Born in Bone and Blood

In the depths of Saddoriel's prison, a cyren named Cerys gives birth to a daughter, Rohesia, amidst blood and bone. Marked by her mother's crimes, Roh is separated from Cerys and raised in the Lower Sector, branded by a gold circlet that marks her as the offspring of a criminal. Her mother's lullaby and the legacy of her birth haunt Roh, setting the stage for a life defined by struggle, shame, and a yearning for something more.

Music in the Deep

Roh grows up in the bone-cleaners' workshop, surrounded by friends Harlyn and Orson. She is obsessed with music, which is forbidden for cyrens to play, and dreams of building a music theatre for the Lower Sector. Her gold circlet is a constant reminder of her outsider status. Despite her lowly position, Roh's talent for design and her hunger for melody set her apart, fueling her ambition to rise above her circumstances.

The Queen's Tournament Announced

The Queen's Tournament, held every fifty years, is announced by Queen Delja. It offers cyrens the chance to challenge the queen's rule through deadly trials. Roh, Harlyn, and Orson, all now of age, vow to compete for their subsector's single spot. The announcement electrifies the lair, and the trio's lifelong dream suddenly becomes possible, but only one can represent them.

Friends, Foes, and Fate

The trio must decide who will compete. Tensions rise as they agree to play the cyren game Thieves to determine their champion. Roh's desperation to escape her fate as a bone cleaner and her willingness to do whatever it takes begin to surface, even as she fears losing her friends. The game becomes a test of loyalty, cunning, and the cost of ambition.

The Game of Thieves

In a tense, high-stakes game, Roh cheats to win the coveted spot in the tournament, betraying Harlyn and Orson. Though her friends congratulate her, the victory is bittersweet, and Roh is left questioning her worthiness. She is thrust into the world of the Upper Sector, leaving behind the only family she's ever known, and the guilt of her actions begins to fester.

Ascending to the Upper Sector

Roh enters the Upper Sector, awed by its beauty and music, but also by the disdain of the highborns. She meets her fellow competitors, including the formidable Jaktaren, Finn Haertel and Yrsa Ward. The Queen's Tournament orientation reveals a new twist: each competitor must keep a human alive throughout the trials, binding Roh to Odi, a human craftsman with secrets of his own.

The Queen's Challenge

The tournament's first trial is announced: a hunt in the enchanted water forests. Roh must use her cunning and the help of her friends to survive, setting traps and outwitting both beasts and rivals. Sabotage is rampant, and the line between friend and foe blurs. Roh's resourcefulness and willingness to bend the rules keep her in the game, but at a growing personal cost.

The Human Companions

Roh struggles to keep Odi alive, navigating the dangers of the lair and the prejudices of her own kind. Odi's knowledge of music and craftsmanship becomes invaluable, and a fragile trust forms between them. Their bond is tested by sabotage, betrayal, and the ever-present threat of death, forcing Roh to confront her own humanity and the limits of her ambition.

Sabotage and Survival

As the first trial unfolds, sabotage claims the lives and hopes of several competitors. Roh's traps and quick thinking help her succeed, but she is haunted by the cost to others. The lair's politics and the cruelty of the highborns are laid bare, and Roh realizes that survival requires not just strength, but a willingness to do what others will not.

The First Trial: The Hunt

The hunt culminates in a desperate race against time and rivals. Roh and Odi capture a prize beast using poison and ingenuity, narrowly escaping elimination. The victory is hollow, as Roh witnesses the suffering of the humans and the ruthlessness of her fellow cyrens. The first trial cements her reputation as a cunning, if controversial, competitor.

Poison, Betrayal, and Bonds

Poisoned wine, stolen tokens, and shifting alliances mark the days leading to the second trial. Roh's relationship with Odi deepens as they share secrets and dreams. She is forced to confront the consequences of her actions, both past and present, and to question who she can trust in a world where betrayal is currency.

The Second Trial: Creation

The second trial challenges competitors to create something meaningful for Saddoriel. With Odi's help, Roh builds a piano—an instrument never before seen in the lair—using bone keys and ingenuity. Their creation stuns the council, but Odi's true identity as the Prince of Melodies is revealed, and he is taken from Roh, shattering her fragile sense of victory.

The Prince of Melodies

Odi's capture devastates Roh, but she fights to reclaim him, invoking the tournament's rules and confronting Queen Delja. The queen's enigmatic support and warnings deepen the mystery of Roh's heritage and destiny. Roh's victory in the second trial is overshadowed by the knowledge that the final test will demand even greater sacrifice.

