City of Bones

Updated and Revised Edition

by Martha Wells

Having come to the work of Martha Wells through her Murderbot series, I was intrigued when this “updated and revised” edition of one of her early novels, City of Bones, popped up.  But if you’re looking for the fast pace and wise-cracking snarky tone of that series, this one might not be for you.  This book is more likely to appeal to fans of Ursula K. LeGuin, N.K. Jemisin, or Frank Herbert.  Khat, a member of a non-human species called the krismen, normally works as a dealer of ancient relics in the city of Charisat with his human partner, Sagai.  Although both Sagai and Khat are outsiders in Charisat, they are some of the most knowledgeable about the Remnants, structures left over from an ancient civilization whose purpose is unknown.  When Elen, a young member of Charisat’s elite Warder class, hires Khat to take her to the closest Remnant, a sequence of events is set in motion that could destroy what’s left of civilization.

Likes: The world building of this book, which just straddles the line between sci-fi and fantasy, is stellar.  A post-apocalyptic society layered over an ancient society that was far more advanced, and whose scattered and spotty remains are revered but poorly understood, is a fascinating place to explore as a reader.  I loved the descriptions of the Waste, the ancient ruins, and artifact market, and Charisat, which is literally divided into levels that divide people into specific castes.  The characters are complicated and layered, and often mysterious (even to themselves).  There’s a noirish bent to the book that I really enjoyed, with lots of double-crosses and people having to decide where their loyalties lie.

Dislikes: I enjoyed the slower pace, but I like slow-paced sci-fi and fantasy.  If you’re looking for something snappy, this won’t be for you.  There were a couple of subplots involving Khat’s past that ended up just being a distraction from the main plot for me.  And I wish a few of the characters had more airtime, like Khat’s partner and his family.  But overall, I would highly recommend this to fans of Dune, The Left Hand of Darkness, or the Broken Earth trilogy!

FYI: murder, violence, death of a family member, racism.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my advance copy. All opinions are my own.