Stewart has definitely made her way into one of my favourite authors, she takes the fantasy genre and layers it with fresh and exciting concepts, and so I very much look forward to reading her next series. Characters I didn’t much care for in the first book I came to love by the end, characters like Phalue. So events from the ending of the 2nd book, and the start of this book, really keep tensions high - the perfect platform to launch an incredible last book.

It's a stunning idea and for once, I really wish the author would add to it in the future, after the conclusion of the trilogy. Unfortunately, The Bone Shard War hides these incredible pieces in a repetitive plot that ruined character arcs and made the reveals feel disjointed. I read The Bone Shard Daughter for the first time on the first day of May 2020; I finished the book the next day.The visual of waves crashing against each other, of sea serpents and of water being shaped into a weapon just felt so cinematic. So it could be argued this was important for the character strength, but equally I can see why we could've skipped some of it in detail.

This is the book where the Empire’s fate is finally decided, where our characters decide which side they are on. Lin projects power through her position and through her magical prowess but there is a feminine quality to it, an elegance that's reflected in her ossalen as well who is described both as big and strong and graceful and delicate at one point.With the character's journey and background throughout the trilogy, Stewart tackles other themes such as hope, privilege, and the harshness of social status. Their quest is completely dropped and the motivation for hunting down the swords is never explained. Lin's constant assumption that she is the smartest person in the room even though she is almost always outsmarted was endearing at first. Lin has gone from a naive woman to a sharp and astute leader, and she has developed some friendships that I adored. Among the years of her life she needs to figure herself out, she's also taking care of an empire and a people who don't necessarily want her.