I had mixed feelings about The Bond Shard Daughter, but the world was intriguing enough to bring me back for book two. I sort of wish I hadn't bothered - while there's lots of fabulous ideas and the background world-building remains fascinating, the storytelling relies heavily on puzzle narratives (that aren't very puzzling) and chapter cliffhangers (which I'm no fonder of now than when I threw Dan Brown against a wall). Overall, I found this sequel eschews subtlety and depth in favour of melodrama - I won't be reading the final book in the trilogy as it deserves readers who will enjoy it more than I will.

This second book suppassed an already excellent first book and then some.
Lin Sukai is emperor now and the book picks up soon after the closing of book 1. Political alliances are falling and the army of constructs approaches...
This book was much more character driven than the first one, with politicking and intrigue being the main factors at play. The characters, which had gone through fire in book 1, are rounded out and well-fleshed out in this book as we see them forced to try other tactics and wade into new and difficult situation.
Though the characters, my god. I hate some at times. They were so human...so flawed...so so well written. The pig-headedness of Ranami, the entitlement of Phalue, the sheer gaul and slyness of Jovis. Ninsong meawhile was a breath of fresh air, her character really came into its own this book, so much moreso than the first. And Lin...poor poor Lin...we constantly see her struggle under the weight of leadership.

The writing and world building were great, though I could have done with more explanation of the magic system perhaps.

Overall, an excellent read and leaves you on an emotional cliffhanger that will have you foaming at the mouth for book 3

This sequel novel does exactly what a sequel should - the world is expanded, the threat level is increased and the drip feed of information keeps coming, without giving us too many answers. I enjoyed the character development of both Lin and Jovis and particularly the way in which their relationship moved forward. Knowing more about the Alanga and their powers really keeps the intrigue level high and although much of the novel focuses on the politics and diplomacy necessary to run an empire and forge relationships, there are enough action pieces to keep things compelling throughout. As before however, I just wish we were given more time with some of the other characters as I feel the development given to Lin and Jovis is somewhat lacking for Phalue. That being said, I am so intrigued to see how the story concludes.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

amazing storyline, incredible magic system, witty characters, and such great writing by andrea stewart. loved this a lot.

- thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC.

Was very excited for the follow up for the BSD but sadly was disappointed. Stewart's magic system is impressive as always but I didn’t agree nor like the characters in this installment. Maybe will reread the trilogy when BSW is out

This book left me with a hard decision to make: do I continue this series that I'm only mildly enjoying or do I give up completely? It took me all of these months to come to my decision: sadly, i dont think I'll be investing any more time into this world. The premise is very intriguing but I never find myself hurrying to pick it up or caring enough about any of it enough to be disappointed by that lack of compulsion.

There is an audience for this, but it isn't me.

The second book in the serie definitively doesnt suffer of the second book syndrom.
As we get to know more about all the characters, we mainly get closer to Lin and Jovis as they get to know eachother and to know who they are and many secrets behind their powers and families.
Things get serious and war is coming, Lin tries the diplomatic way but the ennemies are not as nice... Can't wait for the 3rd and last book!
I received an ebook from NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

A good solid sequel to a unique fantasy debut. The magic system in this world is a boon to the novels, it's something new but still feels plausible within a fantasy world, and is explained well. I'm not the biggest fan of Lin's chapters but the other POVs are great.

The second book in the series finds Lin Suki on the throne, but at what cost? Politically weak and with amassing rebels, she must consider an alliance in order to restore order.
This series continues to delight. It is well constructed, with great words building and believable diverse characters.
Looking forward to the concluding book.

The bone shard emperor was a great follow up to the bone shard daughter, the second book never lives up to the first one, but this one didn't let me down. I loved to see more of the world and finally understand most of the mysteries from the first book. Loved the relation between Lin and Jovis and how it develops, and mephi and thrana.
The plot with the Alanga and how it was hinted to in the first book in a subtle way, it was organic and natural and at the same time a great twist to the story.
Also really enjoy Ranami and Phalue, but it was a secondary plot line that I felt wasn't so interesting and important to the story.
Felt that the shardless few weren't used to their potential, in both books it felt like they were simply there and didn't feel their motives or actions much.
The plot with Nisong was an interesting take, also Lin family in the other island, but it could have been more explored, also the fact that Lin is also a construct.
I thought this was a duology, but I am so happy there will be a third book, because there was so much more to explore, the empire is still not secured, Alanga are still free and not accepted by the people, constructs and Lin especially being one is still unresolved, Jovis and Lin, the shardless few and their endeavours against the emperor... All in all, there is still much to be answered and resolved.
I liked this book and would love to read more in this story and from this author. Also would recommend a read if you like fantasy, and felt like there was a similar feel to the witchland series.

