Laura R. Samotin's *The Sins on Their Bones* is a dark and compelling queer fantasy set in a reimagined 19th century Eastern Europe infused with Jewish folklore. This debut novel weaves a tale of political intrigue, forbidden love, and supernatural conflict that will captivate fans of Leigh Bardugo and C.S. Pacat.

At its heart, the story revolves around Dimitri Alexeyev, once the Tzar of Novo-Svitsevo, now in exile and nursing wounds from a devastating civil war instigated by his estranged husband, Alexey Balakin. Together with his spymaster, Vasily Sokolov, Dimitri plans a daring scheme: Vasily will infiltrate Alexey’s court under a false identity to gather intelligence, while Dimitri seeks a way to permanently end Alexey's tyrannical reign.

However, Alexey proves to be a formidable adversary. Through a twisted interpretation of Ludayzim religion, he has achieved immortality and wields dark powers, intent on expanding his empire and reshaping history. As Dimitri navigates the complexities of war and political machinations, he must confront not only Alexey's growing influence but also his conflicted feelings for his estranged husband and the burgeoning love he feels for Vasily.

Samotin excels in creating a richly atmospheric world steeped in folklore and magic. The setting of 19th century Eastern Europe is vividly depicted, with its intricate political alliances and mystical undercurrents adding layers of depth to the narrative. The clash between traditional beliefs and dark sorcery heightens the tension, while the lush prose brings to life the haunting landscapes and haunted characters.

Characterization is a standout in *The Sins on Their Bones*. Dimitri's internal turmoil and moral dilemmas are portrayed with raw emotion, highlighting his struggles with duty, love, and personal sacrifice. Vasily emerges as a compelling figure in his own right, balancing loyalty to Dimitri with his own desires and ambitions. The complex relationships and shifting allegiances among the characters propel the story forward, keeping readers engaged and invested in their fates.

Thematically, the novel explores profound questions of power, faith, and the nature of love. Dimitri's journey from a broken exile to a reluctant leader grappling with impossible choices is both poignant and thought-provoking. The ethical dilemmas posed by Alexey's ruthless pursuit of power resonate with contemporary relevance, offering a nuanced exploration of the human condition amidst supernatural turmoil.

As the narrative builds towards its climax, Samotin masterfully blends action-packed sequences with intimate moments of revelation and reckoning. The stakes escalate with each chapter, leading to a gripping finale that delivers on both emotional impact and narrative resolution. Readers will find themselves swept up in a tale of epic proportions, driven by a quest for justice and redemption in a world where darkness threatens to consume everything.

*The Sins on Their Bones* by Laura R. Samotin is a mesmerizing debut that deftly combines dark fantasy, political intrigue, and queer romance. With its evocative prose, intricate world-building, and compelling characters, this novel is a must-read for anyone seeking a gripping story that challenges the boundaries of love and power in a world on the brink of chaos. Prepare to be enchanted and enthralled by Samotin's masterful storytelling.

4.75 stars, rounded up

Vasily, you have been promoted. you are now one of my elite employees as book bf of the month!! 🫶

I didn't expect to love this story as much as I did, and I don't know why since it had most of the tropes/themes/topics I adore:
- found family
- myth & folklore
- LGBTQ+ rep
- anxiety & depression rep
- a love story in the background that just breaks your heart

this is definitely the type of book that I'll be thinking about for a long time after finishing it.

Well, I had to sit with that one after reading it. It is not an easy read, while it was really interesting and I will say, it was a really great book. But it is heavy with the topic, and it is definitely not for everyone. When I heard that it was a queer dark fantasy with folklore, set in Eastern Europe/Russia, I was really curious. That sounded right up my alley. Yet, I was still surprise by how dark and heavy it was.
One of the main thing is that it deals with abuse (mostly domestic), and I was a little surprise to get the POV of that abuser. That's where I really struggled, and I wish there were a lot less of his point of view, because that I found harder to read. We do get three point of views, and while I did enjoy Dominic and Vasily's point of view, it was Alexey's view of the world and the abuse he perpetuated on others that I found harder to read.
Still, I think that if you are okay with reading about abuse, violence, gore, and more (please read the triggers), it can be an interesting read (though I do think you have to be in the right mindset to read it), and I'm quite curious to see what else Laura R. Samotin will write. I'll definitely check out what else she will write.

