The Bone Ships is excellent. Aside from the standout writing, it's one of the most interesting and original fantasy worlds I've seen in years." - Adrian Tchaikovsky R.J. Barker's The Bone Ships was one of my favorite fantasy reads of last year. It had the perfect blend of epic fantasy and maritime fiction. The fact that the majority of the book takes place on a ship made of dragon bones was really cool and unique, definitely a breath of fresh air from the usual medieval fantasy flooding the market. That book only served to whet my appetite for what would come next and I was extremely excited when I was able to get an early copy of the follow up CALL OF THE BONE SHIPS from publisher Orbit Books. Only our crew is not going to stand for it. And a race to discover what exactly is going on and stop it ensues... The style is not bad, although it does not make big discounts for a better understanding of what is happening. Some events are depicted indistinctly and fragmentarily. However, the various positive aspects of the writing style offset these shortcomings. I did not for one moment long to be alone; in fact, my loneliness was as much a prison as this brig is. I simply longed for someone who would let me be as I wished to be.”"

Tide Child trilogy - Wikipedia

This book was a much more emotional read for me than its predecessor. There were many parts that were tough to get through because of the subject matter. Having said that, Barker navigates it all in such a way that yes you feel the pain, but you are also compelled to keep moving forward because you have to believe that someone is going to pay for all of the tragedy being dished out. I really do believe that R.J. Barker just keeps getting better and part of the reason is that he's not afraid to take risks and chances in his writing. CALL OF THE BONE SHIPS is simply another example of this in my opinion. So maybe he had, for once, woken with the idea of how wonderful it would be to have a little pride. And if there had been a day for him to give up the two-tailed hat of shipwife, then it was not this day.I was a Hundred Isles shipwife, boy. How many innocents do you think fell to my blade? Too many. You think I would throw away the one person I genuinely care about for those who I know nothing of? Those I care nothing for?... No, never.” Dragons have returned to the Hundred Isles. But their return heralds only war and destruction. When a horde of dying slaves are discovered in the bowels of a ship, Shipwife Meas and the crew of the Tide Child find themselves drawn into a vicious plot that will leave them questioning their loyalties and fighting for their lives.

the Bone Ships: Book 2 of the Tide Child Trilogy Call of the Bone Ships: Book 2 of the Tide Child Trilogy

This was a much better structured book than the first, and I couldn't put it down, as much as the author hurt my heart in numerous occasions... It put me through the wringer and set up for the third and final book, which has me wanting to grab it right away, but I will be strong and give myself some time to process and put some distance by reading some fluffy and light books, because we need to take care of our mental health, right? 😎😃. He tried to speak, found his mouth dry and not merely from last night’s drink. Fear. Though he had walked with it as a companion for six months it made it no less palatable. Call of the Bone Ships is the second book in The Tide Child trilogy by R.J. Barker. There’s no middle book syndrome here. I was one of the relatively few readers who were slightly disappointed by The Bone Ships on my first read. To sum it up briefly, it was too different from The Wounded Kingdom trilogy, and I expected a focus on characterization right from the getgo. But that wasn’t the case, The Bone Ships spent the first half of the novel heavily focused on world-building, and the characterizations came in the second half. This storytelling decision, however, made the reread experience of The Bone Ships that I did rewarding. And I’m happy to say that Call of the Bone Ships provided a more character-driven narrative in addition to retaining the fascinating world-building. Andrew Liptak (22 Feb 2021). "Here Are the Winners of the 2020 British Fantasy Awards". Tor.com . Retrieved 28 Jul 2022. For generations, the Hundred Isles have built their ships from the bones of ancient dragons to fight an endless war.

The Bone Ships (The Tide Child #1) Review". Publishers Weekly. 24 Jul 2019 . Retrieved 27 Jul 2022. RJBarker wrote one of my favourite fantasy series of all time, The Wounded Kingdom trilogy. So, when I heard that he was writing a brand-new series called The Tide Child trilogy, I was excited. And by excited, I mean I might have shouted about it to one or two, or seventy random people. I am a huge fan. You may wonder why it did not get a higher rating then. The truth is that this was a very good book in the end, but it took its time in getting there.