The Bone Houses

Spooky, heart throbbing, can you hear it? BA BOOM! BA BOOM! THUMP! THUMP! Those kind of perfectly written, well-crafted thriller stories with adorable characters always make me feel alive! So I toss around 4 and 5 stars and finally I decided to be good-hearted grader (or I could find somebody wearing Ryn’s costumes for Halloween at my door, chasing me with her axe) and clicked to 5 HORRIFYING STARS!<br /> <br /> I think I made the best choice for my Halloween week by reading this epic, fantastic journey, with the sweet touch of Welsh folklore and urban tales introduces a rough, strong, invincible, brave heroine Aderyn (let’s call him Ryn), the gravedigger! <br /> <br /> Ryn meets her first BONE HOUSES- dead people who don’t die and wonder around the forest at night time- when she was a little child, following secretly her father to the forest without listening his warnings. That day, her faith changed and she started to follow her father’s footsteps, choosing his carrier for herself. (Can you imagine a heroine who buries dead people and uses her axe efficiently to crush the skulls of Bone Houses, yes, you found one, Ryn is unstoppable and merciless!)<br /> <br /> Her father goes to work for mine but he never returns. When their mother passes away, not so decent law abiding citizen uncle start to live with them (we cannot say he takes good care of them, he is so occupied with his gambling and loaning money from village’s one of the rich and powerful man Eynon who is also big asshole! Very same guy threatens three siblings to evict them for the house left them from their family!) and of course he also leaves the house and nobody hears from him.<br /> <br /> Ryn lives with her brother and little sister, taking care of them, isolated from the life and mostly connects better with dead people than the living ones. <br /> <br /> She lives to slay the creatures and finally she meets with the map-maker boy Ellis (who gets lost by a lost map and finds himself to be killed by a bone house but thankfully Ryn and her magical axe solves the problem. She saves his life!) is also reserved, orphaned, lost (literally and mentally), thinks the real people are more dangerous than the creatures. Their loneliness, relation issues with other people, passions about their jobs ( Ryn expresses herself by digging the soil and Ellis tries to find his way and his identity in life by drawing new road maps.), their weirdness, isolated natures and finally grieving ( Ryn misses her father and their special connection marked by the half spoons –her father takes the half and tells her, he will come back to unite them- her death mother and Ellis suffers from his parents’ absence who he never met.) make them MATCHED MADE IN HEAVEN.<br /> <br /> Now they come together to start their journey to find the cauldron which is the source of dead-bones and destroy it to save the village from the attacks of them. <br /> <br /> So I loved the detailed, gore, dark, stunning writing. I visualized all the parts on my head and scared shitless. The impeccably written action parts were heart throbbing, terrifying but also very entertaining. I felt the blood pumping into my veins and pure adrenalin rush so I jumped up and down, screamed, dropped the book and started to run, then I got bored from the real life as I saw my husband and friends yelled at the soccer game on the TV so I returned back and bit my fingers during my reading. (Not nails! My manicurist will kill me if I do!)<br /> <br /> So urban tales, magical folkloric elements, some Welsh some Eastern cultural elements perfectly mixed with horror genre. And of course Ryn is my favorite kind of badass, straightforward, stubborn, free, self-confidant, witty, entertaining character with her awkward sense of humor.<br /><br /> I also loved Ellis. He seems like a little overshadowed by Ryn because she is so powerful character. But his emotional side, loneliness, loyalty, suffering from physical and mental injuries do not make him vulnerable, these attributes make him adorable and quite a great fit for Ryn. (They complete each other and best part is Ellis accepts and loves Ryn’s antics, quirkiness.)<br />I highly recommend this especially to the horror genre fans!

<i>fy nghalon cymreig mor hapus ar hyn o bryd</i> // my little welsh heart is so happy right now. <br /><br />i can count on one hand the amount of mainstream novels that have incorporated traditional welsh influences into their stories. welsh folklore and culture - particularly northern welsh - is rich and magical, so i am beyond happy to see a story represent it (this even mentions the legend of beddgelert, which i may have lowkey freaked out about. lol). <br /><br />and i think its these influences that i hold dear to my heart which helped me fall in love with a story about zombies. zombies are so not my thing. but this comes from a place of myth and legend, rather than something from horror, and it makes all the difference. it feels more like the opposition in a fairytale and not like something you would find in a nightmare. i really appreciate how emily lloyd-jones took that approach and told that aspect of the story from that kind of perspective.<br /><br />at the end of the day, i know this might not be everyones favourite book. the characters could be considered a little one-dimensional and there are some moments that might be forgettable. but seeing a culture i love be represented is a truly wonderful feeling, so this gets all the stars from me!<br /><br /><b>↠ <i>4.5 stars</i></b>