I am so glad I picked up *The Sins on Their Bones* after being intrigued by the premise—a queer fantasy based on Jewish mysticism. This story, told from 3 different viewpoints, is a deeply emotional story about love, betrayal, belief, and fighting for what you think is right.

>> ❤️ What I loved: For me, this book really at it all—great characters, a well-paced story, magic and mysticism, high stakes, and more. As a lover of character-driven stories, my heart was really in it for Dimitri and Vasily especially. I was also really impressed by how the author managed to paint such a complicated picture of Alexey, our villain—I looked forward to his perspective as much as the others. This is a wonderfully written book that had my attention through to the very end.

I enthusiastically recommend *The Sins on Their Bones* to fantasy lovers, especially those who like more complex and emotional stories. This is a not a straightforward fantasy romance, and has challenging and heartbreaking themes related to abuse that readers should be aware of. I don’t feel like this is getting the hype it deserves, and I hope more people give it a chance!

**Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 (4.5-5)**

**Acknowledgments & Disclaimers**
✨ Thank you to NetGalley, Laura R. Samotin, and Penguin Random House Canada, for providing an ARC and the opportunity to share an honest review of this book.
✨ All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
✨ My reviews and ratings strive to evaluate books within their own age-demographic and genre.

I appreciate the opportunity to read this book early but unfortunately it did not work for me. I ended up DNFing at 27% and have given three stars in fairness as if I finished that is about where it was heading.

I struggled to connect with the characters, as I didn't find any of them likeable which made me not really care too much about the story. I wasn't expecting such toxic relationships, and it just wasn't doing it for me. I read a lot of horror, so was prepared for darker elements but at 100 pages not much had happened yet and I was losing interest.

Note: I would prefer not to rate this as I did not finish the book, but I do not have that option. I have rated it 3 stars in the interest of fairness.

I have tried on several occasions and never managed to get further than about 30%. I'm not sure what it is about this book.

The premise is interesting, I think it has a ton of potential, but I can't seem to convince myself to keep going.

I'm inclined to say that the pacing is part of the problem. It is a bit slow considering you're dropped in the middle of a story in progress. That said, there have been a lot of slower books that prefer subtly to in your face action, that I've really enjoyed. So I'm not sure I can pin it on that point alone.

The found family element was enjoyable, the characters had a good dynamic, and I was curious to see where it went. I just couldn't seem to muster the desire to actually find out.

I do not think this is a bad book. I think Samotin did a good job describing the despair that loss and heartbreak can cause. As well as acknowledging the various demands on people and how power can corrupt. I just think, in the end, this wasn't a book for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dmitri, the Tzar, was betrayed by his husband Alexey and exiled; now Vasily, Dmitri’s lover and spymaster, wants to sneak into Alexey’s court to take him down. Dmitri struggles with this, as he believes he won’t be able to kill Alexey because of their deep history.

In this emotional lovers-to-enemies, Jewish-inspired mythology/folklore novel set in 19th Century Eastern Europe, Dmitri must work through and overcome the pain Alexey caused him. Furthermore, Alexey has managed to gain more power by an ancient ritual and starts causing pain and destruction to all who Dmitri used to love.

The characters were so complex and well written, it made the writing so addictive yet touching. I am surprised I haven’t heard more about this book, as it is one of my top reads of this year so far.

Absolutely perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo's Shadow & Bone/Six of Crows! Check trigger warnings, but this was a dark, sexy, and atmospheric.

A gorgeous look at the aftermath of betrayal, abuse, and the end of a marriage in a fantasy Russian-inspired setting. I had been hearing things about THE SINS ON THEIR BONES for months, and was so excited to receive an ARC of the book. This book made me CRY, several times. At turns gorgeous, brutal, and heartbreaking, I was completely swept away in this story. I can't wait to see what Samotin does next!

If you like the Grishaverse, this is the book for you. Both weren't exactly my cup of tea, but im not meaning to say that they were bad. Very entertaining and the characters were very diverse compared to the general characters we typically see in books. I enjoyed the LGBTQIA+ aspect, since most books have simply a heteronormative vibe. It was definitely something I'd like to try to read again in the future if I end up expanding my love of books into dark fantasy.

A Jewish folklore inspired fantasy stands out in the hugely busy fantasy genre with it's subject matter and superb writing style from the author. Loved it!

