The Bone Shard War (The Drowning Empire #3) by Andrea Stewart

I recieved an ARC of this novel from Orbit and netgalley in exchange for a honest review. The final entry in The Drowning Empire trilogy has finally arrived! This book was hands down my most anticipated novel heading into 2023 before I was blessed with this early copy. Shocking, tragic, action packed, and a emotional roller coaster are the things that immediately pop into my mind when looking back in retrospect. What Andrea has created here is an epic saga with the best and most unexpected twists I have ever found in a series. Everything is kept so close to the chest and you will not see them coming. This is one for the ages! This will be a spoiler free review but I will be touching upon scenes from the previous books.

Two years have past since the conclusion of The Bone Shard Emperor. Lin is the ruler of the Phoenix Empire but is quickly realizing that her grip on control is slipping away. The use of witstone has been cut down to the bare minimum and revolts are popping up all across the kingdom. Lin has not seen her beloved captain of the guard for two long years and fears he is dead. The Alangi are returning to the world but are being hunted and used by the enemy to suit their purpose in the upcoming war. Lin has her back against the wall but realizes that she needs to find the seven long lost swords. They contain the power she may need to end this war but will she unleash a greater evil on the world?

The Shardless Few have formed a revolution against the Empire and believe that Lin is unfit to rule. The Empire should be ruled by a collection of all and not the imperical rule of one. Governors are being killed and citizens enslaved for the Shardless few to accomplish there goals. Nisong has joined forces with the rogue Alangi, Ragan, as both have their desires set on the capital and the destruction on Lin. Nisong remembers the heartbreaking choices she has made in Bone Shard Emperor and the loss of life she has had to endure. Her purpose in life is being questioned and difficult choices will need to be made to move forward. Jovis has gone through too much heartbreak and loss on his journey. However, nothing will prepare you for what else Jovis will endure in this finale. I will leave it there as to not spoil anything but I sure hope you are ready.

If you are a huge fan of the first two books in this series then do not despair! The Bone Shard War is just the finale we have all been waiting for and it is every bit worth the wait. Before ready this story, The Drowning Kingdom was easily a top series for me. Now I can say without a shadow of a doubt that this is a Top 10 series all time for me which I will treasure and reread for years to come. The tragic choices our characters are forced to make to the painful and surprising twists that seem to pop up every single chapter. Oh, and if you are a big a fan as I am regarding the side charcters you will not be disappointed. My jaw hit the floow more times than I could count and that is the sign of a master of art in her comfort zone.

In case you couldn’t tell, I loved this book with all my heart! This trilogy will be regarded as one of the best this genre has to offer and I can’t wait for more readers to discover the wonders this series has to offer. I know Andrea is hard at work on the first entry in her new series and if this ending is anything hit at the brillance to come, all I can say is BRING IT ON!!!

Cheers!