The Bone Raiders (The Rakada #1), by Jackson Ford
13 Sept 2025The Book
Synopsis:
You don't mess with the Rakada. The people living in the grasslands of the Tapestry call them the Bone Raiders, from their charming habit of displaying the bones of those they kill on their horses and armor.
But being a raider is tough these days. There's a new Great Khan in the Tapestry. He's had it with the raider clans, and plans to use his sizeable military to do something about it. And then there are the araatan: fire-breathing lizards the size of elephants, roaming the grasslands in search of dwindling food supplies.
Sayana is a Rakada scout, and she loves her job. But if she wants to keep it, she's going to have to do something drastic. Like convincing her clan to ride araatan, instead of horses. Sayana doesn't quite know how to get that done without being eaten and/or cooked alive, but she'd better figure it out fast—or she and her clan, along with every other raider in the Tapestry, will be wiped out.
My Review
The Bone Raiders is the first novel in the Rakada series, an epic fantasy proposal written by Jackson Ford, published by Orbit Books. An action-packed novel featuring a badass group of excellently developed female characters with themes such as found family and anti-imperialism, while being full of banter and dark humour sprinkled across the many intense scenes.
The raider clans are being systematically wiped out by the Khan, the new ruler of the country, trying to exert his vision of a structured city/nation for his own glory. The Rakada, one of the most fearsome clans still stalking the Tapestry, aren't immune to this threat; a problem that doesn't seem to have a solution. But in the mind of Sayana, one of the youngest Rakada, an idea is brewing after an encounter with an araatan: what if they manage to tame and ride him? A dangerous idea, but with their lifestyle threatened by the Khan expansion, she will be allowed to try, even if that means taking more risks.
Ford puts the absolute focus on the females that form part of the Rakada, putting a great effort in making each one unique and memorable: from the own Sayana, the rebel of the group, who has finally found her place in the world, a place that might be destroyed, to Hogelun, who needs to stand for herself; even we have an eccentric character that is a bit of the mystical conduit. Loved all the members of the band, even if sometimes they could be a bit too rigid with Sayana.
The antagonist is also kinda interesting, especially when we explore her past and her loyalty to the Khan; you can get also why she's so desperate to recover her sister from the Rakada's hands.
While the book immediately throws us in the middle of the action, we have plenty of time to enjoy the richness of the worldbuilding, which seems partly inspired by Mongolia and its steppes; and creatures such as the araatan are the perfect complement to the story.
We have a story that is funny and full of action, fast-paced but with a plot that goes in crazy directions; but always putting our badass women in the center.
The Bone Raiders is a really enjoyable novel, perfect if you are looking for an epic fantasy with a group of memorable female characters full of banter and funny moments; not as serious as the classical proposals, but it's part of its charm. I'm kinda curious to see how the Rakada continues in the next books.
The Author/s
Jackson Ford
Jackson Ford is the bestselling author of The Frost Files series, beginning with The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t With Her Mind. The series has been translated into multiple languages, and optioned for television. His newest book is The Bone Raiders, the first in a killer fantasy series.
He is a former award-winning journalist and broadcaster, with stories appearing in The Guardian, Wired Magazine, the BBC, io9, and more. He most recently edited The Master Switch, an audio gear review site.