Wraithful Reads

The Road of Bones is a Viking fantasy novel that takes inspiration from the Witcher games, according to the author – and this is quite clear in the depiction of the Blood Axe Crew. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. The Road of Bones focuses primarily on Silla Nordvig’s journey on the infamous Road of Bones – a long stretch of road connecting most of the towns in the Kingdom of Íseldur. The road is treacherous and full of danger; even more so now with a dangerous and mysterious killer on the loose.

After the murder of her father by the King’s guards, Silla is a woman on the run. Left with nothing but secrets and confusion, she manages to find a place amongst the Blood Axe Crew, a Viking group of monster hunters who are on their way to deal with the mysterious serial killer. Convincing them to take her along so she can reach Kopa, Silla’s journey with the crew is fraught with tension and the occasional bloody fight. And, a little romantic/sexual tension with one of the more handsome members of the crew too.

My review from this point onwards will contain spoilers, read at your own risk.

“You’ve broken me…bewitched me…I know nothing except that I am miserable. All I can think of are your lips; the smell of your hair. How you felt in my arms; the way you made me feel so alive.”
― Demi Winters, The Road of Bones

Overall, I enjoyed The Road of Bones. Its fantastical Viking setting and world-building were incredibly skillfully done, Winters has created a rich world full of lore and intrigue. Generally, you know you’re in for a good read when the book comes with a map and a pronunciation guide and The Road of Bones did not disappoint in this aspect. I also enjoyed the multiple POV storytelling that Winters employed, as it helped with the world-building in a way that felt organic to read and details about the Kingdom of Íseldur weren’t just thrown at us as the reader, as a long list of details and things to remember. It was easy to follow and understand too from the distinct personalities and settings of the different characters whose points of view were being described.

As a huge fan of the Witcher series, I can see where the comparisons are coming from here too. A hostile world; grim, gory, and violent, which is abundant with monsters. Magic users, known as the Galdur in Winters’ story, are hunted down and executed. And it all centres around a young woman with a secret lineage and powers she is not yet aware of how to wield properly.

The development of Silla’s relationships with the rest of the Blood Axe Crew was also really enjoyable to read – I’m an absolute sucker for the trope of “gruff and grumpy older character meets a softer character that is the embodiment of sunshine,” and Silla’s relationship with Rey portrays this perfectly. I initially enjoyed the romantic arc between her and Jonas too and I was shocked when this proved to be a red herring for the real romance that is to take place in the story.

I think my only criticism is that the pacing could be a little slow at times, and the book was definitely a slow start but this was mostly due to the world being established for the reader. I felt my attention drifting, but I was quickly brought back by how rich and interesting the world is and my patience paid off towards the end of the book.

I did start to worry when I didn’t have much of the book left to read and there were still so many things that hadn’t been explained, but the explanations soon started to come thick and fast. And – spoiler alert – the plot twist involving Rey was extremely good, and one I did not see coming. It left me full of questions, though: Why did Rey need to visit Kraki if he already knew the answer regarding the monster/killer they were after? Was it just part of a cover-up? According to Winters, there will be two more books in the Ashen series, with book two “Kingdom of Claw” set to be released in February 2025. I hope to get some answers then, and I’m very much looking forward to reading the second instalment in this series.

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