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    The Bone Witch
    The Bone Witch
    The Bone Witch
    Ebook421 pages7 hours

    The Bone Witch

    By Rin Chupeco

    4/5

    ()

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    About this ebook

    "A high-fantasy Memoirs of a Geisha, Chupeco's latest excels in originality" —Kirkus Reviews

    A story of scorned witches, sinister curses, and resurrection, The Bone Witch is the start of a dark fantasy trilogy, perfect for fans of Serpent & Dove and The Cruel Prince.

    Tea can raise the dead, but resurrection comes at a price...

    When Tea accidentally resurrects her brother, Fox, 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.

    Riveting and atmospheric, The Bone Witch is perfect for readers looking for

    • witch novels for adults and teens
    • stories with diverse representation and multicultural influences
    • dark fantasy YA books and series
    • original worldbuilding and captivating writing

    Praise for The Bone Witch:

    "A fantasy lover's fantasy" —Foreword Reviews

    "Mesmerizing. Chupeco (The Suffering) does a magnificent job of balancing an intimate narrative perspective with sweeping worldbuilding, crafting her tale within a multicultural melting pot of influences as she presses toward a powerful cliffhanger."—Publishers Weekly, STARRED Review

    "Chupeco delights us with a fascinating world and a rich atmosphere for a story that is exceptionally written from beginning to end."—Buzzfeed

    "Readers who enjoy immersing themselves in detail will revel in Chupeco's finely wrought tale. Game of Thrones fans may see shades of Daenerys Targaryen in Tea, as she gathers a daeva army to unleash upon the world. Whether she is in the right remains a question unanswered, but the ending makes it clear her story is only beginning." —Booklist

    The Bone Witch Trilogy:

    The Bone Witch (Book 1)

    The Heart Forger (Book 2)

    The Shadowglass (Book 3)

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSourcebooks
    Release dateMar 7, 2017
    ISBN9781492635833
    The Bone Witch
    Author

    Rin Chupeco

    Rin Chupeco has written obscure manuals for complicated computer programs, talked people out of their money at event shows, and done many other terrible things. They now write about ghosts and fantastic worlds but are still sometimes mistaken for a revenant. They are the author of The Girl from the Well, its sequel, The Suffering, and the Bone Witch trilogy. Find them at www.rinchupeco.com.

    Read more from Rin Chupeco

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    Reviews for The Bone Witch

