| Title | : | The Scattered Bones: A Dark Fantasy Romance |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 276 |
| Publication | : | Published August 15, 2023 |
When a mysterious man known only as The Stranger promises to return Kaid to her, Sellah is tasked with finding each one of her love’s scattered bones, his severed body hidden in the darkest corners of the realm. The quest is an impossible task, yet she must make the dangerous journey alone using only her own faith and fight. But the tasks at hand are brutal. They’re battles not easily won.
But Sellah doesn’t care how treacherous the challenges are. She’ll do whatever it takes because it was her fault Kaid was punished. Promised to the primordial goddess as a child, it was Sellah’s sacred duty to remain pure and untouched. To be chosen as the goddess’ vessel was the highest honor, one Sellah devoted her life to until the handsome thief Kaid broke into the temple. He obliterated her world, rewriting her future, and despite her vows, she couldn’t resist the beautiful longing that ignited between them. Their forbidden friendship bloomed into a doomed romance, sending her and her beloved thief down a dark path of heartbreak, unspeakable danger, and a love that not even death could conquer.
The Scattered Bones is a Dark Fantasy Romance filled with epic quests, forbidden romance, fantasy gods, dangerous landscapes and beasts, and a love that gives the heroine the strength to survive.
The Scattered Bones: A Dark Fantasy Romance Reviews
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4.25 stars
The cover did not lie y'all 🙌
I thoroughly enjoyed this, it kept my attention the whole way through and I basically finished it in a day.
This story is told in two timelines, present and past, and I am a sucker for dual timelines. You follow Sellah going on a quest to find the scattered remains of Kaid across the realm in order to bring him back to life and this girl went THROUGH IT. Keep in mind this girl is not a warrior or anything but the way she fought for Kaid man.. it was beautiful 🥲
Now this is a standalone fantasy, and a rather short one, it worked in some places but it actually would have been better if it were longer. It could have benefitted from some more worldbuilding, some more kaid and Sellah moments filled with tension, and some more action sequences during her quest. However, it was still enjoyable and the writing was very beautiful and atmospheric imo.
My favorite parts were the past timelines, they showcased Sellah and Kaid growing relationship and their love and oml they killed me with their love for eachother😭😭
The forbidden love aspect was so good but I wish we got more tension and more slowburn.. like make me work for it Nicole🤣 again this was due to the book being so short for a fantasy.
This is one of those books where you have to trust the process and keep going because all those questions that maybe kept nagging you will eventually get answered right at the end. -
🎞 ⊹ ۪ ࣪ ꒰ tbr-review:
according to reddit, its good, and i trust reddit with my life 🫡 -
This book completely took me by surprise! It’s a new adult fantasy romance stand alone that breaks the mold. (Even though the characters are early 20s it still felt more adult than YA)
The writing is easy to follow while also having some really beautiful moments as well.
It is set over two time lines, the now—where we see the FMC on a quest to find the bones of her murdered love! (I KNOW 😭)—and the past where we see them fall in love.
The way the two entwine rips on your heart strings because you know what is coming! (Don’t worry it’s a romance so it’s a HEA, so it puts your heart back together again!) this is also not a spoiler, it’s literally the premise of the book & you find out in the first chapter.
One of my favourite parts was the strength & tenacity of the FMC as she goes through the trials to find each bone. They were extremely imaginative, nothing felt like it had been done before.
There are meddling gods, a found father figure along with the slow burn (with a little spice)
But overall this is an epic love story that had me gripped from the first page to the last!
For a book under 300 pages it packs a punch!
I would say make sure you read at least the first 3/4 chapters because you need to get a feel for the dual timelines to understand the world. But once you do there is no going back! One of my absolute favourite books of the year without a doubt! -
My book club voted this in for our dark fantasy romance. The lack of reviews at first gave me pause, but I ended up LOVING this book. Will be reading more of the author!!
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I LOVED THIS BOOK!!
This story is beautiful, heartbreaking, inspiring and so brilliant! The writing is absolutely beautiful and lush! I was so wrapped up in the story, the characters, the struggle and the romance.
This is a dark fantasy romance, filled with horrible greedy gods and what they put their those who serve them through. But not all gods are like this.
Sellah is an inspirational character, who you can’t help but love and admire!! Her love for Kaid is what keeps her going, through pain, malnourishment and suffering. It is their love that makes the horrible and greedy gods turn on them. But it is also their love that has other gods helping Sellah to find all of Kaids hidden bones to get him back.
