Clairvoyance in all its forms has been decreed a criminal offense, and those who practise it viciously punished. Forced underground, a clairvoyant underworld has developed, combating persecution and evading capture.
Paige Mahoney, a powerful dreamwalker operating in the Seven Dials district of London, leads a double life, using her unnaturalness illegally while hiding her gift from her father, who works for the Scion regime...
THE BONE SEASON by Samantha Shannon
Published: 2013
Genre: Fantasy Fiction, Science Fiction
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
What a brilliant introduction to a trilogy! The Bone Season is a paranormal, dystopian YA fiction, set in a uniquely futuristic London under the control of a security force, Scion, who keep their citizens safe from those they deem "unnatural". In a well regulated world, there is no place for those with abilities beyond their control - Voyants with unnatural gifts of sight, communing with spirits or catching glimpses of the future, are illegal and will be captured and taken to the Tower, from which they do not return.
Paige is one such unnatural, a unique brand of Dreamwalker whose abilities have made her desirable as an illegal Voyant in the criminal underworld. But when she is captured by Scion and removed from the world she knows, she soon learns that Scion is responsible for concealing more than just captured Voyants.
Much of this book's gripping nature is due to Paige's strong character. She narrates and drives the book in a way that's opinionated and wilful, reminding me very much of Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games. She's rightfully fearful of the power born unto her, though she struggles to harness it knowing it is her greatest chance of survival in a world full of dangers.
Paige's character, as well as those supporting her, are well formed and multi-layered; believably human and complex in their emotions and actions. I applaud this, as it's not always a given, especially when reading a YA novel, which tend to be very driven by story and world creation. Regrettably I've read a few where the character development almost takes a back seat to atmospheric cleverness, but I don't believe this is the case here.
This is a very hyped series of books, and I'm glad to say that the first at least has lived up to its reputation, in my opinion. I've read a lot of controversial reviews suggesting that it's overly ambitious, or that the world creation is flawed, but I closed the book impressed and comprehending everything. Especially given this is just the first novel and more is sure to be explained along the way.
I'm intrigued by the Rephriam, and look forward to learning about how these creatures came to this earth. Their relationships with the Voyants is an interesting power struggle and I could sense the rebellion building from page one.
The element of rebellion again leads me to a Hunger Games comparison. I can't help but compare this sort of fiction with others of it's genre, but in a positive way. It shows a lot of potential and I can't wait to see what books 2 and 3 have in store.
If you, like me, are a Harry Potter, Hunger Games, The 100 fan, then this is very likely a series you'll enjoy. It lives up to the standards set by Fantasy and Sci-fi books that came before it.
If you've read this trilogy please let me know your thoughts in the comments below! Let's get the book discussion flowing!
Happy reading,
Zuzu 🖋
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Thank you, this does sound like something I could get lost in - look forward to having a read 💗x
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