The King of Bones and Ashes by J.D. Horn

May 24, 2018 Amalia Gavea rated it it was ok

Shelves: american-south, american-literature, contemporary, fantasy, magical-realism, mystery-horror, netgalley-books, paranormal, usa, new-orleans

I never thought that I would find finishing a book set in New Orleans, with a story that includes witches and voodoo traditions and everything such a chore...And yet, it happened. I prompted myself to finish it, I even bribed me with chocolate and ice cream and it was painful. And sad. And it lasted for about two months and a half. And not even watching Clayne Crawford in ''Lethal Weapon'' could make me feel better...

I won’t occupy your time with long paragraphs. All the problems I faced with th ...more

flag 89 likes · Like · see review

Jan 09, 2018 Robin (Bridge Four) rated it liked it

Shelves: 2018-reads, uf-pnr, witches-warlocks-and-magic

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book is what I like to call a slow stroll. If you are patient, not in any hurry to get where you are going and just want to take in the scenery, then you will probably have the temperament needed to get to your destination.

I’m a pretty patient reader and so I’m fine with wandering around This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book is what I like to call a slow stroll. If you are patient, not in any hurry to get where you are going and just want to take in the scenery, then you will probably have the temperament needed to get to your destination.

I’m a pretty patient reader and so I’m fine with wandering around blind in a story for a little while as an author skips around to different characters points of view to build the ambiance and stage the story to come. I actually expected that a little bit for this story because it is set in New Orleans and it seemed like it wanted to encompass the laissez faire attitude of the city. Still, this flow isn’t going to work for some readers.

The King of Bones and Ashes has the feel of a gothic suspense. The thing it did best was give us an introduction into all the witching families of New Orleans that are going to be in play and some history on their family dynamics. Some witches are feeling the decline of magic more acutely than others and with power available for magic waning, some witches are willing to go to extremes to hold on to what they can.

This had some fantastic start up character building in it with a lot of room to grow. Each character given a PoV in the story shows us a very interesting surface and hints at some depths behind it. I think character development in the next books will show just how three dimensional all the characters of the story are. Alice, (the young witch locked in an asylum for years) in particular, I think we have only scratched the surface of who she really is down to her core. Evangeline is the other. She is a natural witch who loved one man and then after he died fell in love with his father. It was different but I still found myself wanting them to figure out a way to work through their past.

There isn’t a lot of action in the story until the end. So if you were thinking going into this that it is more of a horror novel, I think you will be disappointed. There is definitely a boogey man and some gore but it isn’t until the very end and I thought it would be a little scarier throughout. Mostly this is a story about a witch family and a secret they have kept for generations.

The concepts and ideas for the story are well planned but I struggled to follow a few times due to number of characters, PoV change ups and general pacing of the story. I loved the mix of both magic and voodoo and the different families that were part of each. I just wanted the flow of the story to feel a little smother because it got a bit jumpy at times.

I will continue the series as this is a solid foundation. I read J.D. Horn’s Line series and enjoyed most of it. But I’m hoping that the next book picks up the pace a little to a solid stride.

...more

flag 48 likes · Like · see review

Nov 07, 2017 Evelina | AvalinahsBooks rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-of-2017, arcs-or-review-copies, dark-tbr, fantasy, fiction, human-relationships-tbr, magic-tbr, netgalley, owned-ebooks-read

5 Reasons To Read The King of Bones and Ashes:

Read the full review here on my blog.

Reason #1:
New Orleans!

YES YES YES YES!! I have never been to New Orleans myself, so this book was nothing short of an amazing trip. There's jazz. There's color. There are all the French names. There's tribute to the events of Katrina. There's even voodoo – and not your Hollywood scare, but the actual religion (I hope I'm using the right name!) Not to talk about all of the mythology around it! I was skeptica ...more

flag 32 likes · Like · see review

Apr 18, 2018 Bonnie Shores rated it liked it

Shelves: witches, supernatural

I hate to say it, but... This book was a huge disappointment after loving the author's Witching Savannah series. I have read many books that started off slowly and then took their time in order to tell an amazing story. Unfortunately, that is not the case here. I found this book to be boring and confusing and way too long.

description

I didn't feel that any of the characters were developed in any meaningful ways; therefore, I felt no connection to any of them. Not one. That would be okay in a fast-paced, plo ...more

flag 25 likes · Like · see review

Sep 13, 2017 Sara rated it liked it

Shelves: arc, fantasy, fiction

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is, at its heart, a family drama surrounding a coven of witches in the Deep South. Throw in a dash of magic, the bogeyman and the harvesting of dead witches and you've got yourself a good novel.

