Of Bone and Thunder: A Novel

Written by Chris Evans

Apocalypse Now meets The Lord of the Rings in a bold new fantasy from the acclaimed author of the Iron Elves trilogy, filled with “heroic action that keeps fans coming back” (Publishers Weekly).

Channeling the turbulent period of the Vietnam War and its ruthless pitting of ideologies, cultures, generations, and races against each other, military historian and acclaimed fantasy writer Chris Evans takes a daring new approach to the traditional world of sword and sorcery by thrusting it into a maelstrom of racial animus, drug use, rebellion, and a growing war that seems at once unwinnable and with no end in sight. In this thrilling epic, right and wrong, country and honor, freedom and sacrifice are all put to the ultimate test in the heart of a dark, bloody, otherworldly jungle.

In this strange, new world deep among the shadows under a triple-canopy jungle and plagued by dangers real and imagined, soldiers strive to fulfill a mission they don’t understand and are ill-equipped to carry out. And high above them, the heavy rush of wings slashing through the humid air herald a coming wave of death and destruction, and just possibly, salvation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Oct 14, 2014
• ISBN: 9781491584620

Chris Evans

Chris Evans is also the author of the Iron Elves saga: A Darkness Forged in Fire, The Light of Burning Shadows, and Ashes of a Black Frost, as well as Of Bond and Thunder, and the nonfiction book Bloody Jungle: The War in Vietnam. He is a military historian and former editor for Random House and Stackpole Books. Born in Canada, he lives in New York City.

Reviews for Of Bone and Thunder

[fortifiedbybooks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Of Bone and Thunder, by Chris Evans, is so good that I wasn't quite sure what to say about it beyond "You must read this book!" It's a retelling of the Vietnam War in a Fantasy setting (including dragons). Though it deals with the horrors of war, it's not moralistic. It is vividly realistic, however, and not for those with weak stomachs. The story is told from several characters' points of view, which are diverse. I was pulled into what they were going through in such a way that I didn't know how connected I was to them until I was crying at one point, and almost snarling every time one of the characters came into a scene. I realized this isn't a book; it's a world to become fully immersed in. It's also a roller coaster, with well-timed lulls in the action for much needed breathers. I never had to take a break from this novel, and that's all due to the pacing, which I didn't even notice until I thought about it afterwards.

Two things I did notice while reading were his handling of race and gender issues. Again, this wasn't done in a moralistic way. He simply wrote about the realities during the Vietnam Era. The race issues are between men and dwarves. Dwarves are formerly enslaved, newly integrated into Human society, and derogatorily referred to as "mules". For the gender issues, women simply aren't present, mentioned only in passing, with the exception of a very few who have a hard won agency. They are looked down upon as being inferior by many of the male characters. Respect is slowly gained as the story approaches its climax, but there remain men who still espouse their beliefs that women belong at home. Though at first I felt annoyed at the lack of women, that was a knee jerk reaction. Now, I see it as refreshing to have an author face the ugly truth of sexism without being preachy.

I would love to recommend this book to everyone, but it's more for those who enjoy war stories or D&D type Fantasy. I'm giving it 5 stars, and adding it to my list of all time favorite books.

[Dave Baymiller · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent read. Fantasy Vietnam. Couldn't wait to see what happened after each chapter. I ?????

[ssimon2000-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I was disappointed with this book. It isn’t poorly written, but it is very clichéd, full of typical war-related military trope (even though it is set in a world of dragons and wizards).

The book is obviously based on the Vietnam War (as indicated in the blurb), with very little deviation except for what was left out. Everything in the book has a direct parallel in actual history: JFK, the CIA, the Chicago mafia, the racial tension among the soldiers, even women’s lib makes an appearance with women back home are protesting by burning their brooms (yes, seriously). There is no reason given for this war to even occur. The soldiers are there fighting, disgruntled and questioning why, but no reason was ever really given. Magic is used in weaponry, communications, and medicine, and what you end up with is a real war interpreted through the lens and imagery of fantasy.

My biggest issue with this book is that the writer simply transcribes actual events through his “fantasy” filter, but fails to include the primary antagonists: there’s no “fantasy” USSR or China, and there are no manipulators behind the curtain, pulling the puppet strings of the Viet Cong. This was surprising, considering that every other aspect of the war is included, down to mundane details like drug smuggling, brothels, and the dangers and discomforts of helicopters.

I came very close to pitching this into the DNF pile. This book wasn’t poorly written, but it really failed to keep my attention. It didn’t draw me in, wanting to read more. I put it down without the desire to pick it back up again for a day or two.

Only recommended for those with an intense desire to read an "new" interpretation of the Vietnam War.

