for this being the final book in the series it is a disappointingly slow read. The last 30% is good, but the other 70% is insanely repetitive.

Full review to come!

THE BONE SHARD WAR DOES NOT DISAPPOINT.

Many trilogies in the fantasy genre tend to fizzle out in the 2nd or 3rd book, leaving readers unsatisfied or with lingering questions that really would have been better off resolved, but not in the Drowning Empire Series.

In this novel, Andrea Stewart weaves together a powerful ending that both blew my mind and left me feeling highly satisfied. We find ourselves among our may core of cast several years in the future, with significant developments having occurred. Characters we have grown to love force us to reevaluate their worth, and have us questioning our own sense of right and wrong. Simply put, every single page is a philosophical journey filled with political ambitions, talking animals, a wholly-original magic system, and heart-racing conflict.

What this novel really does is forces us to ask ourselves big questions: Can you commit heinous acts but remain a good person at your core? Does friendship have limits? Do the ends justify the means? Can a soul be created, or are they only in the original fabric of existence?

One thing that Andrea Stewart does exceptionally well with is pacing. It is hard to pinpoint any section or portion of the novel where I thought things felt dragged out or rushed. Every chapter literally leaves you with a cliffhanger or a bombshell dropped and makes it impossible for you to take a break.

The ending of the series will bring about some conflicting emotions, and while the ending overall does satisfy, not everything can have a happily ever after. But there's only one way to find out what happens: READ.

Make sure that you go out on release date (4/18/23) and grab yourself a copy of THE BONE SHARD WAR by ANDREA STEWART

The first half of this book was at a 2 star situation, that turned into a 5 star by the end. I did not think I was going to rate it any higher based on the beginning of this third book journey. I settled on 4 stars because by the end I really did enjoy it even though the first half of this I had a hard time keeping my attention on it and kept putting it down. It was boring and tedious to get through. It was edging on disappointment and possible DNF. But around halfway-60%ish mark it picked up and things were really rolling from there. And by the end I had many emotions about this story. The series overall is good. I have loved the world building, the unique magic system and the adventure of it all. The characters are complex, all a bit morally gray, which is my favorite kind of character. I also wouldn’t mind a novella or spin-off of the (mis)adventure(s) of Jovis and Mephi.

This book is a good end to the Drowned Empire trilogy, but longer than it needs to be.

There are large swaths of this book that were so boring, I almost gave up on it. The protagonists are just sailing from place to place, running into a villain, trying to talk it out with them, and then exchanging a few blows. And rinse, repeat for hundreds of pages.
At some point, Lin asks, "[Are] we truly negotiating in the middle of a battle?" And I'm like, EXACTLY, YOU GET IT! Because after many confrontations that were just people talking in circles, I was irritated with the pattern.

What truly delighted me with this book is that the magic/lore was deepened in surprising ways. There were some interesting plots twists that explained the mysteries in the magic, without feeling like cheap tricks. I think that fans of the magic system in these books will be delighted.

This novel does solid romantic relationships so well. There are stable couples in this book, simply loving each other with very little drama. It's somewhat refreshing after reading other novels with lots of drama in the romance.

Reviews of this book will be posted on Youtube and Goodreads closer to its release date.

Thanks to Orbit and Netgalley for a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.

There was no going back. The Empire was changed; the world was changed. How could we help but to change with it?
ARC provided by the publisher Orbit Books US through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Bone Shard War is the epic conclusion and the great revelation to the mysteries of the drowning empire that will get your heart beating until the very end.

The new year brings in new books and sequels for many series’ that I’ve been following these past few years. The Bone Shard War is the last book of The Drowning Empire series that I’ve waited for a couple of years now to release. Thank you to Angela from Orbit for sending an early copy for me to review. When it came in the mail I immediately pushed it up my TBR pile. Because where The Bone Shard Emperor left off, there are so many things that needs to answered and the anticipation for the fates of my favourite characters are up in the air for two years.

As usual I would like to admire the purple cover of The Bone Shard War that will complete the series all together. Cover design by Lauren Panepinto and cover illustration by Sasha Vinogradova. The purple is much more striking than the other two books. I love seeing the ossalens with the crown on top of the book. After finishing The Bone Shard War seeing the waves and boats on the cover is a nice foreshadowing of whats to come in the book.

