Title: Bonesmith

Series: House of the Dead #1

Author: Nicki Pau Preto

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.

All the stars!!!!!! I devoured this in a day!

Treachery means Wren is sent from her home as a Bonesmith to the Border Wall as her punishment.

One kidnapped Prince later and Wren and her people’s enemy, an Ironsmith called Julian, have a mission to get her back in the good graces of her family.

I don’t really know if I can do this book justice in my review but you can expect:

~ Lies secrets and betrayal
~ Trust no one
~ The different families lore, all those Smiths!
~ Lost races of people
~ Family drama
~ A very cute budding romance, maybe
~ The best world building
~ Dastardly villains
~ The undead
~ A Corpse Queen (amazing!)
~ Absolutely spot on pacing

I listened to the audiobook and totally appreciated the northern accent they gave Wren, gave me proper GoT vibes!

Wren, Julian and Prince Leo were all very loveable and very talented in their own way and I can’t wait to read more about them in book 2!