I enjoyed the three main protagonists, but especially Alice. We first find Alice locked away in an asylum for witches, haunted by the death of her brother by Babau Jean. She's a complex character, who's a little reserved at first, and ...more

flag 21 likes · Like · see review

Sep 16, 2017 Magdalena aka A Bookaholic Swede rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-2017

I instantly felt that The Kings of Bones of Ashes was something I wanted to read and I was thrilled when I got the book to read and couldn't wait! And, the book was great. I was thrilled to read a book about witches set in New Orleans (and not a YA) and the premise of a story about witches that are slowly losing their magic felt refreshingly new.

The King of Bones and Ashes is the first book in the Witches of New Orleans and the book starts off with a young Alice Marin right before she is sent to ...more

flag 23 likes · Like · see review

Sep 20, 2017 ❀⊱Rory⊰❀ rated it liked it

Shelves: paranormal-supernatural, mystery, netgalley-completed

2.5 Stars

Celestin Marin, patriarch of the Marin family and former head of the powerful Chanticleer Coven has died after being in a coma for eight years. During his long illness his son Nicholas has been head of the coven and now is poised to take over permanently. But all is not well in New Orleans. Magic is dying and the scramble for what power remains pits the witches of the city against one another and some are willing to do anything rather than lose their magic.

I enjoyed J.D. Horn's The Line ...more

flag 17 likes · Like · see review

Sep 13, 2017 Eve Recinella (Between The Bookends) rated it liked it

This book had all the ingredients to be a 5-Star read for me. Fabulous setting (New Orleans). Mystery. Feuding families. Witches and magic. The Boogeyman (Babau Jean). Voodoo, etc. And I enjoyed it mostly, but unfortunately, it also had a few issues that kept me from giving it a higher rating. It was a LONG (and slow) book with multiple POVs and a HUGE cast of characters. So many that at times it became confusing and hard to follow. That said, I enjoyed it enough I will keep my eyes out for bo ...more

flag 12 likes · Like · see review

Jan 14, 2018 Lauren Stoolfire rated it it was ok

Shelves: fantasy, urban-fantasy

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Magic is leaving this world, making the witches who've relied on it forever absolutely helpless. Some are willing to accept it, while others are willing to do whatever it takes to stay in power. Alice is using her remaining power to solve the mysterious disappearances of those in occult circles of New Orleans. She knows the feeling as her family put in an asylum and she just recently got out. She's afraid that her family is connec ...more

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Jan 27, 2018 Sarah Marie rated it it was ok

Shelves: arc, dnf, ebook, fantasy, magic, meh, paranormal, provided-by-author-publisher, netgalley, witches

The King of Bones and Ashes by J.D. Horn

First in the Witches of New Orleans series

DNF- 1.5 stars

The King of Bones and Ashes is a novel that focuses on three witches within the New Orleans area. I was super interested in the premise behind this one because I'm from Louisiana and I always enjoy seeing authors' takes on this famous city. I really wanted to like this novel. I did, but I just felt so disconnected from it since the beginning. For me to want to read a novel, I have to make a connectio

The King of Bones and Ashes by J.D. Horn

First in the Witches of New Orleans series

DNF- 1.5 stars

The King of Bones and Ashes is a novel that focuses on three witches within the New Orleans area. I was super interested in the premise behind this one because I'm from Louisiana and I always enjoy seeing authors' takes on this famous city. I really wanted to like this novel. I did, but I just felt so disconnected from it since the beginning. For me to want to read a novel, I have to make a connection to something. It doesn't matter if it's the characters, world building, plot, or romance. I have to have some level of interest to continue otherwise reading begins to feel empty. I don't want my reading to feel empty. I DNF novels for multiple reasons. Sometimes the book makes me rage, rolls my eyes, cringe, uncomfortable, or the writing is horrible and I just can't continue or my brain cells will die. This isn't the case with The King of Bones and Ashes. I have to DNF this novel because I'm not connected to it. I can't continue to read this novel because it will make me unhappy and I want to leave off feeling unsatisfied instead of raging and telling everyone that this is a horrible book.

My biggest problem lies with the formatting and sequencing of the story. The prologue is ridiculously long. So long, that it feels more like an opening chapter. A prologue should be quick and to the point. I don't want my prologue to be long because when it is I usually feel confused and annoyed because I'm being thrown into the middle of a very big plot that should not be the opening sequence for a story. This book also has three alternating PoVs. One of them is from Evangeline who is mentioned as the hated girlfriend of the prologue narrator's brother. She owns a strip club and has become romantically involved with her ex-boyfriend's FATHER.

Then there's the opening narrator, Alice, she is currently locked up in an asylum for witches after she witnessed her brother, Luc (Evangeline's ex-boyfriend), be murdered by a monster, but no one believes and thinks he killed himself. Her father has been keeping her locked up at the asylum against the doctor's wishes.
There is also a third narrator, Lisette, who seems to be a middle-aged woman, but sounds like a teenager. I have no clue what her purpose is in this story other than to be a woman who has forgotten that magic truly exists and just thinks the people around her are crazy. Can you see why it was hard for me to keep up? There's a lot going and this is only the first 17% of the novel. I can't do it. It's not interesting enough and I don't feel like I am gaining anything from this story. I think I'll just watch Coven instead.

