Call of the Bone Ships is the second book in The Tide Child trilogy by R.J. Barker. There’s no middle book syndrome here. I was one of the relatively few readers who were slightly disappointed by The Bone Ships on my first read. To sum it up briefly, it was too different from The Wounded Kingdom trilogy, and I expected a focus on characterization right from the getgo. But that wasn’t the case, The Bone Ships spent the first half of the novel heavily focused on world-building, and the characterizations came in the second half. This storytelling decision, however, made the reread experience of The Bone Ships that I did rewarding. And I’m happy to say that Call of the Bone Ships provided a more character-driven narrative in addition to retaining the fascinating world-building.

I liked the first book, but I thought the author had some issues with pacing and a ton of world building, which was understandable, since he was introducing us to a very ugly world, harsh and unforgiving, where women are revered for having healthy children, and men who are able to father children without flaws are given desired positions, as long as they keep trying to father such on other proven women... The majority of people are crippled from birth, or if, as in the case of our protagonist Joron T, the mother dies at birth, they are considered low class and undesirable, never given a chance to rise above their birth. The world is mostly ocean, and people live on scattered islands, with the two major unions of such islands being constantly at war. The way they wager war and have commerce is by ships. The biggest, best ships are built with the bones of long extinct water dragons. But those big ships are now old and it seems with their disintegration, the never ending war might be coming to an end. This is what Joron and his crew want most of all. However, it seems some of those long lost water dragons seem to be awakening from a deep sleep, and both sides would do anything to be able to kill them and harvest their bones again for their ships. Only it turns out this is not easy to do, and a horrible recipe might be the only way. Thankfully, Joron Twiner is never alone. Readers of The Bone Ships will know that found family is one of the key themes of the series, and I’m gratified to state that Barker nailed the growth of the other characters as well. The themes of loss, sacrifice, responsibility, and loyalty were established, and they’re indeed pretty savage, but the crew of the Tide Child knows they are all in this together. Being battered non-stop by waves of pain and blood, it’s only by working together they can put a dent in their seemingly unbending end. Whether they succeed or not, I’ll leave that for you to find out for yourself. I enjoyed what I’ve read, and the growth of the characters—I won’t mention their name to avoid spoilers—was incredible. Excellent. One of the most interesting and original fantasy worlds I've seen in years." —Adrian Tchaikovsky, Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning author

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With the completion of his Wounded Kingdom trilogy, RJ Barker has shot up to the top of my must-reads authors list and I was so excited when I found out that his next fantasy series will be a maritime adventure set on the high seas featuring bone ships and a dragon hunt! Instead, I've been given a tale steeped in espionage and cunning. The stakes have been raised, and the winds are changing. Joron will find himself flensed to the bone, losing everything he holds dear. He will be hammered and tempered into steel before he can live out his destiny... or reject it entirely and shape a different future from what has been foretold. Where The Bone Ships was an exciting adventure fantasy, this book had a lot more mystery involved and a plot that had plenty of tension throughout. That's not to say that there aren't moments of action fight scenes, and adventure. Oh there are! I'm just saying that it's a slightly different book in plot and pacing but delivers all the same when taken as a whole. The redemption story of Joron in particular was a joy to read for me. Here is a character who took a beating in the first book and really got tested time and time again. In CALL OF THE BONE SHIPS we wee how that experience is changing him and his evolution is clearly happening before our eyes. Joron Twiner is Meas' second in command and he has a bond with the guillame. This story has Joron featured just as much as Meas as they come upon the strangest ship they'd ever seen with the strangest cargo ever beheld. Desperation has birthed evil.

A brilliantly imagined saga of honour, glory, and warfare, The Bone Ships starts an epic new trilogy from David Gemmell Award-nominated RJ Barker. R.J. Barker's The Bone Ships was one of my favorite fantasy reads of last year. It had the perfect blend of epic fantasy and maritime fiction. The fact that the majority of the book takes place on a ship made of dragon bones was really cool and unique, definitely a breath of fresh air from the usual medieval fantasy flooding the market. That book only served to whet my appetite for what would come next and I was extremely excited when I was able to get an early copy of the follow up CALL OF THE BONE SHIPS from publisher Orbit Books. The story starts as we immediately join our favourite crew of misfits who make a deeply disturbing discovery. Of course, this discovery is tightly linked to the story and revelations of the first book, so I won’t divulge any specifics other than to say that it sets them on a race against time to save lives and uncover the depths of this horrific plot. RJBarker wrote one of my favourite fantasy series of all time, The Wounded Kingdom trilogy. So, when I heard that he was writing a brand-new series called The Tide Child trilogy, I was excited. And by excited, I mean I might have shouted about it to one or two, or seventy random people. I am a huge fan. You may wonder why it did not get a higher rating then. The truth is that this was a very good book in the end, but it took its time in getting there. It’s a weird thing trying to review a book that was a tale of two halves. I do not want to focus solely on the individual parts, but rather the whole.As with all things, I think it is about balance. The author took a risk with his approach, and The Bone Ships comes out on the right side. Just shy of great, it is a very good read and I would definitely recommend it, but with a caveat. Be warned going in that is a slow build, and persevere. The read is worth the time. For an unknown author, I might have put this down. But I trusted RJ to deliver, and in the end he did. A wonderful testament to his skill and talent. I will be ready and waiting when the sequel arrives.Call of the Bone Ships is a superb follow up to the first book in the series, and in my opinion even better, raising the bar and laying down a challenge to Wake of the Bone Ships. It underlines why RJ Barker is one of the best writers in fantasy and together with Jen Williams, still one of the most underrated. Criminally so to say the least. I truly hope more people discover them and that they become the household names their work deserves. An enthralling story in a fascinating yet brutal world and its harsh seas, The Bone Ships is another winner from R.J. Barker. My advice is to judge them on who they are when you meet them, rather than on what you have heard from those to whom they are only stories.” Still as great on a reread, and it's making me even more excited to know what's next now that the last book of the trilogy, The Bone Ship's Wake, has just been released. So remember this, if you hear tales of bravery and greatness, they are nearly always told by people who have only watched battle from afar. Those of us who have suffered through it know such stories as a skin over the horror of what is true.

