The Bone Queen (The Books of Pellinor 0.5)
by Alison Croggon
Perfect for readers of Tolkien and Garth Nix, The Bone Queen is the highly anticipated prequel to the original Pellinor sequence, and will delight fans of critically acclaimed author Alison Croggon, as well as newcomers to the world of Pellinor.
Cadvan of Lirigon, one of the most powerful Bards of his time, has been exiled from the School of Lirigon for a grievous crime that unleashed the power of the Bone Queen. Isolated and guilt-ridden, he is burdened by memories of his dealings with the Dark. Meanwhile, across Edil-Amarandh, a number of disturbing events suggest that the Bone Queen may not have been successfully banished, as was previously believed. The Light is under threat, but does Cadvan have the strength to face the Bone Queen again?
My Thoughts
The Bone Queen is a prequel to the Pellinor Quartret and the timeline is some 50 years before the start of the series. For those who have read the series, it gives an insight into beloved characters whose minds and hearts we have never before and probably never will after get a glimpse of. We get to witness firsthand, the folly committed by Cadvan and its consequences. We also see how Cadvan, Dernhil, Nelac and another character, previously unknown (or belatedly) to us, solve the problem. We get to know a bit more about Milana and Dorn, Maerad’s parents and Pellinor which is still standing at the time of these events. The novel was well written, in the author’s usual slightly solemn but poetic style. Since the book was published, I refused to read it because what I wanted was a sequel, another look at the characters I so loved and their lives, after. But despite my reluctance, curiosity got the better of me. And it was a good thing too, for otherwise I never would have known a younger Cadvan or Dernhil.
For those who have not read Alison Croggon’s Pelinor series, but are interested (you really should read it), I would recommend that you start with The Bone Queen, and then go on to The Gift. That’s what I would have done, if I had the choice.
I’d say 4/5 stars
Book Haven 
Well, you’ve convinced me! Not much beats the moment Maerad first meets Cadvan at the beginning of ‘The Gift’ for emotional impact, so — against my normal impulse — I’d be happy in retrospect as a new reader to wait to find out Cadvan’s backstory.
However, for any series reread I would, as I nearly always tend to, go for an internal chronology order.
Great review, by the way!
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You’re might be right about that. In retrospect, knowing Cadvan’s thoughts after reading the series gives it more impact.
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