Whimsical Writing Scale: 2
Character Scale: 1
Plotastic Scale: 1.5

Cover Thoughts: This isn't a horrible cover, but I'm not a huge fan of it.

Thank you, Netgalley and 47 North, for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. ...more

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Feb 04, 2018 Malina Skrobosinski rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley, series-started

This is what I would definitely consider a 'slow burn'. There's so much going on in this book for there to be nothing going on at the same time. There were far too many characters in my opinion, and the storyline was very convoluted. This isn't typically the type of novel I would read, usually preferring thrillers, but an occasional story involving the supernatural realm isn't always a bad thing. That said, this wasn't quite the novel I thought it was going to be when I chose it.

The story cente This is what I would definitely consider a 'slow burn'. There's so much going on in this book for there to be nothing going on at the same time. There were far too many characters in my opinion, and the storyline was very convoluted. This isn't typically the type of novel I would read, usually preferring thrillers, but an occasional story involving the supernatural realm isn't always a bad thing. That said, this wasn't quite the novel I thought it was going to be when I chose it.

The story centers around the loss of magic among the witches in the New Orleans area. The struggle to hold on to the last bit of remaining magic has left ripples among the community of witches; fear and feuds that have lasted for years. The Chanticleer Coven has remained the most powerful in the New Orleans area, but not without deceit and manipulation. At the head of the coven, Celestin Marin, after having fallen into a coma, loses his battle with life and thus the Chanticleer Coven loses yet more of the magic that holds them together. Nicholas Marin, the oldest of the Marin children steps in as the head of the Coven, but with this, comes great burden and secrets that he's not sure he can bear.

In the midst of all of this is Alice, Nicolas' youngest and only daughter. Their relationship is strained and Alice is left with lots of unanswered questions. Alice at the young age of 7, after witnessing her brother's murder from who she believed was the bogey man, Babau Jean, was sent off to an asylum. She remained there until she matured into a young woman, at the age of 21. Having been estranged from her family for quite some time, she's slowly reintroduced into this world of magic, and is slowly trying to unravel the secrets that has burdened this family for decades.

As I mentioned before, there is so much happening in this novel... and rightly so as I understand this will be a series. Having said that, in some fashion, it was all just a bit too much to take in, and it lacked in keeping the storyline moving along at a nice pace. For the first 55% of the book I simply found myself trying to understand these characters and get a grasp on the plot. I couldn't get how they were connected, or where in the heck the storyline was headed. It wasn't until about 70% into the book where I finally began to get fully invested.

In the end, I will admit, I'm still confused... there's so much that's explained and not explained at the same time. Perhaps as the series continues things will begin to make more sense, but in truth, this one has just left my head spinning.

I want to thank NetGalley, 47 North, and J.D. Horn for allowing me the chance to read this novel in exchange for my review. ...more

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Jan 13, 2018 Kathrin rated it really liked it

Shelves: 21th-century, arc-first-reads, netgalley, fantasy, witches, usa, urban-fantasy

I received a free copy via NetGalley.

'The King of Bones and Ashes' is an urban fantasy series set in New Orleans. The story begins back in 2005 when Katrina devastated the town and the local witches try to prevent the worst. Unfortunately, almost everyone involved can tell that the magic is slowly dying away and that they are not strong enough anymore. And then there's Babau Jean, a boogeyman hunting young Alice.
Fast forward a couple of years, family ties are broken, friends become enemies and I received a free copy via NetGalley.

'The King of Bones and Ashes' is an urban fantasy series set in New Orleans. The story begins back in 2005 when Katrina devastated the town and the local witches try to prevent the worst. Unfortunately, almost everyone involved can tell that the magic is slowly dying away and that they are not strong enough anymore. And then there's Babau Jean, a boogeyman hunting young Alice.
Fast forward a couple of years, family ties are broken, friends become enemies and it turns out that not everyone in the witching community is losing their power. The story follows three women trying to find their place in a new world where power is shifting.

I thought long about how much to write about the book without giving too much away. To be honest, you have to stop early because it's easy to spoil the story for others. The story is very detailed and next to the three main characters there are numerous other characters worth watching. Truth be told, a lot is happening but (and that's a big one) we're not talking about a fast-paced story. This is a slow burn and it takes its time. You could tell from the beginning that this is the first in a series because the author sets you up with an overload of information. I'm usually a fast reader but I had to stop several times to sort out who is who and how is everyone connected. Once you do that, you are rewarded with a great story.

