I thoroughly enjoyed this book. as it's well plotted, fascinating world building, and entertaining. . I liked the good storytelling
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

There is so much to recommend this book. It's seeped in Norse/ viking mythology which felt like quite a refreshing change from the bulk of romantasy stories I've been reading recently. The author builds an incredible world with an intricate magic system which really captured my imagination. The chemistry between Roark and Lyra is electric, the side characters are fab and the twists and turns kept me on my toes. Towards the end, the direction the story took felt like it came out of nowhere and as such it required a bit of an info dump but I think I'll reread it before the sequel comes out - I suspect I just wasn't paying enough attention as I was too swept up in the romance! Regardless, the ending more than made it for this and set things up nicely for the next installment.

I only have one thing to say to this book: tap tap tap (IYKYK) ❤️🙌🏼

“You never truly know a heart until you see the darkness inside. I might like to see yours.”

I love LJ Andrews, so it’s hard to pick a favorite, but this is it and I can’t wait for book 2! Thank you so much to LJ Andrews, Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the eARC!

"Those who seem trustworthy might be enemies. Those who seem an enemy, well, they might be the fiercest ally."

🖤 Forced proximity
🦴 Touch her and 💀
🖤 Banter and spice 🌶️🌶️
🦴 Found family
🖤 Unique magic
🦴 Necromancy
🖤 Sign language rep (loved this😍)
🦴 Memory loss
🖤 Political intrigue
… and so much more!

As I have only read the books in the TBK and TES series, I was both excited and nervous going to a new world. No worries…LJ does it again and I now believe she is the queen of viking books. A totally new world with darker magic system than I expected and I’m in love with it! The world building feels interesting and dragged you in from the start.

"to die for the ones we loved was honorable, but to kill for them was beautifully terrifying."

I did see some of the storylines quite fast, but I wasn’t sure if I was right or not so I kinda was kept guessing even though I was right. At this point it might have been because I have read so many fantasy and LJ books 😅 Not sorry about that at all! The characters are all discovering secrets about the same time because of memory loss, a trope that was the first time I truly enjoyed! It plays a big part in the story and is done wonderfully 🙌🏼

"You are more than the scars in your eyes."

And now the characters themselves… so lovable 😍 I already love so many of them and can feel that she is yet again going to make me feel the found family growing into the next book. I absolutely love the MCs, may be my top 3 favorite couple of all time actually. They are complex and felt so genuine. My absolutely favorite though, is the sign language. So unique and impactful! Can’t believe LJ made me swoon without words 🫠

"You never truly know a heart until you see the darkness inside. I might like to see yours."

Give me any L.J. Andrew's book and I'll be squealing over it for the foreseeable future. Broken Souls and Bones is a breath of fresh air in the romantasy sphere currently, with its Viking inspired story and mythological entwined characteristics.

What made this book even more special was Roark and his sign language. I find it very rare to see representation for mute people in books, and LJ has shared his story so beautifully, and has made him such a strong character by doing so. Lyra is shy and anxious yet is also presented to be incredibly smart and powerful, allowing readers to relate to her in all areas.

The magic system was so fun to read about, I loved seeing the bone melder magic and the shadowy mist it brought Lyra into, slowly darkening her soul, whilst bonding her to a hidden figure. I will admit, the first 40% was intense in its world building and development of said magic system, but my goodness was it worth the wait to see the romance and friendships develop into what we see towards the end. I cannot wait to read book two, especially after that ending🤭

I love and good viking inspired story and this did not disappoint! Although predictable, I enjoyed and thematic system was intriguing.

I have had a realy hard time getting into this book. I have heard so many great things about this author from fantasy readers, so I was thrilled to get this book.
The amount of times I had to reread the opening few chapters just to try and grasp what was going on, or the world building! I think the world building had some great ideas, but it felt like a huge offload of information, and I was trying to follow the characers and their relationships too!
Maybe I just wasn't in the right frame of mind to get to grips with this book, but I've read new fantasy books and loved them.
I want to love this book, so maybe I'll try again another time.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this e-arc

Sadly this book wasn’t for me. I soft dnfd it for a while and never went back to it. It was definitely more to do with me than the book!

I would still recommend people give it a try

This is fantasy/fantasy romance and it's the first in a series.

Our female main character has spent her life in hiding, after her family were all killed in an attack when she was a small child because she has a very sought after type of magic.

Except she's now been betrayed and our male main character has been sent to track her down and bring her back to the king. She's forced to work for him but the cost of using her magic is possible her own sanity and there's a creature lurking who is warning her that things are not what they seem.

This was good, a solid start to a new series. If you like your MMCs on the morally grey side, we have someone for you here. He is forced to do what the king dictates but he definitely isn't the most loveable at the start! Although, of course, a somewhat softer side is revealed.

As they are forced to work together and she sees more of that side of him, her feelings do change towards him (it is romantasy after all!)

