Bones in the Dark [Book 1 stubbed, story is still ongoing]

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Ester Mazar wants nothing more than to serve Her Eternal Majesty and the Empire; the greatest nation to have ever existed.

As a commonborn graduate of the Academy, she must work off her debt to the Throne. Armed with the best magical education the Empire can provide and finally permitted to wear the crossed lightning bolts of a Chartered Mage, Ester is sent far from the bright lights of the capital to Vass Karan. A city so riddled with corruption and crime that even she has heard whispers of it.

There, Ester will learn that the world is not quite as black and white as in the books. Nevertheless, she is determined to overcome prejudice, scepticism and murderous criminals to become the hero she needs to be.

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Now with adiscord.

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Readers can expect:

An intelligent, but naive protagonist.

Realistic development and progression of the protagonist.

A dark, but not grim-dark, world.

A strong, but not over-powered protagonist.

Lots of magic.

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Each week on Thursdays with occasional bonus chapters.

Book 1 is stubbed and can be found in paperback, Kindle and KU onAmazonand in audiobook onAudible. The story is ongoing on here.

Information

Status: Ongoing
Year: 2025
Author: TF Warden

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.7/ 5.0
Followers: 2,166
Views: 280,462

Chapters(64 total)

What readers say about Bones in the Dark [Book 1 stubbed, story is still ongoing]

“believable world-building, enjoyable magic, and interesting plot i have been following this work on another forum and i'm happy i will get to add it to my library here i absolutely love that the characters have depth and they get to grow throughout the stor…”
tuli5454Royal Road5.0 / 5
“This novel is about an young mage that is following the call of adventure only to realize that it’s more like adventure is following her. So experience how our hero in the making is stumbling from one incident to the next meeting people, learning new magic…”
Magnuss999Royal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!

Community Reviews(10)

tuli5454Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
believable world-building, enjoyable magic, and interesting plot
i have been following this work on another forum and i'm happy i will get to add it to my library here
i absolutely love that the characters have depth and they get to grow throughout the story
i'm absolutely invested in Ester's character arc
Magnuss999Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This novel is about an young mage that is following the call of adventure only to realize that it’s more like adventure is following her. So experience how our hero in the making is stumbling from one incident to the next meeting people, learning new magic and hopefully not die trying. It’s a coming to age story with a magical twist. The grammar and writing style are very good and fleshed out but to be fair I’m not a native speaker so your experience may differ. The Main Character is lovable even if a bit naive but with the aptitude to learn and evolve to do better without loosing herself. The magic system is a classic soft magic system without levels or systems so if you are on the search of something more lrpg like this novel isn’t for you. For every one else it’s a nice fleshed out magic systems with enough vague themes that it isn’t loosing its magical appeal. The story is mostly written from mcs point of view with a few other points of views to explore the mcs impact from other people perspectives. The side characters are good fleshed out with there own motivations and objectives to make the world feel alive. The first book is more of an introduction to the characters and world. The second book is beginning to pick up the big story line so it seems. Can’t wait to read more of it.
MhahxRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
A great read, that doesn’t shy away from complex topics. The magic system is interesting, the world feels lived in and the characters arent just puppets that stop acting as soon as they are off screen. The MC is no Mary Sue type that easily overcomes all challenges, but she is very strong, compared to every human that does not have magic.
QuantumSkullRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
It's good, polished writing, interesting character who is compelling / realistic and has good character development. The mix of the MC being very competent and a bit naive is fun.
I also think the general worldbuilding is solid, especially the tiny snippets of in-story books at the start of each chapter.
Each arc is also distinct and interesting, especially the most recent one which was quite a turn from the previous ones, but is really good so far.
sockathongRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I've binged the first book and caught up the the second one like 3 days; I just couldn't put it down. Really fun story with nice world building, and a strong main character that isn't insanely op at everything she does which is a breath of fresh air. There are a lot of perspective changes which I know some people dislike, though I really enjoy hearing other characters thought processes and it is not overdone. Can't wait to read more
Belial666Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
One of the best serial novels I've read in a long time, Bones in the Dark reads like a professionally written fantasy story.
Grammar and language use is not just without flaws but also complex and used well. This adds to the immersion and improves the ease of reading, allowing readers to enjoy the contents of the writing rather than being interrupted by errors or getting confused about what the text might mean.
Story-wise, the coming of age of a young female mage in a conservative, largely patriarchal empire and all the struggles she has to face, whether physical, magica, social or political is very well thought out. The plot itself includes the right balance of action, mystery, self-improvement and relationships that make a complex narrative several cuts above the average for this site, as well as a world that makes sense, with slowly unfolding worldbuilding without plot holes.
Style-wise, the descriptions are both concise and flowing, weaving a realistic environment without either lack of detail or excessive verbiage. The action is fast-paced and gripping, emotions are expressed properly, the environment engages the imagination across multiple senses, and there are small, balanced dashes of horror and humour to color both the desciptions and the action itself.
The characters are all clearly defined, with sharp differences in appearance, personality, conduct and ways of speech that make them feel truly alive. Instead of simplistic tropes of good and evil, idealism or rationality, more weight is given to people's individual motivations and goals. Even when the main character embodies loyalty and idealism for example, in truth her motivation is her own yearning for adventure, recognition, and ambition for power. It makes all characters closer to real people instead of trope-based caricatures so often seen in such stories.
All in all, if you were looking for a complex, realistic story in a complex, immersive setting that is still fun and exciting to read, Bones In The
HeavyAmpRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Love the main character, the setting and the story plot so far.
Esters naiveite and ease to anger show good character weaknesses balancing out the talent that she has in performing magic at such a young age. The story keeps you guessing where it is heading which I like. Some of the latest chapters I read are a little slower paced to progress the story but as a personal preference I don't mind that although it may not be to everyone's taste. Looking forward to reading more. Keep the Chapters coming :)
ID-10-T_ErrorRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The protagonist is written in a very relatable way. Talented but not overpowered and inquisitive, extra fun for those who like learning things. Her frustration with how people treat her (too polite, or too dismissive) feel connected to real world challenges. The magic system and world are presented nicely with something of a show don’t tell approach, allowing us to experience it rather than exposition. I’m only about a dozen chapters in but this is worth a look for fans of dark academia, imperial settings, exploration of class and gender roles and really any fantasy fan.
Grognard61Royal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
This one of the best stories I have read on RR. The plot is complex, the characters are 3D AND interesting, the writing is great! Ester is portrayed perfectly as a young, brash, naive young lady looking for adventures and trying her best to do her duty. This is a great book, well worth reading!
Slightly_MorbidRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
I'm writing the review at the start of the book, but its already clear that it stands head and shoulders above most of the stuff at Royal Road. The reason is obvious: The author has taken time needed both for worldbuilding and plotting. To setup a gallery of distinct characters with interesting personalities.
It's as yet a typical YA book, for which I'm not really the target audience, but I'm still intrigued enough to keep on reading. While the main character has been somewhat annoying, I see that aspect lessening a bit. That's also typical for YA books. What I truly like is the feeling of wild magic, that it isn't always predictable or slotted into standard utility configurations.
I'd absolutely recommend everyone to give it a try.