Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I always love reading a novel that introduces a new magic system. In The Bone Shard Daughter, the cost of bone shard magic is the life force of the Empire’s citizens and is all tightly controlled by the secretive, private Emperor. His daughter, Lin, is desperate to learn the coveted skills so that she’ll be selected his heir. On the opposite side, there is Jovis who finds himself a hero when he never expected to be. Jovis and his buddy Mephi are by far my favorite characters in this entire book. I found myself always looking forward to reading the chapters from Jovis’ perspective as he discovers what kind of man he really is and as his relationship with Mephi grows. Ranami, another regular citizen of the Empire, was not a character I enjoyed, and I somewhat rushed through her chapters. There is something about her fervor and then fear when she might have to face consequences that simply irked me. But, she’s only one character and Jovis more than makes up for her. It was a bit of a slow burn in the beginning but built up nicely and I devoured the final chapters to discover how it would end. A good read for any adult fantasy genre lover.

The Bone Shard Daughter was one of my most anticipated releases for 2020, and I'm happy to report that it was extremely enjoyable, although it wasn't quite what I was expecting it to be! I thought I was getting a single POV story about a girl mastering her magic and facing the revolution, and while that is definitely part of the story, it is by no means the only thing you get.

There are a total of five POVs in this Asian inspired fantasy: Lin, Jovis, Phalue, and Ranami are the main POVs, and one side character POV, Sand. I think out of all the perspectives we had, I enjoyed Lin's story the most because of the mystery surrounding her father and their magic. Originally, I didn't like Jovis because I felt like he had too much of a one track mind, but as the book progressed I found that I was really looking forward to his chapters. Of course, he's also got Mephi and I'm nothing if not a sucker for a talking animal companion.

The other two main characters Phalue and Ranami are in a (f/f) relationship, and I very much enjoyed their relationship and thought it felt very real. The differences in the way they were raised and live (Phalue is the daughter of a governor, and Ranami grew up on the streets) affected their relationship with each other in a way that was completely believable. Phalue thinks she is doing the best that she can for those who don't have the same privileges she has, while Ranami thinks that Phalue could be doing more with her status and influence to help. They both face completely different troubles, and they struggle to understand what the other is going through because of their different stations. While their romance wasn't a main focal point of the book, the way it added to the revolution plotline was nice and the exploration of class differences was something that I really enjoyed reading about in a fantasy world. Their relationship was also never questioned, which was very much appreciated.

I thought the magic system was really interesting. Bone shard magic is used to create constructs, which are created from the body parts of dead animals and reanimated to serve whoever creates them. The way they were utilized was really interesting, and was one of the reasons I found Lin's perspective to be the most interesting. There were some revelations towards the end of the book regarding bone shard magic that was terrifying, and the I can't wait to see what the repercussions of that discovery will have in the rest of this series.

I'm also very interested in seeing more of this world and how everything works. The idea of islands that migrate is something that I can't remember ever seeing before, and I very much want to know more about how these islands can sink like we saw very early on in the book. I'm crossing my fingers that the finished copies will have maps in them, because I'm a sucker for maps. I'm also curious about the Alanga, as they are a threat that seems to be long extinct but remnants of their society still linger throughout this world.

As for the writing, this was very easy to read and while the beginning was off to a kind of slow start, I was quickly sucked in and became invested in these characters. The tension and emotions comes through very clearly and it wasn't until I finished it that I realized that the perspectives of Lin and Jovis were written in first person, while the other three perspectives were in third person. This just illustrates how cleanly Andrea Stewarts writing is to make that transition between the characters so seamless and unnoticeable!

This was such a great start to a new fantasy trilogy, and I'm very excited to continue on (even though I need to wait a year for the sequel)! I highly recommend this to all fantasy lovers, and even those who are wanting to branch out into adult fantasy as it was very easy to read and fairly light on the magic.