This book answered so many questions I had from the first book but somehow its also left me with even more ? This book progresses so well from the first one, upping both the stakes and the world building. Even though its been ages since I read the first one ( this one has been staring at me in derision from the shelf since I preordered it before its release ) I had no trouble at all aclimatising myself to the world again. One of salt water, blood and bone magic. Where the divide between people and state grows ever wider and the walls of palaces and mansions seem ever taller. The smell of rain and mud and sweat, the sound of love and laughter and tears. This book keeps more secrets than it tells - hinting at gems glistening in the past. With plot twists to knock your socks off and on the ground politics that can make your head spin - and most importantly did I mention how adorable Mephi and Thrana are ?? Honestly just read the books for Mephi and Thrana

I absolutely loved the first book, The Bone Shard Daughter, so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this sequel! It didn’t disappoint.
The first book set up the world, with the multiple POVs spread across the empire. This book kicks off the ‘fun and games’ as the POV stories properly entwine. There’s the introduction of a new romance arc, the ratcheting tension from new threads, and several house of cards threatening to topple (with each situation of the characters’ making).
In the beginning, the pace is possibly a bit slower than BSD, with more political scheming than mystery, but I enjoy that sort of thing and had no trouble staying interested (in general I love slowburn). I think this book truly comes into it’s own in the last third - I had to finish it in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down, the tension had me gasping.
I would have enjoyed a little more from Nisong, who’s POV was mostly for the sake of plot progression without a deep look at her character (but I will concede that may have been a deliberate choice, on account of who/what Nisong is). But I loved the character development of everyone else. Mephi and Thrana were, of course, the stars of the show. Renami and Phalue’s relationship fell out of the limelight to make way for Jovis and Lin, which I’ve seen in other reviews is not to everyone’s taste, but I actually enjoyed their burgeoning relationship.

This was a long one, but VERY well written as usual. I think I prefer the first book SLIGHTLY more purely because I love being introduced to new worlds and I liked the focus on Lin in the palace and the other protagonists in their own little worlds - this one feels more expansive because everyone is being interwoven and Lin is travelling between islands and we're getting to see the protagonists interact, which is really interesting actually to see how they react to each other. I really like Jovis and Lin's relationship. I was slightly shocked at how brutal Nisong was straight from the off because I felt like at the end of the last book she wasn't really portrayed like that, but maybe I'm misremembering. Overall a 4 star read because it's so well written and immersive and just incredibly well done.

Thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown for the free ecopy!

I was so excited for this and had high expectations too and I have to say I wasn’t at all disappointed. All the hard work of scene setting and world building was done in the first book, so you can just jump right into the beginning , which was great, I loved returning to this world and I think it’s even better than the first book. The twists at the end were fantastic, just one after another and I wasn't expecting it. The romance felt right, developing at its own speed and completely natural. I can’t wait for the next (and last sob) book.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

The Bone Shard Emperor is the sequel to The Bone Shard Daughter which did a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to the world-building and scene setting so book two is able to immediately jump into story.

Whilst the plot did have to step aside for a while so that some politics could happen, it did eventually start moving foward after about 35%. There are still multiple POV however it does settle in this book to mainly Jovis and Lin with the occassional Nisong/Phalue/Ranami chapters.

Personally I could have done with a little less angst and untrusting behaviours but I do understand why the characters act as they do. I enjoyed the slow burn romance between Lin and Jovis, it was nice to have feelings grow in a book from mutal respect rather than instant love.

Something I absolutely loved was Mephi and Thrana and I will see nothing happen to them on pain of death! Sorry Andrea but if that is the plan then you need to do some rewrites! Can you imagine if your pet (I know they aren't pets but sssh) could talk to you and interact in this way?! That is the dream.

The last portion of the book is ALL action and it really benefits from that, we finally see all the characters finally interacting with each other at once.

This book definitely doesn't suffer from middle book syndrome, personally I think it benefits from it because as I said before; all of the world-building is done so it is go go go. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and can't wait for the final installment to find out how these stories will end.

Thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group for the complimentary copy of this book.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All of the opinions expressed in this review are my own.
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I was really excited for the sequel to one of my favourite debut novels and had high expectations for this.

While the beginning was certainly great and the overall sense of tension was appropriately high, there were a few aspects that I felt could have been handled better.

The romance was very strange and entirely unnecessary in my opinion. The two characters made more sense as reluctant allies rather than lovers.

The twists were also very predictable.


Overall rating: 3/5 stars

I read The Bone Shard Daughter back in January 2022 and wasn’t entirely captured by it. But I had a feeling that if I read the sequel, I wouldn’t be disappointed – and I was right! The Bone Shard Emperor is a great (rare) example of the sequel being better. Everything that niggled me about the first book was solved, explained, or improved upon:

- Ranami’s characterisation was firmly rooted, less annoying, and the introduction of Ayesh was a great way to explore how her past was holding her back from her future/becoming a mother.

