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Blood, Metal, Bone
Her destiny was death. The shadows brought her back.
Wrongly accused of her brother’s murder, Sonara’s destiny was to die, sentenced to execution by her own mother. Punished and left for dead, the shadows have cursed her with a second life as a Shadowblood, cast out and hunted by society for her demon-like powers.
Now known as the Devil of the Deadlands, Sonara survives as a thief on the edge of society, fighting for survival on a quest to uncover what really happened to her brother and whether he is even dead at all…
Wrongly accused of her brother’s murder, Sonara’s destiny was to die, sentenced to execution by her own mother. Punished and left for dead, the shadows have cursed her with a second life as a Shadowblood, cast out and hunted by society for her demon-like powers.
Now known as the Devil of the Deadlands, Sonara survives as a thief on the edge of society, fighting for survival on a quest to uncover what really happened to her brother and whether he is even dead at all…
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 7, 2021
About the author
Lindsay Cummings
15 books5,066 followersLindsay Cummings is the #1 NYT Bestselling co-author of ZENITH, along with her duology, THE MURDER COMPLEX from Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins, and the MG trilogy THE BALANCE KEEPERS, from Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins. She is represented by Pete Knapp at Park Literary in NYC.
Lindsay deals with chronic fatigue, writes full time from her home in the deep woods in North Texas, and loves to chat with fellow book nerds. Lindsay created the #booknerdigans hashtag.
She's still waiting on her letter from Hogwarts--it was probably just lost in the mail. You can follow Lindsay on twitter @authorlindsayc or on instagram @authorlindsaycummings
Lindsay deals with chronic fatigue, writes full time from her home in the deep woods in North Texas, and loves to chat with fellow book nerds. Lindsay created the #booknerdigans hashtag.
She's still waiting on her letter from Hogwarts--it was probably just lost in the mail. You can follow Lindsay on twitter @authorlindsayc or on instagram @authorlindsaycummings
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 170 reviews
May 20, 2022
My thanks to Harper 360, Lindsay Cummings and Netgalley.
It's the strangest thing, but I quit this book around the 80% mark. I didn't just quit it. I freaking deleted it. But, I couldn't stop thinking about it so I downloaded it again.
Good call!
I loved the start of this book. It was sort of a medieval western. Then, it became a mash-up of fantasy and sci-fi. I'm fairly sure that I don't like fantasy and "space rangers."
except for the fact that I was kind of hooked!
Unfortunately, somewhere around that 80%mark...when I quit. I found the writing to be somehow, lame.
Maybe it was a mood I was in, or what. Who knows? I'm getting old and grumpy!
I ended up really liking this book. And, truth be told, I'd love to read more about these people.
The Devil is strong, but she's also a softie! I would love to see where they go from here, and I'd love to see the big bad dealt with.
More please!
It's the strangest thing, but I quit this book around the 80% mark. I didn't just quit it. I freaking deleted it. But, I couldn't stop thinking about it so I downloaded it again.
Good call!
I loved the start of this book. It was sort of a medieval western. Then, it became a mash-up of fantasy and sci-fi. I'm fairly sure that I don't like fantasy and "space rangers."
except for the fact that I was kind of hooked!
Unfortunately, somewhere around that 80%mark...when I quit. I found the writing to be somehow, lame.
Maybe it was a mood I was in, or what. Who knows? I'm getting old and grumpy!
I ended up really liking this book. And, truth be told, I'd love to read more about these people.
The Devil is strong, but she's also a softie! I would love to see where they go from here, and I'd love to see the big bad dealt with.
More please!
Read
August 16, 2022Unfortunately I have to DNF after reading over 50%. Try as I might, I just lose interest. The story followed Sonora, daughter of a queen but was unwanted so she's treated like an orphan and a stable hand. Her brother, the true heir to the queen was taken by the wanderer one night and Sonora was blamed for not saving him and was sentenced to death. She was later reborn with magic. There were others like her and they all worked together as a team of outlaws. The wanderers are people who do illegal jobs and travel around different planets because earth was no longer habitable. There's this power that everyone wants to get their hands on for a better future. There were multiple point of views. I liked the story at first but later I lose interest. I have been holding on to this book more than a month and I'm ready to start reading a new book. Hopefully someone at the little free libraries will love it.
Thank you HarperCollins360 for the opportunity to read and review.
Thank you HarperCollins360 for the opportunity to read and review.
December 31, 2020
Thank you to Netgalley and HQ Young Adult for providing me with an EARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.
"She'd lived two lives already, but she was still trying to figure out why in the hell she was deserving of even one."
Blood Metal Bone is a standalone novel that is a unique mix of fantasy and sci-fi, unlike anything I have read before. It has many aspects and tropes of a traditional medieval type fantasy. has magic and strained alliances and much more of the plot devices a fan of YA fantasy would be a fan of. Add some space pillaging and galactic capitalism and you have a good idea of what you are getting yourself into.
(TRIGGER WARNINGS FOR; Some mentions of death, murder, loss of a sibling, false prosecutions, medical content, imprisonment, and violence. In my opinion, these are not graphic in nature.)
It took a lot of risks, however, I am not sure it always paid off, so let's get into my review.
The setting and atmosphere were well done, we got to know our setting well and it was described in a way that was straight to the point whilst still giving the reader enough information to get absorbed into the story.
Similarly, the writing style was done well without being flowery or overly simplified, you can tell that the author has taken a lot of time to hone her craft however I wouldn't describe it as anything spectacular.
The characters are interesting however I didn't feel like I knew any of them on a deep level to the point that I had an emotional connection to them. As such some of the big plot points didn't feel particularly high stakes. I also feel as if our main characters, and the writing of them, fell down the trap of telling instead of showing. By this I mean some of them had a lot of expectations forced upon them by the way they were described, for goodness sake our MC was called a devil countless times, but it just didn't add up causing them to not feel as fleshed out as they could be.
The plot was straight forward enough and the plot twists, that there were, I had guessed pretty early on. Once again its nothing groundbreaking but could be a good place to start for some people.
I was just a bit bored in honesty, and the fact that I had seen so many things coming from the start just made me want to finish it.
It is unique though and I will give it that, if someone reads no sci-fi at all maybe this would be a good starting point for them. Also, there was no romance! Like at all. Which I greatly appreciated. The concept was definitely there, even if it was confusing for the first third because it felt like we were dealing with two completely different books.
An interesting one and not a complete write off, just not something I would recommend to everyone. Forgettable for me, at best.
Rated: 2.5 stars
"She'd lived two lives already, but she was still trying to figure out why in the hell she was deserving of even one."
Blood Metal Bone is a standalone novel that is a unique mix of fantasy and sci-fi, unlike anything I have read before. It has many aspects and tropes of a traditional medieval type fantasy. has magic and strained alliances and much more of the plot devices a fan of YA fantasy would be a fan of. Add some space pillaging and galactic capitalism and you have a good idea of what you are getting yourself into.
(TRIGGER WARNINGS FOR; Some mentions of death, murder, loss of a sibling, false prosecutions, medical content, imprisonment, and violence. In my opinion, these are not graphic in nature.)
It took a lot of risks, however, I am not sure it always paid off, so let's get into my review.
The setting and atmosphere were well done, we got to know our setting well and it was described in a way that was straight to the point whilst still giving the reader enough information to get absorbed into the story.
Similarly, the writing style was done well without being flowery or overly simplified, you can tell that the author has taken a lot of time to hone her craft however I wouldn't describe it as anything spectacular.
The characters are interesting however I didn't feel like I knew any of them on a deep level to the point that I had an emotional connection to them. As such some of the big plot points didn't feel particularly high stakes. I also feel as if our main characters, and the writing of them, fell down the trap of telling instead of showing. By this I mean some of them had a lot of expectations forced upon them by the way they were described, for goodness sake our MC was called a devil countless times, but it just didn't add up causing them to not feel as fleshed out as they could be.
