Lovely photo by @cosycoffeereader!
Hi fairies!
Happy Wednesday and welcome to day 3 of our readalong of Bonesmith by Nicki. Pau Preto. I’m so excited to be reading this one with you, I hope you are loving it so far!
But before we start reading, we have our secret giveaway! What’s that? Oh, just a chance to get your next FairyLoot for free as a reward for reading! Doesn’t really get better than that! And your chances are so good too! We don’t really announce this anywhere else as we truly want the person from the readalong to win! If you’d like to try your luck, all you need to do is follow these steps!
- Take a photo of our edition of Bonesmith.
- Include the hashtag #Fairyphoto77
- Do all of this by the end of Friday 20th of October.
- Mention down below in your comment that you have entered and include your Instagram handle (also super important!)
Good luck!
Well, A LOT happened in yesterdays chapters didn’t it?
Today we’re reading from chapter 17 to the end of chapter 25. Let’s do this!
When you’ve finished today’s section, catch up with me in the comments down below so we can discuss the beginning of the book. Happy reading!
Please be warned, the following section will include spoilers for Bonesmith by Nicki Pau Preto from Chapter 17 to Chapter 25. Please only read on if you have finished this section!
-!SPOILERS!-
What a way to start todays chapters off with a chapter from Leo’s POV! Did anyone else get super excited? It felt like a nice surprise amongst the chaos so far. BUT WAIT – PLOT TWIST! He knew he was going to get kidnapped?!
“Still, He wasn’t going to let a silly little thing like a hostage situation dampen his spirits.” Leo is SO funny. Even in a dire situation he remains optimistic and witty. But our prince is clever and calculating. After his cousin Galen had ended their previous inspection without warning or sufficient explanation it had caused Leo to go snooping. And that is when he discovered the letters and his cousins involvement in the plot to kidnap him. It turns out Galen was being paid to set him up and hand him over to his current kidnapers. But who was the person who had paid him to do so? Leo decided to play along with the plot as he didn’t know who he could trust and alerting the wrong people could have made things worse for himself. He was also “incredibly bored” – a great excuse to allow yourself to be kidnapped…
At the top of Leo’s suspects list we have the Gravens of Marrow Hall who had rose quite high in the wake of the Breach, and he suspected maybe they where hoping to orchestrate action on the front lines again to attain some semblance of relevancy. His suspicion is only deepened when he finds that one of them was recently appointed at the Breachfort: Wren. So he had decided to get closer to her the night before his kindaping to glean what little information he could, but he hadn’t anticipated that she would fight for him and try to protect him during the attack.
Through his calculated tactics Leo shortly figures out a few things; there is something called the “corpse Queen” that these people fear, there is a regent east of the wall named ‘Lord Smith Francis’, and he is being taken to a place called Southbridge. We also come to find out that the captain who had attempted to kill Julian told the rest of the party a bold face lie regarding his ‘death’ when he in-fact had been the one to loose the arrow that had taken him down. However, the captain is unaware that Leo had witnessed the whole event. As they arrive at the town and Leo is alone with a servant he asks her if she wants to hear about the “adventure he’s had today”, and thus begins the planting of rumours and information that will spread throughout the townspeople; Leo is quite the schemer.
As we start chapter 19 we’re back to Wren’s POV as they embark on their journey together; united in their quest but still enemies. They spend the night at the broken down mill-house where Wren ‘sleeps like the undead’. Julian refuses to show any interest in her and Wren remarks that he is “determined not to look at her”. Are we all suspecting he feels awkward and maybe a little shy around Wren? In typical Wren fashion she decides not to bother putting on anything else and sits across from him at the table in nothing but her flimsy under tunic. He’s definitely feeling shy now! They make a start at breakfast and an attempt at friendly banter which ultimately leads to raised voices and snarky comments. Enemies, remember? After noticing that Julian never takes his gloves off Wren remarks “I doubt you need those gloves when you wash your face, but here we are.” to which Julian stands abruptly. Why does he always keep the gloves on? What is he hiding?
