The Bone Shard War (The Drowning Empire)

Product Information

Epic fantasy at its most human and heartfelt . . . inventive, adventurous and wonderfully written’Alix E. Harrow

Beth: This is why I love first-person narration so much. But yes, you’re right, it was a good insight into the kind of person she was, the fact that despite how much she said she would be a different Emperor to her father, she just ended up following a very similar path to him, running after Alanga secrets and blind to all else. I wanted to shake her. Book Two begins shortly after the events of Book One. Lin is now the emperor, and she must garner the support of her people to maintain stability and keep her throne. Also, Jovis must adjust to his new role and decide where his loyalties lay. Meanwhile, his animal companion, Mephi, is as adorable and funny as ever. Then, there is Nisong, who is out for blood and revenge. Plus, the rebellion is gaining more influence.I love how Lin and Jovis grow as characters during the course of the book, and how their relationship develops. I had an inkling at the beginning of book one that they'd probably end up together and it seems I was right. When preparing to read the The Bone Shard War , I must admit that I had no small amount of trepidation over this novel being the finale to a series I loved so much. After all, there is something uniquely heart wrenching and disappointing about not liking the ending to a series, as if the rest of the experience is rendered forever tainted. That alone made me nervous, but I was also practically shaking at the knowledge that there were so many friendly furry companions that I didn’t want to see hurt—or worse. Nils: I think her main problem was when you’re an Empress there is no right thing and every mistake you make has catastrophic consequences. Andrea Stewart almost dodged the dreadful curse of middle book in trilogy. On one hand it was expected because the first book had many things that made it memorable and couldn't be repeated in second one with same effect:

In The Bone Shard Daughter, Lin and Phalue, were linked by the way their father’s were incompetent, uncaring leaders. In The Bone Shard Emperor they both share the task of stepping out of their father’s shadow, and they both feel overwhelmed. Phalue, the newly appointed Governor of Nephilanu Island, struggled to administer the safety of her people, her father may have been a cruel leader but he had held peace, and with Phalue being pulled in several directions, could she do the same? It seemed that helping the poorest proved to be much harder in reality compared to her previous idealist vision. Stewart does a masterful job juggling conflict and intrigue on multiple fronts, and she makes the fight scenes especially riveting with subtle character work interspersed throughout the action. This un-put-downable epic sends the series out with a bang."— Publishers Weekly One of the best fantasy novels I've read in a long time...This book is truly special' Sarah J. Maas on The Bone Shard Daughter Watching my father and reading and listening to you … if there’s one thing it’s all taught me it’s that if I try too hard to hold on to power at the expense of everything else, in the end that’s all I’ll have: power.”These were really powerful moments, full of suspense, but considering where we left things I did wonder how she will top that. Nils: Definitely, but I guess it was a natural and inevitable progression given the weight of the Empire on her shoulders? Yet I couldn’t help but miss the Lin we were presented with in the first book, the one who wanted to help everyone without manipulating them in the way her father did. Beth: I really disliked her too. I’d felt so sorry for her in the first book, but I really didn’t like the paths she chose. So when she finally decided to let Nisong go, when she stopped to evaluate why she was trying to be Nisong and what that actually meant and that she didn’t need to be that person, I was so happy for her. It was a toxic relationship, and she was unwittingly repeating it with Ragan, so I was so glad she came to recognise it for what it was and had the strength and bravery to break that cycle. I think it’s a really important and relevant message. This brilliant fantasy debut has announced Andrea Stewart as quite possibly the best newcomer of the year' Novel Notions