The Hand that Casts the Bone (HCB) is the sequel to HL Tinsley’s superb debut fantasy novel We Men of Ash and Shadow (WMOAAS). I received an ARC of HCB from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review and I’ll admit I was excited to get my hands on this story. WMOAAS was my favourite fantasy read in 2021 and for me it was a near perfect novel. I clearly remember discovering Tinsley’s writing for the first time and being drawn into that story from the very first page. Her storytelling has an undeniable wow factor and I found WMOAAS impossible to put down.

So, the question is whether Tinsley has been able to maintain those very high standards in her follow-up, to which I’m delighted to say the answer is an emphatic yes. HL Tinsley’s distinctive author voice really stands out and what distinguishes her from her peers is her particular turn of phrase. Conventional wisdom is the reader shouldn’t notice the prose in the novel – they should be absorbed in the story and the characters. Tinsley’s writing is different. The plot and wonderful characters (we’ll come on to both of those in a moment) are absolutely there and fully present in HCB but it’s the way this is expressed that elevates this series.

In keeping with the tone set by WMOAAS, HCB is a dark read and tackles difficult themes. What makes this so enjoyable is how Tinsley uses humour to lift the mood and draw a wry smile from the reader, whilst making her point crystal clear:

“Tarryn did not imagine Mrs Brown to be a great fan of wildlife. She had the look of someone who drowned kittens by the sack.”

“The barkeep gestured to a young lad with a nose that could have cracked the pavement if he fell down face first.”

At other times, Tinsley’s prose is simply beautiful – there’s no other word for it. I could pick so many lines to demonstrate this but I’ve gone for this one:

“Then and there, the sky opened. It was as though a divine being had designed this moment just for Tarryn, crafting it so perfectly that it came in the infinitesimal fraction of time between the clouds groaning and the first drops of rain hitting the ground.”

All the component parts that made WMOAAS such a standout novel are present in HCB but the other challenge of a sequel is writing a story that holds up in its own right. John Vanguard is back, still recovering from the events of the previous novel. There’s also a welcome return of key characters such as Sanquain, Cooke, Mandego, Carmen, Henriette, Tarryn and Kosic.

HCB has less focus on Vanguard this time round, weaving his story in with that of Kosic and Carmen, who have travelled to the city of Lycroix with Argent Cooke to try and get support to prevent Sanquain further increasing his power. Kosic faces his own dilemma as we learn more about his past and hopes for the future. Carmen also gets more focus and as we explore her origin story the novel, and I suspect the whole series, begins to move in an unexpected and interesting direction.

In terms of plot, the world is expanded on in HCB. Whilst WMOAAS kept events centred almost exclusively on the grim city of D’Orsee, HCB gives us a wider perspective of the country of Soussan to which it belongs, linking in with the wider politics of its principal cities and neighbouring countries. Unsurprisingly, Sanquain is up to his usual tricks, taking advantage of the death of one of Soussan’s councilmen to build his powerbase.

However, Sanquain isn’t getting everything his own way. His rival Cooke is trying to challenge his power and build a better world for Soussan, whilst in D’Orsee a mysterious movement known as the Cousins has formed, led by the secretive Monroe. The reveal of Monroe’s identity is a strand of this novel I particularly enjoyed and is handled well, taking the story into the seedier side of life in D’Orsee and a showdown between the city’s criminal elements, with Hector Mandego again taking centre stage in those events.

Magic is more prominent in this instalment, leaving you in no doubt this is a fantasy novel, and Tinsley is clearly setting the scene for a much bigger story to come. I didn’t see this coming and it was a welcome surprise, with plenty of questions being posed for exploration in the rest of this series.

The Hand that Casts the Bone is a strong continuation of this excellent grimdark fantasy series, building on the impressive foundations of the first book and giving the reader more of everything that made that such a good novel. This novel delivers an emotional gut punch that leaves an enduring impression on the reader, the hallmark of an author at the top of their game. With its brilliant characters, well thought out plot and distinctive setting this is an outstanding novel in what’s clearly going to be a terrific fantasy series.