So was anybody else absolutely startled when Wren and Julian enter the Haunted Territory and two tier fives/revenants and then some, appear? And not only that they then speak?! Which is impossible according to everything Wren has learnt as a Bonesmith. One of the revenants says “Go.” the sound coming not directly from their mouth, but from their souls, their spirits, the beyond. What is giving these ghosts the ability to talk, or rather, who? After the initial shock at the ghost speaking Wren decides enough is enough and releases a cloud of bonedust which has the revenant screeching in pain and sends a kick to it’s chest cavity, cracking the brittle bones and sending the corpse crashing to the ground. The ghost then begins reshaping, something that should be impossible. In response the ghost then launches its own attack straight at Wren’s face. In order to try and protect her, Julian dives for Wren and they both end up on the ground. However, Julian’s gloved hand came into contact with the vapour of the ghost in doing so. Will the deathrot be less potent or is Julian now fated to die? They find an abandoned watchtower and seek shelter from the revenants below. Julian is shaking and cold from the potential deathrot in his hand. In order to try and save him Wren envelops him an almost hug as they lie on the blankets to help transfer heat to his body. And they fall asleep that way. We’re all giggling and kicking our feet at this, right?!
As they get closer to the Breach they notice a bridge going across and decide their best and quickest way through is to attempt to cross it. They find an old road that will lead them directly to the bridge. Behind the road is a valley emanating a large amount of ghostlight, which Julian is staring at and begins walking towards. Wren follows him and they arrive at the remnants of a battlefield where she discovers severely damaged bones unlike anything she has ever seen, their ghosts little more than dust blowing in the wind. Wren cannot reconcile with how this is even possible, especially when she realises that this is where the end of the uprising took place. “Others say it was the Graven heir. They say he had limitless power. That he was able to control the bones of the living as well as the dead. That he was able to bend and break and shatter them. He turned it on everyone, even some of his own people, before the abuse of power killed him”. Wren begins to realise that her uncle Locke hailed as a hero, could be responsible for the sight in front of her; meaning everything she thought she knew could be a lie.
Things take an even more sinister turn (if you can believe it) when ghosts are blocking their way to the bridge and tell them to “Go. Now. Because she wills it. And he commands it.” Are they referring to the Corpse Queen? and who is he? Could this mean that there is someone behind the ghosts abilities to speak and act together? Things just keep getting more and more tense and complex. During this situation it is also revealed that only Wren can communicate with the ghosts and Julian cannot hear them. Is this to do with Wren being a Bonesmith? If so why can’t all Bonesmiths hear ghosts? What is so special about Wren?…
Due to the ghosts blocking their way to the bridge Julian comes up with an amazing yet dangerous idea. Transforming his sword into a whip, he tosses the whip out into the abyss of the Breach wrapping it around a joint securely. With his arm looped around Wren’s back Julian leaps from the edge and they are swinging across the open space toward the bridge. They collide against the outer railing, clinging to a vertical beam and then climbing the railing to land on the wide deck of the bridge. Whole beams of the bridge are gone, missing bolts and rusted. It will be a miracle if they manage to cross it. Revenants begin coming at them from both sides of the bridge. As a revenant takes a step towards Wren on the same plank she is standing on, it gives out beneath them. At the last second Julian manages to catch her using his whip leaving Wren dangling and Julian hanging over the edge of the bridge trying to hoist Wren back up, whilst revenants make their way toward him across the bridge. Julian refuses to let her go despite Wren’s requests to do so. However, the whip gives way and Wren is dropped down into darkness.
In chapter 23 we are gifted with another Leo POV (yay) and he continues to scheme and collect scraps of information ever so subtly from his captors. Leo soon learns that there was in fact another target besides him who they did not manage to capture. But who was this second target? He had assumed they were heading toward the Iron Citadel, home of the Ironsmiths when suddenly they started to turn in a different direction away from the Coastal Road that would lead them there. Everything he thought he knew and had discovered is called into question because if they aren’t heading to the Iron Citadel then where are they taking him?