I was not a hero, but maybe – I could still do heroic things.

The Bone Shard War will take place two years after the last events of The Bone Shard Emperor. Lin is still the reigning emperor of the Sukai Empire that is currently falling apart. The Alanga, humans granted magical powers and enhanced physical abilites after bonding with Ossalen, are returning and the people of the empire are restless of their presence. Dione, the head of The Shardless Few and the oldest legendary Alanga, is building an army with a purpose to crush Lin. Bog cough is spreading, the people are dying, governments are destabilized, and ancient artifacts needs to be recovered to turn the tides of war. There are a lot of things in Lin’s plate since the Battle of Gaelung.

Other characters fates are at stake too as they try to survive through war. Phalue, the Nephilanu acting governor of Nephilanu and wife of Ranami, is leagues away from her family. Ranami, the former rebel now wife of a governor, is holding island together as Shardless Few invade to gain control of caro nuts. Ragan, the defected cloud tree monk and skilled Alanga with a mission to kill anyone in his path, is missing. Nisong, the woman that lead a construct army in The Bone Shard Emperor, is also missing. Jovis, the hero of the people and Lin’s love interest, has left Lin’s side lost somewhere sailing the Endless Sea. The only person by Lin’s side is Thrana, the ossalen that bonded with her in the depths of the castle.

“No matter how hard you try.” She felt things click into place in her own mind. “You can only do your best to make things better.”

All of the characters are clashing as their goals and intentions collide with each other fighting for power and control. Politics and ideologies shines through in between battles on land and sea as characters debate with each other to find a compromise. That compromise came at a cost of innocent citizens displaced, dying, and battling for peace. The tone of the story takes a massive shift from the first two books as the planning and plotting that were placed are finally coming to fruition. The tensions are high and intense, it could be cut with a butterknife, it is that thick. Stewart did an amazing job building tension since the first book and with each book it only got higher. The Bone Shard War is when that tension is taken to an even higher level; combining the characters arcs, the world building, and the character relationships into one explosive conclusion.

The world Andrea Stewart has built with endless mysteries that has been trickling information drop by drop throughout the series is now gushing out like a stream in The Bone Shard War. Stewart’s creative decision in submerging readers blind into the world and discovering knowledge together with the characters is utilized to its maximum potential. Every single hidden secrets of the world are revealed as readers and characters come to the same conclusion at the most crucial moments of the series. It is a masterful display of skill by Stewart who built a world that grows and expand simultaneously with the thickening of plot and growth of the characters. The story itself became an organic living being that thrived as character arcs are fulfilled, plots takes shape, relationships established, and secrets are revealed.

I was used to fighting. I was less used to giving up.

The Drowning Empire series is a trilogy with a cast of characters and with that comes multiple character arcs. I want to get into each character arc but for the sake of this review and to avoid any spoilers I will only write about a few characters that stood out amongst the cast throughout the series.

Jovis. The smuggler, folk hero, and alanga. Jovis is a complicated character that has gone through many trials and tribulations in the series. He has witnessed the massive deaths from the sinking islands, killed and saved countless lives. From the start of the series readers are introduced to a reluctant hero and that has faced multiple crossroads. Stewart really put him through the wringer when it comes to his character development. In The Bone Shard War it is no different. Jovis will face his hardest trial yet, facing his worst fears and coming fully into his characterization. The way I see it is as though Andrea Stewart and Jovis has been debating on defining who is throughout the series and in this last book Jovis is finally accepting. Jovis’ character arc is compelling and intense, he shows his development into a man that is brave and compassionate. The words he says to himself contradicts his actions and that what makes him such a lovable character in this whole series. Especially his strong friendship with Mephy that has never failed to capture the hearts of readers since the first book.

Lin. The daughter that defied her father, the empress that fights for the people, and a hero that never gives up. Lin is the main focus of the story as she is one of the most powerful characters in the series in status and power. She is the icon that became the face of the crumbling empire as she makes the decisions that changes the course of the story. Lin’s character development is the most apparent and consistent throughout the story. She started out as an isolated privileged princess that grew to be a character that never stops learning from the people around her. Her vulnerability and will to listen shaped her to become a leader that is wise, brave, and strong. In The Bone Shard War, Lin finds humility and understanding; the final step that ends her fight to save the empire. Lin’s character arc ends in a bittersweet note as the story comes to its final conclusion with her chapter. Stewart has intertwined Lin’s development with all of the characters throughout the series, in a way the other characters taught Lin and in turn they had learned from her. It is satisfying to see how it all came to be in the end.

