I love fantasy books, I really do. And when I received a copy of ‘The Bone Shard Daughter’ I was curious, and expected to enjoy it as I do with most fantasy I read. However, I did not just enjoy this book - I loved it. Devoured it, even, reading it with every spare moment that I had.

Often with multiple POV stories, I’m frustrated because there are some narratives I adore and others I don’t care about. Yet whilst I was left feeling pent up at the end of each chapter because there would be a cliffhanger and the next chapter wouldn’t be about the same character, I loved each narrative so much that this would happen after EVERY chapter. There was no character that I did not want to return to, which is something I’ve never had before with a multiple POV narrative.

Andrea Stewart is a very talented writer, and has crafted a truly unique tale and world which I only want to know more about. There is so much of the world that you have me snippets of, and I can’t wait to see how they are expanded upon in later books.

An easy five star review for me, and I can’t wait to see more from this author.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the views expressed in this review are my own.
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I have yet to read a book by one of Orbit's authors that I haven't enjoyed or been absolutely blown away by. I've definitely decided on my absolute favorite Sci-Fi & Fantasy imprint.

I went into this with excitement, having read the blurb and jumped in without reading any reviews or trying to look too much into the hints given in the blurb. The PDF ARC was about 450 pages long. I devoured the whole thing in a single day.

It's been a while since I enjoyed a book that:

A) Has multiple POVs
B) Handled each POV like it's as important as the last (and it is)
C) Has breathtakingly beautiful and subtle worldbuilding
D) Is written by an author who clearly knows what they're doing
E) Has an original and incredible system of magic

Yes, I know I have high standards.

Possibly the best thing about this book is that whatever expectations you have from the blurb, you'll be shocked when you actually start reading it. I expected a 70 and I got a 150. That's how good this is.

I have read some pretty horrible examples of multiple POVs and when that's been combined with first person narrative, things have only gotten worse.

The Bone Shard Daughter is nothing like that. This is the kind of writing that I want to read all day every day. A first person narrative that doesn't sound whiny but actually builds the character and gives it depth? Sign me up!

I feel as if Stewart has spoiled us with such an amazing piece of work. I can't for the life of me pick my favourite character simply because it's impossible.

I also cannot begin to describe the absolutely creepy undertones and ominous events that are present throughout this book, constantly hinting at powers beyond that which the regular folk and even the royalty are aware of. I've gotten goosebumps more than once while reading this in the span of a day.

Lastly, the pacing is perfect and each event given its due time.

I cannot even begin to say how desperately I want to read the next installment in the series.

Andrea Stewart has shown herself to be a force to be reckoned with and I'm eager to see where she takes her readers next.

Overall rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

More often than not, in books with multiple points of view, one stands out more than the other. But in «The Bone Shard Daughter» all four points of view, including Sand’s at Maila Isle, were equally interesting and engaging.

The story began with Lin’s pov. She is the daughter of the Emperor who has to fight for her place as the heir to the throne with Bayan, Emperor’s foster son. And the worst of all is that since Bayan’s arrival to the Imperial Island they both fell ill and after recovery lost their memories. But while Bayan was able to recover some pieces of it, Lin’s past remained completely blank.

Then we jumped into Jovis’ chapter, a smuggler searching for his wife who was abducted from their own house seven years ago. His search brought him to Deerhead Island just during the time of the most tragic events. In the beginning, his chapters and his journey were the most action-packed and engaging, in my opinion.

After Jovis, we were shown the life of Phalue, the governor’s daughter, at Nephilanu Island, and her lover Ranami, who came from the very bottom of the social ladder.

The magic system was unique! I’m not a fantasy expert but I did read a fair share of fantasy books in my life and when a new series has a magic system I’ve never seen before, it’s a massive plus. All children when they reach 8 years old must participate in a Festival created and controlled by the Empire. During the festival, the Imperial guards take one shard of bone from each child and store it in the vaults of the castle. Each shard can be used in the future to power constructs, which are amalgamations, a creation of the Emperor, who wields the bone magic.

Lin’s chapters were the only ones that gave us the idea of what that bone magic is all about. I just wished for it to be more of a challenge, as she seemed to master it pretty quickly. Although, the events revealed at the very end might have explained a little bit her prowess with bone magic.

There wasn’t a single moment when I felt bored or felt like the story dragged. In fact, it was quite the opposite. There were many times when we seemed to make a leap in time (a little one), but that gave me the feeling that the story was progressing too quickly, and I wouldn’t mind another 200 or 300 pages spread between these 4 points of view to glance into the more mundane events.

Andrew Stewart’s writing is beautiful, she uses a lot of metaphors, and it reads very quickly and easily. That writing, combined with a very action-packed story made for the most unputdownable book I’ve read in a while!

Jovis’ chapters felt like a videogame! I mentioned earlier that all four main characters and their points of view were equally good, however, Jovis and his companion Mephi did win my heart (all credit goes to Mephi for that).