Wren awakes in complete and utter darkness, and water. Disorientated and with a head wound from the impact of her fall, she tries desperately to get to the distant shoreline. When she finally reaches the shoreline and collapses closing her eyes for a moment, a shiver goes down her spine and she opens her eyes to find a revenant bent directly over her inches from her face. She immediately scrambles back into the water. The revenant then speaks to her “Shouldn’t be here.Alive. So alive. For now.” Now that is ominous… More undead appear all around lining the shore in all directions. Then she hears a sound and Julian is right before her. He explains he found an old mining shaft and made his way down to her. He had chosen to come back for her. Could he have feelings for Wren and really care about her? 👀
They wade through the water try to find somewhere safe from the revenants and discover Ghostsmith ruins. “This was a necropolis, the source of all the revenants roaming their lands. The source of the deep rooted magic that reanimated them.” Julian remarks how the shaft he came down in looked Stonesmith made and not used for mining, leaving them to believe someone wanted to find a way down here and access this magic and could have been the real cause of the Breach. Could it have been Locke, Wren’s uncle?
They find shelter in some kind of Stonesmith structure and start a fire. Julian helps Wren out of her wet clothes and looks after her.
The final chapter of todays reading being in Julians POV could not have been a better way to finish reading for the day! He is starting to see Wren in a different light and the lines between enemy and something else entirely are beginning to blur. He admits it was out of the question to leaver her behind and that she is everything thats wrong with this world but also the only thing that’s right. He is definitely developing feelings for Wren and is at war with himself about it as a result.
Do you think Wren and Julian have feelings for one another?
What do you think about the Corpse Queen and this mysterious “he”? Could they be controlling the undead somehow?
What is your theory about Wren being able to hear the undead?
I’m so excited to see what will happen in tomorrow’s chapters but also very scared, see you there fairies!
Love,
Jodie
Done✨(@coleslitjourney)
Honestly would love to read an entire book from Leo’s POV. He sounds like he’d be such a fun main character. I want more of his adventures!
Getting a chapter from Julian’s POV was a treat as well. I think there’s no denying (and no point trying to deny) the budding camaraderie and attraction between Wren and Julian. They may have a ways to go on their relationship journey, but the tension is certainly thickening.
As for the Corpse Queen and the mysterious “he”… was there ever concrete proof that Wren’s mother and Locke both died and were put to proper rest?
I feel like the Corpse Queen is at least related to Wren somehow if not her mother… if so, and the Corpse Queen is a ghostsmith like the book is currently hinting at, it might explain Wren being able to hear the undead. The magic from the breach could be amplifying/unlocking her ghostsmith abilities of being able to communicate with ghosts.
That’s my guess, anyway. And now I think it’s time for me to continue to day 4’s chapters 😀
I’ve entered the secret giveaway @valcellara
I feel like the author set it up for us to believe that there is something going on with Wren’s mother, especially since she is the only human that was ever mentioned aside from the bandits that Wren and Julian encountered. I think that she may have been half ghostsmith and that is the connection. Someone else said that they thought that Wren was actually Locke’s daughter, but I am not so sure that would explain why Wren’s dad does care for her. Even though he is hard on her it is clear that he loves her with what he told her before she left for the wall. If she was Locke’s true daughter I feel like her dad would have a lot of animosity towards her.
Hello! I just want to clarify that #fairyphoto77 is the hashtag we are supposed to be using? That’s the same hashtag for the unboxing photo challenge. Won’t our readalong giveaway entries get lost?
Hi there! We included the photo challenge hashtag by mistake – we’re sorry about any confusion this may have caused. Please rest assured we will ensure a winner from the readalong is chosen.💜
Thank you! I appreciate you letting me know. 🥰
Agree with Valley – Thrilled to see Leo back, and loved how the session ended with Julian’s POV! I’m sensing a trilogy in the making, actually! All three MCs are very well fleshed-out, very quickly. Very good! Tickled to see that scene inspired by the Crouching Tiger movie … Are Wren and Julian into each other?! Seriously?! Haha! I also got transported somewhat to a scene from the animation Mulan reading about Julian looking for his dad. Bummed I don’t have social media for the giveaway but good luck to everyone entering!