Sellah’s relationship with “the stranger” becomes something beautiful, but always leery about trusting him. I became so engrossed in all the treacherous, suspenseful moments as Sellah almost killed herself trying to collect each bone to have her love brought back to her.
If you enjoy unusual storylines, great characters & world building, nail biting moments and a beautiful romance they’re willing to die for, then you will love this BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN Dark Fantasy Romance!!! It deserves way over five stars, it deserves ALL THE STARS!! I hugged it when I finished. This book was the highlight of my reading experience this year!!! -
Really good standalone romance under 300 pages - think I’ve found my white whale this year.
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“I want you to scream for me, my goddess. No one can hear you, and I need to know what you sound like when you come undone wrapped around me.”
You’ve read countless stories of a man defying heaven & hell to save his one true love. But in this story? It’s our sheltered priestess that scours the ends of the earth to reclaim her love’s severed body parts.
It’s like the universe knew what I needed when even I didn’t. Seriously, Nicole never misses & I’m so lucky to have received this physical arc.
This book reads like a fully cinematic video game. The dangerous scenery & the grueling quests had me in awe of Sellah’s devotion to her thief. The use of dual timelines also resulted in some GNARLY cliffhangers at the end of certain chapters🥴
Sellah & Kaid’s love was just so PURE. While this had more steam than spice, their coming together perfectly fit the story & it was NOT fade to black 😈
If you’re a fan of innocent, sacrificial devotion, impossible feats against terrifying enemies, *many* near-death experiences & vengeful gods then you have found the perfect book. -
'Esto no es amor. Amor es una palabra demasiado simple para lo que siento. El mundo podría acabar. Siglos podrían pasar. Los dioses podrían morir y yo todavía te adoraría. Has estado tan profundamente entrelazada en mi corazón que ya no existo sin ti.'
•Mi opinión puede contener Spoilers.
•Esta destinada a ser un descargo personal no para que alguien más lea pero si lo haces y te ofende, me disculpo porque sé lo que es que te guste un libro y otros lo critiquen.
The Scattered Bones de Nicole Scarano
Argumento:
“Te amaré hasta que no sea más que polvo, e incluso entonces, te seguiré amando”.
Cuando un hombre misterioso conocido solo como The Stranger promete devolverle a Kaid, Sellah tiene la tarea de encontrar cada uno de los huesos dispersos de su amor, su cuerpo cortado escondido en los rincones más oscuros del reino. La búsqueda es una tarea imposible, pero debe hacer el peligroso viaje sola usando solo su propia fe y lucha. Pero las tareas a mano son brutales. Son batallas que no se ganan fácilmente.
Pero a Sellah no le importa lo traicioneros que sean los desafíos. Ella hará lo que sea porque fue su culpa que Kaid fuera castigado. Prometida a la diosa primordial cuando era niña, el deber sagrado de Sellah era permanecer pura e intacta. Ser elegida como el recipiente de la diosa era el mayor honor, uno al que Sellah dedicó su vida hasta que el apuesto ladrón Kaid irrumpió en el templo. Él destruyó su mundo, reescribiendo su futuro y, a pesar de sus votos, ella no pudo resistir el hermoso anhelo que se encendió entre ellos. Su amistad prohibida floreció en un romance condenado, enviándola a ella y a su amado ladrón por un camino oscuro de angustia, peligro indescriptible y un amor que ni siquiera la muerte podría conquistar.
Mi humilde opinión:
The Scattered Bones es un romance de fantasía oscura/de amigos a amantes/ dioses y diosas/amor prohibido/búsquedas peligrosas y seres aterradores/heroína épica.
ME ENCANTÓ TODO DE ESTE LIBRO!
El mundo es inventado sin ser pretencioso y claro para entenderlo. Amé totalmente la mente de la autora y toda la ambientación que creó cobró vida en mí cabeza. Lo podía ver cómo una película que me mantuvo en expectativa a cada momento dándome todas las emociones.
Los personajes, hay para quererlos y odiarlos. Muy bien construidos con sus defectos y virtudes.
Adoré a Sellah y Kaid, como personajes individuales y como pareja. Los dos con vidas solitarias y carente de cariño. Comprendí la razón por la que se aferraron el uno al otro. Habían encontrado a la persona que los veía de verdad y amarían sin condiciones.
