The Bones of Ruin by Sarah Raughley Pages: 496
Published by Margaret K. McElderry Books on September 7, 2021
An African tightrope walker who can’t die gets embroiled in a secret society’s deadly gladiatorial tournament in this thrilling historical fantasy set in an alternate 1880s London, perfect for fans of The Last Magician and The Gilded Wolves.
As an African tightrope dancer in Victorian London, Iris is used to being strange. She is certainly a strange sight for leering British audiences always eager for the spectacle of colonial curiosity. But Iris also has a secret that even “strange” doesn’t capture…
She cannot die.
Haunted by her unnatural power and with no memories of her past, Iris is obsessed with discovering who she is. But that mission gets more complicated when she meets the dark and alluring Adam Temple, a member of a mysterious order called the Enlightenment Committee. Adam seems to know much more about her than he lets on, and he shares with her a terrifying revelation: the world is ending, and the Committee will decide who lives…and who doesn’t.
To help them choose a leader for the upcoming apocalypse, the Committee is holding the Tournament of Freaks, a macabre competition made up of vicious fighters with fantastical abilities. Adam wants Iris to be his champion, and in return he promises her the one thing she wants most: the truth about who she really is.
If Iris wants to learn about her shadowy past, she has no choice but to fight. But the further she gets in the grisly tournament, the more she begins to remember—and the more she wonders if the truth is something best left forgotten.
The Bones of Ruin is a young abut historical fantasy by Sarah Raughley, and is the first book in the Bones of Ruin series. I was hooked on The Bones of Ruin as soon as I read this one sentence blurb-“An African tightrope walker who can’t die gets embroiled in a secret society’s deadly gladiatorial tournament in this thrilling historical fantasy set in an alternate 1880s London” Mysterious powers? Secret society? Gladiator tournament? This book was so much fun! I really enjoyed it and I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
In The Bones of Ruin, we meet our main character Iris, who is an African tightrope dancer in a circus. The kicker is, she can’t remember her past, or why she has some sort of special power or ability that leaves her immune to death. On her quest for answers about her past, she finds herself mixed up with a group of people called The Enlightenment Committee, who are trying to survive what they believe to be an impending apocalypses. This also leads her to the tournament of freaks, and you all know I am a huge sucker for a competition in my fantasy books.
The Bones of Ruin weaves action, adventure and secrets all together, while still managing to tackle some difficult topics (racism and discrimination) that were relevant both to the time period the book takes place in and very timely today. I admired the ease at which Sarah Raughley seamlessly wove everything into the plot. I do wish that the romance aspect of the book was explored more, and I hope it is in future installments, because while the book is completely PG, it does feature multiple romantic interested for Iris. Not a love triangle, but rather a tame reverse harem. I am not sure if it will stay that way in the next book, but I sure hope it does.
If you are a fan of longer books (this one clocks in at almost 500 pages) that have a lot of action, adventure and danger packed into the pages, then I think The Bones of Ruin is a great book for you to check out. And I have to say that I loved the way The Bones of Ruin ended, because in the last chapter or so we meet a couple of new characters that keep the door open to a host of new possibilities for the sequel. I can’t wait to see what will happen next.
To enter, fill out the rafflecopter below to win
Up for grabs will be TWO (1) finished copies of The Bones of Ruin by Sarah Raughley. This giveaway will be open to U.S. residents only and will run from August 29th to September 13th at 11:59 PM CST. Two winners will be chosen. To enter, click the link below!
Note: Book Briefs Contest Policy applies. All of the prizes, terms and conditions of the giveaway should be contained in the rafflecopter below. No Purchase necessary to enter. Void where prohibited by law.
Want another chance to win? Head over to my instagram picture and enter there
WELCOME POST: The Bones of Ruin – Turn the Page Tours
[…] A Bolt Out of the Book – Review Book Briefs – Review […]