Jovis’ chapters were particularly interesting as he wasn’t static. He kept moving from island to island, showing more of this world, its people and customs while completing quests here and there that would get him closer to his main objective - to find his abducted wife.

Besides the unique magic system, the world was just as distinctive. First of all, there are moving islands that migrate all together! And secondly, the equality between genders in this world was such a treat to read about. Women and men had the same jobs, women could be rulers, women had the possibility to inherit their parents’ rights, divorce, and so much more. Women and men weren’t treated any differently due to their genders.

There were also a F/F romance and many remarks of how certain characters had one gender marriages, and even marriages with more than two partners! And none of these situations was looked at differently, or judged by the rest. No, it was all completely within the accepted normalcy.

There is still so much to learn about the magic, world, and its people! Andrew Stewart gave us little crumbs of this word’s history, and I’m sure that the future books will explore the Alanga, their magic, maybe even their return?, in more detail. And the world will have to prepare for yet another battle, while also facing others who want the power within the Empire’s borders.

This story has so much potential for future political intrigues, major battles, unknown magic, and interesting lore!

4.5 stars

The Bone Shard Daughter is a stunning debut that feels like the classic fantasy you love, while also being super fresh and innovative. The magic system was so cool, I don't think I've ever read something similar, basically you engrave instructions on shards of bone to power constructs, but the person who the bone comes from will eventually become ill and frail.

This book was not at all what I was expecting from the synposis, Lin is only one of the main characters and while her storyline was very interesting, it was not my favourite. The other two storylines though I LOVED!! We follow Jovis who completely caputured my heart, he is a grumpy smuggler with a heart of gold who will just completely charm you as you watch him reluctantly help literally everyone he comes accross while insisting he is only out for himself. He also befriends an adorable animal companion called Mephi who is ABSOLUTELY PERFECT!!!!!!!!!!! I cannot stress enough how much I love Mephi, he is worth reading this book alone for. He has everything you love about a pet and emotional support animal, but also he talks and is magical!!! His relationship with Jovis is so precious and he sort of acts as Jovis moral compass, convicing him to do the right thing which just stole my heart. As Mephi says "you are the person that helps".

The other storyline we follow is Phalue & Ranami, Phalue is a governors daughter who is convinced by her rebellious girlfriend (Ranami) to get involved in overthrowing her father. Their relationship was so interesting to follow, the cute moments were very cute but there were also moments of conflict that felt very real (there is a big class disparity between them), but watching them struggle to wrestle their respective responsiblities with their relationship and wishes for each other and the future was so well crafted and interesting to follow!

The storylines weave together really well and everything comes together in a heart pounding finale. I cannot wait for the sequel!!!!

4.5 stars

I will make no bones about it: This brilliant fantasy debut has announced Andrea Stewart as quite possibly the best newcomer of the year.

Bone. Shard. Magic. How intriguing does that sound?!?! I’m a sucker for a cool magic system and the sound of that sold me instantly. Having finished this book speedily, I can honestly say you would be wrong if you thought that was the final mark under this book’s coolness column. We’re talking migrating islands, lost ancient civilizations, wet and dry seasons that last for years if not decades, mythical creatures, people mysteriously disappearing, and other inexplicable magic. I fully understand if you stop reading this review about now to go and place that pre-order. Excellent choice in supporting this author if I may so.

“The construct looked nothing so much as a giant spider, dark brown and glistening, as tall as my chest when it stood to attention. Human hands were attached to the end of each of its spindly legs, and an old woman’s adorned the abdomen.”

The bare bones of this story consist of an empire ruled by bone magic. At a certain young age, every citizen is required to part with a shard of their skull that will then make its way to the stores of the emperor, ready for use in the powering of bone constructs that serve and protect the islands of the empire and the inhabitants. This magic is wielded solely by the emperor and his heirs and is the only thing that stands between the empire and the return of the Alanga; an ancient civilization that ruled these islands hundreds of years ago through terrifying powers.

“All the Alanga had powers, but their rulers had more than most.
When one island’s ruler fought with another, the clash of their
magics had killed so many hapless bystanders. Enormous walls
of water, windstorms that flattened cities. The greatest of them,
Dione, could drown a city while saving all the flies, but most
Alanga didn’t have that level of control.
What could mere mortals do against such power? “

The cost of employing this magic is not one the emperor has to pay though, but rather the citizens of the empire. When the shards are embedded in constructs, the shard donor’s life starts ebbing away. They might not notice it early on, feeling only a weakening at first, a deep weariness as their constant companion. There is nothing to be done when your shard has been chosen, and the shard-sickness can happen to any person at any time. It’s so gradual that most don’t notice until the end when the decline is quick. Death swiftly follows, and it’s victims are always cheated out of years of life. But the people are no longer so accepting. Many believe that the Alanga are never coming back, that the emperor’s demand for shards is unnecessary and barbaric. Add in the worrying fact that one of the main islands that make up the empire just inexplicable sank into the ocean, taking thousands to a watery grave (I see what you did with the series name Andrea Stewart!) and it’s no wonder the tensions are high and things are about to come to a boiling point. And that’s where our main characters come in, each with a part to play.

