lpdx's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Violence, Animal cruelty, Blood, Death, and War
alexalily's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Confinement, Gore, Violence, Grief, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, and War
Minor: Kidnapping and Racism
alexijai98's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, War, Violence, Animal cruelty, Blood, Death, and Gore
caspian_the_pauper's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: War, Violence, Xenophobia, and Genocide
hapalyn's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and War
bookycnidaria's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and War
Minor: Animal cruelty
gardens_and_dragons's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This was a great follow up to the first book. It expands on the magic, politics and mystery of the series.
Loved having the main character Lin Sukai becoming emperor and feeling the constraints of becoming a leader after being constrained by her father for so long. The lack of privacy, her every act being scrutinised, of having the weight of the nation on her shoulders - it’s a lot but she shoulders it well.
I enjoyed Jovis and his internal struggles with will he won’t he help Lin with her empire. Plus the budding romance was actually fairly sweet.
It’s not a perfect book, I’d say the side characters do not get as much page time and therefore stay less important to me, but that’s ok. They contributed to the story and were not intrusive enough to be bothersome.
Loved having the main character Lin Sukai becoming emperor and feeling the constraints of becoming a leader after being constrained by her father for so long. The lack of privacy, her every act being scrutinised, of having the weight of the nation on her shoulders - it’s a lot but she shoulders it well.
I enjoyed Jovis and his internal struggles with will he won’t he help Lin with her empire. Plus the budding romance was actually fairly sweet.
It’s not a perfect book, I’d say the side characters do not get as much page time and therefore stay less important to me, but that’s ok. They contributed to the story and were not intrusive enough to be bothersome.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, and War
Moderate: Death of parent and Body horror
Minor: Xenophobia
alyanna_dm's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and War
Moderate: Blood
booksalacarte's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
The bone shard Emperor- 3.75⭐️ 2🌶️
The Emperor is Dead. Long live the Emperor.
Lin Sukai finally sits on the throne she won at so much cost, but her struggles are only just beginning. Her people don’t trust her. Her political alliances are weak. And in the north-east of the Empire, a rebel army of constructs is gathering, its leader determined to take the throne by force.
Yet an even greater threat is on the horizon, for the Alanga – the powerful magicians of legend – have returned to the Empire. They claim they come in peace, and Lin will need their help in order to defeat the rebels and restore peace.
But can she trust them?
——————
Picking back up right where book 1 left off put 2 of the 4 POV’s together. Lin is now Emperor, and Jovis is now the Captain of the Guard and I couldn’t love this idea more. How their stories and secrets play out is really well done. Lin’s struggle with who she is and giving up all she has known of herself in order to be a good leader in the face of an apathetic and hostile empire is such a great part of her character arc. This book focused mainly on the two of them working through trust and duty while seeing the baby seeds of romance.
The other POV’s weren’t as prevalent in this book, mainly because the struggles they faced in book 1 were very similar, and reading more of the same would have been awfully boring. But with the finale teaser at the end of this book, I’m sure book 3 will hold a lot more of them due to the nature of war.
Seeing a villains arc along side the hero’s of this story has been very interesting, because you can almost justify her evil. Almost. I can’t wait to see what is revealed about Nisong in book 3.
If anything happens to Mephi or Thrana, I’ll riot.
Flashbacks, forced proximity, slow burn romance, miscommunication, secrets, intrigue, rebellion, politics, betrayal, grief.
The Emperor is Dead. Long live the Emperor.
Lin Sukai finally sits on the throne she won at so much cost, but her struggles are only just beginning. Her people don’t trust her. Her political alliances are weak. And in the north-east of the Empire, a rebel army of constructs is gathering, its leader determined to take the throne by force.
Yet an even greater threat is on the horizon, for the Alanga – the powerful magicians of legend – have returned to the Empire. They claim they come in peace, and Lin will need their help in order to defeat the rebels and restore peace.
But can she trust them?
——————
Picking back up right where book 1 left off put 2 of the 4 POV’s together. Lin is now Emperor, and Jovis is now the Captain of the Guard and I couldn’t love this idea more. How their stories and secrets play out is really well done. Lin’s struggle with who she is and giving up all she has known of herself in order to be a good leader in the face of an apathetic and hostile empire is such a great part of her character arc. This book focused mainly on the two of them working through trust and duty while seeing the baby seeds of romance.
The other POV’s weren’t as prevalent in this book, mainly because the struggles they faced in book 1 were very similar, and reading more of the same would have been awfully boring. But with the finale teaser at the end of this book, I’m sure book 3 will hold a lot more of them due to the nature of war.
Seeing a villains arc along side the hero’s of this story has been very interesting, because you can almost justify her evil. Almost. I can’t wait to see what is revealed about Nisong in book 3.
If anything happens to Mephi or Thrana, I’ll riot.
Flashbacks, forced proximity, slow burn romance, miscommunication, secrets, intrigue, rebellion, politics, betrayal, grief.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War and Violence
schnaucl's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I enjoyed it. The story had some nice forward momentum, which not every middle book of a trilogy has.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Murder, Violence, and War
Minor: Child death, Injury/Injury detail, and Racial slurs