The Bone Orchard
Books | Fiction / Fantasy / Historical
3.7
(614)
Sara A. Mueller
Sara A. Mueller's The Bone Orchard is a fascinating whodunit set in a lush, gothic world of secrets and magic—where a dying emperor charges his favorite concubine with solving his own murder, and preventing the culprit, which undoubtedly is one of his three terrible sons, from taking control of an empire."Mueller creates an intricate and richly characterized world in her gothic fantasy debut." — Buzzfeed"A masterfully woven plot with refreshing narrators."—Publishers WeeklyBOOKPAGE'S MOST ANTICIPATED SFF OF 2022TOR.COM'S MOST ANTICIPATED SFF OF 2022 CRIMERAD'S MOST ANTICIPATED CRIME FICTION OF 2022 GEEKLY INC'S MOST ANTICIPATED OF 2022 Charm is a witch, and she is alone. The last of a line of conquered necromantic workers, now confined within the yard of regrown bone trees at Orchard House, and the secrets of their marrow.Charm is a prisoner, and a survivor. Charm tends the trees and their clattering fruit for the sake of her children, painstakingly grown and regrown with its fruit: Shame, Justice, Desire, Pride, and Pain. Charm is a whore, and a madam. The wealthy and powerful of Borenguard come to her house to buy time with the girls who aren't real.Except on Tuesdays, which is when the Emperor himself lays claim to his mistress, Charm herself.But now—Charm is also the only person who can keep an empire together, as the Emperor summons her to his deathbed, and charges her with choosing which of his awful, faithless sons will carry on the empire—by discovering which one is responsible for his own murder.If she does this last thing, she will finally have what has been denied her since the fall of Inshil—her freedom. But she will also be betraying the ghosts past and present that live on within her heart.Charm must choose. Her dead Emperor’s will or the whispers of her own ghosts. Justice for the empire or her own revenge.
Fantasy
Whodunit
Dark Fantasy
Mystery
Magic
AD
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More Details:
Author
Sara A. Mueller
Pages
432
Publisher
Tor Publishing Group
Published Date
2022-03-22
ISBN
1250776945 9781250776945
Community ReviewsSee all
"I liked this one, but I think it might be an acquired taste. The characters aren't exactly likeable, and every situation feels pretty contrived. But the writing and imagery are beautiful in their own way. There's enough mystery to push through to the end but honestly if you aren't feeling the book by about a quarter in you probably won't find it worth finishing. "
Lize
"This is probably the first book I’ve annotated the most. Could I tell you in great detail what this story is about? Absolutely not. I’m still confused, I’m going to need to google some things, and watch some TikTok’s just for peace of mind and understanding. With that being said this was still a great read.
As any good Mistress, Charms runs more than the Orchard House, but from the quiet background Birenguard itself. As the Emperor’s mistress/pow she is privy to secrets and knowledge that aims to keep her and her boneghosts safe. His last request sets her on a quest to not only avenge his death but also save the kingdom from his four sons.
This is a story filled with political intrigue, magical powers rendering the owner eventually mad, and sweet innocent romance all wrapped in a “who done it” cloak. You’ll never see it coming, plot twists start on like chapter 2 and then never stop.
Happy reading! "
Soni C.
"This book sounded interesting but was hard for me to get into. The circumstances of the main characters wasn't clearly explained in the beginning and it was hard to stay interested. It wasn't a book I would recommend."
B F
Brittany F
"Slightly creepy murder mystery in a world where science and medicine went an entirely different route and magic exists in an interesting form. Loved it! Fast paced enough to keep me reading but slow and steady enough to be a relaxing read "
Courtney Campbell
"It was entirely too abstract for me. I don’t think I was smart enough to read this book. 😂"
S Y
Stacy Yeckl
"dnf"
TJ
"Not a bad book, but very confusing. The plot was kind of hard to follow, but it had an interesting magic system and very interesting characters. It was difficult to connect with the characters, though. Definitely an interesting read!"
Annabella McMillian
"Wow. Whatever book I read next has a lot to live up to.
This book has all the epics of politics, wars, and kings - but what makes it special is the realism of trauma big and small women endure and the strength it takes women to exist in a world they are constantly forced to endure. Unlike other books, The Bone Orchard’s women are strong in spite of - not because of - what they endure and they exist as multi-faceted, ever-evolving characters. It does this all while still remaining entertaining. "
Carolyn Johnson
"It wasn't a bad story, the characters are well developed and great personalities. The only thing I didn't like was the ending it didn't round out how I expected."
Paige
"I haven’t been seeing a lot of people talking about this book which is such a shame. It’s honestly one of my favorite books with a complex story and detailed world building. Each character feels like a real person and the main characters are so detailed and intriguing. This book definitely isn’t for everyone though as some people have found the plot and characters to be too confusing to figure out in a satisfying way. Nonetheless, I loved every moment of this book and its intricacies. "
Jaymie