I loved the main characters - especially Alice and Evangeline. Alice was an instant like. Her story arc is full of complex family ties and resentment of those who took power over her. It took me a while to like Evangeline - mainly because of how she is connected to the Marin family. In general, the author did a great job to present complex characters with a rich background story. At some point, I struggled because there were just too many characters involved but I hope that you'll need all the information for later books in the series. This kind of makes it okay in my eyes.

The setting is also lovely. This isn't the first time I encountered New Orleans as the perfect setting for an urban fantasy in a book/TV series/movie. Different cultural and religious beliefs interact in the book and thus add an interesting layer to the complex family story.

In some aspects, the book was exactly what I wanted it to be while truth be told, it took me some time to get into it. It definitely wasn't an easy read. If you are looking for a fast-paced, cute story you might want to skip 'The King of Bones and Ashes'. I recommend this to readers who enjoy a complex, character-driven urban fantasy.

I enjoyed the read a lot and I wasn't aware of the fact that there is already another witch series by the same author. This means that there are now two series that I can check out and this makes me insanely happy. ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Feb 18, 2018 Jeri rated it it was ok

Shelves: e-books, first-reads

This book was just okay for me. Not a series I will continue with I don't believe. It took a lot to try to keep things straight as to what was going on, who was who and what the heck was happening! But I THINK I may have it straight now that I finished the darn thing. Still kinda makes me wanna say, "huh?"

I won an ecopy of this book from Goodreads First Reads program.

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Dec 08, 2017 raquel rated it it was ok

Shelves: arc, fantasy-ya

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This book is, in short, a mix of urban fantasy and gothic horror stories set in today New Orleans, with witches, vanishing magic, voodoo and the bogeyman + the most current family dramas. An entertaining beginning of a trilogy that I think witch’s lovers will enjoy.

Although I quite enjoy the three main characters (and consequent POVs) of the book, and especially Evangeline, there were times when I was completely lost due to the adding of new POVs and / or specific characters {I have to say that ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Dec 22, 2017 Ali (the bandar blog) added it · review of another edition

This is a DNF review for me, but NOT because the book was bad. I DNF'd at 40%.

I very much liked the mysterious atmosphere and the implication of the witches' powers. I wanted to learn where everything was going and how all these different characters were going to tie together. I also really wanted to see more of what the witches could do. I enjoyed how the witches lives were represented in the book. It felt very authentic, as though this is what you'd expect to see if this was all real.

BUT... i ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

May 28, 2018 Barbara (The Bibliophage) rated it liked it

Shelves: audio, fantasy-witches, 2018

J.D. Horn begins a new series with The King of Bones and Ashes. Set in post-Katrina New Orleans, Horn introduces us to the Marin family, young, old, and not entirely alive. This is definitely an atmospheric, Southern gothic-tinged fantasy.

The Marins are part of the Chanticleer witches’ coven, and their magic is slowly but surely fading out. Those that still have some magic are forced to use drastic means to maintain what they have.

Since this is a new series, Horn must provide extensive world-bui J.D. Horn begins a new series with The King of Bones and Ashes. Set in post-Katrina New Orleans, Horn introduces us to the Marin family, young, old, and not entirely alive. This is definitely an atmospheric, Southern gothic-tinged fantasy.

The Marins are part of the Chanticleer witches’ coven, and their magic is slowly but surely fading out. Those that still have some magic are forced to use drastic means to maintain what they have.

Since this is a new series, Horn must provide extensive world-building detail. He introduces a raft of characters, witches, voodoo practitioners, believers in magic, and those who question its validity. Integral to the plot is Horn’s version of bogey man—named Babau Jean. And a pretty boss magical cat!

The New Orleans Witches are aware that an ancient grimoire, The Book Of Unwinding, may have answers to the decline in available magic. But no one knows quite where it is.

My conclusions:
I picked this book up for two reasons. First, I enjoyed the author’s previous Witching Savannah series. Second, I was approved for the ARC of book two in the New Orleans series. So I needed to get filled in!

Horn dumps a huge amount of information on his readers in The King of Bones and Ashes. The process could have used more finesse, since it felt more overwhelming than exciting.

Because Horn uses alternating POVs with shifting time periods, you’ve got to pay attention. It wasn’t easy to keep all the characters and relationships straight. Although I’ll admit I might feel this way because I listened to the audiobook. But, truthfully, at one point I wanted to sit down and make myself a family tree for the characters.

I’m glad to have book two, called The Book Of Unwinding, ready to read. I hope it delivers more action and less exposition in that book.

But don’t think I’m not intrigued by the mythology Horn is building here. I am. It’s just creepy enough for me to allow myself to be drawn into the strange and magical brew.

