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The Bone Shard Daughter
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May 2025 FBR - Main Buddy Read: The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart
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I started this.If anyone else is doing the audio, do me a favor.
Bump that speed up to 2xs.
What do you hear?
I hear Alan Alda
Now that picture is in my head, and that is all I see.
I don't even remember how Jovis was described. He's Alan Alda.
Wow.That didn't go in the direction that I thought.
If this was a stand alone, I wouldn't have liked the ending.
But since it continues on, it's a good ending.
The are so many possibilites. I have no idea what's coming next, and that's all the more reason to read the next book.
I was hooked by Lin and Jovis story lines.
Sandu still has me wondering.
Even if I never read the next book, I like the ending, and wonder what happens next.
Mod
I'm starting this now and will listen for Alan Alda! 😂
So I'm currently at about 40%. I'm not a YA Fantasy reader, but I can appreciate the excellent writing. Mephi is definitely the highlight for me. And yeah, I can hear Alan Alda in there.... ;)
I'm going to start this tonight. Just got it from the library but maybe I need to get the audio version just to see if I recognize Alan Alda.
I finished the book last night and enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Now I just need to process it all to do a review...
Here's my review (no spoilers):I'm not much of a YA Fantasy girlie. I spent a lot of time in the past thinking I'd like them just to have them fall flat for me. So I went into this with low expectations. But I was happily surprised. The writing is excellent. There are several POVs and the transition between them seamless, with each very clearly defined. The pacing is good - it's a relatively long book but didn't feel overly long.
It did take me a while to get into it, but I think that's just me. I fell in love with Mephi as soon as he arrived, and he ended up being the highlight of the book for me. But I also grew to enjoy the story more as the characters' story lines started coming together. The ending was satisfying while still leaving room for the next book in the series.
Mod
message 11:
by
Ashley, The Tipsy Challenger
(last edited May 19, 2025 10:59AM)
(new)
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rated it 4 stars
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Lin Sukai: Emperor’s daughter, Lost memories, wants to learn bone shard magic
Emperor Shiyen: Ruler, Powerful, secretive, favors Bayan
Bayan: Foster son, Rival to Lin, favored by the emperor
Jovis: Smuggler, Searching for lost wife, gains Mephi
Mephi: Magical creature, Mysterious, bonded with/to Jovis?
Phalue: Governor’s daughter, Warrior, privileged, dating Ranami
Ranami: Rebel girlfriend, Passionate about justice, pushes Phalue
Sand: Amnesiac island resident, On a mysterious island, slowly waking up <-- threw me WAY off, assuming it's not their real name
I am enjoying the idea of Mephi, I love a magical creature!
Mod
Constructs have "evolved"... to be Mephi like creatures...
Constructs are designed to be mindless, obedient tools. But what if over time, some of them start to develop? Maybe fragments of the original life from the bone shards start pushing back. Or maybe the magic itself is… glitching, adapting, or even rebelling.
A very interesting theory.... 😉
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(view spoiler)
Honestly, I'm living for the Jovis - Mephi Chapters, I almost don't care about the others, lol
I completely agree about Jovis/Memphis!
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1. How can Phalue be that dense to not realize and
2. How can Ranami be so stupid to think she would go along with it?
It’s like Ranami skipped several emotional/ideological steps and went straight to:
(view spoiler)
Girl. What?
It's completely unrealistic. And honestly, why do they even like each other?
And then when the guard shows up Ranami acts like she's going to her death - like WHAT DID YOU THINK MIGHT HAPPEN!? It feels melodramatic.
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(I'm serious - DO NOT CLICK THE SPOILER if you HAVEN'T FINISHED!)
(view spoiler)
🤯🤯🤯(Re: the emperor)
I honestly don't know why it isn't tagged 'Horror' because I find the whole bone shard process to be horrific.
Mod
I cringed everytime Lin "stuck her arm" in a construct.
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The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea StewartMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book was a wild ride. I was confused. I was disturbed. I was suspicious. And honestly? That made it kind of great.
The story throws you into a tangled web of politics, magic, and (the dreaded) multiple POVs (that don't immediately connect), but do eventually start to spiral around each other in fascinating and deeply unsettling ways. I'll admit: I spent a good portion of the book feeling unmoored. If you like knowing exactly what's going on all the time, this book will probably test your patience.
