In an empire controlled by bone shard magic, Lin, the former heir to the emperor will fight to reclaim her magic and her place on the throne.
The emperor's reign has lasted for decades, his mastery of bone shard magic powering the animal-like constructs that maintain law and order. But now his rule is failing, and revolution is sweeping across the Empire's many islands.
Lin is the emperor's daughter and spends her days trapped in a palace of locked doors and dark secrets. When her father refuses to recognise her as heir to the throne, she vows to prove her worth by mastering the forbidden art of bone shard magic.
Yet such power carries a great cost, and when the revolution reaches the gates of the palace, Lin must decide how far she is willing to go to claim her birthright - and save her people.
The Review
This is your next un-put-down-able book. It follows four characters (and lots of creatures) who are trying to survive in the same empire but with completely different backgrounds and goals. This is the love child of Frankenstein's Monster, Robin Hood and Blue Beard. Doesn't seem like those three should be combined but trust me when I say that they absolutely should have been. Initially, I was a little nervous when characters POV's kept being added. I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to keep track of them all, but each is so different from the other's and so well-written that it wasn't a problem at all.
The world is expansive and just bursting at the seams with creatures and animals, (If anything happens to Mephi I'm never going to recover fully. I love him, whatever he is. I cannot even wait to find out!) history and mythology, (who ARE the Alanga?!) and the highest of stakes. Honestly, for more than half of the book I had no idea what was going on in the palace and when I discovered what it was that has been done to Lin, I actually felt sick. I won't give any spoilers because that's not my style. I will however say, ick.
Jovis has landed himself on my favorite characters ever list. He is such a good guy, funny, and that heart of his is huge. My heart shattered for him over and over, but Mephi's bond with his companion healed my heart.
Phalue and Ranami were the two that I was least interested in, but that isn't really saying much because I was totally interested in all of the characters. I do love that Ranami forced Phalue to see her own privilege and that she had a responsibility to be a part of the solution of the empire's cruelty. Not every heir has to do the same thing as their father's and just because something is done a way doesn't make it the right way. That being said, Ranami didn't really think about what she was asking of her love and basically put her in jeopardy. I know that she was banking on the fact that Phalue was her father's only heir and cared for, but it easily could have spelled out a heavy punishment if her father didn't love her or even held tight to his convictions. Ranami could have done a lot of things better, even getting Phalue to meet with the rebels put her in potential danger. Her ethics and morals and desire to create a better place for all could have killed the woman that she supposedly loved. She's immature and inconsiderate, but I suppose she had to be. Phalue probably wouldn't have seen the truth without being shaken.
I don't have much to add about Sand and her fellow "amnesiacs" because holy hell. All that I can say is I did absolutely NOT see that coming and I don't entirely hate it. I'm super concerned about what this will mean for the other characters, but I would be pissed off too if I were her.
My biggest disappointment is that the sequel is still a few months from being released and I don't know if I can wait that long. Five out of five stars is my final verdict. I'm obsessed.
