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hanz's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Interesting world and magic system, but not all of the perspectives worked for me. Felt like a couple of different books joined together at times. Saw some of the reveals coming very early on, but the ending teased interesting things for future books, so I'm interested to read the sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Death, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Confinement, Gore, and Grief
emilypete17's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
One of the most well-done adult high fantasies I've read in ages. Andrea Stewart has woven an incredibly rich and socially complex world, chock full of complicated, incredibly interesting characters. The magic system of this book was equal parts horrifying and compelling, and the plot kept me on the edge of my seat until the very last page(I mean this quite literally). The exploration of imperialism and class felt so grounded in our current reality, even in such a fantastical setting. Absolutely pumped to continue this series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Colonisation, Death, Gore, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Grief, and Physical abuse
Minor: Animal death, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse
miak2's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
One more life saved. It was a pittance, unutterably small against the scale of the lives lost. But it was there. And one life certainly made a difference to the one living it. p. 35
I know this is a relatively new book, but I'm upset more people haven't read it yet because I'm in desperate need of fanart.
This book started off a little slow. Although I grew to love the different perspectives, it made it hard at first to get invested in any of the character arcs. However, once they took of, they really took off. I'll break down my review by arc, but I want to say that the writing is really well done. Beautiful style, but not so dense that it slowed down my reading.
Lin: Hers ended up being my favorite storyline despite its slow start. It's chalked full of action and twists. The bone shard magic, which is most fully explored in this arc, is really interesting. I wish Lin herself were a little better developed, however. Her backstory is super interesting, but I felt like her personality was fairly generic female protagonist. (view spoiler)
Jovis: *sigh* I love this idiot. Definitely gave me Jesper (Six of Crows) vibes in the best way. His companionship with Mephi is super wholesome. Although his arc is action-packed, it's filled with great character moments as well.
Phalue and Ranami: I love these two. I love their relationship. I love their struggles. I loved hearing both of their perspectives on the realities of the lower class, Phalue having grown up as the governor's daughter and Ranami as a 'gutter orphan.'
Sand: This one was quite the change of pace. Like Sand, the reader has no idea what's going on, but it has really interesting implications in the overarching plot.
Phew, okay that was a lot. This book was a lot of fun and I'm really excited to see where the series goes. Unlike other first-books, I thought it tied up a lot of loose ends. There's absolutely room for more to happen, but I expect the following books to be a pretty dramatic change of pace.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Death
Minor: Gore
lavendera_'s review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Gore, Torture, Murder, and Death of parent
Moderate: Slavery, Trafficking, Torture, Violence, Grief, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Confinement, and Kidnapping
ticktock's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Murder, and Violence
aliyyah's review
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was such a good fantasy.
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.
Lin is the emperor's daughter and spends her days trapped in a palace of locked doors and dark secrets. When her father refuses to recognise her as heir to the throne, she vows to prove her worth by mastering the forbidden art of bone shard magic.
Lin is the emperor's daughter and spends her days trapped in a palace of locked doors and dark secrets. When her father refuses to recognise her as heir to the throne, she vows to prove her worth by mastering the forbidden art of bone shard magic.
I loved the plot of this book. I felt like it started off a little slow but this novel follows five different characters, so I was never bored. The political intrigue was done so well and is definitely one of my favourite aspects of this book.
The Bone Shard Daughter follows Lin, Jovis, Phalue, Ranami and Sand. These characters are scattered on different islands throughout the Empire but are all connected in some way.
Lin is the Emperor’s daughter and she is desperate for her father’s approval and affection. However, she is also determined, clever and compassionate. I highly enjoyed her point of view, as I was extremely intrigued by the concept of bone shard magic.
Jovis is a smuggler, who finds himself running from one island to the next. His wife disappeared seven years ago and he’s been searching for her ever since. Yet, when people keep asking him for his help, he isn’t able to turn them away. I love the way he begrudgingly ends up helping everyone who asks him, because he’s literally like no I don’t have time for this then two seconds later it’s all fine what you need. He’s never seen himself as a hero, but ultimately that is what he becomes.
