The Bone Ships (The Tide Child Trilogy, 1) Paperback – September 24, 2019

Absolutely binge-worthy. RJ Barker’s Tide Child Trilogy is a compelling high seas fantasy with amazing characters and creatures. I was gripping the rail to the end. Loved it.

MY RATING: 4.25/5I did a listen only of the audiobook narrated by Jude Owusu, who does a fantastic job, back in 2020. What I’ve come to realize is that audio only’s don’t do well for my memory and since I only left a star rating without a review, I felt like this deserved a re-read and a review so that I can continue the series and remember what happened.I really am happy I decided to do this again with Whispersync this time. Barker does a fantastic job of building an intricate swashbuckling adventure, filled with sea battles, and creative creatures like arakeesians, also known as a sea dragon. The beginning is a bit slow as we are introduced to the world of Corfynhulme and the characters that he has created, the story does pick up some but for the most part it’s a bit of a slow to medium pace. I did like that I didn’t really have to know much about sea talk to understand things, especially since Barker made sure to address a few things within the story itself.“No sane woman or man wishes for war, and those that do never would if they thought it would leave paint on their doorsteps.”The world-building is great, Barker does a really great job of transporting the reader into the world as if we were part of the crew as well. As much as I loved the world-building, the characters were what I really loved the most. The main character that we follow, Joron Twiner, takes huge leaps from where he starts to where this book finishes. Along with Joron is a crew of some fantastic diverse characters whose flaws are put center stage. Shipwife (Captain), Lucky Meas was one of those characters I couldn’t get enough of and I enjoyed from the moment of her arrival. There also some pretty interesting creatures like the Gullaime, that added so much more to the story that I needed to make sure I gave it some praise.This was a great way to start this story and I look forward to seeing what else there is to discover in this world, more arakeesians, and more Joron, ey!

Anyone that follows my reviews know I read voraciously. I am an eclectic reader of anything that catches my attention.Though for the last while I have enjoyed the FANTASY genre.This is by far and away the best , the very best , story I have read in the last six months. It has holes everywhere in the the storyline , plot twists that are not needed , back ground information left out completely or arrives to late for the reader to use .The story is flawed but for me that does not matter.It has a huge , super , plot line with characters that are rememberable , interesting and likable. I loved everything about this book. My great hope is the author cleans up some of these mistakes in the coming book.Also I must once again state my opinion on this area of genre ,this book lacks a real Villain. It gives the reader little in the way of a true VILLAIN. This story doesn’t suffer as the large majority do when this part of the story line is so completely ignored. There are people who are dislikable , individuals the protagonist and his side kicks do battle against . But a truly despicable villain is not present as of yet.I find that as a reader , annoying.I highly recommend this book to ANYONE who enjoys a great story.

If you liked the premise of S.W.A.T., but wished that instead of a group of cops protecting a mob boss from profit-seeking ruffians on the way to prison it was a rag-tag group of outcasts on a ship made of sea creature bones protecting the last of said sea creatures from... well, profit-seeking ruffians...I know, that was a long way to travel to compare a fine, character driven, modern-day Moby Dick to a popcorn action movie, but something about the focal point of the book being a suspenseful trek from point A to point B with chaos buzzing around it reminded me of cinematic prisoner transport, a la Kingpin in Netflix's Daredevil, or Coleman Reese in The Dark Knight. But enough about that.Bone Ships brings together a capable captain on a mission to prove her worth and a drunk who may have Peter Principled his way into (and out of) his captaincy. Their dynamic and relationship growth is a highlight of the book, much as Girton and Merela were in Barker's The Wounded Kingdom series. (If you haven't read that, do it immediately.) The development of Joron's and Lucky Meas' leadership would make John Maxwell proud as they progress from Position leadership to The Pinnacle, with Joron finding he is properly suited to second in command, like some NFL head coaches are better as coordinators.Much of the world-building forces the reader to pick things up on their own, as new vocabulary (or perhaps just nautical vocabulary that I'm not familiar with) is used early and often. There are bizarre new creatures, interesting world politics, an in-depth instruction manual on the mechanics and operation of a giant crossbow, and a ship energy tracking straight out of a video game. The action sequences are furiously paced, throwing you on the deck of the Bone Ships, whether your sea legs are ready for it or not.Between The Bone Ships and Rob Hayes' Best Laid Plans, I didn't realize how much I enjoy high seas fantasy. Highly recommend.