Ranami and Phalue. The couple who came from different backgrounds, who conquered their differences with love and understanding, and in the end showed the world that through conflict people can grow. I have to admit I did not like Ranami in the first book and had doubts about her. But throughout the series she has grown to be a wonderful character. The development of Ranami and Phalue works in tandem as they mostly share many moments together, especially in The Bone Shard Emperor as they both have grown to their fullest potential. In The Bone Shard War, they are separated for most of the time but for Ranami and Phalue in this last book it is time for them to take a new position that will change the course of the story. Ranami has stopped being a follower and became a leader that she was intended to be. Stewart has set Ranami up as a character that started from the bottom rising up from the ashes like a phoenix. While Phalue is a companion who stood by her side the whole time knowing Ranami’s fullest potential and has the privilege of saying “I told you my wife is best wife” in the end.

Sand. Out of all the antagonist, Sand is the joker card of the series. When she was introduced in The Bone Shard Daughter it wasn’t clear what her purpose was as a character. In The Bone Shard Emperor it became apparent that Sand will be a character who surprises readers at every turn and she did just that. Stewart shaped her character well throughout the story, utilizing her motivation and intent to coincide with the development of the plot up until the end. At some point in the series Sand became Nisong, the emperors former consort. Seeing the psychological trauma from her memories that manifested fully in The Bone Shard War shaping her character arc is interesting to see. Of all the bad deeds she has done throughout the story I never stopped feeling sorry for her existence. At the end seeing how her character arc end with hope and joy, I am happily satisfied.

“Aye, I did. I’m sorry, old friend, but you’ve been right about me from the very beginning. I am the one who helps.”

Final thoughts, The Bone Shard War is a beautifully written conclusion to a consistently great series. With the release of The Bone Shard War it solidifies The Drowning Empire as a series that is unique and a stand out amongst other published fantasy books in the market by how incredibly well the story takes shape. Stewart is a consistent writer that upheld and even increased the quality from the first book up to the third and final book. I am truly impressed with every book I read in The Drowning Empire series.

As a reader that has followed this series from the start I am honoured and happy to be a witness of the growth of its characters. The heartfelt relationships that developed throughout the series has left a huge impression on me. I am happy with how Stewart wrote the end of this epic series. But I am also sad that it is ending and I have to say good bye to these characters. For those who have followed this series and will read The Bone Shard War, it is going to be a wild and intense ride from start to end. For those who are considering picking up this series, just do it because every book will impress you. I hold this series in the highest regard and I can’t wait to read more books by Andrea Stewart.

The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for this ARC!

Favorite Quote: Live in a crisis long enough and it just becomes normal.

Story Synopsis: The Bone Shard War, book three of The Drowning Empire series, begins two years after the end of The Bone Shard Emporer. Jovis, in search of Mephi, is parted from Lin, who is trying to keep her fracturing Empire together. Governors of islands are uneasy. The Alanga are coming back throughout the islands. Lin faces two factions of rebellion from Ragan and the Shardless Few. When everything comes to a head, each person must decide what they will or won’t do for themselves and the empire.

Why does this book beguile? Stewart’s conclusion to The Drowning Empire series is well-written, well-paced, and wraps up the storylines wonderfully. Each book in this series gets better - not an easy achievement in epic fantasy series. We revisit our characters: Lin, Jovis, Ranami, Phalue, and Nisong, and dive deeper into their character arcs. I’m so happy to have read this series!

Rating: 5/5

Wow, this book was just jammed packed full of action!

Such an excellent conclusion to the trilogy.

I loved that each of the characters were fallible, and made mistakes, but also took chances at redemption.

One of the plot points is a bit confusing however, with Riya and how it compares to the actions/desires of one particular character toward the end.

I have a love hate relationship with the ending. Part of me wishes it had just stopped at the part you'll know when you get there... But I also appreciate where it went.

This series is worth the read.

