“Bones, why do you have to save everybody but yourself?”
I knew virtually nothing about Bones except for the fact that it would probably be heartbreaking, and it more than lived up to that reputation. It’s a gritty post-apocalyptic romantasy with some dangerous gang vibes, a simmering romance, a spark of magic, strong found family, and a shitload of trauma that just hurts oh so good, and I was so here for it all.
K.L. Speer sure knows how to start off with a strong hook, and I immediately felt invested in the journey of our broken but fierce FMC Bones. Just as she breaks free from her 12-year-imprisonment by a band of raiders who have used her miraculous healing powers to wield nothing but death, she gets captured by another crew who drag her off to their mountain stronghold. Though, while life is far from safe and perfect in The Vault, she soon discovers that it’s not a prison but more of a home, if only she can allow it to be. Still haunted by the ghosts of her past, she’ll have to navigate her trauma and learn how to trust, love, and be loved again, which scares her more than any of the horrors she’s lived through.
Now, Bones is really one of those books where your investment in the characters is going to make or break it, so it’s a good thing that Speer’s character work absolutely shines. Bones is absolutely the star of the show, and her emotionally vulnerable first person narration made me feel all her intense inner turmoil so deeply. But then, the side characters also leap off the page with personality, and the unexpectedly wholesome found family vibes are absolutely off the charts. We’ve got characters who you can love, hate, love to hate, and hate to love, and each of them is as beautifully complex as the next.
It’s quite remarkable to me how Speer created such an addictive air of tension and suspense when there is relatively little plot to speak of, all because these characters’ inner journeys and their developing relationships had me in such a chokehold. I especially enjoyed Bones’ dynamic with all the protective male characters (with soft hearts) who completely defy her belief that all men are predators, and I really appreciated that the romance in this story was so slow-burn and tender. Like, this man really shows her that he loves her through his actions before he ever confirms it with his words, and their unexpected journey together totally wrecked me in all the best ways.
And don’t get me wrong, Bonesis a very high stakes story with lots of brutal, nail-biting action/torture sequences and some dangerous whispers of a brewing rebellion, but I only cared so much about those aspects because Speer does such a phenomenal job of interweaving the internal and external conflicts with each other. Moreover, the dystopian world building is just strong enough to make you feel immersed without drowning you in the details, and Speer’s evocative prose in combination with Megan Carver’s vibrant audiobook narration made this such an incredibly smooth and emotionally captivating reading experience for me.
To me, Bones has a similar appeal to SenLinYu’s Alchemised, except here the romance is healthy and supportive instead of controversial and toxic, and I love it for that. While this story is absolutely not for the faint of heart (seriously, check TWs), I would highly recommend it if you want a dark romantasy that actually dares to take risks and stand out from the crowd. Especially the last 20% had some brutally bold twists and turns that left me absolutely hollowed out inside in the best way possible, and the cliffhanger ending has me dying to dive into book 2 asap.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for providing me with an ALC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
