A great conclusion to a great series!

It took a bit to get back into this world, primarily due to the unexpected time skip we encounter between the second installment and this one. Due to the trauma one of our characters experiences during that time, I found the skip to be a good decision, though it did mean it took me a little longer than I was anticipating to feel engrossed in the story. Still, the book as a whole was an engaging, exciting, edge-of-your seat page turner. I read whole thing in a day, simply because I had to know what happened next.

There are a few world-building details and villain motivations that I think will become clearer upon reread, as I'll have pieced together some of the mysteries, and will thus be able to focus on the foreshadowing and character work being established. Given how abstract of a start the series had, it made it a little difficult to take in some of those side details. This isn't necessarily a negative, as I love when a story is already gripping the first time through, yet still has so much left to uncover upon a second read through.

Overall, a great conclusion to a great series! I can't wait to see what Stewart writes next.

Also, I love Mephi.

4.25 round up to 5

I was very much looking forward to this book. I read the first two installments in the series as audiobooks last summer and was eagerly anticipating the conclusion despite some plot holes and weird worldbuilding choices.

Unfortunately, I think that a lot of my enjoyment came from the audiobook format and the wonderful narrators because book three was so much less interesting to me. I noticed flaws here that I didn't notice when the story was being told to me by talented voice actors.

I didn't care about Lin or Jovis. Phalue and Ranami were barely present. The main conflict had become boring. The fun spookiness of the first two books was largely gone because so many mysteries had been revealed.

I might pick this one back up on audio at some point and see if I can get through it with the help of the wonderful narrators, but until then, The Bone Shard War is unfortunately a DNF.

To provide context for this review, I liked the first Drowning Empire book (though not a full five stars looking back, as with most of my ratings I was too generous at the time), had some issues with the second, and was a bit trepidatious about the third going in as it could make or break the way I feel about the trilogy.

The Bone Shard War is longer than it needs to be, but overalled I enjoyed my time with it and thankfully had all of my outstanding vital questions answered. The worldbuilding stands out as my favorite part of this entire trilogy, even if the molasses slow pace at which it unfolded was at times frustrating. In this installment, I relished catching a few reveals before the characters but not (as in the last) so far ahead of time that I got bored and annoyed waiting for them to catch up.

Our characters all experience a lot of growth both throughout this book and between it and the last, another factor I appreciated. Especially some of our side characters I was pleasantly surprised to see fleshed out further and become more complex/sympathetic. There were certainly times when I wished Linn could hurry up and make up her mind, or Jovis could be a little less stubborn, but in the end I'm happy with how most of our characters changed and where they ended up. Relatedly, I'm pleased to report that this novel didn't fall into the trap of too tragic or too easy an ending, but - for my taste at least - maintained approximately the same tone as the series as a whole, doling out appropriate consequences while leaving readers satisfied.

My primary disappointment with the book is also something I'm glad was attempted at all - the question of a disintegrating and transitioning monarchy was not pushed off to the wayside for the finale as I had begun to fear. At the same time, however, this subject still wasn't explored with as much nuance as I would have hoped, considering how fundamental of a thread it was throughout the trilogy. We got to the turning point (which arguably could have come much sooner, if not for some impressively stubborn thinking, perhaps one of the most realistic parts of the novel), made the vital decision, and then only received a hint at the full outcome. Which, of course, is a common end to books of this genre, but I still wished for a bit more.

It's difficult to satisfactorily review a final book without hinting towards too many spoilers; I'm not sure if I've done a great job. Regardless, I would be remiss though in closing this out without mentioning the stars of the show: Mephi, Thala, and the rest of our faithful ossalen companions. Their presence brought me much joy without them the Drowning Empire would be nothing.

In the end, I'm very glad to have picked up The Bone Shard Daughter a few years ago and to have seen the trilogy all the way through. Andrea Stewart's writing and pacing - though still not a perfect match for me - has become much more polished throughout this series, and I'm excited to see what she'll publish next.

Words cannot describe how much this series means to me. The first book was one of the very first ARCs I was approved for so the fact that the final book is here makes me low-key emotional. Going into this, I wasn't sure if I wanted to completely devour the entire book in a day or to savor it to make it last longer, so I did a little bit of both. And reader, when I tell you this was the perfect ending to the series, I mean it. The beginning starts off with a time skip, so that was a little confusing but once the action started and things picked up momentum, I was hooked until the very last page. And now I need a spin off of Lin and Jovis and co hunting for Alanga artifacts like non-colonialistic Indiana Joneses.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book! I just realized that I forgot to post this review for the ebook copy that I was given in addition to the audiobook I was granted. This review is just a copy of the one I submitted already since I switched back and forth from audio and ebook while reading this.

I marathoned this series this month in preparation for a special edition going on sale next month and in honor of the final book in the trilogy's release. Because this is the third book in the series, I don't want to talk about any of what happened in any sort of detail because of potential spoilers in the other two books, but this was a decent enough conclusion of the story.

