Rich in history and the atmosphere of New Orleans, tJ. D. Horn's The King of Bones and Ashes follows the loves and feuds of two powerful families of witches features
intricate characters, well-thought-out lore, and plot twists galore. I visited
New Orleans in 2011, and many of the scenes evoked hours spent exploring the
French Quarter and beyond.
Nowadays the allure of witches (or other
magical/supernatural beings) in the “Big Easy,” also known as the City of
Second Chances, has given rise to many depictions in print and visual media.
All too often, however, the portrayals are superficial and derivative, and are
poorly integrated with the city’s history and culture. Not so J. D. Horn’s The King of Bones and Ashes. I loved the sense of dynastic progression, of
the increasingly desperate tactics to slow the disappearance of magic, of the
witches’ attempt to counteract Katrina’s damage, not to mention the complex system
of witchy magic.
I also liked that the circularity of the story; instead of
having everything laid out clearly, I had to put pieces together in more active
reading. It’s not an easy read, but that makes it all the more satisfying. The
actual mystery enhances the mysteriousness of the setting and drama.
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