Bone #8 and 9 review

 The Basics

Book Titles: Treasure Hunters (#8), Crown of Horns (#9)

Author: Jeff Smith

ISBNs: 978-0-439-70630-8, 978-0-439-70631-5

Genre: Fantasy, Comic books

Summary

We're down to the conclusion of the Bone series where Thorn and Fone Bone try to save the world from the Lord of Locusts. 

Thoughts

This is going to be relatively short due to the fact that I don't want to give too much away, since it is the end of the series, and the simplicity of the books compared to others I'm currently reading.

I found these books to be the main climax of the story and it felt nice to see the continuity in the characters throughout. Some of the major characters do change in minor ways, but the changes are nothing out of character where everyone is doing the right thing. For example, one character is known for trying to make a quick buck at all times and even to the end, while he changes, it's not to the extent that his actions are no longer true to his personality. I do feel that the plot would have carried itself better if I read it all in one go so it was all fresh in my mind. I started reading this series June 2016 with a lot of books in-between. I have seen a compendium of all the volumes simply titled Bone, which I think would be the best format to read this in. 

I don't know if it is due to reading epic fantasies recently, but I wish the conclusion of this journey last longer than it did. It seemed the final moment that we've been building up to came and went in two pages. Again, this might help if I read the entire story in a shorter period of time and keep in mind that this series is meant for a younger audience. 

Overall, I say it's an enjoyable read. I always liked the humor spread throughout the series and enjoyed the turns in the story. If you want to get a middle schooler into reading, this is a GREAT series to start with. There is a lot of light-hearted adventure, but also gives a mature feel for audiences wishing to be treated like adults. 

Pros vs. Cons

• Pros
• Great introduction to fantasy
• Easy to read and be engaged
• Lots of action to reel you in
• Cons
• Can be hard to keep the momentum if too much time in between volumes
• Somewhat abrupt conclusion

Overall Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Have you read the Bone series? Is there another tween comic book series out there that you would like to recommend? Let me know in the comments below :)