<b>You find your way into my room; it’s pitch black, but there’s a glimmer of light coming from inside the closet. You approach with caution, unsure of what you might find. A bead of sweat tickles the side of your face as it makes its way down and around your ear, and finally to the back of your neck. You take a deep breath in, hold it, and as you slowly lean your hand against the door, pushing it open, a book sails out from the closet’s interior, smacking you right in the face.
<I>”Read this fucking book— right the fuck now,”</I> I’ll call out from the shadows before disappearing back into its depths where I’ll lie until Andrea Stewart releases Book 2. </b>

Hi, I’m Alexxa, and I’ve been personally victimized by Andrea Stewart. Since reading <i>The Bone Shard Daughter</i>, I have experienced the following emotions:
- intense attachment to a magical creature
- intense excitement over an established sapphic relationship
- intense anger at the political socioeconomic structure of an empire that feels enormously apt
- intense attachment to pretty much all of its protagonists
- intense reaction to a twist. Like, I screamed, y’all.
ITS JUST VERY INTENSE OVER HERE

I would like to take this time to volunteer, as tribute, to camp out in front of HBO’s studios, begging executives to produce an on-screen series adaption. 🙋🏻

All this to say— this book fucked me up. In the brain. Bad. In the best way.

<i>BOOK2NOWPLZ</I>

This is the 48th book I’ve reviewed for Netgalley since this spring and it is one of my favorites thus far! Any time I finish a book by a new author I really like I follow them in Goodreads so I’ll be informed when there’s a new book by them. I marked this author to follow long before finishing the book.
It follows just a few main characters who are all sympathetic and reasonably likable if flawed. The characters are all willing learn and grow as the story progresses and new aspects of the world are revealed to them. Medium length for a fantasy novel the story flows well uncovering new aspects of a world with floating islands and constructs made with a dark magic. There’s a fallen civilization that everyone’s afraid will come back at any moment so stay loyal to the kind of evil emperor who might be protecting everyone...

I feel like reading this book was a complete honor.

THE BONE SHARD DAUGHTER first popped up on my Instagram (bookstagram) and I fell head over heel with the cover. But like a lot of readers out there, I had to twiddle my thumbs and wait for the release to behold its majesty. When it finally popped up on NetGalley, I screamed a glass-shattering scream that echoes into the trenches of the earth and I dove with regard for my life or the lives of others.

Thank you, NetGalley and Orbit for a chance to review this title.

I don't throw around "favorite book of 2020" or "best fantasy I've ever read," that often but this falls into both categories. With a whopping five POV's, it tells the story of a girl wanting to please her father, a smuggler who gets in way over his head, a governor's daughter teetering on the rebellion, her girl-friend, and a woman on an island full of people who do not remember their lives before arriving. They start off on five different journies that gradually begin to connect with a heart-stopping ending that had me gasping for breath.

I'm going to focus on the two characters that stuck with my most. Lin and Jovis. Jovis, the smuggler who is searching for his missing wife. He creates a reputation for stealing children from the empire and returning them to their families before they have their bone shards removed. Bone shards, by the way, are a way for the emperor to create constructs. I get to them in a minute. So, Jovis becomes a kid smuggler who meets up with a rebellion and he thinks, ok, why not. But Jovis is a complicated character, formerly one track-minded and suddenly finding himself neck-deep in treason. But along with the aid of a mysterious creature named Mephi, whom he'd saved from drowning, he may be of use to these rebels, if it means finding his long lost wife. I loved Jovis and Mephi's growing relationshi and I have a feeling it's going to get stronger in the sequel.

Lin is the daughter of the emperor. her POV felt entirely disconnected from the others and focused on her life within the palace where her father, foster brother, and a load of constructs live. Constructs are creatures born from dead animals and controlled by bone shard magic. Commands are written on these bone shards and placed inside the creatures. The terrifying moments involving the constructs and Lin's determination to show her father that she's worthy of his love had me holding my breath. Absolutely scary. The plot twists in her POV were staggering and so well done, I want to bow at the author's feet for a job well done.

