Synopsis: The year is 2059. For two centuries, the Republic of Scion has led an oppressive campaign against unnaturalness in Europe.
In London, Paige Mahoney holds a high rank in the criminal underworld. The right hand of the ruthless White Binder, Paige is a dreamwalker, a rare and formidable kind of clairvoyant. Under Scion law, she commits treason simply by breathing.
When Paige is arrested for murder, she meets the mysterious founders of Scion, who have designs on her uncommon abilities. If she is to survive and escape, Paige must use every skill at her disposal – and put her trust in someone who ought to be her enemy.
After falling in love with Samantha’s writing in The Priory of the Orange Tree, I had to pick up The Bone Season and give it a try. As someone who has grown up in Oxford, I was also intrigued by how my howntown will be turned into a supernatural fantasy world set in the future. Without further ado, lets delve into my review:
The Plot, Characters and Story Progression
Admittedly getting my head around the magic system and the setting was very confusing. The first few chapters serve as an info dump of convoluted terms for things, places, people and anything and everything in between. It can be overwhelming to start, but I do feel it is essential to get a grasp for the story right away. You really feel immersed into Paige’s world right from the beginning. I love her fighting spirit, it is something I relate to a lot.
Her relationship with Warden is really addicting to read, I found myself routing for their connection from the beginning. Before they really even knew each other I could see something was there between them. This dynamic was probably my favourite character development in the book, I turned every page wanting to see how it would end between them.
The plot and story is incredibly in-depth and complicated. The flashbacks between timelines and groups of characters does get confusing in parts, even later on in the book. But it’s not long before you realise “oh this chapter is going back in time” and take in the narrative behind Paige’s past and how she ended up where she is. The pace of the story is slow in parts but that is down to the effort made to flesh out each character, their situation and how it all ties together which is very important to the plot and feeling immersed in the world.
World Building, Atmosphere and Setting
As I mentioned previously, I grew up in Oxford and know it like the back of my hand. So reading along and imagining the city becoming this futuristic fantasy world was really fun and enjoyable. I love how it is so closely tied with London in the book just like in real life.
Samantha’s writing style is incredibly descriptive. It allowed me to vividly picture the atmosphere of the dark nights in Magdalen and the red coats hanging around on Oxfords street corners. I went into the book genuinely unsure of how I could ever picture Oxford in 2059 but I really could! By the end of this book, I was left wanting more from this world and wanting to delve straight back into it to see what happens in London in The Mime Order.
The Verdict
I enjoyed this book a lot more than I could have ever anticipated. I’m not sure why considering I loved The Priory of the Orange Tree. I adored the different relationship dynamics between the characters, and Paige especially and her passion to do what was right. It was so effortless to put myself in her shoes and see what she could see and feel what she could feel. I am part way through the Mime Order as I write this, so it has to be a solid 5 starts from me. Samantha Shannon has done it again!
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Add to your Goodreads