The Sea Serpent's Lair

The final trial is announced: retrieve a scale from a legendary sea serpent. The task is a death sentence for most, and several competitors forfeit. Roh, Odi, and a handful of others descend into the sea, facing betrayal, monstrous creatures, and the limits of their own courage. Roh's ingenuity and willingness to risk everything are put to the ultimate test.

The Final Trial

Trapped and betrayed by her rivals, Roh must outwit both the serpent and her fellow cyrens. She risks her life to save even those who have wronged her, and in the process, discovers the true nature of the beast she must defeat. The trial becomes a crucible, forging Roh into something new—if she can survive.

Victory and Loss

Roh returns with the serpent's scale, shattering her gold circlet and claiming the crown of bones. But victory is bittersweet: her friends are estranged, Odi's fate is uncertain, and the council refuses to fully accept her. The price of ambition is laid bare, and Roh must decide what kind of queen she will be, and what she is willing to sacrifice for power.

The Crown of Bones

Roh is crowned, but the council withholds the birthstones of Saddoriel, demanding she complete three impossible tasks to prove her worth. Betrayed by those she trusted and haunted by her own choices, Roh faces a new journey—one that will take her beyond the lair and into the unknown, with only a handful of allies and the weight of her past.

The Price of Ambition

Roh's confession of cheating destroys her friendships with Harlyn and Orson. She visits her mother, Cerys, in prison, seeking answers and finding only riddles and madness. The truth of her heritage and the legacy of the lair's cruelty threaten to consume her, but Roh resolves to continue, determined to claim her destiny on her own terms.

Truths, Betrayals, and Beginnings

With Odi, Harlyn, and her former rivals at her side, Roh sets out to recover the birthstones and claim her place as queen. The journey ahead is fraught with danger, betrayal, and the ghosts of her past, but Roh steps into the unknown, ready to forge a new future for herself and for Saddoriel.

Characters

Rohesia (Roh)

Roh is the daughter of Cerys, the infamous Elder Slayer, and is marked from birth by a gold circlet that brands her as the offspring of a criminal. Raised in the Lower Sector as a bone cleaner, Roh is fiercely intelligent, resourceful, and driven by a longing for music and a place to belong. Her relationships with Harlyn and Orson are central to her development, but her ambition often puts her at odds with those she loves. Roh's journey is one of self-discovery, as she grapples with guilt, betrayal, and the cost of power. Her willingness to do whatever it takes—cheating, risking lives, and breaking taboos—makes her both a hero and an antihero, and her evolution from outcast to queen is marked by both triumph and tragedy.

Odi Arrowood

Odi is a human musician and craftsman, captured and forced to participate in The Queen's Tournament as Roh's assigned human. Initially fearful and resentful, Odi's intelligence, skill, and quiet strength become essential to Roh's survival. His knowledge of music and instrument-making leads to the creation of the piano, a pivotal moment in the story. Odi's own secrets—his identity as the Prince of Melodies and his connection to the Eery Brothers—add depth to his character. His evolving relationship with Roh, marked by trust, betrayal, and mutual dependence, challenges both characters to confront their prejudices and vulnerabilities.

Harlyn

Harlyn is Roh's closest friend and confidante in the Lower Sector, known for her sharp wit, rebellious spirit, and talent with the lute. Her loyalty to Roh is tested by the events of the tournament, especially Roh's betrayal in the game of Thieves. Harlyn's anger and sense of injustice are palpable, and her journey is one of grappling with the pain of lost trust and the complexities of forgiveness. She represents the cost of ambition and the collateral damage of Roh's choices.

Orson

Orson is the emotional anchor of Roh's friendship circle, known for her kindness, empathy, and quiet strength. She is often the mediator between Roh and Harlyn, and her tears and compassion highlight the emotional stakes of the story. Orson's own struggles with her deathsong and her desire for belonging mirror Roh's journey, and her eventual estrangement from Roh underscores the devastating impact of betrayal.

Queen Delja

Queen Delja is the ancient, winged queen of Saddoriel, renowned for her power, cunning, and longevity. She is both a symbol of the lair's oppressive traditions and a complex figure with her own secrets and regrets. Her relationship with Roh is fraught with ambiguity—at times supportive, at others coldly manipulative. Delja's connection to Cerys and her role as both gatekeeper and challenger make her a central force in Roh's journey, embodying the paradoxes of power, tradition, and change.

Cerys

Cerys, known as the Elder Slayer, is Roh's mother and a figure of both fear and fascination. Imprisoned for centuries, her madness is punctuated by moments of lucidity and cryptic wisdom. Cerys's legacy haunts Roh, shaping her identity and her quest for truth. The mystery of Cerys's past, her relationship with Delja, and her cryptic guidance drive much of the story's psychological tension, symbolizing the inescapable weight of history and trauma.

Finn Haertel

Finn is a member of the Jaktaren and a favored son of the Elder Council. Arrogant, cunning, and ruthless, he is both a formidable competitor and a personal antagonist to Roh. His vendetta against Roh is rooted in family history and the politics of the lair. Finn's willingness to sabotage, betray, and manipulate makes him a dangerous foe, and his eventual downfall is both a victory and a warning for Roh.

Yrsa Ward

Yrsa is another member of the Jaktaren, marked by her strength, discipline, and ambiguous morality. Initially an adversary, she becomes a reluctant ally to Roh in the final trial. Yrsa's actions are driven by loyalty to her guild and her own code of honor, and her willingness to both betray and save Roh highlights the shifting alliances and moral ambiguities of the tournament.

Ames

Ames is the bone-cleaner master who raises Roh and serves as her mentor. Stern, wise, and deeply protective, Ames is one of the few adults Roh can trust, though his own secrets and limitations often frustrate her. His guidance is both practical and philosophical, pushing Roh to think strategically and to question the lair's traditions. Ames's loyalty and quiet affection are a source of strength for Roh, even as she outgrows his protection.

Neith

Neith is a water runner from the Lower Sector who, like Roh, is thrust into the tournament against her will. Initially a source of comfort and camaraderie, Neith's own ambition and fear lead her to betray Roh, stealing tokens and sabotaging rivals. Neith's actions force Roh to confront the darker aspects of survival and the ways in which oppression breeds both solidarity and treachery among the marginalized.

Plot Devices

The Queen's Tournament

The Queen's Tournament is the central narrative device, structuring the story as a series of escalating trials—hunt, creation, and quest—each designed to test not only physical prowess but cunning, creativity, and moral resolve. The tournament's rules are mutable, manipulated by those in power to maintain control and exclude outsiders. The trials serve as both literal and metaphorical tests, forcing characters to confront their deepest fears, desires, and ethical boundaries. The structure allows for foreshadowing, as each trial hints at the next, and for the gradual revelation of character and world-building details.

Human Companions

The requirement that each competitor keep a human alive introduces a powerful plot device: the necessity of empathy, cooperation, and the breaking of taboos. The human companions, especially Odi, serve as mirrors and catalysts for the cyrens, challenging their prejudices and forcing them to confront the consequences of their actions. The device also raises the stakes, as failure means not only personal loss but the death of another, and it allows for the exploration of power dynamics, trust, and the possibility of change.

Sabotage and Betrayal

Sabotage—poisoned wine, stolen tokens, rigged games—is a recurring device, illustrating the lair's culture of mistrust and the lengths to which characters will go to survive. Betrayal, both personal and systemic, is woven throughout the narrative, from Roh's cheating in Thieves to Neith's treachery and the council's manipulation of the rules. These devices create constant tension, drive character development, and force readers to question the nature of justice, loyalty, and ambition.

The Crown and the Birthstones

The crown of bones and the missing birthstones serve as powerful symbols of legitimacy, power, and the quest for identity. The council's withholding of the stones and the demand for further trials reflect the lair's resistance to change and the barriers faced by outsiders. The quest for the stones becomes a new narrative arc, foreshadowing future challenges and the ongoing struggle for acceptance and self-realization.

The Tome of Kyeos

The Tome of Kyeos is both a literal and metaphorical device, representing the inescapable weight of history, the power of knowledge, and the longing for truth. Its presence haunts Roh, driving her quest for answers about her mother, her heritage, and her place in the world. The tome's selective recording of events and its connection to the birthstones add layers of mystery and foreshadowing, hinting at deeper secrets yet to be revealed.

Analysis

A Lair of Bones is a dark, immersive fantasy that interrogates the nature of power, belonging, and the cost of ambition. Through Roh's journey from outcast to would-be queen, the novel explores the psychological toll of oppression, the corrosive effects of shame and betrayal, and the possibility of transformation through courage and cunning. The Queen's Tournament serves as both a literal and symbolic crucible, forcing characters to confront not only external dangers but the monsters within—their own capacity for cruelty, compromise, and hope. The inclusion of human companions and the breaking of taboos challenge the boundaries of empathy and identity, while the ever-shifting rules and betrayals expose the lair's resistance to change and the price of challenging tradition. Ultimately, the novel asks what it means to be worthy—of love, of power, of selfhood—and whether true change is possible in a world built on bones. The story's unresolved ending, with Roh setting out on a new quest, underscores the ongoing nature of struggle and the necessity of forging one's own destiny, even when the world conspires to keep you in your place.

Last updated: September 26, 2025