The Bone Shard War

Well, I really like what the author did here, a brand new and fresh world and mythos, different povs that felt all interesting, developed characters through 3 books, the romance was also a great subplot and well handled, book felt long at times though but I really recommend this debut it's well rounded^

This was a fun conclusion to this trilogy.

I think ultimately, this is a book driven by the principal point of view characters and their actions. Despite that many of them are leaders of empires, islands, or organizations, this fantasy series is less about political maneuvering and more about interpersonal conflicts and shifts. This made a lot of sense in book one, following three or four different characters in different places, none of whom were in real positions of power. However, I think I was a little surprised at how much this style continued through the whole series.

In some ways there's some superhero vibes, where the sides are determined by which heroes are opposing or supporting whom at any moment. I said this about book two, but I appreciated the ongoing shifting allegiances. Characters join up, and then split apart and join opposite sides. Some are forced to be on sides they don't want. Some help each other only reluctantly. I think it works really well and creates some good character growth moments.

In the end, I still feel a little like some of the magical world-building details got handwaved through more than I wanted. I'm still not sure I really understand the underlying reason why islands are sinking. I understand what actions make them sink, but not why. (Maybe I don't understand what makes them float in the first place?? ) I feel like the memory pools also felt a little too convenient, and I wish this were better foreshadowed or explained. There's some "I hope you don't find out what this magical artifact really does", but then that detail is never revealed. The book also itself asks (but does not answer) what the connection is between all the things that bone shard magic can be used on.

I'm not trying to nitpick details here and I certainly don't need some intricately built magic system in a book, but it just didn't all quite hang together for me in a way that I wanted.

4.5

The intricacies of the characters and their motives and of the machinations of the multiple factions really culminated brilliantly throughout this finale. The first two books truly built to this one allowing us to truly see how many people can want similar things, but their experiences can shape the specifics and the approaches to their goals.

The Drowning Empire follows several character perspectives and overall I think their arcs are realized excellently, but the longer I sit on the ending the more I continue to simmer over one specific character's ending. iykyk.

Thank you, Netgalley, the author, and their publishing company for a chance to read this book and give an honest opinion.


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