4.5 Stars

The bone shard war- 4⭐️ 1.5🌶️

With the help of the Shardless Few, Jovis and Lin have defeated the construct army and the treacherous Ragan. But not all alliances are easy. The leader of the Shardless Few has debts to pay and a world to make over. And this new world does not need or want an Emperor.

But this is not the only thing to threaten the fragile peace. Now that fewer people are undergoing the Tithing Festival, the Alanga are returning, and not all of them are peaceful. While Jovis and Lin find allies in unlikely places, other Alanga begin to choose sides–and many are none too happy with the current regime or with the commoners.

With enemies on all sides, Empress Lin must decide if she should follow in the destructive steps of her forebears to save the Empire's citizens and bring peace
——————
✨My Opinion✨

The finale of this trilogy took place two years after the end of the last book. It worked through the dismantling of characters, circumstances, movements and empires while dealing with the trauma, old habits and new beginnings that came with it.

Lin’s character arc was so beautifully done. I really do like her as a character. Her determination, understanding, strength, morality. She was a badass woman to read about. She was the backbone of the trilogy and was held things together beautifully.

What we finally learn about the magic system, I was floored with the uniqueness and beautiful Cycle of its multi faucets. The Ossalen were such a great through line for the magic to be based on. Plus, they were cute!

Issues from book one and two were brought into this bal book and tied off. Some little threads were left dangling for the characters in the conclusion, but I like purpose in endings.

Overall, this was a beautiful trilogy that I really enjoyed reading.

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

We meet our protagonists two years in the future, with Lin trying to manage her empire and the fall out from the previous book. The novel has so many strands of a story, each inter connecting with each other. Stewart is able to masterfully weave each character's narrative to an unbelievable finale.

"I would hold these fraying threads together even if it tore me apart."

4.5 stars

I was so excited to read the final installment of the drowning empire series and it did not disappoint!

The book had a slow start as I reoriented myself to the world but once I made it past the half way mark I simply could not put it down. I would have stayed up all night reading if I hadn’t had somewhere to be the next day.

The story is a fast-paced plot centering around politics and power, as Lin tries to hold her empire together as opposing forces try to burn the empire to the ground. The moral dilemma Lin faced throughout all three novels as she tried to figure out how to do right by her people despite her sheltered understanding as a royal was deeply compelling, complicated, and messy. While I did not always like her for her choices, I always understood her reasoning which made it so much harder because as a reader you knew that was the best she could do. She ultimately had to come to terms with how the Empire directly conflicted with necessary progress due to it being an inherently corrupt system.

The stars of the show are the well-fleshed out characters who are painfully human as they try to navigate the realities of war, shifting alliances, and their own moral codes. They all strived to be better and I rooted for them! I love every single one of them!! I would die for Ranami and Jovis! Not to mention Mephi and Thrana lol the ossalen were so cute

Some of the problems of the second book bled into the third; the world-building, while expanded in an excellent twist, still lacked the depth and detail I needed to fully immerse myself. I also felt very little investment in the Jovis and Lin romantic plot line.

However, overall, this book was a thrilling conclusion to a strong fantasy series.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC!

I devoured this book. I love the series, and this book didn't disappoint. I loved the character growth and dilemmas, the world-building, and every second of the story.

I knew as soon as I saw Sarah J Maas on the cover that I was going to be disappointed in this book, and I was right. The Bone Shard series has been an exercise in disappointment: The Bone Shard Daughter was one of my favorite books the year it debuted but the series has been on a steady decline since then. Reading Stewart's authors note, she notes that her debut was years in the making and she struggled more with Book 2, and especially Book 3. I think this is unfortunately very reflective of the story arc. While the first book was clearly the product of many years of revisions and editing, books 2 and 3 are much more rushed and unsatisfying. This is deeply unfortunate, as the essential building blocks of the story are incredible: the Alanga, the ossalen and their evolution, the politics of the empire and the witstone. However, the pacing overall is serious struggle: once again the first half of the book is too slow and the second half is too rushed. I liked the time jump, between this book and the last one, but also felt like it cheated me out of a lot of character development, especially for Jovis. There's also certain character moments that feel oddly juvenile in terms of their emotional level, with the characters sometimes reading more like older teenagers than full adults. My biggest frustration, however, was how the plot continued to feel predictable and reliant on tropes. One of my favorite things about the Bone Shard Daughter was how original it felt, and I just feel as thought the series has lost that spark over time.