    4/5

    348 ratings40 reviews

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    • 3/5
      A fantasy book set in a fantasy land with many asha's who all have different skills. Tea is one who has VERY different and rare skills. She is able to do things that a lot of asha's are not able to do. She is taken from her homeland to learn how to use her skills when she is just 14 years old. This is an early age for Tea but was a necessity. Tea had used her powers to unleash her brother from his grave. A power she did know she had, nor did she know how she did it.This book was definitely a YA read. This was a fantasy land, with a lot of fantasy characters and fantasy words. Most of the time I was reading the book, I did not know exactly what the words meant. However, I was able to enjoy the book for the most part and able to finish it. At first, I was a little concerned but I did get into it and was able to finish it.Thanks to Sourcebooks Fire for approving my request and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      This novel seems to come from a similar idea as Sabriel, but is not as well executed. The author executes some interesting world-building, but may be trying to include too many imaginary cultures at once to give any of them the thoroughness really required (and includes enough thinly-veiled real-world stereotypes to make me kind of uncomfortable). The choice to have the two intertwined narratives not meet up is an odd one, and has the effect of the framing story spoiling many major plot points of the main story in a disappointing way. It had enough going for it that the next book in the series could turn the whole thing around, though.
    • 3/5
      What was it that drew me to this story? A story revolving around necromancy is not something you run into that often and hello on that gorgeous cover! Upon reading it I find that there is a significant Asian (think geisha) influence throughout the writing and the story itself is about love, loss and revenge.This story is told from two points of view and it transitions from past to present. In the present the story is told from the point of view of the Bard. The past portion is told from the view of Tea, the bone witch. The time transitions were smoothly done and add real interest to the story. There is also a great connection between the two main characters as they both were wronged and forced to face injustice.There are many unique elements to this story an example is the heartsglass. This item is worn like a necklace and your feelings can be read or rather your essence is known. Everyone wears one so it is an accepted norm. they can also be given to others which represents a deep commitment likened to marriage. Another example are creatures known as daeva that are very large demonic beasts that can be controlled by bone witches but not completely. Oh did I mention that they are undead and do not stay dead if “killed?” Yep, that adds a nice twist to things.I liked that the main female character, Tea, is exceptional and yet flawed. There is much time spent getting to know this character through her training, learning the ways of the Asha (combat, music, singing, dancing, art of conversations and magic) and from the past/present transitions. Her relationship with her brother, Fox, is endearing and I wish there had been more written around that. Instead there is a lot if explanatory dialogue between supporting characters and Tea. If you enjoy long drawn out explanations, then this will appeal to you. For me I am more of “to the point” conversations. Also, with all the buildup in training it boiled down to lots of talk and very little show.For me the biggest drawbacks were the beginning and the love triangle. The start of the story is a bit confusing and takes a bit to get into. Throughout the story there is tremendous world building but it is overly descriptive. For me it slowed down the story and led to disengagement. The love triangle was not full on angst and drama but I do detest love triangles so that’s that. The romance itself also just felt all wrong given the age of the main character although the speech of the characters does seem far older than the age they are written to represent.The hope is that this novel is essentially the building block for the next book in the series and that is where we are going to see the action come into play. This was a fascinating read and does bring to the table a whole new world to captivate your imagination. I will leave this review with a quote that I find to be the ultimate focus of the series and may encourage your interest.“This is my new family. This is my new identity. I will be the bone witch the kingdom fears, and I will make them pay.”This review is based on a complimentary book I received from NetGalley. It is an honest and voluntary review. The complimentary receipt of it in no way affected my review or rating.
    • 4/5
      This is a true fantasy novel with weird animals, strange powers, and countries/names you can’t pronounce, and I really liked it.There are alternating chapters. The chapters in italics are the present told in the Bard’s first person. The Bard is here to hear Tea’s story and then ultimately tell others why she is doing what she’s doing. She says that she is going to destroy what she can because “they” killed the man she loved. In these chapters you learn about Tea’s powers. She is one of the most powerful bone witches; she has been cast away or has chosen to leave--we’ll find out later. She’s clearly powerful, knowledgeable, and angry, yet she’s not crazy or unkind. Obviously, something happened that has pushed her to right a wrong as she sees it. The other chapters are Tea’s story, told by her in first person, so switching first person between chapters does require effort for your brain.Tea begins her story explaining, “I never intended to raise my brother from his grave.” A year before Tea is supposed to gather for spring equinox where teens receive their heartsglass, which you wear around your neck. This is your “heart.” Witches, like Tea’s sisters, trace Heartsrune spells to fill the hearts. Many witches, like her sisters, are respectable, but bone witches are definitely not. No one in her family has ever been a necromancer, but when Fox, Tea’s brother dies, “The syllables tripped on my tongue, tasting old and formal. It felt as if they came from someone using my mouth as a passageway through which words not my own raced. I had heard Fox. I had seen him move…. I dashed toward the grave….As we watched, a cold, gray hand rose up, scratching and stretching, and gripped the tufts of weeds growing close to the grave. The strange being lifted itself out of its earthly prison…..but then it smiled, and it was Fox’s smile, quiet and kind.” Tea now has a familiar and it doesn’t exhaust her powers.A bone witch happens to be nearby. As Tea would be treated badly, Lady Mykaela comes to fetch Tea and Fox and take her to the Willows where she will learn how to use her powers. Witches, called asha, are trained here. It’s an odd world--they entertain people with dancing and fellowship. Tea meets many people, including the prince, and gains knowledge. She’s the only bone witch in training, but she’s principled and powerful. Lady Mykaela is the only bone witch in the area, so she becomes exhausted. Tea will have to learn quickly in order to complete the duties required of bone witches.I liked the novel although I’ll admit I’m not sure I understand the kingdoms, the False Prince, the Faceless, and the weird animals. I has a slight passing understanding. I should probably re-read the beginning where it’s explained. I can see some people having trouble with the novel because it’s not a fast-paced novel where there are fight scenes, etc. It challenges your brain as you figure out this strange world. At the end, Tea has raised her animals from the dead and is headed off to destroy, but I don’t think book two will be about this destruction. I think it will be her romance and why she’s declared war. There is no romance in this novel--it’s completely Tea’s story. It’s definitely an interesting and fascinating book that is getting a lot of press.
    • 3/5
      Tea's sisters are both witches, so it's no surprise that she has magical powers. What was surprising was when she raised her brother from the dead. I thought this book was a rather difficult read. I got lost and muddled in the middle of the book. There was so much build up in the book that while the setting was very interesting, eventually I just got bored. I don't think I would read another book in this series.I received this book free in exchange for an honest review.
    • 3/5
      The premise is novel, but the execution falls short. The asha training in particular, which is the majority if the book, felt very derivative of "Memoirs of a Geisha" with a dash of magic and martial arts thrown in, complete with the prestige for competitive dance roles and the rivalry with a fellow geisha/asha. Tea, much like Sayuri, becomes a remarkable prodigy whose talents nobody can deny, plus there's the somewhat cliche YA love triangle. More focus on the necromancy and its moral quandry, and Tea's character development with some conflicts rather than rattling off accomplishments, and less geisha training and love triangle, would have done much. It's an engaging enough read, and I would likely read the sequel, but it adds very little new to the YA fantasy genre.
    • 3/5
      Tea (tay-uh) is a bone witch – a necessary but not particularly liked variety of magic user. Tea discovers her capabilities when, out of desperate heartache, she manages to raise her brother from the dead. Zombie brother in tow, Tea is whisked off to study and train with her “sisters” – the Asha – to hone her abilities. Tea’s training progresses quickly and before long she’s taking on full-fledged monsters and unraveling mysteries in the royal court and her own home. Tea, however, sees things a bit differently than even her bone witch sisters; this leads her down a different path – one that sees her ultimately to exile. Tea’s story is told in alternating chapters of past and present as a bard absorbs the tale. The book ends on the epitome of cliffhangers that will have readers positively clawing for the next installment. The Bone Witch is refreshing in its world-building and Eastern inspired details. Even with the overflow of magic in young adult fiction, this one feels fresh. Unfortunately the plot feels a little unbalanced; the exposition is sufficient, the middle is exhaustive, and the climax is swift. Despite this, there is something in this book that keeps the reader coming back and thinking about the world even when the covers are closed. Beautiful cover art will help this title jump off the shelves. Here’s hoping the next installment reveals much more about Tea’s exile, her plans, and the romance revealed in the final pages.
    • 4/5
      From what I can gather, The Bone Witch is the first book in a series. The author, Rin Chupeco, stated on GoodReads that there will at be at least a sequel. I am glad to know this because the story felt unfinished. Despite this, I really enjoyed reading this book. I was drawn in by the fabulous story and the brilliant, intriguing world Ms. Chupeco created. The only flaw for me was the long descriptions that were at times unnecessary. For this reason I am giving the book 4 stars. With some editing this could easily be 5 stars.The story is about a young girl named Tea who discovers she is a bone witch (aka Dark Asha) when she accidentally raises her brother from the dead. An Asha is a Geisha like person that wields magic and a Dark Asha is one that deals in necromancy. Since she deals with the dead she is both hated and desperately needed to deal will the Daeva a demon creature created by the False Prince.As the story unfolds we are shuttled back and froth between the past and the present as Tea regales her story of training to be a Dark Asha to a Bard. The present hints at a malicious side to Tea and the past shows us a young, naive girl who is somewhat spoiled. The reader has a few clues to the change yet we are not privy to all the facts. I am looking forward to filling in the gaps in the next book(s)as we get the rest of Tea's story. This is a must read for any Fantasy reader who enjoys a detailed exploration of a magical world and the fascinating people that reside there. I received an ARC copy via NetGalley for my honest review.
    • 1/5
      Couldn’t get into it DNF got about a quarter of the way through. Was just boring to me.
    • 5/5
      It’s a great book but I’m confused are the Akvon and Aeshma the same deava because you sometimes use the akvon and sometimes you say that it’s the Aeshma
    • 2/5
      I got about halfway into it and ran out of steam. The world is interesting, but the dramatic frame is annoying, and it's a little slow paced. I can see this as an appealing read for some folks -- maybe Queen of the Tearling fans? Or The Star Touched Queen? I guess I prefer action over Destiny.

      Advanced reader's copy provided by Edelweiss.
    • 3/5
      My feelings are a little mixed with this book. I am kind of disappointed that I didn’t like this book more than I did since the main character has a gift for necromancy. I liked the book for the most part but there were parts that felt really slow and other sections that left me slightly confused. I thought that the overall premise of the story was well done but I wasn’t a huge fan of the dual timelines and was always more interested in the past over the present which was told through a bard. I listened to the audiobook and thought that both Emily Woo Zeller and Will Damron did a great job with the story. I doubt that I will continue with the series.I received a digital review copy of this book from Sourcebooks Fire and borrowed a copy of the audiobook.
    • 2/5
      DNF 60%

      The Bone Witch had such a great premise and such a gorgeous cover that of course I was excited about this title. Also, a main character by the name of Tea is so cool!

      Inside, this book was every bit as pretty as its cover and every bit as decadent..but, sadly it fell flat for me. The world was interesting and dark, with characters that stood out and a plot that moved towards the promise of a great ending - and yet I did not finish this book at 60%. What went wrong? The Bone Witch was indescribably slow and was so bogged down with beautiful details about clothing, face paint and other details that, while lovely to read, did nothing to move the story forward.

