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A review by zoeelizabethk
Hills of Heather and Bone by K.E. Andrews
dark
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"We never truly bury the dead. We always carry a part of them with us.”
In Hills of Heather and Bone, a necromancer is hunted for her powers, and Morana and Percy are forced to flee those who would see her dead for being a boneweaver. Will they be able to find a place where they can live in peace?
Hills of Heather and Bone by K.E. Andrews has my entire heart. Have you ever read a book that feels like it was written just for you to touch you profoundly and heal your soul? Hills of Heather and Bone is that for me.
For me the highlight of this book is the exploration of grief. And not just grief when a loved one dies, but also the grief of chronic illness, of lost hopes and dreams, of the daily struggle to stay present to the good things. I rarely see descriptions of people struggling to grieve like I do, and so seeing Morana (and Percy's) path through grief and struggle really touched me and gave me hope.
In terms of characterization, I really appreciated reading about a character with arthritis and the way Morana thought about her illness and acted because of it absolutely rang true for me. And having Percy and Morana as an established couple was so lovely. Their love story is slowly revealed throughout the book through flashbacks, and their story is beautiful, sad, and so realistic. Andrews doesn't shy away from showing the low points of marriage and the struggles of doing life together and more books should be doing this.
I also really liked the worldbuilding and magic system going on here. I found the concept of bloodgifted and the variety of gifts intriguing and I loved the tie in with the Scottish and Celtic folklore and pantheon. The Failinis felt like a real threat and I often found myself infected by Morana's fear of them and nervous for her and Percy. My only complaint is that parts of the worldbuilding were a little underdeveloped and as a result, some of the side characters were lacking a bit in characterization. But for me to be as in love with this world as I am with only 350 pages in a standalone, I'm quite impressed.
While this review makes Hills of Heather and Bone sound very dark, K.E. Andrews balances the dark and the light, despair and hope, struggle and rest so beautifully. Her descriptive, evocative prose and the focus on herbs and nature was a great choice for this story, because those glimmers of beauty and remembrance anchor the story and make the book cozy and hopeful when it could have felt much bleaker. This is a book that holds a special place in my heart and is a book I will be revisiting often.
In Hills of Heather and Bone, a necromancer is hunted for her powers, and Morana and Percy are forced to flee those who would see her dead for being a boneweaver. Will they be able to find a place where they can live in peace?
Hills of Heather and Bone by K.E. Andrews has my entire heart. Have you ever read a book that feels like it was written just for you to touch you profoundly and heal your soul? Hills of Heather and Bone is that for me.
For me the highlight of this book is the exploration of grief. And not just grief when a loved one dies, but also the grief of chronic illness, of lost hopes and dreams, of the daily struggle to stay present to the good things. I rarely see descriptions of people struggling to grieve like I do, and so seeing Morana (and Percy's) path through grief and struggle really touched me and gave me hope.
In terms of characterization, I really appreciated reading about a character with arthritis and the way Morana thought about her illness and acted because of it absolutely rang true for me. And having Percy and Morana as an established couple was so lovely. Their love story is slowly revealed throughout the book through flashbacks, and their story is beautiful, sad, and so realistic. Andrews doesn't shy away from showing the low points of marriage and the struggles of doing life together and more books should be doing this.
I also really liked the worldbuilding and magic system going on here. I found the concept of bloodgifted and the variety of gifts intriguing and I loved the tie in with the Scottish and Celtic folklore and pantheon. The Failinis felt like a real threat and I often found myself infected by Morana's fear of them and nervous for her and Percy. My only complaint is that parts of the worldbuilding were a little underdeveloped and as a result, some of the side characters were lacking a bit in characterization. But for me to be as in love with this world as I am with only 350 pages in a standalone, I'm quite impressed.
While this review makes Hills of Heather and Bone sound very dark, K.E. Andrews balances the dark and the light, despair and hope, struggle and rest so beautifully. Her descriptive, evocative prose and the focus on herbs and nature was a great choice for this story, because those glimmers of beauty and remembrance anchor the story and make the book cozy and hopeful when it could have felt much bleaker. This is a book that holds a special place in my heart and is a book I will be revisiting often.