An heir to the empire, fighting for the right to learn the magic which will keep her future kingdom safe. A nobleman’s daughter struggling with her loyalties and the need to do what is right whilst navigating the struggles of her relationship with a commoner who also has a POV. A roguish smuggler with a heart of gold and his animal companion who is going to steal many hearts and star-of-the-show awards, and lastly an enigmatic character with no memory of who she is, where she is, or what her purpose is.

I found it extremely easy to love and root for these characters, with Andrea Stewart writing each with a very distinctive personality and showing particular finesse and skill portraying their inner struggles as well as the characters’ varying relationships and the accompanying complexities on-page. The writing falls into that wonderful category of being so naturally easy to read that it fades into the background, immersing you so deeply into the story you hardly realise that just one more chapter has become a mantra. This in itself is always an achievement with a debut, as authors often only find their feet or groove after a few books, but not so here. The prose is polished, the pacing is excellent and the story is gripping to the very end, leaving quite a few questions unanswered whilst still delivering many revelations and culminating in a satisfying finish.

“We all tell ourselves stories of who we are, and in my mind, I was always the hero. But I wasn’t. Not in all the ways I should have been.”

Without a doubt, the Bone Shard Daughter is a superb opener to The Drowning Empire trilogy that delivers on its promising premise with a highly entertaining story. I am extremely eager to see what direction Andrea Stewart takes with this story and have no qualms in recommending this one to all fantasy readers.

Omgggg, I need the sequel. I couldn't put this down. This is an unique book that is I am hoping the first book of a series. I love the characters and Mephi !! I am not a fan of the first person narratives but in the case of this book I enjoyed it. We have three POVs with third person narrator and two POVs with first person narrator. It didn't hinder the enjoyment of the story. It also have an established f/f couple. I highly recommend this book even though I feel like it could have been better.

I'm really struggling to find the words to summarise how I feel about The Bone Shard Daughter, except to say that I will eagerly be awaiting the sequel. If you enjoyed R.F. Kuang's The Poppy War, and will be left unmoored after The Burning God - I would definitely recommend picking up The Drowning Empire after.

The Bone Shard Daughter is easily one of my favourite fantasy book releases of 2020 so far. And to think it is a debut! Also, can I have the next book ASAP?!!!

Before I begin, let me list down a compact list of reasons you absolutely need to read this book!

A unique magic system powered by bone shards
An established, honest and very real f/f romance
Variety of intriguing magical creatures, ranging from adorable to fatally dangerous
Powerful, bold and fiery female protagonists
Themes of revolution and justice
Now that I have gotten you interested (I hope), lets about the plot! The Bone Shard Daughter is complex tale of an empire run by constructs, which are magical creatures created and controlled by the Emperor and fueled by the bone shards and life energy of the general public. Faced with the emperor’s apathy for his people and the widespread social injustice, Lin, his daughter, tries to win his respect and approval and ascend to the throne. At the same time, Ranami is trying to do her part in helping the destitute farmers and making her partner Phalue, the Governer’s daughter, understand their plight, while somewhere in the endless Sea, Jovis is trying to find his wife. On yet another island, Sand is unsure about what she is doing collecting mangoes on the lonely island of Maila in the first place…

As you can see, this intricately carved tale has multiple characters exploring and bringing forth many facets of the ‘Drowning Empire’. Though it medium-paced and highly character-oriented, there is not a single dull moment in the plot. The tension and intrigue built by Stewart keeps the atmosphere taut with suspense makes you constantly wanting to know more. There are good number of twists and turns, many that made me gasp in surprise! In spite of having five PoVs, the narration is crisp, lucid and confusion-free, the characters and their stories fleshed out in a detailed manner.

Lets talk about the characters (literally the make-or-break parameter for me in any high fantasy)! If you haven’t noticed yet, the diversity quotient among characters is admirable. While Lin and Jovis’ storyline had more action and adventure, the relationship between Ranami and Phalue provided a very thought-provoking insight into the inevitable effect of social class and economic background on the world-view and relationship between two people. I laud Andrea Stewart for presenting such a balanced viewpoint to the entire conflict.

While the world-building is not as extensive and detailed as one would expect from a high fantasy, the entire bone shard magic system is extensively written about and very interesting to read. There is a perfect balance of magic, mystery, suspense and emotion. Andrea’s prose does perfect justice to the stunning plot, breathing life into each scene, be it the sights and smells of a coastal village or the opulence and infinite mysteries of the Emperor’s palace.