The plot was straight forward enough and the plot twists, that there were, I had guessed pretty early on. Once again its nothing groundbreaking but could be a good place to start for some people.
I was just a bit bored in honesty, and the fact that I had seen so many things coming from the start just made me want to finish it.
It is unique though and I will give it that, if someone reads no sci-fi at all maybe this would be a good starting point for them. Also, there was no romance! Like at all. Which I greatly appreciated. The concept was definitely there, even if it was confusing for the first third because it felt like we were dealing with two completely different books.
An interesting one and not a complete write off, just not something I would recommend to everyone. Forgettable for me, at best.
Rated: 2.5 stars
January 6, 2018
I KNOW THAT I'LL LOVE THIS. GIVE IT TO ME NOW...........
May 4, 2021
People need to stop putting for fans of 'Six of Crows' on books.
From the prologue to first chapter is a bit like whiplash and I couldn't enjoy the the fantasy part so I knew it wasn't for me.
From the prologue to first chapter is a bit like whiplash and I couldn't enjoy the the fantasy part so I knew it wasn't for me.
Read
December 14, 2020I received an eARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It has not affected my opinions.
2.5 stars
The book was a mush of sci-fi and fantasy, starting off with a strong fantasy prologue and then a first chapter that was all out sci-fi. It was a bit jarring to say the least. However, it did get more seamless as the book went on.
I am more than a little confused by the plot and ending - and let's just say the twist and secrets were a little too reminiscent of ZENITH (co-written with Sasha Alsberg). Everything happened so easily to the characters that I could never believe they were in danger as they waltzed from information to success.
The writing was a bit clunky at times, with a very respective way of referring to Sonara's magic. it was the same phrasing every time - the monster pressing against the cage.
The biggest thing in this book's favour was the lack of romance. FINALLY a YA book that doesn't feel the need to have the characters fall in love. I kept waiting for characters to fall in love, more and more relieved when that didn't happen as the book progressed.
2.5 stars
The book was a mush of sci-fi and fantasy, starting off with a strong fantasy prologue and then a first chapter that was all out sci-fi. It was a bit jarring to say the least. However, it did get more seamless as the book went on.
I am more than a little confused by the plot and ending - and let's just say the twist and secrets were a little too reminiscent of ZENITH (co-written with Sasha Alsberg). Everything happened so easily to the characters that I could never believe they were in danger as they waltzed from information to success.
The writing was a bit clunky at times, with a very respective way of referring to Sonara's magic. it was the same phrasing every time - the monster pressing against the cage.
The biggest thing in this book's favour was the lack of romance. FINALLY a YA book that doesn't feel the need to have the characters fall in love. I kept waiting for characters to fall in love, more and more relieved when that didn't happen as the book progressed.
February 16, 2021
This started out really well. The first chapter drew me in and began some very interesting world building, with just the right amount of angst at the end of the chapter that I really wanted to read more and see what happened.
Then the next chapter switched to life aboard a spaceship and didn't even follow the familiar character who we met in the first chapter and saw taken away. This didn't work for me. Perhaps if the original situation had been further developed, melding a primitive Fantasy world with science fiction could have been doable, but having my investment in the first characters cut off so suddenly completely lost me.
As a result, I never really got invested in the story to the degree I had been at the end of the first chapter. I think this author can write well, but would be better sticking with one genre at a time.
Then the next chapter switched to life aboard a spaceship and didn't even follow the familiar character who we met in the first chapter and saw taken away. This didn't work for me. Perhaps if the original situation had been further developed, melding a primitive Fantasy world with science fiction could have been doable, but having my investment in the first characters cut off so suddenly completely lost me.
As a result, I never really got invested in the story to the degree I had been at the end of the first chapter. I think this author can write well, but would be better sticking with one genre at a time.
March 27, 2024
Never in my life have I read a book quite like this. It pushes the boundaries of genres and tells an epic tale through several vibrant characters. I…to put it quite simply…could not get enough of it.
While The Murder Complex is five stars and this is four stars, I think my memories of reading this are fonder. I continued to be blown away by Cummings talent. This truly is a fantasy/sci-fi that rivals much of what I’ve read.
I recommend picking it up and giving it a shot. I will be reading more from Lindsay.
While The Murder Complex is five stars and this is four stars, I think my memories of reading this are fonder. I continued to be blown away by Cummings talent. This truly is a fantasy/sci-fi that rivals much of what I’ve read.
I recommend picking it up and giving it a shot. I will be reading more from Lindsay.
August 12, 2021
Huge thank you to the publishers for sending an ebook on Netgalley my way, for an honest review.
Sadly DNF'd at 50% as I just couldn't get into it. I found the pacing and the time differences quite patchy and felt no interest in the characters or the plot whatsoever. The fantasy and sci-fi mash up is definitely unique and an interesting premise and I'm sure some people would love it. Sadly it just wasn't for me.
Sadly DNF'd at 50% as I just couldn't get into it. I found the pacing and the time differences quite patchy and felt no interest in the characters or the plot whatsoever. The fantasy and sci-fi mash up is definitely unique and an interesting premise and I'm sure some people would love it. Sadly it just wasn't for me.
August 13, 2018
I think it would be a more detailed review I actually had this book. Stars!
~ peeks with wide grey eyes at the perimeter created by lack of an ARC copy. I bet on the outside people just have the books they want. My brain grumbles at the tiny ration served up by the blurb. I snatch it and trudge home. ~
~ peeks with wide grey eyes at the perimeter created by lack of an ARC copy. I bet on the outside people just have the books they want. My brain grumbles at the tiny ration served up by the blurb. I snatch it and trudge home. ~
January 12, 2021
⭐️Blood Metal Bone - Review⭐️
⭐️What’s is about?
Wrongly accused of her brother’s murder, Sonara’s destiny was to die, sentenced to execution by her own mother. Punished and left for dead, the shadows have cursed her with a second life as a Shadowblood, cast out and hunted by society for her demon-like powers.
Now known as the Devil of the Deadlands, Sonara survives as a thief on the edge of society, fighting for survival on a quest to uncover what really happened to her brother and whether he is even dead at all…
⭐️What did I think?
Well this was a surprise! I went in expecting fantasy. What I got was a brilliant mix of fantasy with sci-fi. I liked it! Good blend of characters, some loveable some loathsome. Lots of action, twists and turns. Nice writing that kept me interested throughout. I think this is a really unusual mix but it worked for me. It would be a great book for fantasy lovers who are looking to branch out into sci-fi. It’s a standalone too which is great in itself, it’s nicely all wrapped up & I would definitely recommend it 👍🏼
Thank you to @netgalley @hqyoungadult & @authorlindsaycummings for my eARC In return for my honest opinion.
⭐️What’s is about?
Wrongly accused of her brother’s murder, Sonara’s destiny was to die, sentenced to execution by her own mother. Punished and left for dead, the shadows have cursed her with a second life as a Shadowblood, cast out and hunted by society for her demon-like powers.
Now known as the Devil of the Deadlands, Sonara survives as a thief on the edge of society, fighting for survival on a quest to uncover what really happened to her brother and whether he is even dead at all…
⭐️What did I think?
Well this was a surprise! I went in expecting fantasy. What I got was a brilliant mix of fantasy with sci-fi. I liked it! Good blend of characters, some loveable some loathsome. Lots of action, twists and turns. Nice writing that kept me interested throughout. I think this is a really unusual mix but it worked for me. It would be a great book for fantasy lovers who are looking to branch out into sci-fi. It’s a standalone too which is great in itself, it’s nicely all wrapped up & I would definitely recommend it 👍🏼
Thank you to @netgalley @hqyoungadult & @authorlindsaycummings for my eARC In return for my honest opinion.
January 27, 2021
I think this book tried too hard to be different. It is a mix of fantasy and science-fiction that at times didn't blend together well. Too many different elements were included when I think that a more refined focus on just a few of them would have made this book better.
