The Fisher of Bones by Sarah Gailey (Book Review)

The Fisher of Bones
By Sarah Gailey
Published by Fireside Fiction Company, 2017
Ebook Price: $2.99

The children of the Gods have been following the Prophet with his bone tablets for 30 years through the wasteland heading towards the Land of Plenty. In the Land of Plenty there will be clear waters, good hunting, and the children will be fruitful and multiply. But the Prophet falls ill and dies and passes on his ability to communicate with the Gods to his daughter, Ducky. She is more than capable but there are some among the children that doubt her ability to lead. On top of this she is pregnant with child and Margot, the only healer among the group has also become sick. Further complicating things and stretching their food supplies is the discovery and taking in of a woman and child wandering starving in the wasteland. Ducky, now known as the Prophetess, believes that their long journey is almost at an end but the group is about to face some of their greatest challenges.

It's not very hard to see the similarities between this story and the wanderings of Moses and the Jews in the desert for 40 years making their way to the Promised Land. Ducky is even carrying the bone tablets, much as Moses carried the 10 Commandments. Both are the focal points of communication with their respective gods. I thought it was an interesting take even though the story is thousands of years old.

I liked the characterization in this book. Anytime people are flung into a survival situation where every decision can lead to life and death, there is a lot of potential for drama. I became attached to the characters, even the ones that were plotting against the Prophetess. The desperations, the hopes, and the disappointments of the group were all things I cared about.

This is a very short book, coming in at around 100 pages, so I would say it's really more of a novella than a novel. It seems like it could have been about 100 pages longer because the ending seems really abrupt and unsatisfying. I'm not saying the end is bad but it makes you not so sure it was worth reading the book. Don't get me wrong, this book is worth reading for the characters, and it got me interested in reading other works by Gailey. Besides,  it only costs $3!

My Grade: C