Ivory and Bone - by Julie Eshbaugh (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

"Exquisitely written, ferocious, and haunting. Don't miss this one!" --Sarah J. Maas, New York Times bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series

"Julie Eshbaugh is a unique new voice with talent enough for a whole team of writers. I'm still under the spell of her storytelling."--Amie Kaufman, New York Times bestselling co-author of Illuminae and These Broken Stars

Loosely inspired by Pride and Prejudice, Ivory and Bone is an enthralling tale of high-stakes survival, blinding betrayal, and star-crossed love.

Hunting, gathering, and keeping his family safe--that's the life seventeen-year-old Kol knows. Then bold, enigmatic Mya arrives from the south with her family, and Kol is captivated. He wants her to trust him, but any hopes of impressing her are ruined when he makes a careless--and nearly grave--mistake. What Kol doesn't know is that underneath Mya's cool disdain is a history wrought with loss that comes to light when another clan arrives. With them is Lo, an enemy from Mya's past who Mya swears has ulterior motives.

As Kol grows closer to Lo, tensions between Mya and Lo escalate until violence erupts. Faced with shattering losses, Kol is forced to question every person he's trusted. One thing is for sure: this was a war that Mya or Lo--Kol doesn't know which--had been planning all along.

With riveting action and illustrative prose that leaps from the page, Julie Eshbaugh will have readers mesmerized and thirsty for more...So don't miss the sequel, Obsidian and Stars.

• A Prehistoric Pride and Prejudice: Experience the classic tale of pride, prejudice, and star-crossed love reimagined against the backdrop of Ice Age survival, where status is measured in strength and survival is never guaranteed.
• A High-Stakes Love Triangle: Torn between the enigmatic Mya and the seemingly friendly Lo, Kol must navigate a treacherous web of ancient rivalries and simmering desire where trusting the wrong person could be fatal.
• Enemies to Lovers Tension: He's a young hunter from a rival clan; she's the newcomer with a past full of secrets and a gaze full of disdain. Can they overcome years of bitterness, or are they destined to be enemies forever?
• YA Survival Adventure: Face down saber-toothed cats, hunt colossal mammoths, and fight for your place in a brutal, unforgiving world where one careless mistake can lead to disaster.

From the Back Cover

The only life seventeen-year-old Kol knows is hunting at the foot of the Great Ice with his brothers. But food is becoming scarce, and without another clan to align with, Kol, his family, and their entire group are facing an uncertain future.

Traveling from the south, Mya and her family arrive at Kol's camp with a trail of hurt and loss behind them, and hope for a new beginning. When Kol meets Mya, her strength, independence, and beauty instantly captivate him, igniting a desire for much more than survival.

Then on a hunt, Kol makes a grave mistake that jeopardizes the relationship that he and Mya have only just started to build. Mya was guarded to begin with--and for good reason--but no apology or gesture is enough for her to forgive him. Soon after, another clan arrives on their shores. And when Mya spots Lo, a daughter of this new clan, her anger intensifies, adding to the already simmering tension between families. After befriending Lo, Kol learns of a dark history between Lo and Mya that is rooted in the tangle of their pasts.

When violence erupts, Kol is forced to choose between fighting alongside Mya or trusting Lo's claims. And when things quickly turn deadly, it becomes clear that this was a war that one of them had been planning all along.

Review Quotes

"Debut author Eshbaugh portrays Neolithic culture with grace and authenticity. This is an involving story solidly told, doing credit to its inspiration and sources." - Kirkus Reviews

"Julie Eshbaugh is a unique new voice with talent enough for a whole team of writers. Ivory and Bone transported me to a richly crafted world of life-and-death stakes, and I'm still under the spell of her storytelling." - Amie Kaufman, New York Times bestselling co-author of Illuminae and These Broken Stars

"Exquisitely written, ferocious, and haunting--what a breath of fresh air! Ivory and Bone is unlike anything I've ever read. Don't miss this one!" - Sarah J. Maas, New York Times bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series

"Eshbaugh debuts with an exciting and unusual adventure with emphasis on the power of storytelling." - Publishers Weekly

"Eshbaugh packs her debut with a classic love triangle, feuding clans, a well-drawn prehistoric setting, and a handful of fan fiction elements that will appeal to teens. Compellingly out of the ordinary." - School Library Journal

"Eshbaugh creates a spare yet memorable account of the interpersonal and interclan politics. There is much to value here." - ALA Booklist

"The Ice Age setting is richly described, and the sometimes desperate struggle for food and survival is palpable. Highly recommended; readers will be anxiously awaiting the next book in the series." - Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

"There is clear authenticity in the descriptions, and they evoke the desperation, loyalty, and determination that a small group like this would have likely felt." - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Hands down the most unique debut YA novel of the year." - PasteMagazine.com