Happy Sunday! Today, I’m starting a new weekly post called the Series Spotlight. Each Sunday, I’ll highlight a book series that I really enjoyed — whether it’s a completed series I’ve loved for years or a newer one that grabbed my heart. I’ll share a few thoughts about why I love it, what makes it stand out, and what kept me coming back for more.
Want to join in on the Sunday Series Spotlight? Here’s how!
- Pick a series you love (it can be completed or still ongoing).
- Write a post spotlighting it! Share a little about what the series is, why you enjoy it, and anything else you want to include.
- Link back to my blog in your post or put a link in the comments, so I can check it out!
This week, I’m spotlighting a brilliant fantasy series – THE DROWNING EMPIRE by Andrea Stewart. I loved all three books in the series. The world-building, multiple POVs, and characters are all so layered and compelling. It was unpredictable and the twists and turns shocked me more than once. And the writing is gorgeous! Here are a couple of my favorite quotes:
“Hope was a weed that grew wild and unchecked, choking out all other emotions.”
“I would drink a thousand lies just to see your face again.”
“And that was the worst thing about this grief – not just knowing that she was gone, but knowing that eventually new memories and experiences would layer on top of them, making the distance between us ever wider. The days we’d spent swimming and fishing at the beach, the first time I’d kissed her, the dreams we’d shared – I was now the only keeper of these memories, and that was the truest sort of loneliness.”
“A coward is not a man who feels fear. A coward is one who would volunteer others for suffering he would not take on himself.”
Book 1:
Title: The Bone Shard Daughter
Author: Andrea Stewart
Series: The Drowning Empire #1
Page Length: 496
Publication Date: Sept. 8, 2020
Publisher: Orbit Books
Synopsis: The emperor’s reign has lasted for decades, his mastery of bone shard magic powering the animal-like constructs that maintain law and order. But now his rule is failing, and revolution is sweeping across the Empire’s many islands.
Lin is the emperor’s daughter and spends her days trapped in a palace of locked doors and dark secrets. When her father refuses to recognise her as heir to the throne, she vows to prove her worth by mastering the forbidden art of bone shard magic.
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.
Book 2:
Title: The Bone Shard Emperor
Author: Andrea Stewart
Series: The Drowning Kingdom #2
Page Length: 561
Publication Date: Nov. 23, 2021
Publisher: Orbit Books
Synopsis: The Emperor is Dead. Long live the Emperor.
Lin Sukai finally sits on the throne she won at so much cost, but her struggles are only just beginning. Her people don’t trust her. Her political alliances are weak. And in the north-east of the Empire, a rebel army of constructs is gathering, its leader determined to take the throne by force.
Yet an even greater threat is on the horizon, for the Alanga – the powerful magicians of legend – have returned to the Empire. They claim they come in peace, and Lin will need their help in order to defeat the rebels and restore peace.
But can she trust them?
Book 3:
Title: The Bone Shard War
Author: Andrea Stewart
Series: The Drowning Empire #3
Page Length: 624
Publication Date: April 18, 2023
Publisher: Orbit Books
Synopsis: Lin Sukai has won her first victory as Emperor, but the future of the Phoenix Empire hangs in the balance – and Lin is dangerously short of allies.
As her own governors plot treason, the Shardless Few renew hostilities. Worse still, Lin discovers her old nemesis Nisong has joined forces with the rogue Alanga, Ragan. Both seek her death.
Yet hopes lies in history. Legend tells of seven mythic swords, forged in centuries past. If Lin can find them before her enemies, she may yet be able to turn the tide.
If she fails, the Sukai dynasty – and the entire empire – will fall.
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Review
