A really good start to a series. I found all of the perspectives interesting to read. I can't wait to see where the series goes.

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.

This was a brilliant read. I loved all of the multiple points of view equally and enjoyed how different each voice was. Clearly, it is the first book in a series so we had a lot of setup, background, and world building. I would have liked a little more momentum to the story but overall it was enjoyable.

Alright I came back round to this one and I'm glad I gave it a second try, it took me a little while to get into it but once I did I was hooked! My advice, just persist!

I absolutely LOVED this.
Everything about it - from the plot to the Asian-inspired world - was spot on and so beautifully executed. The writing was engaging with twists that took me by complete surprise. I devoured it in a weekend was immediately desperate to pick up the next one in the series.
A fantastic start to a new trilogy and one that'll remain a firm favourite for a long while.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

This was good! I’d put off reading it for a while because I find I have to be in the right mood for books with lots of protagonists and twisting storylines, which this fits exactly. But it was so well written, so interesting and visual! I could really see all the towns and islands, the author is incredible at world building. The story was also intricate but easy to follow, after the initial trying to work out who is who. I wasn’t sure if I’d read the second book but I think the end of the first one has hooked me!!

Thanks to netgalley for the free copy!

The emperor's reign has lasted for decades, his mastery of bone shard magic powering the animal-like constructs that maintain law and order. But now his rule is failing, and revolution is sweeping across the Empire's many islands.

We have revolution, the end of an Empire, the emperor and his family, common people, governors... we have a lot and it creates such a complex world. Mix all this with some interesting magical system and you get a wonderful story. The bone shard magic felt more like a combination of science and a new language then actual magic. Also, I have the feeling that there is another magical aspect in the story and I am very curious. I have enjoyed the plot and the atmosphere so much!

The characters are another positive aspect of this book. The story follows multiple points of view. The main ones are Lin, the emperor's daughter, and Jovis, a smuggler. I love both of them and I am so curious what happens with them in the future books. Lin's story is full of mystery, secrets and sadness. Even though Jovis' past is sad, his part of the story feels more like an adventure and it has some funny aspects because of an adorable animal companion. The other points of view are intriguing and the way these stories are connected is great!

I cannot recommend this book enough! It is one for sure one of my favourite books ever, cannot wait to read the 2nd vol soon!

Personally, I felt like this book got off to a really slow start. It’s actually the second time I’ve tried to read it - the first time I read a couple of chapters and was just thoroughly confused - who are all these different protagonists and why do they all seem unconnected? They’re not unconnected, obviously. But it does take a while for the pieces of the plot to begin fitting together.

The pace picks up considerably in the second half of the book, and is the bulk of why I’ve given this novel four stars. It’s actually really bloody clever and keeps you guessing the entire time. All of the protagonists are unique and memorable in their own way, and I absolutely adored the Jovis and Mephi chapters. I received an ARC of The Bone Shard Emperor so I will be starting it asap because I can’t wait to see what happens next!

3.5 stars.

Something about this book just didn't click for me. I liked the world building, the concept of 'constructs' was really interesting, and the character of Mephi was unexpected and super cute and wholesome. I think the problem was that there were too many POV characters, so naturally, you get less time with each of them than you would if there were less protagonists. I also found the choice that two characters were told through first person, and the rest through third person rather bizarre. I'm generally not a fan of first person, and books with more than 2 characters POVs can be hit and miss, so I think that was my main issue here. As I said, the world itself was compelling, and a few of the main characters shone a little brighter than others, so I have hope for the future books in this series, as the perspective structure won't be so jarring, and I'm now more familiar with the world of the novel.

(Many thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for the eARC.)

I liked this a lot. I thought the premise was excellent and original. There were a couple of really effective reveals as a result of Stewart not being afraid to lean into the creepiness. I did think the book had pacing issues and differently exciting plotlines but I really enjoyed how they all come or did not come together. The cliffhanger really makes me anxious to get to the next book in the series.

I’m not sure where to start with this book, I thought it was amazing.

An utterly unique plot paired with wonderfully written characters sets the stage for a dramatic page turner. The magic system so intricately woven it’s hard to find a flaw. There were a lot of povs and a LOT of unanswered questions that set the stage for a promising second instalment.

Even with such a wonderful story… Mephi stole the show and my heart.

Stewart has boldly gone for interweaving four different storylines from four different narrators—something that can frequently cause stumbling blocks, but in this instance is articulated with clarity and precision. It creates a bold and complex narrative of interweaving threads, that sets up the trilogy to come. It offers a fascinating and complex view on a fresh and incredible story.

