Laura R. Samotin writes a strong story and uses the Jewish folklore elements perfectly. It uses the historical fiction elements perfectly, the characters felt like they were supposed to be there and enjoyed the fantasy element. I enjoyed the spy elements and how good the story was.

Many thanks to Penguin and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, this one was a miss for me. Although i enjoyed the writing, I simply couldn't get into it. This one is definitely not a romantasy, but a dark fantasy, and personally I have a hard time with this genre depending on the different subject matters. I'm convinced this will be a great 5stars for some, simply not for me,

I found the setting and story interesting. The plot did lull at points but overall it was a solid plot. The representation I felt was also done well. The characters felt a bit one dimensional at times. I would be interested in reading more of what the author comes out with in the future.

I want to like this book so much, but the truth is I only finished it out of sheer stubbornness (and maybe a sliver of hope that it will get better.)

This is a story of a tsar who gets overthrown by his own husband - even though his husband loves him so much - and has to go into hiding. His husband is a fan of black magic that goes against the tsar's religion, so he has to try and fight back - even though he also loves his husband so much. To this end, his spymaster, who is head over heels in love with him will find journey back to the palace alone under a disguise and try to find a way to kill the usurper - whom he hates so much he can't go one second without thinking about a thousand ways to kill him.

Let me talk about the things I like about this book first. It has a very beautiful prose. This is the book's main strength. It's very flowery and poetic. It's clear that the author puts in a lot of work into researching and crafting the Russian-inspired settings. And I can feel that the author really cares about the themes discussed in the book, like the struggle to love yourself after getting gaslighted for so long, finding a family that you belong, and overcoming your traumas. I can feel the beating heart through the letters of this book, and I really appreciate that.

Now, my problem, though, is that I didn't enjoy the story. And when I say it's my problem, I mean it's a matter of preferences. And there are two layers to this. Firstly, at the idea level, no one is competent at their jobs. Or if they're supposed to be, then I'm not convinced. It's awkward to be in the head of a spy who is constantly struggling to not be overwhelmed by his emotion and maintain his disguise. It's also hard to root for a man to reclaim his throne when you're not convinced he would make a good king. Like, he literally balks at making any decisions. Now, I know there's a point about anxiety and depression that come from domestic abuse, physically, emotionally, and sexually. As a person, he's a kind person who deserves all the nice and pretty things in the world. I root for him to heal, to take his time, to be surrounded by people he love and not have to stress about how his abusive husband is going to destroy the world. As a king, though, being nice is just not enough - I don't really trust the country in his hands.

The other level of my problem is how the idea is told. The story alternates between 3 POVs: the tsar, the usurper husband, and the spymaster. From the beginning, in each and every chapter, these characters never hold back on pouring all their thoughts and emotions onto the pages. This means, that, one, all their incompetency and foil are exposed to the readers very early on; and two, from the beginning, I know who they are. Maybe not all their histories exactly, but more than enough to predict what they're going to do in any situations. And then, the next time the character's chapter comes around, they are still wallowing in their emotions! Nothing happens until about 40% into the book because every chapter consists of a short dialogue that leads nowhere plus an endless turmoil of repetitive emotions. This style of writing makes me numb because when you start at maximum emotion - the grief, the anger, the fear, the yearning, and the yearning, and more yearning - there is just nowhere else to go. Not for the enmity nor the romance. So, the only thing left to keep me going was the plot which progresses at a snail pace and only picks up around the 70% mark, at which point the story does become significantly more entertaining.

I would still recommend this book if you're someone who enjoy characters with overflowing emotions and beautiful writing. I would also recommend it if you're looking books that explore the themes that I said I appreciated above. But if you're looking for court intrigue, complex schemes, or nuanced characters, I don't think you'll get that from here.

**Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for e-ARC**

3.5/5

I'm a bit torn here, unsure how to rate the read. Because of that uncertainty, I will rate at the higher end.
I really wanted to love that story, expecting to like it, really. Unfortunately, it fell a bit short for me. The writing is alright, didn't really convey anything special ; the characters are a little too one dimensional for my taste, to define by a certain aspect of their position and history, but overall, it works for the story ; the plot is quite simple, nothing to say there. The worldbuilding was nice, mostly because of the Jewish inspiration, since the political aspect is maybe more common for someone reading fantasy. The magic and creatures were enough to stand out though ! Having the three POVs, including the villain's one was great too ! Adding a interesting perspective, more purshase and a bit of unsettling ideas. The layers of trauma, love and relationships were pretty well manage, not deep for me (but that might be an issue on my part, not being in the right headspace to enjoy a story conyeyed that way, with a kind of syrupy sense).
My biggest issue was how I couldn't seem to grasp at the characters' emotions, making it less interesting to follow their story. It ay be "me" issue here, I don't know. Some of the sexe scenes felt a bit uncalled for but didn't really bothered me.
Overall an enjoyable read, though a bit below my expectations. I think overall the author managed to fulfilled her wishes with this story, and I liked the hours spend between the book's page, so I will read the following book.

Wasn't aware of this title not having a kindle version. Reading on my phone device is just not a fun experience so I had to DNF at 10%. This is a temporary review and will update once there's a kindle version.

This book was a delicious, dark read. I thought how the story begins with the main character and his court already in exile was an interesting place to start the story. At first i would have thought the story would start before Alexey's transformation and betrayal, but i think flashing back to that part of the story gave the character development more depth.

At first I almost felt a little bit bad for Alexey and thought that in his mind, he was justified in is actions and missed Dmitri. As the story goes on his abusive nature becomes more clear through flashbacks of his treatment of Dmitri and his repeated abusive behaviour towards Ivan.

The pacing in the beginning to be on the slow side and then the ending felt rushed.

The author's note explains how the author wanted to create a world where queerness is normative where "sexual orientation wasn't a source of trauma or an obstacle for characters". I can appreciate the sentiment and had no problem accepting a world where the tzar can be married to another ma. It's great to see that type of world betrayed more often in fantasy or even historical worlds. I do feel that some of the reveal of the sexualities and gender identities of the side characters didn't feel natural and felt a bit like ticking boxes on a diversity requirement. Particularly the reveal that one character is asexual/aromantic by walking in on two characters having sex and quipping that she "has no interest in such activities". Dmitri's court comes across as a little underdeveloped, so to insert this awkward conversation in the middle of a sex scene doesn't feel natural. Perhaps an asexual reader will feel differently from me and will welcome the representation.

Overall, i thought the story was a mesmerizing look at recovering from an abusive relationship and dealing with conflicting emotions of loving and missing someone who was horrible to you. I really loved the relationship between Vasily and Dmitri and LOVED Vasily's letter to Dmitri near the end of the book.

I also adored the inclusion of Jewish folklore and culture in a fantasy world. So many fantasy books include gaelic or christian elements so it was refreshing to have a world with so much jewish language and customs, and to have it be the dominant religion.

Unable to read due to NO kindle format available.
I suggest that before making this available on here to get a kindle copy ready to go as a lot of use use this format and a ready to use asap

Thank you to the publisher for approving my request, unfortunately I'm unable to read this in the pdf format on my kindle and have been unable to transfer it to another format. If a kindle version becomes available I will read and review then.

Dnd‘ed at 58% (page 228) (Maybe 2 stars)

For the first 30 pages I was sure this would be a glorious 5-star read. I was drawn in completely by the beautiful language and the atmosphere, this fantasified ancient Russia (withs bit of Jewish mythology thrown in) and Dimitri‘s brokenhearted suffering.

And I didn‘t mind the first three sex scenes.

And then … nothing happened.

The Good:

- The language and the world captivate you from page one. I had very high hopes.
- The premise and the mix of ideas! Never read something like it and again, had high hopes.
- Dimitri‘s suffering and the beginning has your heartbreaking and the way his friends treat him, beautiful.
- The interactions between him and his court were fun and light-hearted. You saw how much they cared for him. Love (in all direction) was very well shown.
- The queerness of them all. One (?) straight main character in sight

The Bad:

- It could have been so action-packed and fast and oh so good! Instead I got a snail-paces plot (with the 50%-„climax“ (pun intended) should have happened at 25%) sprinkled in between sex scenes.
- the sex scenes: I get that they show the characteristics of the two main characters, (A. dominant and powerhungry, D. looking for comfort), but there could have been other ways additional to showing them fucking every 5 pages! It got boring really fast. Especially if you got two following scenes being sex scenes and no plot movement. Major yawn.
- Too much talking and strategising, no doing. And if you tell me the action part starts at 60% in - that‘s to late!
- Too much „showing“ sithout showing anything: The two parties almost never left their homes and still I have no good visual of the places. It all was all glossed over quickly without feeling quick. The experiments could have been shown better! The demons, the country, the palace! Focus more on action than on whining and planning. (Although drunk Dimitri at the start was fun.)

