The Bone Shard War (The Drowning Empire)

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I’ve been so impatient for this book, to return to this world – but I found that when I was actually faced with it, I was nervous too! I didn’t want to get to the end of this trilogy and have to leave! Nils: I didn’t want to say goodbye to these characters either! One thing I did miss was the pervading horror elements from The Bone Shard Daughter. They’re still around, but since Lin is no longer trapped in her father’s palace full of constructs, things feel less claustrophobic. The body horror elements really shine when they do show up though, especially through the final point-of-view character, Sand. The stretches with Sand and her army of constructs are powerful yet traumatizing, riveting to read and hard to endure. Despite the things Sand does, you can’t help but sympathize with her situation as she marches doggedly toward her goal. Sand/Nisong is still in the book, and she is much more important than in the first book as she now is "the villain" of the story. We finally understand more about her and her fellow islanders, but honestly except for the words "psycho-power-hungry-that-does-not-know-when-to-quit" I'm not sure how to describe her. She has her role to play in the series, but I really don't like her, and I find that even her POVs were not that interesting to read. The Bone Shard Daughter is epic fantasy at its most human and heartfelt, concerned with the real lives caught in the gears of empire and rebellion. Inventive, adventurous, and wonderfully written."— Alix E. Harrow, author of The Ten Thousand Doors of January, on The Bone Shard Daughter Epic fantasy at its most human and heartfelt . . . inventive, adventurous and wonderfully written' Alix E. Harrow

I'm not sure if she deserves a redemption arc, somewhere down the road. If only she made the right choice at the end... Yet hopes lies in history. Legend tells of seven mythic swords, forged in centuries past. If Lin can find them before her enemies, she may yet be able to turn the tide. If she fails, the Sukai dynasty – and the entire empire – will fall. There's a bold, ambitious imagination at work here - and this is a world you'll want to linger in."— M. R. Carey, author of The Girl with All the Gifts, on The Bone Shard Daughter

Nils: I’m not gonna lie, I was looking forward to it but also rather nervous! People had told me I was going to cry by the end of the book, and granted I cry really easily at books I’m invested in, but I really didn’t want Andrea to hurt my beloved characters. Were you the same Beth?

A coward is not a man who feels fear. A coward is one who would volunteer others for the suffering he would not take on himself,” Phalue said. Nils: Oh definitely, as cool as it was, I did feel sad too. I expected the Ossalen to remain animal companions forever. However, I do love the way Stewart connected everything to nature and that they would, in a way, still live on forever.Lin Sukai has won her first victory as Emperor, but the future of the Phoenix Empire hangs in the balance – and Lin is dangerously short of allies. I think in part this is due to the side PoVs being cut down to only the most necessary bits which I'm fully on board with. The Bone Shard Daughter was one of my favourite reads of 2020, so The Bone Shard Emperor was always going to be one of my most anticipated. If this sounds like a set-up to say I was disappointed, that’s because it kind of is. Aspects I loved about the first book somewhat fell flat here and, although it redeemed itself for me in the final 30%, ultimately I didn’t love this one. I liked it, and I’ll read the final book in the series, but I didn’t love it like I did the first.