Bone Ship's Wake

In The Bone Ships RJ Barker gives us a story filled with unique world building and engaging characters. In a world where ships of war are primarily made from the bones of sea dragons, the two political powers continue to scrape together dragon bone though it has been ages since they have found any new dragons to harvest. But when news surfaces of a possible living dragon, the race is on to secure it as a military resource.

Both the world building and characters of The Bone Ships really shine. You have this unique world that is absolutely fascinating. It's engaging and deep at every turn. You have political machinations, not only within a single country, but between and within two enemy nations. There are secrets, plots within plots, and questions of a political nature that play a role throughout the novel. It's not only the politics of the nations that are impressive, but the very flora and fauna of the world itself. The world building here is incredible, from the descriptions of foliage, to the bone ships themselves, to the islands of the archipelago, to the religion, to names for kin, names for nautical terms, Barker crafts an entirely unique world but you never feel lost and it never feels like there is an info dump. For instance, while warships are made from dragon bone, smaller fishing boats are made from hardened plants--and this has major repercussions for the plot of the book, as simple as it sounds at first glance. Barker does a wonderful job describing the colorful plants of the archipelago, helping the reader visualize a truly lush world. Of course, there are also creatures that play a role, from the sea dragons themselves to other water beasts to the bird-like gullaime. The gullaime are also the magic users of Barker's world. I loved the tidbits we learned about them and their culture, and I look forward to learning much more in future novels set in this world. Beyond the world building though, the characters are very well drawn and engaging. Barker took a risk in allowing us to see the story not through multiple viewpoint characters, or even through a single viewpoint of the captain of the ship, but rather through the eyes of the first officer. I think this makes the story more compelling because Joron has a great deal of growing to do as a person. While Meas is interesting and appropriately badass throughout the novel, she also knows who she is and how to get things done. While she is often driving the plot, seeing things through Joron's eyes allows for much more character growth. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this growth happen and seeing Joron's perspective on having his life turned upside down by Meas' arrival helped hooked me from the start. He is a flawed but likeable character, and that combination can be difficult to craft. Barker does it with aplomb. There are a bevy of side characters as well, each with their own struggles and arcs. Barker does a good job of letting us get to know them as people, but make no mistake, this is Joron's story. Meas steals the show from time to time, certainly, but Joron is still the main character. The prose itself is cinematic at points, doing a wonderful job of describing the action and creating tension during battle sequences.

I do have a couple criticisms. Because we see the entire story through Joron's eyes, there were moments when I was a little confused by the political situation. Some things were left perhaps a little too mysterious. This makes sense, since Joron doesn't know much about the plots within plots within plots that appear to be going on just under the surface. But it did mean I was left scratching my head occasionally. All the new words for sailing jargon that Barker uses can be a little confusing, at times. Not enough to fully jar you out of the story, but enough that I wasn't always certain what was being referred to. This may be more my issue, however, as I'm not overly familiar with real world nautical terms either. Finally, there were a couple places where I felt like the pacing was uneven. Actions scenes can be followed by noticeable lulls, rather than more smoothly flowing or building on one another. This is particularly true in the first half of the book, where the book begins with a slow build early and then feels like a series of mountains and valleys as you approach the middle. This largely corrects itself by the second half, and for those who don't mind the slow build, it will likely be nearly unnoticeable. For those who prefer faster builds, however, sticking with it will be rewarded.

The Bone Ships is one of the best swashbuckling fantasies I've ever read. With world building that is second to none and an engaging, flawed, and likeable main character, this is one you won't want to miss. Enjoy it and be ready for the sequel's release!

8.5/10

4.25/5 stars.

5 – I loved this, couldn’t put it down, move it to the top of your TBR pile
4 – I really enjoyed this, add it to the TBR pile
3 – It was ok, depending on your preferences it may be worth your time
2 – I didn’t like this book, it has significant flaws and I can’t recommend it
1 – I loathe this book with a most loathsome loathing