Wow. Just... wow.

This book emotionally wrecked me. It wrecked me, okay?

Some books are good. Some books impress you with their writing, or gets you immersed in a fantasy world, or has you rooting for the characters. And some books just reach inside your chest and crushes your heart. This was one such book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc of this novel in exchange for a review. The premise of this novel sounded right up my alley, but I had a difficult time getting into the story.

This book killed me and made me love it in the process. I wish I could forget it and read it all over again. My favourite of this year. And the ending? OMG Not to mention the epilogue???
I am keeping all fingers crossed that this gets a sequel.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

While I found the folklore tie-ins of this story fascinating, and the plot and setting is right up my alley, this book was very slow. In addition, I was not a fan of any of the characters and didn't find them compelling.

I was quite intrigued by this book's summary and cover art but was not as engaged by the book itself.
It started off quite slow and much exposition was brought forth in dialogue, which was.a bit tedious. It felt character driven rather than plot driven but I didn't get a deep insight into the characters from it either. They felt like sketches, rather than fully fleshed out. Dimitry spends most of the book being a sad wreck of a person, Alexey's motivations still aren't totally clear to me even after I've finished it, and Vasily--who had potential as an interesting and complicated individual--felt unfinished and incomplete.
This was billed as a romantasy but I'd say it's pretty short on romance and far more horror in a fantasy world of indeterminate time frame and historical period that is very reminiscent of Eastern European/Russian empires during the reign of the Tzars. I didn't see it as a romance at all. It could have been an adventure fantasy but it didn't go that direction either.
The characters felt incomplete--sketches rather than fully fleshed out. I didn't feel like anyone had a satisfying characters arc or significant character growth along the way. The secondary characters were even less delineated.
The story is slow going. There is a some plot, and some intrigue, and some character driven sections but it didn't feel like it flowed cohesively. There was a lot of repetition in the dialogue, particularly in regard to Dimitri. I considered DNF a few times but persevered to the end.
The end felt rushed after all the plodding at the beginning and I can't tell if it's meant to have a sequel? It certainly felt like it. It did not feel like a HEA at all and not even a HFN.
It was interesting having POVs from Dimitri, Vasily and Alexey. The sex was either glossed over or uncomfortable. There is definitely an abusive component to Alexey and Dimitri's relationship and it becomes clearer that quite a bit of it is nonconsensual and emotionally and physically abusive. It's messy. It's uncomfortable. It is disturbing at times.
Overall I think this had a lot of potential but it was a bit of a slog reading wise and definitely did not strike me as a romantasy, which is what I was expecting.
Far more disturbing and pondering.
The fact that everything was not truly wrapped up at the end and left an opening for a sequel was unexpected and a bit disappointing.
I do like the fact that this is a queer normative society and ace representation was refreshing and good to see, along with nonbinary rep.
I think a bit more strenuous editing and character development would have made this much stronger.

4.5/5 stars
The Sins on Their Bones is a beautifully written story. It was giving me Song of Achilles vibes. It is heart wrenching but the found family keeps your heart afloat. You get not one, not two but THREE POVs. It deals with a haunting and hurtful past, and working to right the consequences of that past when the future of a kingdom lays on your shoulders. Not to mention what you may have to give up in order to protect your kingdom. I'm so grateful that we get Vasily's POV, it honestly made this story that much better. Thank you Laura R. Samotin and Penguin Random House for this ARC.

I feel like this is an all or nothing book. You either love it or can't get into it at all. It's dark, it is not a romance, and it's got great world building if that is your thing.

Slow start for sure but it did pick up more around the middle. Aside from Dimitri or Vasily I literally did not care whether any characters lived or died- sorry. I almost feel like we needed a book before this one to really delve into each character more so that I could understand and really come to care for them. And so much obviously happened during the war and I want to feel all their pain.

One thing I really liked was having Dimitri and Vasily literally sharing souls with one another. Made the story so much more interesting.

and fuck alexey- you make me sick

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the e-arc.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC. I really enjoyed this. It took me forever to read but the fact that I never lost interest is a testament to how interesting it is. The world and the relationships were fascinating and omg that ending. I wasn't totally sold on the romance but that may have more to do with how drawn my reading of this was. I'll definitely be reading more from this author.