Bone Song by John Meaney

Bone Song by John Meaney

copyright = 2008
pages = 370
source = library
date completed = 09/01/08

Plot reviews can be found on amazon.com so I just wanted to point out a few things. First, I liked the premise and the setting. But the author should have taken more time explaining these things. There are wraiths, witches (not Wiccans, but witches with super-powers), zombies—I think—these are never explained. Are they zombies or just un-dead? And yes, there’s a difference. And why would they need to re-charge themselves? (One scene shows a zombie/un-dead plugged into the power outlet??) There is something called necroflux which apparently provides power to the city and is supplied by using the bones of dead people. How? It’s mentioned that bones contain the memories of the dead person, but how does this provide power? But in another city, power is supplied by live children connected to a network?? I didn’t get this at all. I also have a peeve about books that use magic, but don’t define it or have no rules for it. The main scene with a witch in it manages to calm some annoyed animals while at the same time talking to the protagonist telepathically. There’s also the mention of something called hexes—not like a hex on someone, but hexes that are used as alarm systems on buildings and traps for unsuspecting people. It didn’t really make much sense especially since it seemed that just anyone could detect and undo them with meditation techniques (this one’s mentioned a lot).

It is implied that wraiths (mainly used as slaves for electronic equipment—elevators and such) are discriminated against as well as the zombies/un-dead. The main character goes out of his way to make nice with them, but only one person in the whole book makes a snide comment about them. It seems overdone. There’s also a whole side-plot about one of the officers on the task force getting kidnapped. It just seemed completely out of place. The resolution assisted in finding out who the bad guys were, but too much time was spent on it.

The end was abrupt and incomplete—why did that one person have to die?? But come to find out, there will be a sequel. I really don’t think there needs to be a sequel to this particular story. Maybe it will just be books set in the same universe. At least I hope there will be more explanation next time. That’s why I might read the next one—if my library has it.