The Bone Shard Daughter

The Bone Shard Daughter is set in an archipelago ruled by a mad-scientist-like Emperor who sews together animal parts and animates his creations with bone shards powered by his subjects' life forces. This novel explores this world from the perspective of 5 different characters, who were my favorite part of this story even if I did find some of their viewpoints more engaging than others.

I most enjoyed reading about Jovis, a wanted smuggler, and Mephi, the adorable intelligent animal who chose to be his companion and brought out the best in him, but I also especially enjoyed the story of Lin, the Emperor's daughter. Lin has been trying to recover her memory for the last 5 years so she can win her father's love and approval and officially become his heir???but since that's not working, she starts stealing his keys to various rooms in the palace and learning his secrets herself.

The Bone Shard Daughter is a really fun book and a highlight of this year's reading with its compelling characters and fascinating magic, although I think I would have loved it more if it had slowed down a bit to deepen the character relationships and worldbuilding.

Full Review on My Website