Review – The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart

The Bone Shard Daughter follows a small cast of characters railing against the reins of the Emperor who is out of touch with the wants and needs of this island based world. How they achieve their acts of rebellion against the one who controls bone shard magic is contained within this novel.

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 recognise 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.

Book Cover

It took me a while to get to invested in the characters, but once I did, I was rooting for them and against the ruling despot who used the population as a domesticated herd to prop up the empire.

Is it acceptable to do unacceptable things for the greater good?

The different themes and story arcs raises many philosophical thoughts, the hierarchy of man/human was one that played on my mind frequently. Does being at the pinnacle mean that you are exposed to more information which therefore fuels your actions or does being the dominant species or boss lend itself inherently to cruelty, unwavering prioritisation of one’s own needs?

When do you start out from the right place and then begin to go wrong?

There is much left unsaid and The Bone Shard Daughter is deserving of a sequel, I want to find out more about the Alanga, if my suspicion about Mephi and Thrana are correct, plus those on Maila Isle, what will be their impact when they leave that prison.

An interesting twist on several fantasy themes. A satisfying though wanting end to a novel on human experience.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for a eArc. Sincere apologies to the author for the delayed review.