Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Bone Shard Daughter | 2020 | Andrea G. Stewart | Buy |
| 2 | The Bone Shard Emperor | 2021 | Andrea G. Stewart | Buy |
| 3 | The Bone Shard War | 2023 | Andrea G. Stewart | Buy |
The Drowning Empire trilogy consists of The Bone Shard Daughter (2020), The Bone Shard Emperor (2021), and The Bone Shard War (2023). The series is set in a sinking island empire where the ruling dynasty uses bone shards harvested from citizens to power magical constructs. When a new emperor must decide whether to continue or dismantle this system, the political consequences ripple across the entire archipelago.
Andrea G. Stewart tells the story through multiple point-of-view characters, each with their own agenda and relationship to the empire’s power structure. The bone shard magic system is both a tool of governance and a source of oppression, giving the trilogy a political dimension that goes beyond typical fantasy adventure. The series has been praised for its pacing, worldbuilding, and willingness to let characters make morally complicated decisions.