When I was given an ARC of this book I could not have been more excited. This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2023. I am very happy to say that this book did not disappoint. This was a beautiful conclusion to a series that I love. The Bone Shard War was both heartbreaking and heartwarming. The explorations of different forms of love, grief, and power were so well done. I will miss being in this world especially the ossalen who I love with my whole heart.

I loved the first book in this series so so much, I feel like this trilogy was super genre bending, and every time i felt like i had a categorization of it, it subverted my expectations. This book, I feel concluded the trilogy really well, and i just love this world and these characters so much

An amazing conclusion to the Bone Shard Trilogy, a finale to remember that doesn't pull its punches.

The Bone Shard War is the third book in the Drowning Empire trilogy. The book picks up two years after the events of The Bone Shard Emperor, and because it had been a long time since I'd read the previous two, I spent the first several chapters trying to remember who everyone was and how the magic system works since it dove right in to the action.

If you loved the first two, you'll like this one -- I will say the pacing in the first half was a bit of a slog; those try/fail cycles were occurring every chapter and the characters we love failing more than winning. It made it hard to keep reading because I wondered if anything good would ever happen to Lin again.

I did enjoy the delving further into the magic system and how it all works, and the battles were very exciting. The characters were very well drawn, but I struggled with the trilogy-long character arc for Lin. As the main character, it felt like we were slowly supposed to be falling out of love with her due to the author wanting to prove a political point about how democracy is the best form of government, but that falling out of love with Lin had nothing to do with her personally.

All in all, I did like the book and am looking forward to more books from Andrea Stewart.

I received an arc of this book from NetGalley but the reviews of this are my own.

The Bone Shard War takes place 2 years after The Bone Shard Emporer and is an amazing conclusion to The Drowning Empire series. As with the 2nd book, this book was a little bit slow in the first half but the switching of the POVs helps keep you drawn in.

I'm still astounded by the creativity of the bone-shard magic concept. In this book that grows and we learn more about it as well as ossalen and the mysterious swords.

While I didn't love the ending, I knew it was inevitable and cried. I won't give any spoilers but it was a great book and I absolutely loved it.

One of my most anticipated books of the year! I reread the first two books in the trilogy right before diving into this, and actually that might not have been a great idea cause I was a little burned out on the characters and the world by the time I got to War. But nevertheless, I was glad to have the cliffhanger settled, and was so happy I didn’t have to wait long to find out what happened to Mephi. And Jovis too, I suppose (jk, love you Jovis). I really liked Nisong’s journey and how pairing her with a worse bad guy gave her some humanity. And Lin — girl, why does the empire need to exist?! I found myself getting frustrated that she wouldn’t just let it go. But overall a really enjoyable way to wrap up a great series.

Thank you NetGalley, Andrea Stewart, and Orbit for giving me the privilege to read this book early. This trilogy is so so so beyond unique. I can hardly describe the description to any person.

I feel that the finale of this series perfectly wrapped it up and achieved all the goals any reader would love to see. Coming back to these characters and seeing them achieve their dreams and happy endings made the trek up this mountain and back down worth it. I don’t know how Andrea tied up this trilogy so well is beyond me. It is an excellent example of superb writing!

If you want a high Asian inspired fantasy filled with high stakes, unique magic system, found family with a pinch of romance this is your trilogy. I have read nothing similar and that is hard to find in this day an age. I’m sad this trilogy is over but I’m so happy for Andrea and cannot wait for this series to blow up!

I am sad that this trilogy ended, but it was wrapped up in a way that I respected.
It was hard to start the books with Jovis and Lin apart. I loved them together so much. Jovis' journey during the book was amazing, he really had to develop and fight through who he had been, his current situation and who he was going to be.
Man, I hate Ragan. Ugh. I struggled through some of his chapters because he was so maniacal.
The further development with the Alanga was definitely my favorite part of the book. I wish I had room to have a Mephi in my life.
All in all, the story was a little long. I was worried about how much was left to wrap up at 75% in but the ending was done very well and it ended in the most perfect way a story of war and change could end.
Great series that has not gotten enough notoriety ! Every fantasy reader needs to read this series!