not work for me was the narrative style I simply could not connect with, and the plot itself. The tone of the book is very young adult which is contrasted with the violent scenes in this book. Whilst I understand this was the intention, I personally found it jarring to read. Additionally, I could not connect with any of the characters. The concept of the labyrinth itself is brilliant, however I felt the execution was repetitive and in terms of the plot I was lost at around the 70% mark and struggled to finish the book. Having read the multiple five star reviews for this book, there clearly is an audience who truly connect with this book and sadly I was not one of them.

[Emily Casilli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the writing style, but upon the opening of the book I had to check if this was a kid’s book, not because of the writing, though later it felt that way with the plot narrative of characters. Hop’s encounter and introduction to Skully felt like a middle grade kid book and I mean that in a good way. Like it would be a great book for that if The Bone Door didn’t cover adult topics.

It is an adult book. The Bone Door is very speculative and holds a lot of magic even in her dialogue choices. I enjoyed her style. It’s a whimsy dark fantasy

The casts were rather unserious and several child aged. The topics covered in the book are what make it adult. And it gave The Promised Neverlands vibes. Additionally, I saw some of her character art and that style depicts characters as more middle grade books would too? This was confusing

It’s not a book for me, however I enjoyed her style and believe it would be a good book to the right audience. My rating reflects that.

[Aimee McBride · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Harper Collins and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this EARC copy of the bone door. This is an entirely different vibe from The Voyage of the Damed, which was a more comedically driven fantasy. The Bone Door is very much a horror style fantasy. Though this genre is not my normal cup of tea, the book is well written, and the characters are emotionally moving. The main character Hop has to be the most well written interpretation of a joyful little child that I have ever read. While the premise was interesting, and characters were lovable, I did struggle through sections early on that direct the readers mind towards the horrors these children experienced. This was more a me problem than anything else. As stated prior, I don’t generally read horror. If you are planning on going into this one, know that it is dark, and horrible things happen/happened to these children. If that is a trigger for you, as it was for me, maybe think twice before starting.

[borednugget · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frances White never disappoints! This one was most certainly better than her debut novel by a LANDSLIDE!

This book was an absolute joy to read from beginning to end. I literally couldn’t put it down it was SO good! Every character was utterly loveable (unlike voyage of the damned where at first I wanted to strangle Dee HAHAA I still loved him by the end DW)

The concept is SO unique and I found myself wanting to read more and more to get my questions answered and I wasn’t disappointed because everything was tied into a neat little bow and was explained so well!

White has SUCH a knack for making the most memorable characters and plots with beautiful relationships and great representation! This book in particular also had INTENSELY moving scenes. It made me cry multiple times!

ILL BE THINKING ABOUT THIS BOOK FOR A LONG TIME THATS ALL ILL SAY

Note that I was provided early access to read this book for free, but all opinions here are 100% my own. I was not paid to write it.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay this book was written for me and me specifically!!
It has the magic of Labyrinth with the danger of Cube and the mystery of Lost if Lost had managed to stick the landing with the ending!
I loved Hop immediately! He is a delightful bundle of chaos! The very first thing he does is make friends with a skull, because of course he does. He sees the good in everyone, truly and honestly believes everyone is good, no matter how much evidence there is to the contrary and will not be dissuaded from that stance. We need more Hops in this world.
There are so many different pieces to this book that it just seems impossible they could possibly fit together and yet as the story progresses it all comes together in a fantastically satisfying and heart-breaking and healing ending.
I have never been so tense reading a book and I enjoyed it thoroughly! Absolutely recommend!!

[Ashley Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well that was unexpected. And in the best way possible. The Bone Door is a labyrinth of grief and trauma, but also light and love. It is a heavy story, and centers around children, so be mindful of that. The first half was a bit slow, but the end payoff made it well worth the wait. The second part of this story was so masterfully done. I completely adore this colorful cast of characters and each has their own struggle and journey. The character development and growth is perfection.
Despite the hard themes, The Bone Door is a unique story with kindness at it's core.

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing & Harper Collins for the eARC!