More reviews at TheBibliophage.com. ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Sep 07, 2018 Alisi ☆ wants to read too many books ☆ rated it did not like it

Shelves: audiobook, ghoulies-and-ghosties, no-words-can-describe-how-bad, urban-fantasy, what-did-i-just-read, what-is-the-plot-thingy, why-do-i-do-this-to-myself, wtf, this-could-have-been-so-much-better

Me, after finishing:

Just throw out the blurb because it's a straight out lie. This was so terrible. It's like a soap opera but the most boring soap opera you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy. There's no plot, no movement, no character growth. Alice, who seems to be the MC (of the three MCs), was an emotionless stick figure that didn't react to anything. I mean that honestly. There's a scene, at the end, with a mass murder. This happens in front of her. Her reaction is just to watch it and gentl ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Jan 10, 2018 Annemieke / A Dance with Books rated it liked it

Shelves: 2018, 3-star, fantasy

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy in exchange for an honest review

Having seen the cover pass me by on Netgalley, I knew I had to request this one with a title like that. It screams of an atmospheric, dark, horror tale with perhaps some necromancy. While it did have some of these elements (but not the necromancy unfortunately) it did not quite manage to capture me. The biggest reason for that was how the story was told.

We get the story through three main female charact Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy in exchange for an honest review

Having seen the cover pass me by on Netgalley, I knew I had to request this one with a title like that. It screams of an atmospheric, dark, horror tale with perhaps some necromancy. While it did have some of these elements (but not the necromancy unfortunately) it did not quite manage to capture me. The biggest reason for that was how the story was told.

We get the story through three main female characters with a point of view chapter thrown in from other characters here and then. I like seeing stories through different eyes but in this case I think a maximum of two characters without any side chapters would have been plenty. With only 350 pages and an incredibly slow pace there is absolutely no way you can do justice to any of these characters or the tale you are trying to tell. I thought it was a real shame because had there have been a bigger focus on the main character mentioned in the synopsis, Alice, we could have gone on a great ride I believe. As it stands now, I’m lukewarm.

As mentioned the plot of this book unfolds very slowly. We get drawn in to the lives of three women who have a connection to one another through one family, the Marin’s. The story is slow because of all of the groundwork and background that is being established, but it also made it confusing at times because we did not have a concrete focus at times. I wondered where we were going with all of this. I do see what the author was trying to do, and I certainly was surprised when it came to some revelations at the end. But because I was confused in placed the build-up failed a little for them.

Next to the cover and the title, another element that drew me to wanting to pick up this book was the fact that it is in New Orleans. Being an European myself I have very little idea of New Orleans besides what we see on television. I thought seeing a witches book set here though would be such a great add to the atmosphere though. I can’t tell you whether or not the author depicted New Orleans and its inhabitants well (and I haven’t seen any reviews that mentioned it) but I did think the descriptions of New Orleans were an added bonus on the whole.

As far as the characters go, I wish we could have delved more into the three females. Out of them I was most drawn to Alice who was admitted to an asylum for many years after the death of her brother. It was interesting to see her return to a family that had done that to her. I found her interactions with them interesting, but I missed the scenes where she was alone with her father in the house or her other brother Hugo, and she could confront him for instance. I just missed things. Deepening into those things. Those relationships. The other two females also deserved more deepening. I felt like we only scratched the surface. I hope there will be more on who they really are in the next installment. ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Dec 27, 2017 Robin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

From the description, this isn't a book I'd normally pick up. I usually go more for high and epic than I do for urban fantasy, but I gave it a chance because the plot sounded interesting.

This is a Gothic southern story about a family of witches in/around New Orleans and the mystery of magic seeping from the world. Horn gives us a fairly authentic vision of New Orleans amidst the plot and characters that stay with you long after the book is complete.

We get a huge cast of interconnected characte ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Sep 22, 2017 Ali (the bandar blog) added it

Shelves: read-in-2017, dnf

This is a DNF review for me, but NOT because the book was bad. I DNF'd at 40%.

I very much liked the mysterious atmosphere and the implication of the witches' powers. I wanted to learn where everything was going and how all these different characters were going to tie together. I also really wanted to see more of what the witches could do. I enjoyed how the witches lives were represented in the book. It felt very authentic, as though this is what you'd expect to see if this was all real.

BUT... i ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Feb 03, 2018 K.A. Wiggins rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Disclaimer: reviewing uncorrected digital proof via NetGalley

I'm not quite sure how to categorize this. There are pretty strong contemporary fiction leanings, what with the complicated, extraordinarily messy and interwoven multi-generational family dynamics. There's the paranormal/fantasy content, with witches, shapeshifters, and monsters lurking around the edges. Things skew from drama to thriller and right on into the realm of horror as the story progresses.