The story does go in a direction though which I didn't expect.

4 stars, looking forward to seeing what the next book in this series brings

A truly fantastic read!! 4.5 ⭐️

"You are more than the scars in your eyes"

I didnt know what to expect going into this book, even thought I'd seen alot of suggestions for this authors work I'd not actually had chance to pick up any , till now!!
And now I need to binge every single word Andrew's has written, this book absolutely blew me away.

"This is what the gods have prepared you to do, Lyra. Trust in that, and you will serve your people with honour"

From the very first word, Broken Souls and Bones captivated my imagination and ran with it, Lyra's story will hook you in and keep you gripped till the very last page.

I cant say enough how much I loved this book, the intricate magic system, storyline and world building are on point, the main and secondary characters are absolutely fantastic, the writing is brilliant and the romance and steam are perfect!

Broken Souls and Bones is a gripping and gritty read of love, duty and betrayal, with wonderful characters you will fall in love with and a whole host of twists keeping you on the edge of your seat I couldn't recommend it more!!

Read it, you not be disappointed.

"Not all is as it seems"

4.5 stars rounded up

Broken Souls and Bones follows Lyra, who has been in hiding to avoid the attention of the magic-obsessed king. However, she is found by the King’s silent soldier, Roark, who discovers her secret; Lyra is a melder. Forced to reveal her rare and highly sought after craft, Lyra is immediately claimed by Roark for the king, to be his next melder. After Roark is assigned to protect her, Lyra must find a way to escape. What neither of them realises, is that a dangerous truth lies beneath everything.

This was my first book by L.J. Andrews, and it definitely won’t be my last! I was captivated by this story, and I loved the Norse-inspired world. The world-building was well done, and although it took me a while to get my head around the magic system, it was interesting and unique. Some of the crafts were explained and used more than others, but I am hopeful that the other crafts will be explained further in the next book. I also loved that magic had consequences in this world.

The story was generally well-paced, although I did find the first half moved a little slower, possibly due to setting up the world and explaining the magic system. The plot was compelling, and there was a great mix of political intrigue, mystery, action, emotional depth, and romance. The story was told through dual POV (Lyra and Roark) which I always love to see.

I loved the characters. Lyra was fierce, and Roark was my favourite type of love interest; broody and mysterious. Roark is non-verbal and uses his own form of sign language to communicate. I loved the way that this was done, and how intimate his way of communicating with Lyra felt. Their romance was a slow-burn with forced proximity, and they had great tension and chemistry. The intimate scenes were tender and well-written. I also really enjoyed several of the friendships explored within the book, and how loyal the characters were to each other.

The ending was absolutely incredible. Although I had some theories, L.J. managed to throw me off the scent of what was really going on, and there were several reveals that I did not see coming. While I did get some answers, I now have even more questions, and I am eagerly awaiting the next book, which I will be reading as soon as it’s released!

Thank you to NetGalley and Michael Joseph for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I would kill for Roark to tap tap tap on my heart.

The tension between Roark and Lyra? Palpable. The banter, the spice, the hand-speaking and the intimacy it brought - the slow burn was everything. Good lordy lord, I am a puddle. There was so much emotional depth, and the touch her and die trope? Utterly delicious. One of my all-time favorites, and it was done so well here.

The world-building was phenomenal - there's a lot of it, but it never feels overwhelming. I was obsessed with the magic system: blood, bone, and soulcraft woven into something uniquely rich and intriguing.

This book had it all - action, high stakes, mystery, romance - and then some. I'm in love.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC of this book, I was not paid to read it and write a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are solely my own.

Broken Souls and Bones had the framework of a compelling story, but unfortunately, the soul of it didn’t quite live up to the ambitious world L.J. Andrews was aiming to create.

For much of the book, I found myself alternating between boredom and frustration. The worldbuilding swung to extremes—either dumping lore in awkward, heavy-handed chunks or leaving you completely in the dark just when you needed clarity.

The magic system had intriguing potential, but it was underdeveloped. Blood and soul melding were barely touched on, while the bone melding that was included felt rushed and poorly explained. Lyra’s mixed melding came far too easily, robbing the magic of any sense of challenge or wonder.

This lack of depth extended to other aspects of the story too. Take Roark, for instance—his muteness and use of sign language had the potential to create a unique and meaningful layer to his bond with Lyra. But that opportunity was squandered when she immediately understood his personal signs, eliminating any real communication barriers or tension.

The romance also fell flat for me. I was hoping for a more gradual build-up and genuine conflict between the leads. While there was a hint of initial unease, it quickly dissolved into near-instant attraction. Lyra’s comfort with Roark developed far too quickly for the relationship to feel believable or satisfying.

To be fair, the book isn’t terrible. The prose is decent, and the concept is just interesting enough to keep you turning the pages. But ultimately, it didn’t leave a lasting impression—and it’s not a title I’d be in a hurry to recommend.

