The bone maker A novel

Durst (Race the Sands) sets this richly drawn fantasy in a world where magic wielders called bone makers use animal bones to animate lifeless objects. Twenty-five years ago, Kreya Odi Altriana and her fabled team of heroes defeated Eklor, a corrupt bone maker who illegally used human bones in his spells, in the bloody Bone War which cost Kreya her husband, Jentt. Overwhelmed with grief, Kreya secretly turned to forbidden magic to resurrect her husband by trading years of her life for his. But the incantation won't last much longer without human bones, and Kreya convinces her former best friend, Zera, to help her steal bones left unburied on the Bone War's battlefield. They soon discover a threat that lurks within the skeleton-littered plains--Eklor is alive and rebuilding his army. Now Kreya must assemble the remainder of her retired team to defeat Eklor once more. Though Durst relies a bit too much on the legendary reputations of her heroes and their actions in the first war, leading the present-day epic action to feel a bit unearned, the exquisite worldbuilding and inventive, macabre magic system more than make up for this flaw. Durst's fans will be delighted. Agent: Andrea Somberg, Harvey Klinger Literary. (Mar.)

Award-winning YA author Durst (Queen of Blood) pens her latest stand-alone fantasy for adults. Bone maker Kreya inserts bones from dead animals into inanimate objects enlivening them. About 25 years prior to this story, she led a team of heroes to defeat and kill the enemy Eklor, who created an inhuman army and threatened the city of Vos. In that battle, her husband, Jentt, was killed. Grieving, she wants to try a forbidden spell to bring him back. She asks her fellow hero, Zera, to help her recover human bones on the battlefield to complete the spell. In the process, they uncover Eklor's bone army and hints that he may still be alive. Eklor reveals himself and puts a persuasion spell on the city's leader convincing him that Eklor has redeemed himself. Kreya must bring the heroes together and find a way to stop him, this time for good. VERDICT With great pacing and character development, Durst's action-packed adventure is sure to make new fans and satisfy her legions of current ones.--Lucy Roehrig, Ann Arbor Dist. Lib., MI