Friends, it’s cemented. Andrea Stewart is now an auto-buy author for me. Holy shit, I loved The Bone Shard Daughter so, so much. Yet I might love The Bone Shard Emperor even more!?
An ARC copy was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Book Info

Publisher: Orbit Books | Release Date: November 2021 | Pages: 548
Age Range: Adult | Genre: Fantasy | Format: Hardcover | Source: ARC
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.
On the Page
- Amnesia and memory disorders
- Body modifications
- Building collapse
- Captivity and confinement
- Death
- Earthquakes and floods
- Physical assault and injuries
- Refugee experiences
- War themes and military violence
Referenced
- Blackmail
- Dead bodies and body parts
- Drowning
- Maritime disasters
Minor
Content warnings are written up by me, unless specified. Subject to being an incomplete list, though guided by referencing this list and trying to highlight as many as I can identify.

Review
Likes
- Creativity of magic. I will forever be fascinated by bone shard magic. It’s just so fascinating and creative.
- Expertise of chapter ending. I actually talked about this with another writer friend the other day. But Steward is a MASTER at writing chapter ending. I swear, every single one left me desperate to continue reading. (Not a lie: I was late to work half of the week because I couldn’t stop reading.)
- Our characters. These characters!! I just love them so much.
Dislikes
- Miscommunication trope. I know why it was used, but goddamn, I hate this trope. Yet this one had reasons I could believe from both characters involved.
Rating

The Bone Shard Emperor was unparalleled. It’s been so long when I read a book so effortlessly, the pages flying by without me even realizing how quickly they were going by. I am so in love with this story and these characters. Though I should have read this book long before this, I am very excited to dive straight into The Bone Shard War. I will not be making that mistake again!

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