(Before I share my thoughts about this chapter, I wanted to ask if the hashtag for the readalong giveaway shouldn’t be different from the IG photochallenge one? As far as I remember, they were different for past readalongs)
We included the photo challenge hashtag by mistake – we’re sorry about any confusion this may have caused. Please rest assured we will ensure a winner from the readalong is chosen.💜
Do you think Wren and Julian have feelings for one another?
Yes I do 🥰 starting to like him a bit more as we find out more about him. I’m intrigued to find out about his hand and why he won’t take his gloves off though? I’m thinking some sort of bone rot limited to his hand??
What do you think about the Corpse Queen and this mysterious “he”? Could they be controlling the undead somehow?
I still think it’s wrens mother or possibly odile (maybe they are the same) and Locke who could be wrens father? I’m also getting a vibe that maybe the ghosts who can speak were man made some sort of test / experiment.
What is your theory about Wren being able to hear the undead?
Something to do with her parents but why only now?
Loved Leo’s POV and I’m glad there’s more than one POV. Something tells me he is more important than what we initially thought and I wonder what they plan to do with him. I am also enjoying Wren’s and Julian’s conversations, they are confrotational but they learn so much from each other. The ghisrs talking to Wren makes me believe she may be a soulsmith or at least partially. It was cute she nursing him and ensuring he is safe. It was also cute he had a bracelet from his sister snd how much he seems to care for her.
Then, at the bridge, why do I still feel the Queen is Idole and “he” is Wren’s supposedly deceased uncle (whoI believe its actually her father)???
The bridge chapter was super exciting and I was super in edge, and when she fell… oh gosh, was that described amazingly?!?!?!!?
Back to Leo’s POV: The two extra horses, something tells me one was Julian’s and the other for Wren and that the prince’s kidnapping was meant to also be Wren’s kidnapping and I’m even more certain the grandma is plotting here.
Then, Wren, surviving the water, and I gotnso sad she lost all her supplies. But then she seems safe, until she isn’t. The undead are so creepy, but I want to read her interacting with them more. Then Julian’s rescue, it was a tad silly imagining him going down the mines but it was so kind of him to save Wren and then nurse her back like that had done for him.
And then… Julian’s POV!!!!!
I know he was catching feelings, and he sounds like such a good man and trying to leep himself straigh and all that. I cant eait to see more of his POVs and his relationship with Wren developing.
This was an exciting read, can’t wait for tomorrow!
Also, I’ll be entering the photo giveaway insta: itsspelledjoana
1) Yep. Lol.
2) Still not sure who’s pulling the strings here. Can’t wait to read and find out!
3) I figured it was just a revenant/bonesmith thing and she hasn’t been around revenants before, but now you make me wonder…
I’ll be entering the giveaway as @sonata_ix.
I entered the giveaway, you can find me on Instagram as @ruthlandia.
I absolutely adored the shift in point of view, getting to see the world through Leo and Julian’s eyes. Leo has quickly become my favorite character, and he’s piqued my curiosity big time.
Now, onto your questions:
1. Are Wren and Julian feeling something for each other? I can’t say it’s full-blown feelings, but there’s definitely some serious attraction brewing.
2. What’s your take on the Corpse Queen and this mysterious “he”? Could they be pulling the strings of the undead somehow? My bet is that they’re both Ghostsmiths who’ve managed to survive in some way. The way those ghosts were talking gave me the vibe that they were taking orders.
3. Any theories about why Wren can hear the undead? I’m pretty sure it’s got something to do with her mother. She didn’t know her mom, and nobody’s really filled her in on the details, so that’s where I think the pieces of this story are hiding.
I definitely think Wren and Julian are developing feelings for each other, but I’m sure something will happen to turn them against each other. Especially considering they come from two enemy houses.
I have no idea what to think about the Corpse Queen. At this point, I have so many more questions than answers about everything
I’m sure Wrens abilities have something to do with her mother. We’ll see
Done @rygurl
Done @dragonsbookcave
I have to say I think Julian and Wren are quite into each other, which I’m here for– I love their chemistry! And I love how they’re enemies from different houses/backgrounds on two different sides of a conflict like this. It’s made for such an interesting dynamic between them.
