Bare bones: Two years after the battle on Gaelung island where Nisong and her army of constructs failed to take over Phoenix empire, we find our protagonists in worst positions than they were when we've last seen them. Jovis is in clutches of Ioph Carn, doing bidding for his former employer Kaphra, who is blackmailing him through Mephi. Lin is trying to keep islands in check in the wake of Alanga return and the ban she put on witstone mining while Shardless Few still gather support to overthrow her. Phalue is on the Imperial with Lin and away from Ranami and Ayesh and her home. Nisong is without her army and her friends and in a risky alliance with an angry man, Ragan, who wants nothing more than to destroy Empire.

Things I liked:

-Nothing comes close to awe and delight in great ideas Stewart introduced in first book. Empire consisting of migrating islands? Magical catdragons who can talk? Creepiness of bone shard magic?
These are amazing concepts and I was enthralled, but then I started asking questions like: But how do you actually rule an empire consisting of migrating islands? If ossalen give magical powers to humans they bonded with, what's the deal with monks and cloudberries? How do you build a story around these concepts and develop them further to make sense in a scope of this world and not just bunch of cool things thrown together? I am happy to say that Andrea Stewart really shined when it comes to this in final book of the trilogy. Everything is connected with a logic behind construction of the world and it wasn't predictable at all. It actually all makes sense now! There are some bold and interesting ideas introduced in this series, but the story makes for interesting implications of those ideas to ponder upon in a way the great LeGuin did in her work for example, but not really reaching those highs.
-Lin. Lin definitely grew on me with second book and firmly established as a favorite in this one. We can see her character's progression reflected in titles of books where she goes from daughter to emperor to war with each of these actually being a consequence of Lin's decisions in previous book. So, yes, she is definitely the catalyst for the plot, but I fell like she carries the brunt of it in general because a lot of worlbuilding and conflict hinges on her characterization. But the real reason I liked Lin so much is that once she became Alanga she didn't turn into this amazing fighter, even with Phalue's training. Lin projects power through her position and through her magical prowess but there is a feminine quality to it, an elegance that's reflected in her ossalen as well who is described both as big and strong and graceful and delicate at one point. There is a finesse in Lin's negotiation, in knowing how to approach and talk to powerful men and reign in her anger and using her other assets instead of threatening everyone with her bone shard magic or Alanga powers the way her father did. I loved this facet of her strength.
-Mephi, of course.
-Ramani and Phalue were cute.

Things I didn't like:

-Time jump in the beginning chapters was quite jarring and it took me a bit to immerse myself into some povs . This especially applies to Jovis and Mephi whose chapters open up with them being hostages of Ioph Carn for two years and quite miserable. Lin hasn't seen nor heard from them, she doesn't even know if Jovis's alive. Same goes for Nisong who allied herself with Ragan which hits you right away with surprise and wanting to know how this alliance came to be. She also had a very important encounter with Jovis sometimes during that period but we, readers, are robed of that scene. We are just informed it happened and I believe some of the things would have a stronger emotional impact if we read it play out.
-This ties strongly into me just not liking the direction Stewart took with both Jovis and Nisong, but for different reasons. Jovis is, for the bigger part of the novel (for plot reasons) powerless to act and more in his head being desperate because of it and Lin. I understand this all adds to romance conflict as well which wasn't necessary imo, but it reflected in significantly less Mephi content which is criminal because their bond is the most important part of his characterization. He felt so divorced from character we met in previous books and his stagnation felt contrived. For example, it's like Stewart forgot how she showed us Jovis is a great smuggler in the first place. Hence when he finally gets to a "realization" I just didn't buy it.
I compared Nisong's arc to Dolores's from Westworld in previous books because they really mirror each other in a lot of ways, the biggest being that there is a powerful man behind their suffering and when they "woke up" they decided to raise hell. Hence, putting Nisong once again into a position of subdued woman who follows a man, fully aware of his flaws and mistakes, felt like going two steps back. There was a great potential there, some of it reflected in her intriguing relationship with Lin's father, and I just felt that wrapping her arc the way it did was a missed opportunity.
-The argument Shardless Few parrot remains void of logic in this books as well.

All in all, a decent ending to trilogy from a bold and interesting new author. I actually can't wait to dig into her new series, The Gods Bellow, because, as I witnessed, Stewart has some really fun ideas brewing in her mind and apparently there are cats being objects of worship in it. :D

I enjoyed this book just as much as the first which is always a bonus surprise from a sequel. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me access to this title.

This was a brilliant conclusion to an epic trilogy. I loved both of the previous two novels and was highly excited to be approved for an ARC of the final book in the Drowned Empire series.