All in all I am very dissapointed and am glad I dnf‘ed it, albeit late. Thanks to netgalley for the arc, but that was a miss for me.

This one is really hard to get through due to theme and very intense writing style. We have a triple POV from three really broken men. One the abuser, one the traumatized victim, one the man in between who is trying to do right.
All set in a Eastern Europe setting, which I really love. At a post-war time where things are bleak.
And in a society where sexual orientation is not the source of trauma, but is just what it is.
We're deep in the feelings of Alexey, Vasily and especially Dimitri. And I can just advise you to read the trigger warnings, because there's abuse and PTSD on so many levels. What the book does, it does really well, trying to mend what is broken, but never neglecting the scars. However, sometimes it's hard not to throw the book against the wall just because it's so sad and moving and heart-breaking. If you stick with it though, you might find a masterpiece in the narration.
I won't even say much about the plot, because first you'll have to decide if you want to get through this book or not.
That said, it's difficult to rate it. As stated, what it does it does incredibly well. I'm gonna land on 4/5 stars. This is less a statement of the quality of the book, but of my relationship with it.

Thank you @netgalley and @penguinrandomca for the eARC!

#SinsOnTheirBones #Netgalley #bookstagram

I want to first say thank you so much to netgalley, for allowing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had really wanted to push myself to read this book. However, as much as I lived for Alexey's Rasputin vibes, I found Dimitri and his courts dynamic to almost be hard to understand. After making it about 50% of the way through the book, I ended up DNFing it. Personally, I felt that it was continuing on and on without any major plot points up until about the 40% mark.

To others this is completely fine. They enjoy the descriptive and flushed out background and story building. I just personally struggled to stay focused on it.

I would recommend that anyone who would be interested in reading this book to first explore the trigger warnings associated, as they may not be for everyone. After that I would suggest a better pacing. Overall the story was well put together, I just struggled to stay engaged with the characters.

The Sins on Their Bones was a lovely read if you enjoy jewish folklore, fantasy, lgbt+ and mental health representation.
The story shows 3 POVs, Dimitri, Alexey, and Vasily. Dimitri is left broken, a shell of who he used to be after war and heartbreak. Alexey is the new ruler of the Empire, cold, Ruthless, and thrives off the fear of his people. Vasily is an anonymous spy master, pledged to work for Dimitri so he can get his Empire back and rule once again.
Overall I thought it was a great story, the author handled tough subjects well and made it appropriate still for late teens/ YA readers who enjoy fade to black scenes. Would i read it again? Probably not, but if the author came out with more I would definitely read those as well.

Unfortunately not in a format I can read or review, I tried on different apps but iPad won’t let me, sorry, I look forward to reading this on publication day

4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Sins on Their Bones is a captivating queer dark fantasy of a reimagined 19th century Eastern Europe steeped in Jewish folklore. Make sure you check the trigger warnings; it contains difficult subjects and one of the three POVs is actually the main villain and abuser so be wary!

Samotin weaves an intimate tale about love; the healing and the destructive, about belonging and grief and trauma. I really enjoyed her writing and worldbuilding. She introduces an incredible cast of characters, all distinct and well fleshed out. I loved Dimitri and Vasily’s POVs, their romance and healing journey.

Overall, really enjoyed it! I was captivated from start to finish and look forward to more from this author!

(Thanks NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for providing this EArc)

This book is amazing! It's so easy to suggest it to people who loved Shadow and Bone. The beginning of the book is so strong, and captured my attention immediately! A beautiful found family story, against a backdrop of civil war.

I loved flipping between POV in this book, and all of them were enjoyable and added to the story.

