"The Bone Ships" First Impressions *No Spoilers*

[SFFBC, Ancillary Mod]

Come talk about your initial, general impressions!

Please save all discussion of particulars, details from the story, character choices, plot questions, etc. for the full spoiler thread.

Content warnings for those who want them: (view spoiler)[ body horror, including harm to eyes, gore, loss of a parent, disfigurement, prisoner abuse. (hide spoiler)]

User-submitted content warnings on Storygraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/d...

Trigger Warning Database review

(More about CWs here.)

[Kirsi]

Started today. I'm two chapters in, and my head is reeling from the strangeness... but I kind of like it? The general tone is eerie, and I don't think these characters are in for blue skies and gentle waves. The ships seem terrifying, and I'm intrigued.

[Cheryl L]

I'm listening to this one on audiobook, which is making me want to eye-read it also. The narrator is exceptional on the Spotify audiobook. I'm really enjoying the descriptions of the world, characters, and Bone Ships. The early descriptions leave me wanting for more details in the best of ways.

[Trude]

The salty swashbuckling start of this book really caught on to me, and sailed me eight chapters along last night, before I had to drift off to sleep and put it to the side for a bit. I long to dive back in and learn more about everything this world and its people have to offer.

[Leonie]

I've just started, and the graphic smell descriptions are (I hope) going to reduce...I have a multi-sensory imagination, and it's been a bit overpowering! 🤷‍♀️

[Kim]

I’ve just started listening today. I’m about halfway through chapter 4 and I’m not really sure how I’m feeling about it. It hasn’t really gripped me yet and I find one of the characters to be annoying. I hope this initial feeling subsides as the story progresses

[Sabrina]

Trude wrote: "The salty swashbuckling start of this book really caught on to me, and sailed me eight chapters along last night, before I had to drift off to sleep and put it to the side for a bit. I long to dive..."

Love your description and I hope you enjoy the rest!

[Kim]

Bone Ships is turning the tide. I’m on chapter 16 and things are sailing for me now. Some of the characters are starting to grow on my like barnacles to a ships hull. I’m still unsure if the plot will hold or take on water and sink to the inky depths, but I’m much more optimistic now.

[Trude]

Sabrina wrote: "Love your description and I hope you enjoy the rest!"

Thank you Sabrina!
We ran into some rough weather, the book and I, but now we are cruising at good speed. Black Orris has the best comments, me thinks.

Yo Ho Ho And a Bottle of Rum!

[CBRetriever]

between this book and the The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport, I like this book better so far. I'm about 70% through it and I'm lagging at 20% on Jinn-bot

[Bonnie]

Leonie wrote: "I've just started, and the graphic smell descriptions are (I hope) going to reduce..."

Me too, can smell the rank: sewage, disused ship, captive humans.

Swashbuckling! With vivid descriptions.
Brings back ship scenes from Ship of Magic / Mad Ship books, Dawnshard, and The Island of Dr Moreau

Looking forward to learning more about Lucky Meas.

p.s. There is an appendix with some terms and ranks in the back of the book.

[CBRetriever]

I went and purchased the next two books after reading this one

[Jacqie]

The series sticks the landing.

[Nicky]

this book was on my TBR for a little while when I came across this topic. I'm really excited to read it now, after y'all's comments. Vivid descriptions really are My Thing.
I won't make it this month unfortunately, but definitely happy that I heard y'all's opinions.

[Molly]

This one is definitely a slow burn. I was kind of coasting for the first hundred pages. I wasn't bored or completely confused, but there was just something that wasn't quite gelling in my mind, but now I'm breezing through it. The first third is tough, but it makes the rest of the story more satisfying, especially with the characters. I have a feeling this might be one of those books that's good in the first read, but fantastic for rereads.

[Ryan, Your favourite moderators favourite moderator]

I definitely enjoyed this more on the reread. Large parts of it felt like a slog the first time around.

[Leonie]

I'm now getting into this story thoroughly, but the beginning nearly put me off completely.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

I've stalled at 30%. I am not having fun, but I've been convinced to seek it out in audio before I throw in the towel

[Leonie]

Allison wrote: "I've stalled at 30%. I am not having fun, but I've been convinced to seek it out in audio before I throw in the towel"

I read another two books of a completely different genre at that stage (rural romance, of all things - known as 'RuRo' in Australia), then decided to give it another try, and subsequently liked it. It took a while to get going, and I did wonder if it was all going to be icky smells, characters I was either ambivalent about or disliked, and a plodding pace.

[Cheryl L]

Allison wrote: "I've stalled at 30%. I am not having fun, but I've been convinced to seek it out in audio before I throw in the towel"

I'm curious to know how your impression changes if you try it on audio. I am loving it but it's hard to say if I would love it in print.

[Cheryl L]

I'm on Chapter 23 and really enjoying The Bone Ships. I'm very interested to learn more about the Guillame and his backstory. I feel like he is a very misunderstood creature.