The Bone Charmer

March 15, 2019
When Saskia's future fractures in two, can she survive either path?On the day of her kenning, when her vocation and possibly her mate will be revealed by bone magic, 17-year-old Saskia's Bone Charmer mother, Della, views multiple futures and picks the one with the greatest chance of happiness and fulfillment. At a crucial moment, Saskia balks and snaps one of the bones; two futures spin off. In one she has the job she feared was her fate, Bone Charming, and a dark, brooding mate, Bram. In the other she has the job (Tutor) and mate (charming and funny Declan) she would have chosen. If Tutor Saskia and her mother can't knit the broken bone back together, both futures will vanish. On top of that, both futures are in danger from a dark magic-wielding Charmer intent on amassing more power. Shields (Poison's Cage, 2018, etc.) creates a dark and interesting world peopled with recognizable (and ostensibly white) characters, but her ultimate message that you can't fight fate and shouldn't try might not sit well with free-minded teens. Saskia narrates her own stories in alternating chapters, first one future then the other. A sequel is a certainty, as the somewhat muddy, downer of an ending leaves Saskia in danger.An enjoyable read as long as logic is not applied strongly. (Fantasy. 14-18)

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June 14, 2019

Gr 7-10-In Midwood, a town in the country of Kastelia, Bone Charmers conduct bone readings, including annual kennings for every 17-year-old whose family can afford it. Candidates with a clear reading receive an apprenticeship that is best for them and for Kastelia, and the richest of them are matched with a romantic partner. Those who were not matched or who lack financial resources are leftovers, given the apprenticeships that remain unfilled. Saskia does not want to be a Bone Charmer like her grandmother or mother, Della, but as the Bone Charmer for Midwood, Della must not consider Saskia's wishes, despite seeing multiple paths for her. When Saskia is matched to train at Ivory Hall with quiet, mysterious Bram as her mate, Saskia breaks one of the bones used. In a parallel time line, Della infuses the bones with extra magic, and Saskia is paired as a tutor and matched with her love interest, Declan. Regardless of which future Saskia chooses, her and Della's lives are both in danger. Told in first person, the plot moves quickly and a romance between Bram and Saskia is sweet, but the two deaths in the novel feel expected. Character arcs are predictable or underdeveloped. Shields succeeds in addressing the socioeconomic inequality in Kastelia, which readers will find analogous to real life. VERDICT Although the resolution of this story feels too tidy, plot threads are closed enough to satisfy readers while still leaving room for a sequel. Purchase for large public and school libraries where fantasy circulates well.-Liz Anderson, DC Public Library

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2019
Grades 9-12 For Saskia and her people, bones are the source of magic. For Saskia's kenning, her mother, a Bone Charmer, will read their ancestral bones to determine Saskia's future apprenticeship, and the last thing Saskia wants is to be a seer like her mother and grandmother before her. But Saskia's kenning goes awry when an argument with her mother ends in a broken kenning bone. Her future is split in two, and Saskia's story follows two different realities simultaneously. She and her mother scramble to repair the split, unaware of what's happening in her other life. Danger lurks on each path, and Saskia must face the threat before one of her realities disappears forever. Told in the alternating voices of both Saskias, this is an engaging exploration of fate versus free will. High-fantasy fans will delight at the unique magic and intricate plot that demands close attention and promises an equally suspenseful sequel.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)