Although she’s the Emperor’s only natural child, she isn’t exactly a shoo-in to be his heir, and is competing against an orphan that her father had adopted as well. Lin, the daughter of the Emperor, was one of my favorites from the start.

Initially I was more invested in some of the characters than others, but eventually, I started to look forward to all of them equally. This book splits perspectives between multiple characters throughout the Empire, and it is a smart decision, because it gives us insight into what is going on throughout this world. These bone shards are then used to power the constructs that the emperor creates and uses for various purposes to maintain order throughout his empire. These shards are harvested from each resident at a young age in a huge ceremony that is mandatory. The magic system is another unique concept, centering around the emperor and his family’s ability to manipulate shards of bone. I loved the idea of migrating islands, especially since it’s such a unique concept. The Empire is made up of a set of spread out islands, which migrate seasonally. I have to start by talking about the world-building, which is outstanding. Luckily, the two of us have all three books and will be binge reading the series together. I couldn’t wait to start this buddy read with Julie from One Book More, and both of us had heard nothing but good things about this book. Yet such power carries a great cost, and when the revolution reaches the gates of the palace, Lin must decide how far she is willing to go to claim her birthright – and save her people. When her father refuses to recognize her as heir to the throne, she vows to prove her worth by mastering the forbidden art of bone shard magic. Lin is the emperor’s daughter and spends her days trapped in a palace of locked doors and dark secrets.

But now his rule is failing, and revolution is sweeping across the Empire’s many islands. The emperor’s reign has lasted for decades, his mastery of bone shard magic powering the animal-like constructs that maintain law and order. CONTENT WARNING: blood, death, grief, violence, abuse, gore, murder

The bone shard daughter review