Sometimes in life, we let moments pass and when we think back we're like, "wow. I was in the presence of something incredible and I think it changed me." I knew, reading this book, that I was holding something monumental. This will be the best fantasy of 2020 and maybe even the best book of 2020, marks my words. You don't want to miss this one for the world.

FInd me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/celiamcmahonreads/

An absolute gem of a book. The writing is smooth and polished, the pacing alternating between allegro and lento. I love everything about this story. The author deftly weaves together five distinct POVs, each unique and valuable. I highly recommend.

Holy shit balls! 5 fanfreakingtastic stars baby!! Straight to favorites list. Debut book people!! Andrea Stewart knocked it out of the park for me. I will be elated to have this hardcover on my shelves!

Major Players:
Lin - Emperor’s daughter
Jovi - The best smuggler ever
Phalue - A daughter of a governor
Ranami - Phalue’s girlfriend and Rebel
Sand - She’s on the island of lost memories.

Damn, how do I put this.... the emperor is a twat and using bone shard magic in seriously bad ways!! Lin, is doing everything she can to find out her fathers secrets and stop him.

Jovis is saving as many children as he can from some horrific things. He also has a little animal friend, Mephi, that I love with all of my heart!



Jovis and Lin are my favorite characters but I loved everyone else too. There are also minor characters that are fantastic. And yes, there are deaths. Sigh...

This book has so many twists and lightbulb moments that kept me on my toes! I absolutely love it!

Uncorrected proof quote *

I wasn’t sure on which of the floating islands Father had found the abomination that made up the bulk of the Construct of Spies. But I knew I never wanted to visit. The construct looked nothing so much as a giant spider, dark brown and glistening, as tall as my chest when it stood to attention. Human hands were attached to the end of each of its spindly legs, and an old woman’s adorned the abdomen.




*Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit Books for a digital copy of this book.

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

Thank you, NetGalley and Orbit books for the ARC in exchange for a review! Five out of five stars.

With five different point of views, one might expect there to be some confusion about who’s head we’re in, with characters seeming too similar. Andrea Stewart avoids it beautifully, with a truly interesting mix of first person and third (two and three, perspectives respectively). She lands readers into the new world of bone shard magic easily, without leaving even a casual reader floundering. I can’t wait for this book to come out— and even more, I can’t wait for the sequel!

Each of the characters have their own goals and motivations and the few times we see a certain few interact leave no questions about who‘s head we’re in. Relationships (the f/f one in particular, it always make my heart sing to see the representation) feel realistic and humanely deep.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

I actually have a copy coming after release; I just couldn’t wait to read it. I wanted to love this book more than I did. I really enjoyed it. I liked the main characters for the most part. I didn’t care for the governors daughter or that whole story arc. The couple just got on my nerves. They both wanted stuff from each other, but they stayed distant and didn’t really work on that. I’m glad the daughter grew, but it just felt fake. I really liked Jovis, but I liked him more before he decided to help everyone. Lin was by far my favorite. I’m not sure who she is any more. Or Nisong. Or Sand. Or Emhala. It’s just all a little confusing. I hope there’s more for Bayan. I just wanted more. More answers. More story. Mainly answers. What is Mephi.? Why powers.? How.? Who are the Alanga.? I know nothing. I think the second book will be amazing and most likely answer my questions.

This book was received as an ARC from Orbit Books in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

At first I thought this book was going to be predictable and I would whiz by fast in a breeze. Boy, was I wrong. Just when I thought I had the plot figured out, the book takes a complete left hand turn that blew my mind. I had my jaw opened so wide that I was literally drooling for more. The determination and stamina Lin had in proving her father that she is the rightful heir to the throne and is an excellent role model to all young women to never give up and fight for what you believe in.

We will consider adding this title to our Sci-Fi collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

This book is something else, wow! It was slow and it took some time to take off, but once you're invested with the characters' journeys and the problems they're individually facing, you'll love it! Plus that ending! Both so satisfying and puzzling!

Full review will be posted soon as part of #BoneShardDaughterPH Blog Tour.