I think the Corpse Queen has to be someone circa the breach era– someone who gained too much power or who used that opportunity to seize power. I’d be tempted to say it was the beloved uncle who died if there was any indication it wasn’t firmly a “corpse queen” but maybe the uncle has something to do with this boy?
I think Wren’s mother was a GhostSmith…soooo little has been said at this point that it’s a bit fishy. I’d guess she’s the corpse queen but it seems pretty solid she died in childbirth and that was that.
My post will be going up later, so done! @madamepincers
My instagram is tiefling.reads and I’ve entered!
I was so excited to get a chapter from Leo’s POV; especially because it immediately shows that he’s more than just a pretty-boy party-boy prince! The fact that he knew there was a kidnapping plot and even had suspects of who couldn’t be trusted at the Breachfort???
I really hope Wren’s actions during the kidnapping (ie, fighting an IRONSMITH for him!!!) showed Leo that she can be trusted!
As someone who has made multiple characters who refuse to take off specific articles of clothing in order to hide scars, Julian’s refusal to take off his gloves or shirt definately have me feeling bad for him and needing to know more about his backstory 🥺
I appreciate that despite how Wren is very much a “cool warrior girl”, she isn’t afraid or ashamed of her femininity; she keeps up with putting her paint on her lips even though there’s no strategic reason for it, she flirts with Julian and knows that she’s pretty enough to deserve a reaction, etc. So many fantasy books with FMC who aren’t “femme fatale” types seem to dislike femininity in general so I like how that isn’t the case here!
I absolutely need to know more about Wren’s uncle Locke, especially after hearing about him from Julian / the Ironsmith’s point of view…
Now for the questions:
1) I’m not sure if Wren has feelings for Julian yet, but she’s softening towards him! Julian definately has complicated feelings for Wren though 👀
2) I’ve read a bit further than this section so I’m not going to answer this one!
3) I think Wren’s mysterious mother might has Ghostsmith blood… or maybe with her parents having fought near the Breach, maybe her mother was somehow affected by the wild magic while she was in early pregnancy and Wren got some cool mystery powers???
Honestly I always forget that Leo was even kidnapped because even though it is the cause for the rest of the story, it is mentioned so infrequently compared to Wren and Julian.
Do you think Wren and Julian have feelings for one another?
I now believe that Wren and Julian have feelings for each other and that’s because they finally have someone who sees them for more than their abilities and titles. Wren never told Julian her last name and because of that he probably would feel much different about working together with her. If Locke was responsible for controlling the undead and killing everyone that he could, I don’t think that I would want anyone to know I was related to him either. Both of them have secrets and I’m afraid that it might prevent them from being a true romantic couple. However, as I said before, I don’t think it would impact the story too much.
What do you think about the Corpse Queen and this mysterious “he”? Could they be controlling the undead somehow?
I think that Locke is either not dead or he is a top tier revenant. There has to be SOMEONE that would connect everything together and he is the only one that I can think of. Also, if he was in fact a Ghostsmith, it would make sense that Wren’s dad never wanted to mention him since he actually killed people on both sides. If would also make sense as to why Wren’s grandmother never liked how weak she was because perhaps Locke wanted to raise the undead to take over the rest of the land, save for the Bonesmiths because they could then work together. She probably wanted someone who could become the ruthless leader that her one son was since her other one wasn’t strong enough either. He mated with a human no less!
The Corspe Queen must be someone who has more power than even Locke did. Could she be the original Ghostsmith or the first ghost? Maybe she needs to be reincarnated to have power since she doesn’t have a physical form. Why else would she only remain a legend?
What is your theory about Wren being able to hear the undead?
I think Wren is a Ghostsmith. There is no other explanation considering that no other Bonesmith has ever been able to hear or speak with them. She has realized that the ghosts are more complex than she was ever taught. That could be because since Bonesmiths couldn’t hear then, they assumed they were dumb creatures. However, if Wren is part Ghostsmith then that would explain how she can understand them as intelligent beings considering that Ghostsmiths could control the ghosts at their own will. I think if it turns out to be true and she ends up being the Key to the Corpse Queen somehow, it would completely rip her and Julian apart.
