The Bone Witch (Bone Witch Series #1)

by Rin Chupeco

Overview

"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)

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781492652786
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	02/01/2018
Series:	Bone Witch Series , #1
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	448
Sales rank:	9,817
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.00(h) x 1.30(d)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Despite uncanny resemblances to Japanese revenants, Rin Chupeco has always maintained their sense of humor. Raised in Manila, Philippines, they keep four pets: a dog, two birds, and a husband. They’ve been a technical writer and a travel blogger but now make things up for a living. They are the author of The Girl from the Well, The Suffering, The Bone Witch trilogy, and the A Hundred Names for Magic trilogy. Connect with Rin at rinchupeco.com.

Editorial Reviews

★ 01/23/2017
In this ambitious fantasy, the start of the Bone Witch series, a young woman with the ability to raise and control the dead becomes embroiled in a struggle for power and acceptance in a world that fears and distrusts her kind. Tea attempts to master her new status as a bone witch among those who possess less frightening and more tolerable magics, but she learns that the role she’s expected to play tends to kill bone witches before they grow old. As Tea’s story unfolds against a framing sequence that shows how far she’ll go to succeed, and how far she has already fallen from grace, a quiet tension and menace grows. Readers start off knowing that something terrible will happen, but the journey—as recounted in Tea’s evocative, sometimes distant, and sometimes flowery manner—is 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. Ages 12–up. Agent: Rebecca Podos, Rees Literary. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

"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

"The Bone Witch is fantasy world-building at its best, and Rin Chupeco (The Girl from the Well; The Suffering) has created a strong and colorful cast of characters to inhabit that realm. " — Shelf Awareness, starred review

"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

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

"Rin Chupeco already captivated and horrified us with The Girl from the Well, but she may have outdone herself on this one. The Bone Witch is the first in a new series about a young witch who realizes she has the dark gift of necromancy after she accidentally raises her brother from the dead. Now, an older bone witch has taken Tea under her wing to teach her the art. The story has been pitched as high fantasy meets Memoirs of a Geisha, so yes, you need your hands on it now." — Bustle.com

"Chupeco craftily weaves magic, intrigue, and mystery into a captivating tale that will leave readers begging for the promised sequel." — School Library Journal

"The Bone Witch is a fantasy lover’s fantasy, with a rich history and hierarchy of its own. The secrets and workings of its magic are revealed slowly in a suspenseful novel that is sure to appeal to those with a love of serious, dark fairytales." — Foreword Reviews

"Fans of high fantasy looking for diverse representation will be eager to get their hands on this book...this will become a series to be reckoned with." — School Library Connection

"A high-fantasy Memoirs of a Geisha, Chupeco's latest excels in originality… Chupeco is a writer to watch." — Kirkus Reviews

"In this sweeping high fantasy, Chupeco concocts a grim world of magic, both light and dark" — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

"An adventure with light romance that will appeal to fans of Leigh Bardugo and Sarah J. Maas." — VOYA Magazine

"Readers intrigued by the carefully crafted magic and the evolution of Tea’s character from a homesick, guilt-ridden girl into the fierce warrior who opens the tale will discover a multi-faceted drama of revenge and heartbreak." — RT Book Reviews

"Reminiscent of Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha world, " — Manhattan Book Review

From the Publisher

12/01/2016
Gr 7 Up—Chupeco craftily weaves magic, intrigue, and mystery into a captivating tale that will leave readers begging for the promised sequel. Being a witch, or an asha, is not out of the ordinary in Tea's world, but being a "bone witch" is another matter entirely. After Tea accidentally raises her brother from the dead, she discovers that she is destined to become one of the infamous Dark asha. Dreaded and feared yet highly valued for their services, the Dark asha are the only ones who can tame the demonic daeva, who threaten the kingdoms, but their taming comes at great expense. Tea must decide if the cost of losing her life, one battle at a time, is worth staving off the demonic onslaught. Or can she choose another path to save herself, her friends, and the boy she loves? Chapters alternating between her past and present seamlessly narrate the novel, leading up to Tea's mysterious exile. Because the plotlines have yet to converge in this installment, the book ends on the most excruciating of cliff-hangers. Chupeco uses vivid, descriptive detail, with nominal coarse language and violence, to set a rich tone that immerses readers in a vibrant and believable world. The short alternating chapters help move the story along quickly. VERDICT A strong choice for engaging reluctant readers and younger fans of fantasy who might not be ready to heft titles by Ursula K. LeGuin or Tamora Pierce.—Rose Garrett, Cliff Valley School, Atlanta

School Library Journal

Emily Woo Zeller’s stellar collection of voices entices listeners into Chupeco’s rich and diverse fantasy realm. Here, girls gifted with magic are spirited away and trained to become highly skilled practitioners of a magic known as asha. Will Damron gives an inquisitive and pithy performance as a bard who finds himself face-to-face with Tea Pahlavi, an exiled asha with the rare ability to raise the dead. The bard and listeners are in for a treat as Zeller enthusiastically spins Tea’s tale of how she went from a young novice to a banished pariah. Zeller’s effortless diction brings this Eastern-inspired fantasy, filled with chilling imagery, to life. J.E.C. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

MAY 2017 - AudioFile

2017-01-17
Something of a high-fantasy Memoirs of a Geisha, Chupeco's latest excels in originality. The asha are known for performing, fighting, and magic; beautiful, brown-skinned Tea is taken from her provincial village to Kion to begin training as a dark (in magic) asha when she accidentally raises her dead brother. Chapters detailing young Tea's early training through her debut as an asha intercut with 17-year-old Tea on a lonely beach raising monsters and planning war, relating her past to a nameless bard. The level of detail is astounding, confusing, but nevertheless fascinating; politics both local (the brief backmatter is a bit of a guide) and magical (the origin tale of the Faceless and heartsglass, introduced in the prologue, finally appears at the three-quarter mark) permeate everything. Multiple characters, including a dead brother and a handsome prince, surround stubborn, headstrong Tea as she finds herself implicated in events she doesn't understand; the interstitial chapters make it clear that learning more will not make things better. These also slow the pace; they force an artificial sense of urgency in an otherwise slow, sensory journey and hijack the flow of Tea's adventures. Chupeco is a writer to watch who deserves props for the breadth of her story, but she doesn't entirely succeed here. A promising premise, a flawed execution, and a sense that the real story won't develop until Book 2: somehow both exhilarating and disappointing. (Fantasy. 13 & up)

Kirkus Reviews