[Laura Samotin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Bone Door is heartfelt, hilarious, and horrifying, all at the same time. This book had me on the edge of my seat as it took me through some of the most brilliantly suspenseful writing I've ever read. I laughed, cried, and laugh-cried my way through, and at the end I was left feeling like I'd been given both a gift and a huge, warm hug. One of the most brilliantly imaginative books I've ever read--a true, instant classic for me.

(I read an ARC copy which I received for free, with no expectation of review!)

[Sarah Harney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Hanover Square Press for an ARC of The Bone Door via NetGalley.

I didn't expect for this book to be so different from the genres I usually read, but I also didn't expect it to deeply move me the way it did. This was an epic and mind bending journey that I'm going to be reflecting on (and recovering from) for a long while. A little bit Alice in Wonderland, a little bit The Library at Mount Char, and a lot I have absolutely no comparison for. My only critique is that it could have been 100 pages shorter and just as powerful. Overall, a truly one-of-a-kind read.

4.5 stars

[Susan Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

You all, I devoured this book. Seriously, received it, flipped to the first page, and couldn't put it down. Well, eventually, I fell asleep, but I started reading again as soon as I woke up.

Wildly imaginative and twisty, The Bone Door is gloriously funny and full of heart in the face of unflinching terrors, reminding us why hope matters even when it feels as though all is lost. Utterly unputdownable.

It's also exactly the book I needed right now. Thank you, Frances White for the advance copy!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I AM crying and you will be too

Thank you so much to Hanover Square Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

I requested this book off the strength of Voyage of the Damned alone. I read that book almost two years ago and think about it constantly, and when I heard White had a new novel coming out I absolutely threw my hat into the ring about trying to get a copy.

But I've sat on how to review this for a week now. Not because there is anything difficult to talk about. This book, this author, very beautifully and succinctly, is easy to understand and follow along. But this is one of those books where I feel so strongly that you shouldn't know anything going into it. It's INCREDIBLE and almost wondrous to watch the entire book come together, the story line, the characters, just EVERYTHING.

I didn't know anything about this going in, just that Voyage of the Damned was such a strong debut that I was going to be reading this regardless of when I got my hands on it. I figured it all out along the way, was surprised by revelations later in the book, laughed, cried, wanted more. But I don't think it'd have had the same impact if I'd known things going in.

All I knew and needed to know was that Hop lost his memory and woke up in a labyrinth. White took it from there.

If you haven't read Voyage of the Damned before this, you don't need to do so to understand this book, but I highly recommend it. If you're looking for a sign to read this book, trust me, you don't need to know what it's about or what happens. Just let Frances White handle everything from page one.

[Heather Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is chilling and well written. Featuring a puzzle box type of aspect. I was fully invested. The things described are morbid and unsettling to say the least but she made the reader feel it , and that is what I like. Horror is not my every day read but this was one of the good ones!

Thanks Netgalley and Frances White for the ARC read!

[Tristan Keegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was absolutely enthralling, I read it in a day, the idea behind the plot is unique and absolutely wonderfully done. Frances White has done it again and has moved up to my auto buy authors. I can’t wait to see what else they write!

Thank you to both the author and the publisher for the ARC!!

[Marcella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the found family SO MUCH
Hop is so bright and sweet my heart ache for him (he is sooo optimistic I could never) and I just love following his journey with his gang of misfits. Personal fav of the pack is probably the troublemaker twins haha but I love all of them!

[Jules Arbeaux · Rating 5 out of 5]

LISTEN though. This book.

It has the sweetest lead you ever did read about (Hop you little weirdo ilu, please get so much therapy), darkly delightful worldbuilding, twists upon twists upon twists, a cheery skull companion, and a cast of colorful characters I would commit ✨CRIMES✨ for. Anyone who loved the way Voyage of the Damned blended fun and vibrant characters with a dash of darkness, deep emotion, and shocking intensity will devour this one.

Apologies to everyone who has to wait for this one to come out! I was fortunate enough to be able to beg an advance copy off its author.

[Keshe Chow · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Bone Door is epic, ambitious, and outrageously creative, with all the loveable characters, layered worldbuilding and vivid imagery that make White such a force to be reckoned with. There is darkness and brutality in this world, but also lightness, humour, and heart-warming friendships. With its wonderful found-family cast of misfits that you can’t help but root for, this book is the perfect balance of magic, mythology, and mystery.

Thank you to author Frances White for the advanced copy!