The fantasy book everyone should be reading! It got some hype but having read it just not enough in my opinion! Really interesting premise and a fabulous plot twist! Can't wait to read book 2. Really enjoyed the world it was set in, and the pacing was really good.

Book one in the Drowning Empire trilogy, The Bone Shard Daughter is an enjoyable fantasy tale of bone magic, betrayals and rebellion, set in a Southeast Asian-inspired world of migrating islands and a failing empire. It’s told across multiple viewpoints, primarily: Lin, daughter of the ailing Emperor, desperate to prove herself and earn her father’s love; Jovis, a smuggler searching for his lost wife; Phalue and Ranami, a pair of lovers trying to make things work despite being from opposite ends of society. As they all work towards their goals, they’re each caught up in a movement, a rebellion, that inexorably gathers speed.

I liked this a lot, with the exception of Phalue and Ranami’s parts which felt out of place, their decision-making hard to really believe and their stories simply not that interesting in comparison with everything else that was going on. It’s good to see a prominent lesbian relationship in a comfortably queernorm world, but they felt almost like a pair of characters dropped from a YA novel into an adult story. Still, the rest of the book was great – cool magic, a fascinating setting I wanted to keep learning about, a pacy plot, and an enjoyable sense of bigger things lurking just around the corner. Oh, and also Mephi – Jovis’ mysterious animal companion who completely stole the show.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Andrea Stewart's "The Bone Shard Daughter" is an enthralling and imaginative tale that delves into a world of bone magic, political intrigue, and personal identity.

Stewart's prose is a masterful incantation, conjuring vivid imagery and an atmospheric setting that transports readers to a realm where ancient secrets pulse beneath the surface. The narrative weaves together multiple perspectives, each unveiling a layer of the intricate plot.

"The Bone Shard Daughter" introduces a cast of compelling characters, each grappling with their own desires, loyalties, and hidden truths. Their journeys intertwine as they navigate a landscape of power struggles and shattered illusions.

Stewart's world-building is meticulous, crafting a society infused with bone magic and enigmatic constructs. The intricate magic system and intricate political dynamics immerse readers in a world brimming with wonder and suspense.

This spellbinding tale of rebellion and self-discovery will leave readers eagerly anticipating the next installment of this thrilling series.

This was a really impressive opening book to a trilogy that seems wide in scope and ambition. I wasn't expecting the change between third and first person in some of the perspectives and thought that this was a really unique aspect of the writing that I enjoyed. I thought that the magic system using bone shards to create and control constructs was a very interesting idea and I liked the way this was incorporated into the plot. I also really enjoyed all of the character perspectives, although I did feel that a couple of them were given a bit of short shrift in this book, but I assume that they will play into the events of the upcoming sequels. All in all, I really enjoyed this book and I am intrigued to see where the story goes next.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

We follow a small cast of characters railing against the reins of the Emperor who is out of touch with the wants and needs of this island based world. How they achieve their acts of rebellion against the one who controls bone shard magic is contained within this novel.

It took me a while to get to invested in the characters, but once I did, I was rooting for them and against the ruling despot who used the population as a domesticated herd to prop up the empire. Is it acceptable to do unacceptable things for the greater good?

The different themes and story arcs raises many philosophical thoughts, the hierarchy of man/human was one that played on my mind frequently. Does being at the pinnacle mean that you are exposed to more information which therefore fuels your actions or does being the dominant species or boss lend itself inherently to cruelty, unwavering prioritisation of one's own needs?
When do you start out from the right place and then begin to go wrong?

There is much left unsaid and is deserving of a sequel, I want to find out more about the Alanga, if my suspicion about Mephi and Thrana are correct, plus those on Maila Isle, what will be their impact when they leave that prison.

An interesting twist on several fantasy themes. A satisfying though wanting end to a novel on human experience.

I really wanted to love this, so much so I bought a special edition of it. Unfortunately, there is just too much going on for me and I spent most of my time confused. The worldbuilding is stunning and I loved Lin, but I just couldn't get my head around the magic system. I will try again when I have a bit more headspace to see whether I can fully enjoy it!

