The Heart Forger by Rin Chupeco (3.5 stars)

I left it too long to write this review and I didn't take many notes. Usually that means it's pretty good and I don't have complaints. I did get really sick of horses apparently being able to ride on dragons. Just picture that, it's ridiculous.

Also, WTF is the point of Tea learning sword skills, she'd be far better off using that time to practice magic. I feel like Chupeco is overdoing the set up for a "and that's why she needed sword skills" gotcha plot point in the future.

3.5 stars.

The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco (3 stars)

The premise is appealing: the protagonist accidentally raises her brother from the dead. So begins this Memoirs of a Geisha meets Harry Potter. I think it could have worked: entwining magic and Geisha traditions into a Japanese style magic academy to protect the world from daeva. But it isn't really delivered.

The plot moves along at a glacial pace. Endless descriptions of dress patterns, hair pins, and Geisha politics. After Tea starts her training it takes many chapters and another magical accident before it actually moves away from Geisha protocol, tea ceremonies and parties and onto actual magic.

The delay seems insane as Mykaela is literally dying under the weight of being the only dark asha and Tea is the only possible replacement and burden-sharer. Guess we'd better make sure she goes to lots of parties instead of learning magic!

Having said all that, the world building is good, just way too slow and overly descriptive. The end of the novel quickens the pace and the future timeline has very cleverly hooked me into reading the whole series because man does it sound dark and interesting. Maybe this one was just slow to start?

3 stars