The story opens two years after the events in The Bone Shard Emperor. Lin is still Emperor but is ruling over a crumbling empire and facing rebellion from many directions. Even those who support her are not always in agreement with her. As she tries to deal with all of the threats at once, she travels from island to island but never quite manages to gain the upper hand. It is not until she returns to Imperial that the story moves to its conclusion as the opposing forces all converge on the same point.

There are multiple points of view in the book and it took me a while to remember quite who each of the characters was and how they fitted in to this wide ranging novel. However, this was only a small issue. Each of the characters has their own unique arc which rapidly engages the reader. I loved getting to know each of them better and seeing how they dealt with the dilemmas that faced them.

The world building continues to be amazing. We learn more about the mysterious Alanga and snippets of their history are dropped into the story. The politics of the society was at the forefront of this book with a lot of focus on who has the right to govern and whether a good monarch can ever be a good thing.

The conclusion was just stunning. The final quarter of the book is a real roller coaster and the way that all the different threads were tied up was brilliant. All of the clues were there but I for one, didn’t spot them.

I would definitely recommend this series to any lover of Fantasy with detailed characterisation and world building.
Huge thanks to Net Galley and Little Brown Group for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. I can’t wait for this to be published so that I can complete my set.

If you want deep rooted world building and a fantastic series. This is the one for you. I enjoyed the first 2 of the series and this was an epic way to end it!

God this series is amazing!

Bone Shard War is a fantastic conclusion to an epic trilogy. It's got it all, action, beautiful moments, twists and turns. The characters are developed well and you desperately want to know how it's going to end.

Go read it, love it and then buy every edition of it you can find.

A great ending to a wonderful series. It's not the easiest series to read, and it's slow and tedious at times. Lots of perspectives and complicated plots throughout the series, but I find that when you've stuck through it all and persevered through the confusions and hard to understand plots, it all makes sense in the end, which also makes the finale feel so much more satisfying.

I love the whole concept and the world and the lore here, and I could read these books just based on that. As for me, this is, however, a little too slow and complicated if I'm honest. But there has still been something that's pulled me back for more. And that might be due to Andrea Stewart's great writing and amazing world.

Getting my hands on this ARC was an absolute dream come true! I’ve harboured a deep attachment to this series ever since devouring the first two books last year. After the cliffhanger which concluded the second one, I had sky-high expectations for this one, and they were, for the most part, fulfilled. I was incredibly excited to return to the world of the Empire and, most of all, to the lives of all my favourite characters: Lin, Jovis, Nisong, Ranami and Phalue (and their adorable ossalen companions!). Whilst I found the beginning to be slightly meandering and repetitive at first, the pace really picked up towards the halfway point and from then on I had a hard time putting my kindle down. Andrea Stewart’s ability to write vivid, suspenseful action scenes is incredible, and I felt immersed throughout - just as in books 1 and 2! I also really enjoyed the emotional arcs and overall character development which all protagonists were treated to; they made sense given their experiences and I was especially pleased by Lin’s decisions by the end. Although the conclusion was also deeply emotional and tear-inducing, the progression of each character’s story and where they all ended up by the final page was satisfying and fulfilling - though I do think that some issues were wrapped up slightly too easily for my taste. Overall, an excellent and deeply enjoyable read filled with even more action and politics than the previous two.

Bone Shard War picks up two years after the events of Bone Shard Emperor and life for Lin and the Empire hasn't got any better. Facing mutiny from multiple sides as well as having to battle the Shardless Few, Nisong and Ragan the rogue Alanga, she is constantly at a loss as to how to save the Empire and the people who live there. But there is always hope, and this time it lies in an ancient history of Seven swords that are claimed to be able to harm Alanga like no other. The only problem, Lin isn't the only one who knows about them, and she will have to test her skill against Alanga and human alike if she, and the Empire, are going to make it out of this battle unscathed.

Lin is a character I have loved from book one. She is someone who wants to see the best in everything and everyone, but also someone who, as Emperor and an Alanga, finds that she has few people she can truly place her trust in. We see this even more in this book thanks to the loss of Jovis in the book two, Lin just wants someone she can talk to, someone unafraid of her title, someone willing to tell her the truth, no matter the cost, but the lack of this person leads Lin to rely more in herself in this book, growing as a person and an Emperor and realising that, as much as she wants to save the Empire, she might not be who the Empire needs.

Jovis, my sweet and lighthearted Jovis goes through some emotional trauma in this book. He and Mephi take one hell of a journey, having to do some dubious things a long the way and he definitely suffers from PTSD for his actions. He still tries to be his humorous, never quite serious self, but the weight of his actions means that it never quite works, not to those who know him best anyway and it's only Mephi who can manage to make him break out of his moods, Mephi and Lin who he fights for that make him try to break free of his bonds. Jovis and Mephi have always been my favourites, their relationship absolutely makes this story for me, so their scenes, especially when Jovis was under the control of Kaphra and doing unspeakable things made me so sad & I just wanted him to get back to Lin and live happily... is that too much to ask?!?