On paper, this is exactly the type of thing I devour in a couple of days but I didn't really connect with Blood, Metal, Bone which is probably why it took me ages to finish. There's nothing outstanding about this but it is an alright escape to another world.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title. This was my honest review.
On paper, this is exactly the type of thing I devour in a couple of days but I didn't really connect with Blood, Metal, Bone which is probably why it took me ages to finish. There's nothing outstanding about this but it is an alright escape to another world.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title. This was my honest review.
January 9, 2021
Lindsay Cummings' new novel is an enjoyable genre-fusing mix of Sci-fi and Fantasy.
Maybe, when picking your next book to read you might have a hard time deciding between SciFi or fantasy. Lindsay Cummings must have been thinking this when writing Blood, Metal, Bone. But then she just thought, well why do I need to choose? Let's stick 'em in a blender and see what it tastes like.
Blood, Metal, Bone tells the story of Sonara. Cinderella bastard child of the warrior queen of Soeria, who when we first meet her is forced to maintain the horses of her mother's stable. She has a deep bond with her brother, Soahm the crown prince of the aforementioned land and jewel of his mother's eye.
However, one fateful day, a spaceship with a phoenix symbol takes Soahm, we don’t where or why, he’s just taken. Subsequently, Sonara gets the blame for this and it is assumed that she has nefariously done away with the crown prince. She is then publicly flogged by her mother, placed on a horse that her beloved brother gave her, and then forced to ride over the edge of a cliff.
Well, there’s no coming back from that one! The End!
Not quite the end, because Sonara comes back from the dead as a Shadowblood, a mysterious, magicy type of … person. The story then moves forward ten years and we meet Sonara again. Now she is working with a gang of cutpurses and she has taken up the mantle of The Devil of the Deadlands, a badass thief with magical powers. However, the shadow of her missing brother hangs over her and she is determined to find out what happened to him.
Lindsay Cummings' book is an interesting one, in that she mixes a number of different things together in this plot-driven story. In fact, she chucks everything at you Medieval fantasy that includes dragons, magic swords and quests, and then she also has a Sci-Fi story that has space smugglers, shady conglomerates, and alternative earths.
The points of view are mainly from Sonara (the medieval fantasy bit) who after been brought back from death, is surviving by being a thief in the Deadlands with other like-minded individuals who have also been brought back from the dead and now have magical powers. The other point of view comes from Karr (the sci - fi bit) who is a space smuggler aboard a spaceship called Starfall. Initially, the book is split into these two protagonists' individual story and you are wondering what on earth the girl with the sword and the boy in the spaceship has in common.
Well, it’s obvious innit, Einstein! Brother gets pinched from his planet by a strange spaceship, what more do you need? Yep, that is what I thought too. However, Lindsay Cummings skilfully weaves, twists, and manipulates this story to leave you with answers that quite honestly, I didn't see coming. And I enjoyed the spaceship ride that she took me on.
However, not only are there two points of view, there are two separate stories happening at the same time and at first, this can make the book a little disjointed, making you split your brain a little bit because you have to throw yourself into two separate settings.
Firstly there’s Sonara’s adventures in the Deadlands as she tries to steal stuff from the tyrannical King of the Deadlands, gets sent to jail, gets saved by her gang (who have a Dragon!), and then gets hired by a deposed princess and her skeleton encased friend to undertake a quest. Oh, and she has to come to grips with the magic powers that she gained when she was brought back from the dead, why she was brought back from the dead with all her mates, and work out her relationships with those around her, including her ex-boyfriend who also had a bit of a thing with the deposed princess and is a bit of a one!
Phew, that’s enough for one book there! However, Lindsay Cummings doesn’t stop there, she also gives us the tale of Karr and his brother Cade, who are escaping the tyrannical Jeb, who took them in as children when their parents were murdered and forced them to do some pretty underhanded jobs for him. To escape him Cade decides that taking up with a mysterious head of the shady conglomerate is the best way to escape Jeb’s clutches
The Head of the shady conglomerate then gives them a quest to get a mysterious object that is located on Sonara’s planet and can save the galaxy from a deadly disease called the ‘Reaper’, which has decimated the people of Earth and forced them to create a second Earth called Beta Earth. In the process, Karr realises that he doesn’t want to do the space smuggling thingy anymore and wants to be an artist, and he has to work out his relationship with his brother.
Now, I know that that sounds like a lot and that it may be a little confusing. But honestly, it kinda works. The stories do converge and become one and that is quite a feat, but Lindsay Cummings manages to pull it off well, and when the stories do converge we rush headlong onto the end of the book and what on earth all those things have to do with each other, beat the bad guy and discover why the Deadlands gang all have these mutant powers and who or what brought them back from the dead in the first place.
I enjoyed this book. Lindsay Cummings is a writer that treats her audience with respect. Whilst it is not up there with something like Grimdark, Cummings does pepper the story with some violence and does not shy away from it. She also introduces some complexity to the plot that twists and turns and keeps you guessing to the very end. She introduces curveballs constantly throughout the plot that leaves your brain a bit numb. In fact, at some points I met myself coming back, there were that many twists and turns in the story.
The only downside is that because there is so much in the book. I didn’t feel that I connected with the characters enough. It was like being in a perfectly decorated house, but something was a little amiss. At times, I didn’t feel that the characters quite hit their mark. For instance, Sonara was not particularly devilish, she could be a bit grumpy, but she wasn’t entirely devilish. For me, it was the same with quite a lot of the characters. I don’t want to go into it too much as this would spoil the plot.
Additionally, I felt that since there was so much in the book, a couple of storylines just didn’t feel finished. Particularly the shady space conglomerate. I just felt that I needed to know some more about them.
I’m not sure if there is another book planned, but there is definitely lots more room to carry on the story of Sonara, Karr, and the magic gang.
On the whole, the book has a mix of fantasy and sci-fi that I enjoyed right till the very end.
This was an advanced reading copy from Netgalley and the publishers in exchsng for an honest review.
Maybe, when picking your next book to read you might have a hard time deciding between SciFi or fantasy. Lindsay Cummings must have been thinking this when writing Blood, Metal, Bone. But then she just thought, well why do I need to choose? Let's stick 'em in a blender and see what it tastes like.
Blood, Metal, Bone tells the story of Sonara. Cinderella bastard child of the warrior queen of Soeria, who when we first meet her is forced to maintain the horses of her mother's stable. She has a deep bond with her brother, Soahm the crown prince of the aforementioned land and jewel of his mother's eye.
However, one fateful day, a spaceship with a phoenix symbol takes Soahm, we don’t where or why, he’s just taken. Subsequently, Sonara gets the blame for this and it is assumed that she has nefariously done away with the crown prince. She is then publicly flogged by her mother, placed on a horse that her beloved brother gave her, and then forced to ride over the edge of a cliff.
Well, there’s no coming back from that one! The End!
Not quite the end, because Sonara comes back from the dead as a Shadowblood, a mysterious, magicy type of … person. The story then moves forward ten years and we meet Sonara again. Now she is working with a gang of cutpurses and she has taken up the mantle of The Devil of the Deadlands, a badass thief with magical powers. However, the shadow of her missing brother hangs over her and she is determined to find out what happened to him.
Lindsay Cummings' book is an interesting one, in that she mixes a number of different things together in this plot-driven story. In fact, she chucks everything at you Medieval fantasy that includes dragons, magic swords and quests, and then she also has a Sci-Fi story that has space smugglers, shady conglomerates, and alternative earths.
The points of view are mainly from Sonara (the medieval fantasy bit) who after been brought back from death, is surviving by being a thief in the Deadlands with other like-minded individuals who have also been brought back from the dead and now have magical powers. The other point of view comes from Karr (the sci - fi bit) who is a space smuggler aboard a spaceship called Starfall. Initially, the book is split into these two protagonists' individual story and you are wondering what on earth the girl with the sword and the boy in the spaceship has in common.