WE HAVE FINALLY BROKEN THE YA FANTASY CURSE!<br /><br />Here is why this book worked for me in every way possible:<br />It’s a fantasy set in medieval times, at least that’s how I pictured it but I picture everything in medieval times because hello. Nice to meet you. You must not know me.<br />You have a small village that is fenced in by Iron because zombies lurk in the dark wood beyond it, you’re following siblings, the main character is a gravedigger which I found interesting as fork, you have a friends to lovers dynamic which is my preference. The love interest is glowing with Hufflepuff aura. You’ll want to carry him in your pocket at all times.<br /><br />This book hit me in all the right places. It has the grim, it has the Huff, and a pet goat companion named Goat.<br />

<a href="http://readasaurus.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow noopener"> <img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1459070464i/18565492.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> </a><br><a href="https://www.instagram.com/alwaysbeebooked/" rel="nofollow noopener">Instagram</a> || <a href="https://twitter.com/NeniaCampbell" rel="nofollow noopener">Twitter</a> || <a href="https://www.facebook.com/aficionenias/" rel="nofollow noopener">Facebook</a> || <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nenia-Campbell/e/B00AWVRKMS" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a> || <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/mightbeamisprin/" rel="nofollow noopener">Pinterest</a><br><br> <br>THE BONE HOUSES is <i>amazing</i>, but I don't really think I agree with the comparisons to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and SKY IN THE DEEP-- if anything, it's like a cross between SABRIEL and THE BLACK CAULDRON. THE BONE HOUSES is a fantasy set in a place that seems to be based off Wales. Aderyn is a grave-digger who lives with her sister, Cerridwen, and her brother, Gareth. Their mother is dead, and their father and uncle have both disappeared mysteriously, leaving them all effectively orphaned.<br><br><br><br>Aderyn goes into the forest to forage, but is mindful of her father's warnings that dangerous things rove in the trees after nightfall, including the "bone houses": or, the animated dead. They only stay in the forest and they only come after dark, but lately, Aderyn has been noticing that they have been venturing closer and closer to the edges--until one day, they're <i>out</i>.<br><br><br><br>In the meantime, their village has been graced with the presence of an unusual boy: a map-maker with chronic pain, who won't tell them his surname or why he's come to their village. Aderyn meets him when she saves his life and they end up forging an unusual alliance. Both of them need to go into the forest to find a legendary castle in the lands of the faerie, and a cauldron rumored to give life.<br><br><br><br>So, this was fifteen different kinds of amazing. The writing was lush and gorgeous, and it set the scenery of the village and the forest <i>perfectly</i>. I was very impressed by how richly-imagined this world was, considering that it was relatively simple. It does for Welsh folklore what Naomi Novik did with Eastern European folklore in <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2672793312" rel="nofollow noopener">SPINNING SILVER</a> and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1792041060" rel="nofollow noopener">UPROOTED</a>. The faerie legends and the nod to <i>The Black Cauldron </i>made me so happy, and the Medieval village setting was so well done.<br><br><br><br>Other things I liked about this book were the chronic pain rep (understated, but rare in fantasy), especially since Ellis was never painted as weak or as a victim. Aderyn is a strong female character who doesn't need to be brash or throw her weight around (just her axe, heh heh) to be respected. I loved her close relationship with her siblings and the family goat, and her slow-burn attraction to Ellis. The way she fought back against the injustice of the village lord who wanted to ruin her family in his greed, and the hero's journey she goes upon to find the reason the dead are rising, were both really empowering for the character and instilled her with agency. She was never passive or bland.<br><br><br><br>Anyone who likes strong female fantasy characters and Welsh settings should pick up THE BONE HOUSES when it comes out, especially if, as I mentioned before, you enjoy Naomi Novik's work, or enjoyed SABRIEL and UPROOTED. It has that same fun, folkloric fantasy vibe, with a gloomy, Gothic edge to keep things interesting. Apparently it's a standalone too, so no need to commit. ;)<br><br><br><br><i>Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review! </i><br><br><br><br>4.5 stars

