The Bone Witch by Ivy Asher

Title: The Bone Witch

Author: Ivy Asher

Genre: UF Fantasy

Series: The Osseous Chronicles # 1

Paperback, 292 Pages

November 21, 2020

Source: Personal Library
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I never thought in a million years that the bones would choose me.

The power, the magic, was supposed to go to someone else in the family. I was counting on it.

But now my Grammy Ruby is gone, and here the bones sit on my kitchen table.

I thought bitter relatives would be my biggest problem. But I’ve barely had time to find a familiar before trouble comes a-knocking. The kind that possesses smoldering green eyes and a smile that can turn any woman dumb.

His name is Rogan Kendrick, and he’s certain that someone is hunting down and taking my kind.

According to him, I’m next.

This is a world that I never wanted to be a part of, but magic gives no fucks and takes no prisoners... At least we have that much in common.

I don’t know what my ancestors were thinking when they chose me, but I’m going to give them a run for their money. My name is Lennox Osseous, but you can call me the Bone Witch.

MY THOUGHTS

Urban Fantasy is one of my absolute favorite genres, and many of my top series in this genre were published in the early 2000s. Since then, I've been searching for books that recapture the magic of those early Urban Fantasy novels. There was just something special about the stories and writing back then that feels so different from what’s published today. Then I picked up The Bone Witch by Ivy Asher, and I’m so glad I did. This book had everything I’ve been searching for all these years!

The magic system in The Bone Witch is straightforward and easy to understand. As the title suggests, the story centers around witches—though there are some shifters too—all of whom fall under the jurisdiction of The Order, an organization that enforces rules and regulations for practitioners. That is, unless someone commits an offense so serious it gets them exiled or renounced from the community.

Our main heroine, Lennox, inherits the role of Osteomancer (Bone Witch) after her grandmother passes away. However, Lennox never expected to inherit either the bones or the powers that come with the job. The reader follows Lennox as she learns the ropes of being an Osteomancer and navigates the witch community. On top of all that, Lennox finds herself tethered to a Blood Witch named Rogan, who believes she is his only hope of finding his missing brother.

One refreshing aspect of this book is that Lennox is about 30 years old, which is a nice change of pace from the typical young characters (usually 24 and under) I often come across in novels. Lennox is an interesting mix of wisdom and immaturity. At times, she channels her inner sage, but other times, she acts like a child. Normally, I would find this behavior annoying, but Lennox’s sense of humor made it more tolerable. Yes, she makes plenty of pop culture references and childish remarks, but it seems like a coping mechanism for how drastically her life has changed. I’m hopeful that her character will grow in future books. Because Lennox never took life seriously, no one—including herself—expected her to become the next Osteomancer. Yet over the course of the book, she really steps up and grows into the role.

Then there’s the love interest, Rogan, the Blood Witch. Their initial meeting is pretty messed up, and both Lennox and Rogan are aware of that. I’m not sure what to make of him. As I read, I found myself starting to like him whenever I forgot his early behavior, but just as I began to warm up to him, he’d pull another a-hole move—especially at the end. I guess I’ll have to read the next book to get a better sense of his character.

Despite the few cons I mentioned, I thoroughly enjoyed The Bone Witch. It’s a relatively short book, making it a quick and fun read. If you’re a fan of Urban Fantasy, I highly recommend checking it out.