Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Love, love, love this series!!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
With the first book, it took me a little while to get into the story because there were a few different points of view that were all in different locations. So, we were learning characters and world very quickly. I think that was definitely not an issue for this second book. I felt like I was immediately invested in the story since I was familiar with the world and it’s characters. The first book left all of the characters in pretty tumultuous places, most of them just having come into positions of power and now we’re getting to see what they’re doing with this power. Like the first book, we follow Lin, Jovis, Phalue, and sometimes Ranami. What I thought was really interesting was that Lin and Jovis’ parts of the story almost mirrored Phalue and Ranami’s parts of the story. Both Phalue and Lin have some into positions of power and seeing how they both deal with that was a really compelling part of the story. Lin faces so many challenges and obstacles. I really liked how Stewart didn’t shy away from showing us how Lin was upset and frustrated that things weren’t going her way. She has the best intentions, but the people of the Empire are resistant to accept her and work with her. The development of all the characters was well done in my opinion. Their motivations were clear and understandable. I felt like it was easy for me to get invested in them.
With the first book, I felt the world building was a little lacking because we only saw a small picture of a larger Empire. But in this one we get to see more of the island between Lin’s travels and Nisong’s conquests. There were still some things that were left unanswered (hello! The islands are sinking!) but there was so many things going on that the top priority issue kept changing which I feel like this helped the story feel like it was more fast paced than it actually was. I was happy to get to see more of the Empire. We also learned way more about the history of the world and of Lin’s father’s backstory. I really liked learning the history and the backstory because it definitely put some pieces together.
Overall, I really liked this book. I liked it more than the first book I think. Some of my questions from the first book were answered (we learn so much about the Algana which I totally loved and can’t wait to learn even more about) and new questions were raised. I cared about the characters and think their development was reasonable. I loved Phalue and Ranami’s romance. I liked Lin and Jovis’ but it didn’t blow me away. Jovis was honestly my biggest complaint with this book. He was so wishy-washy with whether or not he was going to spy on Lin and then he just kept making poor choices. It was incredibly frustrating. But I adored Memphi and Thrana. Their backstory is something I’m still very curious about and can’t wait to learn more about. This was a pretty good sequel and I can’t wait for book three.

ARC acquired by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

The Bone Shard Daughter ★★★★


It’s hard going into a review for the second book in a series without spoiling the first book, so be warned if you haven’t read The Bone Shard Daughter yet, that I will probably spoil the entire thing here.

We begin with Lin, now Emperor and struggling with the revelations from the first book. She has Jovis with her now as Captain of the Imperial Guard, along with Mephi, who must be protected at all cost. I still think it’s interesting that the author chose to have multiple POVs with two being in first person and the rest in third. She did it very well in this second installment and it helped to enhance who the main characters are. I enjoyed getting to learn more about Mephi, the Alanga, and the lore and magic system of this world. With Lin’s POV being limited first person, we, as the reader’s, are learning along with her about the schemes and intricacies of just how far her father’s plots went. While Lin struggles with trying to hold her empire together, Jovis struggles with who he wants to remain loyal to. He’s supposed to be feeding information to the Shardless Few, but he’s starting to grow fond of Lin.

We also follow Renami and Phalue again as they figure out how to rule while placating the Shardless Few at the same time. Phalue’s character growth in this book was my favorite and I can’t wait to see more of her in the next one.

While everyone has their internal struggles with holding the empire together another rebel movement is using rogue constructs to conquer each island one by one until they reach Imperial and take over the empire.

Overall, I felt the pacing of this book a little slow to start and it took me a while to really get into it, but once I did, I couldn’t put the book down and that ending has me anxious for the next book.


The quotes above were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

4.5/5! This installment did SUCH A GOOD JOB of continuing the story. The world really opened up in this one and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I found that I am was more invested in the outcomes of characters that I honestly didn't care about in the first book, which shows that there has been some natural growth that was so well done, I didn't really know it happened. This book was almost perfect, and seeing how much my love for the series grew, I have high hopes for book three.

Very much so recommended by me.

Epic fantasy with plenty of action and a strong female heroine. Immersive and engaging. Fantastic world building. A great follow up to The Bone Shard Daughter. Evenly paced and well written- a solid read

DNF - I think it's unfortunately time for me to admit to myself that Andrea Stewart's writing is just not for me. I enjoyed the first book enough, but was ultimately left wanting a lot more from it. I decided to pick up the sequel after reading so many positive reviews, and also wanting to give the series another chance since I know the first book was her debut, and was interested enough after the way the first book ended. That being said, I just don't think I'm enjoying this book enough for me to want to keep reading it.

