The Sins on Their Bones by Laura R. Samotin

Rating: 3.5 stars

Recommended Ages: 18+

Release Date: May 7, 2024

Trigger Warnings: Domestic abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, graphic violence, body mutilation, extended descriptions of depression and anxiety.

The Sins on Their Bones is an intriguing political fantasy that explores themes of love, loss, pain and restoration through the lens of spirituality, mysticism, angels and demons. Taking from Jewish mythology, we follow Dimitri, the exiled Tzar of Novo-Svitsevo; Vasily, his loyal spymaster; and Alexey, the husband who betrayed him in body and spirit, and who now holds the throne. To take back the throne and save his country, Dimitri must figure out what evil has taken hold of Alexey and how he and his exiled court can reconcile their own previous failures to beat a seemingly unbeatable force.

This book is first and foremost about how love, family and forgiveness can overcome personal demons--and perhaps actual demons. The Sins on Their Bones is a combination of Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows, but for an adult audience, and with heavier content. Dimitri's exiled court provides a fully-realized found family, each character distinct and lovable in their own ways. The story is also unapologetically queer, existing in a universe where queer identities are not unusual or remarkable.

This is not a romantasy, although I've seen it spoken of as such. There is romance, but more of the book explores issues of domestic abuse and toxic relationships--too much for me to feel comfortable defining it as a fantasy where romance takes precedence. Readers should also be aware of content warnings (sexual content, graphic violence) and potential triggers (SA, domestic abuse, emotional abuse, graphic violence, body mutilation, extended descriptions of depression and anxiety). This book can get quite dark.

Occasionally, I felt that the sexual content was thrown in just to be there rather than to push the story forward, especially when we're in Alexey's point-of-view. I also felt that, at times, the author was trying to hit certain elements of tropes to satisfy what worked in other books; specifically, although I loved the found family element, it did feel forced at times, like each character was just a little too perfectly quirky.

That said, I sped through this 400+ page book. There wasn't a point where it dragged. And it ended in such a way that while you know there is more of the story to come, it could be read as a standalone, if you so choose.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.