The ending is satisfying and neatly wrapped up without any pesky loose threads, but with more than enough potential for a glorious sequel. Overall, The Bone Shard Daughter is a must-read, especially for fans of high fantasy.

Disclaimer: I received a digital advance review copy of this book from the publisher (Orbit) via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The story is set in a world of migratory islands ruled by an emperor who uses magic derived from bone shards to create monsters like creatures called constructs. These constructs are created by combining different animal parts and they are all but responsible for governing the people, enforcing the law and regulating the trade etc. on behalf of the emperor. The story is told through no less that five point of views and includes:

Lin - who is the emperor's daughter, but she suffered from some sort of sickness in her past which has resulted in loss of her memories. She is also competing with her father's foster son for the position of the heir to the throne.

Jovis - He was once an Imperial navigator but is now a smuggler and is looking for his wife who was abducted almost seven years ago and taken abroad a mysterious ship with blue sails.

Phalue - She is the daughter of the governor of another island and inadvertently becomes a part of the rebels plotting.

Ranami - She is Phalue's lover. The two of them had a very different upbringing and despite their affection for each other, they are often at odds with each other due to their differences in ideologies and the way of seeing the world in general.

And lastly,

Sand - Her identity is a mystery, she doesn't remember much about who she is but after an accident she is slowly beginning to get her memories back.

I found Andrea Stewart's writing very accessible and engaging. The scope and scale of this story is quite huge, with different characters living on different island and facing their own challenges/ struggles etc. Additionally, the magic system and the history of how the existence of the empire and bone shard magic came to be is quite interesting. Surely, there is still a lot that hasn't yet been revealed but that only makes the story more intriguing.

The story like I mentioned is told through five characters and each one brings a fresh perspective to what's really going on with the people of the empire. The growing restlessness and discontent among the populace due to an absent emperor and the injustices carried out by the rich towards the poor in name of justice and fairness is shown quite well. However, I really felt that some parts of the story were not executed well and left me with much to be desired. There were several repetitions when it came to the back stories of the characters especially in the beginning and the ending felt a little rushed. There is definitely scope for better action sequences, political dynamic between different island and a tighter knit plot in general.

I really liked the respective storyline of Lin and Jovis. Both of their plotline had an adventurous streak to it. Lin's story has a lot of sneaking around and finding secrets around the palace but also realizing the kind of leader she wants to become. Similarly, Jovis's story was full of action and coming to terms with the reality of his situation. I loved how they continued to develop throughout the story and I can't wait to see how the story of these two characters progresses further. Plus, the dynamic between Jovis and his pet companion Mephi deserves some top notch love. Phalue's and Ranami plot on the other hand wasn't really my favorite, I loved that they were willing to make it work despite their difference in ideologies and they gave time and thought in understanding each others perspective rather than acting rashly but I truly think that their storyline suffered due to their limited page time.

I haven't got much to say about Sand but seeing how this book ended and the revelations that happened at the end of this book, I am sure she will have a much bigger role to play in the sequel.

Overall, this story has a lot of potential and this first book establishes the plot and characters quite well. I will definitely look forward to reading the next book.

ARC received from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review, thank you.

First of all my review will never do this book justice, my words are not as gorgeously written as Andrea Stewart’s so just go read The Bone Shard Daughter because my review will never convey just how great this book is, cheers.

Wow, this book was just so unbelievably good and also a debut, which I didn’t know going into this book but wow! If this is how this author decides to start her career then I am extremely excited to see what is to come.

The Bone Shard Daughter (TBSD) is the first book in The Drowning Empire series, in TBSD we follow 5 different POV:
-Lin, the daughter of the Emperor trying to prove her worth to her father who refuses to recognise her as his heir.
-Jovis, a smuggler who barely survives the drowning of Deerisland and who has the most adorable animal companion, Mephi.
-Sand, who collects mangos every day, day in, day out, until something stirs an awakening in her soul.
-Phalue, the daughter of a governor.
-Ranami, Phalue’s commoner girlfriend, who tries to get Phalue to see the hunger on the streets.
You may be thinking ‘5 points of view?! How can someone balance all those and still keep it interesting?’ Well, I’ll tell you, Andrea Stewart definitely can. Every time it changed I was first annoyed to be leaving the previous character until I read the first sentence of the next chapter and instantly got sucked into the next character’s story.

The Emperor has mastered the art of Bone Shard magic powering animal-like constructs across the empire, it’s a closely guarded secret that only the royal family knows, Lin must prove her worth and gain her father’s favour by learning this great art. Lin’s story was the most separate of the other stories and it was hard to see how her story linked to the other’s but Stewart landed the ending whilst also not pulling punches. Lin’s POV was the one that made me cry multiple times, once when I was in a coffee shop, very embarrassing, thanks for that. A negative I could think of is that Lin is your fairly typical female main character in a YA fantasy, I’ve read a few books with characters very similar to hers. In fact, I’d say that most of these characters are fairly run of the mill but they were held so expertly and were invigorated with life so well that I’m only realising this whilst writing this review.

