Book Details
Title: The Sins on Their Bones
Author: Laura R. Samotin
Publisher: Random House
Publication Date: May 7, 2024
Genre(s): Adult, LGBT, Fantasy, Romance, Historical
Pages: 416
Bookshop Affiliate Purchase Link: https://bookshop.org/a/67041/9781039007567
Title: The Sins on Their Bones
Author: Laura R. Samotin
Publisher: Random House
Publication Date: May 7, 2024
Genre(s): Adult, LGBT, Fantasy, Romance, Historical
Pages: 416
Bookshop Affiliate Purchase Link: https://bookshop.org/a/67041/9781039007567
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Reading Details
Finish Date: May 8, 2024
Format: Physical
Representation: Gay, Sapphic, Nonbinary, Asexual
Trigger/Content Warnings: Abuse, Violence, War, Death
Finish Date: May 8, 2024
Format: Physical
Representation: Gay, Sapphic, Nonbinary, Asexual
Trigger/Content Warnings: Abuse, Violence, War, Death
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Rating: 4
Favorite Quote/Scene:
"If I die first. I'll tell you the secrets of heaven."
Review:
Between the cover and the summary for this book I knew I wanted to read it. It looked and sounded absolutely amazing and I was drawn in by the premise. I was so excited to receive a copy of the book to read and review!
I love the way Laura writes emotions. The characters in this book deal with a lot of emotions ranging from grief and sadness to unbridled anger. There is so much going on and it is amazingly well-written. You can relate to the grief and the anger that Dimitri and Vasiliy are feeling. When Dimitri is having a panic attack, it is written so well. You can feel the emotions in these characters, and it makes the story so amazing! If the book had been written with base-level emotions, this book would not have truly been worth reading. The emotions make these characters in these situations worth it!
On that note: I love most of these characters. Dimitri and his found family are the world’s best thing. They are trying so hard to keep him alive and well and he is doing the same thing. There is so much care and love between the group of them, even though they are facing down a lost war and trying to usurp the Pretender. Throughout the story, the connection between these characters is palpable. It’s another thing that I think makes the book. The book would not have been half as good if the characters didn’t have such a realistic and deep connection with each other.
I know I already addressed the emotions in this book, but specifically the way that Samotin dealt with Dimitri’s grief and trauma was brutally beautiful!! It was written viscerally. You were going to feel what he was feeling and you were going to, much like he had to, confront his feelings towards Alexey and his actions. It’s not pleasant, but it is honest and true.
I really enjoyed the worldbuilding in this book. The author did a great job at writing the settings and history of this book. The settings all felt amazing. I could fantasize about what it would be like to be in some of those locations. The history of the world drew me into the story and had me wanting a small history book so that I could have a solid timeline of all the events. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I really enjoyed the worldbuilding and how it was presented to the readers.
I will admit that the beginning of this story dragged for me. It took me way too long to reach the point where everything got interesting, but eventually I was hooked on the story. I honestly think it was just the fact that Dimitri’s mental health was trash, so the plot wasn’t really moving along. Not necessarily a bad thing, I think it works as a way of making you understand what Dimitri is going through and how it is affecting his group. It just doesn’t make for the best reading.
I really enjoyed this book for the most part. It had a slow start to me (other people probably loved it), but once it picked up the pace a bit I was hooked! I loved the connections between these characters. Both the connections they had already made and the connections that grew during the story. The emotions in this book are so real and visceral that it is uncomfortable at times. The world was thrilling and the descriptions beautiful, but it didn’t shy away from the fact that this world was also war-torn. I enjoyed this book and I look forward to reading more by Samotin in the future!
Favorite Quote/Scene:
"If I die first. I'll tell you the secrets of heaven."
Review:
Between the cover and the summary for this book I knew I wanted to read it. It looked and sounded absolutely amazing and I was drawn in by the premise. I was so excited to receive a copy of the book to read and review!
I love the way Laura writes emotions. The characters in this book deal with a lot of emotions ranging from grief and sadness to unbridled anger. There is so much going on and it is amazingly well-written. You can relate to the grief and the anger that Dimitri and Vasiliy are feeling. When Dimitri is having a panic attack, it is written so well. You can feel the emotions in these characters, and it makes the story so amazing! If the book had been written with base-level emotions, this book would not have truly been worth reading. The emotions make these characters in these situations worth it!
On that note: I love most of these characters. Dimitri and his found family are the world’s best thing. They are trying so hard to keep him alive and well and he is doing the same thing. There is so much care and love between the group of them, even though they are facing down a lost war and trying to usurp the Pretender. Throughout the story, the connection between these characters is palpable. It’s another thing that I think makes the book. The book would not have been half as good if the characters didn’t have such a realistic and deep connection with each other.
I know I already addressed the emotions in this book, but specifically the way that Samotin dealt with Dimitri’s grief and trauma was brutally beautiful!! It was written viscerally. You were going to feel what he was feeling and you were going to, much like he had to, confront his feelings towards Alexey and his actions. It’s not pleasant, but it is honest and true.
I really enjoyed the worldbuilding in this book. The author did a great job at writing the settings and history of this book. The settings all felt amazing. I could fantasize about what it would be like to be in some of those locations. The history of the world drew me into the story and had me wanting a small history book so that I could have a solid timeline of all the events. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I really enjoyed the worldbuilding and how it was presented to the readers.
I will admit that the beginning of this story dragged for me. It took me way too long to reach the point where everything got interesting, but eventually I was hooked on the story. I honestly think it was just the fact that Dimitri’s mental health was trash, so the plot wasn’t really moving along. Not necessarily a bad thing, I think it works as a way of making you understand what Dimitri is going through and how it is affecting his group. It just doesn’t make for the best reading.
I really enjoyed this book for the most part. It had a slow start to me (other people probably loved it), but once it picked up the pace a bit I was hooked! I loved the connections between these characters. Both the connections they had already made and the connections that grew during the story. The emotions in this book are so real and visceral that it is uncomfortable at times. The world was thrilling and the descriptions beautiful, but it didn’t shy away from the fact that this world was also war-torn. I enjoyed this book and I look forward to reading more by Samotin in the future!
Giveaway Details:
One (1) copy of THE SINS ON THEIR BONES will be given away to a randomly selected entrant at the end of the drawing period.
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Wow! This sounds like an amazing read! Emotional but amazing! I also love that it is tagged as asexual! We do not have enough books that have asexual characters! Based on your review I definitely want to read this book!!!
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