This book is very special, and a promising start to a high fantasy series. I am incredibly picky when it comes to fantasy novels, but this one did not disappoint. It tells the stories of several different characters who exist in a fantasy world that is incredibly well crafted. Stewart describes how shards of bone are used to power monstrous constructs in order to maintain control of a faltering empire. Lin, the Emperor’s daughter, is a joy to follow, and her journey is truly magical. She felt entirely real and relatable throughout. I also adored Jovis and Mephi. Those sequences made me smile, and added a lovely touch. I was really rooting for them all, and I cannot wait to get my hands on book two.

I adored this book. Stewart's prose were stunning and swept me away. There are line of this book that have stayed with me because of their beauty. The world and character of something I have not been able to get out of my head since finishing the novel. I'm counting the days until the sequel because I have to know where Stewart will take the characters I cherish.

This book was filled with twists and turns and it felt like we were slowly being fed information, which is definitely one way to keep the reader hooked! Filled with magic, love, loss, and mystery - it's a great start to a series!

Quality Rating: Five Stars
Enjoyment Rating: Five Stars

The Bone Shard Daughter was one of the best fantasy novels I've read in a long time. I read a lot of fantasy novels, and I'm particularly fond of high-fantasy with Asian influences which this novel sits comfortably in, and this is definitely at the front of the pack. The story was meticulously and diligently planned, the characters and world full-fledged and realised, and it was just an absolute joy to read.

Stewart has constructed such a well-built world, so different to so many, but so well-rooted and made accessible to the audience through the prose. The East Asian-inspired setting is lush and epic, and the constructs (creatures created from animal matter and controlled by the bone shards of the title, taken from the citizens of the empire as children and used to power the monstrous creatures until they have no energy left to live) are such a cool idea, and so well utilised in the story. You get the sense that Stewart isn't a making-it-up-as-she-goes-along writer (though, of course, I don't know!) but that she puts a great deal of thought into how she weaves her tapestry. So when you read it, it performs flawlessly.

There's also such a great balance of multiple complex, conflicted lead characters that each have full stories in their own right, but clearly have further to go until their paths inevitably intertwine. The politics and conflict they face are so believable because it's rooted in these characters and their positions and perspectives in the world. One of our heroines doesn't believe poverty exists and it's understandable, thus the need to teach her otherwise becomes to much more visceral and compelling.

I've gushed enough already, but there's plenty more to enjoy in the book itself past the base elements of literary storytelling. Part of what's so good about The Bone Shard Daugther is its action and its excitement, the puzzles that you're able to work out alongside the characters, and the mysteries that still plague them onwards to the next book, which I will be picking up the second it comes out.

THIS WAS PERFECTION.
There wasn’t a single thing I hated about this book.
It was everything I love in fantasy books.
The characters were incredible and all so well developed.
The pacing and writing were wonderful and you could really see the care and effort the author put into writing it.
The plot was perfect and worked so well with the world created and the characters themselves.
I cannot wait to read the next book!

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. The plot is hugely exciting and feels so unique, Im massivley excited for the next book.

The Bone Shard Daughter is a modern fantasy: diverse, feminist and unapologetically magnificent in its execution. Set in an imagined Asian-inspired world, under the rule of the Sukai Dynasty, the story is narrated through multiple characters including the emperor’s daughter, the governor’s daughter, a smuggler and an amnesiac. Fit to burst with adventure, power struggles and even an adorable, mysterious dragon-otter companion that can cast magic. If I had a bone to pick, it would be that the story ended sooner than I’d hoped. There are shards of this that will inevitability lead to a second instalment, and I look forward to that.

I was not expecting this book. It’s had a lot of hype in the past few months so it has been on my radar and I jumped at the chance to request an arc, but I had forgotten the blurb by the time it came to read my copy. I got to try and figure out the world and magic as it unfolded in the book and it made the experience all the better.

I appreciated how different all our point of view characters were in status; personality and political views. I found myself quickly attached to two characters but by the end of the book I was enjoying all of them equally. I can’t wait to know more about their plotlines.

The plot was fairly busy, with five points of view to balance and a lot of action throughout the book. It kept me glued to the pages. I struggled to keep the points of view separate initially, especially the names, but I had a clear idea by the end of the book. There was a surprise towards the end of the book that has me eagerly awaiting the sequel.

The magic and worldbuilding in this first book was something different. The magic uses bones to draw power from and can power constructs. I’d like to see more of the world built up in the sequel but I’m looking forward to picking it as it releases.