Favorite Books/Recommendations / Reviews

Recommendation: The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

Melissa @ BookNerdMomo48 Comments

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I felt like doing a little recommendation/mini-review for this. 💕

17199504Title: The Bone Season
Author: Samantha Shannon
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Dystopia, Paranormal
Format: Hardcover
Goodreads Synopsis:

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 forever. 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.

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“There was no normal. There never had been. “Normal” and “natural” were the biggest lies we’d ever created.”

Told in sort of alternating perspective of the past and present The Bone Season is about a girl named Paige who lives in a world where clairvoyance not only exists (in various forms) but is also against the law. Anyone who is seen using their clairvoyance or is suspected of being clairvoyant is captured by the government (Scion) and taken away to either be experimented on or locked away.

Paige is a part of an underground criminal world where clairvoyants (also known as voyants) use their powers to serve one of the various leaders of that world for protection and money – kind of like the mafia. What they do every day is something that could ultimately lead to their capture if caught.

One day while Paige is on her way home to see her dad the train is stopped by the Undergaurds (clairvoyants working for Scion) and a fight breaks out that leads to Paige being captured the next day. Unbeknownst to Scion’s criminal underworld there is something far worse that Scion is doing with the clairvoyants they’re capturing. They are pretty much being sold into slavery for a group of creatures called the Rephaite.

Paige is forcefully whisked away into a world full of these creatures, the monster that haunt them, and the many clairvoyants in their possession. 

However, not all things in this world are as they seem. Her “master” Warden seems to have a plan up his sleeves that involves Paige and her clairvoyance. Paige is a dreamwalker which means that she can break into other people’s minds and see their thoughts or dreams and possibly control their bodies. What’s that plan? And what does it have to do with Paige’s goal of getting away from the Rephaite and back to Seven Dials? You’ll have to read to find out.  

The world that Samantha Shannon so masterfully created in this book is both terrifying and exciting. You have a future London with a government that is not only bent on getting rid of clairvoyance but wants to spread their way all over the world. You also see the introduction to a set of creatures that seem to have their hand in controlling that outcome via fear. But you also learn that there is a reason why they have their hand in things that has a connection to clairvoyance and their own world.

The main character Paige is by far one of my top favorite female characters ever. Paige is the type of character who takes names and asks questions later. She is stubborn, caring, ambitious, and strong. She is the epitome of a kickass main female protagonist. 

There is also a set of incredible secondary characters who are each unforgettable in their own ways. They all play a huge part to the story even though it is in Paige’s point of view. They introduce to you so many different clairvoyant powers and aspects of the world.

And there are very subtle hints of a romance. It’s never overpowering and never an actual romance but rather a possibility of future romance. One of my favorite things about this book (and series) is that that is there but isn’t a focus at all. I’ve always felt that is a great way to go about romance in a fantasy novel and makes me enjoy it even more.

The Bone Season is an exciting, action-packed, introduction to the world of Scion in all of its horrific glory. 

As it is one of my all time favorite series I recommend it to all of those out there who I know love fantasy as much as I do. Read it. You won’t regret it!

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Also, if you have read The Bone Season but haven’t read The Mime Order yet then be sure to do so before the March 2017 release of The Song Rising. The Mime Order delves even more into the criminal underworld of Scion and its many secrets. 😊

You can purchase this book and the rest of the series on:

Amazon||Barnes and Noble||Book Depository||iBooks||GooglePlay||Kobo

 Have you read The Bone Season? What did you think of it? If not, do you want to read it?

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48 thoughts on “Recommendation: The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon”

  1. This sounds right up my alley! I am not sure how I missed this one. Also happy to see that the romance aspect is not too heavy. Haha me and romance. I love dystopia and fantasy. Sounds like their might be a small bit of sci-fi mixed in? Adding this to GR now. Wonderful review!

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    • I think it’s one of those books that is just starting to become talked about. I didn’t start seeing much about it until this past year. But yeah it’s definitely not romance heavy. I didn’t even feel like this one had anything but a hint. Since you’re not a romance fan I think you’ll enjoy it (I hope 🙈). Yep, there’s a bit of sci-fi mixed it. Thank you!! 😃💕

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    • Depends. If you’re not big into fantasy, sci-fi, and dystopia I’d check it out rather than buying it since it’s a pretty heavy on those aspects. But if you are I’d buy it. I actually think the first book is on sale through Book Depository at the moment for $8. Either way, if you do end up reading it I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! 😃💕

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  3. Kickass female protagonist? Hints of romance? FANTASY?! You got me hooked!! *adds to TBR* It’s like it was made for me! 😜 and just in time to catch up before the release of the last one! Cause Lord knows I’ll need 4+ months to ACTUALLY read the books because I’m too busy for life (and love to push things till later)

    Thanks for the great recommendation!!