Take my opinion lightly because I went into this book a bit jaded.

First of all, it starts two years after the second book. For me already, that was a miss because a lot had occurred in those two years, and it just left me feeling a bit distanced from some characters that I had grown to care for. Another thing I loathe is when main characters are separated in a book following one where they are finally united (think The Final Strife for example). Additionally, I can't stand insta-love and connections that I don't believe in, and maybe small spoiler here, but for two characters to kiss ONE TIME and profess that they "love" one another, only to be separated for two years and NEITHER OF THEM MOVE ON AND STILL BE OBSESSED? Seems weird to me personally. I thought they were strong and great characters on their own, and they didn't need all of the pining that ensued on their adventures to keep their story fresh and interesting. Lastly, I made it quite known how much I couldn't stand Ranami in the other two books, and this is no exception. For someone who had nothing to be that entitled from the very beginning just because she slept with a governor's daughter? She's conniving and manipulative and I hate her more than any of the multitude of villains in this series.

But overall, I did like this book. I think that the second book is still the best in the series and the ending was my least favorite, but overall, I would definitely recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit Books!
The Drowning Empire has then one of my favorite series so far, as I think each book does a fantastic job of continuing the series. This series has always been fantastic at bringing out my emotion and setting the stage to really feel a part of the world. The characters are always detailed and grow throughout the books. The series does a great job of taking characters that we've seen since the beginning and giving them plots and developments that makes sense and feel real.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the conclusion to the series and will recommend this to anyone looking for an LGBTQ high fantasy book.

The plot of The Bone Shard War is very interesting, however sometimes it seems that the author lost interest in finishing this book and the story becomes boring, slow, with redundant episodes and too many detours.
It is the book that has cost me the most to finish, since my expectations were very high. In the end, (about 75% of the book) the story picks up the path of the first book, with action scenes that make the reader not want to put the book down.
As for the ending, only the part related to Sand was really satisfying to me, leaving me with mixed feelings about this book: I don't feel like I really liked it, but just finished reading it to see where Lin and Jovis's story ends. .
Something that I have liked in the three books have been the covers: they maintain the same style, very consistent.
My favorite characters? They ossalen, of course!
I thank the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
The opinion I have expressed above is based solely on what I think and feel about this book.

I am one of the few readers who enjoyed but was not obsessed with the first two installments. I found the magic system to be unique and the plot intriguing. I also enjoyed following many of the characters. My overall issue with Bone Shard War was that I found it incredibly repetitive. I honestly think that Bone Shard Emp. and Bone Shard War could have been merged and condensed into a better-executed duology.

That being said, I was pleased with how the story ended and liked how everything wrapped up.

I enjoy Stewart's writing and look forward to whatever she writes next.

Andrea Stewart is one of the most underrated fantasy authors writing today, and if you haven’t heard of her (truly excellent) Drowning Empire trilogy before, please consider this a plea to fix your life immediately. A rich, character-driven story about an island kingdom and the unique magical system based on literal human bone shards that both powers its advances and oppresses its citizens, Stewart’s series is captivating from its very first pages.

Final installment The Bone Shard War is an engrossing, thrilling series conclusion, one that’s as full of thoughtful character dynamics and interpersonal growth as it is sweeping carefully plotted battle sequences. Though it runs for over six hundred pages, its energy is quick and propulsive, full of narrative twists and turns that will leave readers guessing not just about who will be the ultimate victors in the war for control of the Phoenix Empire, but what “winning” such a war truly means.

The Drowning Empire comes to an end. This magic system is so interesting and different from many of the fantasy novels I've read. Overall, I enjoyed this book. I do believe that this was not her best work.
I felt like this book was just running in circles. Some pieces were not explained well and honestly the ending wasn't as grand as I was hoping. I think this could have done better and just fell short. I still think book one was the best.
I think I will read future Stewart books but maybe not request them as arcs. Allow others to read it so I can get an idea of whether or not her writing has improved.
The only thing that kept this from a lower rating was Mephi. He and his personality kept this story afloat.
I felt like a lot of characters lost their flame. They became 2D and I just was disappointed with their character development.

If a certain person at the end of the novel didn't come back for a second chance this would be sitting at a 3.75...

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced review copy of “The Bone Shard War” by Andrea Stewart. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love this series so much! I’m sad it’s over but I know I’ll reread it again one day. I actually reread the first two books so I’d be ready for the finale. I was a little thrown by the two year time jump between this book and the previous one. It makes sense as the book goes on but at the start I was a little surprised by the time jump.

