The Sins on Their Bones
Book One of the Cursed Crown Series
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The Sins on Their Bones
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Narrated by:
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Aaron Willis
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Daniel Chichagov
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Robin Wilcock
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By:
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Laura R. Samotin
Set in a Jewish folklore-inspired reimagining of 19th century Eastern Europe, this queer dark fantasy debut pits two estranged husbands and a daring spymaster on opposite sides of a civil war. Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, C.S. Pacat, and Katherine Arden.
Dimitri Alexeyev used to be the Tzar of Novo-Svitsevo. Now, he is merely a broken man, languishing in exile after losing a devastating civil war instigated by his estranged husband, Alexey Balakin. In hiding with what remains of his court, Dimitri and his spymaster, Vasily Sokolov, engineer a dangerous ruse. Vasily will sneak into Alexey’s court under a false identity to gather information, paving the way for the usurper’s downfall, while Dimitri finds a way to kill him for good.
But stopping Alexey is not so easy as plotting to kill an ordinary man. Through a perversion of the Ludayzim religion that he terms the Holy Science, Alexey has died and resurrected himself in an immortal, indestructible body—and now claims he is guided by the voice of God Himself. Able to summon forth creatures from the realm of demons, he seeks to build an army, turning Novo-Svitsevo into the greatest empire that history has ever seen.
Dimitri is determined not to let Alexey corrupt his country, but saving Novo-Svitsevo and its people will mean forfeiting the soul of the husband he can’t bring himself to forsake—or the spymaster he’s come to love.
©2024 Laura R. Samotin (P)2024 Random House CanadaListeners also enjoyed...
Critic reviews
"Samotin’s breathtaking debut is a Gothic, deeply Jewish tale about love’s power to both wound us and set us free. Passionate and gruesome, heart-pounding and poignant, this story will be carved into your very bones."—Allison Saft, New York Times bestselling author of A Far Wilder Magic
"I really enjoyed this read—sweeping yet intimate, gory and chilling, and impossible to put down. The point at which the story begins—after Dimitri loses the war to Alexey—was a great choice, and I appreciate how carefully Laura R. Samotin delved into the depths of trauma, depression, and grief, while still leaving room for humour and hope.”—Samantha Shannon, New York Times bestselling author of The Priory of the Orange Tree
"The Sins on Their Bones is a book that will break your heart and then fuse it back together, stronger for having been broken. It's a story of agency and abuse, about what we deserve and what we owe ourselves, about finding the strength to forgive ourselves and to accept the forgiveness of others. Samotin is a powerful new voice in the genre, with this queer dark fantasy that reminds us that there is always, always a light in the dark.”—Kamilah Cole, national bestselling author of So Let Them Burn
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At the end of the book, the author talks about their reason for writing the story and the cultural history of the folklore, myth, and magic forming the basis for their imagination to build upon. This is a beautiful story, but not a light read and sadly, only a HFN ending. (I’m a bit anxious when characters I’ve come to care about are left on the proverbial cliff edge.)
I’ve already queued up the next book, The Lure of Their Graves. I’ll only begin reading it however when my heart can deal with the real-life joy, love, pain, and grief I know I’ll experience along with Dimitri and Vasily and their devoted group of friends.
The trio of narrators, Aaron Willis, Daniel Chichagov, and Robin Wilcock, are absolute perfection in bringing Samotin’s story to life
Highly Recommended!
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