I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Call of the Bone Ships by R.J. Barker Series: The Tide Child #2
Published by Orbit on November 24 2020
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Pages: 528
Format: Finished paperback
Source: Publisher
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The nitty-gritty: A stunning follow-up to The Bone Ships, R.J. Barker’s thrilling, intricately plotted seafaring fantasy is just as good, if not better, than the first book.
The gullaime made their way to the windspire, a curved, pale bone-like piece of rock that sang to Joron—the spires always sang, and it was a song Joron could always hear, a strange counterpoint to his own thoughts, a constant low hum on a scale alien to his own sense of harmony and of what was sharp and what was flat, but still full of beauty and yearning.
R.J. Barker has cut out my heart with a curnow* and shredded it to bits, and I couldn’t be happier. Call of the Bone Ships is a more than worthy sequel to The Bone Ships, so there’s no need to worry about “middle book slump” here. Once again, the author immediately drew me into his unique and fascinating fantasy world, where bone ships—ships made from the bones of giant sea dragons—sail the deadly waters of the Hundred Isles. This series has it all—thrilling action, humor, characters who worm their way into your heart, and of course, dragons and other fantastical creatures.
Because this is a sequel, I won’t get into the plot details too much so as not to spoil it for you. But here’s the basic set-up. The story takes place eight years after the end of The Bone Ships, which might seem like a big time jump, but honestly not a lot has changed. With her evil mother on her tail, Lucky Meas, the shipwife of the Tide Child, has found a secret, sheltered strip of land she’s named Safeharbour, where the downtrodden and victimized citizens of the Hundred Isles can live in peace. So far Safeharbour has gone undiscovered, but one day Meas and her crew rescue another bone ship that is about to crash into a rocky shore. When they board the ship, they are horrified to find hundreds of prisoners aboard, many of them dead or dying. This discovery sets a series of events in motion that will have lasting repercussions throughout the Hundred Isles. And the elusive keyshan, the mighty sea dragons that this empire is built upon, has once more been spotted on the horizon…
One of my favorite things about this series is the way the characters get under my skin. OK, some of them get under my skin like a splinter, but even those characters managed to wring a tear or two from me by the end of the book. Barker has a knack for creating complex relationships that don’t end up where you expect them to. One of my least favorite characters in this book was Cwell, an angry, bitter woman who resents Meas and absolutely hates Joron. She and Dinyl, Joron’s former lover and a man passed over for his own ship time and again, join forces and make ship life very uncomfortable for Meas and Joron. But just when you think you know where the trajectory of those characters’ relationships are headed, Barker twists things around in some very surprising ways. I can’t tell you how many times I gasped out loud while reading this book, and my review copy is covered with exclamation points and “WTF”s.
And then there are the characters who made my heart ache, the characters who seem way too fragile and good for such a violent, harsh world. Farys, Berhof, Anzir, and Coult to name a few, tore at my heart every time they faced danger, and I love that Barker included such good hearted folks in the mix, because they balance out all the horror. This is a brutal story, full of swords and knives, axes and bolt throwers, catapults and poisonous fire, and war is a part of everyday life. Characters who hate each other are forced to work together or die, both women and men—there is no ease for anyone if your life is on the sea. Killer sea creatures lurk below the ship, waiting with sharp teeth for a strong wind to push a crewmember over the side, and there is of course the sea itself—cold, cruel and unbending. In this world, people believe that when they die, they go home to the Hag at the bottom of the sea, a fitting end to those whose lives are mostly spent on the water.
Joron is front and center in this story, and we learn more about him and his ability to “sing” and communicate (in a way) with the keyshan. Joron also has an interesting connection to the gullaime, the bird-like creatures who are revered by ships because of their magical ability to call forth winds. There is still quite a bit of mystery surrounding Joron’s talent, though, but I have a feeling we’ll get some answers in the next book. Meanwhile, it was satisfying to see his relationship with the Tide Child’s gullaime grow. I adore these creatures, who add a bit of humor to the story—although you have to watch out, because where there is humor, pain and horror follow close behind.
