The Bone Thief (The Bone Charmer #2)
by Breeana ShieldsPublisher: Page Street Kids
Release Date: May 26th 2020
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Synopsis:
“I was absolutely swept away by the world of The Bone Charmer.” – Kendare Blake, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Three Dark Crowns series
A deft exploration of the weight of grief and cost of revenge, Breeana Shields’s Bone Charmer duology reaches its spine-tingling conclusion in this high-octane fantasy-thriller.
Saskia returns to Ivory Hall to train in bone magic, determined to stop Latham from gaining the power of all three Sights—past, present, and future. But danger lurks within the fortress’s marrow. Trials are underway for the apprentices, and the tasks feel specifically engineered to torment Saskia, which is exactly what Latham wants.
As she grows increasingly more suspicious, her thirst for revenge becomes all-consuming. Together with the friends she can trust and the boy she loved in another lifetime, Saskia traces clues from Latham’s past to determine what he’ll do next. Their search leads them across Kastelia and brings them to a workshop housing a vast collection of horrors, including the bones Latham stole from Gran, and the knowledge that the future isn’t all that’s in jeopardy—but the past as well.
Can you briefly describe THE BONE CHARMER series, its characters and what’s happening in THE BONE THIEF?
Absolutely! The Bone Charmer takes place in a world where bones are the source of all magic--they tell the future, reveal the past, and expose secrets in the present. The story follows a girl named Saskia, and on the day of her kenning—a special bone reading that determines apprenticeships—her worst fears come true. She receives an assignment to train as a Bone Charmer, like her mother, and even worse, a match-making reading that pairs her with Bram—a boy who has suspicious tattoos that hint of a dark past.
Saskia knows her mother saw multiple paths for her, yet chose one she knew Saskia wouldn’t want. Their argument leads to a fracture in one of the bones, and the break has devastating consequences—Saskia’s future has split as well. Now she will live her two potential paths simultaneously. Only one future can survive. And Saskia’s life is in danger in both.
And then in THE BONE THIEF, Saskia’s story continues as she deals with the fallout from the path that survived and sets out on a quest to punish the person responsible.
Who would you say is your favourite character from THE BONE THIEF and why? Has it changed from the first book?
My favorite character is still Saskia simply because I’ve spent so much time writing from her perspective that it would feel disloyal to choose anyone else. However, THE BONE THIEF has a big cast of secondary characters who were so much fun to write and I’m quite attached to all of them.
How did the story occur to you? Did you find inspiration anywhere?
I’ve talked about my inspiration for THE BONE CHARMER elsewhere—it was a melding of multiple ideas finally colliding— but the idea for THE BONE THIEF was its own unique challenge. I actually really love writing sequels, and I often feel like my sequels are stronger than my first books in a series. There’s something really freeing about working with established characters who I know well (and hopefully the readers are invested in them too!). It makes it easier to really dig deep with both plot and characterization. So, as strange as it sounds, I feel like the ideas for THE BONE THIEF came from the characters themselves.
If you could choose one song to describe each book, which ones would it be?
Another Life, by Ingrid Michaelson for THE BONE CHARMER
Not a One, by The Young Wild for THE BONE THIEF
What drink and place do you think will go with your book to have a perfect book date?
If a reader could make the impossible happen, it would be perfect to read the book in the catacombs of Paris. They only allow water down there, but if you’re planning to stay long enough to finish the series, you probably shouldn’t drink anything at all!
Can you recommend your readers any other books in case they are left hungry for more once they finish THE BONE THIEF?
Once I finish a book I love, I often turn to something in a totally a different genre. I recently read Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson. It’s a mystery, so like THE BONE THIEF, it has lots of twists and turns, but it’s not a fantasy. I loved it and I think my readers will too.
What would you say is the most difficult part of writing a book?
The hardest part is whatever I’m doing at the moment. When I’m in the middle of drafting, I long to be editing—at least then the book would be finished, and I’d be in the process of making it better. However, when I’m stuck in the editing process, I miss the freedom of drafting. That might sound like I don’t love my job, but I do. I just love and hate all the parts equally. :)
What’s next for you?
I’m working on drafting a new stand-alone fantasy about a magical luxury hotel full of secrets. It’s called THE SPLENDOR and it comes out in fall of 2021.
Breeana Shields is an author of fantasy novels for teens including The Bone Charmer, The Bone Thief, Poison’s Kiss, and Poison’s Cage.
When she’s not writing, Breeana loves reading, traveling, and playing board games with her extremely competitive family. She lives near Washington D.C. with her husband, her three children, and two adorable, but spoiled dogs.
Fantasy is my favorite, so this book is already on my TBR.
ReplyDelete