Well, it’s obvious innit, Einstein! Brother gets pinched from his planet by a strange spaceship, what more do you need? Yep, that is what I thought too. However, Lindsay Cummings skilfully weaves, twists, and manipulates this story to leave you with answers that quite honestly, I didn't see coming. And I enjoyed the spaceship ride that she took me on.
However, not only are there two points of view, there are two separate stories happening at the same time and at first, this can make the book a little disjointed, making you split your brain a little bit because you have to throw yourself into two separate settings.
Firstly there’s Sonara’s adventures in the Deadlands as she tries to steal stuff from the tyrannical King of the Deadlands, gets sent to jail, gets saved by her gang (who have a Dragon!), and then gets hired by a deposed princess and her skeleton encased friend to undertake a quest. Oh, and she has to come to grips with the magic powers that she gained when she was brought back from the dead, why she was brought back from the dead with all her mates, and work out her relationships with those around her, including her ex-boyfriend who also had a bit of a thing with the deposed princess and is a bit of a one!
Phew, that’s enough for one book there! However, Lindsay Cummings doesn’t stop there, she also gives us the tale of Karr and his brother Cade, who are escaping the tyrannical Jeb, who took them in as children when their parents were murdered and forced them to do some pretty underhanded jobs for him. To escape him Cade decides that taking up with a mysterious head of the shady conglomerate is the best way to escape Jeb’s clutches
The Head of the shady conglomerate then gives them a quest to get a mysterious object that is located on Sonara’s planet and can save the galaxy from a deadly disease called the ‘Reaper’, which has decimated the people of Earth and forced them to create a second Earth called Beta Earth. In the process, Karr realises that he doesn’t want to do the space smuggling thingy anymore and wants to be an artist, and he has to work out his relationship with his brother.
Now, I know that that sounds like a lot and that it may be a little confusing. But honestly, it kinda works. The stories do converge and become one and that is quite a feat, but Lindsay Cummings manages to pull it off well, and when the stories do converge we rush headlong onto the end of the book and what on earth all those things have to do with each other, beat the bad guy and discover why the Deadlands gang all have these mutant powers and who or what brought them back from the dead in the first place.
I enjoyed this book. Lindsay Cummings is a writer that treats her audience with respect. Whilst it is not up there with something like Grimdark, Cummings does pepper the story with some violence and does not shy away from it. She also introduces some complexity to the plot that twists and turns and keeps you guessing to the very end. She introduces curveballs constantly throughout the plot that leaves your brain a bit numb. In fact, at some points I met myself coming back, there were that many twists and turns in the story.
The only downside is that because there is so much in the book. I didn’t feel that I connected with the characters enough. It was like being in a perfectly decorated house, but something was a little amiss. At times, I didn’t feel that the characters quite hit their mark. For instance, Sonara was not particularly devilish, she could be a bit grumpy, but she wasn’t entirely devilish. For me, it was the same with quite a lot of the characters. I don’t want to go into it too much as this would spoil the plot.
Additionally, I felt that since there was so much in the book, a couple of storylines just didn’t feel finished. Particularly the shady space conglomerate. I just felt that I needed to know some more about them.
I’m not sure if there is another book planned, but there is definitely lots more room to carry on the story of Sonara, Karr, and the magic gang.
On the whole, the book has a mix of fantasy and sci-fi that I enjoyed right till the very end.
This was an advanced reading copy from Netgalley and the publishers in exchsng for an honest review.
March 14, 2021
✨Blood Metal Bone✨
Howdy booklovers!
#qotd do you prefer Sci-Fi or Fantasy and why?
✨
Thank you to Netgalley, Lindsay Cummings and HQ for my copy.
✨
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review:
I went blindly into this book and was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed the mix of sci-fi and fantasy elements and for me it had a great balance between the two.
I love Sonara and her journey, living up to her name of the Devil of the Deadlands, perfectly flawed but with redeeming qualities. The plot was interesting enough to keep you engaged and guessing with a few surprising plot twists however I do feel this would’ve made a good duology rather than a standalone and I will live in the hopes that a second book will be written. There were a few details that, in my opinion, weren’t concluded in a satisfying way, particularly the last chapter. However, it was an enjoyable read and a little out of my comfort zone. There was no romance in this one but I didn’t feel the story was lacking in any way because of it! I definitely recommend!
Howdy booklovers!
#qotd do you prefer Sci-Fi or Fantasy and why?
✨
Thank you to Netgalley, Lindsay Cummings and HQ for my copy.
✨
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review:
I went blindly into this book and was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed the mix of sci-fi and fantasy elements and for me it had a great balance between the two.
I love Sonara and her journey, living up to her name of the Devil of the Deadlands, perfectly flawed but with redeeming qualities. The plot was interesting enough to keep you engaged and guessing with a few surprising plot twists however I do feel this would’ve made a good duology rather than a standalone and I will live in the hopes that a second book will be written. There were a few details that, in my opinion, weren’t concluded in a satisfying way, particularly the last chapter. However, it was an enjoyable read and a little out of my comfort zone. There was no romance in this one but I didn’t feel the story was lacking in any way because of it! I definitely recommend!
November 11, 2020
Blood, Metal, Bone follows the story of Sonara who lives as the Devil of the Deadlands after being given a second life with new abilities as she tries to uncover what happened to her brother, her search for answers lead her to Karr and they both discover what connects them together.
The book is mainly told from the perspectives of Sonara and Karr, both of their stories start of completely different and it felt like I was reading a book of two different genres – one fantasy and the other science fiction which made it hard to get into the book however the two stories do connect to each other quite early on. The plot of the book had a lot going on, it was very action packed with a lot of different elements making up the story – it was a fun and fast paced read and I liked how everything came together and the reveals in the book. I enjoyed the setting of the book and how it linked to the abilities given to the characters and the history of the planet and in general the world building was good – it was confusing and at times the book did feel very descriptive but the setting and the abilities the characters had were interesting.
I just found it hard to connect to the book because I did not care for any of the characters. Sonara was meant to be the ‘Devil’ and personally I felt like her name hyped her up and so her actual character and her actions were a let-down – she was meant to be feared and yet her character was nothing special. I also did not like the dialogue in the book, it was awkward at times and some of Sonara’s dialogue which was intended to make her look badass was cringy. The writing style was not for me, I did not like any of the characters and felt like they were a bit flat even though Sonara’s character is linked closely to emotions – I just did not connect to them. I also found that the build up to the ending and the ending itself was disappointing just because the story had so much going on and had elements that were different that the ending just felt very stereotypical and anti-climactic.
2/5
The book is mainly told from the perspectives of Sonara and Karr, both of their stories start of completely different and it felt like I was reading a book of two different genres – one fantasy and the other science fiction which made it hard to get into the book however the two stories do connect to each other quite early on. The plot of the book had a lot going on, it was very action packed with a lot of different elements making up the story – it was a fun and fast paced read and I liked how everything came together and the reveals in the book. I enjoyed the setting of the book and how it linked to the abilities given to the characters and the history of the planet and in general the world building was good – it was confusing and at times the book did feel very descriptive but the setting and the abilities the characters had were interesting.
I just found it hard to connect to the book because I did not care for any of the characters. Sonara was meant to be the ‘Devil’ and personally I felt like her name hyped her up and so her actual character and her actions were a let-down – she was meant to be feared and yet her character was nothing special. I also did not like the dialogue in the book, it was awkward at times and some of Sonara’s dialogue which was intended to make her look badass was cringy. The writing style was not for me, I did not like any of the characters and felt like they were a bit flat even though Sonara’s character is linked closely to emotions – I just did not connect to them. I also found that the build up to the ending and the ending itself was disappointing just because the story had so much going on and had elements that were different that the ending just felt very stereotypical and anti-climactic.