Lin and Jovis are still by far the main characters are our main POV's, but we do get more Phalue and Ranami in this book which I loved. They spend the majority of the book apart which really allowed Stewart to let them grow as individuals, Ranami especially. Their actions and POV's play such a huge part in the storyline and I enjoyed seeing them grow as characters. As well as these we have Nisong, our final POV, but by no means the least important. Throughout the series, Nisong has played a pivotal role in Stewarts storytelling and this doesn't change with the final book, but we do see changes in Nisong herself. She finds herself questioning her memories, as well as her current predicament with Ragan, wondering if she is repeating the same toxic relationship she had previously and she plays a crucial part in whether the Empire will be saved or not.

I'm always amazed by how much information Stewart fits into these books, and how I never get board of learning about the magic, be it Bone Shard or Alanga. She weaves threads throughout each of the books, dropping little hints and clues that I'll admit, I didn't see coming one little bit, so when the big reveal hit, it hit big time. I, like Lin, couldn't believe I hadn't seen this coming and had to give credit to Stewarts expert foreshadowing. We delve more into the Alanga magic in this book, thanks in large to our main characters having powers and learning through the story in how to use them effectively. Some of my favourite scenes were the battles between the Alanga, seeing the magic in action and seeing the stark difference in levels of power. It definitely lead to some 'sat on the edge of your seat' moments and I couldn't get over how expertly brought to life they are, almost playing like a film in your head Stewart describes them that effectively.

This series a whole is filled with politics, and this book is no different. We see Lin, someone so unprepared to rule, now in charge of a slowly crumbling Empire, facing mutiny from her own governors, as well as fighting battles on multiple sides from The Shardless Few and Dione their ruler and Alanga, as well as Nisong the construct who tried to take her throne in book two, who is now working with Ragan the rogue Alanga who has nothing but power in his sights. What Stewart does incredibly well is writing a cast of characters who, although very heroic in their own rights, aren't heroes. They aren't the good guys. Every single one is fighting for their own goals in some way, and she allows her characters to come to that realisation on their own and gives them the decision on how they want to deal with that, will they continue to fight against people because they dislike them, or will they take the chance to try and fix the Empire for good.

The ending of this book broke me, and then re-made me all over again. Stewart expertly rounded up the story-lines from all three books and gave us the most perfect, if not heartbreaking ending. Honestly it was just *chefs kiss* and I feel like it was left just open enough for us to re-visit the world at some time in the future *cough* hint, hint *cough*. This series as a whole has been spectacular and definitely features amongst my all time favourites, everything from the world building, the magic systems, the characters and their relationships has been brilliantly brought to live and as sad as I am to be leaving this world, I absolutely cannot wait to see what Stewart has in store for us next.

The much anticipated finale of the Drowning Empire trilogy. I loved the first book, took a while to get into the second book and sadly just couldn't enjoy the third.
Andrea Stewart's writing style is wonderful. The world she has created is impressive and original. There is plenty of exciting action in her books and lots of plot twists that are cleverly developed. Now, here is the "but...". After nearly two years since reading the second book, I found it took me some time to remember the characters and the complex story. It would have been useful to have a character summary at the start of the book and some sort of background update. A "Previously in the Drowning Empire..." type introduction would have made the reading process less stressful. The story never got going until the last third of the book. An awful lot of pages spent reading about characters going places on boats not really moving the plot forward. By the time the story became interesting, I had lost interest in the characters.
Ideally, the three books should be read straight after each other in order to fully appreciate the world that Stewart has created.
Overall, I would recommend the series, but the final book is overly long and slow moving.

I blazed through this book and damn. Such a good conclusion to the trilogy.

I'm not sure what to say, but Andrea Stewart knows exactly what she was doing and I'd love more from this world.

I like the moving islands and the seasons. I love the magic. Everything was so good

Thank you Net Galley and Orbit Books for this eCopy to review

I found this book quite slow, it takes a while to get going. All the characters are separated and travelling all over the place so it is quite confusing and very repetitive. The last battle for the future of the Empire is very good but such a shame that the final book in the trilogy does not live up to the first 2

There were not many new elements, or surprises just a lot of introspection and internal dialogue, which is what makes the plot very slow. I think some of the characters POVs were just forgotten, having theirs (EG: Jovis') at the end would have made it much more satisfying.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book for an honest review.

