I probably should not have continued with this series, as I found book two to be pretty bad, and I didn't love book one. However, I was really determined to figure out why this wasn't clicking, because on paper I should like this series. It just wasn't working.

And I had a random thought while reading this book, and then I searched the book for a phrase. And once I did, it allowed my issues with this series to coalesce. Bear with me here: this book says the phrase "The Shardless Few" 307 times.

The Shardless Few is the name of the organization/rebellion trying to overthrow the government. And their name is said CONSTANTLY. Why is this the problem? It's not. It's a symptom of the problem. My issue with this series is that none of it feels believable, none of the characters act like real people, none of the political stakes feel like real stakes. Everything is extraordinarily hollow to me.

I first realized this because we are presented this story through five POV characters from various backgrounds, and each of them interacts with many others, and every single one of these characters say "The Shardless Few X. The Shardless Few Y. We can't ignore the Shardless Few. The Shardless Few are here. Whose here? The Shardless Few." and I just don't think everyone would always talk like this. That's a long phrase and especially people who have to interact with the group daily would shorten it. The Shardless. The Few. The SFs, dammit. Can you imagine if every single time a person in the FBI referred to the FBI, they said "Federal Bureau of Investigation"? They would sound absurd. Their vocal cords would rebel. People just don't do this.

And that's a silly nitpick, that was just taking me out of it a little. But once I realized that, I was aware of how every character felt like that. They talked as if they were being written. The scheming was written as if they were being told to pretend to scheme, like an acting workshop without the instructor's presence. The political aspects were like if a child just said "hey in my story, these are the bad guys. Why? They do bad stuff I guess." Most of the high stakes drama boils down to someone being like:

"We must stop the abuse! The Shardless Few want to stop the abuse! We will not ignore The Shardless Fee's desires. We agree with the Shardless Few."
"Okay I will work with the Shardless Few, because I also don't like abuse and stuff."
"Thank you for helping the Shardless Few! The Shardless Few will appreciate it! The Shardless Few will fill help the children. With the orphanages and stuff."
"The children? Oh yeah, children. Orphanages. Yes, this is a big problem. I will help the Shardless Few with the orphanages"

Like what is this series even about? Why do any of these people do the things they do? There are all these islands and we are supposed to care about rebellions on each island and various injustices on these islands but each island's personality is "island". There's "island X" and "Island Y" and everyone has the same thoughts and opinions; they want the children to be taken care of and for the abuses to stop. Down with the emperor! Long live the Shardless Few!

K.

I will also say that the audiobook narrators were mostly really good, and got me through this entire series.

Great conclusion to this amazing trilogy. It ended in a way that I did not expect, but it makes so much sense.
I can't wait to discover what else Andrea Stewart has in store.
Thanks to the publisher, author and NetGalley for the complimentary copy

Andrea Stewart does it again with this intricate closing to 'The Drowning Empire" trilogy. Loose ends are tied up, drama and intrigue occur, and evil plans are thwarted. A thrilling conclusion to the series, I'm left wanting to reread the series just to be able to dive back into the characters and storylines. The world building in this series is outstanding. Great for lovers of George R. R. Martin. Fantasy is not usually my wheelhouse, but this book and its series has me sold to try more. I like how the characters are all narrated by different people. It helps add depth to the story in a way mere words on a page do not.

I don't know why I did not pay attention to it, but I did not realize it was the final book in a series when downloading it. My rating goes to the fact that I'll definitely read the other two books from the series, it really is my cup of tea and the writting style is amazing.

It was very bittersweet to wrap this series up! Mephi continues to be the star of the show and honestly carried this story. I also think this is one where the series falls a little flat with audiobook just because it is so easy to miss important details.

That being said, I felt the closure I needed, I was gripped and eagerly awaiting the next big moment the entire time. The pacing was solid, the characters had good development and this series truly is addictive.

This trilogy truly is excellent and I’m excited for my second go around to do it with the physical books and see what I might have missed.

One of the best fantasies I’ve read since LOTR…

This series has a split plot between several POVs. Through the eyes of the emperor, we see a privileged person trying to rule the masses. Lin has been through a lot in previous books, but she’s also grown up in a palace and is disconnected from her people. The nuance and dichotomy is on point.

Jovis is a slave to the smugglers he’s spent the last two books running from. He was a smuggler, a hero, and is now an unwilling smuggler who hurts people to survive the situation he’s in. Again, the author showing that two opposing things can exist together.

Phalue has come a long way, but Ranami was the big surprise in this book. Her personal growth was the biggest surprise for me here.

This plot is so nuanced and complex, but I was never lost for a second. That takes some serious skills, and I can’t wait to see what else Andrea Stewart has up her sleeve.

