Assessment:
Plot/Idea: The Shattered Bones spotlights military veteran and widower Rylan "Rye" Beam, who takes justice into his own hands in a bid to end his life. The plot examines Rye's ravaged emotions as his motivation for a unique brand of vigilante justice, in contrast to his devoted, tender treatment of his wife when she was alive.
Prose: Santana crafts this thriller in chilling tones of horror, with disturbing imagery and crisp prose that paints a picture of a broken man on an intimate path to destruction.
Originality: Santana sets an exciting pace—from time skips between Rye's high school years, his time in Iskandariyah, and the present—while depicting a tortured inner journey that vibrates with tension.
Character/Execution: Despite his horrific crimes, Rye is a sympathetic character, to a point, as he vacillates between questioning his mission and stubbornly insisting he's an anti-hero.
Date Submitted: August 13, 2024
Rylan’s past relationship with Abigail reveals his vulnerable and loving side, while his experience of the dehumanizing realities of war powers his quest for vengeance. Rylan approaches each victim with meticulous planning and cold detachment. As he captures each, his calm demeanor starts to unravel, exposing his unpredictable and inhumane nature. Santana depicts these encounters with disturbing detail, compelling readers to grapple with the ethics of Rylan’s actions, especially as “fresh-faced FBI agent” Helio Sangria takes up the case. At times, in brisk italicized in-his-head colloquies, Santana captures Rylan talking himself through his disquiet, coming up with rationalizations.
The Shattered Bones delves into the psyche of a vigilante, exploring themes of personal trauma, the quest for justice, and muddy lines between right and wrong. The novel's deliberate, taking a deep dive into Rylan's thoughts—he feels deeply alone, in 2017, after seeing the Wolverine film Logan and having no one to discuss it with. Such detail can at times feel indulgent, but as a complex character study of a man haunted by his past and driven to right the world’s wrongs at any cost, the novel weaves a morally intricate narrative. However, it leaves significant plot threads unresolved, setting up a potential sequel while falling short of delivering a complete arc for Rylan.
Takeaway: A soldier’s brutal quest for revenge powers this psychological road-trip thriller.
Comparable Titles: Stephen Graham Jones’s The Least of My Scars, James Ellroy’s Killer on the Road.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-
