Bone Smith Review – Nicki Pau Preto’s Dark and Vivid Fantasy

Originally posted on January 20th, 2024

So, I bought this book based solely on the author description:

Nicki Pau Preto is a fantasy author living just outside of Toronto—though her dislike of hockey, snow, and geese makes her the worst Canadian in the country. She studied art and art history in university and worked as a graphic designer before becoming a writer full-time.

I, too, am a Canadian living not far from Toronto who doesn’t like hockey, HATES snow and I’m really not that fond of Geese unless served with rice.

Naturally, I had to get the book because #realrecognizereal.

I haven’t bought a mainstream fantasy book in a long time, the majority of my fantasy reading going into pulpy Sword and Sorcery classics like Kyrik, Conan and Fahrd and the Grey Mouser and I tend to steer away from longer series as my ADD just gets the better of me sometimes (hence the name of my brand – if I haven’t stated that enough). I thought this was a standalone book, turned out to be a duology, but that ended up being more than okay.

From the first few pages, I began to connect with Wren. Whether it was the constant need to have external validation from the ones I love or the constant desire to be absolutely the best I can be – or maybe just the general need to “bend” the rules – I connected with her.

By the end of the first chapter, I was hooked.

Nicki has built a world that is vivid and rich; with a history so vivid, I felt like I was a part of it. The magic system that was created felt so unique and I was constantly entranced by how magic was operated within the world.

Something that I loved about Nicki’s writing was the lack of detail which she uses to describe combat. I have an imagination that I can use to infer a lot of things. Some writers (*cough* RA Salvatore *cough*) have a tendency to over explain a lot of things – swords coming down at 32 degree angles etc- when my mind is fully capable of painting these details. The descriptions that she used were just perfect for me.

To expand on the detail thing, the one negative that I had was the detailing of the world. Sometimes it felt a little bit like I was reading the notes that she left for herself building it. There was a little over explaining on certain things – the gold currency for example. I just couldn’t really understand how or why Wren would care about this detail.

Another thing I loved about this book was the cheesiness. I mention in my podcast Voice Memo Monday #2 that I was really struggling with a way to be able to describe it and I don’t think that I have really been able to find the right words.

There are certain events that happen within Bone Smith that are a stereotypical “cheesy” event, but the way that Nicki writes it and the way that it appears in the story doesn’t feel cheesy at all. I don’t know how to explain this, but it is the way I feel and nobody can tell me any differently.

Either way, the last 5-10 chapters or so had me gasping as I would start to piece together what she was revealing that I actually was disappointed in myself for not foreseeing. I couldn’t put it down and I was so damn tired the day after I finished reading it that I almost regretted it.

Also, that ending! My god, I could almost hear the adventurous music beginning as it felt like the closing montage to a movie. It was absolutely phenomenal *chef’s kiss*

Overall, I was absolutely connected to the cast of characters and I related a little bit to each of their journeys, rooting for their successes and just all around waiting for more.

Waiting for this second book is going to be a really long few months and I am absolutely gutted that I am going to have to wait so long.

If YA fantasy is your thing, don’t sleep on this book.

4/5 star read.

Update: I am reading the sequel now in 2025. When the review is done, you will find that here.