published 8/20/13
480 pages
Synopsis from publisher -
It is the year 2059. Several major world cities are under the control of a security force called Scion. Paige Mahoney works in the criminal underworld of Scion London, part of a secret cell known as the Seven Seals. The work she does is unusual: scouting for information by breaking into others minds. Paige is a dreamwalker, a rare kind of clairvoyant, and in this world, the voyants commit treason simply by breathing.
But when Paige is captured and arrested, she encounters a power more sinister even than Scion. The voyant prison is a separate city — Oxford, erased from the map two centuries ago and now controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. These creatures, the Rephaim, value the voyants highly — as soldiers in their army.
Paige is assigned to a Rephaite keeper, Warden, who will be in charge of her care and training. He is her master. Her natural enemy. But if she wants to regain her freedom, Paige will have to learn something of his mind and his own mysterious motives.
My thoughts -
One of my favorite things in the reading life is finding a new series to sink my teeth into. I enjoy stand-alone novels, but immersing myself in the world of a series is like finding a new family to fall in love with. I seem to connect especially well with fantasy series, and I'm very excited about what Samantha Shannon has in store for us.
The Bone Season is the first in a projected seven-part series, and it certainly has enough intrigue and depth to fill seven novels. Shannon's world is complex and layered, with so much detail that at times it's hard to keep everything straight. There were moments where the volume of information seemed a bit overwhelming, and I would hope as Shannon continues to grow as an author that she will find ways to incorporate that more smoothly into the narrative.
In creating her heroine, however, the author makes not a single misstep. Paige is strong and feisty, prickly and aloof, vulnerable and desperate. She is young and makes a young person's mistakes, and watching her grow as the novels progress is going to be a pleasure. She has so much to learn and so much to overcome, and I can't wait to see how she will win her battles.
While not perfect, I found The Bone Season to be a compelling debut novel. I was thoroughly entertained from start to finish, and I am excited to read Shannon's next work. Recommended for fantasy lovers.
Finished - 10/1/13
Source - review copy from publisher via Netgalley - thank you!
MPAA rating - R for violence and language
My rating - 8/10
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