<b>“There was a young woman. She was a fearless creature – a girl who would chase death into the mountains. With only an axe for company…”</b><br><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1592509176ra/29669664.gif" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br><i>MEET MY NEW FAVOURITE DARK AND SPOOKY FAERY TALE!!!</i> (don’t ask me why I read this in the middle of June when it’s a <b>perfect</b> autumn read lol) <b>Emily Lloyd-Jones</b> is well on her way to becoming <b>a new favourite author</b> of mine, even joining the ranks of <b>Laini Taylor</b> because of her <b>beautiful and lyrical writing style</b>. <i>SHE NEEDS TO WRITE MORE BOOKS ASAP!!!</i><br><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1592509176ra/29669665.gif" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>This was a fabulous <b>fantasy standalone</b> filled to the brim with adventure, mystery, danger, adorably sweet romance, strong family dynamics, creepy woods and … <b>zombies</b>. I know, I know. I was hesitant to pick up a book about zombies too, but honestly, it’s worth it! They aren’t the brain-eating kind of zombies à la <i>The Walking Dead</i>. Rather, they’re actually <b>reanimated cadavers</b> walking around the forest. I viewed it more as the work of necromancy, rather than anything else. Here, these reanimated cadavers are termed as “<b>bone houses</b>” (I wasn’t exactly a fan of this terminology in particular, but that’s just a personal preference).<br><br><b>“She retreated to the forest the way some people took refuge in chapels. It was soothing in a way she could not wholly describe: The stillness and the vibrant greens, the sense of life all around her – hidden, yet still thriving. The call of birds high up in the trees, the earth freshly tilled by moles and gophers, the soft mosses.”</b><br><br>This book is heavily influenced by <b>Welsh mythology</b>, which was new for me! I’m more familiar with British, Celtic, Greek, Roman, Egyptian and Norse folklore, so I jumped at the chance to experience Welsh for the first time. Now, I have <i>no idea</i> how to pronounce these names, but I loved the various creatures of Welsh folklore and all of the Welsh names. It gave the story such an <b>authentic</b> vibe. There’s just something about Wales that’s always been so spooky to me. I’ve read enough tales of <i>ghost hauntings</i> and <i>supernatural sightings</i> in Wales that the author couldn’t have chosen a more <b>perfect setting</b> for this book. <br><br><b>“Home was taste and smell and sensation. It was not a place.”</b><br><br>In terms of the actual mythological creatures included, some were the <b>tylwyth teg</b> (faery folk), the <b>pwca</b> (shapeshifting spirits), and the <b>afanc</b> (lake monsters). None of these are <i>explained</i> to the reader though because the characters grew up with them and don’t question their existence. However, we <i>learn</i> what these creatures are as the characters encounter them along their journey. The story starts off in the <i>normal village</i> of Colbren with not-so-normal creatures in the woods and then gradually descends into a <i>magical world</i> with a plethora of the fantastical beings that the characters grew up hearing stories about. (now, if only that could happen to <b>me</b> … :P)<br><br><b>“She reminded him of the ocean – beautiful, with enough salt to kill a man. He suspected it would take a knight or a hero of legend to impress one such as her.”</b><br><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1592509176ra/29669666.gif" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br><b>Ryn</b> is a strong, spunky and compassionate <i>gravedigger</i>, who took up the position after her father passed away. She is also trying to save her family home as she, her brother, <b>Gareth</b>, and her sister, <b>Ceri</b>, try to keep it afloat financially with no adult family members left to take care of them. <br><br><b>“Monsters were unrestrained, unbound, and beautiful in their destruction. They could be slain but they would never be truly defeated. And perhaps, even back then, Ryn thought that if she could love the monsters – then she could love those monstrous parts of herself.”