The Bone Shard Daughter

I’m someone who really loves dual and multi povs but multiple audio narrators… I’m still getting there. It is easier when there’s at least one male narrator to at least change things up at the risk of the female narrators sounding the same. But when you’re listening at double speed just about everyone sounds the same. It’s not the book’s fault that I rated it 3.5 (even though that’s not really a low rating). It took a while to get into the story and the characters. In fact most of the trilogy was me trying to fully understand the story and characters. The action was great, Stewart is good at letting her readers be immersed in the world and action. I found that she’s good at writing physical action and magic – which is great because not many authors can successfully balance the two. The magic system was confusing but also interesting! I didn’t expect myself to understand it by the end of the first book (although I didn’t really understand by the end of the trilogy either) and I’m glad it didn’t stop me from enjoying the book.

There’s five main characters and all of them have their own chapters. It took me awhile to like Lin, the Emperor’s daughter who’s trying to make her father proud of her. I think it was around the mid-mark (of the book) that I liked her a bit more and also further on (into the series). She’s a strong character who figures out what she wants and her place in the world – I liked that. Jovis was probably my favourite main character. He’s got that ‘accidental dad vibe’ to him which showed when he got an animal companion – who was absolutely adorable and basically my other favourite character. I almost immediately liked him and liked getting to his chapters. I had an issue where I’d started reading Lin as as Upper YA (like she’s 18 or a bit younger) and Jovis as nearly 30. So I side-eyed this book for a while until I realised that Lin = adult. I still don’t know her actual age but after that I felt better 😅. For most of this book she did feel younger but at least not actual teenager. Other than that I liked their relationship and was happy to follow it.

The next two characters (Phalue and Ramani) are in the same place so you get a lot of the same plots (but different feelings). It didn’t help that their individual character voices weren’t distinct in my opinion, though their personalities were well-written. I would’ve picked one, not both of them as a point of view – but I couldn’t tell you which one I would’ve chosen. My least liked POV is Sand, an outsider, and not much is really revealed about her at the start. She was an interesting character but I don’t think I ever really liked her.

The emperor controls his land and people through bone shard magic. Each person in the empire is forced to give up a bone shard from their skull. But not all who undergo the brutal chipping survive. And even if they do, their shard may be chosen to give life to one of the emperor’s constructs. Lin and Bayan are rivals for the throne, and each has been learning to use bone shard magic, vying for the emperor’s keys which unlock more secrets and knowledge in the palace. But Bayan is steadily making progress, whereas Lin is held back. All she wants is to earn her father’s praise, but the emperor seems to favor Bayan over Lin. Determined not to fall behind, Lin steals keys to make copies. But as she delves deeper into the secrets of the palace, she will uncover unspeakable horrors the Emperor has kept hidden for years.

The evolution of Lin and Bayan’s rivalry was intense. They are nearly at each other’s throats constantly, yet there is a spark of chemistry between them. Lin’s greatest challenge is the loss of her memories, and because of this, she is held back from studying construct magic. But Lin will not let the emperor’s disregard hold her back. And while Lin is ambitious, she does not fully understand the consequences her actions will have. In her drive to outpace Bayan, she will put those outside of the palace in danger.

While Lin and Bayan’s story gives background information on bone shard magic and the degrading state of the emperor, Jovis opens readers' eyes to the common people. Hired to smuggle children away before their bone shards are taken, Jovis sees the everyday horrors. And after one job goes awry he finds himself with an animal companion named Melphie. Melphie is absolutely adorable and gives Jovis’ storyline a humorous balance. Jovis has no idea what kind of animal Melphie is, but their companionship grows throughout the storyline as they become further involved in the revolution of the empire.

And then there is the pairing of Phalue and Ranami. Phalue is the daughter of a governor, and Ranami is a rebel actively working with the revolution. The two have a complex relationship as they are on opposing sides but in love with each other. While Phalue wants to slowly fix governing from the inside, Ranami wants immediate action. Ranami is similar to Lin in her actions, where she does not see the potential consequences that may occur. Blinded by her need to do better for those she sees suffering, she will drag Phalue into situations they will not be able to come back from.

Then to add another layer of mystery to all the hints, and tidbits dropped throughout all the storylines, is Sand. A woman who one day falls from a tree and realizes she's been brainwashed and taken from her home. She lives on an island with multiple others who have had their past erased.

Each storyline, whether it focuses on the inner workings of the empire, ongoing unrest with the emperor’s rule, or even day to day life, carries dark undertones surrounding the use of bone shard magic and the disregard for humans as living beings. There are many character points of view, but each adds another intricate layer to the plot. And when the atrocities that are occurring are fully realized for the reader, they will be horrified. The Bone Shard Daughter is for those who enjoy characterization and richly developed plot lines.