Review: Mistress of Bones (Mistress of Bones #1) by Maria Z. Medina

*I received a copy of this book from Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review.

Mistress of Bones

(Mistress of Bones #1)

by Maria Z. Medina 

August 5, 2025

Goodreads Summary:

An epic, multi-POV debut fantasy perfect for fans of The Bone Shard Daughter and Six of Crows, where a necromancer trying to resurrect her sister gets embroiled in bigger, world-ending plans instead.

Necromancer Azul del Arroyo only wants one thing: to steal her sister back from Death by reclaiming her sister’s bones. But the Emissary of the Lord Death will do anything to stop her, no matter how alluring he finds her . . .

As their paths collide, they’re drawn into a deadly game of pawns and power with a count who begrudgingly works for a child king, a faceless witch who transforms the bones of gods into dreams she can peddle, and a long-lost half-brother with a secret of his own—and soon realize the fate of the lands is hanging in the balance.

For long ago the gods raised the continents, binding them with their own bones to keep humanity alive. But in an era when the gods’ sacrifice has been forgotten, Death might not be the only resentful god Azul must defy.

Swashbuckling, grand, and tragically romantic, Mistress of Bones is a can't-miss start to a duology about love, loss, and, of course, death.

Review

Mistress of Bones was slow to warm up for me however, there were exciting moments throughout the story. The romance played a small role, but I did enjoy it and the discussion on the morality of reanimating the dead.

In Mistress of Bones, we saw through multiple POVs. Things were definitely confusing at first but as the many plotlines converged, the big picture became obvious. The pacing could have been better if we didn’t have the POVs that felt pointless, but the explosive last quarter of the book made up for it. Surprising plot twists like the identity of the necromancer and the truth of Azul’s power, kept me rooted in the world.

Given who Azul and Enjul were, the romance in Mistress of Bones was wholly unpredictable. In the beginning, their animosity radiated off the pages. Neither could stand the other. Yet as time passed, an unspoken truce developed between them. The transformation of Azul and Enjul’s relationship was genuine; however, I wish they had spent a tad more time together. It would more easily justify the strong emotions they had near the end.

Mistress of Bones promises dark magic, hidden gods and questionable actions. It’s a thoughtful story and I look forward to seeing how the characters will fare in the next book.

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not affected in any way. Any quotes included in my review were taken from the copy I received.