Bumpy Oak Books

**I was provided an electronic ARC by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**

4 stars

In The Bone Ships, RJ Barker introduces us to a world in which being fleet is central to the way of life in the Hundred Isles. The fleet itself is made of ships constructed using the bones of sea dragons known as keyshan. We follow Joron Twiner, a fisherman’s son, who after killing a man is condemned to a black bone ship reserved for criminals. He is quickly joined by Lucky Meas Gilbryn, first daughter to the honored mother of the isles and newly condemned. Meas, of course, will be nothing less than shipwife even on a condemned ship and this is where the story begins.

The world building that Barker accomplished in this book was significant. Clear hierarchical structures were established within the fleet and a sort of caste system for the society of the Hundred Isles. There was a clear religious system, superstition, and cultural practices not to mention the incorporation of magic and various species into the world.

That being said, the attention given to building the world meant that the pacing of the book suffered, at least for me. The first third of the book was entirely devoted to character/world development, which established a firm understanding for the reader, but left me impatient for some kind of overarching plot. Given the density of the amount of information being thrown at the reader, it definitely isn’t a book that can be sped through.

While the plot definitely set in during the latter portions of the book, there was still a strong sense of “hurry-up-and-wait” vibes that anyone in a paramilitary organization such as the fleet would definitely find familiar.

Overall, I found myself impressed with the world Barker created and wanting to read more about it, despite the slow pace and density limiting my reading enjoyment at the front end of the book. I am definitely interested to read more in this series, but this book shouldn’t be one for readathons or any situations where you have a time crunch to finish it. Take the time to savor the world, and soon enough you’ll be ready to man the gallowbows yourself 🙂