Sofi and the Bone Song

April 25, 2022
Tooley (Sweet & Bitter Magic) skillfully weaves a nuanced tale of rivalry, legacy, and love in this multilayered standalone fantasy in which music is the final art untouched by magic. Sixteen-year-old Sofi Ollenholt has trained her entire life to become her lutist father’s apprentice and take his place as a member of the prestigious Guild of Musiks. But when Sofi’s father dies and both the apprenticeship—and his title—are offered to 17-year-old competitor Lara instead, Sofi is convinced that Lara was aided by magic, a strictly prohibited practice. Hoping to uncover foul play, Sofi volunteers to prepare Lara for her initiation, even if it means giving up her father’s legacy. As the girls grow closer, Sofi begins to question her father’s ideology (“It’s the suffering that makes the art”), and attempts to forge ahead amid emotional inner turmoil and political deception. Though Lara’s backstory feels slight in comparison to Sofi’s well-plotted history, the complex but accessible worldbuilding and the teens’ budding romance brilliantly intersect. Tooley thoughtfully explores how the expectation of suffering for one’s art can carve a toxic path in this introspective read. Most characters present as white. Ages 12–up. Agent: Jim McCarthy, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret.