The Bone Shard War (The Drowning Empire)

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If my good deed could be washed away by the terrible ones, then it had to work the other way. I could still wash away the terrible ones.”

This is, of course, the most basic summation of the story possible—this is a tale of war, after all, one driven by both centuries of history and competing ideologies that asks complicated questions about what kind of society is worth fighting for and what it truly means to be a leader. Throughout the story, Stewart deftly balances interpersonal conflict with sweeping action sequences, all grounded in a constantly escalating sense of tension as islands continue to sink, refugees flood unprepared cities, and the threat of the rebel army grows larger.Beth: I think perhaps the biggest surprise for me at the start was Jovis’ storyline, how he had been wrenched away from Lin and how his love for Mephi was being used against him. It really feels like Stewart is meaner to Jovis than anyone else, she puts him through so much! I do feel the friendships and bonds made in this novel was a major strength too. Phalue and Ranami share such a special connection, especially with their adopted daughter Ayesh. It was nice to see Lin create a small friendship with Phalue, and open herself entirely to Jovis. Even Jovis finds a friend amongst the Ioph Carn, although theirs is an amusing love-hate relationship throughout! Of course there are the Ossalens, Thrana and Mephi, who prove to be the ultimate best friends to Lin and Jovis. Through all the upheaval, betrayal, revelations and challenges our characters face these bonds are what grounds them and motivates them to carry on. I loved that. I just want to go around screaming at everyone to read this series. Especially if you want an Adult High Fantasy set in a post-apocalyptic style fantastical world with the awakening of magic and animal companions. Un cobarde no es aquel que no tiene miedo, sino el que propone a otros para que soporten un sufrimiento que no quiere soportar él”. En conclusión, una buena continuación, no me ha dejado con tanta ansia como el primer libro, pero ya espero con ganas su traducción en español.

In The Bone Shard Daughter, Lin and Phalue, were linked by the way their father’s were incompetent, uncaring leaders. In The Bone Shard Emperor they both share the task of stepping out of their father’s shadow, and they both feel overwhelmed. Phalue, the newly appointed Governor of Nephilanu Island, struggled to administer the safety of her people, her father may have been a cruel leader but he had held peace, and with Phalue being pulled in several directions, could she do the same? It seemed that helping the poorest proved to be much harder in reality compared to her previous idealist vision. While the time jump between books initially threw me for a loop, I began appreciating it more as I got deeper into the novel. It’s difficult to think of any other way in which it might have worked without that time gap; two years’ worth of watching this series’s Han/Lando figure being psychologically tortured would be tough going. Simplemente, a veces hay que encontrar el momento justo para leer una novela. Menos mal que lo pospuse el tiempo necesario, sino habría sido un caos.Beth: Oh that’s such a good point Nils, there was definitely a progression here for Lin, wasn’t there! Pero, como sabes, toda historia que se precie tiene que tener sus malos malotes y sus dificultades, y aquí tienes unos ENEMIGOS que, en serio, a unos les echarías un cubo de agua fría y a otros no sabes si les harías un sitio en tu cama...🤭Y, ojo, porque si crees que esto es todo, prepárate, porque las dificultades con las que se encuentran nuestros héroes son de las que te enganchan tanto que no puedes parar de leer. Magic-wise we learn a fair bit more about the mysterious Alonga race, the ‘big bad’ of the past. Their magic is shown through a journal and two companion creatures and I loved getting to learn what’s possible and what these beings may be gearing up for. I think there’s more to come but I love the ideas of the magic and the Bone Shard magic is as cruel and bleak as ever in this, if utilised by different enemies. A coward is not a man who feels fear. A coward is one who would volunteer others for the suffering he would not take on himself,”