Review: The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart

Title: The Bone Shard Daughter
Author: Andrea Stewart
Series: The Drowning Empire #1
Genre: High Fantasy/Adventure/LGBT
Publisher: Orbit
Publication Date: September 8, 2020
Edition: 449 pages, Kindle Edition
Source: Library
Purchase: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | BAM | Bookshop | Powell's | Thriftbooks

 

Synopsis:

   The emperor's reign has lasted for decades, his mastery of bone shard magic powering the animal-like constructs that maintain law and order. But now his rule is failing, and revolution is sweeping across the Empire's many islands.
   Lin is the emperor's daughter and spends her days trapped in a palace of locked doors and dark secrets. When her father refuses to recognize her as heir to the throne, she vows to prove her worth by mastering the forbidden art of bone shard magic.
   Yet such power carries a great cost, and when the revolution reaches the gates of the palace, Lin must decide how far she is willing to go to claim her birthright - and save her people.
   The Bone Shard Daughter is an unmissable debut from a major new voice in epic fantasy — a stunning tale of magic, mystery, and revolution in which the former heir to the emperor will fight to reclaim her power and her place on the throne.

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This was truly one of the most unique and engaging books I have read this year. 

The POV characters all had something mysterious and intriguing about them that had me wishing I could read faster so I could find out more about them faster. Lin, at first though I was still invested in her character, wasn't the character I was the most curious about. Her motives seemed to be pretty straight forward and obvious. That is until this huge plot twist about half way through the book. Then I was all in for her character. Jovis was the character I was actively the most interested in through the whole book. Granted, part of that had to do with the adorable creature he pulled from the ocean and named Mephi. I can't say more that isn't a spoiler about that other than it looks a bit like an otter. (I love otters). Ranami and Phalue were the ones I was least invested in, even when their arc over lapped with another character's later in the story. Although with how some things in their arc get wrapped up it makes me wonder where things are headed in the next book. Then there's Sand, her arc had the most mystery wrapped around it. And the one I am most excited to read in the next book. 

The magic system in this book was so unique as well. I wasn't sure how to describe how it works until I read another review that mentioned that it works like computer coding. And that is the best way to describe it. Only the Emperor and his heir can learn and wield. The reasons are not fully given as to why exactly he and his ancestors chose to hoard the magic. There is speculation and the reasons he says he does. I do wonder if there what hidden reason this could be. If there's a connection to the Ancient, and long-thought dead, enemy the magic was created to defeat.

I already have the sequel from the library on my Kindle, I would've already started reading it but I wanted to write this before I read it so I wouldn't get story beats mixed into this review.