Review of Bones of Jade, Flesh Like Ice by Gracie Marsden

I was privileged to receive an advanced reader copy of Bones of Jade, Flesh Like Ice by Gracie Marsden. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Trigger warnings: miscarriage, gore, torture, murder, forced marriage, suggestions of rape, death.

This historical fantasy novel was a wonderful read, and I would highly recommend it to anyone that is interested in high fantasy and folklore in particular. Taiwanese folklore was a new one for me but it was very interesting and fun to learn about new myths.

The main character, Yu’er, is a young girl in eleventh century Taiwan that is faced with difficult choice after difficult choice. At first, she has little control over her life and is sold by her parents for marriage. This is of course a nightmare situation made worse by the familial situation she is married into. Luckily, her new husband is a nice, young man who doesn’t want to hurt her or take advantage of her from the beginning. Eventually, they fall in love and begin to build a life together. After several tragedies befall the family, Yu’er makes a decision that results in her leaving the family. Ultimately, Yu’er experiences extreme cruelty and becomes a jing, a shape-shifting demon.

Again, she is faced with multiple paths: revenge or love; honor or safety; continuing on or starting over. This book is truly heart breaking at times, and I teared up more than once. I particularly loved the sisterly love between Yu’er and Jiajia, as it captured the true love and bond that can exist between sisters.

The non-chronological order of the book is done extremely well and would make a second reading (which I plan to do) highly rewarding. The ending of the novel was open enough for the potential of a sequel or spinoff, which I really hope for. I want to spend more time in the world and learn more about Taiwanese folklore. For now, I shall have to be content with my rereads.

TL;DR: This novel is well worth the read if you are interested in historical fantasy and/or folklore. It has some dark themes and can be extremely sad at times, but I would say it is worth it for the beauty and love that is also in the book.

#BonesofJadeFleshLikeIce #NetGalley