I have entered and my instagram handle is @anythingisabookmark
I entered the giveaway! My Instagram is @nymphie_reads
1) I think they are definitely developing feelings for each other, otherwise Julian wouldn’t have come back for her. They’re supposed to be mortal enemies due to their smith bloodlines, but they are constantly supporting and protecting each other. It’s so sweet.
2) I think that both the Corpse Queen and the “he” are ghostsmiths. That, or the “he” is the ghostsmith “commanding” the ghosts and the Corpse Queen is an extremely powerful ghost (Maybe a tier six? Is that possible?) that rules the other ghosts. So both of them would be necessary to control all other ghosts. I think one or both of them will also have some sort of connection to Wren. Maybe a family member? Not sure. Can’t wait to find out more!
3) This goes with my previous answer. Maybe Wren can communicate with the ghosts because she has a connection to either the Corpse Queen or “he” (or both) that are commanding these ghosts. That, or maybe all ghosts in the Haunted Territory can speak to bonesmiths, but Wren is the only bonesmith on this side of the border, so of course no one but her would hear them.
I also wanted to say that my theory about the second potential victim of the kidnapping was maybe Odile? Maybe the people on the other side of the wall are desperate for a reapyr to dispatch ghosts for good so they can make some sort of headway against the Corpse Queen’s forces. But since all they found was Wren, a valkyr, they were unsuccessful. It’s just a thought. I think Galen would have fought harder for Odile to accompany the group if this was the case. But I do wonder who else it could have been.
I really liked Leo chapter. I’m not sure if Wren is having feelings beyond friendship but based on that chapter it seems like he is falling first.
I think Wren’s mother was ghostsmith or that would be still be my best guess at this point and her having inherited that power. It was said that they only manifest one power if the parents have different ones but maybe she is different. Or maybe she was a ghostsmith all the time and with them being pretty similar in talents, maybe the father and grandmother were able to make everyone believe it and that’s why the grandmother wanted to get rid of her.
Her cockiness is clearly a face she puts on the lessen the pain from people not liking her and her family treating her like carbage. She is losing that the more she spends time with Julian. I feel bad for her for her upbringing and I really like her.
Done @aleinaaareads
I entered the giveaway as @_bookishlovernicho
I do think that Wren and Julian have feelings for one another, maybe not love but there’s an attraction between them. I think the Corpse Queen is someone from Wren past, maybe they didn’t met but I think it can something to do with her father, maybe she Wrens mother. My theory is that Wren’s mom was a ghostsmith. we don’t know anything about her so it’s probably that Wren’s father knows and wants to keep it a secret.
I’m really getting into this book now! And I have quite a few theories (love a mystery to solve!)
Do you think Wren and Julian have feelings for one another?
I think Julian does for Wren, and I think so far Wren likes him as a friend, but I’m hoping that will develop into more because they’re both so loveable!! I think they’re both surprised to even like each other given that they’re supposed to hate each other. I think where they’ve both grown up on opposite sides of a war, they’ve both been told completely different stories about what happened (especially Wren!) and it’s surprising for them to learn that they’ve been told truths and lies.
What do you think about the Corpse Queen and this mysterious “he”? Could they be controlling the undead somehow?
This is going to sound so far-fetched! But I think the Corpse Queen might be Odile! I don’t know why, I just have this gut feeling! She disappeared for a few days and her family is from the Breachlands. There’s just something not quite adding up about it! And I think the “he” is Wren’s uncle Locke, and given that he and Odile were close, and there are rumours that he was overtaken by magic – is it possible for a Bonesmith to become a Ghostsmith? Is it possible that there are Ghostsmiths in Wren’s family line and the gene just came out in Locke? I love the fact that the worldbuilding in this book has been so good that I’m able to think about everything we’ve been told to come up with ideas!
What is your theory about Wren being able to hear the undead?