2/5
Read
January 15, 2021DNF @200
Fantasy part was cool sci-fi is not for me
Fantasy part was cool sci-fi is not for me
May 3, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Young Adult for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book sounded so intriguing, and it definitely had potential. Unfortunately, it just didn't work for me, for a variety of reasons. Although there were a few things that I liked, ultimately, it wasn't enough to redeem this book.
Let me start by talking about the things that I did like. One of the biggest things that stood out to me was that there wasn't any current romance in the story. While incorporating a romance into a story often works, I think it would have detracted from this story, and I was so glad to see that it didn't devote any energy to that. There was mention of past romance, but it didn't take up any space in this story. BMB also makes use of one of my all-time favorite tropes, found family. Despite her inability to fit in with her birth family, Sonara manages to find herself a small family of her own. I also loved the connection between Sonara and her steed, Duran. It was beautiful to see.
Now to the part I'm dreading - explaining why I didn't like this book. And I'm dreading it because I truly wanted to love this book. If I didn't think it was going to be good, I wouldn't have requested it. Unfortunately, the promising premise of the story just didn't work well for me.
The first thing that I noticed was the pacing, since it was incredibly slow for so much of the book. And hand in hand with the pacing was the genre-mashup. This book initially seemed to fall into the fantasy category, but the second chapter threw us into a completely different storyline and genre, this time sci-fi. I've never read a fantasy/sci-fi combination, and while it had potential, the two different storylines took so long to mesh, and never fully integrated.
While I wanted to love the characters, they never really felt developed enough for me to actually love them. Each of them came across as kind of flat, without the nuance that really sucks me into a story and has me empathizing for the characters. In addition, there's so much telling rather than showing. We're told that Sonara is "the Devil of the Deadlands," but we never really see her doing anything that reinforces that nickname. The side characters never felt fully developed, and we don't learn much about their motivations, history, or personality quirks. Instead, they're just kind of there.
One of the major issues with creating a fantasy world is making sure that concepts from a different world aren't incorporated into it. And while the sci-fi aspect of the story stems from Earth, the Dohrsaran world has developed completely uniquely. The Dohrsaran characters don't seem to have any formal kind of religion, more just praying to the mother goddess, so it was especially confusing when they kept referring to Hell and burning in Hell, when it wasn't any part of their belief system. I could let it slide when the space characters did it, giving them leeway, but when the other characters did, it took me right out of the story every time. In addition, there's so many grammatical and editing issues that made the story difficult to read at times. Repetitive phrasing and mixing up characters in a conversation (where the character listed as speaking wasn't even present) made it even more hard to read.
The plot was predictable. Most of the major twists were easy to see coming, and those that weren't just didn't really surprise me or get me to react, since as I said earlier, I wasn't very invested in the characters or the story. Another issue was the magic system - Sonara is said to be able to taste emotional auras, but her power seems to change according to the situation. She can do far more than taste the auras, and it was especially confusing when sensations came across as tactile, and not really following the descriptions of magic as laid out in the story. These magical powers just seemed to wax and wane as needed, going above and beyond what they were said to be able to do, making the reading feel incredibly inconsistent.
Overall, this was a long read, and if it wasn't an ARC, I definitely would have DNFd it. In fact, I'm kind of disappointed in myself for actually devoting the time to finish it, since it wasn't worth the time or effort.
This book sounded so intriguing, and it definitely had potential. Unfortunately, it just didn't work for me, for a variety of reasons. Although there were a few things that I liked, ultimately, it wasn't enough to redeem this book.
Let me start by talking about the things that I did like. One of the biggest things that stood out to me was that there wasn't any current romance in the story. While incorporating a romance into a story often works, I think it would have detracted from this story, and I was so glad to see that it didn't devote any energy to that. There was mention of past romance, but it didn't take up any space in this story. BMB also makes use of one of my all-time favorite tropes, found family. Despite her inability to fit in with her birth family, Sonara manages to find herself a small family of her own. I also loved the connection between Sonara and her steed, Duran. It was beautiful to see.
Now to the part I'm dreading - explaining why I didn't like this book. And I'm dreading it because I truly wanted to love this book. If I didn't think it was going to be good, I wouldn't have requested it. Unfortunately, the promising premise of the story just didn't work well for me.
The first thing that I noticed was the pacing, since it was incredibly slow for so much of the book. And hand in hand with the pacing was the genre-mashup. This book initially seemed to fall into the fantasy category, but the second chapter threw us into a completely different storyline and genre, this time sci-fi. I've never read a fantasy/sci-fi combination, and while it had potential, the two different storylines took so long to mesh, and never fully integrated.
While I wanted to love the characters, they never really felt developed enough for me to actually love them. Each of them came across as kind of flat, without the nuance that really sucks me into a story and has me empathizing for the characters. In addition, there's so much telling rather than showing. We're told that Sonara is "the Devil of the Deadlands," but we never really see her doing anything that reinforces that nickname. The side characters never felt fully developed, and we don't learn much about their motivations, history, or personality quirks. Instead, they're just kind of there.
One of the major issues with creating a fantasy world is making sure that concepts from a different world aren't incorporated into it. And while the sci-fi aspect of the story stems from Earth, the Dohrsaran world has developed completely uniquely. The Dohrsaran characters don't seem to have any formal kind of religion, more just praying to the mother goddess, so it was especially confusing when they kept referring to Hell and burning in Hell, when it wasn't any part of their belief system. I could let it slide when the space characters did it, giving them leeway, but when the other characters did, it took me right out of the story every time. In addition, there's so many grammatical and editing issues that made the story difficult to read at times. Repetitive phrasing and mixing up characters in a conversation (where the character listed as speaking wasn't even present) made it even more hard to read.
The plot was predictable. Most of the major twists were easy to see coming, and those that weren't just didn't really surprise me or get me to react, since as I said earlier, I wasn't very invested in the characters or the story. Another issue was the magic system - Sonara is said to be able to taste emotional auras, but her power seems to change according to the situation. She can do far more than taste the auras, and it was especially confusing when sensations came across as tactile, and not really following the descriptions of magic as laid out in the story. These magical powers just seemed to wax and wane as needed, going above and beyond what they were said to be able to do, making the reading feel incredibly inconsistent.
Overall, this was a long read, and if it wasn't an ARC, I definitely would have DNFd it. In fact, I'm kind of disappointed in myself for actually devoting the time to finish it, since it wasn't worth the time or effort.
January 8, 2021
Blood Metal Bone is a book with more than a few surprising tricks up its sleeve.
Welcome to the dwarf planet of Dohrsar, a world of legends, warriors, swords and steeds, where prowess on the battle field and the pursuit of power are all. Young Sonara has always been an outcast, even though she shares blood and a mysterious bond with her crown prince brother Soahm, their mother's favourite child, so she is an easy target when he goes missing. Suspected of his murder, Sonara is sentenced to death, along with her noble steed Duran.
So far so good, a rollicking tale of awakening magic and the settling of scores is in the offing, redolent of many a YA fantasy book. However, Lindsay Cummings absolutely blindsided me with this one, in a good way mind, because what follows next is something rather different to the norm.
Cut instead to ten years later, where the point of view shifts to the young space travelling human, or Wanderer, Karr. Karr is trying to work out how to get himself off the space ship he is on and back to Beta Earth, well away from the shady mission to Dohrsar that his older brother has involved him in. A shady mission that is about to have grave consequences for the little planet and its people. From this point on, you know you that all bets are off and you are in for something a bit different.
When we meet up again with Sonara, she has been reborn as a Shadowblood, with powers that she often struggles to control, but are these powers a curse or a gift? Along with her reincarnated steed, she is part of an outlaw gang of fellow Shadowbloods who scrape together a living in the wastelands. When one of their escapades goes awry, they find themselves allied with a dark princess, who shares the Shadowblood kinship, and on a mission that takes them towards a fateful meeting with Karr and his fellow Wanderers.
The story then plays out swapping back and forth between the povs of Sonara and Karr, as they head for a portentous meeting destined to change their fates and on into what happens next... but no spoilers from me!
Blood Metal Bone is a meeting of genres - half fantasy tale, from Sonara's side of the story, and half sci-fi adventure from Karr's side - and the blending of the two works incredibly well. There are echoes of all sorts to be found in these pages, with a heavy dose of the likes of Sarah J. Maas' Throne of Glass series, and little snippets of many sci-fi and adventure books and movies too. I was soon caught up in the tale, and the way Lindsay Cummings kept me on my toes with the little twists, turns and novel changes in context was highly entertaining. Once I had got my head around the fact that this was a completely different kind of beast to the one that I was expecting, it was a leap into the unknown - there was no way to guess what the author was going to throw at you next and this made it a joy to read.
Although this is billed as a YA book, there is actually plenty here to appeal to a very wide audience not just teen readers, especially given the genre crossover nature of the material. I can see some of the die-hard YA fantasy fanhood being put off by the mention of sci-fi content, but I have always considered these natural bedfellows and read both sides of the line quite happily myself.
This was a fun read as my first fantasy/sci-fi book of 2021. It is full of action and adventure, unexpected twists and turns, and it packs a big punch on the heartfelt stakes too with an enchanting focus on family. I loved it!
Welcome to the dwarf planet of Dohrsar, a world of legends, warriors, swords and steeds, where prowess on the battle field and the pursuit of power are all. Young Sonara has always been an outcast, even though she shares blood and a mysterious bond with her crown prince brother Soahm, their mother's favourite child, so she is an easy target when he goes missing. Suspected of his murder, Sonara is sentenced to death, along with her noble steed Duran.
So far so good, a rollicking tale of awakening magic and the settling of scores is in the offing, redolent of many a YA fantasy book. However, Lindsay Cummings absolutely blindsided me with this one, in a good way mind, because what follows next is something rather different to the norm.
Cut instead to ten years later, where the point of view shifts to the young space travelling human, or Wanderer, Karr. Karr is trying to work out how to get himself off the space ship he is on and back to Beta Earth, well away from the shady mission to Dohrsar that his older brother has involved him in. A shady mission that is about to have grave consequences for the little planet and its people. From this point on, you know you that all bets are off and you are in for something a bit different.
When we meet up again with Sonara, she has been reborn as a Shadowblood, with powers that she often struggles to control, but are these powers a curse or a gift? Along with her reincarnated steed, she is part of an outlaw gang of fellow Shadowbloods who scrape together a living in the wastelands. When one of their escapades goes awry, they find themselves allied with a dark princess, who shares the Shadowblood kinship, and on a mission that takes them towards a fateful meeting with Karr and his fellow Wanderers.
The story then plays out swapping back and forth between the povs of Sonara and Karr, as they head for a portentous meeting destined to change their fates and on into what happens next... but no spoilers from me!
Blood Metal Bone is a meeting of genres - half fantasy tale, from Sonara's side of the story, and half sci-fi adventure from Karr's side - and the blending of the two works incredibly well. There are echoes of all sorts to be found in these pages, with a heavy dose of the likes of Sarah J. Maas' Throne of Glass series, and little snippets of many sci-fi and adventure books and movies too. I was soon caught up in the tale, and the way Lindsay Cummings kept me on my toes with the little twists, turns and novel changes in context was highly entertaining. Once I had got my head around the fact that this was a completely different kind of beast to the one that I was expecting, it was a leap into the unknown - there was no way to guess what the author was going to throw at you next and this made it a joy to read.
Although this is billed as a YA book, there is actually plenty here to appeal to a very wide audience not just teen readers, especially given the genre crossover nature of the material. I can see some of the die-hard YA fantasy fanhood being put off by the mention of sci-fi content, but I have always considered these natural bedfellows and read both sides of the line quite happily myself.
This was a fun read as my first fantasy/sci-fi book of 2021. It is full of action and adventure, unexpected twists and turns, and it packs a big punch on the heartfelt stakes too with an enchanting focus on family. I loved it!
June 8, 2022
When a book claims to remind people of Leigh Bardugo’s “Six of Crows” and/or SJM’s “Throne of Glass”, I hear a kind of claxon go off inside my head. You know, it kind of sounds like that noise whenever stuff is about to get serious in “Kill Bill”? I’m pretty sure you know that sound. It’s the sound that says to me in Admiral Ackbar’s voice, “It’s a trap!”
There’s only so many times a scifi/fantasy novel can claim they’re like Bardugo or SJM before a reader just starts to become weary and wary of the claim. This is why I have trust issues (this will be my epitaph, I swear).
While nowhere near being like SJM in terms of, well, anything, “Blood Metal Bone” does have a a little bit of a Bardugo vibe. But it’s only a touch. Other than that, it’s its own animal, and I actually think Cummings and Harper 360 should be proud of that fact. About 1/3 SciFi and ⅔ fantasy, it’s the first honest SciFi/Fantasy blend I’ve read in a long time. Usually it’s either/or, but this book is largely a fantasy with a sprinkling of scifi thrown in that’s largely justified by a fascinating technological divide between alien civilizations. This disparatation, along with the usual themes of colonialism and imperialism that come with one alien civilization with more resources believing they are superior to another and therefore have the right to pillage and plunder, make up one portion of the overall story arc. The other portion of the plot of the book is taken up by themes of second chances at life, found family, resurrection, and of saving your planet from being torn apart by those who wish to strip its resources.
While the writing of this book is pretty standard for the genre, it’s the characters and world-building that stand out. The main characters have the vibe of being kind of like a D&D party, but they’re all morally gray. They might save your life, they might steal your knife. Their rough and tumble camaraderie is full of trust issues and strife, but they keep together just the same because all they have is each other. There is no one else like them. They’re outlaws, and they like it that way. They’re full of wounds both internal and external, but their wounds fuel their power. We’re all molded by our experiences, and the extreme trauma these characters went through shaped them into who they have become as well.
I also love that it’s a standalone novel. I still think there should be more of them. I will gladly sit through a more than 500 page standalone novel than read 2 or 3 novels that could’ve been trimmed down and streamlined to craft a much tighter and deft story.
All in all, I recommend it. It’s not knock-your-socks-off fantastic-to-the-max, but it’s a solid hybrid read in the genre.
Thanks to NetGalley, Harper 360, and HQ Young Adult for granting me access to this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review.
There’s only so many times a scifi/fantasy novel can claim they’re like Bardugo or SJM before a reader just starts to become weary and wary of the claim. This is why I have trust issues (this will be my epitaph, I swear).
While nowhere near being like SJM in terms of, well, anything, “Blood Metal Bone” does have a a little bit of a Bardugo vibe. But it’s only a touch. Other than that, it’s its own animal, and I actually think Cummings and Harper 360 should be proud of that fact. About 1/3 SciFi and ⅔ fantasy, it’s the first honest SciFi/Fantasy blend I’ve read in a long time. Usually it’s either/or, but this book is largely a fantasy with a sprinkling of scifi thrown in that’s largely justified by a fascinating technological divide between alien civilizations. This disparatation, along with the usual themes of colonialism and imperialism that come with one alien civilization with more resources believing they are superior to another and therefore have the right to pillage and plunder, make up one portion of the overall story arc. The other portion of the plot of the book is taken up by themes of second chances at life, found family, resurrection, and of saving your planet from being torn apart by those who wish to strip its resources.
While the writing of this book is pretty standard for the genre, it’s the characters and world-building that stand out. The main characters have the vibe of being kind of like a D&D party, but they’re all morally gray. They might save your life, they might steal your knife. Their rough and tumble camaraderie is full of trust issues and strife, but they keep together just the same because all they have is each other. There is no one else like them. They’re outlaws, and they like it that way. They’re full of wounds both internal and external, but their wounds fuel their power. We’re all molded by our experiences, and the extreme trauma these characters went through shaped them into who they have become as well.