I find the magic system in this world very intriguing, and it's probably my favourite thing about both the first book and the first 20% of this book. However, I just find it difficult for me personally to be invested in either the characters or the plot. The only POV that I find interesting is Lin's, and that's primarily because she's our only main character who has the bone shard magic. I also fundamentally do not enjoy the narrative style - the mix of first and third person POV does not work for me at all, and I just personally strongly dislike multiple POVs in first person, which does negatively impact my enjoyment of the book.

All in all, I think this has the makings of a great book/series - an expansive world with an interesting magic system and characters that other people seem to love, but just not one that is for me, per se.

Thank you so much, NetGalley, Orbit books and Orbit, for the chance to read and review this book in exchange of an honest review.

Lin Sukai is finally the Emperor, but nothing is easy in her reign. Her people don't know or trust her, the Shardless Few are threatening her reign, islands are sinking, a rebel army in the north east, made of constructs, want to take the throne by force and Lin's attention is split. An even greater threat is on the orizon, the Alanga, the powerful being of the past, are coming back to the Empire, claiming to want to help her restore peace, but is that true?

Told by multiple POVs, mostly from Lin's and Jovis's, but also from Ranami's, Phalue's and Nisong's, The Bone Shard Emperor is the action-packed fantasy sequel of The bone shard daughter and it's unmissable as the first book!
Now that Lin is Emperor, the young woman is trying to do anything in her power to undo her father's mistakes and hurts, using diplomacy, visiting the islands to know her people, trying to get them to trust and know her, but her reign is threatened from different sides. I loved reading about Lin, she's a fantastic character, complex and intricate, she loves her empire and people and she fights for the right thing, even though she founds herself with a brutal inheritance from her father, dangerous secrets and lies. Her POV is refreshing, showing the reader what it means to deal with power and humanity (kinda), secrets and threats. I loved reading her questioning herself, trying to do the right thing, uncovering secrets, bonding with Thrana and Jovis. Her relationship with Jovis is intriguing and well written, there are tensions because of their different statuses and goals and Jovis is struggling between lies and secrets, his alliances with the Shardless Few, his curiosity, feelings and loyalties. There's so much going on between them, tensions and FEELINGS and I loved everything!
Also, Jovis and Memphi are a brilliant team, I loved their interactions, how Memphi acted as a teenager (it was so funny reading this!)
On the other side I felt a bit less intrigued by Ranami and Phalue's POVs, even though I love their relationship, marriage and thoughts, how they decided and struggled to rule their island, with their ups and downs, loyalties and alliances.

Everyone is threatened by the sinking islands, the Alanga and their magic and power and this sequel is full is battles, alliances, secrets, lies and magic. The magic system, as in the first book, is one of the thing I loved the most. It's original, intriguing and wonderfully written and I was so curious to know more about it, more about the dead Emperor, Nisong and the secrets surrounding the Alanga and their magic.
Also the characterization is absolutely fantastic. I loved reading Jovis questioning himself and his feelings and loyalties, Lin growing up and becoming more and more confident, but also willing to listen and to learn from others.
The story is a rollercoaster, filled to the brim with everything you could hope for: romance, battles, discoveries, queer love, talking animals, secrets and so much more. I was often on edge reading this book, with its discoveries and chapters ending with cliffhangers and then switching POV...It was such a windwhirl!
After this ending I need to know what will happen next!
I loved everything, this world is magnificent!
I need more!

TL;DR: Stewart delivers a better-than-the-first sequel full of loveable characters, slow burn romance, political intrigue, young women navigating power and politics after deposing their shitty fathers, epic battles, cute magical sea monster sidekicks, and return of magical beings previously wiped out by genocide. My rating: 4 of 5 stars.

The Bone Shard Daughter was one of my most-anticipated releases last year. While I liked it, I didn’t love it. That said, Stewart crafted some pretty memorable characters so I was excited to give it another go and see where she decided to take Lin, Jovis, Phalue, and Ranami (and obviously Mephi, too) in book 2. The Bone Shard Emperor definitely elevated the series for me. Much of the mystery this time around is centered on the Alanga, which I found a lot more compelling than last book’s central focus on the emperor’s creepy bone shard magic experiments.

