This book probably shows on various sites as fantasy, as it takes place on another world that is pre-Industrial in technology, but at its heart it is a murder mystery. The young Queen, beloved by her King, has died suddenly and this has caused great turmoil for the court and for the kingdom.

Cemirowl, narrator and priestess of her people, is called a bone reader (hence the title). She advises people of their possible futures or their current turmoils through a basket of bones of animals. And while her mother went mad with seeing the dead, Cemirowl is able to limit this talent to only seeing the ghosts of the animals whose bones she carries.

When Cemirowl is taken from her home in the countryside to the court of the King, to solve the mystery of his wife's death, the stakes suddenly becomes very, very high for her. She must navigate the life at court and is helped by a Caballier who has come to know her through a prior reading as well as the servants and pages to whom she can relate much better.

The plot is strong, and while some parts fluctuate between over- and under-explained, the humanness of the characters and the delving into what lies beyond are foundational themes. ( )