ure, here's a spoiler-free review of "The Bone Shard Daughter" by Andrea Stewart:

"The Bone Shard Daughter" is a thrilling and intricately crafted fantasy novel that follows multiple characters as they navigate a complex world of magic and politics. The story takes place in an empire ruled by a powerful emperor who uses bone shard magic to control the populace and maintain his grip on power.

The book is told from multiple perspectives, including a daughter of the emperor who is struggling to uncover the truth about her past, a smuggler who finds herself drawn into a dangerous conspiracy, and a governor's daughter who is determined to overthrow the oppressive system that has kept her people in poverty.

Stewart's writing is excellent, and she does a fantastic job of building tension and suspense throughout the novel. The world-building is also top-notch, with a fascinating magic system and a richly detailed setting that feels both familiar and unique.

Overall, "The Bone Shard Daughter" is an outstanding debut novel that is sure to appeal to fans of epic fantasy. It's a thrilling and engaging read that offers a unique perspective on familiar tropes, and it sets the stage for what promises to be an exciting series.

Going into this book my expectations were very high as I had loved every second of the previous two books. This book was an incredible ending to a phenomenal trilogy. Andrea Stewart answered every question that had been burning from book one and did it in such an unexpected way that blew my mind. Bringing the world to life and the characters in such a believable way that you understand what is driving them even if you do not agree with them. The entire book was tense and kept me on the edge of my seat. I couldn’t have asked for a better ending to this trilogy.

If you are looking for a high fantasy book that is filled with politics, magic, a cast of characters with a variety of personalities, and incredible creatures look no further The Drowning Empire is the series for you.

TL;DR REVIEW:

The Bone Shard War is a good conclusion to a pretty strong epic fantasy trilogy, although it felt a bit too drawn out to blow me away. Still, I recommend the series overall!

For you if: You like fantasy books set in fully fleshed-out worlds with multiple POV characters.

FULL REVIEW:

The Bone Shard War is the third book in the Drowning Empire trilogy, which starts with The Bone Shard Daughter and The Bone Shard Emperor. I’m going to do my best here to write a review without spoilers, so this will really be more of a review of the trilogy overall.

The Drowning Empire is an epic fantasy series, with a world that resembles but doesn’t belong to ours and a cast of characters with POVs. The main character is Lin, daughter of the Emperor, who practices what’s called bone shard magic (carved pieces of bone can be used to animate and control “constructs”). The second character is Jovis, a smuggler who witnesses one of the Empire’s islands sink into the sea. And third we have Sand/Nisong, a woman on a remote island with no memories.

This third book picks up two years after the end of the second, which in execution was a little disappointing for me. All the tension at the end of book two was popped, the characters almost reset. Then we spend a lot longer than I would have liked with Lin and Jovis (and, for that matter, Jovis and his companion Mephi) separated from one another. So I felt like I spent a lot of this book just waiting for that to get resolved, and that made it drag a bit. I also thought our two villains became less interesting, though for different reasons. In fact, I was pretty actively disappointed in Nisong’s arc.

But enough of the not-so-good! I still landed on the side of liking the book overall, and I recommend this trilogy if epic fantasy is your thing. The world is lush and inventive, the magic system is unique and interesting, the central mystery is compelling, and the characters are lovable. No regrets!



CONTENT AND TRIGGER WARNINGS:
Death and murder, war and violence; Animal death; Blood; Sexual content (minor)

- One of my favorite series has finally reached its conclusion with THE BONE SHARD WAR, and I am so sad to see it go.
- I spent a lot of the previous book wondering why Lin wanted this so much, and am grateful this was explored in this installment. (trying not to be too spoilery here, lol)
- While this book was a bit overlong, I felt like I got closure with all of the series' many characters and plotlines, which can be tough to pull off. I'm really excited to see what Stewart does next.

PERFECTION!!

The Bone Shard War is a slow burn that builds to a roaring conclusion as it crosses the finish line.

Stewart artfully weaves together multiple POV bouncing from island to island in a world-shifting revelation and a head-spinning final battle between our heroes and the Big Bads.

Thank you Orbit and Netgalley for an arc of Bone Shard War in exchange for an honest review.

I read this series back to back and throughly enjoyed each of the books. This final book in the trilogy definitely took me by surprise. I definitely think it is my least favorite of the trilogy, but it was still a really good end to the series. I am glad I read it so close to finishing the second book, but I was still a little confused when starting out. It was a two year time jump and yet so much had changed.

