The Bone Shard War is the epic finale to the unmissable, action-packed and magic-laced Drowning Empire series.
Lin Sukai has won her first victory as Emperor, but the future of the Phoenix Empire hangs in the balance - and Lin is dangerously short of allies.
As her own governors plot treason, the Shardless Few renew hostilities. Worse still, Lin discovers her old nemesis Nisong has joined forces with the rogue Alanga, Ragan. Both seek her death.
Yet hopes lies in history. Legend tells of seven mythic swords, forged in centuries past. If Lin can find them before her enemies, she may yet be able to turn the tide.
If she fails, the Sukai dynasty - and the entire empire - will fall.
"I was not a hero, but maybe -- I could still do heroic things."
Review:
Let me preface this review by saying that this is not a bad book. I really actually loved it, it's just that I don't like it as the final installment. Without spoiling anything, I found some large revelations a bit lacking and many characters' fates and problems just kind of feel unresolved or like they would be unresolved if they stayed true to the previous two books. Character growth is amazing, hell yeah give me a rollercoaster ride. It felt to me as though some characters morphed into entirely different people, especially in the last quarter. The book's plot is relatively slow, with lots of traveling on ships but the plot wasn't traveling with it, if you know what I mean. I found the white swords to be a bit silly when they had seemed to be a much bigger problem than they actually were and it frustrated me a lot especially with Lin's parts. Although it does bring into focus how Lin becomes hyperfixated on things that could wait until more pressing issues are fixed. Ranami annoyed the ever loving shit out of me at the last chapters. In a way, I think she and Ragan are EXACTLY the same, only Ranami is a bit less prone to going on genocidal spree killings. I hoped that she was finally going to accept that being born privileged like her wife does not make someone inherently bad at leading or lacking of empathy for "common people". It seemed that despite her also now having a privileged place in society, she is the perpetual victim, the underdog who knows better than anyone else and she seems to think that she is the only person to think of people at the bottom of society when she simply isn't. I think she treats Phalue like crap and it really got to me in this one.
Another disclaimer, I lost my cat Mickey four months ago and the bits with the ossalen were beautiful. The bonds we have with the animals in our lives are very similar to that of the Alanga with their ossalen. I was reduced to tears several times because the words perfectly described the love and gratitude and respect I have for the animals under my care. I also thought their bigger picture and role in this world was a beautiful metaphor for how important they are. Losing my girl has felt very much like being on a sinking island at times, where I had stood on solid ground with her as my rock before she was gone. I won't say anything more about grief, except to say again how much I loved this tribute and how appreciative I was to feel connected to my reading partner who would have absolutely been on my lap reading with me if she was still here.
I know that my review is full of things that I didn't like, but I really did think this was a pretty great read. Definitely not one of my favorites and not my favorite of the series either, but I am happy that I read it even if there were things I didn't like about it. As a conclusion I feel like the ending was rushed and I just wanted more. The details in this world are top notch though, and I was captivated with the places and people and magic.
