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Veo Corva
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Books & Bone (Tombtown) Paperback – April 21, 2019

by Victoria Corva (Author)
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 21 ratings
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A Librarians-and-Necromancy Fantasy with Small Town Charm in a City of the Dead

The others believe in blood and bone. Ree believes in books.

She manages the libraries and draws maps for the denizens of her hometown, a secret society of necromancers hiding in a sprawling underground crypt. Though they look down on her for not practicing their craft, Ree has bigger ambitions than raising the dead. She’s going to resurrect therianthropy, the ancient magic of shapeshifting. Or at least -- she’ll do it if it really exists. And if she can find the books that prove it.

But Smythe, a chatty historian from the world above, stumbles into the crypt and takes a curse meant for Ree. Now she has to find a way to save him, keep the townsfolk off her back, and convince her necromancer parents that shapeshifting is a viable career path.

Ree is certain that if she and Smythe combine their scholarly skill sets, they’ll find the right books to solve their problems. But Ree’s search for power might put the entire town in danger, and her father and the other townsfolk want Smythe dead lest he reveal their home to a world that hates them.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    421 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    April 21, 2019
  4. Dimensions
    6 x 0.95 x 9 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    1916100902
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1916100909
  7. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Victoria Corva writes things and reads things and reads things out loud, and sometimes she gets paid for that, which is nice because it means she can feed her cat. She lives in Wiltshire with her partner and her furry familiar and as many books as she could fit in her small flat. She is anxious and autistic and doing just fine. To find out more about her and read more of her work, visit https://victoriacorva.xyz

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Witch Key Fiction (April 21, 2019)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 421 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1916100902
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1916100909
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.42 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.95 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 21 ratings

About the author

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Veo Corva

Veo Corva

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Veo Corva writes things and reads things and reads things out loud, and sometimes they get paid for that, which is nice because it means they can feed their cat.

They live in Wiltshire with their partner and their furry familiar and as many books as they could fit in their small flat.

They are anxious and autistic and doing just fine.

To find out more about them and read more of their work, visit https://veocorva.xyz

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
21 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Daniel VanDusen Jr.
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow
Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2023
Verified Purchase
Excellent book, love the characters & the plot was magnificent & I only stopped reading during my brief moments when I stepped into the adventure myself in my own imagination.
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L. R.
5.0 out of 5 stars Lovable characters
Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2020
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The characters in this story are flawed and yet charming, lovable despite being grouchy or oblivious or sarcastic or standoffish. I kept reading because I wanted to know whether or not they would achieve their goals. I am even still invested in what becomes of Larry. I MUST KNOW.

I found the plot serviceable but not as well-constructed or interesting as the people that populated the story.
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Nick Borrelli
4.0 out of 5 stars Recommended for fans of the Invisible Library series.
Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2019
Ree, short for Reanima, lives in an tomb complex populated by necromancers and other creepy beings beneath the modern world above. This "city of the dead" has existed unbeknownst to regular human society and the residents of Tombtown would like to keep it that way if at all possible. While most of those in Tombtown practice the art of necromancy, Ree has other ambitions, foremost among them is wanting to rediscover the ancient art of shape shifting. Her parents are none too keen with this idea and would prefer that Ree focus her sights on her already predetermined station.

Being a librarian in the ghoulish city is a definite plus since Ree can scour the seemingly endless shelves looking for that one book that will impart to her the knowledge that she is so avidly seeking. However she never expected Smythe, a historian and outsider from the world above Tombtown, to accidentally wander into forbidden necromancer territory and cast all of her best-laid plans in doubt. For when Smythe suddenly becomes afflicted with a curse that was supposed to be directed at Ree, she becomes enmeshed in a potential conspiracy where there are infinitely more questions than answers.

This book worked for me on quite a few levels. First of all, I work in a library so the whole library angle was very cool, especially when you also factor in the whole dark underworld aspect. It reminded me a little of Genevieve Cogman's Invisible Library series at times, which I am fan of. The concept of an underground society that exists without the knowledge of the greater outside world really appealed to me and I wanted to know more about the history behind the conflicting societies.

Ree is an interesting character as she is constantly at odds with the expectations of who she should be that are placed upon her by her parents and the rest of the community of necromancers. We really get a sense for her struggle to be her own person in the midst of a lot of inner turmoil. I was instantly drawn to her as a character and Corva does an excellent job of making her entirely likeable and relateable.

Although this book has a slightly dark theme and setting, I found it to be pretty lighthearted overall. I've heard some people say that it should be classified as YA or middle-grade fiction, but I would stop short of that. I would classify it more as "comfort-read" fantasy in much the same way that the books of David Eddings and Terry Brooks are. It definitely has a similar quality to those books in that it contains quite a few moments of sarcastic humor coupled with the fun fantasy elements.

