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The Sins on Their Bones

Book One of The Cursed Crown series

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The Sins on Their Bones

By: Laura R. Samotin
Narrated by: Aaron Willis, Daniel Chichagov, Robin Wilcock
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About this listen

 Set in a Jewish folklore-inspired reimagining of 19th century Eastern Europe, this LGBTQ+ dark fantasy debut pits two estranged husbands and a daring spymaster on opposite sides of a civil war. Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, C.S. Pacat, and readers who love deliciously queer, spicy fantasy.

Two men. One cursed crown. And a love that could burn an empire to the ground.

Dimitri Alexeyev used to be the Tzar of Novo-Svitsevo. Now, he is merely a broken man, languishing in exile after losing a devastating civil war instigated by his estranged husband, Alexey Balakin. In hiding with what remains of his court, Dimitri and his spymaster, Vasily Sokolov, engineer a dangerous ruse. Vasily will sneak into Alexey’s court under a false identity to gather information, paving the way for the usurper’s downfall, while Dimitri finds a way to kill him for good.

But stopping Alexey is not so easy as plotting to kill an ordinary man. Through a perversion of the Ludayzim religion that he terms the Holy Science, Alexey has died and resurrected himself in an immortal, indestructible body—and now claims he is guided by the voice of God Himself. Able to summon forth creatures from the realm of demons, he seeks to build an army, turning Novo-Svitsevo into the greatest empire that history has ever seen.

Dimitri is determined not to let Alexey corrupt his country, but saving Novo-Svitsevo and its people will mean forfeiting the soul of the husband he can’t bring himself to forsake—or the spymaster he’s come to love. Dark Fantasy Fantasy Jewish Literature & Fiction Science Fiction & Fantasy World Literature
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I was really drawn to this book as you don’t see many fantasy novels in a Slavic-inspired setting, and the ambience is strong. The story blends romantic court intrigue with grimdark elements: hunger for power, coups, sex, a war that just ended. Promising.

Unfortunately, for me it ended up being more frustrating than rewarding. The worldbuilding leans heavily into magic and the sense that almost anything could happen lowered the stakes somewhat. The bigger issue however was the characters that I struggled to connect with. In the best grimdark, villains can be cruel yet compelling and heroes flawed but relatable. Here, I didn’t feel that depth. The relationships felt unconvincing, and the supporting cast underdeveloped.

So while I appreciated the queer representation and the unusual cultural setting, I felt disappointed at the end.

If you’re looking for queer fantasy with more heart and action, I’d recommend Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell, A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland, or the Captive Prince trilogy by C. S. Pacat. For grimdark with deeply flawed yet magnetic characters, Joe Abercrombie’s First Law series or Jay Kristoff’s Empire of the Vampire might be worth checking out.

A blend of court romance and grimdark, intriguing but unfortunately disappointing

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