      I understand all of these parts of a costume is important as Tea's work is obviously based on the Japanese culture. I just got bored of the endless description of each character's outfit, make up, non-essential social rank and instrument/skill set even if Chupeco is an incredibly talented writer. I'm a terrible student of the world, I know.

      Once Tea moves on from training and begins her tale as a Bone Witch, I lost complete interest. The love story felt unnecessary since the world was lush and engaging enough by this point that I felt like the story was ready to really hit it's stride. Regardless, all YA novels seem to need a romantic interest of some sort. So, okay I went with it and continued reading..and reading..and reading..

      I basically felt like I was reading pages and pages of detail and very little plot substance at the half way point. Chupero designed this novel to be in the "show-dont-tell" vein of storytelling which, for me, completely detracted from the plot once more complex things began to happen to our heroine.

      The politicking seemed to have too much unrelated additional detail. To be fair, the first book was probably focused on the foundational development for the rest of the series, hence the monotonous details..but I just couldn't..

      I really wanted to love this book since it had all the trappings of an amazing novel, I really did. And Ive put off writing this review because this book definitely deserves better lip service.

      The Bone Witch didn't do it for me. Maybe if you have the patience it'll work for you?

      Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for a copy of this novel for review purposes.
    • 4/5
      Tea is growing up in a small village, with several sisters and brothers. Her older sisters are witches, with useful and unalarming powers related to water, or to plants, for instance. Everyone expects that Tea will also be a witch, and she expects that her powers will be similarly domestic and useful.However, when her brother, Fox, is killed in a battle, and his body returned to his family for burial, Tea, in her grief, accidentally resurrects him. She's not a nice, normal, domestic sort of witch; she's a bone witch--a necromancer.Bone witches serve a vital role in the eight kingdoms, keeping daeva, monsters created long ago by the False Prince, safely dead. Despite their importance, they are mostly feared, even hated, and shunned. Tea is suddenly very unwelcome in her village.Fortunately, there's an older bone witch, Lady Mykala, nearby currently, and she takes Tea, and her brother, Fox, away with her. She takes them to another kingdom, and a city where powerful witches, called ashas, are trained. What Tea didn't know before this is that a bone witch is an asha--a "dark asha."There are two intertwined stories here, in alternating sections. One is Tea's story of her introduction to and education in the world of the ashas, which eventually includes learning to dance, and fight, and sing, and provide cultured company to nobles and other wealthy patrons. There are some significant parallels to geishas, here. And, of course, there is also magicThe other story is that of a bard, exiled from his own land, who, a few years after the major events in the story Tea is telling, finds Tea living alone on a beach. She's surrounded by bones--bones of daeva, and she can raise and control these daeva. As may be obvious, Tea is also in exile, as well as quite notorious. It's in the intertwining of the bard's story, and Tea's own story, that we begin to get hints of the darker aspects of what is happening.The worldbuilding and the magic system here are quite interesting, and the characters are interesting and well-developed, also. Tea is smart, talented, motivated--and a quite believable willful, impulsive, young teen. The friendships and rivalries among the young asha novices and apprentices also feel real and believable. As for the intrigue that Tea finds herself involved in, well, there are a few instances where I find myself asking, really, what happened there? What did I miss? Overall, though, it's quite good.I borrowed this audiobook via Prime Reading, and am reviewing it voluntarily.
    • 3/5
      Super torn about whether I’m going to keep reading this trilogy—the flash forwards were completely enthralling, but the main storyline was boring at times and felt sort of derivative at others.
    • 5/5
      I took one look at the cover and knew it would be just an amazing book.
      I wasn't disappointed. While the style sometimes handholds a bit, I appreciated the details. I really enjoyed the narration style. I eagerly await the next installment!!
    • 5/5
      From the opening scene along the black sand beaches, to the closing scene where the faceless sudden has a face; this book never lacks in excitement scenes or action sequences. This story carefully, and subtly, weaves the coming of age story of the Bone Witch, the rites if passage of any teenager and the troubles , peer pressure and bullying, all along keeping you involved in that world where magic is not something you practice but something you wore on your clothes. And talk about wearing your heart in your sleeve, here is ha ha around your neck.
      I never felt bored or disinterested in this book, even when there was a glimmer of romance or deep insight into Tia’s classes. I highly recommend this book for an advanced fantasy reader, for only will those be able to visualize this realm of fearful dragons, magic belonging to everyone and teenagers that can breathe life into any dead creature.
    • 4/5
      A book that crept into my heart and left a wonderful memory on it.This book tells us the story of Tea, a girl who was born as a dark asha or also known as the bone witch. Being a bone witch was not easy as people feared and hate them. On this book, we’ll see how she will overcome the obstacles blocking her way and how she will be able to surpass them.The book was also written into two views. One from Tea herself from her own experience in the past and the other was from a guy named Bard who talks and hears Tea’s story from the present.I like how the author written it that way. It gives curiosity on the reader’s part – mine to be exact. It made me think what was happening and why Tea was talking like that to Bard. What happened when she was an asha and why she wasn’t one anymore? Every chapter gave me different questions that I’d like to know the answers to but every time some of it were answered, more questions would arise. It made me keep on guessing what might happen next.The way it was narrated was slow and I hate reading slow narrated story because they made me sleepy but this book was an exception because I just liked it. The world-building was very different from the other fantasy books I’ve read. The plot was also good and also the characters. I just like to know if they would be able to find Lady Mykaela’s lost heartsglass in the future or not. I am also interested on learning more about Kalen and Kance.Tea was very admirable. I like how she stays strong despite the hard tasks put on her shoulders. She might be stubborn but there was always a reason for being like that. Her relationship with her brother, Fox, was also one of the things I liked on this book.The ending left some unanswered questions to me and I hope I’ll be able to read them on the next book.I am recommending this book for fantasy lovers. If you don’t like slow narration, then I suggest you to decide on your own if you’ll read this book BUT I am really telling you that you should read this. The story was very unique especially the way it was written.Disclaimer: I received a free advance review copy of this book from Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      I received a copy of this via Netgalley for an honest review.