</b><br><br>In addition, <b>bone houses</b> have begun to <i>leave the forest</i> for the first time, <i>attacking innocent</i> people in the village, and no one knows why. Ryn knows it’s her responsibility to take care of the bone houses and to ascertain that they aren’t able to hurt any of her fellow villagers, a responsibility that she takes up admirably. <br><br><b>“To him, home was – it was letters slipped between the pages of a leather-bound book and the white wildflowers that grew beneath his bedroom window. It was honey over warm porridge, the scent of wet stone in the spring rains, and the humming of cooks in the kitchen.”</b><br><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1592509176ra/29669667.gif" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br><b>Ellis</b>, is a newcomer, passing through the village. He is a sweet, kind, and loyal <i>mapmaker</i>, on a quest to discover who he truly is. All he has is questions about his origins and can’t seem to find anyone with the answers that he seeks. That is, until he meets Ryn. <br><br><b>“She was not sure why this place affected her so, but it did. It was every old tale, every bedtime story, every glimpse of wicked wildness she’d seen at the edges of the forest, every monster and every hero. And she wished so badly she might have shared it with her father.”</b><br><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1592509176ra/29669668.gif" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>Together, they agree to collectively go on a journey to find the illusive Castell Sidi, in order to discover how to defeat the bone houses and to find anything they can about Ellis’ parentage. <br><br><b>“That was the problem with pain, he thought. It refused to be quieted. It devoured, the way flame consumed wood. It took and it took, and all he could do was lie on a mattress of straw, torn between boredom and fear. Fear that this time the injury would not let up. That this time the pain would finally conquer him.”</b><br><br>Ellis also lives with <b>chronic pain</b> in his shoulder, and as I live with someone who suffers with chronic pain too, I thought that it was genuinely <b>great representation</b> of what she goes through on a daily basis. Some days, the pain is doable and she can go about her daily activities. Other days, the pain is so debilitating that she’s bedridden, feeling unimaginable agony and misery. I thought that Ellis’ experiences throughout the book were a <i>really accurate depiction</i> of what I’ve seen her go through over the years, so I really appreciated this aspect of Ellis’ life, as well. It’s very rare to see in a YA book. <br><br><b>“She knew what it was to cling on, to grasp those small fragments of memory and try to live in them. Even if it meant not living at all.”</b><br><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1592509176ra/29669669.gif" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br><i>ALSO!</i> Shout-out to the <b>best character</b> in the book: <b>Goat</b>, the zombie goat! :D<br><br><b>“And perhaps this was the truth about the dead. You went on. They’d want you to.”</b><br><br>I really <i>LOVED</i> this book and didn’t want to put it down for a second, but unfortunately…sometimes life has other plans. I’m now 2/2 in terms of <b>five-star ratings</b> for Emily Lloyd-Jones’ books! Unfortunately, I only have one duology left before I run out of material!!! :((( I truly hope that she’ll be announcing a new release soon!!! I <i>HIGHLY</i> <b>recommend</b> that you do yourselves a favour and give this underrated <b>gem of a novel</b> a go!!!