Me encantó el papel del El extraño y dioses cómo Varas, Lovec y Udens que favorecieron a Sellah en el camino para recuperar a su amor. No podía detestar más a la diosa primordial Hreinasta y a Valka que hizo de ejecutor.
La historia está contada en dos líneas de tiempo para entender el comienzo de su amistad y amor y las terribles consecuencias de su amor prohibido.
La heroína me impactó. Estaba con ella en sus alegrías y en su dolor. Conecté totalmente con Sellah y rogaba interiormente mientras pasaba páginas que hubiera manera de traer de nuevo a Kaid. Tenían que tener su final feliz de alguna forma después de tanto sacrificio y lágrimas.
Sellah tiene un gran crecimiento a lo largo del libro. Comienza como una sacerdotisa protegida en un templo y se transforma en una guerrera luchando valientemente con todo lo que tiene, contra dioses vengativos y bestias sanguinarias, para recuperar los huesos esparcidos del amor de su vida. Su amor es la fuerza que la motivaba a sobrevivir a cada prueba mortal que se le pone en el camino. Y lo más desesperante es que nadie debe ayudarla por lo que sus luchas la llevan a sufrir físicamente y más de una vez la acercan a la muerte.
La sacerdotisa pura que se enamora del ladrón es una triste, bella y desgarradora historia de amor. Me conmovió la profunda devoción que se profesaban Sellah y Kaid. Me emocioné con cada encuentro, beso y palabras, me horrorizó y angustie durante sus peleas y lloré con cada dura prueba superada y hueso que ella recuperaba con la esperanza de estar más cerca de volver a verlo.
El final fue todo lo que esperaba. Fue perfecto. Me dejó con una enorme sonrisa.
Me queda decir que es la mejor lectura de fantasía que leí en lo que va en el año y mis primeras ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐que pongo a un libro. -
This is more of a 2.75, close to a 3 star but not quite there. Even though I really wanted to like it, there were some things keeping me from doing that.
Things I didn't like
- The sex scenes were bad in the sense that they were unsatisfying to read (and probably to experience, which is kind of part of the reading process for lots of people). Seriously, there is no foreplay at all, beyond some vaguely described kissing. Despite Kaid waxing poetic about streaking the ashes on his face all over her body, lol, let's just say that the situation is more of a "stick it in her and thrust" thing in pretty much every single scene. The author tells you how great and euphoric is is but does not demonstrate why this would be true in any of the written text. Which brings me to the other thing that I didn't like.
- There is a whooooooooole lot of telling and not showing in this book. I know that this is probably one of the harder parts of writing, and even the best authors on the planet will fall into the exposition trap at times, but this book just kind of wallows in it, especially when it comes to the relationship between the two leads. It makes the relationship feel less overwhelming and all consuming than the author continually proclaims it to be.
- The prose gets tries to get too flowery at points and it ruins the flow.
Things I liked:
- The overall conceit of the story is great. I love the idea of the woman in a m/f relationship going through trials and tribulations to save the man that she loves. You often see the reverse, and that's fine, but I prefer this version of it.
- Sellah is pretty tough, despite being raised to be soft, and I appreciate that contrast.
- The relationship between Sellah and The Stranger is well fleshed out and enjoyable (much more well fleshed out than her relationship with Kaid). The trials are interesting, even when they're solved with a whole deus ex machina thing. -
"I was baptized in the fire of despair and heartache. Reborn in torture and anguish. Come, oh ancient evil. Take my head from my body. I will return the favor."
I was completely sucked into this book from the first chapter. Our main character is collecting the bones of someone she clearly loves for a purpose... but what? Who is the someone? Why did they die?
The prose is mostly wonderful; cozy in an unexpected way considering how dark the story is in parts.
The reason why this ended up not being a 5 star read is because despite some sexual content, it ended up coming off as a bit young adult, especially in the dialogue (at times, not always!) between the two leads around the middle of the book. However, I think it works if you consider it more as a dark fairy tale vs. straight up fantasy.
Overall, I really enjoyed it - stayed up until 2AM to finish it - but it didn't *quite* live up to its potential. That said, it will be one I remember for a long time. -
Scattered Bones was this month’s pick for my Bookclub. We were after Dark Fantasy and though this isn’t what I was expecting I am far from disappointed.
Sellah had a hell of a journey for under 300 pages. In fact that’s probably my only legitimate complaint about this read, it’s one of those stories that has the potential to be 400-600 pages worth of thick adventure and tragedy. Especially considering the trails and the backdrop the God’s and their lore provide.
*p.s, this was presented as something more YA toned and while I will say the spice was low (1.5/2 out of 5 in case you were curious) in comparison to my normal reading habits I don’t know that I agree. 18 or older for sure.
Definitely checking out Persephone’s story next. -
This was a ✨phenomenal✨ dark fantasy romance. I really appreciated the spice to plot ratio— the fantasy elements, world building, character development , and spice all worked in tandem with one another. And my god, considering this is a standalone, it has one of the best developed worlds I’ve read. Sellah was such an interesting FMC, and I just know I’m going to have a hard time letting go of her and Kaid. They have such a sweet, innocent love; it was a nice reprieve from the enemies to lovers trope that has over saturated the romantasy market.
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ARC Review
This book was everything I didn't know I needed. I loved it so much. It was an incredibly beautiful, heartbreaking, & heartwarming story about discovery & becoming, found family, love, & the lengths one would go to risk everything for love. Wow. I'm still in awe of this story.
It's told in two timelines, a past & a present. Both are told in a way that you're constantly captivated by both & it keeps you on the edge of your seat. This is a dark fantasy romance. The fantasy aspect is really well done because it's not over the top or complicated to understand. I think a new-to-fantasy reader would absolutely enjoy reading this. The steam/spice in this story is more focused on the romantic aspect of the intimate moments & it's not smutty or crude(if that makes sense). Let me put it this way, for just a kiss they shared, I cried because of how beautiful it was.
I just highly recommend reading this book. It's a top read of the year for me. If you like dark fantasy romance, forbidden, a badass FMC, a beautiful love story between two souls, & 1st person POV...then this book is for you. -
I almost DNF'd but I read some of the reviews and decided to continue and really liked it. This is one of the rare examples of a book that actually should have been longer to do more world building and give us a little more relationship development. But if you want a quick standalone fantasy romance that is actually unique pick this up
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4.25- 4.5⭐️
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Quotes I loved: “You are my goddess. You are what I pray to, what I worship, what I adore.”
“You can take it. I know you can, Goddess. I want nothing to separate us.”
“You did well. Thank you for the incense. Maybe you can practice what I taught you and steal more for me? Enough to last the cycles that Hreinasta keeps you. Then I can burn it whenever I miss you.” I would steal this entire storeroom for him.
I completely loved this book! The plot, the characters, EVERYTHING! It definitely was giving Aragorn and Arwen and I loved it! There love was amazing and I just loved how the story was building every chapter. Even how it went from past to present it just made me more nervous and anticipating for what would happen next.
Sallah is such an amazing FMC! Just from the very beginning. Her innocence was adorable because she was curious about everything! I loved seeing her journey and her growth throughout the book. Kais was amazing since the very beginning. That man has a way with words and made me want to find a man who will love me as much as he loves Sallah. His strength was amazing to read, but also gut wrenching. He kept his promise and I loved at the end, that we got to see that they fulfilled the life they wanted.
Every character was amazing, the plot was amazing and honestly this is one of my top reads of this year. -
╰►5/5 ⭐️ 1.5/5🌶️
This book honestly gets 10/10 for creativity and an original idea. I don't think I have picked up a book and felt drawn from page one in a long time. What a fantastically written book, great prose, and a unique idea. It's been a while since I've also paid attention to the prose and felt drawn in by the words. It was fun reading a book that wasn't just about Fae, a huge war, or a woman married to a prince etc.
The romantic moments were so sweet, and well written. I love Kaid and Sella as a couple, they cared about the other person and found a cute friendship with one another too. The fact she was never hugged or cared for made the sweet moments between them that much sweeter. This book deserves so much more praise and recognition. Kaid was such a sweet man, not a brood. And what a badass Sella was. Fighting all of the gods and making it out her own woman. I need some time to heal.
My rating system:
⭐️: Not my vibe at all.
⭐️⭐️: I finished it, but I didn't have a good time.
⭐️⭐️⭐️: Yeah, that was fun. I enjoyed myself. I probably won't reread it, but it was fun.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: I loved it and want to read more from this author.
⭐️⭐��⭐️⭐️⭐️: Perfect, amazing, everything I love in a novel! -
Reddit is about to be my new Booktok because these books have been 🔥.