      I loved this book. The beginning was a little slow for me, but after that I was really into it. I liked that you didn't really know exactly where the story was going. The end of each chapter being the present was a great idea. I'm so happy I got to read this early, but it's going to be so long until the next one comes out! I can't wait to see what happened next, and where they're going to go from here

      1 person found this helpful

    • 2/5
      Disaster at the endThis book is marketed as a Teen/YA book but up until the 99% point I found it satisfying as an adult read too. Then in the final few pages the whole thing went south. I don't know what was going on in Rin Chupero's (or the editor's) mind, but in a few sentences the entire structure of the book was undone. Don't bother.I received a review copy of "The Bone Witch" by Rin Chupeco (Sourcebooks Fire) through NetGalley.com.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Tea has lived all her life in a small village with her family. Then, when she is thirteen, her brother, who had been called to the army to help protect the kingdom from fierce monsters called daeva, is killed in battle. The anguished Tea refuses to accept his death, and in her grief, she raises him from his grave. It seems that Tea is a necromancer, a dark asha (witch). Fleeing from the superstition and fear of her neighbors, she journeys to the schools at Ankyo where she can learn to harness her powers.The lessons at these schools (called The Willows) resemble a geisha’s training more than anything you’d find at Hogwarts. Tea learns singing, dance, flower arranging, and how to pick out the perfect hua (magical outfit). She does also learn healing and combat, but the focus is certainly more on the refined arts and entertaining dignitaries.When the school is attacked by a fierce daeva, Tea knows she is the only one with a chance of stopping the carnage, but the price that must be paid could mean the sacrifice of all she holds dear.Right off the bat I’m going to stay that this book wasn’t my cup of tea (pun, sorry). I found the focus on the more mundane aspects (like flower arranging, etc.) to be a bit dull. When the action finally hits, the book is nearly over. That is not to say that this book is bad. There’s quite a bit of good world building here, and the magic system is actually pretty neat, and interestingly done. I feel like this book will appeal more to a true YA audience than me (being old and curmudgeonly). As this is the first in the series, I would be curious to see how the future books pace out. I think the second book will be worth a chance, when it comes out.An advance copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The Bone Witch will be available for purchase on March 7th, 2017.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 2/5
      Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book. I applied for The Bone Witch because the premise sounded very interesting. However, the reality turned out much different. I was initially confused between the two ongoing stories. I don't particularly like long passages in italics that didn't seem to pertain to the main storyline (later I discovered that it's told by a bard about an older Tea).Tea is a young girl who discovers she's a bone witch when she accidentally raises her brother, Fox, from the dead. After this the story goes downhill. Tea is taken off to learn how to become an asha, and, as others have noted, this mirrors Memoirs of a Geisha very closely. The author is very good at detail and world-building. But there is very little actual story going on here so the detailed descriptions of everything just become mind-numbing. I'm normally a fast reader, but this book took me forever to finish. When I keep looking to see what page I'm on now and it seems like hours and you've only read ten pages, you know there's a problem.I'm sure that some people will really like this book, but it was not for me. I reviewed this book of my own volition.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 2/5
      I thought the description of the book sounded amazing. A girl raises her brother from the dead by accident. She learns she is a bone witch, and is sent for training, far away from her family. It sounded like exactly the sort of book I love. Unfortunately, the book did not live up to my expectations.

      Tea is 12 years old when she raises her brother from the dead. He is now essentially a zombie, and is bound to her for life. Another bone witch, Mykala, comes to take Tea away for training, and her brother, Fox, follows them. And that is the end of Tea's involvement with her family.

      Tea is being trained to be a dark asha, the asha's being similar to geishas. They wear clothing that sounds like kimonos, and have an elaborate social structure. She is trained not only in the use of her witchcraft, but also in the arts of singing, dancing and entertaining. Why? These are very powerful witches. Why are they treated as little better than prostitutes?

      Tea is training to be able to fight the Daevas. Gigantic beasts that can't die. They can only be temporarily sent to the grave, after which they raise again after a set amount of years. With all this power, wouldn't you think the bone witches wouldn't have to deal with all the nonsense of being an asha? They are also fighting the enemy, the faceless ones. The faceless ones are apparently against the status quo, although not enough is learned about them. I would have liked more background on who the faceless ones are.

      Even though this book has an interesting premise, I didn't find it that exciting. The book is super descriptive. Things happen very slowly, and I didn't like the patriarchal society of the book. I also felt this book would have done better if it was set in the contemporary world. I know this is the first book in the series, but I don't feel the need to read any more about these characters.

      I received a free copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
    • 3/5
      This was overhyped. BW is the beginning of a new series and while Chupeco is world-weaving, there are only bits of stale-ish action strewn in like breadcrumbs to move forward the plot. I didn't find the narrative or the main character (Tea) compelling enough to warrant seeking out subsequent books from this series.This is a coming of age story of a teenage witch with the power to raise the dead. She finds her powers accidentally by raising her older brother who was killed in battle. He follows her around like a puppy- golem for the rest of the book while she apprentices with older, more practiced witches to learn (and learn to control) her powers. She's low on the totem pole of witches and struggles with being mean girl'ed, crushing on a boy prince with "emerald eyes," is being stalked by some sort of undead skeleton creature posing, has to learn to dance and fight proficiently, keep her brother on the healthy side of undead by feeding him some of her blood from time to time, and fights a three-headed dragon. You know, the usual.Cliche YA themes, low on emotional connection, and features a heroine who's just not that interesting a person.
    • 4/5
      "Then perhaps we should carve a world one day where the strength lies in who you are rather than in what they expect you to be"This was a slow read but not in a bad way, I just needed time to digest all the lovely details the author wrote about. As you probably read somewhere, this books is Geisha meets Witches and necromancy. Honestly, I saw the words "Bone" and "Witch" together and knew I had to add this to my to-read list. I liked it even more when it became obvious that Tea, the main character will eventually turn into an antihero. Now, what I mean by "eventually" is that the book is written in two parts. First, is the present, in the POV of a bard, where a vengeful Tea narrates her story, which is the second part. This book is YA so there are the usual tropes, aside from the "I did not know I have powers" there's the love triangle trope, but what I like is that it's not forced, they don't magically just fall in love in an instant and the story revolves around Tea's coming of age and power, not really in her relationships. If you like coming of age, supernatural YA and detailed writing , then I suggest this for you.
    • 4/5
      I was given a free galley of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

