A Ferry of Bones & Gold: Soulbound, Book 1

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars | 3,334 ratings

Price: 21.83

Last update: 08-01-2024


Top reviews from the United States

mykhe
5.0 out of 5 stars The first book in the second best M/M Paranormal series out there
Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2019
So I started reading M/M Paranormal Romance this past May. In addition to fulfilling a prophecy by my Readers’ Advisory professor made when I was in Library School, one of my aims was to start on a writing project that would hopefully be a way for me to break my location-instilled writer’s block. Six months later, I’ve got a rough outline, 4 pages written, a few websites for research, tons more M/M Paranormal Romance reading under my belt, and a fervent hope that what I produce can be as good as Ms. Turner’s writing.
I’ve read Turner’s Metahumans series, as well as all of the books in the Soulbound series (so far) – I’m just going to focus on A Ferry of Bones & Gold in this particular review, but I'm sure some "series" elements will sneak in.

One of the reasons that this book made me a very happy reader / librarian / writer, is that Turner writes white-hot sex scenes. In my exploration of the genre I’ve experienced everything from books that are hardcore pornography vs. actual stories to those horrifyingly irritating “cozy” variants that start with a kiss and immediately fade to black. While “romance” has more expectations of sexual writing versus “urban fantasy” in a M/M context, I can honestly say that Turner’s sex scenes here aren’t extraneous in the least. They drive the characterization and plot forward because of the other reason I love this book & this series:

The characters are flawed. Wonderfully, beautifully flawed. In addition to my MLIS I’ve also earned an MFAW, and my instructors constantly stressed that flawed characters were not only more interesting to readers, but they also give you more to work with as a writer. I really hope that it’s enough for more than five books in this case. Patrick and Jono first and foremost, but pretty much every one of the supporting characters, too. And one of the reasons for that is another strength of Turner’s:

World-building. I have to confess that I’m always the guy who plays a spellcaster or psionic of some kind when I play RPG’s. That’s one of the reasons why A Ferry of Bones & Gold really spoke to me – it’s not Sci-Fi (as much as I love Sci-Fi, fantasy, particularly paranormal fantasy, really speaks to my heart.) Turner hasn’t done a lot to offset the “normal” world here – typical urban fantasy in that there are magic users, werecreatures, and vampires hidden from the mundane world. And then she kicked it up by adding gods. I love the trend in Urban / Paranormal fantasy that Kevin Hearne kicked off in the Druid novels by adding actual mythological gods. Max Gladstone sort-of continued the trend in the Craft sequence, and a few others like Cassandra Khaw and Chuck Wendig are contributing in things like Gods and Monsters. Ferry of Bones & Gold is a worthy addition to this grouping. The gods have their own personalities and motivations, and, luckily for her readers, Turner doesn’t hold back from either the modernization or the snark.

Finally, I really appreciate the setting. While I’m a Bostonian rather than a New Yorker, I was also a Seattleite for ten years, and hope to get back there the first chance I get. My current writer’s block is caused by the fact that I’m not in a big city and that I don’t like the nearest big city to me. So anything that takes me back to the urban Northeast, is good. And since the writing actually makes me feel like I’m there, it’s even better.

Soulbound is going to be one of two series that I’m going to push our acquisitions librarian to actively purchase. When you consider how little money public libraries have at their disposal, I hope that that counts as a recommendation, too.
KT
4.0 out of 5 stars Satisfying beginning to a new urban fantasy with a romantic subplot
Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2019
Big mystery, paranormal, science fiction, and fantasy reader of 30+ years here, and I rarely leave reviews for books, but after reading the second book in this series, all I could think about as I started book 3, was how much I wanted to review this series (or, at least, the first three books of it that are currently available).

Aside from the author's skill as a writer--word choice, sentence structure, anticipation of reader's experience, etc--which I found myself appreciating with each book, the layers of plot revealed as the story unfolds continue to delight and draw me in. The characters we meet in book 1 here are fairly standard in some ways for this kind of urban mythical story, however the revelations of the plot complexity gives everything a fresh feeling--as well as opportunities for the characters to avoid falling into situations/ responses/ reactions/ that feels too cliche (or over-done).

The world is full of all kinds of magical and mythical beings (vampires/ gods/ fae/ mages/ shifters/ etc). There's a satisfying amount of world building revealed alongside the main character's own history, as well as when new characters are introduced, and the way it's all layered keeps the world building from overtaking the plot, but also keeps the plot moving forward so that it doesn't get bogged down in any one sub-genre--which is, perhaps, the best part about this series: the way the author juggles the story, the world, the characters, and the development of these factors.

Quick blurb for those looking to get a feel for the story: Our main character is Patrick, a 27 year old mage who used to be a soldier and fought in a war--the 30 Days War--that left his soul scarred, and made it impossible for him to continue his career as a soldier. Now, he works for a special government division (like a version of the FBI) that deals with crimes committed by the magical elements of the world, and he's sent to New York to investigate a situation that has worrying connections to the 30-Days War. During his investigation, he meets a host of characters from different walks of life, some of whom become friends--and a man he would love to give in to his attraction for--but Patrick's life hasn't been his own for decades, and intimacy--be it friendship or otherwise--isn't something he's ever been very good at putting any trust in.

I think what I appreciate the most about this series is how the relationships among the characters--including the romantic subplot--add to the story without taking over the plot (or subplots that unfold in each book), and better the characters (help them to open up/ strengthen their resolve/ give them a grounded sense of purpose, etc) rather than weaken them (or make them unrecognizable, which tends to happen in a lot of fantasy stories with romantic "subplots").

Thank you, Ms. Turner! I am really looking forward to seeing where Patrick's story (and all the other great characters joining him) take us!
Jewels ❤️
5.0 out of 5 stars Great world building!
Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2024
4.3 Stars
I'm giving less than 5 stars because the beginning was very complicated and wordy. But once I got into the book it was a GREAT story! This is such a new take on a genre that has a ton of books.
The love story - It was good but I wish there was more to it. Knowing there are 7 books I think the love story will keep growing.

I'm really enjoying this series and can't wait for the next book!

Notes:
- 3rd person POV
- Torture off page of one of the MMC
- Low steam (a few scenes).
Molly Otto
5.0 out of 5 stars Goodbye sleep it was nice knowing you
Reviewed in the United States on August 28, 2023
Book was recommended by a friend and can't help but love and hate them for this rec.
One of those series you pick up and know you are not going to stop until all published works are read and you will salivate in every word.
Patrick has been through a lot in his not so long life and that's what makes him such a strong and engaging character, he chooses not to work with others cause he knows the pain of any loss, until he meets Jono. Jono, along with his close contacts, brings everything into Pat's life to make him want to truly fight and not just survive.
The world building is top-notch, the plot is fast-paced, while a lot is going on , you don't lose focus and just want to continue to see how it all plays out. Right onto the next book, I go to see what madness comes about next in this wild ride.

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