Crown of Bones by A.K. Wilder
Series: Crown of Bones #1
Publisher: Entangled: Teen
Publication Date: January 5, 2021
Date Read: January 23, 2021
Length: 400 pages
Source: Publisher
★★★★★
Raise. Your. Phantom.
For fans of epic fantasies and sweeping adventures, this ensemble cast will immerse you in a world of unique magic, breathtaking action and unforgettable characters.
In a world on the brink of the next Great Dying, no amount of training can prepare us for what is to come …
A young heir will raise the most powerful phantom in all of Baiseen.
A dangerous High Savant will do anything to control the nine realms.
A mysterious and deadly Mar race will steal children into the sea.
And a handsome guide with far too many secrets will make me fall in love.
My name is Ash. A lowly scribe meant to observe and record. And yet I think I’m destined to surprise us all.
My Review
I loved this book! I really didn’t know a whole lot about this book but I thought it sounded interesting so I decided to give it a try. I am so glad that I did because I was completely captivated by the amazing storytelling within its pages. I hated to put the book down when I had to do other things and when I wasn’t reading, I was thinking about this story. It was one of those rare books that just worked for me on every level.
The world-building in this book was top notch. Everything that we needed to know was worked into the story just when we needed that information. The people in this world are born with special abilities or not. Those that may have some ability are trained to see if they are able to raise a phantom and once they master that skill with some control they go to Aku to train. Marcus is the Heir but he has struggled to hold his phantom until this year, which happens to be his final chance. He, along with his chosen team of friends, head off to Aku to start their journey.
The characters were phenomenal. I cared for this group of young adults and wanted to see things work out for them. Marcus has worked very hard and it almost seems that fate is against him but he keeps pushing forward. Ash has been Marcus’s best friend for a long time and she goes on the journey as the record keeper. Ash is non-savant but she is more than capable of holding her own. These two are the main focus of the book and most of the chapters are told from one of their points of view with the addition of a few additional viewpoints scattered throughout the book. The supporting characters were all very well done and added something to the story.
This story was exciting! Nothing was easy for this group of characters and I never knew what was going to happen next. They all go through a lot in this book and things look like they are not going to go their way more than once. There were few scenes that were so intense that I was totally lost in the story and was almost holding my breath waiting to see how things would work out. There is some violence in the story and I liked the fact that we get to see the toll it takes on the characters.
I would highly recommend this book to others. I found this to be a really unique and well-done world and I fell in love with the characters. I cannot wait to read future installments in this fabulous series!
I received an advanced review copy of this book from Entagled: Teen.
About the Author
Kim Falconer w/a A.K. Wilder is a bestselling speculative fiction author with nine published novels in Australia. Originally from California, she lives on the far eastern coast of Australia with a house full of kids and one extraordinary spotted cat. Her favorite pastimes, besides daydreaming, include meditation, yoga, organic gardening, and weight training. Her novel writing is done in the early hours of the morning. www.akwilder.com
Oh it looks like a good one and I love the cover!
It was fabulous and I do love the cover!
This one looks and sounds truly fascinating! Also, I can't tell you how happy I am to hear that the world-building in it is top notch, it makes me wanna try it even more 😀
It was fun to escape into this world for a little while.
Love stories that keep you on your toes! Glad you enjoyed it immensely.
I really did!
I'm glad you enjoyed this so much!
Anne – Books of My Heart
It was fantastic, Anne!
great cover and review. i do enjoy fantasy, so this sounds like something i would enjoy too
sherry @ fundinmental
It was a wonderful read, Sherry!
This sounds like a great read, Carole! World building, characters, action… seems like it has it all. So glad this was a hit for you!
I lost track of time reading this one, Tanya!