Broken Souls and Bones

Together they’ll restore a divided kingdom—or burn it down—in this new romantasy from USA Today bestselling author and TikTok sensation LJ Andrews.
Lyra Bien intended to live a quiet life to avoid the attention of the magic-obsessed king in the fortress of Stonegate. Until Roark Ashwood—the prince’s silent guard and rumored killer for the crown—invades her village and uncovers the truth behind the silver scars in her eyes. To save her best friend from death, she’s forced to reveal her abilities, and is immediately claimed by the crown as the next melder.
To be the King’s melder is to be revered and feared in equal measures, but above all it is a slow death sentence. Lyra is determined to find a way to free herself and her friends from bondage. But first she must get more information from the silent, brooding sentry who first took her captive: Roark.
As Lyra gets closer to Roark, she soon learns he’s nothing like she assumed—and in fact everything she needs. The more they work as allies, the harder it becomes to ignore the growing passion between them. After a sinister truth is revealed, Roark and Lyra must choose to stand against all they know, or accept their dark destiny.

If a book includes the Enemies to Lovers and Forced Proximity tropes, I will definitely read it. That’s what had me picking up Broken Souls and Bones, along with the cover and synopsis. The combination of these tropes in a Fantasy storyline is always going to be something I want to read, plus I enjoy discovering new authors. L.J. Andrews is a new author for me, and I was excited to dive into this book.

Lyra Bien, the FMC, has been hiding for a long time, trying to avoid attention. However, when Roark Ashwood, the sentry of Stonegate, comes to her village, her abilities are exposed as she attempts to save her friend. Now, she is being forced to go with Roark, so the King can use her powers, which puts her life at risk each time she does so. Thankfully, she has friends like Kael and several others to support her. The complicating factor is that the one person she should despise for bringing her to the King is the very person she is beginning to have feelings for. The issue is that Roark is concealing dark secrets from her and others, but she might be the only one who can save him.

I greatly appreciated that this book was written from dual points of view rather than a single perspective. Don’t get me wrong, I would have still enjoyed it if it had only one point of view, but I love being able to read from both main characters’ perspectives. 

I haven’t read many Fantasy stories in quite some time, but this year I’m reading more, and L.J. Andrews definitely had me entertained with the first book of this new series/trilogy. This book reminded me of another trilogy I read in the past that featured a bone mending and magic system. However, it has its own unique take since it’s Viking-inspired, and L.J. Andrews put her own spin on it. 

I enjoyed getting to know both characters and once again appreciated that it was dual POV. I loved getting to know Lyra and her powers, and I have a feeling there is more to come with her in the next book. I felt sorry for her for what she was having to do for the King because she was being used for his benefit and didn’t take into account her safety and well-being. When it came to Roark, I loved his character and how full of mystery he was. He was Lyra’s bodyguard most of the book, and he took it very seriously. No one was going to get away with messing with Lyra when he was around. A big secret is revealed about him towards the end of the book that I may have already figured out, but it didn’t stop me from enjoying the book. 

This book is a slow burn, meaning it takes some time for the characters to express their feelings. Their romance is also forbidden, which adds to the intrigue. The world-building develops gradually, but it’s worth the wait. I have a feeling the author has only scratched the surface, and I can’t wait to dive into the second book, especially after that cliffhanger! Overall, I found this book captivating and gave it four stars.

Cliffhanger: Yes.

Would I recommend this book? Yes, especially for readers in their Romantasy era who love reading the enemies-to-lovers trope like I do. Additionally, I highly recommend the audiobook. The narrators, Lindsey Dorcus and Will Thorne, did a fantastic job of bringing the characters and story to life. 

What to Expect:
✔️Romantasy
✔️Slow Burn
✔️Viking Inspired
✔️Enemies to Lovers
✔️Forced Proximity
✔️Bodyguard MMC
✔️Magic

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FranJessca

Owner/Reviewer at A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog

I guess I should type a bio here. I'm FranJessca, or Fran for short. I'm the owner/reviewer behind A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog. I've been reading and reviewing books on my blog since leaving the Navy in 2011, and I will keep doing it as long as possible. My favorite genres will always be Romance & Fantasy, and I read every subgenre underneath those two genres. (Sorry, not a fan of nonfiction, so don't try to convince me to read it.)
My obsession with reading started over 30+ years ago when I went to my first Scholastic Book Fair and found R.L. Stine's Fear Street series. Later, I came across Anne Rice's novels at my public library when I was fourteen when my obsession with vampires started. I was the girl who preferred to be a vampire over a princess any day. My husband says I would leave him a heartbeat for a vampire that looked like Spike or Angel (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) or Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries. (It's true, though, and he's accepted it.)

Latest posts by FranJessca (see all)

• Review: ‘Broken Souls and Bones’ by L.J. Andrews - May 21, 2025
• Review: ‘Rebel Hawke’ by Gwyn McNamee - May 20, 2025
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