I found the first quarter really slo Disclaimer: reviewing uncorrected digital proof via NetGalley

I'm not quite sure how to categorize this. There are pretty strong contemporary fiction leanings, what with the complicated, extraordinarily messy and interwoven multi-generational family dynamics. There's the paranormal/fantasy content, with witches, shapeshifters, and monsters lurking around the edges. Things skew from drama to thriller and right on into the realm of horror as the story progresses.

I found the first quarter really slow going. Like, I kept double checking to make sure this wasn't a companion series to an earlier series because there is so much worldbuilding detail and so many different points of view and webs of interrelational drama to wade through. Despite the deep, rich worldbuilding, or really, probably because of it, the book didn't draw me in at first. I felt like I just didn't care about the characters, the witchy goings-on, or the New Orleans southern setting. But by the end of the first third of the book, all that detail starts to settle in and the shape of the story emerges. Well worth the extra effort to get there.

The investment in backstory and getting to know so many different threads at the beginning starts to really pay off heading into the latter portions of the book. Various mysteries start to unravel and a race for the finish line tangles against late-in-the-game twists for an unexpectedly high stakes, surprising wrap up that provides some closure while setting up the series for further drama.

One caveat for squeamish readers; the family drama and dynamics get about as sordid as you can imagine. There's no explicit sexual content, and abuse isn't lingered over (though things get pretty violent in the paranormal/horror scenes), but there's plenty of cheating and backstabbing (and front stabbing), plus a little mixing of the generations that may turn off some.

Verdict: detailed, engaging start to what's sure to be an impressive new Urban Fantasy series. Good read for readers who enjoy a dense, richly imagined story world. ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jan 04, 2018 Cupcakes & Machetes rated it really liked it

Shelves: arcs, fantasy, fiction, paranormal, urban-fantasy

I received this copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

You can also find this review at my blog: Cupcakes and Machetes

First off, I would really like to thank the author and publishing company for accepting my ARC request despite having zero street cred on Netgalley. I tip my invisible top hat to thee.

The story surrounds three witches from different walks of life, watching as witches disappear and the elders fight to hang onto power. Alice has been locked away in ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Nov 30, 2017 Taylor rated it liked it

I received an arc from netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

I'm not sure what to think if this book. I am a fan of gothic horror books, but this seemed a but weird to me. The story was disjointed and at times it seemed that even the main character was as confused as me.

People who like American horror story would like this book!

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jan 13, 2018 Missy Ansell rated it liked it

Shelves: books-2018, fantasy, netgalley, read-in-2018

I got this book in exchange for an honest review from netgalley.

Told from the perspective of three woman, Evangeline, Lisette, and Alice. Book is about witches in New Orleans and how magic is failing. The three women are connected in order to stop the magical entity Babau Jean.

I found this book to be very slow paced and frankly boring. I kept waiting for it to pick up, and it never really did. Filled with too much family drama, and not enough magic. Some of the background was confusing. Did norm ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Nov 14, 2017 Sarah (Workaday Reads) rated it did not like it

Shelves: did-not-finish, netgalley, read-in-2017

I read the first 60 pages, and then gave up. The story jumped timelines and viewpoints a few times and was hard to follow. It felt disjointed, and this far in, I still don't see what direction the story is going in. It felt like too much work to continue trying to read it.

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jan 15, 2018 Elena rated it liked it

This review can also be found on my blog!

The King of Bones and Ashes by J.D. Horn is a contemporary fantasy novel with modern-day witches living in New Orleans. It's power-hungry relatives and family feuds, it's dark corners of the French Quarter and monsters that should not see the light of day. The King of Bones and Ashes will fill your heart with magic and your brain with doubt and suspicion.

If you know me at all you know that I absolutely adore modern-day witches and stories with magic incor
This review can also be found on my blog!

The King of Bones and Ashes by J.D. Horn is a contemporary fantasy novel with modern-day witches living in New Orleans. It's power-hungry relatives and family feuds, it's dark corners of the French Quarter and monsters that should not see the light of day. The King of Bones and Ashes will fill your heart with magic and your brain with doubt and suspicion.

If you know me at all you know that I absolutely adore modern-day witches and stories with magic incorporated into our own world, so you can imagine how fast I leapt at the chance to read this book when I first saw it.

First things first: this book is very character driven. As you can guess from the blurb, there are a lot of characters from a few different families and they all connect to each other, some in more ways than others. I thought that the character connections were done very well and once I got the hang of who was related to who I started to look forward to different characters meeting each other and what would happen. I do have to say that I did have to actually draw a family tree with all the connections and I kept referring back to it quite often. BUT, as I found out after finishing the book, there is a list of characters on the last page! I would definitely recommend referring back to that if you don't want to use my DIY method of making your own family tree.