This took me longer to start than it should have, but once I started I could barely put it down!

A broody, silent protector, a fierce magic-wielding heroine, and a Norse-inspired world full of secrets—Broken Souls and Bones is a moody, romantic, and atmospheric read. While the pacing stumbles at times and the worldbuilding can feel dense, the emotional depth, disability representation, and forbidden romance make it hard to put down. The twist might not shock everyone, but the characters will stay with you. A strong start to a promising series.

Summary: In a war-torn kingdom, Lyra hides dangerous magic—until Roark, the king’s silent soldier, discovers her secret. Bound by fate, they’ll either save the realm or destroy it.

Morally Grey/Morally Conflicted love interests for the WIN!!

'Damn them all if they threaten her.'

What a wild ride this book was, unique worldbuilding, viking-esque magic wielders and enemies on every side. Interwoven are themes of betrayal and love (forbidden love no less) as we follow Lyra, a young 'melder' who is forced to join the kings service. Roark, her broody, assigned protector and Lyra quickly become entangled in something forbidden and turbulent. Roark is by far a top 10 book boyfriend for me - what. a. man. He is passionate, brooding, quiet, tall and handsome, he has it all really... or does he 👀👀

'You brighten the night and I will fight to keep it.'

Finally, WHAT WAS THAT ENDING I am in desperate need of book 2 immediately.

Thankyou to netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

The first part of the book felt like an info dump and I was a bit lost with the lore of the world and the magic system, I didn't start to get to grips with it until the end of I'm honest.

Some parts of the FMCs actions didn't make sense to me, like why she wouldn't share certain information with people she's very close to.

I enjoyed the unique connection between the two main characters because of the use of sign language.

Having said that I wish when Roak spoke it used italics or something, It was hard to differentiate between story narrative and his sign language at times.

The last 10% didn't make sense to me, and the whole "insert question here"... "Insert explanation here" for the twist that made no sense was just annoying.

Sorry but meh

Thank you to NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for the advance reader copy.

This is the first in a series (I’m not sure how many books there will be) and I found that this book fell into a similar category that I have noticed with romantasy books as of late, there’s not a lot of world building and understanding of the magic system and a lot is put on setting up the next book.

I had considered DNFing this book a few times as I found it dragged and the ‘twist’ felt obvious.
I know a lot of people will enjoy reading this and the remainder of the series but for me it was a let down.

I did enjoy the disability representation from the MMC and that is why the book has 2 stars instead of 0.5/1.

There is a reason LJ Andrews has such a big and devoted fandom, her stories are top tier and everything you want from this genre. Broken Souls and Bones is no exception and at some point I actually decided to slow down my reading because I really wanted to savour the story! The writing is beautiful, the worldbuilding unique and masterfully delivered, the characters brilliantly fleshed out, full of action and court politics. What I always appreciate about LJ Andrews is that it feels like she is very intentional and thoughtful when it comes to side characters and subplots. I LOVED Lyra's relationship with Kael and Roark's relationship with Emi. Thane is adorable.
Lyra is a fantastic FMC and Roark...sigh, chef's kiss. Their story is beautiful and I loved following it.
Stop reading this review and just go on and get yourself the book, you will not be disappointed, I promise. An easy 5 star for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for my review copy, all opinions are my own.

I have been so looking forward to this release - and I'm so thrilled it lived up to my very high expectations. I loved every moment of this and I couldn't recommend it enough.

3 ⭐️

I’ll start off by saying the magic system was SO COOL and described so vividly. I felt like I was right there in the shadows melding with Lyra - it was my favourite thing about this book by far. A close second was the mute MMC - as soon as I knew what ‘tap, tap, tap’ meant I just KNEW that it would make me giggle and kick my feet.

Unfortunately the rest of the book fell flat for me personally. I found the world building complicated and info-dumpey, and it didn’t feel like the relationships developed in an organic way, especially the romance which felt rushed - so much so that I started to suspect Roark wasn’t the main love interest. It took me a month to finish this and I usually read about a book per week.

I’ll likely read the next book as the ending has me intrigued but I’m so sad I didn’t enjoy this as much as I’d hoped!

L J Andrew’s is a pro when it comes to solid romantasy and I’m glad to say I really enjoyed Broken Souls and Bones.

I loved the gritty, Norse-inspired worldbuilding that made this such an atmospheric read and easy to get lost into. The broody MMC was a standout for me, especially with how the story handled his disability. The fact that he couldn’t speak added depth to his character in a really thoughtful way, and the rep felt genuine and well done.

The twist near the end was satisfying, though I did see it coming a bit earlier than I think the book intended. Still, it didn’t take away from the emotional payoff. The pacing lagged a little in the middle, and I found myself wishing we got more time or development with the side characters, especially since the world felt rich enough to support them.

Overall, a solid, atmospheric read with heart, mythic undertones, and a character-driven focus. I’d definitely read more set in this world.