An interesting and solid debut from an author I will definitely keep my eye on in the future! This book had a lot of really fascinating concepts, and while the execution didn't work entirely for me, I still thought it was a good read that went by a lot quicker than I was expecting for a novel of this size. For fans of epic fantasies a la Ken Liu, R.F. Kuang, and Samantha Shannon (specifically THE PRIORY OF THE ORANGE TREE).

Lin is the emperor's daughter, but not necessarily his heir. Five years ago, she was struck by a sickness that wiped out her and her foster brother's memories. Now they compete for their father's attention, in order to learn the mysterious bone shard magic that keeps the empire safe—and its people in fear.

Jovis is a smuggler who is seeking a boat with blue sails, which is said to follow in the wake of disappearances all over the empire. Phalue is a governor's daughter who is now, for the first time, asked to reconsider her complacency in the suffering of her own people by her lover, Ranami. And Sand is a mysterious woman with more questions than memories.

These are the various POV characters that appear in THE BONE SHARD DAUGHTER, all of which had really interesting points to them. One of the biggest struggles with juggling multiple POVs in the way Stewart did is that some characters often feel superfluous, or boring, but she handled the various narratives deftly until they all (inevitably) began to connect with one another. She has a really good handle on her characters' voices and circumstances, and each of them had interesting motives that drove the book towards its propulsive conclusion.

The magic system was also terrific and unique. Sometimes when books go for the "dark" or "forbidden" magic angle, I always find them a bit lackluster in both the consequences of usage and what the magic actually does. Not so in this novel. It was appropriately and deliciously grim, and a little gross (in the best body horror kind of way).

If you're looking for a series with an epic scope, interesting morally grey-aligned characters, casual queerness, and meticulous plotting—this just might be for you.

There are two things that didn't work for me personally that others might not have issue with. One is the switch between first person and third person throughout—not sure what that was trying to accomplish that sticking to one or the other would not have done just as effectively. Another is that the world itself was a little opaque. Stewart wrote actions scenes fairly well, but I didn't really have a clear sense of place as I was reading. I wish we could have spent a little more time elaborating on the actual aesthetics, structures, and culture that rose up around this this empire and its dark magical roots. Hopefully we'll get more in book 2!

At first, I was not excited to see the multiple POVs - new chapter new POV - but I hoped they eventually collided and wow did they! This book kept me interested from beginning to end and while I had identified most of the twists, a few still snuck up on me. I will say that two of the characters could be removed from the book with no negative impact on the overall narrative; their side plot felt pointless. I will definitely be looking for the next book in the series!

You know those books that steadily pick up steam until all of sudden they careen down a cliff? That's a bit how I felt reading The Bone Shard Daughter. There's these moments of slow world and character building and then around 3/4 of the way in the action reached a frenzy and I ended the book needing more right away. This multiple POV novel sinks into the details of each character and their world. It's a fantastic world of magic with a deadly cost, one that doesn't land fairly, and politics.

Featuring an all POC cast, with a saphic couple, I knew I was going to be intrigued by these characters. And then when the action picked up I was high key obsessed. I personally love multiple POV novels, and while this was a bit slower than I was used to (because there aren't large time jumps between chapters of the same POV), looking back it's clear that there's so much care put into the foundation. That being said, I still have some favorites like Phalue and Lin. We love women who are in power, but also those who have to question the power systems in which they are entrenched.

I have to admit that I completely fell for this cover. When I read what this book was about, I definitely wanted to get my hands on it. The world and characters were interesting, though I had a bit of trouble keeping up with the switching of points of views. I’m personally not a fan of when there are multiple points of views written in first person and it took me a while to get into. Overall it was an interesting story.

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!

