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A review by seraphjewel
The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart
3.0
I saw this in the bookstore and it looked interesting, so I checked it out to see. And I'd say that it does eventually get interesting in the latter half of the book. I do feel like I need to re-read at some point, because the multi-POV was making it hard for me to keep track of what was happening between each story.
Negatives first: whenever there is a switch between first and third POV, that always alerts me as a reader that the third-person isn't as important. I also didn't pick up on the switch between Lin and Jorvis at first, so I was really confused. Making it all third would have saved from the confusion and made all POV equal. I also lost track of where everyone was very easily so Lin and Jorvis meeting was super weird. Plot convenience, I guess. I also got thrown off when Lin said she was in her twenties because she talked like a YA protagonist. I guess she was aged up to make the Emperor's plan slightly less creepy, but her character still came off young. It makes sense why, but still.
Adding to that, the world-building was very weak. I had no sense of the different locations, so none of the chapters meant anything to me when it said where characters were. I'm not clear on what constructs are and how they work. Ultimately I figure they're like FMA homunculus but the bone magic was still a little unclear. It just feels very deus ex machina that Lin could so easily override or add commands. And I have no idea on Jorvis's powers, or why his animal friend can talk. Maybe it was all explained and I missed it. Like I said, I found it hard to follow at first.
The latter half is when things get better. Lin discovering what she is and struggling with moral dilemmas was excellent. The fight was great and while I am still a bit confused, I am interested in seeing where this goes. I'm heartbroken that Bayan probably won't be back, as he was my favorite character. But I think it got my attention enough I want to see more. And I just love these Frankenstein/FMA stories.
Negatives first: whenever there is a switch between first and third POV, that always alerts me as a reader that the third-person isn't as important. I also didn't pick up on the switch between Lin and Jorvis at first, so I was really confused. Making it all third would have saved from the confusion and made all POV equal. I also lost track of where everyone was very easily so Lin and Jorvis meeting was super weird. Plot convenience, I guess. I also got thrown off when Lin said she was in her twenties because she talked like a YA protagonist. I guess she was aged up to make the Emperor's plan slightly less creepy, but her character still came off young. It makes sense why, but still.
Adding to that, the world-building was very weak. I had no sense of the different locations, so none of the chapters meant anything to me when it said where characters were. I'm not clear on what constructs are and how they work. Ultimately I figure they're like FMA homunculus but the bone magic was still a little unclear. It just feels very deus ex machina that Lin could so easily override or add commands. And I have no idea on Jorvis's powers, or why his animal friend can talk. Maybe it was all explained and I missed it. Like I said, I found it hard to follow at first.
The latter half is when things get better. Lin discovering what she is and struggling with moral dilemmas was excellent. The fight was great and while I am still a bit confused, I am interested in seeing where this goes. I'm heartbroken that Bayan probably won't be back, as he was my favorite character. But I think it got my attention enough I want to see more. And I just love these Frankenstein/FMA stories.