Bone Runes

Arcane Rebirth

By: Tyler Pyle

Narrated by: Zach Pennington

"Magic is real. But not in the way you think." For Thomas Aldric, life has been a series of disappointments—bounced from foster home to foster home, struggling with nightmares that feel more like premonitions, and dealing with the cruel reality of being just another face in the system. But when a moment of unexplainable power erupts from him, turning an ordinary fight into something much darker, Thomas is thrown into a world far beyond anything he’s ever known. An ancient academy hidden from the world, a society built on magic, and students who have spent their whole lives training in the arcane arts—this is the new reality Thomas must navigate. But power comes with a price, and the deeper he digs into the mysteries surrounding the academy, the more he realizes that nothing is as it seems.

With two other newcomers by his side—Mari, a sharp-witted girl with secrets of her own, and Brody, an athlete from a lineage of powerful magic users—Thomas must survive a school unlike any other. Friendships will be forged, rivalries will ignite, and the line between right and wrong will blur as they uncover the truth about their abilities. But the past never stays buried. And some secrets refuse to be forgotten. As whispers of hidden factions, forbidden magic, and an unseen war begin to surface, Thomas and his friends must prepare for a future they never expected—a future where their choices will shape the fate of the magical world itself.

©2025 Nicholas Pyle (P)2025 Nicholas Pyle

Nothing short of Wow...

I went into this book with no expectations and was pleasantly surprised at how much fun of a listen it was. I'm not super familiar with Urban Fantasy books but have read a ton of Brandon Sanderson and RA Salvatore in the past.

The pacing in this book is phenomenal. I never felt bored, or that I had hit a wall or a slow part in the story. Not saying that there was nonstop action, but it definitely felt like the story was always progressing.

The characters were very interesting! Maybe cliche at times, but they always had a unique spin. The authors ability to be able to develop these B characters as well as the Main character was cool to watch and was extremely well balanced. When listening, I never felt like I was missing out from the MC when we would focus on a side character for a minute, and it always seemed like the side characters story was pushing the plot forward not slowing it down.

The foreshadowing and the hints at a deeper lore and story was so much fun. After I got done with the book I couldn't stop thinking about all the "what ifs". The author does a great job at leaving clues and hints throughout the book to tell the reader "There's more here, you just have to wait for it'

Excitedly waiting for book 2, great listen!

Explosive action and great adventure

One thing I can say about this story is unexpecting. The beginning of the story started off like any other urban fantasy but then the WOW moment happened. After that I was instantly hooked.

The story has an easy magic system to understand but it is dense. And I feel that we only scratched the surface.

The book is extremely fast paced so there are a lot of unanswered questions left after the book. But I figured some of those will be answered in the future.

Looking forward to the next book.

A good gateway book for future fantasy addicts!

This was a great upper middle grade fantasy that gave Harry Potter vibes! I'll be recommending it to my nieces and nephews.