A review by onthesamepage
The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco

adventurous medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

What I liked:
  • Tea is a fun main character to follow, which is good because it's all from her perspective. 
  • I loved Tea's relationship with her brother, it was one of the highlights for me. The way they teased each other was really cute, and I liked how protective he was of her.
  • Parts of the worldbuilding, like the heartsglass and daeva's, were really interesting.
  • The dual timelines really built up tension. I rarely enjoy that narrative structure, but it worked out well here.
  • The writing flows nicely—descriptive enough, but not flowery.

What I liked less:
  • It's pretty obvious that the author used real world cultures and religions as basis for this fantasy world, and I wish it had been handled better. One of the cultures is clearly based on Muslims, with women wearing veils that cover their hair and sometimes their faces. There is one character from this Muslim-coded culture who plays a role in the story. She acts aloof and holier-than-thou, so I guess when it comes to representation, I wasn't thrilled with it.
  • There's a lot of blending of different cultures as well. Doesn't have to be a bad thing, unless it's noticeable, and it was to me.
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