Okay, so carrying on from above about the theory that Wren’s family had Ghostsmiths down the family line, is it possible that she’s one too? I’d imagine to be able to control ghosts you have to be able to communicate with them! Is Odile her mother, if she’s the Corpse Queen? Is Locke her father and when he “died” (I’m not convinced he’s dead!) Wren’s “father” took her back to the House of Bone and raised her as his own, despite the fact that he knew it would ruin his engagement, just to protect her from his mother and/or Locke? Has he now sent her to the Breachfort to Odile so that she can be with her mother? Or is he her real father and was her mother a Ghostsmith? I NEED ANSWERS!!
I have entered the giveaway and my handle is @amzie.reads
Also the chapters from Leo and Julian’s POV were really surprising but I’m glad they were included! I keep forgetting about the reason that Wren and Julian are working together in the first place because my brain is so taken up with working out Wren’s mysteries that I don’t always remember Leo was kidnapped – very interesting that his own cousin and adviser was the one who staged it, and that he knew it was going to happen!! Clearly whoever wanted him perhaps isn’t the regent of the Ironsmiths and that’s why the other kidnapper shot Julian with an arrow? VERY good subplot – even though I’m sure it’s supposed to be the main plot!
Do you think Wren and Julian have feelings for one another?
they most definitely do and i am so here for it😌
What do you think about the Corpse Queen and this mysterious “he”? Could they be controlling the undead somehow?
i think that’s a possibility!!
What is your theory about Wren being able to hear the undead?
i actually don’t have a theory😅 excited to learn more though!
also, i entered the photo challenge! my username is @huntresszafira
Today’s section is a bit long so I’ve only read one chapter so far – I’ll check in when I’ve finished properly but
1) That’s it. I love Leo. He’s GREAT fun lmao.
2) posted my photo @brincollects!
I’ve entered the giveaway as @pages.in.a.snowglobe
Getting chapters from Leo and Julian’s POVs was a really nice surprise, and imo it gives more depth to the story.
I think I’ve mentioned this before, but I just love how the author writes the characters’ magical powers; they’re not just for throwing around in combat, and it’s interesting how versatile they are (like Wren using her bone sword to find the shore after she fell from the bridge).
The ghosts in the Haunted Territory are vastly different from the normal ones Wren has encountered so far. I’m still debating if the fact that they can speak is simply one of their powers as Revenants or maybe something to do with Wren. However there’s clearly something going on with the Corpse Queen and that mysterious “he”, and I hope we’ll get more info on them in the next section.
Day 3 done!
I’m still largely enjoying this one but the relentless action scene after action scene is getting to be so much its desensitizing me some. I would like a little more down time to process things, yknow? Also, more visual description wouldn’t go amiss – nothing super heavy but just a little more.
That said I freaking looooove Leopold’s chapters. He’s such a funny and entertaining perspective, plus they’re not action heavy so are giving me the grace of a bit of reflection time. There just aren’t enough of them!
Do you think Wren and Julian have feelings for one another?
Definitely. That last chapter made it explicit that Julians caught feelings.
What do you think about the Corpse Queen and this mysterious “he”? Could they be controlling the undead somehow?
Definitely, though it’d still shrouded in mystery
What is your theory about Wren being able to hear the undead?
She takes after her papa, Locke. I have zero doubts.
Done
My handle is @michi_outandabout
Love how the action proper picked up now.
And I totally think there is something between wren and Julian. I hope they are endgame ❤️.
We don’t know much about wrens mother so I do wonder if she got any kind of skills from that side too? Maybe she was someone special and gave wren other abilities?? Can’t wait to see what happens next
Ahem! Julian’s point of view? Why yes! Thank you very much.
While I get his dilemmas, it’s like, come one Julian! You like the gal, and we like you! Dark, mysterious and conflicted.
On another note, Wren now hears the ghosts? They seem to have a very limited vocabulary but still!
Very suspicious.
Happy reading!
Also, entering the Secret Giveaway, shhhh!
IG handle is @gracefullywise
Cheesy, I know.
Definitely behind my reading this week!
