ARC Review: Bones and Bourbon

Hi people! How are you? I’m really happy to share with you another review! I have a lot of overdue reviews to write and I am feeling very productive just being here, so… yay! And if I’ll stop to procrastinate and go to the real review would be great, so… here we come!

Thanks to NetGalley and to the editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Title: Bones and Bourbon
Author: Dorian Graves
Publication Date:  23rd April 2018
Page count: 268

Half-huldra Retz Gallows is having an awful day. First, he wakes up in the middle of driving to who-knows-where with an angry unicorn head in his passenger seat. This is almost normal, thanks to a lifetime of sharing a body with Nalem, a bone-controlling spirit with a penchant for wicked schemes and body-stealing joyrides. It’s probably a bad idea to ask what else could go wrong.

Jarrod Gallows left home with plans to rescue his little brother from possession. Instead, he got saddled with a dead-end job as a paranormal investigator, a Faerie curse, and a daredevil boyfriend who might be from another world. At least he’s got a new job—except why is his brother Retz here and why does this sudden reunion feel more like a bane than a blessing?

This day’s going to get worse for the Gallows brothers before it gets better. To survive, they’ll have to escape the forces controlling them, as well as the wrath of carnivorous unicorns, otherworldly realms, and even their own parents. Only time will tell if they’ll make it out alive…or sober.

 

The cover was good and the synopsis sounded interesting so I couldn’t resist and I had to request it on NetGalley, and I am really really happy that I got approved because I loved this book and I will read the next ones.

First thing first, I loved the originality. This book is original in many ways, it’s original its folklore, for example, because the author wrote an urban-fantasy with characters that are not the typical vampire or were-animal, or fae or demon, but he chooses some others magical beings, like huldra, furaribi and akaname.  Yes, we have some creatures that are more known, but mostly we have not so commonly known beings, and this thing was great!

And this book is original for its characters. Not only for their race, but just for who they are. Or sort of, anyway. The main character, Retz is quite a normal guy, if not for his being half huldra, and for the guest in his head: Nalem. This pair remembers me of Shins and Olgun, in a grittier way, and I loved it! I haven’t loved all of it, because sometime Nalem is too much, especially when we’re speaking about his relationship with Jarrod (Nalem, come on!) but it’s an interesting character and it’s quite the mysterious guy. There are so many answers to be had about his past and his motivations that I am hooked up and I really hope to read more book about him (and Retz and Jarrod).
Jarrod is another interesting character, and I liked him even if I really felt sorry for him during the reading. Also, he’s a transgender character and he’s quite well developed, as far as I can tell. He’s not a stereotype and I really liked it.
Jarrod and Retz are brothers and are the main characters, but we have a lot of secondary characters that are interesting and well developed. Some of them are quite interesting, like Nalem’s father (OMG! Nalem’s father is really something! And he made me laugh! I think he was my favorite!). Also… all Nalem’s family is quite peculiar. I’ll pay to witness one of their family reunions!
And we have carnivorous and really strong-headed unicorns. And yes… you have read it right… carnivorous unicorns.

The story is fast-paced, there aren’t a lot of plot twists, yes, but it’s a really good characters driven book, with interesting ideas, snarky dialogues, and dark humor. And there are so many unanswered questions that, in the end, you would want the next one ASAP. I appreciated the unconventional take on the mythology, the unconventional set of characters and the highly imaginative world that the author creates for us!

And that’s all for today! Did you read this book? Or are you planning to read it? Let me know!
Happy reading!
S.