The Caffeinated Diva reads...

The Bone Witch is a beautiful book, telling the story of Tea as she discovers that she is an asha, one with very rare abilities.  The writing is lyrical and descriptive, allowing you to see the world through Tea's eyes.  It is written in two alternating points of view and the voices are very different.  The first voice is that of Tea, telling her own story in a voice that, while a bit haunting, feels somehow lighter and more hopeful.  The second voice is set at some point in the future, as Tea tells her story to a Bard who has sought her out.  The tone of that voice was much heavier, much more bitter.

The mythology of this story was so beautiful, a world where, instead of on their sleeves, people wear their hearts around their necks in heartsglass.  The color of your heart sometimes determines your entire future, as it did for the main character Tea.  After accidentally raising her brother from the dead, Tea's life changes dramatically.  She's an asha, a Dark asha.  The Dark asha are the strongest of their kind, but also the most feared and usually the most reviled.  It is not an easy road that Tea finds herself on.

The worldbuilding was the most stunning aspect to the book, in my opinion, along with the mythology that surrounded it.  The mythology is influenced by geisha culture, Zoroastrianism, and Persian culture, woven together a complex world.  Despite the fantasy elements, the world felt very authentic with its threads of social classism, politics, sexism, and racism.  Those elements exist in all societies and their inclusion, while not positive, helped to create a world that was believable for the reader.

This is a book that I truly loved.  A sequel is coming and I am waiting breathlessly for it!