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    • YAY! I have a feeling you’ll love it. It’s wonderfully written as well. Samantha Shannon has a way with world building and characters.
      Lol I know what you mean. I actually threw in a quick review/recommendation of this because I was thinking about it and I felt my blog was lacking reviews because of my recent slump and being busy with school. So why not recommend my favorite series? 😂
      You’re welcome! And I hope you do end up enjoying them. 💕

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  4. This sounds absolutely mindblowing! Love the ‘mini’ review ;). I’m with Danielle here, I think I saw this one only once before on someone’s blog. Hopefully I can catch up with the series before March 😉

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  6. Ahhh my cousin just sent me this book last week and plan to read it soon. I love past/present POV, it’s so refreshing and tells us so much more without too much explanations. And ohhh this book takes place in London? YES PLEASE! (not a Londoners just excited) hahaha all the more reason to start this immediately! I’m so glad to see you enjoyed it ❤

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  7. Oh my god this sounds amazing! I’m putting this in my Amazon cart right now 😀 Awesome review and thanks so much for the recommendation. I think this is the fantasy I’ve been looking for haha. Can’t wait to read it!

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  8. Ahhh I’ve seen mixed reviews for this one but I wonder now if I should get to it! I saw a cheap hardback copy for $10 and it looks so beautiful, I’m SO tempted… especially now that I know what the protagonist is like because Paige does sound kickass. Great review, Melissa! Is the second book even better? 💕

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    • You so should give them a chance! I take full responsibility if you end up not liking them 😂. But really the world building is so fantastic and it doesn’t fall into the info dumping trap that a lot of fantasy books do. It’s spaced out and keeps you wanting to know what happens next. And Paige really is an incredible character. One of the more independent, can kick ass all on her own type characters. 😊
      I know book depository has the first and second book on sale at the moment $4-$8 USD the last I checked.
      Thank you!! And the second book is even better. It has a cliffhanger that will make your jaw drop and explores a whole different side of the book world. It’s great. 😃

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      • Ahhh that sounds super promising, I do love fantastic world-building, and even more when it’s not info-dumpy.

        Thanks for the info, I’ll check it out! My expenses have skyrocketed recently so there shouldn’t be any book-buying for me soon, but I really can’t resist deals. 😂

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  9. Great review/recommendation for this book Melissa! ❤ The Bone Season is one of my all-time favourite books, and series actually. I am so so excited for the third book to be released as well (not long to go, kinda). 😀
    I love the amount of thought that Samantha Shannon put into the world building, because there's the whole alternate history to contend with as well and all the different orders of clairvoyance. Basically there is such a lot of the world in this books but you never feel lost because not enough has been revealed or confused because you've got too much info dumps in one place.
    Plus I love Paige, and Warden as well, and every single other character we've been introduced to (I even love Jaxon a little bit and I can't wait to see him in the next book because I am so curious about where exactly his story goes!) 😀

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    • Thank you, Beth!! 💕
      It’s one of my all time favorites too, and a series we’ve chatted about so many times. Only 4 months to go until TSR, I think. 😃
      I completely agree. I feel like she wove the story, history, and world together in such a way that it never felt like info dumping, which is something a lot of fantasy books can fall prey to. I think the past/present thing she did really helped with that because it felt like each part of the world or history was introduced at the perfect time in the story. It always made me eager to find out what was going to happened next.
      So do I. And I definitely love Jaxon. I’ve never been one to have a favorite villain before but if there is one villain I love it is Jaxon. Even if sometimes I hate him too. I’m always wondering what he’ll do next 😂. I really hope Samantha Shannon gives us a peek into his past at one point because I would love to know more about him before he was who he is now.

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      • Oh definitely, and that’s a sign in and of itself that it’s an amazing aeries, that fact that we’ve talked about it so many times and are still going to chat about it again now! 😀 Counting down the days until it’s release, but then we’ll just be desperate for the next book and I don’t know how I’ll survive that wait!
        I never felt lost either. Sometimes with world building like this where there is so much to cover, not just the alternate history but all the different types of clairvoyant and the types of criminal underworld gangs there are, it’s easy to get confused but this never happened with The Bone Season books. I feel like there’s still so much of the world left to discover and I can’t wait to see where it goes in the next book and in all the others that will be released.
        He’s so well developed, and I knew he was kind of evil in the first two books, he didn’t seem to care much about anyone but himself, but I never thought even for a second how far he’d really go! Same, I think it would really be interesting seeing more of where he came from.