This was a wonderfully atmospheric read, with lovable characters, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I was reading a MG fantasy instead of a YA one. Either way, there's a lot of heart and hope here, and this was a lighter read that I would think the younger end of the YA spectrum would enjoy. Full review to come. <br /><br />************<br /><br />Buddy read with the lovely <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3030788-melanie" rel="nofollow noopener">Meltotheany</a>!<br /><br /><i>*Thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.</i>

<b>5 MILLION STARS!</b><br /><br />I gotta be honest, I <i>hate</i> zombies and absolutely don't care for them—they're pointless and stupid and an utter waste of time. But this book?<br /><br />Emily Lloyd-Jones somehow managed to bewitch me into adoring this tale; a tale about the aftermath of the fall of a once glorious kingdom of magical beings, and what remains in the mysterious forest they used to live within; a story about a small village haunted by what was left behind by the king of the otherfolk, and a fierce girl fighting to protect her family and folk.<br /><br />Refreshing and enchanting, the grace of this book completely took me by surprise, and I couldn't get enough! <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0wcS0k0Fbrbk0OMfvl842B?si=O7pOoef0TdeULoF_rGMLbA" rel="nofollow noopener">THIS playlist</a> explains perfectly how The Bone Houses felt to me ?<br /><br />FRTC.

After the death of her parents, 17-year old, Ryn, is left to run the family's graveyard, along with her brother and sister.<br><br>This may seem a simple task to you, they're gravediggers. How challenging can it be?<br><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1660268265ra/33267530.gif" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>In their remote village of Colbren, however, the dead oftentimes don't remain dead; not exactly.<br><br>Allegedly, due a decades-old curse, the dead in Colbren can reanimate themselves and begin to walk again amongst the living. These walking dead are known as bone houses.<br><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1580393935ra/28872400.gif" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>For the most part, Ryn is used to dealing with this issue. They don't cause too much trouble. They seem to stick to the forest and are fairly easily cut down if need be.<br><br>Recently though, the behavior of the bone houses is changing. They're venturing further into the village and attacking with a new ferocity. Ryn can't quite figure it out. <br><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1660268265ra/33267531.gif" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>Around this same time, a mysterious young man, a mapmaker by trade, has come to the village. Could the two things possibly be connected?<br><br>Ryn is drawn to this new man, Ellis, and the two begin to get to know one another. It turns out Ellis was found in the very mountains that border the village. He is on a search for his parents. He wants to know where he came from.<br><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1660268265ra/33267532.gif" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>They both have mysteries to solve and there's no better way to solve a mystery than going on a quest. Any Reader knows that!<br><br>Thus, Ryn and Ellis, along with Ryn's very faithful goat, head off deep into the heart of the mountains, where they hope to finally learn the truth behind the curse and their own lives.<br><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1660268265ra/33267533.gif" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br><i>The Bone Houses</i> is a highly creative and engaging YA Dark Fantasy story. I loved the characters and the escalation of the plot over the course of the book.<br><br>It's hard to believe a story following a gravedigger and the walking dead could be beautiful, but in the capable hands of Emily Lloyd-Jones apparently it is.<br><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1660091693ra/33260608.gif" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>The writing is lyrical and compelling, with just the right amount of humor, romance and horror elements woven throughout.<br><br>I fell in love with both Ryn and Ellis, but really it was Ryn's family goat who stole the show. We stan an animal companion element in any Dark Fantasy story, but it was particularly well done here.<br><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1660268265ra/33267534.gif" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>Additionally, I love a quest. It was fun to go along with Ryn and Ellis on their journey, as they began to piece together the truth behind the bone houses the intensity of the story continued to amp up. <br><br>I also liked the secrecy and reveals revolving around Ellis. He had a super fascinating backstory and I loved how Lloyd-Jones chose to bring that all to light. There were some great reveals.<br><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1566138126ra/28010978.gif" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>I picked this up in anticipation of this author's upcoming release, <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/57314572.The_Drowned_Woods" title="The Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd-Jones" rel="noopener">The Drowned Woods</a>, which is releasing next Tuesday, August 16, 2022.<br><br><i>The Drowned Woods</i>, although following a whole new set of characters, is said to be set in the same world as this novel. I wanted to be sure to have the backdrop of <i>The Bone Houses</i> prior to picking that one up. <br><br>Also, I have heard incredible things about this book, so I definitely wanted to get to it anyway.<br><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1467101686ra/19551126.gif" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>Overall, I had a lot of fun with this story and am happy that i made time for it!

This should be a five star read!!!!<br /><br />Because . . . ZOMBIES, which in this book we refer to as Bone Houses. And because strong heroines who dig graves for a living, cute soft boys who find comfort in books and drawing maps, as well as outstanding friendship and family/sibling relationship are (apparently) my kryptonites too.<br /><br />Not to mention, all the Welsh folklore, the Halloween spooky vibes, our dear BONE GOAT the loyal protector, and the audiobook with its British/Welsh accented narration that’s just so splendidly done. <i>The Bone Houses</i> has mastered the art of being original and unique—at least to a degree.<br /><br />I feel like I should be more lenient considering this is a standalone with only 350 something pages, but I can’t bring myself to.<br /><br />My biggest problem lies with the pacing, which is rather slow, and the plot, which I hate to say is predictable. So many things happening, but very little that actually moves the plot forward. Like, I wanted more excitement than just our characters fighting off Bone Houses every now and then. :(<br /><br />My favorite part was <input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="6debd636-4dee-4112-af43-4bfdb39b2d0c" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="6debd636-4dee-4112-af43-4bfdb39b2d0c">the brief reunion between Ryn and her dad as well as Ellis with his mom</label>, and it almost got me teared up. This book is one of a kind, and for that I highly recommend it. However, since I’m a plot driven type of reader, <i>The Bone Houses</i> simply didn’t make the cut. I’m underwhelmed.<br /><br /><b> <i>(Read as an Audiobook)</i> </b>

3,5* - this started out really strong, I enjoyed the writing style, the characters and the plot itself. I even finished it in one day. <br /><br />Unfortunately around the last 100 pages or so it got kinda repetitive, predictable and romance heavy (it really wasn't that bad but still too much for my taste lol), which led to me giving it "only" 3,5 instead of the full 4 stars. I'd definitely still recommend it.