The Bone Shard War Sends Andrea Stewart’s Drowning Empire Trilogy Off In Epic Style

Andrea Stewart is one of the most underrated fantasy authors writing today, and if you haven’t heard of her (truly excellent) Drowning Empire trilogy before, please consider this a plea to fix your life immediately. A rich, character-driven story about an island kingdom and the unique magical system based on literal human bone shards that both powers its advances and oppresses its citizens, Stewart’s series is captivating from its very first pages. 

Final installment The Bone Shard War is an engrossing, thrilling series conclusion, one that’s as full of thoughtful character dynamics and interpersonal growth as it is sweeping carefully plotted battle sequences. Though it runs for over six hundred pages, its energy is quick and propulsive, full of narrative twists and turns that will leave readers guessing not just about who will be the ultimate victors in the war for control of the Phoenix Empire, but what “winning” such a war truly means.

Stewart’s characters remain three-dimensional and rich as ever, frequently torn between love, duty, anger, and revenge (and sometimes all at once!). But where this novel truly shines is in its worldbuilding, as the pieces of hundreds of pages of lore come together in shockingly perfect ways. From the origins of the creatures called ossalen to the true history of the magical beings known as Alanga and their relationships with humans, revelations unfurl that have clearly been building for hundreds of pages, hiding in plain sight all along.

Two years have passed since the events of The Bone Shard Emperor, which means that the brewing rebellion from the Shardless Few has had some time to really spread and take hold across the empire. Emperor Lin Sukai, who is both an Alanga and a construct powered by bone shard magic meant to look human, is doing her best to hold the fracturing pieces of her kingdom together even as she faces mistrust and unrest from many of her people. A continued pause on the mining of whitstone means the material—which powers most forms of transport—has left trade between the empire’s islands diminished and a disease called bog cough spreads among the populace, with limited access (or ability to transport) the specific nut that provides the cure. 

Lin isn’t the only one with problems, however. A presumed dead Jovis is struggling to free himself and his ossalen, Mephi, from the clutches of the power-hungry leader of the local smuggling group known as the Ioph Carn who is forcing him to commit dark acts against his will. Dione, the only Alanga who survived the original purge of his people hundreds of years ago, is determined to see Lin overthrown and her family’s dynasty torn down. And power-hungry monk Ragan has joined forces with Nisong, a construct fighting for her right to survive—and take back the place in the world she feels Lin has stolen from her. 

This is, of course, the most basic summation of the story possible—this is a tale of war, after all, one driven by both centuries of history and competing ideologies that asks complicated questions about what kind of society is worth fighting for and what it truly means to be a leader. Throughout the story, Stewart deftly balances interpersonal conflict with sweeping action sequences, all grounded in a constantly escalating sense of tension as islands continue to sink, refugees flood unprepared cities, and the threat of the rebel army grows larger.

The inclusion of multiple POVs—Liv, Jovis, Phalue, Ranami, and Nisong—allows us to not only keep up with the events of the war on all fronts but at all levels, from the Emperor herself to the governors charged with maintaining order to the rebels working to overthrow the familiar systems of the Sukai dynasty and put something new in its place. Perhaps most importantly, because of the story’s constantly shifting perspectives and voices, Stewart manages to show us that all the various factions (well, okay, maybe Ragan excepted) have genuine and compelling reasons for their actions. A lot of their arguments are valid ones, which deserve a chance to be heard and considered. Because maybe there are no good guys or bad guys, and maybe we aren’t supposed to root for the emperor or the rebels or the constructs trying to stay alive. Maybe the answer is simply that we should root for “the empire” writ large, and the best choices are simply those that will help the most amount of people at any given moment. 

The ending of The Bone Shard War is bittersweet, to be sure, but it’s also one that feels perfectly in tune with the tone this series has struck from the beginning. A story of hope, sacrifice, and growth, it gives no character an ending they haven’t earned, and promises that we’ll somehow be leaving this world better than we initially found it. If that’s not magic, I don’t know what is.

The Bone Shard War is available now. 

Lacy Baugher Milas is the Books Editor at Paste Magazine, but loves nerding out about all sorts of pop culture. You can find her on Twitter @LacyMB.