All in all I enjoyed BOOKS AND BONE and the only real issue I had with it was at times I thought the dialogue got a bit too long-winded. But other than that I recommend this book without reservation to readers who enjoy their fantasy with a splash of horror, a smidge of creepiness, a dash of humor, and a whole lot of cool world-building. This was a fun and enjoyable read and I look forward to checking out more of Victoria Corva's books in the future!
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars good, fun read
Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2020
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A good, fun read. Plays with some genre stereotypes that could stand to be reexamined. Kind of a coming of age story that speaks about being different in a society that is very conforming.
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TH Leatherman
5.0 out of 5 stars A dark fantasy about necromancy that's sure to raise your spirits.
Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2019
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 Reanima isn’t dead, but she does live in a tomb. Really it’s a tomb complex. No, she doesn’t have an issue with tombs. Think Valley of the Kings in Egypt. A whole city of crypts. Who lives in this city? Necromancers of course. And being a necromancer is far from a dead-end job. Most of the outside world don’t like necromancers. A few lynchings and witch burnings might have something to do with that. So they have this rule: Kill any outsiders that enter the crypts.

But Reanima, Ree to her friends, didn’t do that. When she finds the lovably hopeless Smythe, she tells him to leave. A grave mistake on her part. Then he saves her from the powerful and evil lich that wanders the tombs. Now she’s in a bit of a dust-up. And boy is there a lot of dust in tombs! Ree has to save Smythe from her own family and friends. Worse, saving him is getting in the way of her own goals of researching a lost form of magic. Unable to bury herself in her work, she finds that the lich has changed its normally predictable behavior and the reason why spells doom for all of Tombtown.

Victoria Corva creates a town where everyone is out for themselves and dying just means one more zombie minion for the killer. Ree’s mother and father prove that it’s not easy for necromancers to raise a family even if they are buried close together. Into this backdrop, she throws in Ree and Smythe, two people with goals beyond their little world of death and dying. Victoria throws in a little romance because after all, you can’t spell necromancer without romance, right? The characters are well developed and the plot is solid with several wonderful twists and turns. The only bone I had to pick with the whole story was the initial scene with Ree and Smythe. It was a little too much love at first wright for me. This story reminded me of the Mummy with Brenden Fraser and Rachel Weisz, but it wasn’t similar enough to look like reduce, reuse, reanimate. This story is sure to raise your spirits. Five stars.
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Delyth Angharad
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully endearing story in a unique, intriguing universe
Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2022
What a wonderful novel! I was delighted from the first chapter; an immensely intriguing setting beautifully brought to life (or undeath!) by V, where even the horrid characters are endearing in their unlikeable-ness, and the plots are gripping and expertly threaded. I am utterly in love with Tombtown and its Denizens!
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Josette Thomas
5.0 out of 5 stars Good writing!
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2019
I really loved this book! It had so many elements of what I love to read about. There was the librarian, Ree, whom avoids necromancy like the plague...(no pun intended); there was archeological references, necromancy, undead, magic and the list goes on. I feel the author spent a lot of time researching each of these subjects to make the integration of all subjects seamless. Oh, and I forgot about time-travel. Whew! I would recommend this book to everyone who loves all these genres. I am hoping there will be more adventures of Ree and Smythe.
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Jarrod
5.0 out of 5 stars A world that draws you in!
Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2019
This book had engaging and memorable characters, and the world felt lived-in and real. Despite Tombtown's fantastical premise, it felt like a place that could actually exist. The story had twists and stakes that kept me on my toes and I was unable to put it down until I finished!
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Top reviews from other countries

Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars I love this book
Reviewed in Germany on May 19, 2019
Verified Purchase
Since I'm required to put some words in here as well, let me be a bit more specific about that.

First, the characters. There are so many of them and each of them is so different and interesting, with their own story and motivations and so on, that I have no idea how they all fit in this book without overcrowding it. Also, some of them are just very cool, but I'm not going to say who I mean (spoilers!).

Second, the world, by which I mean both the environment that the characters walk around in, and the setting in a general sense. It just feels very alive, and not just in the necromancy sense (*giggles*). This is especially true for the magic, which always has a kind of physical presence, and is not just some dry technical stuff. It is easy to imagine how the magic would actually feel if you were around it.

(I especially liked the healer magic and the way that it felt. I would definitely want to become a healer in this world ^^)

Hmm, anything else? Oh, I pretty much read the last third of the book in a single morning (when I should have been at uni '^^), because I couldn't put it down. I usually end up blaming this on the book, but that's not really fair I think :D
Anyway, I think most people like it when a book is this captivating, but consider yourself warned :)
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Aly
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read! Interesting perspective on necromancers and the power and usefulness of books
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 29, 2019
Verified Purchase
I've always loved stories that look at the stereotypical villains and characters from a different angle, and this one definitely qualifies. It's full of adventure, danger, and spontaneous discoveries that help propel the characters forwards (and sometimes backwards, too!).

I love a lot of the side characters in this a lot - especially the grumpy ones! Usther is especially wonderful. Larry, of course, will always hold a special place in my heart, too.

However, I totally want to know more about this world! So many other aspects I am dying to discover more about. The world-building is great!

Overall, a great read for me. I look forward to seeing more!
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Nettie
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 14, 2019
Verified Purchase
I love this book! What a wonderful and complex world of darkness the writer has created, drawing us into this reality where people live in a town of tombs, and practice necromancy, and other dark arts. Loveable characters, a well executed plot, and a tantalising end all lead me to ask... When can I buy book 2?
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