The Bone Witch Series by Rin Chupeco -> Restarting March 24th, 2023

[Alaina]

In the captivating start to a new, darkly lyrical fantasy series, Tea can raise the dead, but resurrection comes at a price.When Tea accidentally resurrects her brother from the dead, she learns she is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy means that she's a bone witch, a title that makes her feared and ostracized by her community. But Tea finds solace and guidance with an older, wiser bone witch, who takes Tea and her brother to another land for training.In her new home, Tea puts all her energy into becoming an asha-one who can wield elemental magic. But dark forces are approaching quickly, and in the face of danger, Tea will have to overcome her obstacles and make a powerful choice.

[Jude: The Epic Reader]

Finished! This book is basically a fantastical version of Memoirs of a Geisha. Which I love. Based on my limited knowledge I'm going to assume that the practices of the Asha of this novel is influenced by the practices of the Japanese Geisha. But add magic and dragons.
This book is a little slow which is a problem for some people but I just love the Asian setting and this book's atmosphere. The details of the Asha held my attention kept me from being bored.

This is my fourth time reading this book. I have already completed the trilogy and I have to say that this is probably my least favorite of the three.

[Deanie]

25% (view spoiler)[ The Bone Witch is based on Asian mythology, though I thought daevas were Persian. Mixing mythos?

Interesting start. The way the author tells the two stories (young Tea and older Tea adds another dimension to a story that is otherwise fairly familiar to readers of mythological retellings (and ya fiction in general). (hide spoiler)]

[Alaina]

Ch 4: (view spoiler)[plllllllllllease don't give me a love triangle. (hide spoiler)]
Ch 13: (view spoiler)[Ugh, anyone else bored with all the training? Nothing is really happening and all I want is something to hold my interest. (hide spoiler)]
Ch 20: (view spoiler)[Lowkey, Fox is the only thing keeping me from leaving this book and never looking back. (hide spoiler)]
Finished: (view spoiler)[Okay, after re-reading this book.. I think I still feel the same. The ending was just underwhelming for me and nothing was really holding my interest. Maybe the next book will be better? Who knows. (hide spoiler)]

[Alaina]

Deanie wrote: "


25% .."

Oh wow, I never knew that about the mythologies.. that seems so freaking interesting now. My mind is blown.

[Deanie]

50% (view spoiler)[ Still, not much happening. Though I do want to know what's going on with Lady Mykaela. I like her. (hide spoiler)]

75% (view spoiler)[ So, there was a daeva. Aside from that, still not much happening. (hide spoiler)]

[Deanie]

100% (view spoiler)[ I agree that the climax of the story wasn't very climactic. The two 'battles' were underwhelming. But I like the character development. It'll be interesting to find out what happens in books 2 and 3 (hide spoiler)]

[Alaina]

Deanie wrote: "

50% [spoilers removed]

75% [spoilers removed]"

Ahh you’re comments are exactly what I was feeling.

[Alaina]

Deanie wrote: "

100% [spoilers removed]"

OMG same! I’ve never read them so I’m wondering if my opinion will change.

[Alaina]

Will probably dive into book 2 over the weekend, do you have it yet?

[Alaina]

Starting The Heart Forger now!

[Alaina]

26%: (view spoiler)[So far this one is a bit better than the first book. I'm only really saying that because I had no idea I was already this far. Maybe there's something about this narrator or maybe Tea is becoming more likable? Who knows.. (hide spoiler)]

[Alaina]

68%: (view spoiler)[I hate how no one believes her and they just assume the worst. Like yes, she murders people in her spare time. My bad. (hide spoiler)]

[Alaina]

82%: (view spoiler)[YEAH she is changing but damn y'all suck at supporting her sometimes. I think Tea needs her own cheerleaders at this point just so she can get some good news lol (hide spoiler)]

[Alaina]

100%: (view spoiler)[kind of sucks that she’s is leaving them but I guess I’ll have to see what the heck is going to happen in the next book (hide spoiler)]

[Alaina]

Starting the third book now!

[Jude: The Epic Reader]

I think the second one is my favorite: I loved it way more than the first one. I love Tea learning things by herself and becoming more powerful outside of the rules. I love it when my main characters start becoming morally grey. I loved most of the side characters though some annoyed me.

[Alaina]

Jude: The Epic Reader wrote: "I think the second one is my favorite: I loved it way more than the first one. I love Tea learning things by herself and becoming more powerful outside of the rules. I love it when my main characte..."

Yes, it was better than the first book for me.

[Alaina]

Ch 8: (view spoiler)[Oh goodie.. more drama for Tea and how people can't believe she did something. (hide spoiler)]

[Alaina]

Ch 14: (view spoiler)[Interesting so far.. but I'm wondering how this is all going to end.. (hide spoiler)]

[Alaina]

Ch 21: (view spoiler)[Oh crap, who was controlling her? (hide spoiler)]

[Alaina]

Finished: (view spoiler)[I'm not sure how I feel about this ending.. it was a good book but the ending kind of felt anti-climactic? It could just be me though.. (hide spoiler)]

[Kim]

I forgot about this BR and have been struggling with book 1 (I’m at chapter 8). Does it become less fastidious and mundane?

[Alaina]

Oh man book 1. Ima be honest. It wasn’t my favorite. The other two were a lot better in my opinion.