Nonetheless, his legacy lives on rogue constructs are now organizing into an army led by one of his more sophisticated experiments that readers will remember from book 1--Sand from the myersious memory-zapping island Maila, who is now calling herself Nisong and claiming to be the rightful heir to the throne. Unsurprisingly given my feelings about the first book, I found this part of the plot way less interesting and the only POV chapters I really didn’t enjoy were Sand/Nisong’s. But Lin, Jovis, Phalue, and Ranami were great, so 4 out of 5 isn’t bad at all.

There were two big Alanga-related plot twists. One was surrounding a mysterious monk who shows up to help Lin and Jovis, and the other has to do with Gio, the leader of the Shardless Few. One of them was epically predictable, but the other I didn’t see coming at all.

The romance is very good this time around too. Now that they’ve settled their ideological differences, Phalue and Ranami’s love has truly become #relationshipgoals. Lin and Jovis have some serious trust issues to work through, but their chemistry in this book is great.

After this one, I will *definitely* be reading the next in the series.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for giving me advance access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley for an honest review.

This book has a lot more politics than the first one (I should had expected as much but somehow didn’t). The last 30% thats where the plot moved along and it went chaotic fast but I kinda liked it?
I don’t know how I like some of the relationships that were developed but this book felt like a stepping stone to the final book so I hope I get to enjoy it more on the next one.


I don’t entirely know how I feel about this book. I loved the first one but this one left me wondering. I will be finishing the series and will probably have to re read it before I go to the next book.

I still very much enjoyed this installment, but not as much as book 1. It fell a little into middle book syndrome where not quite as much is happening, and there is a lot of set up for the final book. Unfortunately, the magic system still doesn't make a lot of sense together. Either way, I still enjoy the characters, and Mephi is to die for. I'm looking forward to book 3, but I hope it really steps up the pace and stakes from book 2.

Fast paced and engaging. I loved being back with these characters and in this world. The world building is still mind blowing. I just want more Mephi! Always more Mephi!

After reading The Bone Shard Daughter I immediately wanted to pick this one up. I fell in love with the characters in the first book, and continued the love affair well into the last flip of the page.

I found myself feeling sorry for Lin, left all alone to find out who she really was with no one on her side. Her feelings felt real. Sometimes feeling lost and helpless, while other times feeling strong and fearless. Her care for everyone’s wellbeing was endearing and her drive for wanting to prove she will be a better Emperor than her father was honorable. I found Lin and Phalue very similar in that regard, always wanting to do the right thing, but struggling with making everyone happy.

Jovis was a fun character. Starting out with a cocky attitude to becoming more humbled, developing feelings for others and acting less selfish.

“𝘏𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵. 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘐’𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘴, 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦; 𝘪𝘵 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵.”

And let’s not forget the star of the series.. Mephi. One of the most lovable animal characters I’ve ever met! 😍

Oh.. and did I tell you I love little sprinkles of humor throughout a book?!

“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘐𝘭𝘰𝘩’𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘱 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯: 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴.”

All the characters seem to have grown and blossomed into something more and I feel I know them all better except for Nisong (Sand). She still remains a mystery to me…

I did find the middle of the book started to drag a bit.. but then the last 1/4 of the book was all action, magic and unanswered questions! What an ending! I can’t wait for book 3 now 🙌.

Oh my! I don't know what to say! Finishing The Bone Shard Emperor definitely left me wanting for more. I love how it ended and at the same time, I am unsatisfied, in the sense that I need more!! I cannot wait for book three!

The main reason I read The Bone Shard Daughter is @twwbookclub. I participated in a readalong with a bunch of amazing people and I couldn't help falling in love. I love the characters, especially Mephi. And now, having read book two, I didn't think it was possible, but I am even more in love!

I found it easy to delve back into the story, even after waiting for a year, despite its complexity. The plot is captivating and at times suspenseful. The world is so vast and so well executed that you feel like you really are in it. The characters are well written, so much so that you feel you know them personally. And we all know I love some good character development and this book did not disappoint. Not to mention the amazing magic system!

I want to know more about the Alanga and their companions, as well as the powers they have. I still have so many questions, and even hours after having finished the book, I can't stop thinking about it!

The Bone Shard Emperor was easily one of my favourite reads this year. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Bone Shard Emperor is the second book in the Drowning Empire trilogy, and I hoped it would expand on some interesting concepts from the first. In terms of plot and world-building it improves on its predecessor - Jovis especially begins to show more agency compared to how he followed along with the narrative in the first, and we get some interesting details about the day-to-day running of things, such as how constructs keyed to obey the current Emperor might be modified for a peaceful transition of power.