Jovis and Mephi had the most gorgeous relationship development, the way Stewart described their relationship felt exactly like it does when you get close to a pet and how they really can become your friend. I’m not the biggest fan of talking animals and I’m still not but it didn’t grate on me too much and didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the novel due to the way Mephi learnt the language. Jovis is just trying to find his lover or so he keeps telling himself as he travels about the empire saving children left, right and centre. If I was being picky, I could say that one of the revelations/decisions he made was a bit out of character but I think it also was needed so I’m not going to say that. Jovis’ development was gorgeously done and the twist at the end was just *chef’s kiss*, I don’t know when the next book is coming out but I need it now because this book’s ending was just so goddamn good.

Phalue and Ranami had less page-time than Jovis and Lin but their relationship was just so lovely realised, it’s so lovely to read a book with a world that has normalised same-sex couples so much, I guess it gave me hope that our world could be similar to this, although only in this way, I don’t think I’d like constructs in the real world, they sound way too creepy for my liking. Another thing I loved about their relationship is their class divide, just as in this world, it’s stupid that class divides and money push people apart but they do and it’s so lovely realised in this book just how stupid and real that struggle is.

And I’m not going to talk about the last point of view because that it venturing too far into spoiler territory for my liking.

All in all, if you need another high-fantasy under your belt, that has a reasonable amount of pages, then please pick up this book, honestly I really don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

This book is beyond incredible, let me tell you!!!! I have reached a point with fantasy fiction where there is a formula I have come to expect but this totally surprised me, this book is breathtaking.

This book follows a no. of different characters and they’re actually all very likeable (although one is very mysterious with promise for book 2!). Jovis is a complex character I found very interesting to read, he has spent 7 years trying to find his wife who disappeared and keeps getting pulled into helping others, he’s a reluctant hero but a hero nonetheless and he’s incredibly charming. Lin is the emperors daughter (and potential successor), her father uses the bone shards of his people (taken when children) to fuel constructs, creations of living parts of people and animal, their energy comes from the shard and with it the people are drained and ultimately die. As Lin learns more about this process, will she follow in her father’s footsteps?
Then there is Phalue, the governor’s daughter, and Ranami, her girlfriend and moral compass. Like Lin, you follow Phalue as she learns the cost of power and whether it’s one she wants to pay. Phalue and Ranami are a great example of a LGBT couple, it’s not a relationship that is elevated to be something spectacular but something ordinary (because that’s what it is and should be treated as - normal), it’s a healthy relationship of disagreement and support and love and honestly one of my favourites to read for how relatable it was.

So I love the characters, that’s clear, the world building as well as brilliant, the bone shard idea comes over original whilst also hinting at a lot more to come, you get a lot of information but you also know there’s so much more to learn. The constructs themselves create wonderful images. The pace is pretty nonstop, although Phalue’s story did take a bigger pause between chapters than I’d like (that could just be my impatience though). My only minor criticism is a relationship reveal in the book that is a little unsettling - I can’t say more...

I am VERY impressed by The Bone Shard Daughter and grateful to NetGalley for the early read. As soon as I finished I just had to buy a sprayed edge, signed edition worthy of the story ❤️ The book has love, action, politics and magic - what more do you need? Book 2, that’s what I need!!!!!

As promised! I went into reading this book with high expectations and on the back of reading several positive reviews. I wasn’t disappointed. The world setting reminded me of back packing in SE Asia and I admit it was difficult not to feel a bit nostalgic. I could easily picture turquoise seas and white sand beaches, perhaps that is why I was so engrossed. The characters were great, I’m a big fan of point of view chapters, it really helps me get inside of their heads. Add to that a cute animal companion and I was sold. Loved the magic system, it was fresh and exciting. All in all a great read, I’m sure this will be a big hit. Read this if you enjoyed Children of blood and bone, or even if you didn’t, it’s great.

The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart, the cover design is superbly striking and the story synopsis intriguing that I just had to read this book. Oh boy, I wasn’t disappointed!

The Emperor’s reign has lasted for decades, his mastery of bone shard magic which powers constructs that maintain law and order throughout the empire. These constructs, which I just loved the idea, is a fusion of different bones and parts of the living animals fused to make different constructs, which perform a specific role or duty.

Lin, the Emperor’s daughter, is trapped in the palace, she thinks she is heir to the throne, although she soon finds out that her father refuses to acknowledge Lin has heir, in place of his foster son. This focuses Lin on honing her bone shard craft but only to try to regain her father’s love and approval, ultimately prove her worth. Lin also wants answers to her past and to claim her birthright, for her people.