I also love that it’s a standalone novel. I still think there should be more of them. I will gladly sit through a more than 500 page standalone novel than read 2 or 3 novels that could’ve been trimmed down and streamlined to craft a much tighter and deft story.
All in all, I recommend it. It’s not knock-your-socks-off fantastic-to-the-max, but it’s a solid hybrid read in the genre.
Thanks to NetGalley, Harper 360, and HQ Young Adult for granting me access to this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review.
January 22, 2021
Blood, Metal, Bone is set on the distant world of Dohrsar, where the land is split into three rival kingdoms, where vicious kings and queens rule with iron will and murder. It's here that we meet Sonara, the bastard daughter of Iridis the queen of Soreia. Looked down on with scorn by her mother, Sonara is forced to live and work in the stables, her only friend her older brother, the prince, Soahm. Despite her unhappy life she accepts her place in the world, and finds enjoyment where she can, but when a huge metal ship descends from the heavens and takes her brother in a beam of light the queen blames Sonara for his disappearance.
Sentenced to death, Sonara is tortured and whipped before being thrown from a cliff to her death However, for some on Dohrsar death is not the end, and Sonara is brought back to life as a Shadowblood, a warrior with a magical power and darkness flowing in her veins. Now wandering the Deadlands, she and other Shadowbloods have come together to form their own small mercenary band. When they get hired for a job my another Shadowblood and her masked companion Sonara little suspects she's setting out on a path that will decide the fate of the whole planet.
Going into Blood, Metal, Bone I was expecting a pure fantasy story, one where the magics of the Shadowbloods and the warring kingdoms would be the focus. And whilst this is mostly true, and this is a book that deals with themes of magic, destiny, and mystical forces, it's also got a dash of science fiction thrown into the mix too; which really makes the book stand out. It turns out that Dohrsar is just one of many worlds in the galaxy, and that humans have an interest in it for their won gains, putting those who live their at risk. This is what the book is really about, and in a lot of ways mirrors historical colonialism, of a more technologically advanced force coming to a land because they want the resources, and willing to kill those who live there to get it.
At first glance the book is simply a fantasy story, but once you start to get deeper into it it's clear that there's a lot more going on here, and the book deals with heavy subjects, as well as blending together two normally incompatible genres in a way that never feels forced or out of place. Lindsay Cummings manages to craft some amazing scenes where you've got warriors with swords attacking a spaceship whilst riding a dragon, and what's not to love about that?
There's a great mixture of characters too, with the team around Sonara being an interesting mix, all of whom I'd love to spend more time reading about. The fact that they're not a perfect team, and that some of them get on each others nerves, argue, and sometimes even need to manipulate each other makes them all the more realistic. Rather than a perfect band of heroes they feel like a group of people thrown together and making the best of things, people who see each other as family, but probably wouldn't be friends if they had much of a choice in the matter.
Whilst I really enjoyed the book there's one thing that brought it down for me, the length. The book clocks in at just shy of 400 pages, and it really didn't feel like enough. We get to know Sonara pretty well, but none of the other characters really get as much of a focus; the same with the world of Dohrsar, we hear about some of the other kingdoms and peoples, but never really know much about it. The book felt light on detail in places, and I wanted to spend more time getting to know the characters, and can't help but feel another hundred pages would have helped with my enjoyment of the book.
Despite that one small complaint, the book was a really entertaining read, one that did a lot with the time it had and created a world and characters that I wanted to read more of. I don't know if Cummings plans on writing more books set on Dohrsar, but I really hope she does, as I'd love to find out what happens next.
More book reviews available at
Www.trans--scribe.blogspot.com
Sentenced to death, Sonara is tortured and whipped before being thrown from a cliff to her death However, for some on Dohrsar death is not the end, and Sonara is brought back to life as a Shadowblood, a warrior with a magical power and darkness flowing in her veins. Now wandering the Deadlands, she and other Shadowbloods have come together to form their own small mercenary band. When they get hired for a job my another Shadowblood and her masked companion Sonara little suspects she's setting out on a path that will decide the fate of the whole planet.
Going into Blood, Metal, Bone I was expecting a pure fantasy story, one where the magics of the Shadowbloods and the warring kingdoms would be the focus. And whilst this is mostly true, and this is a book that deals with themes of magic, destiny, and mystical forces, it's also got a dash of science fiction thrown into the mix too; which really makes the book stand out. It turns out that Dohrsar is just one of many worlds in the galaxy, and that humans have an interest in it for their won gains, putting those who live their at risk. This is what the book is really about, and in a lot of ways mirrors historical colonialism, of a more technologically advanced force coming to a land because they want the resources, and willing to kill those who live there to get it.
At first glance the book is simply a fantasy story, but once you start to get deeper into it it's clear that there's a lot more going on here, and the book deals with heavy subjects, as well as blending together two normally incompatible genres in a way that never feels forced or out of place. Lindsay Cummings manages to craft some amazing scenes where you've got warriors with swords attacking a spaceship whilst riding a dragon, and what's not to love about that?
There's a great mixture of characters too, with the team around Sonara being an interesting mix, all of whom I'd love to spend more time reading about. The fact that they're not a perfect team, and that some of them get on each others nerves, argue, and sometimes even need to manipulate each other makes them all the more realistic. Rather than a perfect band of heroes they feel like a group of people thrown together and making the best of things, people who see each other as family, but probably wouldn't be friends if they had much of a choice in the matter.
Whilst I really enjoyed the book there's one thing that brought it down for me, the length. The book clocks in at just shy of 400 pages, and it really didn't feel like enough. We get to know Sonara pretty well, but none of the other characters really get as much of a focus; the same with the world of Dohrsar, we hear about some of the other kingdoms and peoples, but never really know much about it. The book felt light on detail in places, and I wanted to spend more time getting to know the characters, and can't help but feel another hundred pages would have helped with my enjoyment of the book.
Despite that one small complaint, the book was a really entertaining read, one that did a lot with the time it had and created a world and characters that I wanted to read more of. I don't know if Cummings plans on writing more books set on Dohrsar, but I really hope she does, as I'd love to find out what happens next.
More book reviews available at
Www.trans--scribe.blogspot.com
August 7, 2021
Absolutely loved this book.
I saw noone read it but the excerpt seems so cool. I liked the idea of a girl being falsely accused of her brother's murder.
One thing I need to say and you need to be aware cause it's never said in the summary, this is a mix between SciFi and fantasy. I think it's important to know it because I caught many people off guard from what I see in the reviews and for some, that made them didn't like the book. I understand because if you don't expect it, you are relatively surprised and then it takes time to know where we are going.
At the beginning I was sure I would love it but the SciFi part made me doubt.
Except that I loved the plot. It was so original, unlike anything I have ever read. I didn't see how Sonara and Karr's destiny would be entangled so it was 100% full surprise and plot twist.
I loved Sonara particularly. She is not perfect and she is not always likable. She seemed so real. This is something I appreciate about characters.
The magic was also very cool and especially its role. I can't say much because I don't want to spoil.
Anyway I highly recommend you this book. It has no love story, which is appreciable and it's a standalone so what are you waiting for?
I saw noone read it but the excerpt seems so cool. I liked the idea of a girl being falsely accused of her brother's murder.
One thing I need to say and you need to be aware cause it's never said in the summary, this is a mix between SciFi and fantasy. I think it's important to know it because I caught many people off guard from what I see in the reviews and for some, that made them didn't like the book. I understand because if you don't expect it, you are relatively surprised and then it takes time to know where we are going.
At the beginning I was sure I would love it but the SciFi part made me doubt.
Except that I loved the plot. It was so original, unlike anything I have ever read. I didn't see how Sonara and Karr's destiny would be entangled so it was 100% full surprise and plot twist.
I loved Sonara particularly. She is not perfect and she is not always likable. She seemed so real. This is something I appreciate about characters.
The magic was also very cool and especially its role. I can't say much because I don't want to spoil.