However, in terms of themes and social commentary I was disappointed by the direction the book took. The Bone Shard Daughter begins to explore autocracy and what it means for citizens to sacrifice for the preservation of the monarchy. The sequel seemingly abandons this angle in favor of the status quo, even framing Gio’s goal of creating a representative democracy as suspect because he has additional motivations for wanting to overthrow the monarchy. Rather than asking whether the system of government is itself just, the book instead asks whether Lin has done anything bad enough that she deserves to be deposed, implicitly supporting the setting’s autocratic system just so long as the autocrat is good. Lin and Phalue’s fathers were selfish rulers and therefore unjust; Lin and Phalue are selfless and deserving of the position.

I really liked the concept of the book’s villain, Nisong. She is meant to serve as Lin’s foil. Lin renounces bone shard magic, Nisong embraces it. Lin is willing to sacrifice power for her people, while Nisong sacrifices her people for power. Unfortunately her execution was lacking; Nisong’s motivations are unclear, and we don’t get to see very much of her personality besides “vengeful.”

I will say that I thought Lin and Jovis’s romance was underdeveloped. It was a bold choice to give Lin Emahla’s eyes, which could have led to interesting emotional turmoil and character dynamics. This point was only addressed once, in a scene where Lin confesses the truth and Jovis accepts her almost immediately. We rarely get to see their romance from Lin’s perspective, despite them spending plenty of time together.

Mephi brought me genuine joy and was my favorite part of the book. I love the direction he’s taken into petty thievery and hope to see more of him!

Overall I was left disappointed. The central thesis of this book seems to be that the ends do not justify the means, and that a good end achieved with questionable means is inherently unjust. The setting's titular magic system should be a fantastic place to approach this question. Sadly, The Bone Shard Emperor veers too often into moral absolutism to be able to address that question to any depth.

I would recommend this book to YA audiences, and to anyone who wants to read about creative magic systems and bombastic final showdowns.

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing me an advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

If you have read Bone Shard Daughter and enjoyed it as much as I did then you don't need me to tell you to you to pick up a copy of this the second book in the series, Bone Shard Emperor. If you have not read it yet then I suggest you get to it!

Bone Shard Emperor is a very satisfying sequel. All the main characters from the first book return and we follow them on their continuing adventures. I was very happy to see Jovis, Mephi, Lin and Phalue again. Nisong not so much. Thankfully we don't see much of the Nisong POV as I had a hard time relating to her and I didn't buy into her motivations.

The story kept me engaged, although the pacing was a little slow for the bulk of the book. However, the pace picks up nicely at the end and there are some nice surprises.

Overall this was a very worthy sequel and I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

This one didn't do it for me, kind of disappointing! I found the characters in the first one underdeveloped, and that was an issue that continued in the sequel. There was a lot of internal monologue that felt repetitive, and the action was kind of clunky. That said, I still think the world building is great and am interested in how elements of it continue to get revealed. May or may not read the final book in the trilogy.

The Bone Shard Emperor returns readers to the world of Lin, Jovis, Phalue, and Ranami with a vengeance. In a new world where Lin is now the emperor, the work to undo her father’s dark legacy is only beginning. The stakes are sky-high, with Lin frantically employing her diplomacy skills in an attempt to win over the islands to her rule. But her father’s horrific legacy lingers and the islanders remember. Meanwhile, Jovis is forced to decide where his loyalties truly lie. Phalue and Ranami must weigh whether they will support the Emperor or a forced alliance. As rumors swirl about ancient magic returning, all of them will need to make important choices about who to trust.

This was a fantastic sequel!! Since the world-building has been thoroughly established in book one, it is now able to be explored in even more depth in The Bone Shard Emperor. The mystery of the Alanga and their magic slowly unfurls and keeps the reader engaged. My favorite part of Stewart’s writing is how she expertly weaves in layers of clues for the reader to pick up on. When the moment is right, she carefully unveils that all of the small moments have been building towards a stunning reveal.

The intricate world-building and compelling magic system are reminiscent of Sanderson. There was excellent dialogue, including reflections on what it means to have power. Mephi and Jovis remain an adorably inseparable duo, with Mephi embracing his teenager/cat tendencies with aplomb. It was nice to learn more about Jovis’ background and understand his complex motivations. I also enjoyed seeing Phalue and Ranami working together to keep their precarious rule afloat, while exploring their relationship and goals. Needless to say, I ship them!

