Review – The Bone Roses

Review – The Bone Roses

Here’s my review for The Bone Roses! I hope you enjoy it!

Title: The Bone Roses

Author: Kathryn Lee Martin

Rating: 4 Stars

Date of publication: 8 May 2018

I was a given a free copy of this book by Parliament House Press in exchange for my honest review.

Goodreads description: 

Sixteen-year-old Rags is the most feared Rustler in the world, and for good reason. When she’s not raiding the post-Yellowstone Kingdom’s established settlements for supplies to keep her frontier, Rondo, alive another day, she’s fending off witch hunt-happy villagers who want her rare blue eyes in an unmarked grave. 

But when the Kingdom strikes back, kills Rags’s best friend, and sends its second-in-command to destroy Rondo in four days, Rags must make a choice: seek revenge, or save her loved ones who are trapped in a town bound for slaughter broadcast Kingdom-wide. With little more than a stolen dream to guide her, and a growing attraction to a sly Kingdom informant, Rags is about to give the Kingdom four days it’ll never forget—if the bounty on her head doesn’t get her killed first.

Spoiler Free

I loved this book. It was a stunning read. The snow-covered, post-apocalyptic world was so clear and vivid. Martin is a truly good writer. She paints a vivid picture of how harsh the life in the Kingdom is. The story starts with a bang, showcasing Rags’ skills and how formidable she truly is. I’m not a cowgirl, but I enjoyed the western theme very much. The characters were beautifully crafted and I loved the descriptions of the world.

Martin managed not to bore us with exposition, not bothering to tell us Rags’ backstory and instead letting it slowly drip through the book. I loved it, every time I learned something new about Rags I felt like it was completely natural and earned. The rest of the characters were great as well. I loved Colton and Henny and wished we could have seen more of their relationship.

The whole book revolves around the town of Rondo, which at times got a bit boring. There where I few scenes that I felt were unnecessary or dragged on for too long, and I found myself skipping over a lot of text. Overall it’s a gripping adventure that had me glued to the book and I can’t wait for the second one.

Characters

Rags is by far my favourite character in this book. She’s tough, she kicks ass, and she knows how to survive. Her dark past is slowly exposed to us and it explains why she’s such a good fighter and rustler. One complaint about this book I do have is that the characters are all so young, but then again it does probably make sense in the post-apocalyptic world. Rags is feisty and never gives up, even when the odds are stacked against her. She also has some really vulnerable and human moments, making her a very grounded character.

Matthew is my second favourite character. I loved the platonic relationship between him and Rags, and it was so refreshing to see a boy and a girl be just friends. His death saddened me and I could feel the same feelings as Rags thanks to Martin’s vivid descriptions.

Tracker, Rags’ adoptive father, really needs to make up his mind. He treats Rags like a child one moment, and the next he treats her like an adult. Sometimes he expects too much of Rags, and sometimes I felt like their relationship was less like that of a father and daughter and more like that of a commander and his soldier.

Colton and Henny are the two characters I wished we had gotten more of. And to be honest, I was rooting for Henny and Rags, but alas. Henny is the second in command of the Kingdom and a very dangerous man. Colton is a spy and Henny’s brother. I loved the dynamic between the two of them and I hope we get to see more of their backstory in the second book.

Spoilers

I loved the twist at the end that reveals Henny didn’t kill Matthew, and I loved the reveal that Matthew wasn’t who Rags thought he was. It made the Kingdom, who is pretty much an invisible figure during the whole book, so much more real to me. Rags has always been surrounded by people who work for the Kingdom, she’s never safe. I do really wish we got a more in-depth look at Henny, Colton and Matthew’s relationships.

The witch hunt against Rags was also a good part of the story. Hunter made my blood boil everytime he spoke and I’m glad Rags got her revenge on him. We only got a look at a tiny part of the world Martin created, and I hope we get to see more of the Kingdom and its mysterious and ruthless ruler soon.

Story and Plot

The story was a little slow for me at times, and I felt like some scenes could have been cut or made shorter. The scene with Rags and Colton in the barn, saddling up their horses felt unnecessary. The exposition could have been done when they were en-route to Henny’s camp. Other than that I have no other complaints. This book was stunning, the imagery was stunning and Martin is truly a gifted writer. I can’t wait for the second book.

General Thoughts

Let me know what you think of this wonderful book! Also, you can pin the image below to Pinterest!

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