I was about 30 pages into the galley when I stopped to preorder it. I was so impressed!

The Sins on Their Bones follows Dimitri, who is in exile after losing a war between him and his ex husband, Alexey. He's lost his rule over the kingdom and he wants to do whatever he can to get it back since Alexey is evil but he still battles over his feelings of love for Alexey. When he learns that Alexey is amassing a new army, Dimitri's plans need to escalate.

The book started off interesting and it drew me in right away but after about 50 pages I realized I was a little bored. Samotin writes well and yet nothing seemed to be happening in the plot. Pretty much one plot happens over 400 pages. I never felt connected to the characters and no development really happens. It's not a bad book but it's just a little blah...it's also a little distracting how very similar it is to the Shadow and Bone series, particularly the Darkling's character.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was an enjoyable dark fantasy. The Sins On Their Bones was beautifully written and had an intriguing story. I appreciated how this one was inspired by Jewish folklore especially since that’s not something I’ve come across much in other books. There was so much packed into this one making it a good read. If you are looking for a queer dark fantasy you may want to check this one out.

Heads up that this book does have content warnings and spice.

I started reading this book the moment I had it on my shelf just to get a taste of the introduction of the story, and I could not put it down the moment I started. PHEW I am a sucker for tortured romance and this delivered tenfold. The comparison to C.S. Pacat's writing was also excellently used, I immediately saw similarities in the writing style and - while this book absolutely stands on its own - I knew that similarity alone meant I would adore this book. It's the perfect blend of political fantasy and romance.

The characters had me in love right out the gate, they all have excellent personality and the use of multi POV to express those personalities was perfectly done. I knew Vasily would be my immediate favourite, but I was surprised by how much I loved Alexey's perspective. His layers and nuance had me so intrigued, I loved seeing the story from his angle.

I'm so pleasantly surprised by how hard I fell for this book, and I'll definitely be keeping my eye out for this author in the future.

5/5 ⭐

The Sins on Their Bones is the perfect book for me.

It’s not for every reader, but it feels as though Laura R. Samotin plucked the concept from an amalgam of all the things I treasure most. There’s something incredibly special about seeing fragments of your lived experience reimagined in fantasy, and this sense of familiarity made the already raw story feel deeply intimate to read. I truly can’t express how grateful I am to have been immersed in this intense, gritty, and deeply Jewish story.

Something that I want to address is the discomfort that some readers experienced from having to engage with Alexey’s perspective. I noticed several reviews flagging the inclusion of his perspective as too sympathetic or forgiving to an abuser, and I can’t help but feel that its role is misunderstood; To me, his chapters are not sympathetic, but are rather narrated unreliably by a character who sincerely believes his cruelty to be justified. It’s deeply disturbing to swallow his perspective, but its inclusion guides the reader to recognize how an abuser can repeatedly engage in such vile behaviour while convincing themselves it’s “out of love,” and why that can in turn cause their victims to feel so trapped even after the relationship is over.

Romantic and platonic relationships are equally beautifully written in this book. In particular, the fragile development of Dimitri’s connection with Vasily is perfectly heart wrenching. It’s not your “traditional” love story, as both men respectively grapple with their own recovery and must relearn giving & receiving affection. Because of this, I was truly invested in their gradual journey from something casual and uncertain to a deeply felt, loving intimacy. This depiction of how relationships can sometimes develop “backwards” from social convention as the result of trauma is truly appreciated.

If you are in the right place to engage with difficult material, enjoy political intrigue, and are captivated by folklore, I can’t recommend enough that you give this novel a chance. While the plot can be slow at the start, to me there is so much joy in simply spending time getting to know such lovingly crafted characters. I can only hope that we get to enjoy them again in future releases, and I’ll be putting Samotin front and center on my radar!

This novel will remain very close to my heart. Thank you, truly.

Side note:

One thing that always stands out to me in fantasies featuring LGBTQ+ characters is whether or not their presence is a normal, and even unremarkable part of society. It admittedly cracks me up when an author will feature an entire magic system in their work but draw the line for social acceptability at being gay, and I’m thankful that this isn’t the case in this book. I’m doubly grateful that this is an intentional decision described in the author’s notes, as well!