L.J. Andrews, already beloved for her Ever King saga, returns with a vengeance in Broken Souls and Bones, the first book in the Stonegate series. Set in the perilous realms of Stìgandr, this romantasy novel blends magic, political intrigue, and slow-burn romance into a tale as lyrical as it is lethal. At once thrilling and emotionally resonant, this novel launches a new universe where secrets are buried deeper than bones and love might be the most dangerous form of rebellion.
Combining a rich mythos with gritty prose, Andrews builds a world where magic is currency, identity is a weapon, and the line between duty and desire is perilously thin. Readers who admire the romantic tension of A Court of Thorns and Roses, the world-building of The Bridge Kingdom, or the danger-laced chemistry of Throne of Glass will find this book a worthy new obsession.
Story Overview: Secrets in the Silver Eyes
At the heart of the story is Lyra Bien, a quiet orchard girl concealing a deadly truth—her silver-scarred eyes mark her as a melder, a rare wielder of bone, blood, and soul magic. In the kingdom of Jorvandal, melders are feared, hunted, and owned. To live free is to live hidden. But when Roark Ashwood, the infamous, voiceless sentry of the prince, uncovers Lyra’s secret during a royal inspection, her world unravels.
Roark, loyal only to Prince Thane, is torn between his growing attraction to the fierce, sharp-tongued Lyra and his sworn oath to deliver her to the crown. As threats from the enemy kingdom of Dravenmoor escalate and Lyra’s powers grow harder to contain, the two must decide whether to uphold a legacy built on lies—or break it apart.
What follows is a slow, tightly woven descent into darkness, rebellion, and forbidden passion that shakes the core of not only kingdoms but hearts.
A Fully Realized Fantasy World Rooted in Myth and Magic
One of the greatest strengths of Broken Souls and Bones is its lush worldbuilding. The realm of Stìgandr is divided among three kingdoms—Jorvandal, Dravenmoor, and Myrda—all with distinct politics, mythologies, and magical traditions. Andrews carefully unpacks a society built on magical hierarchy, where bone crafters, blood mages, and soul wielders are both revered and reviled.
The lore of the Wanderer King and the triad of magical crafts—bone for weaponry, blood for ritual, and soul for memory—adds depth without becoming overwhelming. Andrews smartly ties every magical thread to political consequence. Craft isn’t background—it drives the plot. From enchanted bone blades to blood-cast betrayals, magic is both tool and terror.
For some readers, the early chapters may feel dense, but the reward is a fully immersive world with tangible stakes.
Lyra Bien: A Heroine Carved from Quiet Fire
Lyra is a compelling protagonist—brave, broken, and deeply believable. She is not a chosen-one archetype. Instead, she is a girl who has survived long enough to become dangerous. Her sarcastic inner voice, survival instincts, and fierce loyalty to her best friend Kael make her both likable and layered.
What makes Lyra stand out is not her magical ability, but her humanity. She doubts. She hides. She bleeds. But when she fights, it is with every shard of her soul. Her inner conflict between self-preservation and revolution is written with emotional depth and nuance, allowing readers to grow with her.
Lyra’s trauma is never exploited for drama. Instead, it becomes the foundation for a character arc that is as emotionally satisfying as it is narratively vital.
Roark Ashwood: The Blade with a Bruised Heart
Roark Ashwood is perhaps one of the most nuanced love interests in the romantasy space. A mute sentry adopted from the enemy kingdom, Roark communicates through sign language and carved glances. He’s not your typical brooding male lead—he’s something colder, sharper, but ultimately more vulnerable.
Roark’s emotional journey is every bit as compelling as Lyra’s. His loyalty to the crown is tested by the woman he’s supposed to capture, and his silenced past is etched into every gesture he makes. His relationship with Prince Thane adds a rare layer of male friendship and loyalty rarely explored this intimately in fantasy.
Andrews uses Roark’s silence to great narrative effect—his inability to speak turns physical touch, eye contact, and gesture into powerful storytelling tools. His love is quiet, but it burns like wildfire.
Supporting Cast and Standout Characters
Kael, Lyra’s bone-crafter best friend, is a standout character in his own right. A former noble disowned by his family, Kael is fiercely protective, loyal, and morally grounded. His bond with Lyra is a rare gem in romantasy—genuine, platonic, and deeply loving.
