The King of Bones and Ashes by J.D. Horn
First in the Witches of New Orleans series
DNF- 1.5 stars
The King of Bones and Ashes is a novel that focuses on three witches within the New Orleans area. I was super interested in the premise behind this one because I'm from Louisiana and I always enjoy seeing authors' takes on this famous city. I really wanted to like this novel. I did, but I just felt so disconnected from it since the beginning. For me to want to read a novel, I have to make a connection to something. It doesn't matter if it's the characters, world building, plot, or romance. I have to have some level of interest to continue otherwise reading begins to feel empty. I don't want my reading to feel empty. I DNF novels for multiple reasons. Sometimes the book makes me rage, rolls my eyes, cringe, uncomfortable, or the writing is horrible and I just can't continue or my brain cells will die. This isn't the case with The King of Bones and Ashes. I have to DNF this novel because I'm not connected to it. I can't continue to read this novel because it will make me unhappy and I want to leave off feeling unsatisfied instead of raging and telling everyone that this is a horrible book.
My biggest problem lies with the formatting and sequencing of the story. The prologue is ridiculously long. So long, that it feels more like an opening chapter. A prologue should be quick and to the point. I don't want my prologue to be long because when it is I usually feel confused and annoyed because I'm being thrown into the middle of a very big plot that should not be the opening sequence for a story. This book also has three alternating PoVs. One of them is from Evangeline who is mentioned as the hated girlfriend of the prologue narrator's brother. She owns a strip club and has become romantically involved with her ex-boyfriend's FATHER.
Then there's the opening narrator, Alice, she is currently locked up in an asylum for witches after she witnessed her brother, Luc (Evangeline's ex-boyfriend), be murdered by a monster, but no one believes and thinks he killed himself. Her father has been keeping her locked up at the asylum against the doctor's wishes.
There is also a third narrator, Lisette, who seems to be a middle-aged woman, but sounds like a teenager. I have no clue what her purpose is in this story other than to be a woman who has forgotten that magic truly exists and just thinks the people around her are crazy. Can you see why it was hard for me to keep up? There's a lot going and this is only the first 17% of the novel. I can't do it. It's not interesting enough and I don't feel like I am gaining anything from this story. I think I'll just watch Coven instead.
Whimsical Writing Scale: 2
Character Scale: 1
Plotastic Scale: 1.5
Cover Thoughts: This isn't a horrible cover, but I'm not a huge fan of it.
Thank you, Netgalley and 47 North, for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
First in the Witches of New Orleans series
DNF- 1.5 stars
The King of Bones and Ashes is a novel that focuses on three witches within the New Orleans area. I was super interested in the premise behind this one because I'm from Louisiana and I always enjoy seeing authors' takes on this famous city. I really wanted to like this novel. I did, but I just felt so disconnected from it since the beginning. For me to want to read a novel, I have to make a connection to something. It doesn't matter if it's the characters, world building, plot, or romance. I have to have some level of interest to continue otherwise reading begins to feel empty. I don't want my reading to feel empty. I DNF novels for multiple reasons. Sometimes the book makes me rage, rolls my eyes, cringe, uncomfortable, or the writing is horrible and I just can't continue or my brain cells will die. This isn't the case with The King of Bones and Ashes. I have to DNF this novel because I'm not connected to it. I can't continue to read this novel because it will make me unhappy and I want to leave off feeling unsatisfied instead of raging and telling everyone that this is a horrible book.
My biggest problem lies with the formatting and sequencing of the story. The prologue is ridiculously long. So long, that it feels more like an opening chapter. A prologue should be quick and to the point. I don't want my prologue to be long because when it is I usually feel confused and annoyed because I'm being thrown into the middle of a very big plot that should not be the opening sequence for a story. This book also has three alternating PoVs. One of them is from Evangeline who is mentioned as the hated girlfriend of the prologue narrator's brother. She owns a strip club and has become romantically involved with her ex-boyfriend's FATHER.
Then there's the opening narrator, Alice, she is currently locked up in an asylum for witches after she witnessed her brother, Luc (Evangeline's ex-boyfriend), be murdered by a monster, but no one believes and thinks he killed himself. Her father has been keeping her locked up at the asylum against the doctor's wishes.
There is also a third narrator, Lisette, who seems to be a middle-aged woman, but sounds like a teenager. I have no clue what her purpose is in this story other than to be a woman who has forgotten that magic truly exists and just thinks the people around her are crazy. Can you see why it was hard for me to keep up? There's a lot going and this is only the first 17% of the novel. I can't do it. It's not interesting enough and I don't feel like I am gaining anything from this story. I think I'll just watch Coven instead.
Whimsical Writing Scale: 2
Character Scale: 1
Plotastic Scale: 1.5
Cover Thoughts: This isn't a horrible cover, but I'm not a huge fan of it.
Thank you, Netgalley and 47 North, for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
What are some of your favorite witch novels? Do you have any novels set in New Orleans that you love? Have you been to New Orleans? (If you haven't you should, it's one of my favorite places.) Let me know down below in the comments!
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