The Bone Shard War (The Drowning Empire)

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Beth: I think perhaps the biggest surprise for me at the start was Jovis’ storyline, how he had been wrenched away from Lin and how his love for Mephi was being used against him. It really feels like Stewart is meaner to Jovis than anyone else, she puts him through so much!

Well, I’m pleased to note that overall it didn’t end up being much of that dreaded middle red-headed stepchild. It was quite alright — nothing earth-shattering or life-changing, but entertaining and often clever and overall a fine continuation of the story. (Now keep in mind, I’m recovering from pretty rough brain fog after getting a Covid vaccine booster the day before I read this book, so don’t hold me responsible for my opinions). Jovis is a smuggler-turned something else. He could be a spy, he could be a guard, he could be something else entirely and to be honest even he doesn’t really know where his loyalties lie. His story in this one is one where his resolve is tested and he has to challenge what he believes is right and is challenged on what he believes. I like him and his companion Mephi a lot too. The vibes and the atmosphere /is/ different from the first book,, a lot of the mystery turned into suspense for the reveals that you already know and socio-political scheming. So it might have been slightly disappointing in that aspect but really this just jumped from one type of book that I love to another.Which brings us to the climax of this book.They say that an ending can either ruin a story or elevate it, and I’m happy to report that the ending of The Bone Shard Emperorthoroughlyelevates everything that came before. The final quarter of the story is an extended action set piece that is on par with anything I’ve read in the genre. If you enjoy stories where converging plot threads and emotional payoffs pummel you one after the other all the way to the finish, then you have happy reading ahead of you. Add on to that the deeper exploration of bone shard magic and the Alanga, solidly written action scenes, great dialogue and a satisfying plot, and The Bone Shard Emperorlaunches the series forward like a ship powered by witstone. A coward is not a man who feels fear. A coward is one who would volunteer others for the suffering he would not take on himself,” The Bone Shard War by Andrea Stewart. Image courtesy of Orbit Books. Book review: The Bone Shard War by Andrea Stewart ( The Drowning Empire #3) As usual, Jovis was my favorite character to read about. He was the one who’d changed the most between books due to all he’d endured, plus he is bonded to Mephi, perhaps the most endearing creature in existence. His sections were the most interesting, but they were also intensely aggravating because he kept overlooking obvious solutions to his problems—even after finding the answer to the big problem he’d been dealing with for two years that had an all-too-obvious solution. I think the intent was for him to have given up, so lost in despair and an identity crisis that he forgot himself, but it wasn’t believable to me that it would take him two whole years to figure out something that should have come easily to him.

I received this book for free from Orbit Books in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Simplemente, a veces hay que encontrar el momento justo para leer una novela. Menos mal que lo pospuse el tiempo necesario, sino habría sido un caos. I am happy that this offering did not suffer from second book syndrome. If you’re looking for your next addictive fantasy series, this is it. Lin Sukai has won her first victory as Emperor, but the future of the Phoenix Empire hangs in the balance - and Lin is dangerously short of allies.And the worst was, I wasn’t sure what hurt more – the fact that Jovis had lied to me from the beginning, or the way the door had shut behind him, leaving me alone. Somewhere in the time we’d spent together, I’d started to feel like I could rely on him, that we had a kinship. I thought the only thing that could make me feel better was an embrace, and the only hug I could remember receiving had been from him. The Bone Shard Daughter begins with a spark of intrigue that ignites into a thrilling adventure you cannot miss-with a unique (and painful!) magic system to boot."— Hafsah Faizal, NYT bestselling author of We Hunt the Flame, on The Bone Shard Daughter Beth: I really disliked her too. I’d felt so sorry for her in the first book, but I really didn’t like the paths she chose. So when she finally decided to let Nisong go, when she stopped to evaluate why she was trying to be Nisong and what that actually meant and that she didn’t need to be that person, I was so happy for her. It was a toxic relationship, and she was unwittingly repeating it with Ragan, so I was so glad she came to recognise it for what it was and had the strength and bravery to break that cycle. I think it’s a really important and relevant message.

Magic-wise we learn a fair bit more about the mysterious Alonga race, the ‘big bad’ of the past. Their magic is shown through a journal and two companion creatures and I loved getting to learn what’s possible and what these beings may be gearing up for. I think there’s more to come but I love the ideas of the magic and the Bone Shard magic is as cruel and bleak as ever in this, if utilised by different enemies. I wished I could live in this moment. I wished it never had to end. But forever was a term for fools and poets.” En conclusión, una buena continuación, no me ha dejado con tanta ansia como el primer libro, pero ya espero con ganas su traducción en español. As much as I struggled through the first half of The Bone Shard War, I am glad I persevered so I could find out what happened to these characters and discover the answers to the burning questions I had about this fascinating world. I thought it was the weakest book in the trilogy, but the latter half is better than the first and it was satisfying to see how it ended—even if it could be a frustrating journey at times. When you’re young, you think you can change the world. You think you can bend it to your will. When you’re old, you learn to change your small corner of it and live with the rest.”Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing! I think in part this is due to the side PoVs being cut down to only the most necessary bits which I'm fully on board with.