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      • Definitely! And will probably have a ton of chats about it in the future, especially after TSR. 😊
        Yes, I can already imagine how much I’m going to want the fourth book but then when that one releases I’m going to be scared for the ending lol.
        I feel the exact same way. There really is so much left to discover and with four more books after TSR still left to discover it all. I can’t wait to see where it all goes either. I have a few theories and I remember we talked about Paige’s cousin Finn forever ago and I actually saw someone else tweet that they think he’s still alive too recently. So many possibilities. 😃
        He really is. During the first book I felt it could go either way with him but in the second one that is when I really felt like he was going to be a villain of sorts. I didn’t either. I remember my jaw dropping and reread the end of The Mime Order several times afterwards because I couldn’t believe it. 😂

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      • Oh yes, I can’t wait for TSR. If I don’t get an ARC I’m going to pretty much avoid all reviews and mentions of it until I’ve read it myself so I can go in completely blind.
        I can already tell the fourth book is going to be amazing but yeah I know what you mean because that’s the one that she said is going to change everything right?
        I think when I saw her at YALC she said she’s going to explore the world outside of London as well, that I am really excited for because it will be interesting to see how things are in the rest of the world outside of London!
        Same here, even though he was kind of a low-key villain in the first book and the second I never expected him to go that far!

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      • I really hope you get an ARC! I know they put up a US/CA request on NetGalley but not a UK one and I’ve been keeping an eye out for it. If you do get one we should so do a buddy read. 😊
        Yep that’s what she said. It’s definitely going to be amazing but it’ll probably also break our hearts.
        I heard about that. I think I remember seeing that she has said the fourth book will partly be set in France. I’m really excited for it too. I can’t wait to see how things are for different counties under Scion too. And I really hope at some point Paige goes back to Ireland.
        I know right? Now I’m just wondering what crazy thing Jaxon will do next. 😂

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      • I’m definitely keeping an eye out for it as well, now I know the US/CA one has been released I’m hoping the UK one won’t be far behind! Yes, it would be amazing to do a buddy read of that book! 😀
        I’m fully prepared for it to break my heart but at the same time I’m still so excited to get my hands on it.
        I think I remember that as well, they mentioned something about Paris in the first book didn’t they so it makes sense they’d go there eventually. That would be amazing, and a great way to introduce her cousin if he was still alive…
        Same! I would read the series again from Jaxon’s POV because I think that would be amazing. 😀

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      • I’m hoping it won’t be far behind either! 😊
        I would like to think I’m prepared for it to break my heart but who am I kidding I have a feeling I’m going to be crying by the end of the fourth book.
        I think they did. I remember during the last parts of the first book a lot of the leaders from other countries, ones that have implemented Scion policies and ones that hadn’t yet, were introduced. I know for a fact that Paige talked to the Irish leader and he seemed quite nervous. I feel like it’s headed toward a revolution of the voyants against Scion and part of me thinks since Paige is from Ireland and with all the talk of Ireland having initially resisted Scion rule that it could end up playing a big role in that. But that’s just another theory that comes from me wondering what could happen 🙈.
        Yes! That would be amazing if she ever wrote the books or even a novella in Jaxon’s POV. I would read it too. We should use our positive thinking book powers 😂.

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      • No matter how we prepare ourselves we’re never going to be prepared. We should just accept that and make sure we have tissues on hand for when she start crying. I know if the third book doesn’t do it the fourth very likely will.
        Possibly, I do need to re-read the first and second before starting on the third just so all the little details are as fresh in my mind as the big ones. I vaguely recall them mentioning Scion in Paris, and I do remember Paige talking to the Irish leader but some of the finer details are escaping me at the moment. Honestly I’d love to see more of Ireland and Paige playing some role in the Scion rules over there. I’d just love to see her go back to Ireland for some reason actually.
        I’d definitely read anything from Jaxon’s POV, yes, if we start now maybe by the time the fourth book is out a novella at least from Jaxon’s POV will be in the works! 😀

