I absolutely loved this sequel to The Bone Shard Daughter. I enjoyed the narrative and that it was focused more on Lin and Jovis as well as how the side characters' arcs advanced the plot. This was well-paced with fantastic plot twists, and I enjoyed the journey along with the characters. I cannot wait for the next book!

I thoroughly enjoyed this sequel, but it did feel a little soft in parts. The mystery that drove the first book felt lost in this book, and while I really enjoyed the new conflict there were moments that felt devoid of tension, annoyingly so. THe main antagonist literally just turns around at one point. The final fight scene/battle lasted way too long and took me three days to get through.

All that said, I will be reading the third book. The characters are compelling and the magic is wonderfully realized. There's so much about this series that is inventive, exciting, and fun to read. I'm really rooting for the two leads -- Lin and Jovis, and while there was a lot of politicking, it didn't become so complex or intertwined that I couldn't follow it. A solid second book.

Just like I hoped, where book 1 set the stage with action, twists, secrets, and intrigue, this was a bit slower to let all the events of book 1 settle and build the characters up. I appreciated the care and detail provided for the precarious political situation Lin finds herself with the empire, especially as rival groups and factions rise up. It’s a delicate balancing act but still interesting to see how Lin is always weighing out multiple choices as an young ruler immediately facing the collapse of the empire and world around her.

Lin is a marvelous character full of so many layers. Her desires are noble but as of often the case, she stumbles and makes mistakes. I love that she isn’t afraid to apologize and ask for help and seeing her come into her own and rely on her strengths was amazing to see. Where in book 1 I felt I didn’t fully know her as a person, this book is nothing but development for her which was amazing. While I can’t say all the characters are equally developed or given air time like in book 1, I did also like how Jovis evolves. The smuggler turned spy, Captain Of the Imperial Guard, and all around good guy finds himself struggling to find what’s “right”. He starts to see that choices aren’t as black and white as he thought, challenging his simplified view of doing the right thing and being good. As for the other characters, they’re all pushed and tested in their ideals - Ranami realizing the issues with rebellion and the Shardless Few, Phalue trying to stand on her own instead of in her father’s shadow, and Nisong, trying to untangle her past with her current goals. The characters are mature and still growing, all of them making bad calls, but all of them have very valid reasons for doing what they do. Even Nisong who we want to villainies, Steward does a clever job of giving her nuance and emotions that made me feel for her, even if her actions were heinous.

As secrets are revealed I can appreciate the patience and foundation laid so the twists land but don’t feel like they interrupt the story or plot but just add another element of intrigue. Not everything is explained, just pieces, but enough so that I don’t feel lost or adrift. There’s enough to feed the allure of an ongoing bigger mystery of the islands sinking, the Alanga, the lost history, all that Shiyen took with him, but we’re not fully in the dark anymore. I love this push and pull, I can’t wait to see how it comes full circle.

Lastly, at first I will admit that I wasn’t sure I would be sold on the romance aspect but in the end I really enjoyed it, it felt right. Stewart takes her time building it, while never letting it eclipse the characters themselves or the plot. Big big fan.

I need book 3 immediately pleaseeeeeee.

Full review and links to social will be posted as soon as possible.

I'd like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

The much anticipated sequel to The Bone Shard Daughter. I received a NetGalley copy from the publisher but right after that I became too busy writing and proof reading my own books. I had to wait until I got my work done in order to get into The Drowning Empire without any distractions. My effort was rewarded! I totally enjoyed the second volume of The Drowning Empire.

The Bone Shard Daughter was epic. It's always difficult for the 2nd book to meet expectations. I think Stewart did a great job making so many characters real, solving some mysteries, and introducing new mysteries. Readers would be frustrated with Jovis, but Mephi saves the day.

Can't wait to read the final volume (but also very anxious about the fates of my favorite characters) !

after loving the bone shard daughter, i was very much looking forward to the sequel and the bone shard emperor does not disappoint! new characters, new reveals, new questions but also growth of existing characters and the same exciting plot. andrea's writing is gripping, especially with the way the chapters end, that you keep reading on. mephi and thrana, the adorable animal companions, stole my heart again. the battle scenes were excellent!! i didn't care much about jovis and lin's romance but as individual characters they definitely strengthened their footing.

the worldbuilding of this series gave way to some intriguing reveals that i'm excited to see addressed in the final book! the history of alanga, the magic behind it and the bone shard magic that were expanded upon became an interesting aspect. although, my favourite part about reading this have to be nisong's chapters. they're just sooo well written, her desperation and want for vengeance for the wrongs done to her. very eager to see how the series ends!

This was a bit slower than book one but still an ok read. Would still read book three of this series.

The Bone Shard Daughter was promising fantasy debut with an interesting world and slight gothic elements. The Bone Shard Emperor is a strong sequel that does well to fill out the holes its predecessor left and expand upon the world. However, for me personally, the story goes in a direction that I didn’t really care for.

I think I’ll have to reread the series again but as of now I feel slightly ambivalent about this sequel.

This book felt quite a bit slower than I remember the first book feeling and at points, I struggled with it but overall I very much enjoyed this read and I'm very curious to see how this continues.

The story started out with some action, but didn’t really grab my attention until about 40% in. I couldn’t put it down after that and I can’t wait to read the third installment to find what has happened to some of my favorite characters. I think the political story and magic are fascinating.