Lin does spend a good bit of time wandering the palace trying to uncover the dark secrets to her past. Gaining access to locked doors and forbidden bone shard art is a good part of this development. The more Lin uncovers the more this propels the story forward. Lin’s story was everything you want, she is intriguing, smart and inquisitive and I was completely invested. The interaction between Lin, her father and foster brother is set up to give the story a dark air of doom, you are left wondering what will happen next. Viva la Revolucion!

The other two major characters, Jovis who is a bit time smuggler on the run and his friend Mephi. They bring an element of adventure to the story, as we are introduced to the world outside the palace. It all starts as they escape the sinking of DeerIsland. There is plenty of mystery, action and tension, and added danger, as both characters interactions are brilliantly played out, Mephi is so adorable! Both Jovis and Mephi’s relationship expands and develops as well. These two characters were my favourites.

The remaining characters are just as engaging, Phalue - is a daughter of a governor, Ranami - Phalue’s girlfriend and rebel Sand - She’s on the island of lost memories, all play a part in the political discontent brewing and the interplay between the characters only heightens the tension of the plot.

I loved this book, for its unique idea of magic system (magic, good enough to challenge Sanderson). The characters are well rounded, the world-building fascinating. There are plenty of conflicts, the action is handled superbly well, and a story full of tension.

All this builds the story up for what will be my most anticipated book next year. This is a book with an engaging unputdownable quality…what more could you want, apart from the next book, please!

Thank you to NetGalley, Little Brown Book Group UK and Orbit Books. All opinions are my own.

Welcome to the next amazing fantasy world! The Bone Shard Daughter is a slowburn fantasy with such an interesting world (where islands move and sink!!), a very fun magic system (using shards of people's skulls!) and has a cast of brilliant characters (MEPHI MY SWEET BABY ANGEL!)

From the blurb, I went into The Bone Shard Daughter expecting a story of power and privilege as daughter of the emperor Lin tried to take the throne from the father. And we do get that. But what was unexpected was this whole host of other POVs that made this world even better than I anticipated! We follow five main POVs throughout:
- We have Lin, the daughter of the emperor who recovered from a serious illness five years ago, but lost all the memories of her childhood. Her father now pits her against foster brother Bayan as the two compete to see who can learn most about bone shard magic and be named their father's heir.
- Next we have Jovis, a burly smuggler desperate to find his wife who disappeared 7 years ago. Helping children escape the tithing festival, where they give away part of their skull bone to the emperor for his bone magic constructs, he runs into Mephi, a bedraggled looking kitten who just so turns out to be something else entirely.
- Phalue, the daughter of a governor on one of the islands around the Empire, whose long term partner Ramani has wound up involved with the Shardless Few, a group who want to take down the Empire.
- Ramani herself, who has to grapple with her love for a woman in a position in power who doesn't seem to understand the depths of suffering in the lower classes.
- And then there's Sand, an outsider point of view at the far reaches of the Empire, who falls out a mango tree and realises something odd about her island.

I had times when each of these POVs were my favourite, so it's difficult to say who I liked best! Though I'm certainly not complaining, as big multi-POV fantasies like this one often suffer from a 'the other character has a way more interesting POV and I don't care about this one at all.' The Bone Shard Daughter was not like that. At the start, I found myself dying to know more about Lin, as she started her discovery and exploration of this very cool magic system that allowed bone shards to be created in constructs to protect the Empire. But then I was blown away and drawn into this mystery on Sand's island, longing to know more about what the fuck was happening. Then Ramani and Phalue, this amazing f/f relationship who love each other but are struggling to resolve their morality and positions. But by the end, I think I was most in love with Jovis (which actually very much surprised me, because he starts out very rude and gruff and a unwilling to help, and almost left poor little Mephi in the sea). But by the end I cherished the strong love that had developed between Jovis and his magical animal companion Mephi, I adored the way his love for his wife drove his actions so much, the beauty of his emotion and heart break clear on every page. So there really wasn't a single POV I wasn't interested in and wanted to know more about!

The magic system is definitely one of the coolest in any book I've read this year. Parts of people's SKULLS are used to power constructs to defend the city? And citizens are forced to give their bones? But it means if your shard is in use, at some point you will grow suddenly weak and sick and no longer be able to function. This system made for such an interesting power dynamic, one that could really explore the experiences between the nobility and the working class. This was particularly apparent with Lin and Phalue, who had to challenge themselves and their role in power, and see how far they were willing to go to. For Lin especially, as a wielder of bone shard magic, the magic she must learn to use to win over her father, she was faced with the knowledge that by using these shards and using the working class as a stepping stone to power, she wasn't really any different to her awful father. Her journey and development was written so well.

As much as I loved the magic system, the reason I didn't give this a full five stars is also the magic system. There seemed to be some inconsistencies and I was rather confused about how this magic that took time and patience to wield could somehow been instantaneously used in the middle of battle? The end battle scenes uses this magic in a way that seemed to ignore time? As this was an ARC, I'm hoping this might be improved by the final book, but I was very confused about how a magic that requires time to actually work was suddenly either able to happen immediately in the heat of battle, or the opponent simply sat around waiting for you to complete it before attacking. It brought me right out of the story which was really disappointing because I'd been loving every minute until then.