Unfortunately, this one wasn't for me— though the prose was lush and engaging, and the characters diverse and enjoyable, there were elements of the worldbuilding that I simply couldn't connect with (namely, Mephi), and the constant shifting tenses made the reading itself difficult. That said, I absolutely think this was down to personal preference and nothing to do with the quality of the writing or the author's skill!

An intricate, detailed an clever tale. This was a fantasy the drew you in and kept you there. A fantastic debut novel.
With four different perspectives being told throughout the novel, it is sometimes difficult to keep tabs on what is happening, but it is well worth it as overall the world building is magical.

This book is very stressful, in the way that the stakes just keep rising and rising, even when you think they couldn't possibly be higher. And on top of that, it takes a few spins on its head, so that you're suddenly forced to look at things from a perspective that makes everything worse and foreign. It's delightful.

Also the lesbian couple is probably one of the most endearing lesbian couples I ever had a pleasure of reading about.

Absolutely amazing!!!
The blurb did not prepare me for how much I loved this book!
Not enough people are talking about it and I'm making it my mission to spread the word before the sequel comes out!

A wonderful novel, with some intriguing magic and characters - I can't wait to see what happens in Bone Shard Emperor.

Simply amazing. This book deserves all the love. Beautiful writing and really unique premise. I loved it.

Lin is the daughter of the Emperor. Having lost her memories to a sickness, she spends her days roaming the lonely corridors of the palace searching for the answers that will unlock her past. In every shadow lurks a construct, a creature of bone shard magic that is controlled by her father - a magic that she is denied the knowledge of due to her memory loss. With revolution brewing, she must fight to recover her past and gain her father's trust to turn the tides of war.

I'm conflicted with this one. I'll start with what I enjoyed. The world building and magic system is incredibly complex and detailed, and is described in such a way that it feels organic and gently presented to the reader. There's no info dumps here, instead we learn along with Lin how the magic works and all its complexities. At the start this often left me feeling confused, but as my mind caught up with the magic system everything started to click into place. I experienced the same thing with the world building, exploring the islands with the character Jovis and Mephi and slowly seeing the cities and lore unravel as the story progresses.

Speaking of Mephi - he is by far the most interesting, heart warming character. Mysterious and mystical, we know nothing about this little fluffy creature when he's saved from a sinking island by Jovis. Their relationship is so simple yet deeply intuitive and incredibly heart warming too. Mephi brings out the best in Jovis, his compassionate and brave side, and this allowed the reader to warm more to Jovis. Lin is also a likeable character, mostly due to the fact that she's so naive at the start. She's almost like a blank slate, knowing nothing except this irrational need and love for her father, and her growing rivalry with her foster brother. Her lost mysteries also provide most of the intrigue at the start of the story.

In terms of the other characters, I didn't enjoy their plotlines and honestly think we could have done without them - with the possible exception of Sand, who is a woman with no memories on a lost island. The revolution side plot felt very offhand and underdeveloped, and the characters feel very flat and one dimensional. Their POVs actually took a lot away from the overall pacing of the story, interjected amongst the main (and lot more interesting) story - which I had major issues with.

I struggled to get into this. I mean really struggled. I put this aside three times, asking myself why I was slogging through a book I wasn't enjoying. I think the only reason I pushed through was because I could see that glimmer of potential. On reflection I'm glad I did persevere, because the ending was really well done, with plenty of action and intriguenthat ended up weaving together in a clever way - however I still think the initial 70% felt too much like hard work. Honestly, cutting the POVs down to just Jovis and Lin would have worked so much better for me, and kept that fast pace going.

Unique magic system, well written fantasy that has left me intigued enough to continue. The beginning is a struggle, but if you can get past the multiple POVs, you're in for a ride.

Change is coming to the Sukai Empire. Islanders resent greedy governors and a remote Emperor who seems to take more than he gives. Rebellions are brewing everywhere - even in the imperial palace, where the Emperor's amnesiac daughter is desperate to master her father's bone shard magic so that she can take control and show a more human face to her people. As ancient myths stir and islands sink, the future of the Empire hovers on the brink.