As for pacing, I really have nothing to complain about. The Call of the Bone ships isn’t a quick read, so those readers looking for breakneck pacing might be disappointed. Yes, there are plenty of heart-racing scenes, but there are also quieter moments when Barker really digs into his characters and their relationships, and I honestly loved these sections. The book is also full of dense, atmospheric passages, but these are necessary and give the story a very particular ambiance. We actually spend a lot of time on land in the sequel, and Barker takes this opportunity to describe the mysterious, rotting forests of the islands and the horrifying creatures who live there. There are mysteries aplenty still to learn about this world, and I have come to savor each one.
But. When the action does ramp up, get ready. There were so many memorable scenes in this book, and I wish I could talk about them! (But I won’t. You should discover them for yourself. Although I will say, watch out for Chapter 40!) Barker isn’t afraid to kill off beloved characters, and there are some painful deaths in this book, some of them shocking. Deaths are always worse when you care about the characters, and I cared for every single one, even the worst of them.
And oh the ending. I thought Barker was done wringing out my heart but no, he had one more trick up his sleeve. Let’s just say it’s going to be agony waiting for the next book in the series, The Bone Ship’s Wake. The book doesn’t end on a cliffhanger so much as a lead-in to the next adventure, but judging by those last few pages, Barker has raised the stakes even higher and my heart is already racing! Epic fantasy fans who love well written, well rounded, thrilling stories with plenty of heart and heartache won’t want to miss this boat.
Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.
*a sharp, knife-like weapon used for cutting rope and killing enemies.
You perfectly mirrored my own feelings in your review: this is a book that both wraps warmly around your heart and cuts it in too many pieces – the juxtaposition of of such contrasting emotions is one of the book’s driving forces and its main strength.
Should I also mention that I unabashedly LOVE the Gullaime? 😉
Thanks for sharing!
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Oh I love the gullaime too! Such a unique creature, and unexpectedly funny, right?
I’m really looking forward to this series!
It’s so good, hope you get the chance to start it:-)
Fantastic review, I loved it too.
Thanks Drew! Can’t wait for the next book!
Great to hear the second book is so strong. That makes me look forward to the first even more. And I love when an author can take characters and relationships in directions we don’t expect, it helps keep everything fresh and exciting.
I really did a lot of gasping out loud with this one! Ha ha
I’m seriously going to have to give this series another try. LOL.
I totally understand why it might not work for you. It’s very dense and slow at time.
Yay for a great follow-up to the first book. Good review!
Priscilla Bettis recently posted…2020 NaNoWriMo Update
Thanks Priscilla, yes I was so happy the sequel stood up to the first book:-)
And in the meanwhile I still haven’t bought The Bone Ships. I almost bought it a couple of months ago but I had to make choices in the bookstore
Stephanie @ Bookfever recently posted…Blog Tour, Review: Charming Co-Worker by Jeannine Colette & Lauren Runow
Oh I know how that goes, it’s so hard to choose sometimes:-)
So glad this series is holding true! I really need to get on the ball and read the first book. 🙂
It’s such a strong series. I want to go back and read his first series now:-)
I didn’t even realize he had a series before this one, I’m really out of the loop!
Everyone raves about his Wounded Kingdom series and I’ve heard some readers like it even more than this one. So I’m definitely reading it at some point:-)
Oooh. I’ll have to look into that one then.
I loved the first book (picked it up on your recommendation) so I’m sure I’ll love this book too!
I hope you get to read it soon:-) And thank you for reading it based on my review, that is lovely to hear:-)
Excellent review. I very much want to read this series now and meet these exciting characters!
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The characters are amazing!
I have this series on my reading list and the first one on hold at the library but I haven’t gotten there yet. I’m happy to see it continues well.
Yes, such a good sequel! He’s very talented:-)
I’m so hyped up for this by now – all those glowing reviews! 😀
They are well deserved:-)
Everyone who’s read this is saying it’s better than the first. Can’t wait!
I hope you enjoy!
I have the first book in the series on my list after reading your review for it, so I’m thrilled to hear this one is also an excellent read.
I just love when the sequel can stand up to the first book!
I have the first book in the series on my TBR and you are the main culprit! And now I am even more curious to read it!! Maybe I would start it the next year!!
OMG! I NEED to start on this series. I’ll def add it to my TBR for next year. I have the first book and every time I read a review of it, and now this one, I get excited to start on the story.
Amazing review for a fantastic and emotional read. It’s difficult to believe that this one bested the first. I really didn’t think it was possible.
Lynn
I had to wait to read this until I read the book but yer review makes me excited all over again even though I just finished the book. Bring on the third!
x The Captain