The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon | A Book Like No Other

17199504Title: The Bone Season
Author: Samantha Shannon
Pages: 480 pages
Published: May 6th, 2014
Source: Scratch and Dent from Bookoutlet.com
Genre: Fantasy, Magical Realism
Rating:
The year is 2059. Nineteen-year-old Paige Mahoney is working in the criminal underworld of Scion London, based at Seven Dials, employed by a man named Jaxon Hall. Her job: to scout for information by breaking into people's minds. For Paige is a dreamwalker, a clairvoyant and, in the world of Scion, she commits treason simply by breathing. 

It is raining the day her life changes for ever. Attacked, drugged and kidnapped, Paige is transported to Oxford - a city kept secret for two hundred years, controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. Paige is assigned to Warden, a Rephaite with mysterious motives. He is her master. Her trainer. Her natural enemy. But if Paige wants to regain her freedom she must allow herself to be nurtured in this prison where she is meant to die. 

The Bone Season introduces a compelling heroine and also introduces an extraordinary young writer, with huge ambition and a teeming imagination. Samantha Shannon has created a bold new reality in this riveting debut. 

Get it now! 
The Bone Season discovers a world with people and their own system of government that has never been explored before in YA, well at least not to my knowledge. The whole concept of this book is very illustrative and original and it mostly appalls me that someone could come up with a brand new idea with such complexity and bring about it so well. 

If you didn't understand the short synopsis (like me), then I'd be happy to restate it in a few words. Clairvoyants or people that are somehow connected with the aether and have these otherworldly powers, are mostly looked down upon in society as freaks of nature and devils because they are stronger and more dangerous than the average human being. There are mime lords in this society who, I guess you could say, are the good guys and offer these clairvoyants refuge and a job that pays well to live off on. Our main character Paige is a clairvoyant and among the most powerful types- she's a cipher. She's been hired under Jaxon Hall to recruit other people with abilities and do his bidding. That all changes when, on a mission, she gets captured by this part of society that enslaves the clairvoyants and uses their powers for their advantages. From then on, Paige's whole life changes and she realizes that there's more to the world she doesn't know much about. 

I want to mention how beautiful and eloquent the writing is. It's very light on the wording and there aren't any info dumps, which is usually expected in a novel of this length and complexity. The story flows easily from page to page and there is sort of an ethereal feeling when read inside your head. I just think the whole idea of the aether and the connection between the corporeal world and the world beyond is so interesting and something I'd like to read more of. The book turns from present to past as we see flashbacks from the main character's life that teach us more about the present. 

Samantha Shannon's characters are golden! They have a slight tang of sarcastic and that snarky attitude which puts them up on my list of favorite characters of all time. They are all very unique and you can tell instantly when a character is speaking. 

Now before I read the book, I'd been hearing so much about it already. Some people are hesitant because the synopsis makes no sense or the book seems very intimidating in size. Those 480 pages are totally worth it as this book transports you into a world that may very well be what our future looks like if people start developing clairvoyant powers. It's an easy read that allows you to fly past the pages of an action-packed fantasy read and will definitely have you questioning the book at every chapter. 

The only qualm I really had was that I wished the author would have taken more time to explain the world and the backstory in the beginning. Like, say, hold our hand through the history books and learn more about how the characters got where they were. Other than that, this book has earned it's place among the top three books I've loved this year. Congrats! 


Will you be reading The Bone Season? 



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5 comments

  1. Wait so you actually wanted the book to be longer? Hmm. I bought The Bone Season from the Bargain Books section at Barnes and Noble, so I am very excited to get to it. I also have heard good things about the audiobook, so maybe I could read and listen at the same time if it's at the library. Hmm.

    I'm glad that the writing flowed nicely! Was it also easy to read? I am putting this off, not because it is intimidating, but I am afraid I will be lost in all the terms or the writing. I'm glad that didn't end up being the case for you!

    Awesome review Alex! I'll probably get to this next year :)

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    1. Yes I definitely wished the book was so much longer. WARNING HUN This book leaves off on a major cliffhanger that makes you want to know so much more. It's so sad because the story continues with the second book BUT I DON'T HAVE THE SECOND BOOK!!!

      It was very easy to read and let me tell you that Samantha Shannon creates a brand new world so there are all new brand terms to learn and things to know, but it wasn't hard at all. Her writing is so easy and flows ver nicely which I was able o understand the story without going on google to search up certain terms and such. this book is huge but I read it in like three days (with the weight of school and such). The romance was slow and burning and fantastic and I'm already on my way to pick up the next one although the third one isn't out yet so I'm scared that ill like the third book too much and have nothing to read D: D: OH VAL HELP ME THE STRUGGLES!!

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  2. Next year I have plans to read all the books I missed out on reading this year. There are just so many and this is one of them. I think I'll really dig it. Glad you enjoyed it and nice review!

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    1. OMG I'M USUALLY NOT A BOOK PUSHER BUT YOU'VE GOT TO READ THIS ONE!! <3

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