Unfortunately I didn't love this one like I thought I would. I really enjoyed the last series by RJ, and I think the difference between the two is that that series is so full of vibrant characters who you can connect with and who feel really alive. This series, at least for me, focused a lot more on the world-building, and I think it was at the detriment of the characters. I found it very hard to really connect with any of the characters and the plot just didn't have enough to keep me excited. This is a pirate-y story, and normally I enjoy books aboard ship. However, in this one, although I do think RJ does a super job with the bone ships and the ways of sailors on a ship, I just didn't feel gripped or compelled by this. I also think it's a super slow start with none of the 'real' plot happening until around halfway and the second half, although better, still didn't grip me as I wanted it to. A vividly realized high-seas epic that pulls you deep into its world and keeps you tangled there until the very last word."—Evan Winter, author of The Rage of Dragons For generations, the Hundred Isles have built their ships from the bones of ancient dragons to fight an endless war. The dragons disappeared, but the battles for supremacy persisted. An excellent sequel filled with brutal and bloody seafaring adventures, Call of the Bone Ships elevated the story with remarkable character work.For generations, the Hundred Isles have built their ships from the bones of ancient dragons to fight an endless war. Lastly, the world building is second to none. R.J. has definitely outdone himself with this wonderfully complex world. All the more impressive because it is such a different setting from his previous Wounded Kingdom series. I can't say enough about how tremendous of a read this book is and I highly recommend it to lovers of all types of genres, not just Fantasy. This is a story that will appeal to anyone who loves wonderful stories filled with deep characters, gripping adventure, and multi-layered world building. The world was already established as being completely unique, fresh, and fun - but this book went above and beyond by taking the reader to many different locations and dumping more lore into this world. I'm going to be thinking about the world that was built here for many years, and it will be difficult for a fantasy book to come close to capturing the wonder that has been built here in the future. And I would be remiss if I talked about an R.J. Barker book without mentioning the deep and vivid world-building. The Hundred Isles is a place that stands out in the pantheon of fantasy worlds. The fact that this world is also inhabited by sea dragons, and other incredibly cool beasts makes it all the better. It was truly a brilliant concept for this series to take place on the high seas because there are is always another amazing place to visit, you simply have to hop on your dragon bone ship and get there! I said before that the setting reminded me a lot of Robin Hobb's Liveship Traders series and that still somewhat holds true for me. Yet Barker has somehow managed to make his own story very fresh and different from that one by adding a level of warfare and intrigue much higher than Hobb's series.

A very unique introduction to a largely nautical fantasy series, with a fresh world met by an original plot line, with a great mix of characters thrust into the mix. A really enjoyable read, which was performed brilliantly by the narrator on Audible. This first novel of the Tide Child trilogy aptly titled The Bone Ship takes us to the Hundred Isles where two rival nations have been warring since time immemorial. None can even tell you how or why the enmity started between them, but all they know is that in this archipelago system, the side with the best ships win. Thus for generations, the islanders have endeavored to build the most powerful fleets out of the sturdy bones of great sea dragons, but after centuries of this practice, inevitably these magnificent beasts have been hunted to extinction. Dragon sightings have become virtually non-existent, sparking yet another fierce competition for the few bones that remain. Ringrazio la casa editrice per avermi omaggiato di una copia del libro. Le Navi di Ossa è il primo romanzo di una trilogia High Fantasy, che segue le vicende di Joron Twiner, un ragazzo con un passato oscuro, che si imbarca in una missione impossibile insieme a Maes, dama di nave della Tide Child. E questa missione potrebbe involvere o no qualche mostro marino.The moment the realization of just what was being risked hit me was singularly profound, and I am deeply, deeply curious how Barker will work all this out in the trilogy's final book. The Hundred Isles are not what they seem, and the stakes are higher than I ever could have guessed. The implications hinted at in the events of Call of the Bone Ships are grand and epic in scale even as the cast remains small and focused. Look in the mirror when you return to your cabin. Ask yourself if people can change, ask yourself if people can surprise you.” This was a much better structured book than the first, and I couldn't put it down, as much as the author hurt my heart in numerous occasions... It put me through the wringer and set up for the third and final book, which has me wanting to grab it right away, but I will be strong and give myself some time to process and put some distance by reading some fluffy and light books, because we need to take care of our mental health, right? 😎😃. RJ Barker wrote one of my favourite fantasy series of all time, The Wounded Kingdom trilogy. So, when I heard that he was writing a brand-new series called The Tide Child trilogy, I was excited. And by excited, I mean I might have shouted about it to one or two, or seventy random people. I am a huge fan. That said, on my first read I struggled with the start of this book and that influenced my initial rating quite a bit. I still thought this was a very good book in the end, but felt it took slightly long to get there. On rereading this though, I was pleasantly surprised by having an absolute blast of a time and I am happy to say that I misjudged this book a bit. Only our crew is not going to stand for it. And a race to discover what exactly is going on and stop it ensues...