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A review by megsbookishtwins
The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart
4.0
disclaimer: I received this free from the publishers in exchange for an honest review.
rep: 2 sapphic m/c's, f/f romance, east-asian coded characters
content warnings: violence and death
The Bone Shard Daughter is an epic fantasy, slow-paced but compelling, with a slow-burn mystery, plenty of magic, a cute animal companion, and a brewing rebellion.
The Bone Shard Daughter follows numerous different character from their perspectives. We have Lin, who is heir to the empire. She feels as though her father doesn't think her worthy enough to learn what they call 'bone-shard magic', magic that uses shards of bones from the empire's people to create constructs - animal-like creatures with orders given using magic on the bones within them. Tired of waiting, she sets out to learn these secrets on her own. Then we have Jovis, a smuggler, who is searching for his missing wife taken from him years ago. He searches the endless sea looking for a ship with blue sails. He's soon dragged into something bigger - a sinking island, a strange creature, and a resistance wanting to tear down the empire. Then we have Phalue and her partner Ranami. Phalue is the daughter and heir to Nephilanu Island's governor. Phalue and Ranami clash repeatedly over their beliefs. Ranami believes that Phalue should do more to help the people of her island, rather than avoid it. When Phalue discovers that Ranami is conspiring with the Shardless Few to take down the empire, Phalue has to confront her privilege. Finally, we have Sand, lost on an island with forgotten memories.
I think one of the things I really loved about The Bone Shard Daughter was how all of these threads and separate storylines all come together.
The Bone Shard Daughter also features some really great worldbuilding and a really intriguing magic system using people's bones. I really enjoyed reading Lin discovering how to use this magic in secret, and using her father's creations for her own agenda, and the mystery surrounding this magic, and how it is being used. I enjoyed Phalue and Ranami's storyline, but I felt like this got pushed to the background a little bit which was a shame.
If you are looking for a magical fantasy with intricate worldbuilding, and a mystery brimming with secrets then The Bone Shard Daughter is a book for you.
rep: 2 sapphic m/c's, f/f romance, east-asian coded characters
content warnings: violence and death
The Bone Shard Daughter is an epic fantasy, slow-paced but compelling, with a slow-burn mystery, plenty of magic, a cute animal companion, and a brewing rebellion.
The Bone Shard Daughter follows numerous different character from their perspectives. We have Lin, who is heir to the empire. She feels as though her father doesn't think her worthy enough to learn what they call 'bone-shard magic', magic that uses shards of bones from the empire's people to create constructs - animal-like creatures with orders given using magic on the bones within them. Tired of waiting, she sets out to learn these secrets on her own. Then we have Jovis, a smuggler, who is searching for his missing wife taken from him years ago. He searches the endless sea looking for a ship with blue sails. He's soon dragged into something bigger - a sinking island, a strange creature, and a resistance wanting to tear down the empire. Then we have Phalue and her partner Ranami. Phalue is the daughter and heir to Nephilanu Island's governor. Phalue and Ranami clash repeatedly over their beliefs. Ranami believes that Phalue should do more to help the people of her island, rather than avoid it. When Phalue discovers that Ranami is conspiring with the Shardless Few to take down the empire, Phalue has to confront her privilege. Finally, we have Sand, lost on an island with forgotten memories.
I think one of the things I really loved about The Bone Shard Daughter was how all of these threads and separate storylines all come together.
The Bone Shard Daughter also features some really great worldbuilding and a really intriguing magic system using people's bones. I really enjoyed reading Lin discovering how to use this magic in secret, and using her father's creations for her own agenda, and the mystery surrounding this magic, and how it is being used. I enjoyed Phalue and Ranami's storyline, but I felt like this got pushed to the background a little bit which was a shame.
If you are looking for a magical fantasy with intricate worldbuilding, and a mystery brimming with secrets then The Bone Shard Daughter is a book for you.