It’s easy to judge a book by its cover, but with a section of the school library offering students mystery, wrapped books, the choice is taken out of their hands. The short, one-sentence summary on the wrapped copy of Your Blood, My Bones by Kelly Andrew promised mystery, intrigue, and a chilling fantasy.
When Wyatt Westlock returns to Willow Heath, the farmhouse property she once adored and wanted to live in, she isn’t prepared for the secrets she finds. Wyatt discovers the abandoned, decaying farmhouse, her old room ransacked, and Peter. Peter is a prisoner to the house, someone from her memories that she hasn’t seen in five years but has never forgotten. After all, for countless summers, Peter and James were the only company she had. She doesn’t call them friends, but they were everything to each other.
But now, they’re no longer the kids that grew up together. The truth is slowly revealed and while it isn’t clear, Wyatt finds that Peter, who has always been quiet, kept his secrets hidden well. He’s immortal, in a sense: he can die countless times and won’t stay dead. And worse, Wyatt’s family has used the ashes of his bones for generations, mixed with their blood, to keep dark forces at bay, away from Willow Heath.
Wyatt might want to help Peter, but helping him is risky. Dangerous creatures circle the property, but the true danger might be within. After centuries of being sacrificed and reborn, Peter is desperate to break the cycle. The only problem is that doing so means killing Wyatt, the last Westlock. James’ appearance seems to promise that everything will get better, but it only confuses things as all three of the characters hide their own secrets from each other, all while trying to work together.
Although it’s labeled as romantasy, the romance isn’t as prominent as the book’s fantastical elements. Each character is well fleshed out, and with chapters that alternate perspectives between Wyatt and Peter (Pedyr), readers get to see their individual motivations, emotions, and internal conflicts clearly. However, the book leaves some storylines only vaguely answered, especially regarding the characters’ pasts and fears.
As promised, the book delivers a story that’s tense, mysterious, and emotional. Because of all of the secrecy, the book can seem like a chaotic whirlwind of unanswered questions, but for any readers looking for an unsettling, dark book with richly descriptive writing and characters to empathize with, Your Blood, My Bones is a good choice that won’t easily be forgotten.