This series was quite the ride! It was a solid fantasy series with enough intricacy for fantasy lovers but not over the top either, so it isn’t confusing if you’re just starting fantasy.

Initially I didn’t realize this was part of a series, and I’m glad I realized it before starting this because I would have been completely lost! This is definitely not a stand alone and should be read with the others to fully understand what’s happening.

I received an audiobook copy of this one through NetGalley and it was great. The narration is fantastic and really brings these characters to life. The emotions are there and I absolutely loved it.

This was my least favorite of the three, but I still recommend it. 3.5 rounded up.

This is a dnf for now. I might get back to the book in the future but for now I could not get into the story and will have to set it down. I might try a different format

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

While I really enjoyed this book, I do think it was my least favorite of the three. I did have the unique experience to read this series in three different ways. I read the Bone Shard Daughter as a digital book, the Bone Shard Emperor as a physical copy, and I listened to the Bone Shard War audiobook. I’m not the biggest fan of audiobooks so that may have contributed at least a little bit.

That said, I was hooked. I loved diving back into the world. I was a bit confused why the two year time jump was used. I feel like we missed out on what could have been a very interesting process. I also felt like the book was a bit repetitive at times and I got a bit frustrated with how often the characters made a crucial step, only for it to be immediately reversed. I think it made me less attached when anything bad happened because I assumed it would change decently quick. I felt like almost every chapter was journeying to a new island, fighting the enemy, and then both leaving with no conclusion reached. (However, the battle scenes were well written and I had a lot of fun reading them).

Apart from that, I really loved the lore of this world. I thought the sinking of the islands and finding out what they were was so creative and a plot twist I didn’t see coming. I loved the relationships between the characters and their ossalens. And I loved that each animal has their own distinctive personalities, especially Mephi. I also loved the character development of Philine and I loved how much Ranami came into her own in this book with and without Phalue.

Thank you to NetGalley and orbit for the audiobook!

The Short: The Bone Shard War was a great end to a fantastic trilogy! I honestly loved all of the twists and turns that Andrea weaved into this final installment. And the ending was perfect, in my own opinion.

The Long: This is one of those series that intrigued me from the beginning. I binged the first two and had to patiently wait for the third to publish. I was so happy when the ARC hit my kindle because I needed to find out what happened next. I never even would’ve guessed what was causing the islands to sink. I enjoyed every minute of this book.

I will always highly recommend this series.

This book was amazing, and a wonderful conclusion to the trilogy.

I will say that I came about this book in a very strange way - I did not read the first two before this, so it was a steep learning curve. I did wait to write this review until reading the other books in the series to make sure I was representing it fairly.

That being said, I was hooked from the very first chapter and found myself making excuses to keep the audiobook on (more chores got done in the past few weeks than months prior as a result). To this end, I will say the worldbuilding is excellent - even without the context of the prior books I was easily able to pick up the details of the magic system.

There is nothing I love more than a book where each of the opposing parties (or at least most of them) has clear justification for their actions, and where none of the opposing parties is without some form of fault. I was impressed with how cleanly the book wrapped up all of the various storylines, with each of the main characters achieving their goal in some form.

There was a very interesting twist about mid-book that I wonder if I would have foreseen had I read the other books previously; now that I have gone back to the rest of the series, I can see clear foreshadowing from early on in the first book.

This series has become a staple on my (audio) shelf, and I'll be eagerly hoping for someone to make a special edition (*hint hint*) so that I can add that to my bookshelf as well

I would like to thank NetGalley for an audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

What an amazing conclusion to this trilogy! I was gripping the edge of my seat for the majority of it, cried at the end, and was sort of satisfied with how it wrapped up. Warning: there isn't a true happy ending, and that made me so upset. But, I understand.

Following the events of the Bone Shard Emperor, the Bone Shard War starts a few years later and the action starts right away, with everything escalating with each chapter. I wasn't sure how things were going to end, but when I finished, it made complete sense to end things that way.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this series. I'm sad that it's over, I wish I had more time in this world and with these characters, but this was definitely a perfect way for the series to end. Highly recommend.

The Bone Shard War by Andrea Stewart was an absolutely satisfying conclusion to an exceptional trilogy that will leave readers completely enthralled. As a devoted fan of the series, I can confidently say that this final installment delivers on every front, providing unexpected twists, jaw-dropping revelations, and heart-wrenching moments that will stay with you long after you turn the last page.

Stewart's ability to conclude our beloved characters' stories in an unexpected way is a testament to her skill as a storyteller. She deftly subverts predictions and takes us on a thrilling journey that keeps us guessing until the very end. The character arcs are beautifully developed, and their growth and evolution throughout the series culminate in powerful and satisfying resolutions. It's a joy to witness their transformation and see how they navigate the challenges they face.

