R. Nassor may spend more time with books, tea, and ceramic mugs than recommended by professionals but it hasn’t failed her so far. Nassor has a MA in English Literature from Georgetown University, where she looked at the way medieval and early modern literature reappear in fantasy books today. She’s been writing about romance, fantasy, science fiction, and pop culture for quite a while, starting at Book Riot in 2020. She’s also written for Tor.com. You can follow her on Tiktok and contact her through her website.
In fantasy worlds, magic power can originate anywhere, even in the human body. Naturally, power is visceral and structural in fantasy books with blood- and bone-based magic systems.
There are prominent histories of blood and bone-based religions and myths. During the sacrament, Christians consume the host and wine as an embodiment of the flesh and blood of Christ. Historically, bones have been used for divination in practices like Scapulimancy, Shagai, and Astragalomancy. In the Victorian era, some believed ingesting parts of human mummies would heal the body. I could write a book explaining a fraction of all the ways blood and bones were involved in historic myths and religions. If there is one thing I am sure of, it’s that humanity has always been obsessed with the magical effects of the body. So, it is natural that many fantasy books have folded blood- and bone-based magic into their worlds.
Fantasy books with blood- and bone-based magic systems build on this long history, giving readers a new opportunity to imagine bodily magics. Often, bodily magic systems force magic users into taboo, forbidden, or dangerous decisions where the sacrifice for power comes with deadly consequences. The following fantasy books with blood- and bone-based magic systems expertly explore the magic users’ moral quandaries as they struggle to survive the cost of their power.
The Bone Maker by Sarah Beth Durst
A quarter century ago, five heroes defeated the bone maker and his army, disbanding to live in peace… until evidence of the bone maker’s work began to reappear. Now, they must get the gang back together to save the world. Kreya, former heroic leader and current hermit, regularly uses human bones to illegally resurrect her thief-turned-hero husband from the dead, and the other three heroes aren’t exactly up for the job either. Nevertheless, they will get rid of the bone maker for good this time… or die trying.
The Sins on Their Bones by Laura R. Samotin
Dimitri Alexeyev was the Tzar before his husband died, reanimated, and usurped his rule. Now, he and the closest members of his court are hiding in exile, waiting for the chance to take back what was lost. His close confidant, friend, and spymaster, Vasily, believes he can infiltrate the court while Dimitri researches a way to finally kill his husband. Now, Damitri and Vasily must perform dangerous bone magic and risk their souls in the process if they want the undead, immortal, horrible Tzar with a demon army to no longer control their country.
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Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang
When the first woman to become a highmage, Sciona, was assigned a janitor as a lab assistant, she knew she had her work cut out for her. The High Magistry doesn’t realize that before Thomil was a janitor, he was a nomadic hunter. He survived the journey through the magical barrier to the city of Tiran, which killed the rest of his family. Working together, Sciona and Thomil uncover the dark truth behind Tian’s power and blood magic that is world-changing enough to get them both killed if someone finds out.
Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher
This lovely little novella is a tightly woven fairytale reimagining following a 30-year-old heroine with the conviction to save a kingdom. When the third-born convent-raised princess, Marra, learns her sister’s royal husband is abusing her, she goes to her rescue. She must complete three impossible tasks on her quest if she wants the power to save her. Gaining the help of a bone dog, a former knight, a demon-possessed chicken, a reluctant fairy godmother, and a gravewitch, Marratrecks across the kingdom to save the princess from the tyrannical prince.
The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart
With the emperor’s reign ending, the destabilizing battle for succession has begun. In the palace, Lin learns to wield bone shard magic and create animal-like constructs as the unrecognized heir to the throne. On the open water, Jovis saves children from the Tithing Festival and becomes the people’s hero. Unfortunately, his heroics bring the revolution to Lin’s front door faster than she anticipated. To save the empire, sacrifices must be made, or all will pay the price.
The Sun Blessed Prince by Lindsey Byrd
Prince Elician can heal the masses and resurrect the dead, but if the public found out, he wouldn’t be able to fight on the frontlines or assume the throne. Instead, he’s forced to stay his hand as people die around him. When a foreigner whose touch can kill attempts to assassinate Elician in his war camp, his life changes forever. Ever the contrary royal, he offers the deadly Cat a place alongside him. Court politics and magical differences would like to separate them even as their hearts impossibly pull them together.
Mistress of Lies by K.M. Enright
Blood magic expert Shan has a legion of spies, but as the daughter of a disgraced Blood Worker, she needs all the power she can get. Her revenge plan starts with murdering her father and taking his place as family head. To ensure her status, the vampire king wants her to investigate a magical serial killer with the mysterious Royal Bloodworker Isaac and a gifted unlucky bastard, Samuel. The three draw close, navigating a dangerous, bloody tangle of treason and yearning as they work to find one killer in a pit of vipers.
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
When Black London was consumed by its own magic, the borders between the remaining Red, White, and Gray Londons closed, with few magicians able to travel between. Red London’s ambassador Kell is an official diplomat whose work as a smuggler largely went unnoticed before Delilah Bard stole his purse. Kell must bring her across Londons if he wants his things back…A complication that quickly snowballs, disrupting Kell’s position at court, and forcing Kell and Delilah to handle the dangerous magic appearing in the city on their own if they want to maintain the worlds as they know them.
When They Burned the Butterfly by Wen-yi Lee (October 21, 2025)
In this sapphic historical fantasy reimagining of postcolonial Singapore, Adeline Siow is a schoolgirl who believed she alone could call flames out of thin air before her mother died in a house fire. Tracking down a girl with a butterfly tattoo leads her to Ang Tian, a member of the Red Butterfly gang. Adeline discovers her mother was the patron of the fire goddess-sworn girl gang that seeks vengeance from abusive men. If she wants to uncover who killed her mother, she will have to get closer to the gang and the elusive Tian. As a dangerous magic begins to kill people in the red light district, Adeline will need all the help she can get.
These fantasy books with blood- and bone-based magic systems will give you plenty to contemplate about life, death, and everything in between. If you are looking for more fantasy worlds to dive into, check out The 5 Kinds of Magic Systems Fantasy Novels Use and 9 Nail-Biting Fantasy Books About Forbidden Magic.
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