      This is a captivating tale of a society with an interesting caste system. The young protagonist is drawn from her home by her own unique abilities and pulled into a society reminiscent of the geisha mixed with a magical hierarchy. Despite their attempts to control her actions, she forges her own path and in this first book she sets her feet on a path that will lead to destruction and possibly the founding of a new society.
    • 4/5
      It was several months after I requested a copy of Bone Witch from Net Gallery that I actually got around to reading the story. I had been on a non-fiction binge so beginning a fantasy novel was my first surprise. Once I became accustom to the genre's vocabulary, I enjoyed this story of how the main character,Tea, learns the expectations and down falls of being a rare asha called a bone witch. I found the asha culture to be very similar to the Geisha culture. My second surprise was that this story is part of a series. Since I read this story on my Kindle, I did not realize I was nearing the end of the story . I was all set for what I thought would be the grand finale. Although the story did fish by tying up some loose ends it definitely left me wanting more. I would suggest this book to readers who enjoy fantasy with magical elements and strangely enough to readers who enough Memoirs of a Geisha as well.
    • 2/5
      I wanted to like this book, I really did. The cover drew me in because how beautiful is it?! But I found I couldn't really connect with the characters and I found the pacing to be odd and slow. I do love the magic system in this book though. 2 out of 5 stars.
    • 4/5
      The main character of this story is Tea a 12 year old girl who finds out that she is very special. In her world magic, monsters, and witches are a very real thing and she suddenly finds out that she is a very different type of witch. By suddenly, I mean that during her brothers funeral she accidently raises him from the dead. This one event changes her life forever and she is taken from her family to train to become a Dark Asha.The story jumps between the present and the past seamlessly through Tea's interactions with the Bard. He pleads for her to tell him her story and she agrees. This interaction allows you to see how she was trained as well as seeing her working her dark magic in present time (when she is 17). I am trying my best not to give away any spoilers because the interactions in present time are what made me really want to read the sequel.Rin Chupeco does a fantastic job creating this magical world with strong Asian influences. You have the magical Asha's who are very reminiscent of Geisha's. Even the Hua's that the Asha brings to mind a kimono. She even goes so far as to fully describe one of the performances that took place during a very important part of the story. I will be honest, I thought this part was super boring but I know the story being told in the performance will matter later in the series.Pros:The world is very well constructed. There is history and the Women of this world are pretty bad ass. Not that the men are not, we just don't get much of there part of the world yet.Tea never shies awaySubtle LGBT+ representation in the book! There were two characters, Rahim and Likh that I believe were definitely part of that community. Rahim the well respected Hua maker said "We are all girls here" when Tea felt shy getting fitted for her Hua. You also had Likh who wanted nothing more than to be an Asha, a role filled traditionally by women. He wanted this so bad that he risked imprisonment just so that he could preform dressed as an Asha in hopes of being accepted into their ranks...he was not but there is still hope for him.Tea was not afraid of her powers. This is a major plus for me. You see books where the characters are afraid of how powerful they are, but not Tea. She understands that there is more to her power than is being taught and she is willing to delve into this power. Not for her own evil purposes, but to protect future Asha from sacrificing themselves. She knows that there has to be another way and she is determined to find it.The ending!!!! Holy Cow! It left me pumped for the next book! Golly gee, it was great.Cons:The romantic element, if you can call it that. The parts of the story where Tea interacts with Prince Kance were a little painful for me. I know the book is YA but it could have been done better.The performance in the middle of the book was incredibly drawn out and boring. As I said before, I know that it will be important later on, but very boring.There were a few parts that dragged on a little bit.Overall:Overall, I really enjoyed the book. I took time thinking about this review because I was about to give it 5 star but realized that the last book I read was influencing this score. This book was great in my opinion but it did have some flaws. I don't want to just throw away 5 star ratings unless I am blown away by the book. With that said, this book was honestly good. I loved the world it is set in, and I love the way magic is used. It left me wanting to read the next book in the series so that is a very good thing! I really recommend this book!
    • 4/5
      This novel was a slow starter for me - great premise, but not one that grabbed me from the get-go. However, the writing was lovely throughout and that kept me willing to press on. I'm glad I did, because I think this is the start of a really interesting YA fantasy series. Tea is a compelling heroine, and watching her come into her power has been exciting. The author is peppering the narrative with hints of even bigger things to come, and I am definitely along for the ride. This one does require some patience, but for me it very much paid off.

    Book preview

    The Bone Witch - Rin Chupeco

    Front Cover

    ALSO BY RIN CHUPECO

    The Girl from the Well

    The Suffering

    The Bone Witch Trilogy

    The Bone Witch

    The Heart Forger

    The Shadowglass

    The Never Tilting World Series

    The Never Tilting World

    The Ever Cruel Kingdom

    Title Page

    Thank you for purchasing this eBook.

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    Copyright © 2017 by Rin Chupeco

    Cover and internal design © 2017 by Sourcebooks, Inc.

    Cover design by Faceout Studio, Jeff Miller

    Cover images © Mila Supinskaya/Shutterstock; ritfuse/Shutterstock; Pixejoo/Shutterstock; Markus Gann/Shutterstock

    Sourcebooks and the colophon are registered trademarks of Sourcebooks, Inc.

    All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without permission in writing from its publisher, Sourcebooks, Inc.

    The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

    Published by Sourcebooks Fire, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc.

    P.O. Box 4410, Naperville, Illinois 60567-4410

    (630) 961-3900

    Fax: (630) 961-2168

    sourcebooks.com

    Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

    Names: Chupeco, Rin, author.

    Title: The bone witch / Rin Chupeco.

    Description: Naperville, Illinois : Sourcebooks Fire, [2017] | Summary: Tea’s gift for death magic means that she is a bone witch, a title that makes her feared and ostracized by her community, but when an older bone witch trains her to become an asha--one who can wield elemental magic--Tea will have to overcome her obstacles and make a powerful choice in the face of danger as dark forces approach.

    Identifiers: LCCN 2016016719 | (13 : alk. paper)

    Subjects: | CYAC: Magic--Fiction. | Witches--Fiction. | Fantasy.

    Classification: LCC PZ7.C4594 Bo 2017 | DDC [Fic]--dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016016719

    Contents

    Front Cover

    Title Page

    Copyright

    Map: The World of the Bone Witch

    Chapter 1

    Chapter 2

    Chapter 3

    Chapter 4

    Chapter 5

    Chapter 6

    Chapter 7

    Chapter 8

    Chapter 9

    Chapter 10

    Chapter 11

    Chapter 12

    Chapter 13

    Chapter 14

    Chapter 15

    Chapter 16

    Chapter 17

    Chapter 18

    Chapter 19

    Chapter 20

    Chapter 21

    Chapter 22

    Chapter 23

    Chapter 24

    Chapter 25

    Chapter 26

    Chapter 27

    Chapter 28

    Chapter 29

    Chapter 30

    Chapter 31

    The World of The Bone Witch: The 8 Kingdoms

    Acknowledgments

    A Sneak Peek at The Heart Forger

    About the Author

    Back Cover

    Dedicated to the countless bowls of ramen, who have supported me throughout the writing of this book and have still continued to do so long after I was done.

    And also to Ramen Santouka, for supplying said ramen.

    The beast raged; it punctured the air with its spite. But the girl was fiercer. She held no weapons except for the diamonds glinting like stars above her brow, against hair like a dark mass of sky. She wore no armor save a beautiful hua of mahogany and amber spun from damask silk, a golden dragon embroidered down its length, its body half-hidden by her waist wrap. She raised her arm, and I saw nothing. But the creature saw, and its wrath gentled, until it did little but whimper.

    Kneel, the girl ordered, and—against all expectations—the daeva obeyed. It sank to its knees and bowed its head.

    Seventeen, I thought. She could not be older than seventeen years. Seventeen could explain the poetry of her face, with her skin brown and unblemished. Seventeen explained the pertness of her nose, the determined tilt to her chin. But seventeen did not explain the oldness in her eyes, large twin pools of black from where no light could escape.

    The girl stood beside the fiend. It was four times as tall and weighed a hundred tons, but it shrunk from the touch of her hand. It was an elephant-like beast, with a hide the color of dead trees and a mouth full of teeth as large as tusks, but it did not attack. It bore fangs like knives, each canine more jagged than the next, but it was afraid. They made for a bizarre sight: the girl and the monster on a beach of ash and silt, while waves crashed against the shore and sent up sprays of seawater and salt.