Anyway I highly recommend you this book. It has no love story, which is appreciable and it's a standalone so what are you waiting for?
May 2, 2022
When a strange metal beast takes Sonara's brother away, her Queen mother accuses her of his murder. She exiles her to the Abyss—surely a death sentence.
However, she survives. She becomes cursed as a Shadowblood and joins a group of others like her in the Deadlands. There she lives life on outskirts as a thief and outlaw. The Devil, they call her, and she's forever determined to find her brother.
Blood, Metal, Bone by Lindsey Cummings is an ambitious, genre-bending YA that blends sci-fi and fantasy with mixed results.
I’ll start with what I liked. One, I did like the curse-based magic system—especially Jaxon's ability to control bones and shoot bone missiles. The dynamics and rapport between Sonara and the rest of the Shadowbloods are fun as well.
However, the story's organization feels messy and disjointed. The scene transitions are jarring, quickly jumping between time and place and characters. I wish the story had been smoothed out and went through a few more rounds of developmental editing so it’s less disorienting for the reader.
Overall, it's refreshing to see a fantasy sci-fi YA book, but the story’s elements ultimately seem more like a kitchen sink of ideas than a cohesive novel.
Thank you, NetGalley and Harper360, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
However, she survives. She becomes cursed as a Shadowblood and joins a group of others like her in the Deadlands. There she lives life on outskirts as a thief and outlaw. The Devil, they call her, and she's forever determined to find her brother.
Blood, Metal, Bone by Lindsey Cummings is an ambitious, genre-bending YA that blends sci-fi and fantasy with mixed results.
I’ll start with what I liked. One, I did like the curse-based magic system—especially Jaxon's ability to control bones and shoot bone missiles. The dynamics and rapport between Sonara and the rest of the Shadowbloods are fun as well.
However, the story's organization feels messy and disjointed. The scene transitions are jarring, quickly jumping between time and place and characters. I wish the story had been smoothed out and went through a few more rounds of developmental editing so it’s less disorienting for the reader.
Overall, it's refreshing to see a fantasy sci-fi YA book, but the story’s elements ultimately seem more like a kitchen sink of ideas than a cohesive novel.
Thank you, NetGalley and Harper360, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 19, 2022
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of Blood Metal Bone by Lindsay Cummings. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley and Harper 360 for this ARC.
I'll start with what I enjoyed about Blood Metal Bone and go from there. First, Sonara was a really well-developed heroine, and I found her journey interesting. I was surprised by the combination of space and a developing country that still uses swords and arrows as weapons. I don't think I realized that this book was going to be as sci-fi as it was. It was a nice surprise and gave the world building aspect of the novel a lot of depth.
Now the negatives. While I thought the writing was interesting and well done, I felt the story arcs jumped a bit too much. Because of the jumping story arcs, I didn't connect with the character's quests. Their interactions with each other never felt fleshed out, and it kept me from enjoying the story as much as I was hoping to. However, Blood Metal Bone was still a solid book and I rate it 3/5.
I'll start with what I enjoyed about Blood Metal Bone and go from there. First, Sonara was a really well-developed heroine, and I found her journey interesting. I was surprised by the combination of space and a developing country that still uses swords and arrows as weapons. I don't think I realized that this book was going to be as sci-fi as it was. It was a nice surprise and gave the world building aspect of the novel a lot of depth.
Now the negatives. While I thought the writing was interesting and well done, I felt the story arcs jumped a bit too much. Because of the jumping story arcs, I didn't connect with the character's quests. Their interactions with each other never felt fleshed out, and it kept me from enjoying the story as much as I was hoping to. However, Blood Metal Bone was still a solid book and I rate it 3/5.
December 29, 2020
Thank you to Netgalley, HQ Young Adult and Lindsay Cummings for my arc of Blood Metal Bone in exchange for an honest review.
Published: 7th January 2021
I didn’t end up finishing this book as I hadn’t realised from its description that it was going to be sci-fi blended with fantasy. I found the mediaeval style fantasy elements in the beginning really interesting and was quite enjoying it but sci fi isn’t really the genre for me and when that element came in. It became confusing I didn’t like how the two were blended together. The writing style was ok but the descriptions and world building weren’t great at moments that should have tugged at my heart strings fell short.
Published: 7th January 2021
I didn’t end up finishing this book as I hadn’t realised from its description that it was going to be sci-fi blended with fantasy. I found the mediaeval style fantasy elements in the beginning really interesting and was quite enjoying it but sci fi isn’t really the genre for me and when that element came in. It became confusing I didn’t like how the two were blended together. The writing style was ok but the descriptions and world building weren’t great at moments that should have tugged at my heart strings fell short.
February 27, 2021
This was such an unexpected delight for me! Blending genres left, right and centre, the plot went through so many twists and turns that I did not see coming and that I really enjoyed. Starting out as a somewhat traditional fantasy, the book takes a sharp left turn into science fiction and I was immediately hooked. The writing was really accessible and I thought that the characters were really well developed. I also particularly appreciated the lack of romance in the book. Instead, we had some fabulous sibling relationships and platonic friendships between the sexes that were so refreshing. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book and will keep my eye out to see what Lindsay Cummings comes out with next!
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
March 23, 2022
This was an awesome book! There was a lot of information to learn based on the world and the different “powers” each character had, but the author wrote the book so well that I felt like it was easy to keep track of who is who and what they can do. This book was action packed and I would suggest it to anyone!
May 26, 2022
First half was slow and put me into a semi-slump, but I pushed through and the second half was better with a fair bit of action.
December 17, 2023
Dnf'd 100 pages in.Every charecter is pissing me off. Also horse girls. No thanks.
December 23, 2023
I think I’m going to rate this 2.5 ⭐️. I don’t really know how to rate it because it feels like idk hard to like put into words. It was slow at the beginning and a little hard to understand for the first like chapter but I think it was good near the end and middle. Would recommend this if you want alien cowboys, with hunger games like themes (sorta not really but like the vibes) and this also kinda have an insight into how it might be if we decide to colonize other planets and how that might affect people and civilizations.
September 18, 2020
For years, I've been hearing about this #secretnovel from Lindsay Cummings. I met her years ago at a signing, and she actually had me sign her copy of The Murder Complex, which was sooo cool, so I've been not so patiently waiting for this book to come out.
It. Did. NOT. Disappoint!
I'm a sucker for thieves in general. Add in an underdog, who's fighting against being wrongfully accused of murdering her brother? Sold!
Sonara is the type of character that anyone can instantly relate to. She's unapologetically fierce, but at the same time, she's sensitive to others' feelings, like her brother, who's unsure of his future within their Kingdom. She's got grit and despite the odds being stacked against her, she's not backing down from any fight, even against her family. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll leave it at that but honestly, this book is one of my top reads so far for 2020, and it will be one of my most "anticipated" of 2021!
The story itself is rich with evocative descriptions that make you sigh at their beauty, and then squeeze your heart tight as you experience them with Sonara. Full of action and adventure, a whole lot of kick-ass female power, and a dash of humor, Blood Metal Bone is an original story set in a world I hope to see more of!
It. Did. NOT. Disappoint!
I'm a sucker for thieves in general. Add in an underdog, who's fighting against being wrongfully accused of murdering her brother? Sold!
Sonara is the type of character that anyone can instantly relate to. She's unapologetically fierce, but at the same time, she's sensitive to others' feelings, like her brother, who's unsure of his future within their Kingdom. She's got grit and despite the odds being stacked against her, she's not backing down from any fight, even against her family. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll leave it at that but honestly, this book is one of my top reads so far for 2020, and it will be one of my most "anticipated" of 2021!
The story itself is rich with evocative descriptions that make you sigh at their beauty, and then squeeze your heart tight as you experience them with Sonara. Full of action and adventure, a whole lot of kick-ass female power, and a dash of humor, Blood Metal Bone is an original story set in a world I hope to see more of!
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