But overall, I was really impressed with The Bone Shard Daughter! It has one of my favourite ensemble casts, each of their POVs were so interesting in their own ways, and this world, with islands that can move and sink and magic that can be wielded with people's skulls, made for a very exciting fantasy debut! And of course I will devour the sequel when it releases.

I enjoyed this one. Really exciting and engaging. Strong world-building and good multi-character PoV voices. I would like to have learned more about the magic (the 'physics' of the magic) and found it difficult to picture exactly what was going on as the main character worked her magic. I was also not sure whether only certain people had powers - that was a little inconsistently described. But I'd read the next one in hope of finding out more.

Firstly a huge thank you to The Little Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for providing me with the e-ARC of The Bone Shard Daughter in exchange for an honest review

To quote Memphis, The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart is “A very good.” The first book in The Drowning Empire series, it takes place in an empire that spans multiple islands controlled by a bone shard magic wielding emperor, who uses his magic to create and control monstrous constructs to enforce his control. After decades of rule the emperor’s reign is failing and there are wisps of revolution emerging.

The world-building is strong, without being overly-done and is delivered organically as appropriate to the story. At no point do you feel like you are being paused to be talked at and have the world described to you. The magic system is also well defined and constructs are clearly explained within the story-line, and your knowledge of them including the commands and the consequences of getting those commands wrong is expanded naturally as the book progresses.

This own voices book is told from the perspectives of 4 characters. Lin the emperor’s daughter and Jovis the smuggler are both written in the first person, whereas Phalue, the governor’s daughter and her love Ranami, and key side character Sand are written in the third person. It is impressive how much this writing tool is used to effect a greater depth and strength to the characters, and how it is done so well as to feel seamless; there is no crunching of gears between the changes.

Lin is trapped in the emperor’s palace amidst a confusion of secrets and locked doors struggling to earn her fathers praise and respect by secretly learning bone shard magic, but at all points she is assailed by the mysteries and lost memories of her own past.

Meanwhile Jovis is tortured by the mysterious kidnapping of his wife 7 years earlier, and is desperate to discover where she is and what happened to her. Early on in this mission he rescues Mephis, a kitten-like animal who he develops a strong magical relationship with.

“Little by little, he’d become more than just an animal, but a companion he couldn’t see himself being parted from.”

Phalue and Ranami’s relationship is defined and described with a beautiful subtlety and complexity, which is wonderful to see. This is definitely not just your token LBGT relationship, it feels so believable and goes beyond to face the complexities and difficulties that social statues affect relationships, but I must emphasise that romance is not central to the core of this story.

There are a number of mysteries within this story that remain unsolved at the end of this book including the Endless Sea swallowing islands and others that I’m not going to mention...spoilers.

Overall, a really satisfying, tension bound read that pulls you in to the story and leaves your appetite whetted for more. I really, really enjoyed this and if you are on the look out for a great quality, deeply engaging and intriguing fantasy, then go for it. At 4.5 ⭐️ for me, The Bone Shard Daughter is all this and more - go get it!

eARC provided by NetGalley , thank you to NetGalley, Little Brown Book Group UK and Orbit Books. All opinions are my own. As requested I will leave a review on all my review accounts closer to the time of publication.

I think this is the best Adult fantasy debut of 2020 so far! A magical, lethal and imaginative story that takes everything you know about fantasy and turns it on its head.

I don’t know where to start on this. My brain is in tatters so this review will be too.

This novel gripped me from the start and I tried to put this down and I couldn’t. I haven’t had this feeling about a novel in a long time.
The concept was sharp and new. The writing was perfect for me in every way and Andrea brings to life the world she created so effortlessly.

For once in my forsaken life I wanted the book to be LONGER, with more DETAILS. WTF Is wrong with me eh? That was my only gripe, I wanted more from the world and the history but of course I am sure these things and many other will be told in book 2.

A WORLD OF BONE SHARD MAGIC AND REBELLION, RELATIONSHIPS AND SACRIFICES.

Although the world and magic are a large part of the book the characters take center stage. Told from several different POV’s you are never lost, or even confused with the many voices rising up.

I also loved that the synopsis is so brilliantly done: It leaves you intrigued but there is just SO MUCH MORE it doesn’t tell you.

There were so many clever twists and no “stuffing” (to me its useless nonsense to keep the plot or story going, lulls you into deep coma)

I AM BREATHLESS!

I loved this book in every way.

Rating 5 big fat bloody good stars!