The story is told from several points of view and I do have to say, though I loved the insight that it gave into the different families, at times I did feel like they could have been cut a little and the story could have focused more on a selected few. This is mostly a personal preference though and it might be something you really end up enjoying if you pick up this book. The upside of this was that we got to see how different all the characters were and having multiple POVs does always bring an air of mystery to a book, which worked very well with the overall witchy theme.

"There's no act simpler than brutality, and there's no magic easier than shedding of blood. Murder was the first act of magic"

The beginning was a little slow and it was definitely a book that took a while to get into, but after the initial struggle it really started to flow and I really enjoyed reading it, which is always a great sign. The characters are also nice and short, which always speeds up reading, at least for me.

When it comes to the plot I wouldn't say it was very action driven, but it did have enough excitement to keep it from being boring. You learn a lot about the different families and their backgrounds, and things start to slowly make sense. At times The King of Bones and Ashes even felt like a detective novel more than it did a fantasy one, which I ended up really enjoying! I do have to say that - without giving anything away - by the end a certain aspect of the plot did get a little predictable and it wasn't as surprising as it could have been had it not been used as often. Thankfully this book had many plots going at the same time, so the partial predictability didn't ruin all the excitement for me.

There wasn't actually anything wrong with this book, I just think it didn't reach its full potential. If it had focused more on fewer of the characters and maybe even eliminated a few of the minor side plots, which didn't seem to affect the story in a substantial way in the end. Though we got a lot of insight into the characters, I only really felt like I cared about Alice, one of the main characters. The rest, though written beautifully, just didn't connect with me. Though the point of the novel is that magic is failing and disappearing, I was also left feeling like the magic could have been explored and explained more.

Overall though I did very much enjoy this read and would recommend you at least check it out, especially if you enjoy witches or character driven novels. My rating for The King of Bones and Asked by J.D. Horn is a strong 3.5/5 starts.

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Mar 12, 2018 Camilla (ReaderintheAttic) rated it really liked it

Shelves: urban-fantasy, 2018-release, paranormal-fantasy, 4-stars, horror

The King of Bones and Ashes is that type of book that I rarely read but I still enjoy a lot. Also, it came in my hands while still in a period in which everything related to witches, occult and magic suits me in a magnificent way. Another thing is that there’re never enough book with witches written in a way that can really satisfy me.

The novel did and half and half, with something I liked and something I don’t. Plus some little details that left me a bit neutral.

Time to go on with what didn't t ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Oct 21, 2017 Anne Monteith rated it liked it

Shelves: want-to-read-net-galley-arc, want-to-read-fantasy, netgalley-reviews, netgalley-arc, kindle-reading-soon

I enjoy urban fantasy and southern gothic books. I liked the first books of the authors Savannah Witches and series until he went too weird and was hoping that I would find that this was like the beginning of that series or maybe somewhat like Rice's Mayfair Witches series, but I was disappointed.

We start the book knowing that the witches are losing their power, yet despite that the coven has joined together to try and diver Katrina from totally destroying New Orleans. The entire coven, from I enjoy urban fantasy and southern gothic books. I liked the first books of the authors Savannah Witches and series until he went too weird and was hoping that I would find that this was like the beginning of that series or maybe somewhat like Rice's Mayfair Witches series, but I was disappointed.

We start the book knowing that the witches are losing their power, yet despite that the coven has joined together to try and diver Katrina from totally destroying New Orleans. The entire coven, from the oldest witch to the youngest little Alice Marin daughter of the leader of the coven. They are unable to totally divert the storm, despite linking their powers the are too weak to do more than slightly weaken the storm. After the storm passes over Alice rushes out to save her pet cat/familiar when she is confronted by Babu John (the bogeyman) who attempts to lure her away. She tells her father who doesn't believe her and later when her oldest brother Luke commits suicide she insists that Babu John forced him to do it and her father sends her across the country to an asylum where witches who are kept. At this place they have no access to their magic, very little entertainment and if a patient manages to get released they are discouraged from interacting with the friends that may have made while there.

After ten years Alice his finally to be released because her beloved grandfather has died and her youngest brother Vincent insists that she comes home. Vincent is the only Marin child that has no magical ability and has no use for it. Upon her arrival she is reintroduced to Luke's fiancée Evangeline who is now her father's mistress and her other brother Hugo has turned to drink and drugs to combat his pain.

Upon meeting Alice again, Evangeline realizes that Alice is not losing her magic, like her she is very strong. We find out that she is related to three shape-shifter witches who are hundreds of years old and they want her to watch over Alice and help them retrieve an object that has been hidden from the world since they brought it to our shores.

My favorite character is Lisette, the daughter of Soulange Simeon a powerful probationer of voodoo and the owner of the famous French Quarter Voodoo supply store VéVé. When her mother and Alice's grandmother Laure tried to do a spell on their own that resulted in killing her mother and rendering Laure insane Lisette has been running the business but no longer believes in the magic of voodoo although she knows her mother's spirit is still with her in the store.