DNF @ 27%

I remember enjoying the first book and being intrigued by the ending, but by the time I picked this up I had forgotten a lot of what previously happened, which made it difficult to reorient myself in the opening chapters and was definitely a major obstacle despite the in-text allusions to prior events. A lot of the characters' reasoning and actions seem illogical, irrational, and/or too plot-convenient; it didn't help that the narration felt really repetitive too.

Absolutely fantastic sequel. The world makes so much sense, and the world building was expanded in a way I really enjoyed. We got to know the characters so much more and their motivations as well. Excited for the third book.

"Bone Shard Emperor"
by Andrea Stewart
Publication Date: November 23, 2021

4 / 5 stars

Thank you to @netgalley and Orbit Books @orbitbooks_us for an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book in the Drowning Empire series by Andrea Stewart. I was drawn to the first book purely by the beautiful covert art. And I was drawn to this second installment by the captivating story introduced in the first one.

There is a unique magic system in this series and while there isn't as much of it in "Emperor", it will be really helpful for understanding the context and appreciating the importance of certain events and people if you read "Daughter".

All in all, I really liked this book (and I'm also really liking this series). Once I grasped the coding aspect of the bone shard magic, I was able to see the complexity of the power that our heroine Lin is able to wield. The story also follows and weaves between a couple of storylines, although the chapters bounce from one to another, you're never lost in the fray -- from page to page, you're really led through a complex story that comes together by the last few chapters in a really intense way, because each storyline was unpacked throughout. Although the story is mostly about Lin Sukai, there was also more exploration of Jovis' character. I also loved seeing more of the osalens, Mephi & Thrana and that some of the mystery of the Alanga was further revealed. And that ending -- I cannot and I will not spoil anything -- but the last quarter of this book was intense, I was at the literal edge of my couch at some parts. I love a well-described fight scene, and this book certainly does not disappoint in that department.

Some main themes that sang to me from beginning to end were Freedom, freedom of Choice, and showing the true struggle of doing the Right Thing. I also noticed that some side characters that would normally be expected to be men/male (ie, random nameless guard or person selling steam buns) are depicted as women/she -- so Yay! for representation.

If there's one downside to this book, it's that I wish I knew more of Chinese/Asian history and mythology, because I'm sure there's more depth to the names and events than I can understand, and I really really wish I got some of those references. But even still, I'm happy to enjoy the ride.

And the ride continues! Book three in the Drowning Empire series: "The Bone Shard War" is slated to come out September 2022.

This review will be shared on IG @reads.with.joy, Goodreads, and on my blog readswithjoy.wordpress.com/

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Can’t wait for book 3. This book was great and I loved how the story progressed. Fantastic storytelling and I want more of the world and these characters. Absolutely delightful. and please can I have more of Mephi.

Off to a slow start, book two is like other middle books, containing filler and scenes that slowed the pace and didn’t move the story forward. However, once things picked up, I wanted to keep reading. The battle at the end was great. And Lin was able to prove herself despite her late father’s reputation and people’s prejudice.

4.5 stars

This was a really solid sequel! I enjoyed learning more about the "magic" system and the Alanga. It wasn't particularly exciting and any point, but there was always something happening which kept me engaged the entire time. It was a bit of a slow start with a lot of repetitive conversations and internal debates that felt kind of pointless. As it moved along it picked up a lot more which makes me hopeful for an exciting conclusion to book 3.

The characters remained their slightly frustrating selves for better or for worse. I don't understand some of Lin's "political" decisions in this book as the solution seems to be the complete opposite of whatever she does. However, I am sure that will be addressed in book 3. Mephi remains my favorite character and his one-liners add a really unique sense of humor to the series. Nisong's character arc was very typical for fantasy books as every book needs that psychotic character. However, her motivation felt very one-note to me.

I REALLY struggle with the way this book is written sometimes. I generally prefer 3rd person, especially for my multi-POV fantasy. This book has two first-person POVs and the others are 3rd person. Every time it switched back to first-person it was like hitting a wall and I had to rewire my brain. The writing is otherwise really engaging and easy to follow.

I wouldn't say this book suffers from "second book syndrome" because it provides a really nice setup for the finale, but it also didn't have a lot going on on its own.

I loved the first book and the Bone Shard Emperor has proven to be no different. Now all there is to do is wait for the third!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC which I received in return for an honest review.

This was a great read but it wasn’t as good as the first novel and the pacing seemed a bit off to me. I don’t know if I will continue with the series.

P.S I loved The Bone Shard Daughter

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this ARC!

WOW! I really enjoyed this sequel. It was SO nice to get back into this story.

The story was very engaging and I devoured it in 2 sittings. I couldn't wait for this sequel after I finished the first book and man, it was worth the wait! I loved the different PoV chapters. There are several, which i usually don't like but i felt invested with each character that it was fun to get a little bit of everyone.

I cannot wait for the 3rd book! I have a copy of the second preordered with Goldsboro and it's BEAUTIFUL. I can only hope the 3rd will be just as beautiful.

Bone Shard Emperor was a exquisite sequel. The plot carriers on nicely, the characters have growth without changing too much and the world continues to expand on tremendous ways. If you haven't read the Bone Shard Daughter, I highly recommend it so you can read this one!