The Bone Season

I can’t recommend this book enough! I wish I could get amnesia just to experience this book all over again

This is 4-star read lit!Paige, a scrappy dream walker of unique power, is thrust into the perilous world of Sheol I, where her kind is imprisoned and exploited.Taken to the lost city of Oxford, inhabited by otherworldly oppressors, she must navigate a labyrinth of danger and deception.As Paige uncovers the dark truths of her captors and the depths of her abilities, she lights the fuse of a revolution that promises to shatter the chains of tyranny.She is **gritty** and **resistant**, a beacon of hope in a world that seeks to extinguish her kind.Paige's unwavering spirit, her refusal to give up against insurmountable odds, makes her journey not just compelling, but deeply inspiring.

This story was intriguing. I liked the world that was created and I definitely kept turning the pages. Unfortunately, the book could use a thorough editing, which is sad since it's been out for seven years and still has many technical problems, of which I list below:There were numerous instances where the dialog of two separate people was in the same paragraph, as well as dialog that was missing any association to whoever was speaking that made it difficult to tell who was saying what.There was at least one instance where I believe the wrong person's name was referred to which caused confusion. I also scratched my head a couple of times about dialog lines that didn't quite make sense.There were numerous flat out infodumps and a hefty dose of terminology specific to this world that was hard to keep track of. I also got confused on some action bits as to who was where. I think a better editor could have smoothed over much of this. Sometimes I didn't always know who was who since there were a lot of names flashing around in the final conflict.There was also too much meandering into past recollections that detracted from the current plot and disrupted the pacing. Sometimes this was pertinent to what the character was thinking, but toward the end it started feeling like unnecessary filler. Also, near the end she brought up the complete recollection of her first poltergeist encounter a second time with nearly identical observations. That one should have been cut.Finally, the book tacked on a prequel without calling it out as such. So, I was thinking it was yet another flashback and would return to the present and wrap up the ending. Nope. I was angry that the prequel had a better wrapped up ending than the main story.Despite all the flaws, I did enjoy the story and am interested in reading the next book. Except, I'm not sure I want to pay full price if the next one has as many problems as this one. I got this one at a steep discount, so I can forgive its flaws. I'll be examining the reviews for the next one very closely before I decide.

I honestly didn't know what to expect and wasn't feeling particularly enthusiastic about starting this series, but I was shocked by how much I loved this book! This was more of a 4.5 star read for me, but I didn't feel good about rounding down for this one.Despite Paige sort of falling into the classic YA "chosen one" trope, she's a really enjoyable narrator. She develops a lot during the book, and by the end, she has come to this realization that a lot of her pre-Rephaim life was not what she thought it to be (no spoilers, don't worry). She did bug me a couple of times with her relentless sarcasm and cynicism, but it was nothing worth writing home about.Arcturus... what can I say? I joked with some friends that I was worried I was temporarily trading in my feminist card for how much I loved his character, despite his being portrayed as her "captor". I won't spoil the ending, but there's a lot more than meets the eye with this big teddy bear.There are also a handful of really delightful side characters, like Julian, Liss, and Michael, all of which I just wanted to squeeze and hug and keep safe forever.This was my first book by Samantha Shannon, of course, and I was really pleased by the writing in it. It wasn't anything extraordinary, but it definitely did the job for me. She uses a lot of words that are not ones you would find in everyday speech, but the physical book has a glossary in the back with definitions. I didn't find that I needed it more than three or four times, honestly.The world itself is built pretty efficiently, and since it's a magical realism book, there isn't much to tell that isn't already the reader's basic knowledge (like locations, etc). I enjoyed how in-depth the world of voyants went, with references to a multitude of different varieties (dreamwalkers, soothsayers, oracles, etc). (Fun fact on the topic: the hadal zone, as referenced in this book, is also a term for the deepest parts of the ocean. I enjoyed that comparison!)If you're familiar with the YA/NA dystopian genre, I really don't think this will be an earth-shattering read for you, but it is a fun story with a lot of enjoyable characters and action. If you absolutely hate the "master-turned-lover" trope, you may not be able to delve into this one much, but then again, this is a slightly atypical variation on that theme. There are definitely some cliche moments throughout it, but altogether, I found this a delightful read that kept me up late and craving more, and I will definitely be continuing the series!

The Bone Season is extremely difficult to review without devolving into gushing. What Shannon has managed to accomplish in this book with the introduction of a new, complex world and real, complicated characters is a triumph. She draws on the familiar and real (such as the Seven Dials and Oxford), but twists them into something entirely original -- and the combination works. While the length of this tale might be unnerving, the journey within its pages is worth a read.Samantha Shannon's creation certainly inspires a lot of awe. The world that she's created, with details both real and invented, is refreshing in its complexity. It's challenging to picture the locales, characters and cultural nuances of her story. There are complicated names, and an intense new hierarchy to delve into. But the intense amount of information, complete with charts and a glossary, appears to be necessary to produce a strong foundation for the books to follow. While this might not work for all readers, it's not something that particularly deterred me from pressing on with the novel.The sheer desire to continue, of course, is rooted deeply in the story. The plot manages to turn something so simple into something more complicated, and it is managed quite enjoyably. It's quite hard to explain what happens without accidentally spoiling things, so suffice it to say that it's an experience readers will want to have for themselves. The Bone Season weaves heavy action sequences together with more introspective moments very well, enticing the reader to keep turning the pages.Paige Mahoney is a pretty awesome character. Her main character trait is a stubborn bravery that persists in every circumstance. She's got a strong sense of right and wrong, coupled with compassion and intelligence, among other things. Her abilities as a voyant are awe-inspiring, but also intimidating. Still, I was rooting for her to succeed!(While I really like Paige, Warden is actually my favorite character, though I'll leave you to discover who he is and why I adore him when you read the book.)Honestly, The Bone Season is the type of book a reader needs to experience for himself. It's not necessarily going to be everyone's cup of tea, because it's pretty dark, complex and twisted. But it was, personally, the book I didn't know I wanted until I had cracked it open -- and I devoured it instantly. Complex, rich and compelling, this book has found a place on my favorites shelf!