The Bone Season - Samantha Shannon

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
Series: The Bone Season #1
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Publication Date: August 20, 2013
Source/Format: BEA 2013 || ARC

[I received this book from the publisher. This in no way affects the thoughts expressed in my review.]

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. (from Goodreads)

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!