Phalue is the governor’s daughter on Nephilanu Island. She loves swordplay, her girlfriend and doesn’t share her father’s taste for excess. She tries her best to be a good person but soon realizes that what she does is not enough. She’s stubborn and has a big heart and I just love everything about her.
Ranami is Phalue’s girlfriend. While Phalue loves her sword, Ranami prefers her books. She also cares immensely for the people of Nephilanu Island and desperately wants to make the world a better place.
Sand is a mysterious character on Maila, who soon uncovers secrets about herself.
I really enjoyed the way everything started to come together between these characters as the novel progressed.
The writing in this book was excellent. Andrea Stewart creates such a rich world and I was pulled in from the very start. The concept of this novel with respect to bone shard magic was so unique and interesting.
This was an amazing fantasy and I cannot recommend it enough.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Gore
Moderate: Death and Murder
redthistle's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Gore, and Murder
Moderate: Trafficking
Minor: Confinement
aardwyrm's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Incredibly well done. Balancing the POV characters and all the plot they have to unfold is particularly impressive, with the shifts from first to third person representing a daring choice that pays off. The worldbuilding and magic system, which are at risk in any undertaking like this of becoming a clunky book of lore, are juggled just on the precipice of mystery.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Physical abuse, Gore, Grief, Death, and Confinement
Moderate: Animal death
caseythereader's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
- THE BONE SHARD DAUGHTER is one of the most beautiful and engaging epic fantasies I've read in a long time. Stewart drops you into the world with little preamble, letting you figure it out on your own, and the world she has created is intricate, sprawling, and filled with vibrant people.
- There are a pretty big number of POV characters, and each time a chapter ended I was like "no wait, what's next!" but then got immediately engrossed by whoever else we were returning to.
- This is also a queernorm world, with a F/F relationship between two of the main characters.
- I did see the big reveal coming, but that didn't make the story any less gripping - if anything, I was reading faster to see how it all turned out. Give me book two now!
- There are a pretty big number of POV characters, and each time a chapter ended I was like "no wait, what's next!" but then got immediately engrossed by whoever else we were returning to.
- This is also a queernorm world, with a F/F relationship between two of the main characters.
- I did see the big reveal coming, but that didn't make the story any less gripping - if anything, I was reading faster to see how it all turned out. Give me book two now!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gore, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Sexual assault, and Violence
entazis's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I listened to this in a few days, having so much fun. This world is fascinating, the concept of migrating islands and the way bone shard magic and constructs are explained giving us some terrifying images and situations. This is not a horror novel, but I will say that I find the constructs unnerving. If you've read T. Kingfisher's The Twisted Ones it's like whole bunch of effigies just used in everyday life as servants of the empire.
The story explores the ideas of free will, identity and agency. It also talks about corrupt governments and revolutions. Of loneliness and grief. It plays with old tropes (the smuggler, the missing wife, the mad scientist who is also a tyrant, the princess in the tower) and gives us something new which I specifically liked. And while I guessed something important from the beginning, the way character came to the answers was fun, giving us important worldbuilding blocks, and there was still something that managed to surprise me.
All in all, a lot of fun with a weird world where constructs of dead animal bodies walk around governing people.
The story explores the ideas of free will, identity and agency. It also talks about corrupt governments and revolutions. Of loneliness and grief. It plays with old tropes (the smuggler, the missing wife, the mad scientist who is also a tyrant, the princess in the tower) and gives us something new which I specifically liked. And while I guessed something important from the beginning, the way character came to the answers was fun, giving us important worldbuilding blocks, and there was still something that managed to surprise me.
All in all, a lot of fun with a weird world where constructs of dead animal bodies walk around governing people.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, and Violence
Moderate: Gore and Grief