[doseofbella · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Of Bone and ThunderBy: Chris EvensPublished By: Gallery Books Copy Courtesy of Goodreads First ReadReviewed By: tkPolitics started this war. As it ultimately does in many situations. The brave men that are engaged in the inhuman conditions of a bug ridden jungle must use what little they have to survive. With limited food and water, not to mention weapons, are trying to survive the extreme heat and each other will have to fight to retain their freedom and lives.Chris Evens has a rare talent. He takes you on a journey with no limits to the hardships these soldiers must over come. Weaving a unique view of the Vietnam War and intergrading it with fantasy and magic of dragons and sorcery to create a believable and terrifying full scale conflict. This is not my usual genre…but I was TOTALLY taken away to another time and place. It was equal parts of wonder and terror for the characters. The hardships were situations that I had never even before imagined. The realistic personalities of the men and how they must endure will pull on your heart strings. How much they love and miss their homes, form tight relationships with their buddies, and die with dignity are just the beginning of this incredible story.If you enjoy history, fantasy, action and drama, you will love this book!4/5

[lostinalibrary · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Kingdom is fighting a war in Luitox, a land of impenetrable forests, deadly swamps, and unrelenting heat. The enemy, the Forest Collective (FnC) and their soldiers known as the Slyts, are fighting a type of Guerilla warfare that takes advantage of the landscape. They also have powerful magic and,most importantly, a sense of purpose. The Kingdom soldiers, trained in normal combat procedures, are unable to respond adequately. This is a war of time and attrition. Their weaponry is, for the most part, inadequate and their magics are no match for the Slyts. The one exception is their ‘rags’ or dragons that can fly over and whose fire breath can easily deforest any area. But they can only fly during the day and, when the rags are in the air, their size makes them easy targets. Worse,there is no way to communicate with each other. The Kingdom, however, is developing a new form of communication using thaumic crystals to allow communication between the rags that may change the nature of the war completely.The Kingdom soldiers spend most of their time between stifling boredom and abject fear, seduced by the appeal of drugs or religion, waiting for something, anything to happen and, when it does, it’s fast and deadly. Their leadership seems more concerned with high enemy body count to appease the people back home than any concern for the soldiers and are willing to send them into danger zones just to get them. The soldiers, themselves, don’t care much about the Kingdom that has done little for them or their families at home or the war that makes little sense and seems to have no clear purpose or direction. What they do care about and what keeps them going is each other. They are brothers and their safety is all that matters in this gods-forsaken place. They want no soldier left behind.The story revolves around the soldiers of the Red Shield platoon This is a large, diverse, and beautifully drawn cast of characters including Carney who spends his time, in a drug haze; Big Hog who sees everything in terms of farming; Commander Listowk who stands between the higher-ups who are mostly arrogant and incompetent and the men under him whom he wants to protect; Jawn, a recent graduate of The Royal Academy of Thaumology; Wraith who can appear and disappear like his namesake; Rag Driver Vorly with his young Rag, Caduus; Breeze, one of the only women in a combat role who is helping to create the new communication system; Rickets, the mysterious ‘Crowny’ who may be much more dangerous than he seems; and the dwarves, once slaves, now called ‘mules’ and allowed only support roles in this never-ending war.For anyone who is old enough to remember or who has studied the Vietnam War, this may all sound familiar despite the medieval weapons, dragons, and magic. Author Chris Evan is a military historian as well as a fantasy writer and, in Of Bone and Thunder, he has created not only a compelling military fantasy tale but a powerful story of the nature of war, the relationships that develop between the soldiers, the ugliness of combat, how it effects those who fight, and how those in power take advantage. A must-read for fans of military fantasy.

[strider66_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Pros: real war feel, lots of slang and specialized vocabulary, superb world-building, varied charactersCons: tough read, slow beginningJoin the Kingdom’s ‘finest’ as they fight to keep their colony, Luitox, free from the Forest Collective. But the FnC are hard to fight, hiding deep in the jungle and, though their arrows snipe the troops, they’re never there when the troops arrive. Manned dragons fly overhead, ferrying troops and flaming suspected hotspots. Some newly freed dwarves have enlisted but still bear hatred for their former slavers. New technologies are invented as soldiers face a mostly faceless enemy. The army must deal with privations and problems galore, even as the war finally rushes towards a conclusion.This is a fantasy retelling of the Vietnam war. I don’t know much about the war, but this makes me want to learn more. If even a portion of what happens in this book is true it was a truly horrific event. The book touches on all sorts of issues - racism, demonizing the enemy, lack of communication, the incorporation of new and barely understood technology, the horrors of battle, losing friends, those back home not understanding the realities of what’s happening, and more.It’s a difficult read in that no punches are pulled. War isn’t noble or heroic, it’s dirty, full of pain and desperation. You’ll be seeing blood, puke and all other bodily fluids. Don’t get too attached to any of the characters as the ones that make it to the end do so greatly changed by their experiences.There’s a fair amount of slang to master, but aside from ‘rag’, short for dragon, which took me a while to figure out as there was no context for it the first time it was used, I picked it up pretty fast. The book jumps ahead frequently, allowing it to cover more time and give a broader look at the perceptions and realities of the war. You’re also getting several points of view: a grunt soldier, two thaums (a cross between a magic worker and a scientist), a dragon rider, people in different levels of command, a journalist, etc. This also helps give a more varied view of the war.The opening is a bit slow. There’s an atmospheric prologue and some scenes with soldiers followed by a chapter that consists of a much needed info dump that explains the purpose of the war. Things pick up fast though and draw you into the lives of the characters.It’s a compelling read, and sometimes its easier to come to grips with the horrors of reality when they’re presented as somewhat removed from it. History retelling aside, it’s a great book that will have you wishing that real wars were a thing of the past.