Bone of My Bone by Johanna van Veen is a horror novel that’s about the obsessive, deep sort of love that you would do anything for. Set in Germany amidst the Thirty Years’ War, van Veen uses horror to explore love, the prevalence of violence, and the influence religion has in making sense of chaos.
A farm girl and a nun seek refuge in the Bavarian forest after a group of soldiers attacks their traveling group on the road. Sister Ursula, frozen in fear, can do little else but follow the peasant girl who leads her deeper in the forest for safety. The young woman’s name is Elsebeth, and in awe of her quick thinking and resourcefulness, Sister Ursula is determined to travel by Elsebeth’s side and work together to evade the violent bands of soldiers and mercenaries. Traversing through the dark forest, the women stumble upon a saint’s skull and learn that a wish will be granted if they reunite it with its body. Hopeful that a magical wish will set their lives right after war has torn them apart, Sister Ursula and Elsebeth agree to help the saint no matter the cost. And as the women reveal their scars and seek comfort in each other’s company, a necromancer searching for the skull grows hot on their trail.
van Veen does a fantastic job dropping you in the 1600s, both through her prose and characterization. The way each character thinks and acts is firmly rooted to their place in the world, whether they are a nun, a farmer’s daughter, or a mercenary. No one steps out of bounds; their worldviews, based on their experiences, are always adhered to and followed. Sister Urusula has deep religious knowledge and knows next to nothing outside of the duties a nun would have in a convent, whereas Elsebed has so much practical knowledge and folk stories that shape her character. A book’s setting usually does a lot of heavy lifting to give readers clues as to where and when the story takes place, but in Bone of My Bone, I felt fully immersed in the time period because of how well the characters pull you into it. Sister Ursula especially talks “prettily” and uses a lot of flowery language steeped in religious scripture, which not only gives you a sense of the era but also a perspective on the time. While the other characters may not talk as prettily as Sister Ursula, their thoughts, actions, and mindsets all do a fantastic job of grounding you in the time period as well.
Religion is a huge part of this story, and van Veen made specific POV choices for Sister Ursula and Elsebeth to showcase the differences between their belief systems and world views. As a nun, Sister Ursula devoted her life to God and lived in an isolated convent devoid of all material pleasures. Her POV is in third person, and it highlights the selflessness and detached way Sister Ursula approaches life. With this particular perspective, she feels removed from the world and remains fluid with where it takes her because Sister Ursula believes in God’s plan and sees every challenge and triumph as a lesson or experience for her to bear. Constrastingly, Elsebeth’s POV is in first person, which feeds into her role as a more active participant both in the world as a knowledgeable farmer’s daughter and in the plot as someone who always acts first.
There are so many different avenues to go down and explore the role that religion played in Bone of My Bone, but the one element that stuck with me is how Sister Ursula adapts her beliefs throughout the book to make peace with the decisions she makes on the journey. Her faith is a foundational aspect of her character, and it’s something she holds strong to in all things. The religious doctrine she knows so well can be warped and applied to justify her actions, whether it’s decapitating a dead body or stealing from a convent. Sister Ursula believes she is on a holy mission; therefore, God is providing her with the means to see it to the end. Everything she does is rooted in such kindness and love, but her mindset is its own sort of horror because we’re shown how easily someone with good intent can still believe their decisions are good and just.
Become one with Johanna van Veen’s Bone of My Bone if you’re ready for a sapphic romance that blossoms amidst a religious / folk horror story. Every character will show you just how far they are willing to go out of desperation and in the name of love.
Rating: Bone of My Bone – 7.5/10
-Brandee
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. The thoughts on this story are my own.