- There were still lots of POVs but everyone actually met this time, and it was obvious how their stories interlinked. Jovis and Lin were the focus and their romance was a nice touch, but the ‘miscommunication trope’ was ALMOST to the point where it became annoying. Jovis felt like he'd lost a bit of himself; claiming to be a ‘good guy’ whilst really being a sneaky little b***h. Phalue was still great - who could dislike Phalue? Nisong was slightly too villainous for me, always changing her mind at the last moment, but I think the third instalment should hopefully expand upon her past life and her motivations. I’m interested to see how she’ll pair in the third book with Ragan (a secondary villain who doesn’t seem to be mentioned in many reviews, which tells you everything you need to know about him, really!).

- Bone shard magic took (somewhat) of a backseat to more physical fighting. We have Alanga magic and good old sword-fighting taking it’s place, and I feel as though these avenues of fighting are much more believable. When it came to the first book, I found it impractical to think of one person fighting a crowd of mutated animals by shoving their hands into them and taking the time to re-engraving the bone shards. Logic told me that as soon as they did, they’d surely be mauled by something else. In this instalment, Lin steps away from this tactic and whenever she does fall back to bone shard magic, she uses it in subtle, more practical ways. Many of the constructs this time were also reanimated humans, which I feel are more manageable an enemy than a herd of giant, super powerful monsters. (There is ONE super-monster, introduced in the final battle, but by that point the tension had already built nicely and it didn't feel over the top.)

Overall, I enjoyed it and I’ll actively seek out the third book when it's published.

I enjoyed this book a lot more than I had anticipated.

This is the second book in The Drowning Empire Trilogy, and it continues the story of Lin, Nisong, Jovis, and others after the events of the first book.

This book had a significant amount of politics that I didn't expect but really enjoyed. Yes, I appreciate a little political intrigue, and it felt authentic here because you could tell when characters were or felt inexperienced, as well as the subtle power dynamics and tensions between characters.

The twists at the end were incredible; it was one thing after another, and I wasn't expecting any of it. When this stuff did happen, I was able to see where the vague clues were coming from, and they all made sense in some way.

I also thought the relationship development was natural and believable. I understood why each character felt the way they did, and nothing seemed particularly far-fetched to me.

My main complaint is that it took a little longer to get started. Even though I don't expect or want action right away, I believe the second book should have a gripping beginning like the first, and I didn't get that with this. Despite the fact that it had been a while since I had read the first book, I felt much more confused than I should have been, to begin with. Maybe it's just me and my bad memory.

The journal entries were also jarring and unnecessary in my opinion. While I didn't dislike them, I felt they took me out of the story and that I had no interest in them. I sometimes skipped one or two to get to the action.

Overall, this was a surprisingly good second book in a trilogy. I'm excited to read the next one and had a great time reading this one. This is up there with some of my favourite series, in my personal view.

This was a solid sequel to The Bone Shard Daughter. The characters, the plot, the building on upon the previously set up lore and world-building. Chef's kiss.

The magic of this world continues to be unsettling, the characters were the perfect balance of hard-to-like and unrelatable but redeeming. I did want to punch Jovis a handful of times though, and I do wish he'd had more character growth but it was nonetheless in line with his character. I do like Lin a lot, as well. It was very enjoyable seeing her navigate the fragile political scenario. And I also felt so sorry for her, her situation is just so lonely and I truly felt that.

I also really liked the way the romance panned out. I hate it when authors make the noticing, the breathlessness and heart skipping so painfully obvious that it feels forced. Here, while it was obvious, it was obvious without being cheesy and forced and I really liked it. I'm not sure how well the pairing can actually work going forward but I do think it has potential.

The stakes this time were higher, and the last section of the book was tense and I flew through the pages. Nisong was an interesting antagonist but I did find her motivations unconvincing. She has this drive to her which can only be explained due to what she is, but I'm just not sold on it. It was very annoying to me.

Lastly, I'll say that the book was very well-paced and was over too quickly for my liking--there's no second book syndrome here, y'all.

All in all, so excited for the last instalment.

The Bone Shard Emperor by Andrea Stewart is an excellent follow up to a solid debut.

After the events of the final pages of "The boneshard Daughter" Lin is desperate to make new alliances and trying to control the empire. When you don't know who you are and surrounded by two different rebellions with an ancient power awakening, it is a difficult task to lead an empire while learning how to rule. Andrea Stewart clearly tackles this issue and we are always kept on guessing what will happen next and the author showed the scope of the issue in the final pages of this book. I am excitedly waiting for the final book to come.

Eventhough we don't get that much of Bone Shard Magic in this book as of the first one, the author explored a new magic system in this book. We are always given lores attached on each step and always kept known for us what is everything meant. These helped mostly in the action scenes of this book.