The Bone Shard War


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
 Copyright © 2023 by Andrea Stewart
 Cover design by Lauren Panepinto
 Cover art by Sasha Vinogradova
 Cover copyright © 2023 by Hachette Book Group, Inc.
 Map by Charis Loke
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 Library of Congress Control Number: 2022948351
 ISBNs: 9780316541510 (hardcover), 9780316541534 (ebook)
 E3-20230225-JV-NF-ORI
 
 
 
 Contents
 
 Cover
 Title Page
 Copyright
 Dedication
 Map
 Chapter 1. Nisong: Gaelung Island
 Chapter 2. Lin: Imperial Island
 Chapter 3. Jovis: In the Endless Sea, south of Riya
 Chapter 4. Jovis: In the Endless Sea, north of Imperial
 Chapter 5. Lin: Imperial Island
 Chapter 6. Ranami: Nephilanu Island
 Chapter 7. Lin: Imperial Island
 Chapter 8. Phalue: Imperial Island
 Chapter 9. Nisong: A small isle south of Gaelung
 Chapter 10. Lin: Anau Isle
 Chapter 11. Jovis: Somewhere in the Endless Sea
 Chapter 12. Ranami: Nephilanu Island
 Chapter 13. Phalue: Somewhere in the Endless Sea
 Chapter 14. Jovis: Hualin Or
 Chapter 15. Jovis: Hualin Or
 Chapter 16. Nisong: A small isle near Gaelung
 Chapter 17. Nisong: Somewhere in the Endless Sea
 Chapter 18. Lin: Somewhere in the Endless Sea
 Chapter 19. Phalue: Somewhere in the Endless Sea
 Chapter 20. Lin: Maila Island
 Chapter 21. Nisong: An island near Maila
 Chapter 22. Jovis: Somewhere in the Endless Sea
 Chapter 23. Ranami: Nephilanu Island
 Chapter 24. Jovis: Riya Island
 Chapter 25. Lin: Somewhere in the Endless Sea
 Chapter 26. Jovis: Riya Island
 Chapter 27. Lin: Riya
 Chapter 28. Jovis: Riya Island
 Chapter 29. Lin: Riya Island
 Chapter 30. Nisong: Riya Island
 Chapter 31. Lin: Riya Island
 Chapter 32. Lin: Riya Island
 Chapter 33. Jovis: Riya Island
 Chapter 34. Lin: Riya Island
 Chapter 35. Jovis: Somewhere in the Endless Sea
 Chapter 36. Jovis: Somewhere in the Endless Sea
 Chapter 37. Ranami: Nephilanu Island
 Chapter 38. Ranami: Nephilanu Island
 Chapter 39. Lin: Somewhere in the Endless Sea
 Chapter 40. Phalue: Nephilanu Island
 Chapter 41. Ranami: Nephilanu Island
 Chapter 42. Lin: Imperial Island
 Chapter 43. Jovis: Imperial Island
 Chapter 44. Lin: Imperial Island
 Chapter 45. Jovis: Imperial Island
 Chapter 46. Lin: Imperial Island
 Chapter 47. Phalue: Imperial Island
 Chapter 48. Jovis: Imperial Island
 Chapter 49. Nisong: Imperial Island
 Chapter 50. Lin: Imperial Island
 Chapter 51. Nisong: Imperial Island
 Chapter 52. Lin: Imperial Island
 Chapter 53. Jovis: Imperial Island
 Chapter 54. Ranami: Imperial 
 
 BY ANDREA STEWART
 THE DROWNING EMPIRE
 
 The Bone Shard Daughter
 The Bone Shard Emperor
 The Bone Shard War
 
 
 
 
 For my brother, Kavin, who is always encouraging me to dream bigger
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Nisong
 Gaelung Island
 Nisong was used to death. She was even used to having death follow her from place to place, content as a pup on the heels of its master. But she hadn’t counted on it coming for her throat.
 “I told you they’d be after me,” Ragan hissed.
 She clutched his arm, pulling him close so she could whisper into his ear. “Quiet.” Lozhi crouched on her other side in the ruins, a soft whine in his throat.
 Ragan shrugged off her hand. “Take it out. You wanted to wait? Fine. The time is now.”
 She wanted to walk away and to keep walking until she had no idea where she was or where he was, no matter how hard she’d worked to find him after the battle at Gaelung. Several months of scraping by, of avoiding discovery, of frenzied searching in the midst of grief. She’d tracked him to a drinking hall, though it had taken her a moment to recognize him. He’d smelled of sour sweat, his once-shorn hair grown over his ears. He hadn’t been wearing the monk’s robes anymore; he’d traded those in for farmer’s clothes – all in brown and faded white, with a straw hat to hide his face. It had taken a long time for them to come to an understanding. He’d fought her every step of the way, convinced he didn’t need to rely on anyone, least of all a construct. But she was the only one other than Lin who could remove the shard from his body and she dangled this knowledge like a fishing lure, teasing and pulling away,