A Heart of Bones

I'll admit – Detective Richard Zuraw didn't give me a lot to root for – and he's a main character. I mean he automatically assumes that because Jack is a Black Mage and is able to to suck life energy out of people – that Jack's bad. Like, the Mages that can wield fire can just as easily set people on fire – and kill them – just as easily as Jack could suck their life out? But, you know, no – Jack's bad because he deals with life.

Then the Detective tries to stop Jack from carrying a book in his (Jack's bookstore) bookstore because it's banned – promotes dangerous ideas about magic. So that really pushed my liking of him down. By the end of the book I liked him a bit more (not by a lot though). Hopefully the next book has him more fighting against his employers (the magic police, unfortunately). Or maybe even just rebelling entirely and not being a magic cop anymore. Who knows!

Also he just up and asked Jack “where he's from... ethnically”. And then followed up with “you don't look exactly white”. What is that even supposed to mean? Jack does tell him off but that question shouldn't have been asked? Like if Jack had told him on his own accord – that's ok – because Jack chose it (to share his ethnicity). He better do a lot in the next book to make up for it – because this... wasn't a good look for him at all. Please note that I have no idea of the author's nationality, race, or ethnicity. All I know is that Lily C. Strauss is a pen name for this series. Meaning I don't know if the author perhaps shares Jack's ethnicity – I'm criticising Zuraw, the characer; not Strauss, the author.

I'm glad we had Jack as a main character because I liked him almost immediately. I mean, he owns a bookstore so boom? Also he's very “rage against the machine” compared to Richard. Other people too, not just Richard, harbour a stigma against Black Mages that they're bad because of the type of magic they wield and I didn't like reading that at all. Another thing I hope happens in the next books – that the stigma lessens and/or Jack doesn't feel like he has to explain himself all the time.

I think as a first book in a series (I have no idea if Strauss has written before – only has a Tumblr and apparently Lily C. Strauss is a new pen name?), it works. You can see it's a first book in a series – there's a lot of room to grow – for the plot, story line, characters, author's writing as well – I hope Strauss manages to take that opportunity.

There's a big secret surrounding Jack that comes out in the book (it's not his sexuality, don't worry – I would've added outing in the Content Warnings). He refers to the secret a bit before it's revealed but I didn't really understand why he was keeping it a secret? The reasons he gave felt, I don't know, not good enough? It felt like he was the only one who acted like it was a big deal? Maybe the secret will be told to more people in the sequel and there will be a bigger reaction then? As usual, I'll have to wait and see.

I'm a big fan of magic systems in books – I think you have to be if you grew up with fantasy books like me. I don't think there's a lot of fantasy books without magic? Or at least I don't read those so I don't really know