[☘Misericordia☘]

1. The Bone Witch I think I'll join on this one.
2. The Heart Forger
3. The Shadowglass

[Kim]

35% (view spoiler)[ this storyline is moving slowly for me. I like the “present day” version of Tea and I am interested in that piece and less interested in how she became exiled (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Kim]

70% (view spoiler)[ The story of Blade that Soars was too long for me. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Kim]

100% (view spoiler)[ ok so i don't think i actually liked this book but i can't let that hinder my rating since it was written fairly well. i have high hopes for the next book. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Alaina]

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RESTARTING DECEMBER 6TH, 2021

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[Kim]

Yay! I’ve had the second one in my TBR since finishing the first.

[Emma]

Ch 9 (view spoiler)[ what a bunch of bitches trying to set up Tea like that! Talk about a plan misfiring though! (hide spoiler)]

[Emma]

Ch 11 (view spoiler)[
I can’t wait to find out how and why she was exiled. (hide spoiler)]

[Emma]

Ch 13 (view spoiler)[ I. Trying to get a handle on the culture- it seems Japanese-ish with the training Tea is undertaking, like that of a geisha. But with magic. (hide spoiler)]

[Vanessa Gayle ⚔️]

4%

(view spoiler)[I admit that I am a little confused by the timeline going on so far in the first few chapters. Is the woman that killed the daeva Tea? And if so, does that part of the story take place in the future? Like is she telling her story to this guy because he collects stories?

Tea has a lot of siblings and they all seem to have magic. She didn’t seem to have any though until she raised her older brother from the dead. If bone witches are looked down on then I wonder what her family’s reactions will be? Will they cast her out or will it change the way they feel about her? I’m guessing that it isn’t her fault what she is. I don’t think that the people that have magic in this world have any control over what type of magic they get, if they get any at all. Because it seems there are people that don’t have any magic too. (hide spoiler)]

[Vanessa Gayle ⚔️]

12%

(view spoiler)[How did Mykaela know about Tea? She just kind of showed up after she had raised her brother from the dead.

So a bone witch can only raise someone from the dead if they are willing and they cannot raise anyone from the dead that has a silver heartsglass. I am still not super sure what a heartsglass really is. Is the soul housed in it? A person’s essence? It’s kind of confusing.

It’s kind of weird that Fox doesn’t need to sleep or eat now. And that he doesn’t cast a shadow anymore. And he just seems strange. He and Tea are connected somehow. Mykaela called him her familiar.

Do the people really dislike bone witches so much simply because they are beholden to them? Because they are the only ones that can slay the daeva. I am curious about this false prince and the daeva that he created. How can they come back every so many years?

So can bone witches compel anyone and that is why people hate them so much?

This definitely must be the main character telling her story to someone. At first, the timeline felt a little wonky and was a bit jarring but I think that I am starting to get it. (hide spoiler)]

[Emma]

Ch 19
(view spoiler)[ at last we get the slightest hint as to who she is talking to at the end of each chapter (bard). (hide spoiler)]

[Emma]

Ch 30 (view spoiler)[
I’m confused- did her brother decide against Tea? Who is the boy she is calling ‘my love’ that she has resurrected? (hide spoiler)]

[Emma]

Starting

[Emma]

B2 Ch 1-4 (view spoiler)[ wow Tea is in full meglomaniac mode! What the hell has happened?! (hide spoiler)]

[Kim]

I started the second book and got distracted. Gonna restart Sunday

[Emma]

B2 Ch 7 (view spoiler)[ using that book is not going to end well, I imagine.. (hide spoiler)]

[Emma]

B2 ch 11 (view spoiler)[ is Fox no longer with Tea but the oncoming army?! How could that have happened?! I guess we will find out..maybe he has been compelled.. (hide spoiler)]

[Kim]

Ok officially restarted Heartforger.

Chapter 1-5: I admit I have forgotten a lot of where the first book left off. I’m sort of piecing things together but the foreshadow portions are messing with me more than if I had read one and then the next.

[Emma]

Kim wrote: "Ok officially restarted Heartforger.

Chapter 1-5: I admit I have forgotten a lot of where the first book left off. I’m sort of piecing things together but the foreshadow portions are messing with..."

I only left a week or so before starting the second one but I still found it difficult for quite a while!

[Emma]

Ch 18 (view spoiler)[ so we know for sure now Fox and Mykaela oppose Tea. But maybe Fox doesn’t know or understand that Tea is doing all this so that when she dies, he will continue to live. She is not doing it to be immortal. (hide spoiler)]

[Emma]

Ch 23 (view spoiler)[ who did she kill?! which woman? (hide spoiler)]

[Kim]

Emma wrote: "Kim wrote: "Ok officially restarted Heartforger.

Chapter 1-5: I admit I have forgotten a lot of where the first book left off. I’m sort of piecing things together but the foreshadow portions are ..."

so glad it wasn't just me haha

[Kim]

Chapter 6-15 (view spoiler)[ i feel like there is a lot going on but also like not a lot?? i usually like flipping between 2 time periods but this one is confusing me. also why is there a Kalad and a Kalen and a Kance?! i often have to reread to make sure i read the right name to ensure context. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Kim]

Chapters 16-27 (view spoiler)[ so many characters! I feel like I need a list to refer to in order to keep them straight. However I am totally shipping Tea and Kalen. Stubborn kids but lovely nonetheless. I’m curious what Tea is going to do with the 2 heartsglass next. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Kim]

Chapters 28-30 (view spoiler)[ oh snap King Telemaine, you rascal! (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]