This book is much darker than his previous series and while this isn't necessarily detrimental I found some of the plot twists very disturbing and I believe that rest of the series will end up being much weirder than the Savannah series. Although I dislike beginning a series and not reading it in its entirety I don't think I will be following this one.

2.75/5 STARS: I received a free digital ARC in exchange for a honest, unbiased review. I sincerely thank the author and/or publisher for providing an ARC through NetGalley,.**

...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jan 17, 2018 Eddie Generous rated it it was amazing

Unnerving Magazine Review
Witches aren’t a go-to for me. They’re not something that seems to cross my radar as often as the other supernatural tropes, or perhaps it’s that my horror-experience has honed me away from them in such a way that I overlook them. No matter what’s the truth behind it, reading J.D. Horn’s latest novel, The King of Bones and Ashes, was something I couldn’t be totally prepared for.
Sure, there are assumptions there about the general points needing stroked in the overall noti Unnerving Magazine Review
Witches aren’t a go-to for me. They’re not something that seems to cross my radar as often as the other supernatural tropes, or perhaps it’s that my horror-experience has honed me away from them in such a way that I overlook them. No matter what’s the truth behind it, reading J.D. Horn’s latest novel, The King of Bones and Ashes, was something I couldn’t be totally prepared for.
Sure, there are assumptions there about the general points needing stroked in the overall notion of modern witches, all of which Horn struck, but mostly, I got a fresh view of sub-genre. And that’s always a positive for me.
The story takes place primarily in New Orleans, a city oozing with supernatural potential and dark glimpses into the unknown. It’s a well-trodden landscape that rarely disappoints. J.D. Horn has done well for himself with witches, but I don’t, in this case anyhow as I haven't read the others, think the witches are the reason for it.
It’s voice. Each character comes out of the page alive and different, but only so far as if necessary. Big characters are big and little characters fill the nooks. It’s this shifting voice that first won me over.
After that was Babau Jean. And this one is an absolute gem of a character.
Witches can be freaky, off-putting, sinister, but they don’t have to be, so there’s room for good and evil, which means there’s also room for a great big stinking bad guy. Babau Jean creeps and rises, things and people fall to pieces. He works in the way that Pennywise works; though not so forward with his methods, he’s always looming beyond generations.
Horn offers a novel that mounts and pulls a foot off the gas with purpose, hooking much closer to dark fantasy than to full on horror. In that, Horn does very well in keeping things from falling into an abyss or nightmare. There’s some gore and some scares, but more often it’s thrills and the factor of surprise that boot this story along.
Between strong voice and strong characters, particularly Babau Jean, and a finale that stretched a smile on my face, Horn has penned an undeniable winner and it’s only the beginning of a series. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Feb 04, 2018 Tara (Spinatale Reviews) rated it liked it

One of my favorite parts of J.D. Horn's Witching Savannah series was the beautifully written setting. In The King of Bones and Ashes, the first book in his new series, Horn bring the same magic to New Orleans as he did to Savannah. Lush and atmospheric, this story is an intriguing mix of urban fantasy and contemporary fiction that will keep you intrigued until the last page.

The King of Bones and Ashes is ultimately about family. Although magic is slowly disappearing from the world, the Marins ha One of my favorite parts of J.D. Horn's Witching Savannah series was the beautifully written setting. In The King of Bones and Ashes, the first book in his new series, Horn bring the same magic to New Orleans as he did to Savannah. Lush and atmospheric, this story is an intriguing mix of urban fantasy and contemporary fiction that will keep you intrigued until the last page.

The King of Bones and Ashes is ultimately about family. Although magic is slowly disappearing from the world, the Marins have managed to retain their power. One of the oldest New Orleans witching families, they have their share of dark secrets. The family dynamics are extremely messy, intricate, and dramatic. This book does an excellent job of introducing each member of the family, their history, and their secrets. I loved Alice and Evangeline in particular. They both felt like such vivid, realistic characters. Additionally, the other witches in New Orleans are beautifully imagined. Horn also does an excellent job of explaining the politics, the history, and the current situation.

I usually love intricate world-building but the first half of the book was essentially a giant info-dump. It was a bit of a struggle to keep reading sometimes because of how slow the story unfolded. I kept reading because the characters intrigued me. However, my persistence somewhat paid off in the second half as everything coalesced and the true shape of the story began to emerge. Or note is that the story becomes increasingly darker as it progresses, descending more into the realm of horror. Instead being the first book in a series, The King of Bones and Ashes felt more like the first half of a book. I do think that the ending set up the next book brilliantly though.

The King of Bones and Ashes was an interesting take on the urban fantasy genre. The premise was unique and the setting beautifully atmospheric. I would recommend this one to readers who are looking for a slower read.

*I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review