    The beast watched her with its dull, white eyes. It whimpered again.

    The girl smiled. She stroked its misshapen jaw and leaned toward the hideous, yellowing teeth as if she had a secret to share.

    Die, she whispered.

    The daeva sighed, a relieved sound. It toppled onto its side, raised its head beseechingly at her one last time, and died.

    The girl rose to her feet, slipping a knife out of her sleeve. Her hand traveled past the beast’s jaw and neck, searching. She paused at a spot halfway down its throat and sank her blade into the roughened flesh. Black liquid, slick as oil and thick as congealed syrup, bubbled from the gaping wound.

    I turned my face away. My last meal rose in my throat unbidden, and I forced it back down with effort.

    Blood and grime dripped down her fingers. From within the depths of the creature, the girl withdrew a perfectly round stone. It was as large as her hand, smooth and polished, and it glittered red, the color of giant rubies. As she did, the monster crumbled, reduced to a mountain of dust in an instant.

    A bezoar, she said for my benefit. "The mark of every daeva. This creature is called an akvan, and its bezoar can sense all known magic. But it does not explain you here in my domain."

    Despite the masterful craftsmanship of her hua, there was something unusual about the dragon woven on it—its snout was too long, and it too had tusks instead of sharp teeth and whiskers. It was an imperfection I was not accustomed to in such fineries.

    The gown was slit on one side, and I saw the long, white scar that climbed her right thigh. She made no move to hide this flaw and stood boldly, with her legs apart, so that the beaded dragon looked to have burst out onto her dress from the puckered skin. She wore her waist wrap loosely, in defiance of tradition; like her hua, it was black, but with chrysanthemums stitched in gilded thread. One of the great atelier Arrakan’s creations, I surmised; intricate gold embroidery was his specialty.

    She wore a beautiful chain around her neck, and on it a heart-shaped pendant. I had my own heartsglass of the common glossy, apple red. I expected hers to be of a bright silver, a soft, swirling mist contained within the tempered glass, as expected of an asha. Instead, it was as black as the night.

    The akvan had not been the first death on that lonely shore. Bits of other bones lay scattered around the desolate beach, their skeletal remains victims of the relentless tides that sent them crashing at intervals against sharpened rocks. Large rib cages glistened despite the soot-ridden light. Empty skulls gaped back at me, silent and accusing.

    The girl turned to face me, and I saw the grave behind her for the first time. It was a slab of headstone lying on the only patch of grass that flourished in the otherwise barren landscape of sand. It bore no inscription, and I wondered who lay buried within, whom she mourned.

    They call you Tea of the Embers, I said.

    She said nothing and waited.

    I collect stories, I continued. "I was born in Drycht but was banished when I came of age for my freethinking ways and for singing against the tyrant kings. Since then, I have made my living on tales and ballads. I have seen with my own eyes the endless wars of the Yadosha city-states. I have broken bread with the reindeer people and have danced with the Gorvekan tribes on the Isteran steppes. I have seen princes poisoned, have watched a Faceless follower hanged, and have survived in a city that’s been swept out to sea. My name is known in many places; my reputation is more than modest.

    But I know very little of the workings of the asha. I know of their dances and of their weapons and of their legends but not of their quarrels and their gossip and their loves. And until today, I have never seen one slay a daeva.

    She laughed; it sounded bitter. I am no longer an asha, Bard; they are beloved by the people, and I am not. My exile here, at the end of the world, is proof of that. They have another name for those like me. Call me a bone witch; it suits me better. But I have no need of you, and you are in my way. Give me one reason why I should not cut you down where you stand.

    I am used to pleading for my life, and so I said, You are an asha, and you must know how to discern truth from lies. Put me to the test.

    The girl moved closer. From within the folds of her hua, she took out another stone and placed it in my hand. I was no magic adept, but even I could feel the strength of the spells woven into her dress, though I did not know what they enhanced—her beauty, which such magic was commonly used for, or her power, which was formidable enough without them.

    If you speak the truth, it will flare a brighter blue, she said. Tell me lies and it will shine the deepest black. Choose your words carefully, Bard.

    I had a dream. I saw a bright-blue moon in the sky. I followed it across the clouds until it shone over a gray, empty beach littered with the bones of sea monsters of old. On it stood a young girl with her hands stained with blood but who promised me a tale beyond anything I could ever imagine. ‘If there is one thing people desire more than a good story,’ she said, ‘it is when they speak their own.’ When I woke, I saw that same moon, as blue and as real as you and I, looking down. I trusted my instincts and followed the road the way it had been mapped out for me in my dream. It is here I find that same beach and that same girl. I have heard all the tales they speak of you. It would be my honor to hear yours. Give me leave to sing your story, and I will do it justice.

    The waves lapped at the shore. Vultures circled overhead. The sapphire in my hand shone the purest blue.

    She broke the silence with more laughter, the stillness shattering at the sound. You are confident and curious. Some would say that is not always a healthy combination. She took back the bezoar and turned away. I leave in seven days. I will give you until then.

    I followed her, my heartsglass heavy with questions. Of everything I had heard, I had not expected her to be so young. Seventeen did not explain why she stood on that strange, graying beach, alone, with monsters’ corpses for company.

    1

    Let me be clear: I never intended to raise my brother from his grave, though he may claim otherwise. If there’s anything I’ve learned from him in the years since, it’s that the dead hide truths as well as the living. I have not been a bone witch for very long, whatever the stories you’ve heard, but this was the first lesson I learned.

    I understand now why people fear bone witches. Theirs is not the magic found in storybooks, slaying onyx-eyed dragons and rescuing grateful maidens from ivory towers. Theirs is not the magic made from smoke and mirrors, where the trap lies in the twitch of the hand and a trick of the eyes. Nor is theirs the magic that seeds runeberry fields, whose crops people harvest for potions and spells. This is death magic, complicated and exclusive and implacable, and from the start, I wielded it with ease.

    There was never anything unnatural or mysterious about me. I was born in Knightscross, one of the smallest villages that dotted the kingdom of Odalia, surrounded by a lovely forest on three sides and rolling plains on the other. My only claim to strangeness was that I read fiercely, learned thirstily. I read of the history of the Eight Kingdoms, about the Five Great Heroes and the False Prince. It was here that I learned of the magic-wielding asha and their never-ending war against the Faceless, the people of the lie, practitioners of the Dark, sworn to the False Prince. Sometimes I would pretend to be the asha, Taki of the Silk, whom the fabled King Marrus took to wife. Or Nadine of the Whispers, who ended the war between the kingdoms of Istera and Daanoris with her dancing.

    You think in the same way men drink, Tea, my father once said, far too much—under the delusion it is too little. But he brought me books from distant fairs and encouraged my clutter of parchment and paper. Some days, I would read to him when his work at the forge was done for the day. It was a sight to see: him, a tall, muscular man with a heavy beard, reclining in his favorite chair and listening as I read children’s fables and folktales in my high, piping voice.