Special shoutout to Jovis and Mephi, who stole the show. I would read an entire spinoff of those two having morally ambiguous adventures (and sharing snacks).
View all my reviews
Sorry I haven't been discussing the book in more detail. I'm dealing with a string of migraines and my head is pretty muzzy...
Mod
That's the worst!
Thanks. I'm thoroughly sick of them!
I'm just getting ready to start this.Ashley, thanks for the heads up about the multiple POV. I was originally going to listen to this one but decided against it after seeing the list of characters.
I will have to listen to some of the book though to see if I hear Alan Alda🤣
Mod
Ashley, thanks for the heads up about the multiple POV. I was originally going to listen to this one but decided against it after seeing the list of character..."
I normally struggle with audio multiPOV, but it wasn't awful.
Ashley wrote: "Bernadette wrote: "I'm just getting ready to start this.Ashley, thanks for the heads up about the multiple POV. I was originally going to listen to this one but decided against it after seeing th..."
I have both, maybe I'll give the audio a try. I just finished one.
I decided to go with the audiobook. I'm about 27% done. I'm not loving the voice of Phalue & Ramini though.@Heather, I totally agree with you about the bone shard process to be horrific. Using skull fragments from their citizens to harvest their life force in order to animate constructs that fulfill various roles in running the island empire, ugh!
@Ashley, interesting theory about the "evolution" of the constructs.
Still don't understand where Sand fits in.
@Heather, I totally agree with you about the bone shard process to be horrific. Using sk..."Especially 'harvesting' the shards from children!
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I have a theory about who Sand is...I'll have to wait for more to see if I am correct.Seven years of a wet season! Seven years of rain - I guess I shouldn't complain when it rains🌦️🤣
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🤣🤣
WOW! As Ashley said, that was a wild ride!I have grown weary of reading fantasy lately, but this book kept me on my toes. The idea of the constructs—built from parts of dead animals—and the bone shard magic involved to reanimate them was disturbing.
While there were multiple points of view I was able to put together information from all of them to gain a wider view of the world being built.
“A very good” as Mephis would say is how I would rate this book.
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Love this
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I'm listening to the audio and I'm not hearing Alan Alda (and that makes me a little sad, I was sort of looking forward to it!). I normally list at 2x speed, so I slowed it down and sped it up, but still no.
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I would say calling this "a wild ride" is a bit of an understatement!
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Too many! I dropped a star for that. That is one of my biggest pet peeves. I prefer when an author keeps different POVs to a minimum. When there are too many, it is distracting and hard to keep up with. That being said, some authors are better at differentiating the different POVs than others.
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I also agree that the bone shard is disturbing. I'm like how do these things really work? I think one part that made me go what in the world was when you can just pull the bone shards out of someone's mouth. This book definitely had a lot of different POV's and I had to focus to bounce back and forth between most of them. I also haven't been reading a lot of fantasy lately because most of it just gets redundant but this one did have some different parts in it.
Bernadette wrote: "I have a theory about who Sand is...I'll have to wait for more to see if I am correct.Seven years of a wet season! Seven years of rain - I guess I shouldn't complain when it rains🌦️🤣"
Nope, we can still complain about the rain, especially during rush hour traffic.
Mod
Welcome to the May "Main" Buddy Read!
starts 1-May-2025, ends 31-May-2025
As we embrace the glow of Matariki, we’re thrilled to announce our Formal Buddy Read for May, inspired by celestial wonders and the power of memory!
This month, we’ll journey through starlit myths and forgotten magic, where the past whispers across time and the cosmos guides lost souls home. From fractured identities to luminous survival, these tales intertwine destiny with the light of ancient skies.
A throne built on bone magic. A daughter reclaiming her stolen past.
🔹 Perfect for lovers of intricate worldbuilding, celestial intrigue, and the fight to piece together a shattered self.
The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart
When using this Buddy Read to get Bonus Points for a Challenge, please check with the mod running the Challenge for any posting requirements not listed below!
🚀 2025 (Impossible) Solar System Challenge: While there's no specific post count requirement, your participation should go beyond simple statements like "I liked the book." Quality of contribution matters more than quantity, so focus on crafting well-considered responses that add value to the discussion.