The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart
Book 1 in The Drowning Empire trilogy
Publish Date: September 10th 2020
Cover Rating: 7/10
Adult – Fantasy – LGBTQ - Fiction

Thank you Orbit and Little, Brown Book Group UK for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This full review will be posted on Goodreads and my blog (The Books are Rising) closer to publication date (est. date: 27 Aug 2020)

Packing wickedly clever plotting and superb world-building, Andrea Stewart’s The Bone Shard Daughter presents a larger-than-life epic through seamlessly interwoven storylines.
Set in an empire consisting of many islands, the Emperor rules with the forbidden magic of bone shards that power fuels monstrous constructs that enforce law and order. For decades the emperor has reigned, but now his rule is failing and whispers of revolution travel across the Empire’s islands.
The Bone Shard Daughter presents its story through a diverse cast of rich, compelling characters. Lin is desperate to find her father's favour and learn the magic that keeps the empire safe to secure her succession of the throne – the only way she knows to help her people. Jovis, smuggler and thief on a desperate search for his lost wife, keeps finding himself unable to refuse pleas for help. Sand, who goes from village to mango grove to village again, experiences an unlikely awakening that stirs her towards a search for the truth. Ranami and Phalue, lovers from different backgrounds, find themselves having to address their differences while embroiled on a quest for revolution. Stewart’s excellent pacing emphasizes the distinctive voices between these 5 POVs, making the choice of having 2 first person POVs and 3 third person POVs work.
Through these five perspectives, Stewart asks a concurrent, singular set of questions: What is the value of human life? Are they to be solely determined by their usefulness, skill, or intelligence? Lin finds herself having her worth constantly questioned by her skill to work the bone shard magic and adopts a primarily utilitarian view alike her father although she is more earnest in keeping her people’s best interests at heart. Jovis and his animal companion Mephis work against the Empire that mandates children to donate a bone shard in a disturbing ‘tithing festival’ for fueling the constructs that govern the empire, treating its people like spare parts; while also finding himself questioning the revolution’s approach in how it treats its allies. Ranami and Phalue find themselves using their political position in an injustice-fueled passion to spread equality throughout all the lands. Sand is left to discover her value as she wades on through her inability to retain long-term memory.
The Bone Shard Daughter is a book of many, many strengths. Stewart’s well-polished prose, vivid imagery, and palpable tension present an enjoyable reading experience as we course through numerous intrigue and mysteries within the story. I found the magic-system to be particularly smart deriving its functions from both computing and linguistics. I realised the East Asian-inspired setting is not for mere aesthetic - it actually makes for a clever integration for the magic system as a passage in the book implies the flexibility of the commands according to linguistic flexibility, and the challenges described were reminiscent to that of an East Asian (most likely Chinese) language system. The side effects of this magic also carry a disturbing weight. I was left understanding its forbidden nature - not only is the Tithing for bone shards making one go excruciating and potentially fatal pain, it also means a complete surrender of one’s wellbeing on top of their value being undermined to that of a “spare part” for the bone shard constructs.
Epic in scope, filled to the brim with rich, compelling characters, packing sharp, disturbing genius in its magic system, fans of Samantha Shannon’s Priory of the Orange Tree and R.F. Kuang’s The Poppy War would find The Bone Shard Daughter a highly enjoyable read.

If I had to give a short review, I'd follow Mephi's example and say it's "a very good." Now you may be thinking, "Isabel, what is a Mephi?" and to that, I say: read the book.

The Bone Shard Daughter is the first installment to a new fantasy trilogy and it was incredible. It follows five different characters in a world composed of various islands under the rule of the Emperor, who has bone shard magic.

Bone shard magic consists of taking out a shard of someone's skull and using it to create constructs to do your bidding. However, as the shard powers the construct it drains the life of the shard's owner. And, to have sufficient shards to use, it takes place yearly the Tithing Festival where the shards are taken from a child as soon as they turn 8. And the Emperor requires many since he is distrustful of people, so his armies and advisors are all constructs.

Needless to say, the magic system completely fascinates me and is unlike any I have ever read. There is so much inventiveness in the system, the world, and how everything works, I have no doubt Stewart will become a favorite author of mine.

Even though there are 5 different POVs, I never felt bored by them. I was always looking forward to the next chapter, the next perspective since many things are going on. The characters are well crafted, I never had an issue distinguishing their voices and their motivations. Truthfully, it was refreshing to read a novel where I was captivated by everyone and I was eager to flip the pages.

I do wish that Ranami and Phalue had received more of a spotlight but it's a minor critic from me. Overall, I am smitten by this book and I will never shut up about it. Though I do admit that Mephi stole my heart. I want to adopt him so badly!

Do you love fantasy? Do you love intriguing stories, with secrets laced between each paragraph? Compelling characters? The Bone Shard Daughter is the right pick for you.

This was such an amazing book! So many twists and turns. You think you know what's going to happen and then bam! You turn the page and you were wrong. I love how inclusive this book was too. The world building was also to unique, I loved it.
So glad I will be getting this from goldsboro, so it can go on my favourite reads bookcase