We have the same POVs as the last book which is really wonderful because we get to see all these different perspectives on the new revolutions and movements. There is just so many secrets and motivations and angles as to why each person is doing what they are doing and the multiple POVs is just so enlightening and keeps you on your toes. I also felt like there was just so much more growth from all the characters in this book. The stakes are rising and they are put in tough positions where they need to make important decisions. I loved characters I used to hate and I begun to hate characters I used to love. Lin will forever have my heart.

I will definitely say I absolutely loved learning more about the Alanga and finally having their secrets revealed in this book. That was by far one of the most satisfying things to read about and finally understanding.

Overall this is such a fun trilogy. I completely recommend this series.

talk about sticking the landing hoooo boy. i loved it. stewart just stealth completed one of the best fantasy trilogies of the past few years. i hope it finds the audience it deserves

I know my feelings on this series are unhelpful for a reader who is curious to read this series but my god I love it. I love all the characters (though I will admit this time there were a lot more POVs and that threw me for a loop). I loved Lin and Jovis and the (horrifying) journey they took to get back to each other. I liked the intergroup conflict between Ragan and Dione. I liked Nisong (Stone)'s arc.

But yeah I definitely wish I had just mainlined the series before reading this. I definitely remember key points from the previous books but there were moments I was like "Wait a sec why ARE we at a war." Idk if that's a me thing because my memory is shot or if there's wasn't a great job of the "this is where we are now" in the beginning.

Overall a really great ending to a series. I would recommend this series to others - or already have, actually - and I'm excited for more people to finish this one to discuss.

Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for a chance to read and review!

Andrea Stewart has done it again and wrote another amazing book. This finale to the trilogy was so enjoyable to read even when I wanted to scream or cry because of what was happening in the story. I was so excited to get my hands on a copy of this book, but now I am so disappointed that it's over. I want to read more in this world.

I hadn't read the first two books in this trilogy before receiving an ARC of the Bone Shard War from the publisher (thanks to Orbit books and Netgalley!) but I'm so glad it sent me down the path of reading these. The magic system is incredibly unique and I was engrossed in the political games that were being played. This book answered a lot of the standing questions that I had after the first 2 books - even questions that I didn't think we would get resolution for. My only complaint is that outside of one big reveal, this book (like the first 2) felt very predictable and had repeating motives that got a bit tiring. This is something I think a lot of fantasy trilogy/series suffer from so to me - the uniqueness of the world, the magic system, multiple POVs, and likable characters made it a great read despite any faults.

Amazing follow up in the series. This series had me hooked since the begging and so here for this world . Definitely one to recommend

It’s tough to review the final book in a trilogy without giving spoilers so I’ll keep it short. 



This book was kind of a disappointment. Everything I didn’t like from the second book was amplified in this one with additional things. Most of the book is quite slow, other than the very very end. The plot, character’s thoughts/interactions and some scenarios were extremely repetitive. The characters themselves seem to constantly make the worst decisions and would have strong stances on something but then would change their opinion/sides within paragraphs… and then would do it again.

I feel like the characters had regression rather than progression in their development besides one or two of them at the very end of the book. There was also a character that was seemingly being pumped up to be a big deal and then nothing ever happened with them which was kind of a let down.

As with the other two books, the ossalen (magical animal companions) were my favourite part and I wished they had their own perspectives. They were this books only real saving grace in my opinion.

I really wish I could say that I enjoyed it more since I enjoyed the first one so much but this one just wasn’t it for me.

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

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for the ARC of The Bone Shard War! It was a stunning conclusion to a fantastic trilogy.

It’d been a while since I read the first two books so the first quarter of the book took me a while to get into as I pieced together all of the shifting loyalties. But it definitely picked up and I read the last half in a single sitting.

For being the third book, I was impressed at all the new world building and lore that was introduced—especially being able to look back and see all the pieces leading up to it in the first two books.

With such a large cast it would have been easy for any one of the viewpoints to overshadow the others, but the way they all interwove was masterfully done.

Mephi continues to be the absolute best (and Andrea Stewart tweeted that you can reach out to her if you need a spoiler on if he survives before diving in).

This was a stunning conclusion to an amazing series.

Thank you so, so much to NetGallery and Orbit for the eARC.

This book is the one I was waiting for. Above all else, I wanted to be able to read this ARC and close the last chapter on my absolute favourite fantasy series of all time.

And boy. I was not at all ready for the epic conclusion.

Five stars it not enough. There are truly no words for me to express what this series has done to my brain chemistry. Saying goodbye to these characters and this story is bittersweet but also comes with the knowledge it was simply... perfect.