Hats off to Andrea Stewart: she kept me guessing throughout this debut with her hints and twists and unexpected reveals. Her well-teased mysteries and dark magic system are the highlights here, as both world-building and characters are a bit sketchy - we're given just enough to carry the plot. The book suffers from too many POVs for its length, leaving the Phalue/Ranami thread in particular feeling awkwardly under-developed, a by the numbers fantasy rebellion I struggled to feel any investment in. Thankfully, it's easy to love Jovis the smuggler and the adorable Mephi, and I appreciated that I was never quite able to trust Lin's motivations or moral compass.

Stewart does enough to bring me back for a sequel - Lin, Sand and the Alanga are fascinating - but for me this lacked the depth to be a truly satisfying read.

3.5 stars

A clever fantasy novel for the reader who is willing to put in the effort to follow and put together the various points of view, The Bone Shard Daughter introduces a great world and some intriguing characters. Quests, friendships, daring, smugglers... A great debut and I look forward to reading the follow up.

Lin is the Emperor’s daughter yet she feels something is missing with her relationship with her father. Her memory is missing since she caught the disease brought back by her foster brother. Shards of bone are harvested from young children who are then made into constructs to help rule the empire. Lin is practicing to take control of the constructs and show she is worthy of being heir. Each chapter is a different POV from different factions of the empire. There are many characters introduced which can slow the pace of the story down while the background is set out. You find it difficult to connect to any one character but hopefully they will be fleshed out in future stories.
I was given an arc of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

An epic fantasy full of diverse characters.

Unfortunately, I considered not finishing for quite some time.

The idea is quite unique and yet I found myself slogging through some chapters.

It took me long enough to pick up this book, but I don't regret doing so as I thoroughly enjoyed it! It's a fast past read with such an interesting world, richly detailed that completely immersed me despite the total novelty of it.

I loved reading the parts from Lin perspective, the daughter of the emperor who has to learn her magic herself. But all character were well written, with their own distinct personality and growth through the story.

The last part of the book kept me turning the pages faster and I didn't see some of the twist coming. Overall I was satisfy with the ending but would love to dive again in this world.

Thank you to the publisher for providing an E-ARC of The Bone Shard Daughter for review.

What a strong debut! The Bone Shard Daughter was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. What drew me in was the interesting magic system and the promise of an immersive story with different POV characters who each have something to contribute to the overarching storyline.

This book has all of that and so much more, but I still hit a low and found it hard to get into up until a point where I could finally see how all the threads were going to come together. After that to the end, it was smooth sailing.
The Empire is on the brink of facing the Alanga, legendary beings capable of the magic of the land who were banished by the Emperor’s family. Now they seem to be awakening and even the faintest hint of them is enough to change the atmosphere of the Empire forever. For the Emperor, it’s all the more reason to keep collecting the bone shards of his people to build the constructs that protect them against the Alanga. For Jovis, smuggler and a sailor on a seven year long rescue mission, it means assessing his loyalties and his place in life. For Lin, the Emperor’s daughter who is desperate to prove to her father that the ailment that caused her to lose her memories does not take away from her worth as the Emperor’s heir, it means the upending of the world as she knows it.

As The Bone Shard Daughter switches between four different storylines and four different narrators, it introduces us to different settings where an uprising against the Empire is brewing, where people thrown into a mystery island find a way back home and back to their own selves and where constructs powered by commands carved on bone shards oversee different aspects of the Empire’s government.

Lin’s perilous journey into the bowels of the Emperor’s palace, her fight to reclaim her memories and her identity, made for compelling side quest type sequences that made Lin one of the strongest of the point of view characters. Meanwhile Jovis’ journey and his character’s transformation, though ultimately it ties into him shedding his greatest misbelief and learning to live for himself, felt like it developed a bit unprovoked at times. Phalue and Ranami are yet other important pieces of the patchwork, a couple who must overcome ideological and societal differences. It felt like a breath of fresh air to see an established queer relationship represented this way in an adult fantasy.

Overall, I would recommend The Bone Shard Daughter to anyone who might enjoy this fantasy with a unique magic system and characters you’ll meet and be swept away by with each point of view chapter.