Stewart expertly weaves together intricate plot threads, peeling back layers of mystery and intrigue to expose shocking truths that have been bubbling to the surface since book one. These revelations not only add depth and complexity to the story but also provide a new perspective that reshapes our understanding of the world and its characters - a testament to Stewart's masterful storytelling.

Furthermore, the world-building in The Bone Shard War continues to be just as rich and immersive, and builds on the intricacies of the bone shard magic system, deepening our understanding of its implications and consequences.

The absolutely only criticism I found myself having was in regard to the timeline of the different POV's. I found myself confused a few times about what point in time we were in the story when switching back and forth between characters, which took me out of the story a bit, but otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

In conclusion, The Bone Shard War is a phenomenal conclusion to Andrea Stewart's captivating trilogy. It exceeds expectations and I wholeheartedly recommend starting from the beginning and immersing yourself in this masterfully crafted world.

This is the finale to one of my favorite fantasy trilogies and this one went in a very different direction than the first 2, all of our characters are separated and they each are on there own personal journey which I really enjoyed. I think for an ending, it gave each character to almost say goodbye in a way. It is much slower in my opinion than the first 2 which is different than you’re typical epic finale. I liked the slower paced feel especially for a series that I don’t want to end. Throughout this series Andrea slowly builds a rich fantasy world with cute animal companions, ancient elemental magic wielders, and bone magic and in this final book, she answers all of the questions that us readers had,
Full review on YouTube

This was a satisfying end to the trilogy. The osselin (sp?) characters are the highlight. Whichever characters you've connected with in the prior 2 books will probably be the ones you're most invested in here. This is a long book and felt like it could have been shortened a little, but overall, is a very good story. And there are giant sea serpents. The audio is well-performed by 3 narrators.

This book provided a great conclusion to the story. Everything felt wrapped up at the end. I found there to be a balance between the action and character development. The audio version did the story justice!

I very much enjoyed the first two books in this series, so I was very excited to read this finale! I did enjoy returning to this world and getting to spend time with some of the characters. Other characters were frustrating, or I felt I didn't need POV chapters for them. This one is very relationship heavy, which I felt took away from the plot and wasn't necessary. The climax felt a bit underwhelming. Mephi is still my favorite.

Book 1 is my favorite out of the trilogy, and I think it works as a standalone, which made the second and third book pale in comparison. I still recommend this series, but this wasn't as strong of a book as I was hoping.

“Take a little, and the island survives. Take too much, and the island dies.”

I received an audiobook copy of The Bone Shard War by Andrea Stewart from Hachette Audio in exchange for an honest review. Here are my thoughts!

🦴 Lin’s father is the empire of a vast collection of islands, but despite being his only child, she’s yet to be declared as his heir. Jovis is a smuggler who cares far more about finding his missing wife than he does about filling illegal quotas. In a society where those in power use magic that steals the very life from their people, will Lin and Jovis be able to survive and claim what should be rightfully theirs? 🦴


Okay, so I cheated a bit. The above description is not actually for The Bone Shard War — it’s for the first book in the series, The Bone Shard Daughter. That’s because I need y’all to pick up this whole series pronto! It’s got creepy bone magic, it’s got cute talking critters, it’s got badass sapphic ladies, and some of the best (worst?) attempts at humor from one of our main characters.

Y’all I loved this series a lot. I rooted for the characters while also rolling my eyes at their moments of overzealous self sacrifice or sheer obliviousness. I watched characters develop into new people only to be forced to think about if that’s who they actually wanted to be. Overall this series just made me remember why I love fantasy as a genre so much.

Not only do you need to pick up this series as soon as possible, you should also def listen to the audiobooks. The narrators do such a phenomenal job that a few chapters into reading a physical copy of the last book I knew I had to switch gears and go back to the audiobook as I had for the first two. I’d fallen in love with the narrators’ interpretations of the characters and wasn’t ready to say goodbye.

So what are you waiting for? This is a completely finished adult fantasy trilogy that’s out there waiting for you!

This is the final book of the trilogy. I enjoyed the narration with different narrators for different POV. This was my first audiobook of the series.
I felt the book wrapped up a lot of questions from the series and had a satisfying ending. I did feel the book was a tad too long and could have been cut down a bit.
I loved all of the characters, especially Mephi. Overall enjoyable ending to this series.

I thoroughly enjoyed book one and two of this trilogy, so I was incredibly excited to find out how this series ends.

Initially I flew through the beginning of book three as I was trying to piece together what had happened but then the parts of the story became repetitive and sluggish and I ended up struggling to get through this final instalment.

Unfortunately the ending felt anticlimactic and disjointed, the majority of questions I had were answered but I still ended the book feeling like I know nothing.

The only thing I know is that I love mephi.

I received and ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.