Full review

Another story to add to the puzzle and mysteries that surround the characters and world of The Black Book of Secrets. I had read TBBS two years ago and fall in to a world of mysteries. The Bone Magician not a prequal or sequel, but rather a paraquel. Now if more authors write series where books' events shadow each other than this word a lot more often.

The first chapter is when Pin witness a dead body being risen only for a few pages before the next few chapters go in to flash backs then back to Pin and the croups. With the beginning being a bit confusing the rest of the story redeem by remained solid.

Some reviewers said that the bone magician plot is push to the side while a murder plot takes its place. I don't think that the case. the way the bone magic is done (hint hint) suggest that there a bit of trickery. I have read book where the story goes completely off the main plot. While this story does keep it together and becomes friends with Juno. ( )

YA This is called a "paraquel" to The Black Book of Secrets. This one tells the story of a young boy(Pin) whose job it is to sit up with dead bodies for three days at the undertaker's to make sure they're really dead. He discovers a network of swindlers/Magicians that he has to get the courage to take on. Great characters ! The author adds to the mysteries of her series by the end, promising more to come. I did not love it, but I found it very well written. It was just not the type of book I enjoy. ( )

The Bone Magician is the paraquel to the Black Book of Secrets. This tells the story of young Pin who is caring for himself after his mother's death and his father's disappearance. To make matters worse Pin's father has been named a person of interest in the Silver Apple murders. Pin finds a job worker for an undertaker as a body watcher to make sure people are really dead before they are buried. This is another wonderfully creepy series installment. The writing is beautiful and the author creates a glum and spooky atmosphere. I highly recommend this book to fans of the Black Book of Secrets ( )

THE BONE MAGICIAN I bought this book because it was cheap and the cover had great images and a tactile feel. Set in Victorian Dickensian times I knew I would like it. It is about an abandoned boy, Pin Carpue, Pin's mother is dead and his father is on the run after being accused of murder. Pin watches corpses for a living. It was common in these times for people to rob the corpse of eyeballs, teeth etc to on sell or to be buried alive. Pin finds a job working for the local undertaker as a body watcher, making sure people are really dead before they’re buried.
While watching a corpse, Pin is drugged and as he comes to, the body he’s supposed to be watching is currently surrounded by three people engaged in a most unusual ceremony. An old man, a bone magician, and his young female assistant are waking a woman so her grieving fiancé can have one last goodbye with her. Pin can’t believe it will work, but then the dead woman sits up and speaks.
Pin is determined to discover how the magic works. He cannot believe they are raising the dead. He cannot believe his father is a murderer. Then Pin himself nearly becomes the killer’s (The Silver Apple Killer) next victim.
As this story unfolds with all its creepiness, Pin learns more about the bone magician, the girl Juno and a hideous creature called the Gluttonous Beast that is kept in a local tavern where people pay for a glimpse.
The story is from various characters points of view, taken from Pin's Journal, some from Pin's point of view, some from Juno's, some of the book is taken from newspapers, etc.
I really enjoyed this story as I like relating it to how people lived in those times through poverty and yet they survive, they are resilient. Books of this type show a person true integrity, where characters struggle against poverty and despair bringing a sense of enlightenment into the dark world they live in.
Due to my enjoyment in reading this book I purchased the first book, The Black Book of Secrets which was also well worth the read. These two books can be read independent of each other. I've yet to read The Eyeball Collector and The Lunatic's Curse. ( )

It skips a lot between characters, very little is resolved. Far too much left undone. I think Higgins would make a good short story novelist, but I am unsure about full-length novels. By the by, Juno is addicted to her herbs and potions a bit - can't see that leading to anything good. Likely why she is so pale and translucent. ( )