See These Bones by Chris Tullbane is the first audiobook in the Murder of Crows fantasy series. Set in a post-apocalyptic world with superheroes, Tullbane hooked me as we meet Damian Jameson, a crow destine to go crazy like his father and desperate to be a cape.
by Chris Tullbane
Series: The Murder of Crows #1
Narrator: Joseph Vernon
Length: 13 hours and 13 minutes
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Source: Author
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Narration: 4 cups Speed: 1.4x
Some superheroes want to save the world. Damian is just hoping to save himself.
In the post-Break world of superpowers, necromancy is the one gift nobody wants. Everyone knows what happens to Crows; they go mad and they go bad. That's the story of infamous mass murderers like Crimson Death, Gravedigger, and Sally Cemetery. It's also the story of David Jameson, an otherwise unremarkable man who came home one day and killed his wife, orphaning their five-year-old son, Damian.
Thirteen years later, Damian has inherited more than just grey eyes and a beak of a nose from his father. He too is a Crow, doomed to become a killer unless he can find a way to avoid the violent madness endemic to his powers. When a Finder offers enrollment at Los Angeles' Academy of Superheroes, he jumps at the chance, believing training could be the key to changing his fate. His classmates despise him, the majority of his teachers want him expelled, and his mom's ghost hasn't said a word since reappearing when he was nine, but Damian isn't the kind to give up. He's going to take control of his destiny or die in the process.
It's that or end up like his father.
See These Bones is a post-apocalyptic, superhero, coming-of-age ghost story... with expletives.
See These Bones is told from the first person perspective of Damian Jameson who is recruited by a finder to attend the Los Angeles’ Academy of Superheroes. Damian is a crow. These are the most feared power. They are also responsible for the current state of the world.
We learn that Damian’s father David, also a crow, went mad and killed his wife, Danian’s mother when he was five. Now eighteen, Damian understandably has a chip on his shoulder. He is socially awkward and has the sex riddled mind of a hormonal teenager. He isn’t all bad and reminds me of an early Harry Dresden. Personality wise, he has nowhere to go but up.
This first book follows Damian through his first year at the academy. We get to know the other first years in his squad and get a general knowledge of the world. A crow is basically a necromancer, and Damian can see ghosts but doesn’t understand his power and desperately wants to avoid going crazy. Despite his immaturity, at his core, we see the good person Damian is striving to be, but not before he makes mistakes and shuts himself off from others.
The story starts off slowly, but I soon found myself hooked and the events that occur towards the end when Damian believes he will never be a cape sold me on the series. I love how the author has Damian speaking directly to the listener.
If you like books set at a private academy filled with superheroes and can get past Damian’s adolescent thoughts, I think you’ll discover a kickass series with some fun potential. I love Chris Tullbane’s later works, The Many Travails of John Smith, and have already begun listening to Red Right Hand, the second novel in the Murder of Crow series.
The audiobook is narrated by Joseph Vernon, who grew on me as I listened. He nailed Damian’s voice and those of his teammates. If you decide to listen to the Murder of Crow series, Tullbane just released a bundle with an extra novella story; The Murder of Crows Boxed Set: The Post-Break World: The Murder of Crows.
Perfect for fans of Jim Butcher and Brandon Sanderson. Look for my reviews of Red Right Hand & One Tin Soldier in early November.
*kindleunlimited
About Chris Tullbane
Chris Tullbane began as a gleam in someone’s eye, but birth and childhood were quick to follow. He’s been fortunate enough to live in Spain, Germany, and all over the United States of America, and is busy planning a tour of the distilleries of Scotland. He currently lives in Nevada with his angelic wife and ever-expanding whisky collection and occasionally ventures outside to peer upwards, mutter to himself about ‘day stars’, and then scurry back into the house. Chris is the author of two series; The Murder of Crows and The Many Travails of John Smith, as well as a collection of novelettes and stand-alone novels, Stories from a Post-Break World, which are set in the world of The Murder of Crows.
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About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram
Amorina Rose
Excellent review. Makes it hard to keep to my promise to cut down on my reading.
Laurel-Rain Snow
UPDATES
Cory
Truly a great book and a great series. The latest entry in this world, Queen of Smiles, is just as good. I can’t wait for the next entry. I think it’s called Queen of the Road. Chris’s take on LitRPG was also quite good.
Kimberly
Agreed. I am working on the novellas set in this world and have Queen of Smiles 🙂
Anne - Books of My Heart
I get the feel there is a lot of depth to this one in spite of the superhero thing.
Chris
I always recommend potential readers/listeners check out the content warnings (I release them for every book) on my blog, as Damian’s a bit of a raw nerve and especially in that first book an acquired taste.
Chris
https://christullbane.com/2019/11/05/see-these-bones-release-day-review-round-up-and-content-warnings/
Kimberly
I finished the trilogy and I will be listening to the short stories next. Yes, depth, emotion, redemption. Every book is better than its predecessor. Highly recommend.