Appreciation for these well-written-but-still-fucked-up-and-smutty recs aside, The Scattered Bones itself was freaking beautiful. Heartbreaking and soul crushing and devastatingly romantic, but so damn beautiful.
In less than 300 pages, we get a full & satisfying character arc, a whole fantasy world complete with gods and their spheres of influence, a Romeo and Juliet forbidden love story, an adventure that is freaking terrifying and tense, and elements of mystery to make it a breeze to read.
I was not crazy about one term of endearment the couple used, nor was I crazy about the ultra-flowery way they often spoke to one another, but these are minor complaints to an otherwise excellent book.
Seriously: why isn’t this getting waaaay more attention?? -
The Scattered Bones gripped me and didn't let go until the end.
The heartbreaking premise is this: Sellah must gather her lover's remains so he can be brought back. As the title says, they're not all bundled up neat and tidy, but all over the land.
Through tribulations and trials, Sellah finds pieces of Kaid's body, her love for him propelling her as she faces each dangerous task.
I loved the delicate touch the author has with her prose. We're talking putting your man's body back together, literally, dealing with gods and their fickleness, there's no need to gild this lily.
Very excited to read more books by Nicole! -
It took me two days to read this book and realize that this is THE story of love...you know, the kind of love you heard about being boundless and everlasting. A kind of love that holds no bounds to even the gods themselves.
This is that book.
The story is weaved in grief, hope, and remembrance in a beautiful telling way that, even though you understand that stuff happened, you are still shocked they do happen when you get to that point in the story.
I want more of these characters, of this world, of the epic and hauntingly beautiful love found in this book. 5/5, probably more like 6/5. -
Completely Captivating!
This book captured my attention right away and kept it until the very last page. The world building is extremely detailed and the characters are beautifully multifaceted. Sellah is the epitome of a badass heroine. She struggles through hardship after hardship and the reader finds them-self cheering for her, holding their breath and weeping tears at her pain. The journey Sellah and Kain must endure to be together is fraught with passion and pain, love and loss, sacrifice and, ultimately, salvation. A captivating story from start to finish. -
What an endearing love story!!! It’s not too spicy, but the adventure aspect of the book does so much to show the unending love of one human for another. The main character changes in so many ways as the book goes along, making her into a brave warrior with an endurance that only love could cause to grow. You meet many new gods along the way, making the book quite original. I have to say that I couldn’t put the book down. I highly recommend.
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I'm amazed at the way Nicole was able to fit such an epic fantasy in one book (that's less than 300 pages!). I'm seriously in awe of how she captured a world of gods and humans, forbidden love, life threatening quests, and found family all while taking you on an emotional journey that'll break your heart and restore your faith in everlasting love. There were so many moments that simultaneously had me sobbing and swooning. Pick this up right now!
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Talk about a tragic love! I have never read a book that was so sweet and so sad like this before. The way Kaid talked to Sellah, loved Sellah. He was patient, kind, and just all around perfect. My heart ached, but felt full at the same time. It’s short for a fantasy book but omg it packed a punch. There was no waste of excessive detail like most fantasy books. The author got to the point, but there was still plenty of world building that was fascinating. Truly a phenomenal job on this one.
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This book has my whole heart!
He was executed and dismembered because of their love and she scours the darkest corners of the realm to retrieve his remains in blind faith that a Stranger can bring him back to her.
I’m going to need everyone to read this book so that you can love it as much as I do! -
There are no words to describe perfection of this book. The writing never bored or dragged on. Reading this book was like pure poetry. You felt every word, every emotion, every experience. This book came from the writers soul and you can tell. Most well written book I have read in a long time and if I could give it 10,20, 100 stars, I would.
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This book had me crying happy tears and sad tears. Hands down one of the best romances I have read to date. A story of a love so strong, that it transcends death and defies all odds. I honestly cannot explain how much I loved this. If you are looking for something that will feed your soul and have your heart breaking (but eventually mending itself), this is the one for you. 💕
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Absolutely beautiful. I cried the entire time I read this. It is heart wrenching, heartbreaking and heartwarming, it’s tragic and haunting and emotional, it’s just stunningly beautiful and everyone should read it.
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I don’t think I have ever cried this much while reading a book. This book was everything. This was written so beautifully the emotions this book invoked were so strong and well executed.
I loved everything about this book. And I encourage everyone to read this