All of the action and tension that has been built in the previous books culminates in a time skip that launches us right into the political environment that is balancing on the knife's edge. Things are not at all what we expected by the end of The Bone Shard Emperor, and yet as each chapter unpacks what's happened to the characters, the pieces are falling into place. We are at the cusp of a new world and Lin, Jovis, Ranami, and Phalue are on the front lines.

Stewart continues the high action, the fluid scenes between short stretches of time, and the political mindgames. We are seeing all of the build up pay off in a glorious finale. We get to close out this series with a satisfying ending after having our hearts thrown around for several hundred pages in a 'will she won't she' state of anxiety. By the ending, all I wanted to do was go back to The Bone Shard Daughter and take it all in again - to find all the clues left along the text that brought us here. The crafting of this trilogy is among some of the best I've ever seen.

I am blown away. I'm in awe. I need to re-read this book immediately and get lost in the waves.

This is a phenomal debut series and Stewart has become an auto-buy author for me.

The Bone Shard War is the triumphant conclusion to The Drowning Empire trilogy. In a world once built on a strong and unforgiving empire, a revolution against Lin simmers as she attempts to pick up the broken pieces of government that her father left her. Lin, Jovis, and their enemies will be forced to make impossible decisions and choose how much they will sacrifice for the empire.

The ossalens (especially Mephi) were one of my favorite parts!! Throughout the series, they were both the fantastic animal companions that everyone wishes they had growing up and still integral to the plot. I absolutely loved Jovis and Lin’s relationship; I felt unable to look away! Both of them have grown so much throughout the series, it was so satisfying to see them fight for what they believe in and decide what matters most.

It is not easy to sustain pacing and unfurl story threads at the exact right moment throughout an entire trilogy- yet Andrea Stewart does it gracefully. I was so invested in the stories being told, the intricate magic system, and poignant prose. The magic system is complex and shifts as the characters learn more about the roots behind the magic. I love the queer rep and Phalue & Ranami’s beautiful relationship. Stewart expertly depicts the emotions of her characters, so you’ll feel that you’re there with them as they make heartbreaking choices.

The Bone Shard War is the perfect book (and trilogy) for readers who enjoy Fonda Lee (Jade City), Leigh Bardugo (Shadow & Bone), Jenn Lyons (A Chorus of Dragons), and Amélie Wen Zhao (Song of Silver, Flame Like Night). Readers who enjoy complex politics, intricate magic systems, and adorable animal companions must read this book! I would highly recommend this trilogy, either in book format or via the audiobook. Or, why not both? I can’t wait to read whatever Andrea Stewart writes next!!

The Bone Shard War releases April 18, 2023. Thank you so much to Andrea Stewart, Orbit Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc

A stunning conclusion to an amazing trilogy. A heartbreaking but amazing ending to a well loved series.

I liked book one the best but overall this has been a really good series. The world building is interesting and the characters are good too. Lin was particularly well written but the more minor characters are good too. I’m probably rounding up just a bit to call this a full 4 star book but the overall series is good enough to deserve that. I’ve got this author marked to follow in Goodreads because I want to see what she does next.

I loved the atmosphere and magic of this world when I first began reading the series. This isn't a disappointing end, I think I personally just became less and less interested as I waited. It was still good, it just didn't grasp me the way the first did.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for the eArc and eArc Audiobook.

The Bone Shard War was one of my most anticipated books of 2023, and it delivered. The Book starts two years after the events of the Bone Shard Emperor. The audiobook of these series is fantastic, the narrators are the same as the first two books in the series and i am so grateful for that.

I adored the first two books in the series, and rereading them before starting the third was truly a joy. This world is woven together so beautifully and the characters are flawed but full of heart.

The Story was:
Well paced, there was not any lulls in the story.
The Ossalens are wholesome, loveable, and Mephi is the best
Ranami & Phalue's Story arch and growth was *chef's kiss*

If you are looking for a high fantasy / Sci fi book pick up the drowning empire

Myth: 3.5/5

Two years have passed since the events of The Bone Shard Emperor (The Drowning Empire #2) . While I totally understand the realism of this time in the way the empire is falling apart, it still made for a bit of a slow start to the finale. I was back at page-turner status for the second half of the book.

Though a romantic subplot lingers, it’s very small in the overall epic story.

Magic: 4/5

I loved the way the bone shard magic and Alanga and ossalen finally come together! chef’s kiss.

Overall: 3.5/5

An epic conclusion to the Drowning Empire series. Book three continued with the familiar perspectives, Lin, Jovis, Ranami, Phalue, and Nisong. I will leave you with this little teaser:

“I should have stayed put; I should have stayed in formation. but, as my mother had often said, “should” was a word I’d only ever used to describe regret. I’d always had to learn the hard way.”