Andrea Stewart (1)

An Intriguing Puzzle with a Challenging Read

The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart, the first novel in The Drowning Empire trilogy, offers a complex narrative that weaves together various perspectives in a world of magic and political intrigue. While this piece has its charms, it also has several flaws that may not appeal to every reader.



The Bone Shard Daughter ♦ Andrea Stewart

Opinion

The Bone Shard Daughter has a complicated plot, in which multiple protagonists embark on challenges that finally interlock like puzzle pieces, is one of its most prominent features. Stewart’s expertise in building a unified narrative is demonstrated by the way their various storylines converge. With its bone shard magic system and strange islands, the world-building adds dimension to the plot, creating a complex and immersive atmosphere.

The writing style, however, proves to be frustrating for some readers, making it a difficult read. The text may be dense and intricate, necessitating a high level of focus to properly appreciate the story’s intricacies. This readability problem can detract from the overall enjoyment of the work, potentially discouraging readers from fully interacting with the characters and their arcs.

In terms of characters, The Bone Shard Daughter introduces four main characters, each with their own points of view and journeys. Unfortunately, the difficult writing style makes it impossible to sympathize with all of them equally. Jovis emerges as the most engaging character, with his travels in particular standing out. Lin and her quest are equally interesting, however the tie to her father’s love, the Emperor, feels a little thin, almost as if a plot twist was hinted at from the start.

On the other hand, Phalue comes across as the least sympathetic character, but she could find some redemption (by the reader) in the end, and Sand’s narrative, despite taking a surprising turn, feels somewhat short and underdeveloped, intentionally. These uneven characterizations contribute to a sense of imbalance in the overall narrative.

Conclusion

Lastly, The Bone Shard Daughter is an intriguing story puzzle that elegantly connects disparate paths. However, some readers may be put off by the difficult writing style and uneven characterization. Despite these flaws, the Andrea Stewart manages to create a captivating story that leaves room for anticipation as the trilogy progresses.


This review was first published at The Art of Reading.… (more)

I mostly enjoyed this final installment in the trilogy. The ending satisfied me, although it was a bit bittersweet. I still don't feel like the magic in this world was explored as much, but I understand that sometimes stopping a story to get into lore can have a detrimental effect on the storytelling. But I really want to learn more about how the ossalen bone magic works. Some of the parts I didn't enjoy were how the characters got bogged down in their own heads, which is totally a thing people do, but instead of sympathizing with them, I started to get annoyed with them. But those parts were a necessary part of their journeys so ultimately I didn't mind. The setting in this series is very unique and the reveal in this book about what the witstone is actually made from was a shocking twist. Overall, it was enjoyable and the last third went fast. I will definitely check out more of this writer's works as they are published.… (more)

I feel like my thoughts on this second installment of the Drowning Empire trilogy can be summed up by the fact that, although I knew I was definitely going to finish the book and was invested in the outcome, it took me 5 whole months to actually do so. The story is interesting, yet I felt like characters kept having the same conversations over and over, or that Lin was just traveling in circles to no avail. To some extent I guess that kind of adds to her sense of desperation and getting nowhere with gaining respect from her subjects, but it also makes for a slightly tedious read.… (more)