    It was true that I was born at the height of an eclipse, when the sky closed its only moon eye to wink back at the world, like my arrival was a private joke between old friends. Or perhaps the moon read my fate in the stars and hid, unwilling to bear witness to my birth. It is the kind of cataclysm people associate with bone witches. But surely normal children have been born under this cover of night, when the light refused to shine, and went on to live perfectly normal lives?

    Necromancy did not run in my family’s blood, though witchery did. But my older sisters were witches of good standing within the community and did not go about summoning dead siblings from graveyards as a rule. Rose was a Forest witch; she was plump, pickled brown from the hot sun, darker than even the farmers who worked the fields from dawn to dusk. She owned an herb garden and sold poultices and home remedies for gout, lovesickness, and all other common ailments. Lilac was a Water witch; she was tall and stagnant, like a deep pool. She was fond of donning veils, telling merry fortunes, and occasionally finding lost trinkets, often by accident.

    She had cast auguries for me and found nothing amiss. Tea shows an inclination to be a witch like us, if she wishes to, Lilac told my mother. I see her wearing a beautiful amber gown, with bright gems in her hair and a handsome prince on her arm. Our little Tea is destined for something greater than Knightscross, I think.

    Even those who knew nothing of the witching trade considered Forest and Water magic to be reasonable, respectable professions. And Rose and Lilac made for reasonable, respectable witches.

    Had I known the color of my heartsglass sooner, I might have been better prepared.

    On the third day of the third month of their thirteenth summer, children gathered at the village square for the spring equinox and because it was tradition. Boys and girls wore delicate heartsglass on chains around their necks. Some were simple cases their parents bought cheap at the Odalian market; those who could afford it purchased them from famed glassblowers in Kneave.

    A witch—some years it was Rose, and others it was Lilac—traced Heartsrune spells in the air until each empty glass sputtered and flared and filled with red and pink hues. As was the tradition in Odalia, my father and mother wore each other’s heartsglass—his was burned and ruddy, like the endless fires of his forge, and hers was coral tinged and warm, like the hearth. Most of my brothers and sisters wavered between their colors, though purple-tinted hearts singled Rose and Lilac out for witching. I was only twelve years old then, thought too young to appreciate my heart’s value. Having a heart was a responsibility; young children were heartless creatures anyway—or so said Mrs. Drury, who lived three cottages away and was the acknowledged village busybody. But I never believed that grown-ups took great care of their hearts either, because my older sister Daisy, seventeen and the loveliest of us Pahlavis, was constantly losing hers. She gave it to Demian Terr and then later to Sam Fallow and then again to Heath Clodbarron, and Rose or Lilac had to draw new Heartsrune spells each time her romances ended. It was all right, Daisy insisted, because the hearts she’d given away faded over time, and she could always ask for one anew.

    Never give your heart freely or as often, Rose or Lilac would reprimand her. The wrong kinds of people can place spells on it to gain and keep power over you.

    I wasn’t sure why anyone would want power over Daisy, because I couldn’t imagine her doing anything involving work. And Demian and Sam and Heath, obviously the wrong kind of people for my sister, wouldn’t know magic if it kneed them in the loins.

    I once asked Rose why Daisy’s heart never lasted longer than her courtships, while Mother’s and Father’s heartsglass never needed replacing. "Hearts only last when you put in work to make them last, she responded. She was, however, more forgiving of Daisy than Lilac was. She can’t help herself, Rose said. Sometimes you can’t help who you love or for how long."

    • • •

    With my sisters named the way they are, you might wonder about my unusual name. My mother had high expectations of her children—and of her daughters in particular. Fine, upstanding young ladies, she believed, needed fine, upstanding names. My sisters were named Rose and Lilac, Marigold and Daisy; by the time I came along, she had abandoned flowers. I grew up to the sounds of squabbles and running feet and love, and, despite my preference for ungainly books, I was unremarkable in every way.

    But Fox? Fox was the family tragedy. His heart was a solid and dependable umber, bronze when held in the right kind of light. He was like a second father to me and is one of my earliest childhood memories. As the oldest, he looked after me when the rest of my siblings occupied my mother’s time. He joined the army when I was ten, and for two years, I read his letters home to my parents. There were no shortages of ill-mannered nobles who raised banners of gold and silver and called the throne their own, he wrote, and so King Telemaine sent soldiers like him, armed and primed for war, to force them down from such high, insolent ledges.

    And then Fox wrote of strange and terrible tidings. These rumors sprouted up like bindweed along the edges of the kingdom and gorged themselves on whispers and fears. They told of daeva—strange and terrible monsters, maimed creatures assembled from scale-slicked bodies and yellowed fangs and spined limbs and horns. I was familiar with the legend: the daeva are the False Prince’s final curse on the world, and the Faceless are said to command them. Occasionally, the curse would take hold once more, and a daeva would rise from the dead to wreak havoc. Fox was periodically assigned to patrols that guarded Odalia’s borders and had seen one of the creatures for himself. But their commander had ordered a retreat; it was the Deathseekers’ job to kill the beasts in their stead. Fox had been impressed by these elite, magic-wielding fighters.

    Shortly after that, Fox was killed by creatures unknown, as General Lode’s letter read. Military speak for daeva, Father said. There was nothing else—just a simple pine coffin, three months’ worth of his wages, and a single note that felt indifferent and regretful all at once.

    My mother and sisters wept; they could have flooded Knightscross with the strength of their grief. My father and brothers held vigil for three days and three nights and said nothing with their impassive faces and wet eyes. I was only twelve, and I couldn’t see the kind, playful Fox I had known in that rigid body. I couldn’t recognize him in that pale, grim face. This was my brother, who had raised me and fed me and carried me on his shoulders, and it hurt to see him so still.

    I was quiet when the mourners pulled the coffin lid shut. I was silent when they set the wooden box in the hole they had dug. Only when they poured the last shovelfuls of dirt onto the new grave did I speak. Even now I can recall how heavy those words felt when they fell from my lips.

    You can’t put him there. He can’t get out.

    Sweetheart, my mother wept, Fox isn’t coming back.

    You’re wrong, I said. "You’re wrong. I saw him move. As sure as I know my own breath, I saw him move, but he can’t get out." The syllables tripped on my tongue, tasting old and formal. It felt as if they came from someone using my mouth as a passageway through which words not my own raced. I had heard Fox. I had seen him move. In my mind’s eye, I had seen past the heavy stone, past the soil and the dirt and the rot, and I had watched my dead brother open his eyes.

    I dashed toward the grave. Wolf and Hawk barred my path, but I ducked underneath their strong arms and slipped past. For a moment I imagined myself as my brother’s namesake, strong and sly, shaking hounds off the length of my tail. But the illusion soon passed, and I was a child again, tripping and falling. The ground slashed at me, marking both my knees and the palms of my hands with the sharpness of knives. Blood dripped down onto the cold gravestone and spilled across the ground.