This was a very satisfying conclusion. I definitely teared up a few times. I will definitely reread all the books one day with all the information from the third book to see how it weaves throughout. The ending made me sad but I understand why it had to be that way. It was bittersweet. I’d love to get to read more stories set in this world if the author is one day inspired to write them. Throughout the series I have been so impressed by how every POV was enjoyable to read. It’s hard to do that in fantasy books with a lot of POVs as there’s often some that are less enjoyable to read. All the POVs made sense and I never dreaded any of them. I’ll be thinking about these characters for a long time and I look forward to seeing them again in future rereads.

Andrea Stewart is an autobuy author for me!

5/5 stars

Though this series had periods where it seemed slow, it was all important and came together very nicely in this last book. The magic system became even more unique and interesting in this book, and you learned more about the history of the empire, the Alanga, and the Ossalen.

While the characters were not the most vibrant I’ve ever read, I believe they will stick with me because of how original the storyline and world-building was. I also like that while the ending was generally a happy ending, it wasn’t completely tidy with perfect endings for everyone. It was more realistic despite being a fantasy series.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this trilogy. When I start a trilogy shortly after it begins, I often have a hard time remembering to finish it, but this was one that I enjoyed enough to read the next book as soon as it’s published. I was incredibly excited to be granted an ARC through NetGalley for this last installment. I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy and unique world-building and magic systems.

That was a satisfying end to a good trilogy. Yes, there is heartbreak and loss but there are also a bunch of brave people willing to fight for those who cannot. There is redemption too, for those who have gone astray during the previous two books. I kept rooting for everyone, except Ragan. He did despicable things all because he wanted power and if he couldn't have it then no one else could. And I really want an osslan! They are so cool and so very necessary for the drowning isles. They are so cool.

This was a good book and a good trilogy that I am glad I read.

Although I did not love this conclusion as much as I liked the start of the series, I do think it tied together the main plot points well and was an engaging read. Started off slow, but picked up the pace and then I couldn't stop reading to the final conclusion of this trilogy. This was such an inventive use of magic, and it was well conceived- mostly it's the pacing (and the fact that the only characters we really cared about kept not making logical choices consistent with their character...). If you've read the first two books in the series you absolutely do have to read this third book- but does not stand alone.

2.5

From the first book, I was less enthralled in this series than many of the reviewers I follow but I was intrigued enough in the world to see it through to the end. Unfortunately, I think for me the first book was the strongest. I do seem to have an unpopular opinion though.

This world is really fascinating, and I liked seeing the world expand with each book; however, I think parts of the sequels felt a little long, and I think that hindered my enjoyment because it got to the point where I didn’t feel like this book earned its length. There was a romantic relationship introduced in Book 2 that I didn’t really like (though it did start to grow on me in this book) and overall I felt like each of the characters had some sort of plot point where it took them too long to realize something that would move the plot forward. For example, <spoiler>why did it take Jovis so long to figure out a work around of the commands he was given?</spoiler>

That being said, I did overall like the arcs of each of the characters and the arc of the story, and I would recommend giving this series (or at least the first book) a shot if it sounds interesting to you!

A big shoutout to Netgalley for allowing me to read the conclusion to the Drowning Empire series by Andrea Stewart!

Since Bone Shard War is the conclusion to the trilogy I won't go too deep into what happens in the book.

I do want to say that I loved this conclusion to the series and the way that it opens up a few more questions that will hopefully be explored in future works by the author.

Some of the elements that were revealed in this book were actually really amazing and it brought a lot of the themes full circle from the first book. We also see a lot of characters scrabbling to find their purpose and questioning themselves, learning from what happens and having great character growth.

Here and there some easy resolutions were made to more difficult matters, and I kind of wished that the characters weren't rescued quite as much. But that could just be me. :)

And as always, I still want a Mephi. He will possibly always be my favourite animal companion. I can't wait to see what wonders come from Andrea Stewart in the future!

An excellent end to a truly great trilogy. I was glad to see all my favorite characters survive (that's rare in a fantasy). I'll miss Mephi and Thrana and of course the humans too. Can't wait to see what's next for this author!

Fantastic conclusion to a great trilogy. Loved the twists and turns and character development. Great story and can’t wait for more from Andrea Stewart.

I am so sad that this series is finished now but it was SO good and I want to go and re-read it all again as soon as possible. If you haven't picked up this series, Please do yourself a favor and pick it up!

This one is just as packed as the last 2, tons of action, twists and a bit of darkness. I love when puzzle pieces through a series all come together at the end, I was a big fan of all of the paired endings we got as well! so much love for these characters and this world.

Thank you to Orbit books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my review!

Prior to this book, I devoured books one and two. I was so excited to read The Bone Shard War. I was unfortunately a little disappointed. The book started out with our cast of characters trying to move on after the battle on Gaelung. It was kind of jarring to me that we began with a 2 year time jump. I also felt like a lot of the beginning was very repetitive and took me a while to get into.

Overall, I thought this was a bittersweet ending to a wonderful series. I found the characters interesting. The mysteries fun to figure out. I would recommend this to anyone who likes fantasy sprinkled with politics.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.