The Bone Ship's Wake by RJ Barker
I would like to thank Nazia from orbit for an advance copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review
Publisher – Orbit
Published - Out Now
Price – £8.99 paperback £5.49 Kindle eBook
The sea dragons are returning, and Joron Twiner's dreams of freedom lie shattered. His Shipwife is gone and all he has left is revenge.
Leading the black fleet from the deck of Tide ChildJoron takes every opportunity to strike at his enemies, but he knows his time is limited. His fleet is shrinking and the Keyshan's Rot is running through his body. He runs from a prophecy that says he and the avian sorcerer, the Windseer, will end the entire world.
But the sea dragons have begun to return, and if you can have one miracle, who is to say that there cannot be another?
Warning – there will be spoilers for the previous books. Go and read them now if you haven’t because you’re missing out on some excellent fantasy then come back for my review you fools! (said with love)
The grand finale of a trilogy is a difficult read for the lover of any series. Will the last book tie up all the loose ends? Will there be justice? Will all my favourite characters survive? But I think the key question a reader should be asking as you reach that final page is was the ending right for the story itself. All the other questions above may be turned on their head ,but you just know as you wipe the dust from your eyes spouting water that you’ve travelled on the final leg of the quest and it fully was worth the time and emotional highs and lows experienced. Let’s make this clear from the off that The Bone Ship’s Wake by RJ Barker is a more than fitting triumph concluding one of the best trilogies in epic fantasy.
I suppose you may need a little more than that…
Ok I’m going to remind you that we left the crew of the Tide Child in a bad place at the end of Call of the Bone Ships. To protect her crew the ship’s leader Lucky Meas surrendered herself to her former employer’s The Hundred Isles who she has tried to rebel against. Her second in command Joron finds himself leading a fleet but completely stunned at losing his mentor, leader, and friend. Where do we go next? I shall reluctantly tell you that you’ll find our characters changed more than you ever imagined and if you consider where we both met them at the start of this tale in The Bone Ships you’ll be amazed at their transition. This is fundamentally Joron’s quest for Meas as the heart of the story and on top of that we witness the final reckoning of Joron’s rebel fleet as he tackles the various empires all keen to see the status quo of corrupt power continue. Be prepared for revelations, betrayals, battles, and last stands.
Ok ….really ….you want to know more?
Avoiding the plot because trust me this story is best for seasoned deckchilder already familiar with the books to go in cold then just be aware that Barker has made the tale into three beautifully composed set pieces. A stone-cold tense war of cat and mouse between The Tide Child and a pursuer that will keep you on edge with every turn of sail and cunning trick being played between the captains. There is then on land then a powerful game of politics, subterfuge, sacrifice, and secrets revealed and some truly head turning but well-played revelations about our characters. Finally, the finale lives up to all expectations as the remaining rebels have to face their pursuers and the outcome is not certain…oh and did I mention that the gigantic sea monsters known as the Keyshans are rising and that the mysterious bird sorcerers the Guillame are up to something? In terms of plot, you will enjoy the voyage to be travelled. It is hard, it is satisfying, and it never makes you want to look away from the page.
How this is largely achieved is Barker’s absolutely gorgeous prose. A third person tale told in the language of the Tide Child’s world. Three books in we now understand the culture, terminology and people so these metaphors and shipping terms make sense (and for a fully made-up fantasy world that is very much a sign of Barker’s worldbuilding talent). The other joy is the prose is never dull, it skips, runs, shouting and whispering in our ears as appropriate pulling us readers along to look at whatever happens next. We feel joy, dread, and loss with a turn of a sentence and the narration is as much a character in this tale as the rest of the crew. If this had been flat third person prose, we would have lost so much instead it feels like a legend from another world being told to us. A joy to read and please do enjoy the use of language.
Lastly this is a story of character. From villain’s henchman to our main players there is no character in the story who does have some depth or shade to themselves. We find ourselves haunted by their deaths and we also have to marvel at the changes they all undergo. Joron has taken on the mantle of leadership and safe to say he has had to sacrifice a lot of himself to take on that mantle. The costs of his previous adventures are also taking their toll. From the naïve and often drunk young man we first met he is now seasoned; ruthless and aware he is no angel and not comfortable with that outcome. Fittingly as Joron gains this hard shell of command around him then in the scenes we see of Meas we find more about the person who is behind the uniform and living legend. Our two leads are now balanced and make a fantastic double-act even when separated. Their entwined paths are the heart of the entire trilogy and that underlying friendship and sense of trying to do the right thing here is tested. Throughout the trilogy there has been a sense that this entire world is too cruel and unforgiving, and the choices made for our duo get them to really question how much they are willing to sacrifice for their ideals and let go of their past loyalties.
In conclusion if you’ve not yet picked up these books then you need to correct that mistake. For existing fans prepare to go in and you will be drained but more than happy for one last epic adventure in that strange world. More widely this is a tale of redemption, of being better than you ever thought you were capable and one of being prepared for justice for those who cannot defend themselves from those who seek power for power’s sakes. As times get harder and evil people keep talking about difficult decisions having to be made hurting those less able to protect themselves then sometimes it is useful to have something to motivate yourself to be better. That’s what great books do.
This is a great book.