    A chorus of noises thrummed inside my head, a peculiar buzzing that also carried with it my brother’s voice, asking and pleading and yearning, answering a question I had not yet asked aloud: Yes, Tea, Fox whispered to me in my head. Yes, I am willing.

    It was wrong of them to put him in the ground when he did not want to die.

    A strange symbol burned before me. Without thinking, my bloodied fingers traced the pattern in the air, again and again and again, until my brothers took me by the waist and dragged me away.

    What has gotten into you, girl? My father was shaken and angry. There is no excuse for behaving in this manner—and at your brother’s wake, no less!

    What other reprimands he intended died on his tongue when the ground began to move. A terrible rumbling and heaving began underneath us, beneath the fresh dirt that made up Fox’s grave. There was a muffled splintering inside that small mound, like something within the coffin had escaped its confinement. As we watched, a cold, gray hand rose up, scratching and stretching, and gripped the tufts of weeds growing close to the grave. The strange being lifted itself out of its earthly prison with little difficulty and brushed the dirt off its tall, thin form. My mother fainted.

    When it raised its head, I saw that it had my brother’s face, drawn and bloodless and dead.

    Tea, the figure said.

    But then it smiled, and it was Fox’s smile, quiet and kind.

    The cave itself was sparsely furnished—two chairs, a stool, a long, wooden table, and a small, polished mirror hanging from a wall from where another smaller table stood, littered with glass bottles of various sizes. There was an impressive arrangement of flowers: a burst of color in otherwise somber surroundings. A wooden divider foraged from driftwood marked off a separate area, presumably for changing and sleeping. It made for impressive accommodations, despite its suggestion of impermanence.

    A small cot lay near the entrance—mine for the duration of my stay, I was told. The girl placed the two stones she carried at the end of the wooden table, adding them to a row of six other gems similar in shape though boasting different hues. A small, jeweled case lay at their center, polished so it gleamed.

    Most asha fall sick that first time, she said. "Some may encounter no more than a small wave of dizziness or a fever lasting a few hours. But for bone witches, it can be fatal. It took me three days to recover.

    "I had the most curious dream then. In it, I found a black cat, which I hid in my room. It was a beautiful kitten with the shiniest fur and the softest paws. People came and went asking for it, seeking with their blurred faces and watchful eyes. I was never sure why I lied, only that it was important that they not know I was keeping him, that something terrible would happen should they discover him.

    "My kitten would change form at odd times. Sometimes it was a black dress and then a dark mask and then a beautiful obsidian gemstone. It didn’t worry me in this dream that I owned a cat that didn’t always stay one.

    "Finally, it turned into a majestic-looking sword, as black as shadows—its hilt to its blade steeped in creeping, moving darkness. I knew then that I need not hide it any longer and raised up my sword.

    But the dream ended, and I woke.

    She took a sip from her wooden bowl and laughed softly. Would events have been different, I wonder, if I had died then? Perhaps the dream was some kind of prophecy, a portent of what was to come. But I cannot predict the future like the oracle or even my sister Lilac. That is not the kind of magic I wield.

    Her fingers moved lower, tracing the long, raised scar on her thigh.

    The only sight I seem to possess nowadays is hindsight.

    2

    She was a beautiful woman. Her long hair billowed out behind her like a cloak of sun-kissed yellow, and her eyes were dark caves from where blue gems glinted. She was young, in the way a woman of sixty might carefully tuck away the years around her to appear twenty. She looked nothing like a bone witch ought to look. She was soft and willowy and comely, and everyone in Knightscross was afraid of her.

    My mother told me later of the fear the lady inspired when she first rode into Knightscross. Her horse was a beautiful palomino with a glossy chestnut mane, and the woman herself wore a robe of varying blues and dark greens, as if to mimic the colors of the ocean. Silvery fish adorned the edges of her dress, swimming into view and back out again whenever her skirts rustled. She wore a waist wrap of pale lavender with an embossed pattern of pearls. Gemstones attached to long pins were woven into her golden hair, and they glinted each time she moved her head.

    On a chain around her neck, a heartsglass swung. It had metalworks of hammered gold and tiny jewels, the surface glossy mirrored and silver sharp.

    But it was also empty.

    Crone, muttered the bravest in the crowd. Crow. But even the most courageous of the lot melted away at her approach or were led away by those with better sense. The villagers knew she was the worst of witches, a demon in womanskin. But the king had decreed otherwise, and whatever their breed of cowardice, they were neither traitors nor fools.

    She arrived within two days of the attempted funeral, though the news had not yet traveled to Murkwick, the nearest township fifteen leagues to the east. She strode down the path leading into the square without a word, villagers trailing behind her despite themselves. She marched straight into my home, where my family had shut Fox up in the forge, away from the terrified mob.

    Milady, she said to Lilac, I would be grateful if you could calm the people gathered outside. It wouldn’t do to have your family’s livelihood burned for so poor an excuse. Next, she turned to Rose. And might I ask you, milady, for a treatment of wortroot and farrow, lavender oil and bathwater.

    Rose and Lilac—reasonable, respectable witches by comparison to the frightful woman, an accursed bone witch—hurried to do as she commanded.

    Where is she? was her next question, and my father showed her the room I shared with my sisters. She found me curled up on my small bed, forehead burning from the strain of the magic.

    I was in no condition to remember what happened, but my mother told me everything. The witch bathed my face and chest with bitter herbs and sweet water. She measured sage and fallowtree in a bowl and spooned small doses of the concoction into my mouth. When evening came to dust the sky with tiny, twinkling stars, my fever had broken. The furnace in my mind reduced to kindling, I slept undisturbed until dawn the next day while the witch stood guard.

    The sickness was gone when I awoke, and in its place was the woman, sleeping in a chair at the foot of the bed. I rose to a sitting position and stared at my visitor. A soft haze surrounded her, a subdued light both familiar and frightening.

    My dead father was my first summon, the lovely woman said without opening her eyes. Don’t know what came over me, I’m sure. I was his daughter, but he thought I fared better as his property. Denied me even the smallest freedoms and imprisoned me in petticoats and sewing lessons. Had he lived longer, he would have confined me to a convent or deeded me over to a wealthy merchant to wed. Perhaps I did it to show him there was more to me than as someone else’s dowry. He was not as imposing dead as he was alive though, and he was most unwilling, so I sent him back quickly. Sick as a dog for four days for my trouble. You seem to have fared better, with only two nights’ worth of illness. My name is Mykaela. You might have heard of me.

    Six months ago, a visiting merchant told my father of a daeva that terrorized the town of Lardbrook ninety leagues away. A strange woman they called Mykaela of the Hollows had killed it, he said. Surely no one else in Odalia had hair so pale or skin so light.

    I trembled. Yes. They call you the bone witch.

    Your parents tell me you’re quite the precocious child. The woman smiled, two rows of pearly whites against scarlet lips. "That’s not the worst they call me, and that will not be the worst they will call you."

    Bone witches were not a respectable trade. They said bone witches

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