Bonesmith (House of the Dead #1)

Gideon the Ninth meets the Game of Thrones White Walkers in this dark, "swiftly paced" (Publishers Weekly) young adult fantasy about a disgraced ghost-fighting warrior who must journey into a haunted wasteland to rescue a kidnapped prince.

Ready your blade. Defeat the undead.

In the Dominions, the dead linger, violent and unpredictable, unless a bonesmith severs the ghost from its earthly remains. For bonesmith Wren, becoming a valkyr—a ghost-fighting warrior—is a chance to solidify her place in the noble House of Bone and impress her frequently absent father. But when sabotage causes Wren to fail her qualifying trial, she is banished to the Border Wall, the last line of defense against a wasteland called the Breach where the vicious dead roam unchecked.

Determined to reclaim her family's respect, Wren gets her chance when a House of Gold prince is kidnapped and taken beyond the Wall. To prove she has what it takes to be a valkyr, Wren vows to cross the Breach and rescue the prince. But to do so, she's forced into an uneasy alliance with one of the kidnappers—a fierce ironsmith called Julian from the exiled House of Iron, the very people who caused the Breach in the first place... and the House of Bone's sworn enemy.

As they travel, Wren and Julian spend as much time fighting each other as they do the undead, but when they discover there's more behind the kidnapping than either of them knew, they'll need to work together to combat the real danger: a dark alliance that is brewing between the living and the undead.

About the Author

Nicki Pau Preto is a fantasy author living just outside Toronto. She studied art and art history in university and worked as a graphic designer before becoming a full-time writer. She is the author of the Crown of Feathers trilogy and the House of the Dead duology.

Reviews

"Gripping and action-packed in its plot, tender yet fierce in its romance, haunting and gritty in its worldbuilding, Bonesmith is a dark fantasy thrillride from start to finish. Wren Graven is the perfectly stubborn, witty, and courageous heroine to navigate a world of ghosts and undead that will remain with readers long after the last page." —Amélie Wen Zhao, author of Song of Silver, Flame like Night and the Blood Heir trilogy

"I've been dying for a YA novel with unique magic, and Bonesmith delivered it on a ghostly-green platter. With a fascinating world, absolutely delightful characters, and enemies-to-lovers romance—this book is one readers will devour before begging for more." —Tricia Levenseller, New York Times-bestselling author of Blade of Secrets

"Pau Preto's kaleidoscopic close-third-person narrative complements the swiftly paced, bombshell-strewn plot, which crescendos to an explosive finish. Wren's friendship with fun-loving Leo adds levity, while her romantic sparks with broody Julian inject tension." —Publishers Weekly

"Preto's character arcs are as carefully plotted as her adventures, exploring privilege, filial piety, and generational trauma... An action-oriented undead adventure." —School Library Journal 

Dimensions: 13.97 x 2.79 x 20.96 cm