Baldur the Fox, Captain of the Stav Guard, is a chilling antagonist. Brutal, cunning, and fanatically loyal to King Damir, he brings urgency and menace to the story. Though a bit two-dimensional in places, his scenes remain among the most tension-filled.
Vella, the seer-turned-traitor, is one of the novel’s most intriguing moral enigmas. Her fate arrives too swiftly, but the brief exploration of her motives opens compelling questions about loyalty, resistance, and complicity.
Romance: A Tension-Rich, Slow-Burn Delight
The romantic tension between Lyra and Roark is exquisite. Andrews does not rush this relationship—instead, she lets distrust curdle into fascination, then into an aching need neither protagonist can fully deny. The moments of physical closeness are few but potent, and the emotional intimacy builds with beautiful restraint.
There are no insta-love declarations or overdone tropes. Instead, readers are given subtle glances, hesitant touches, and a slow erosion of defenses. Their chemistry is both a tether and a threat—and in a world where trust can be fatal, their love becomes the most dangerous rebellion of all.
Writing Style: Poetic Violence and Lyrical Prose
L.J. Andrews’ writing is lyrical without sacrificing grit. Her descriptions evoke tactile sensations—mud, blood, fire, fog—with precision. Battle scenes feel cinematic. Emotional scenes hum with quiet devastation. She shifts seamlessly between the first-person intensity of Lyra’s chapters and the third-person, introspective coolness of Roark’s perspective.
Notable strengths of her prose include:
- Vivid atmospheric detail, especially in describing forest, fortress, and sea.
- Strong inner monologues that avoid cliché and deepen character.
- Subtle symbolism (the plum, the basket marked “Liar,” Roark’s scar) that adds narrative richness.
Still, there are moments when the pacing sags, especially mid-book when travel and setup stall character progression. But those lulls are brief and quickly followed by explosive developments.
Themes: Identity, Resistance, and the Cost of Power
Broken Souls and Bones doesn’t just entertain—it probes deeper themes that resonate beyond the page.
- Identity and Autonomy: Lyra’s journey is about reclaiming the right to choose her own fate, a theme that will hit home for readers who have felt trapped by expectation or heritage.
- Resistance vs. Complicity: Vella’s betrayal, Kael’s sacrifice, and Roark’s torn loyalties all explore the grey lines between rebellion and duty.
- The Weaponization of Magic: Craft in Stìgandr is not merely a power—it is a currency of control. Andrews critiques how institutions dehumanize gifted individuals in the name of order.
The moral complexity is handled well, with Andrews allowing her characters—and readers—to sit with discomfort and contradiction.
Critiques: Where the Stones Falter
While Broken Souls and Bones is an exceptional romantasy debut, there are a few areas that could improve:
- Pacing issues: Some middle chapters feel repetitive in tone and momentum.
- Vella’s arc: Her reveal as a traitor is powerful, but her motivations are underexplored. She could have added further moral complexity.
- Secondary characters: Astra, Thorian, and others have potential but fade from focus too quickly. More balance between primary and secondary arcs would enhance the world’s realism.
These flaws, however, never derail the novel. If anything, they reveal how expansive this story could become in future installments.
Final Verdict: A Luminous Start to a Darkly Romantic Series
Broken Souls and Bones is a triumph in the romantasy genre—at once brutal and beautiful, seductive and savage. With memorable characters, evocative prose, and a world steeped in myth and menace, L.J. Andrews offers readers a story that feels both fresh and timeless. It’s a story about secrets and survival, yes, but also about love that refuses to be silenced.
For readers craving a romance that simmers rather than explodes, and a fantasy world that’s more than dragons and duels, this book delivers in full. It sets the stage for a saga that promises deeper political tensions, richer emotional stakes, and more characters who must choose between the crowns on their heads and the truths in their hearts.
Recommended For
- Readers who enjoyed The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen
- Fans of slow-burn fantasy romance with rich worldbuilding
- Readers intrigued by themes of silent heroes, hidden identities, and political betrayal
- Those who appreciate lyrical prose paired with action-packed storytelling
What’s Next in the Stonegate Saga?
Andrews leaves just enough open threads—Lyra’s growing power, Roark’s internal war, Prince Thane’s courtly traps—to make the next installment highly anticipated. If this book introduced us to the broken souls, then surely the next will shatter the bones of the kingdoms themselves.
Would you like a second, alternate version for your other blog or a condensed version for Goodreads and social media posts?
