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. ( )

This is epic fantasy at its finest! “The Bone Shard Daughter” is packed with intrigue, action, a delightfully fresh (and kinda terrifying) magic system, and plenty of twisty plot points to keep the pages flying by. I can’t wait to see what happens next! ( )

This felt too formulaic, though the details are new. Perhaps this is a sign of poor character development? ( )

While I really enjoyed the story and the imagination in this one, it just didn't feel like it had enough depth for me. The characters are all very interesting, but I didn't get to know any one of them as well as I needed to in order to feel invested in their story, because I was constantly torn from one POV to the next before I really got invested in any ONE pov. Additionally, I never had a solid grasp of time in this one, so it was hard to follow the "when" of the story, which made any sort of clarity much more muddled.

It was solid enough to make me want to read book two. But not solid enough to make me think: damn, my friends should read this book. ( )

UPDATE 23/12/2021 - Hmmm. I did not love this as much the second time around. The second half was infinitely better than the first! I'm going to have to change my rating to 4 Stars on reread. (Update on update) Nope that doesn't quite feel right. I'm going for 4.5 Stars rounded up to 5. I just love the characters and world too much to give it any less. However, I think because I knew all the big reveals it impacted my reread.

UPDATE 21/12/2021 - Rereading in preparation to read book 2!

Well that was, quite frankly, superb!

A masterclass in world building with a complex and fascinating magical system. The characters were totally engaging, fully developed, endearing, and I felt emotionally invested in their journeys. The story itself was enthralling and the different threads of the plot were seamlessly woven together.

I need to know more. More about the world. More about the magic. More about the incredible creatures. Just. MORE!

Love love loved it! ( )