A Burning in the Bones (Waxways, Book 3)

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71oTHmu1jpL
Age Range
14+
Release Date
February 04, 2025
ISBN
978-1665930499
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Ren’s quest to dismantle Kathor’s corrupt system comes to a head as political machinations and a mysterious disease take hold of the city in this edge-of-your-seat conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Waxways series.

After taking control of House Brood, Ren and Theo dreamed of using their newfound influence to change the rest of Kathor, but now they find their efforts being countered by the other great houses, who have no interest in a world where they enjoy less power.

No one understands that better than the Tin’Vori siblings. The return of their ancestral home was a decade in the making, but they’re eager to keep rising from the ashes. Nevelyn begins researching House Brood—and ends up face-to-face with an enemy that’s already slouching toward the gates of the city. The one enemy no one can avoid: a plague.

The victims experience strange bruising, an unquenchable thirst, and a temporary disruption in magic. When doctors trace the illness to its source, they find another mystery: corpses placed in strategic locations around the city. As Ren leads the hunt for the culprits, she’ll find herself two steps behind a devious enemy whose sights are set on an unexpected prize: the city’s magic.

Survival will require every ounce of their skill, every bond old and new, or else the future Ren and Theo have worked to build will burn down with the rest of the world.

Editor review

1 review
A New Way Forward
(Updated: June 06, 2026)
Overall rating
 
4.3
Plot
 
4.0
Characters
 
4.0
Writing Style
 
5.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
A Burning in the Bones is the third and final story in the Waxways trilogy. It has been impressive that each book maintains the same world of events and main characters but is wildly different in the type of plot that unfolds. In this book, we are building on the foundations of book one where Ren Monroe and Theo Brood establish a bonded relationship. We keep Nevelyn Tin’Vori as a POV from book two and see how she ends up with some of the knowledge about the current predicament. Then we meet a new character, Mercy Whitaker, and through her POV we gain valuable magical insight and special abilities that prove integral.
Ren and Theo’s success at taking over House Brood and killing the tyrannical Landwin Brood has allowed a revolutionary group to slip past the city defenses and plant a magical plague in the city’s water treatment plant. While we are dealing with a magical world, this story having a city-wide plague and throwing off an authoritarian government felt a little too close for comfort at times.
Ren and Theo’s relationship was a subplot in the last two books and I like how he accepts her completely and has established such a strong bond that it is not easily broken. I do wish there was more time together. The action is fast-paced and unfolds well between the three main characters but leaves little time to build on the feelings of Ren and Theo, which was a main draw for me in book one.
I used an audiobook to read part of the story and felt like the narrators did a great job bringing this story to life. Having three narrators keeps the characters separated and proves helpful in hearing how they pronounce certain names.
Overall, this book proceeds at a nice steady pace full of action. It developed in unexpected ways that kept it engaging throughout. The final solution was not one I expected but serves the need to create a peaceful ending after the revolution so the series can resolve everything.
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