With all that forced proximity? Of course it’s inevitable that Wren and Julian are going to eventually catch feelings. 😈
I feel like Locke isn’t really dead, and he’s in collusion with the fabled Corpse Queen. I also maintain that Wren is Locke’s child, and maybe the Corpse Queen is a ghostsmith (maybe Wren’s mother?), which could explain why Wren can speak to the undead.
Posted on IG! @marimoosereads
A chapter from Leo’s POV? Yay! He’s great, but he also confirmed my suspicions that 1) he knew something like this would happen & 2) Galen was the inside man. Oof. Tier-five Revenant revelations have been crazy. She = Corpse Queen (possibly her mom), he = ?? Locke? (Locke, who might actually be her father?) Julian & Wren suspended over (Wren falling into) the Breach which apparently has a body of water in its depths. Back to Leo’s POV: they’re not headed to the Iron Citadel, but according to the map, Caston. That would definitely put them nearer to Wren & Julian, even if they WERE headed to the Iron Citadel (original plan, change of plans, or Julian just neither confirmed/denied the destination). The battlefield & the wrongness of everything VS helping Julian pay his respects to the dead with last rites. Everything is up in the air raising so many more questions than answers. They’re in the necropolis! (Anyone else picturing Halloween Town from The Nightmare Before Christmas set in Venice? Just me? 😅) Julian’s POV?! Damn, I was hoping he’d reveal a bit more (like exactly what is under his glove).
Daily Q&A:
Q:
1.) Do you think Wren and Julian have feelings for one another?
2.) What do you think about the Corpse Queen and this mysterious “he”? Could they be controlling the undead somehow?
3.) What is your theory about Wren being able to hear the undead?
A:
1.) I think something’s been brewing for awhile according to her disappointment at his lack of reaction & under warmth at his praise. Plus, the only chapter in his POV definitely shows his growing feelings (despite trying to minimize them).
2.) Yes. I think they’re connected to Wren (Graven Heir, mysterious mom, leading comments from Odile about her resembling Locke, that her name is strange for a bonesmith & given by her mom (which sounded like her mom was another type of smith, making Wren have some unknown recessive smith traits – possibly ghostsmith?), & being conceived/ carried/born near the Breach: the source of deeper magic).
3.) I think she might have latent/recessive ghostsmith abilities &/or a personal connection to the puppet master behind the revenants speaking to her.
*I’ve already posted my #Fairyphoto77 photo under @TupaKitty_Reads 🤞🏼🤞🏼*
I didn’t expect to read a chapter from Leo’s POV, and it got me super excited to see his view of the situation! His witty and scheming personality is quite entertaining to read! I did like that Wren proved his suspicions wrong when she did everything she could to protect him.
Having revenants speak makes me think that a Ghostsmith is definitely involved somehow, especially given the phrase “Go. Now. Because she wills it. And he commands it.”. Moreover, the fact that Wren can hear ghosts makes me think that, as mentioned above, maybe there’s some Ghostsmith blood running in her veins or at least some enhanced Bonesmith abilities because she’s currently in the Haunted Territory.
The way Wren and Julian fell asleep at the watchtower had me grinning and giggling as well! Their conversation at the end of chapter 20 was lovely, and Wren making a marker was such a thoughtful move! At this point, they definitely don’t see each other as enemies, only defined by the Smith bloodline they belong to. They seem to be slowly catching feelings, but perhaps at different speeds. I’m curious to see what will happen once Julian learns Wren’s family name though.
I’ve entered the giveaway. My Instagram handle is @enchanting_wisdom
Entered the giveaway👌💕 @faefolkreads
Can’t wait to keep reading this!
I did post on ig. My handle is @mangapenguin
Do you think Wren and Julian have feelings for one another?
They do they just aren’t ready to admit it to themselves let alone one another.
What do you think about the Corpse Queen and this mysterious “he”? Could they be controlling the undead somehow?
I do. There is more behind the mass amounts of undead.
What is your theory about Wren being able to hear the undead?
I can’t share as I know spoilers. But at this point in the book I didn’t have any.
This edition is so beautiful !!! I am completely in love with it. Thank you Fairyloot!