The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones is a young adult horror novel mixing folklore and dark fairy tale elements. It follows Ryn, a teenage gravedigger, and Ellis, a mysterious mapmaker, as they uncover an old curse in a village where the dead don’t stay dead. Perfect for readers who want a dark, unusual story with a strong supernatural twist.
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Bookish Essentials
Genre: Young Adult / Horror / Folklore
Series: Standalone Novel
Reading Age: 14+
Published: 2019
Pages: 35
From the Jacket of The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones
Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Sky in the Deep in this bewitching historical horror novel, perfect for fans of Holly Black and V.E. Schwab!
Seventeen-year-old Aderyn (“Ryn”) only cares about two things: her family and her family’s graveyard. And right now, both are in dire straits. Since the death of their parents, Ryn and her siblings have been scraping together a meager existence as gravediggers in the remote village of Colbren, which sits at the foot of a harsh and deadly mountain range that was once home to the fae. The problem with being a gravedigger in Colbren, though, is that the dead don’t always stay dead.
The risen corpses are known as “bone houses,” and legend says that they’re the result of a decades-old curse. When Ellis, an apprentice mapmaker with a mysterious past, arrives in town, the bone houses attack with new ferocity. What is it that draws them near? And more importantly, how can they be stopped for good?
Together, Ellis and Ryn embark on a journey that will take them into the heart of the mountains, where they will have to face both the curse and the deeply-buried truths about themselves. Equal parts classic horror novel and original fairy tale, The Bone Houses will have you spellbound from the very first page.
An instant IndieBound bestseller!
Why The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones is on my TBR
I was a big fan of Buffy back in the ’90s, so a story with dark supernatural elements and a strong lead like this immediately catches my eye. The fairy tale aspect adds a layer of mystery that feels fresh but familiar. Plus, The Bone Houses is genuinely dark and strange in a way I’m curious to explore.
Seventeen-year-old Ryn and her siblings work as gravediggers in a village where the dead don’t always stay dead. When Ellis, a mysterious mapmaker, arrives, the restless “bone houses” become more aggressive, pushing them to face an old curse and the secrets hidden in the mountains.
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