This is the third (and final?) installment in the Drowning Empire trilogy, and it ties all of the loose ends of the previous two books together nicely. The story continues from the perspectives of our 4 protagonists - Lin, Jovis, Nisong/Sand, and Ranami. The driving force behind the narrative is the search for the elusive artefact swords, which brings our heroes together and in conflict with each other as the adventure progresses. At the same time, the rebellion shifts gear and becomes much more violent, aggressive, and unpredictable. We also discover, gradually, the unifying theory behind this world's existence, and the role of magic within it. Some themes continue from previous books, and others are added. To name but a few - personal redemption, the tension between evolution and revolution as a means of political change, forgiveness, what makes us human, the toxic power of vengeance, and the tragic consequences of dominating fellow human beings or animals.

Overall, it was a fine ending to a wonderfully imaginative trilogy. The worldbuilding itself remains the main reason to read these books - and how it all comes together finally is both neat and massive in scope.

The characters are somewhat of a mixed bag, but thoughtfully executed nonetheless. I found myself disliking almost every single one of them, except perhaps Ayesh and Gio. But - they are all realistic and are basically deeply flawed, with no reason to take on the role they took other than chance. Lin is way over her head, and while she means well, if I were in that universe I would want to depose her as well. Jovis is essentially a spineless coward with some moments of heroism. His broken psychology gets even further twisted in the book, making him even more unbearable. Ragan is the most infuriating of all - his blind rage and vengeance are infinitely cruel, but the reasons behind them are in many ways understandable. The character is so realistic, it sometimes hurts to continue exploring.
I really liked Ranami, who starts out by being an insufferable naive communist rebel, but gradually evolves into a balanced political and socio-economical thinker. Nisong, while a rather villainous character, is consistent and stable in her motivations. A great character.

The ending was great in some ways, but also way too positive in others - the good guys won, the bad guys lost, and the people of the empire are overall in better shape. I would have wanted a bit more death and mayhem, more in line with the grimdark nature of the series.

Three things I found a bit tough in this book. First, having read it after a break from the previous one, I found it super difficult to remember who was who and what was what. Some authors do a terrible job and have too much expositon. Others, like Sanderson, do it super well. This particular author didn't even try. It's a shame, and made the first third of the book super confusing. Naturally, one won't see it if reading the trilogy back to back, but this wasn't the case for me. Second, the pacing was a bit off. It was hard for me to follow the timelines, and the scenes were a bit random in their connectedness, especially in the first half of the book. More connecting scenes or commentary would have helped. Lastly, the motivations behind the actions of our heroes, especially Lin, are bewildering. While she might be a particularly terrible leader (plausible), the decisions she makes are so fantastically bad that it lacks plausibility.

Overall, a solid finish to the series. I highly recommend it to any fans of fantasy, especially those interested in Asian influences. Its imperfections, in some ways, make it all the more quaint and lovely. I have full confidence this author will grow from strength to strength, and look forward to reading her subsequent work.

Ah my god. This may be one of my favourite worlds to be in. Potentially my favourite series ever. I'm so happy I was approved to read an early copy of this book. I want my own Ossalen so badly. The perfect ending to a perfect series! Will read anything else Andrea Stewart writes. A new auto buy author for me!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an arc in exchange for a review.

Set two years after the last book, Lin is dangerously short of allies, Jovis’s disappearance weighing on her heavily. 
As her own governors plot treason, the Shardless Few invigorate action and hostilities. Worse, Nisong and Ragan have joined forces, allied in the desire of Lin’s death. Every choice she makes seems to bring the empire she loved closer to ruin.

Ragan would rather rule over an Empire of one island that follows him than an Empire of many that resists.

Different factions war for power, all for different reasons and Stewart manages to show them all as genuine and motivating. How do you know who to root for if they all have valid arguments and all appear to be heroes to themselves?

”power is like a wolf howling at night, calling others to him, forming a pack that makes the hunting of prey easier."

Jovis has admittedly always been my favourite: reminded me of Flynn Rider from Tangled. That should tell you all you need to know. So events from the ending of the 2nd book, and the start of this book, really keep tensions high - the perfect platform to launch an incredible last book.

The ending was so satisfying and fulfilling. Stewart could write an entire new series on the back of this exploring how the empire may fare and I would read it. The dreams and doubts of these cast of characters inspired and emoted.

Maybe no one was a hero. Maybe I'd gotten it wrong from the beginning. Maybe there were only heroic moments and decisions and we all had to keep choosing those as best we could. When we could.

The magic system reminded of the world-building in Robert Jackson Bennetts’ Foundryside and Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and the Alang creatures (Mephi, etc) reminded me of Appa from Avatar the Last Airbender. Too cute.