BOOKS | Review: Bone Crier's Moon by Kathryn Purdie

Name: Bone Crier's Moon

Author: Kathryn Purdie

Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books

Date published: March 2020

Genre: Fiction, young adult, fantasy, romance

Pages: 453

Rating: 4/5

Bone ​Criers have a sacred duty. They alone can keep the dead from preying on the living. But their power to ferry the spirits of the dead into goddess Elara’s Night Heavens or Tyrus’s Underworld comes from sacrifice. The gods demand a promise of dedication. And that promise comes at the cost of the Bone Criers’ one true love.
Ailesse has been prepared since birth to become the matriarch of the Bone Criers, a mysterious famille of women who use strengths drawn from animal bones to ferry dead souls. But first she must complete her rite of passage and kill the boy she’s also destined to love.
Bastien’s father was slain by a Bone Crier and he’s been seeking revenge ever since. Yet when he finally captures one, his vengeance will have to wait. Ailesse’s ritual has begun and now their fates are entwined—in life and in death.
Sabine has never had the stomach for the Bone Criers’ work. But when her best friend Ailesse is taken captive, Sabine will do whatever it takes to save her, even if it means defying their traditions—and their matriarch—to break the bond between Ailesse and Bastien. Before they all die.

- From Goodreads.

The beginning of Bone Crier's Moon was a little cluncky, with all the exposition and explanation of the world and magic system that it needed to do. It was a lot to take in all at once and I was a little confused at first and had to read slowly to make sure I was remembering everything.

However, once I got into the book, I really loved Sabine and Ailesse's friendship, they were so sweet and joyful around each other, really cared for each other and would do anything for each other. They worried so much for when the other was in danger and I could really feel for their love for each other so strongly.

I really felt heartbroken for them when they were treated badly by Odiva. They both so badly wanted a caring mother, and she was so awful to them. My heart especially broke for Sabine, who was so often made to feel like she was not good enough. She was so sweet and had such a good heart, it hurt when people did not value that.

It was enjoyable to read the slow growth of romance between Ailesse and Bastien, how they gradually developed from truly hating each other and wanting to kill each other, to learning more about each other and their lives, until eventually they came to care about each other and love each other.

The plot was full of twists that I did not see coming and had plenty of action that kept me turning pages. Sometimes the pacing felt a little strange but overall I enjoyed the plot and found it engaging.

One of the characters introduced towards the end of the novel seemed very interesting and I look forward to seeing how their character develops and what their role will be in the sequel. In general I think I will enjoy the next book a lot more now that most of the explanation of the magic and the gods and how all that works is done and I will have a better understanding of everything at the start of the next one.

Overall, Bone Crier's Moon was a fun and thrilling book with characters that I really liked and became attached to. If you enjoyed Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin then I think you will really love this one too. I definitely did and I am excited to read the next book in the series, Bone Crier's Dawn.