Definitely do not miss this sequel! From epic battle scenes and an intriguing magic system to lovable characters- The Bone Shard Emperor is a solid installment that promises to lead to a magnificent conclusion. The Bone Shard Emperor releases November 23, 2021. Thank you to Andrea Stewart, Orbit Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

For the publisher: My review will be posted on the publication date and I will publish it on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble etc

The Bone Shard Daughter was one of my favorite books of 2020. After finishing it, I couldn’t stop thinking about the political system, the bone shard magic, and, of course, Mephi. I genuinely cannot imagine someone reading the first book and feeling ambivalent about Mephi. He stole the show the very second Jovis plucked him out of the water. But I digress.

The Bone Shard Emperor takes place not long after the end of The Bone Shard Daughter (so definitely don’t read this review if you don’t want to be spoiled on the ending to the first book).

Lin finally has the throne after killing her father. But it’s not everything she thought it would be. She has weak political alliances and little trust from her people. Lin also has to deal with the looming threat of a growing army of constructs. That pales in comparison to the return of the Alanga, magical beings from legends. Lin needs their help to defeat the rebels, but she’s not sure that the Alanga are trustworthy.

Jovis is the captain of Lin’s imperial guard, but he’s actually a double agent for the Shardless Few. This creates tension

Andrea Stewart has upped her game with writing complex and interesting characters. I felt even more connected to so many of the characters that I met in the first book. I also love that the POV situation is the same here: Lin and Jovis are told in first person while others are in third.

Second books can be tricky. How do you follow up a strong beginning and smoothly transition to the conclusion? It’s no easy task, but Andrea Stewart has managed to create a compelling story that hit the ground running. I’m already looking forward to The Bone Shard War, which should be out in 2022.

The Empire faces threats from all sides - an army of vengeful constructs, islands sinking into the sea, greedy politicians, the mysterious and all-powerful Alangra, and a brand new Emperor trying to hold it all together. What can Lin do in the face of all this, having denounced bone shard magic and with only an unreliable ex-smuggler and a mysterious magical creature by her side?

I was excited to pick up the sequel to The Bone Shard Daughter, and at the beginning I thought I might love it. Lin and Jovis (and Thrana and Mephi) are still our primary characters. They distrust each other just as much as they need each other to keep the Empire afloat and their secrets from getting out. The other points of view, Phalue, Ranami, and Nisong, receive less focus, but continue to give insight into other areas of the Empire. The multiple points of view are managed well, and details from each fit together to provide an intricate and fully-realized world.

My favorite part of the first book was accompanying Lin as she deciphered bone shard magic and unwrapped her father’s secrets. It's a bold move to spend so much time setting up a magic system only to largely debilitate it's use, but the decision made sense, even as it placed Lin in yet another perilous position. There was still a lot I was looking forward to discovering about this world, including the Alangra, their magic and veiled history, and the extent of the secrets that Lin's father kept.

Unfortunately, I didn’t find the uncovering of these details to be delivered as expertly as it was in the first book. I enjoyed some of the political maneuvering, and seeing this world’s magic in action is always exciting, but there wasn’t enough development to keep me engaged. Part of the problem is that we knew (or could easily guess) most of the reveals before the characters did, so it became tedious waiting for them to catch up. Despite some awesome scenes and action sequences at the beginning and end of the book, I spent a lot of the time in between waiting for things to move forward and being annoyed at the characters for being so unreasonably thick.

On the positive side, I’m still intrigued by this world and love a lot of the characters. Mephi’s sassiness is always a highlight, and I really loved watching Thrana gradually come out of her shell. I’m happy to say I enjoyed Phalue and Ranami’s POVs more this time around as they navigated their differences to do what was best for their island and maybe accidentally became responsible for a feral orphan child. The finale was tense and more satisfying than I was expecting, pulling everything together to leave me eager for the next book.

Despite my complaints, I did enjoy my time with The Bone Shard Emperor for the most part; I just wish it was a bit more impactful or, failing that, a bit shorter. The middle book in a trilogy is often difficult, but I’m still hopeful for a solid conclusion in The Bone Shard War next year.

This was a really solid sequel! I liked Lin’s character development throughout this book, especially compared to the beginning of the Bone Shard Daughter. I also liked that a lot of the mysteries that were brought up in the first book were resolved here.