Review: The Bone Shard Emperor by Andrea Stewart

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Title: The Bone Shard Emperor

Author: Andrea Stewart

Publisher: Orbit

Published: November 23, 2021

Pages: 560

Format: Netgalley, provided by Orbit- thank you so much!

Goodreads Synopsis:

“Andrea Stewart returns with The Bone Shard Emperor, the second installment of this unmissable, action-packed, magic-laced fantasy epic.

The Emperor is Dead. Long live the Emperor.  

Lin Sukai finally sits on the throne she won at so much cost, but her struggles are only just beginning. Her people don’t trust her. Her political alliances are weak. And in the north-east of the Empire, a rebel army of constructs is gathering, its leader determined to take the throne by force.  

Yet an even greater threat is on the horizon, for the Alanga – the powerful magicians of legend – have returned to the Empire. They claim they come in peace, and Lin will need their help in order to defeat the rebels and restore peace.  

But can she trust them?”

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My Review:

Just like the first book this book is a quick read. I flew through this but it could be because there was so much going on. We have so many different parts moving that I found it hard to put down. I needed to know what was happening next. Although, there are times that I felt like we didn’t spend enough time in certain places and situations. It didn’t suffer from the “second book syndrome” because a lot of things do progress rather quickly.

The worldbuilding in this book has expanded and I loved learning so more about the Alanga. We learn more about the past and how that comes to play now. We delve more into the bone-shard magic too. Lin starts to embrace her power and it was great to see that come out in multiple ways. I am still not sure how I feel about the way Lin delved into the Emperor’s memories but I loved learning more about him and his motivations.

“You’re the Emperor. You’re powerful. People have to have an opinion of you. They won’t all be good opinions. At some point, you have to just do what you think is right.”

The women in this book have a much bigger role and I was all for it. Ranami and Phalue are a couple I’m struggling with. I love how Phalue is so optimistic but it’s almost too much. In her position, I would think she would be a little more level-headed about things. I get that Ranami is supposed to be that for her but she also crosses the line and goes too far. They need to learn from each other and grow together.

Even though I’m all about the female protagonist, my favorite characters are Jovis and Mephi. I can’t even explain how much of a delight Mephi is. He’s so moody and yet the perfect companion. I love him so much! The companions pretty much steal the show in this book. I cannot wait for the next book because they are just getting better and better.

“A song isn’t impenetrable armor. They write songs about dead people too, you know.” “But are they quite so catchy?”

Lin and Jovis have come a long way since book one. Although, I’m not really feeling the romance between them. Somehow, it feels like it came out of nowhere, and I just don’t feel emotionally attached to that relationship. It kind of hinders some of the moments in the book because it feels forced. I do like them on their own but not so much together.

One of the biggest issues with this book was predictability. I saw every twist coming and from far off. I was hoping to have a big shocking twist or moment but that did not happen for me. Even though I saw it all coming I still enjoyed the story. I love the world and the characters that Stewart has created. I’m really looking forward to the next book!

I’ve received a copy of this book for review by Orbit. Thank you! It has in no way influenced my opinions.