THE BONE SHARD DAUGHTER brings together the best of fantasy, romance and science fiction, melding them into one glorious one-stop shop of speculative fiction. Not even numerous main characters and point-of-view hopping can stop this beautifully constructed story from shining…well, like a shard of bone in the moonlight.

The novel takes place in an island realm, ruled over by a tyrannical emperor who derives much of his power from shards of bone removed from the skull of each of his child subjects. These shards enable him to create “constructs,” quasi-robots that do his bidding and keep the “peace,” albeit in an oppressive and forceful manner.

"Stewart builds a compelling world with a fascinating magical system and raises thought-provoking questions that readers will use to examine their own world and life."

As the book opens, the emperor’s absolute control over his lands is slowly but surely waning. He portrays himself as the ultimate defender of his people against the barbarous and mysterious Alanga, who he says are always waiting to invade again. But as his strength declines, his daughter and prospective heir, Lin, is desperately trying to gain power of her own. A tragic illness left her bereft of most of her memory, so she is willing to scrabble to obtain power --- and the secret knowledge of bone shards --- in any way she can. In doing so, Lin begins to suspect that there’s more to her hidden past, and her possible future, than she ever imagined.

Our antihero, a pirate named Jovis, flits from island to island on illegal missions, but underneath his sea-hardened exterior is a man who cares deeply about the welfare of the empire and its poverty-stricken population. When he’s unwillingly enlisted in a scheme to save young people from having their bone shards harvested, Jovis must put his allegiances --- whether to himself or to the greater good --- to the ultimate test.

Author Andrea Stewart also probes the struggles between personal comfort and justice in the story of Phalue, a governor’s daughter. Aristocratic Phalue is generous, cares about her people and helps others, but is still mired in a bubble of wealth and privilege that she doesn’t feel comfortable leaving. Common-born Ranami, a freedom fighter at heart, is her true love, but Phalue soon finds herself torn between her family and the world she knows and the woman she adores more than anything…and true justice for all.

As these characters intersect and embark on their own troubling yet satisfying journeys, Stewart builds a compelling world with a fascinating magical system and raises thought-provoking questions that readers will use to examine their own world and life. THE BONE SHARD DAUGHTER is a stellar and insightful read.