loved it 💯+!

once you get started, you have a hard time pulling away. I can't wait to start the next audiobook!

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great start

I enjoyed the listen. Great start, looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

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loved the whole series

So well done. My daughter and I loved the whole series. Great character development. Plot was we'll developed. We really enjoyed it. Highly recommend.

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Essential World-building

NOTE: I READ ALL THREE OF THE BOOKS IN ORDER AND RETURNED TO EDIT THIS REVIEW AFTER COMPLETING THE SERIES


[Phillipino author Rin Chupeco is non-binary and prefers the pronouns They/Them. I will honor that convention].

This book is essentially an establishment entry. Chupeco goes on to tell an interesting tale of political, military, and existential conflict through this trilogy, but in Book One (''The Bone Witch') they concentrate on a coming-of-age story for a reluctant antihero.
Tea ("TEE'uh") inadvertently reveals that she is a "Dark Asha" - a rare type of Necromancer that the world needs to hold off attacks from "Daeva" - monstrous demons that must be periodically raised & banished to keep the world in balance. Tea is taken from her village to the Capitol for training in magic, combat, and - oddly - music/dance/singing to entertain the aristocracy.
At the same time as telling this intriguing story, Chupeco creates a world where adult humans hold magical objects of different colors/types called heartsglasses (from which they draw power) - enhanced by analgously rare male wizards called "Heart Forgers"; a male mage class known as "Deathseekers" fight battles for the Eight Kingdoms; belligerent royalty maneuver & subjugate the other classes; a mysterious cabal of sorcerous villains known as "The Faceless" threaten society; the realm is somehow shaped by legendary myths involving love & betrayal, and typical confused teenage feelings of attraction, loyalty, independence, and insecurity complicate *everything*.
See what I mean? It's too complex for a 12-hour book..
Fortunately, Chupeco does a very nice job making the whole imaginative scenario surprisingly intuitive. Their vocabulary and prose are creditable, their dialogue - while admittedly often melodramatic - is realistic, and their description is more than capable. The problem is that it takes time. Chupeco basically uses this episode for characterization and to introduce the milieu (only after reading this book can you move on to the rest of the work).

Unfortunately, complaints of poor volume modulation from Blackstone Audio Inc. are legitimate. Will Damron - reading the part of "bard", a witness to the fully-trained Tea in a contemporary timeline - exhibits commendable diction, timbre, and cadence.. and injects an admirably interested tone. His reading is unspectacular yet professional.. but at least at a steady volume.
On the other hand, Emily Woo Zeller - reading Tea as an apprentice in a past timeline - is similarly passable, but delivers most of the text with a whispery quiet timbre that demands listeners strain to hear.. and then changes her volume drastically with overdramatic dialogue: performing with uncomfortably voluble interjections/near-shout emotional exclamations. AVOID EARBUDS IF YOU VALUE YOUR COCHLEAS.

To be honest, this entire series should be a single epic book in three parts. This first installment rates a mere 4.5 stars out of 10, but the lack of "standalone" merit shouldn't discourage you from going on with the series. It gets better.
Also in it's favor: it was included as a 'Plus' option - included with my subscription. If you can likewise get it for free, the investment of time and effort is worth the immersive YA-flavored Fantasy. Don't automatically pass if they ask for Credits.. but consider carefully.

ATTN PRODUCERS: Adding a PDF with maps and the Final Chapter in this book (A Glossary of the Eight Kingdoms) would improve this product immeasurably

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NARRATION IS UNBEARABLE AFTER A FEW CHAPTERS!

They story is ok on its own. It's got a different take on story telling. But I cannot stand this woman's narration. It just gets into your nerve. I wish they had someone else do it.

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Best audio dark fantasy in a while

This writing and story arc is FANTASTIC. Don’t think twice! The bone witch is captivating and lulls you in until finish from beginning to end

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beautifully Written Story

Great story, wonderfully vivid imagery and captivating plot

narration was professional, passionate and eloquent.

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hard to follow but still interesting

I like the husky voice of the female narrator but sometimes when she switch between male female characters it made hard to understand the male cause it was much lower.
As for the story, I found it hard to follow lots of characters maybe cause it's the first it's to introduce all of them but I had a hard time remembering who was who.

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2 people found this helpful

Started so strong....

Unfortunately after such a strong start it lost a lot of momentum by the end. I couldn’t wait for it to end, so I could listen to another book. The voice of the main character also started to annoy me, she just sounded so whiny all the time. I have a teenage daughter and she never sounds like that.

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Yes, just yes.

The imagery and storytelling was filled with everything I love... imaginative and cool magic.

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