The Bone Shard War
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Description
'One of the best fantasy novels I've read in a long time...This book is truly special' Sarah J. Maas on The Bone Shard Daughter
The Bone Shard War is the epic finale to the unmissable, action-packed and magic-laced Drowning Empire series.
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.
As her own governors plot treason, the Shardless Few renew hostilities. Worse still, Lin discovers her old nemesis Nisong has joined forces with the rogue Alanga, Ragan. Both seek her death.
Yet hopes lies in history. Legend tells of seven mythic swords, forged in centuries past. If Lin can find them before her enemies, she may yet be able to turn the tide.
If she fails, the Sukai dynasty - and the entire empire - will fall.
Praise for the series
'A bold, ambitious debut' M. R. Carey
'Epic fantasy at its most human and heartfelt . . . inventive, adventurous and wonderfully written' Alix E. Harrow
'Brilliant world-building, deep intrigue and incredible heart' Megan E. O'Keefe
'Action-packed, must-read epic fantasy . . . One of the best debut fantasy novels of the year' Buzzfeed
'This brilliant fantasy debut has announced Andrea Stewart as quite possibly the best newcomer of the year' Novel Notions
The Drowning Empire series
The Bone Shard Daughter
The Bone Shard Emperor
The Bone Shard War
Book Information
Posts
I have never encountered a world with such an original and creative (and at times gross) magic system. Not just the bone shard magic, but also the mystery of the creatures called ossalen and what they mean to the world and the empire. (There are some plot twists waiting in this book for you). On top of that there are the constructs who just add to the otherworldly feeling.
In this third installment of the series, the empire is still drowning, and the war is raging. It's not easy to determine what is best for a country, despite all the good intentions. However, Andrea Stewart knows how to write endings in a really satisfying way, so you'll come out of the trilogy with a real good feeling. The book is MultiPOV again, and this might be my only criticism. Sadly I did not care for every POV character, so the changes took me out of the book time and again. I understand that such a vast world needs more than two characters, and all the plot lines eventually come together nicely. Still, I would have loved to spend more time with Lin and Jovis, and instead of some other POVs, rather have one from Ayesh instead, who I find very intriguing. The audiobook is narrated very well again, with three narrators giving life to all the different characters. 4/5 stars Thank you @netgalley and @hachetteus for the eARC!
Conclusion with a major bang
This book feels so very essential human. Throughout the trilogy, we as readers are constantly confronted with questions what makes us “us”, how we take set backs in our lives and how far we are willing to go. I was first taken aback a little because there is a large time jump of 2 years from the last battle on Gaelung to this, and lots has happened. Somehow, I wished these happenings would have been part of the story and not just in flashbacks. But that would probably have made it way too long and badly paced. Our MCs are all various shades of grey and no one is beyond redemption or always acting angel-y like good. For me this is the part that memes the story so compelling, how and why they act as they do. This instalment gave us even higher stakes as before and delivers. It is no cookie-cutter story of either just drama or just sunshine and rainbows and unicorns - but just like real life, brutal but with a glimmer of hope.
After I loved the previous two books, this was quite a letdown. The plot meandered from beginning to end and I cannot recall one single thing that left me in awe. The characters, most of whom I really liked, couldn't save this either. The end felt too sugarcoated as well. But I do like Stewart's writing style, hence the two stars.
Description
'One of the best fantasy novels I've read in a long time...This book is truly special' Sarah J. Maas on The Bone Shard Daughter
The Bone Shard War is the epic finale to the unmissable, action-packed and magic-laced Drowning Empire series.
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.
As her own governors plot treason, the Shardless Few renew hostilities. Worse still, Lin discovers her old nemesis Nisong has joined forces with the rogue Alanga, Ragan. Both seek her death.
Yet hopes lies in history. Legend tells of seven mythic swords, forged in centuries past. If Lin can find them before her enemies, she may yet be able to turn the tide.
If she fails, the Sukai dynasty - and the entire empire - will fall.
Praise for the series
'A bold, ambitious debut' M. R. Carey
'Epic fantasy at its most human and heartfelt . . . inventive, adventurous and wonderfully written' Alix E. Harrow
'Brilliant world-building, deep intrigue and incredible heart' Megan E. O'Keefe
'Action-packed, must-read epic fantasy . . . One of the best debut fantasy novels of the year' Buzzfeed
'This brilliant fantasy debut has announced Andrea Stewart as quite possibly the best newcomer of the year' Novel Notions
The Drowning Empire series
The Bone Shard Daughter
The Bone Shard Emperor
The Bone Shard War
Book Information
Posts
I have never encountered a world with such an original and creative (and at times gross) magic system. Not just the bone shard magic, but also the mystery of the creatures called ossalen and what they mean to the world and the empire. (There are some plot twists waiting in this book for you). On top of that there are the constructs who just add to the otherworldly feeling.
In this third installment of the series, the empire is still drowning, and the war is raging. It's not easy to determine what is best for a country, despite all the good intentions. However, Andrea Stewart knows how to write endings in a really satisfying way, so you'll come out of the trilogy with a real good feeling. The book is MultiPOV again, and this might be my only criticism. Sadly I did not care for every POV character, so the changes took me out of the book time and again. I understand that such a vast world needs more than two characters, and all the plot lines eventually come together nicely. Still, I would have loved to spend more time with Lin and Jovis, and instead of some other POVs, rather have one from Ayesh instead, who I find very intriguing. The audiobook is narrated very well again, with three narrators giving life to all the different characters. 4/5 stars Thank you @netgalley and @hachetteus for the eARC!
Conclusion with a major bang
This book feels so very essential human. Throughout the trilogy, we as readers are constantly confronted with questions what makes us “us”, how we take set backs in our lives and how far we are willing to go. I was first taken aback a little because there is a large time jump of 2 years from the last battle on Gaelung to this, and lots has happened. Somehow, I wished these happenings would have been part of the story and not just in flashbacks. But that would probably have made it way too long and badly paced. Our MCs are all various shades of grey and no one is beyond redemption or always acting angel-y like good. For me this is the part that memes the story so compelling, how and why they act as they do. This instalment gave us even higher stakes as before and delivers. It is no cookie-cutter story of either just drama or just sunshine and rainbows and unicorns - but just like real life, brutal but with a glimmer of hope.
After I loved the previous two books, this was quite a letdown. The plot meandered from beginning to end and I cannot recall one single thing that left me in awe. The characters, most of whom I really liked, couldn't save this either. The end felt too sugarcoated as well. But I do like Stewart's writing style, hence the two stars.