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A review by magicalreads
The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart
4.0
4.25 stars
read this review + an interview with the author on my blog!
rep: ownvoices Chinese-inspired world and characters; lesbian protagonists
**I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you, Orbit Books!) and for a blog tour. These are my honest opinions, and in no way was I compensated for this review.**
As soon as I heard about this book, I knew I had to read it. I mean, look at that cover! It’s so gorgeous. Steeped in magic and mystery, The Bone Shard Daughter follows five characters: a potential heir to the throne, a smuggler with a conscience, a governor’s daughter, a rebel, and a person whose memory is returning.
Lin is the daughter of the Emperor although she’s out of favor after having lost all her memories five years prior. She decides to learn his mysterious bone shard magic that acts as the spine of the empire herself. Meanwhile, a smuggler named Jovis has been tracking the people who kidnapped his wife seven years ago; however, he gets roped into saving a child. The governor’s daughter Phalue discovers that her girlfriend, Ranami, has been captured and ransomed. Amidst all this is a narrator named Sand who begins to break out of a mysterious fog around her mind.
I really enjoyed the writing. At first, I was a bit confused with the constant switching of points of view, but each person’s voice eventually became clear and distinct. There were both first-person and third-person narrations, and the transitions between them felt smooth. I will say that a couple of points-of-view felt superfluous, but maybe those characters will become more important in the future.
I loved all of the characters! Each has their own mind and motivation; you’ll find yourself rooting for all of them. Also, there’s a mysterious animal named Melphi who’s a companion to Jovis, and I loved him so much! While there are five narrators, there were really only about three plot lines. Each one was interesting, and it was fascinating to see how they intertwined.
The worldbuilding was incredible; I was sucked in by the magic as well as the setting. The emperor has the power to create things called constructs controlled by bone shards. This was incredibly in-depth and original. I also liked how there were different islands, so everything felt both connected and not; it helped to separate the characters even more.
The Bone Shard Daughter was thrilling and fascinating; I loved the magic system and the characters. It was easy to fall into these characters’ heads. Add The Bone Shard Daughter to your TBR lists and preorder it today!
original review:
oh this was good
read this review + an interview with the author on my blog!
rep: ownvoices Chinese-inspired world and characters; lesbian protagonists
**I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you, Orbit Books!) and for a blog tour. These are my honest opinions, and in no way was I compensated for this review.**
As soon as I heard about this book, I knew I had to read it. I mean, look at that cover! It’s so gorgeous. Steeped in magic and mystery, The Bone Shard Daughter follows five characters: a potential heir to the throne, a smuggler with a conscience, a governor’s daughter, a rebel, and a person whose memory is returning.
Lin is the daughter of the Emperor although she’s out of favor after having lost all her memories five years prior. She decides to learn his mysterious bone shard magic that acts as the spine of the empire herself. Meanwhile, a smuggler named Jovis has been tracking the people who kidnapped his wife seven years ago; however, he gets roped into saving a child. The governor’s daughter Phalue discovers that her girlfriend, Ranami, has been captured and ransomed. Amidst all this is a narrator named Sand who begins to break out of a mysterious fog around her mind.
I really enjoyed the writing. At first, I was a bit confused with the constant switching of points of view, but each person’s voice eventually became clear and distinct. There were both first-person and third-person narrations, and the transitions between them felt smooth. I will say that a couple of points-of-view felt superfluous, but maybe those characters will become more important in the future.
I loved all of the characters! Each has their own mind and motivation; you’ll find yourself rooting for all of them. Also, there’s a mysterious animal named Melphi who’s a companion to Jovis, and I loved him so much! While there are five narrators, there were really only about three plot lines. Each one was interesting, and it was fascinating to see how they intertwined.
The worldbuilding was incredible; I was sucked in by the magic as well as the setting. The emperor has the power to create things called constructs controlled by bone shards. This was incredibly in-depth and original. I also liked how there were different islands, so everything felt both connected and not; it helped to separate the characters even more.
The Bone Shard Daughter was thrilling and fascinating; I loved the magic system and the characters. It was easy to fall into these characters’ heads. Add The Bone Shard Daughter to your TBR lists and preorder it today!
original review:
oh this was good