Review: The Road of Bones (The Ashen #1)

5 stars. I agree with other reviewers that this book has a fairly weak beginning, but I was very, very swept up in it when things kicked off. Romantasy (and romance in general) can be a difficult genre to review because the reader's impression depends - almost entirely - on the book checking very distinct, individual, personal boxes. If the book does not check these boxes, or perhaps checks other boxes, reading can actually feel like, at best: a waste of time; worse: a waste of money; worst of them all: an infuriating investment resulting in major ick/cringe instead of payoff/reward (note to self: avoid the superhyped romantasy on booktok).

LUCKILY, this book enthusiastically checked a ton of boxes for me: viking-inspired; solid worldbuilding; fast-paced, addictive storytelling; character names inspired by history instead of a desire to be unique; a nice mix of tropes both comfortable and fresh; consistently great writing; a solid but not OTT impression that the author had done her research; and spice. I just had a feeling, and I was right. This hit the spot - real reading at stoplights energy. 

Silla has grown up on the move: constantly traveling from town to town with her father in a kingdom where the use of magic is feared and punished. When they are attacked, Silla must venture on her own to reach their final destination in the North. She sneaks her way into a monster-hunting gang called the Bloodaxe Crew, and Silla starts piecing together the mystery of her life as they journey on the infamous Road of Bones.

It's actually quite a complex plot, with a lot of twists and turns and discoveries and developments. I wouldn't exactly call it unpredictable, but it is super compelling - I read it in 2 days. There is proper character growth, high fantasy stakes, nightmare creatures, and romance... all soaked in one of my favorite flavors: viking. If Demi Winters can carry this forward without letting the story get too bogged down, unbalanced, or long, I will be delighted. It's impressive what she's done so far. 

The Road of Bones on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads | StoryGraph