Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What was your initial reaction to the book’s blend of epic fantasy and romance?

2. How well does The Road of Bones fit within the romantasy genre? What does it do differently with its world-building and character dynamics?

3. How did the novel’s reliance on Viking culture and Norse mythology affect your understanding of the characters’ motivations?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. The Bloodaxe Crew forms a classic “found family,” a group bound by loyalty rather than blood. Did this depiction of chosen kinship resonate with you? Have you experienced or observed the power of a found family?

2. Silla has a moment of realization where she distinguishes between “surviving” and truly “living.” What is the difference between these two states of being, and how have your own experiences taught you this distinction?

3. Where do you draw the line between protecting someone you love and controlling their reality, as Matthias did with Silla?

4. Jonas’s silver talisman represents the three pillars of his family line: family, respect, and duty. If you were to create a talisman representing your own core values, what three principles would guide you, and why?

5. Hekla’s philosophy is to “turn your pain into power” (164). Do you see this as an empowering mindset, or does it risk oversimplifying the process of healing from trauma?

6. Silla spends much of the novel searching for a safe haven, only to realize that safety might be embodied in a person. How did this shift in her understanding of safety and home relate to your own experiences of these concepts?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. How do real-world authoritarian systems use public spectacle and forced complicity, like the stoning in Skarstad, to enforce conformity and suppress dissent?

2. What does Skraeda’s character reveal about oppressive systems’ ability to turn marginalized groups against one another?

3. The novel’s worldview is influenced by the fatalism of Viking culture. How does this sense of a predetermined fate contrast with the more modern approach to personal agency? Do any current cultures embrace a similar philosophy when it comes to sacrifice, honor, and revenge?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. What is the ultimate cost of Silla’s deceptions, and how does this conflict influence her inner transformation?

2. What different meanings do the skjöld leaves hold throughout Silla’s journey? How might the remnants of this addiction affect her in the future?

3. How does the author develop Silla and Jonas’s opposing journeys? What key events serve as the turning points for each character?

4. How does the periodic insertion of Skraeda’s and Jonas’s perspectives influence the tenor of the storytelling?

5. How do Skraeda and Silla’s contrasting philosophies highlight the novel’s central themes?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If you were to design a new symbol for Silla that represents her full identity, what would it look like, and why?

2. Imagine being a member of the Bloodaxe Crew. What would your role and special skill be?

3. What would be Saga’s first step in seeking her sister, as she resolves to do in the epilogue?