I would say this is probably a 3.5/5 star rating.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc.
An empire of migrating islands run and maintained by constructed beings powered by bone shards harvested from citizens.
Five points of views: Lin, the daughter of the Emperor; Jovis, a smuggler turned folk hero; Phalue, a governor’s daughter and heir; Ranami, Phalue’s commoner girlfriend and rebel; and Sand, the mystery figure. Lin and Jovis are the main two povs and are written in first person, and the rest are written in third and happen less frequently. Sand the least frequent. All were really easy to tell each other apart.
Most of the conflict comes from the Empire; the emperor’s hold on the islands is loosening and there is injustice and unrest because of it. Lin is trying to secure her place as the heir and how she may steer the empire towards better things, Jovis is roped into becoming a hero, Ranami convinces Phalue to help the rebels, and Sand is not who she seems.
The world itself is lush and well-built. There’s a history of another mystical race that was toppled. I have no complaints other than wondering exactly how that previous race will tie into the series, as well as a question to why the island(s) are sinking, that was never answered in this first book.
The story was intriguing and I liked the characters but I’ve been in a reading slump and it took me awhile to read it. I liked it, certainly, but my slump has made me less interested in arcs lately and that’s more a personal thing than a review upon the book itself, however the book did not cure my slump either.

I was super excited when I received this book for review from Orbit. This has been on my list of most anticipated releases of the year. It did not disappoint.
One of the shining parts of this novel from the beginning is the magic system. The idea of inscribing on bone shards is inventive and leaves a whole world of possibilities with where the story can go. The magic system felt a lot like the magic system used in Foundryside, which I really enjoyed, but I like this overall story a lot better.
One thing I was not expecting but always LOVE in stories is animal sidekicks, and there were a few that I absolutely loved! Our main “animal” companion is Mephi and he stole my heart from the beginning! If you are one of those people who love talking animal companions, then you MUST pick this one up.
I really liked the atmosphere created within this world with the use of the “wet years”. This entire story feels gloomy and dreary and that is a perfect reflection of the weather in this world. I actually curled up during a few thunderstorms and it was the perfect ambiance for the story.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. There were a few times throughout that the pacing slowed down a bit for my personal taste. I also felt like I wanted more from the world. I just wanted to dig a little deeper. I think that this was a solid first book and I am excited to continue on with this series.

The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart was one of my most anticipated releases this year and it certainly didn’t disappoint. It has all the elements I love in a solid fantasy novel—morally bankrupt empires and the rebellions against them, characters you feel compelled to follow along their journeys, interesting worldbuilding, and multiple magic systems that are both creepy and cool in turn. Add in a non-white cast, queer characters, and a BIPOC author, and you have a book that has jumped to the forefront of my recommendation list.

The story primarily follows two characters: Lin, the Emperor’s daughter desperate to prove her worth as heir, and Jovis, a smuggler whose plans are drastically altered when disaster strikes. Both of these POVs are in first person, while the three other POVs in the story are presented in third person. For this and other reasons, Lin and Jovis were the two characters I connected with the most. The other POV characters include two women who are in an established relationship with each other, which made my sapphic loving heart happy. Really, the fact that Stewart juggles five points of view in a debut fantasy could have invited disaster, but it read seamlessly; the timing and choice of character focus contributed to my enjoyment of the story.

While the pacing is typical of a first novel in a fantasy trilogy, slower at the beginning as the world is established, at 50% I literally couldn’t stop reading. Full of tension, mystery, espionage, intrigue, cool action scenes, there is much for fantasy readers to love within these pages.

In what is a rarity for me, The Bone Shard Daughter ends in a way that makes me even more excited for the second book than the first. I know I’ve only finished reading the first book a day ago and it’s not even officially published yet, but I can’t wait to have the second book in my hands. If you’re looking for a diverse, intriguing, and overall rock solid start to what promises to be an innovative epic fantasy series, look no further than The Bone Shard Daughter.

THE BONE SHARD DAUGHTER is an absolutely wonderful start to what promises to be an epic series. The characters are compelling and original individuals with depth and real humanity (including the magical creatures). The world they inhabit is different than any I’ve immersed myself in before with one of the most interesting and exciting magical systems, with the most potential for expansion and added detail, I’ve discovered in a long time. Nothing in THE BONE SHARD DAUGHTER is as it seems nor anyone who they think they are or are supposed to be and discovering it all alongside them was both a joy and an emotional roller coaster. I can’t wait for more.