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      • We probably should. It’s inevitable at this point because we’re so wrapped up in the story. Definitely going to need tissues. They should just send them with the books. 😂
        I need to do a reread before I start the third one as well. I plan on trying to do that in December. Same! Ireland’s fall to Scion rule was a big part of some of the flashbacks and initial story building in the first book and I think we’ll end up seeing more of it.
        Yes! Especially with how she’s releasing a novella this year that is about Paige before TBS. I really hope she does end up doing something like that but with Jaxon. *uses book powers* Give us a Jaxon POV novella. You know you want too. 🙈

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      • Or like when you go into bookstores have a little stand for tissues by the till point. They’d make a lot of money that way, whenever you pick up a sad book pick up a pack of tissues as well.
        Honestly I’m not sure when I’ll get around to a re-read, knowing me it’ll probably be after the books actually out so I won’t be able to start it straight away anyways. Oh it was, and such a big part of Paige’s character because that was why she and her father ended up in London in the first place wasn’t it?
        I can’t wait for that novella, I’m hoping it will mean she does little stories for more of the characters; like Nick and Jaxon and Warden as well. I would LOVE a Jaxon novella more than anything else though! 😀

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      • Yes! I can imagine people buying a sad book and purchasing tissues with it. They should so do that. And they would have to be book themed tissues. 😂
        Yep it was. The left and her dad got a job with Scion in London. I really hope more about her dad comes up.
        I hope it means she will too! I hadn’t even thought of the possibility of a Warden novella. I so want something in his POV. It’d be interesting to actually get into his head. But yes a Jaxon novella first! 😊

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      • I’d definitely do that, if I know a book is going to make my cry and there’s a pack of tissues by the counter as I’m buying it I will buy a couple of them just in case! Ohh, book themed tissues sound cool! 😀
        Same, in fact speaking of anthologies it would be interesting to see one going back further in Paige’s life, to her time in Ireland, or even one about her father and her family over there if not her you know?
        Basically I want a novella from every single character as well as prequels and spin-off series. If I had my way Samantha Shannon would never stop writing in this world! 😀

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      • Same! There are so many times where I’ve read sad books and wished I had had tissues.
        That would be awesome. I would definitely be interesting to see further back into Paige’s life. I would love if Samantha Shannon would expand on some of the flashbacks from book one.
        YES! Honestly if she never stopped writing and we got all of that I’d be happy. I’m really excited for the standalone she’s writing that isn’t for TBS. Supposedly it’s going to have dragons in it. 😃

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      • I’ve normally just used my sleeve to wipe away any tears, no way am I going to risk them dropping on my books!
        I think between the two of us it sounds like we can come up with enough side projects to ensure Samantha Shannon doesn’t stop writing this series anytime soon.
        Ohh, I love dragons. I’ll have to check that one out! 🙂

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      • I’ve done the same. My poor shirts! 😂
        I know right? We can just come up with all kinds of ideas future TBS novellas and spin offs.
        Something cool I remember seeing is how they’re possibly going to be movies one day. I can’t wait to see how it translates to the big screen! 😊

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      • Maybe we should just start carrying tissues with us all the time to save our shirts. 🙂
        Oh my god a movie would be amazing. Only thing is I’d be worried about how they bring it to the big screen. There are so many book to film adaptations which haven’t been good, I hope this will be one of the exceptions! 🙂

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      • I think it will soon become a must for us!
        I hope so too, but there have been movies where they’ve done a brilliant job of the world building, Harry Potter is one such that comes to mind. So I have faith they could do it with The Bone Season as well! 😀

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  10. YESS I absolutely love The Bone Season! When I was younger, I was thrown off by it, and didn’t enjoy reading the first few pages so I DNFed but WHAT A MISTAKE THAT WAS. This book is glorious, and the sequel is just as good, and I CANT WAIT FOR THE SONG RISING TO COME OUT!! 😀

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  13. […] Paige is probably my top favorite female character. What I love about her is the fact that, unlike a lot of her fellow voyants, she doesn’t view the lower orders as being less than her. She sees them as her equal. And even though she creates a lot of enemies she refuses to let anyone in the syndicate stick their heads in the sand and ignore how terrible the world around them is getting. She’s willing to do anything to not only be the change but to make sure there is a day where being voyant doesn’t equal being a criminal or a death sentence. I just love her stubbornness, determination, and strength. And yeah she can be a bit impulsive or reckless which can cause some problems but I like that about her because she isn’t perfect which makes her realistic. You can check out my review of The Bone Season here. […]

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