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A review by literaryweaponry
The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
5.0
~Minor Spoilers~
This book comes from a newer, young author. Honestly, I bought it on a whim when there was an online sale because it sounded marginally entertaining. I’m still surprised that I bought it. This is not my usual choice of book when I have other options. Even the description on the Barnes and Noble website sounded off color to me. I re-read it just now and it still takes me by surprise that I chose to read this book. That being said, some of the best things in life come as a surprise.
However, when I started on chapter one I very nearly put it down and left it there. We all have books like that on our shelves. Ones we have started that didn’t pull us in and we never picked them up again. For some reason I kept going on this story. In case you haven’t caught the clue, the first couple chapters are tough to get through. The author has stated that this book is the first in what is going to be a seven book series. As with setting up the premise of any book, especially what is going to be such a long series, a lot of information is thrown at you quickly at the beginning.
That is my only real criticism. Those first few chapters made practically no sense to me on the first read and it took some dedication to get through them. Words are being thrown about that you don’t understand the significance of and you can’t quite figure out what the main character is. But, on the second read through of the book, once the “set up” information waterfall made more sense the rest of the book seemed richer and more enthralling. That’s saying quite a bit since I pretty thoroughly enjoyed it the first time.
Once you get through that beginning gush you are in for a treat. The world Samantha Shannon paints is so very alive. Some people in that world have special gifts. Gifts that make them different. Gifts that make them targets for the government. They are the voyants. These voyants are hated and persecuted and murdered for being what they are, and it isn’t their choice to have been born that way. Our main character, Paige Mahoney, is one of these voyants.
This is a story of a thoroughly and completely corrupt government. A government controlled by a group from the outside. They are the face of the government and merely puppets to the otherworldly creatures behind the curtain. You follow the underbelly society of voyants and villians and their struggle for survival. As Paige meets these creatures, these monsters, and is thrown into this pocket society that they have created, you begin to understand how far down the rabbit hole she has gone. Shannon’s world is rich in detail, full of intrigue, and really makes you feel. That’s something I always want from a book. I want it to make me feel and so many that I pick up don’t.
I truly don’t think anything I can say can do this book the justice it deserves so I will leave you with this quote from The Bone Season:
“Knowledge is dangerous. Once you know something, you can’t get rid of it. You have to carry it. Always.”
Now go read the damn thing.
Please, check out my reading blog at literaryweaponry.wordpress.com
This book comes from a newer, young author. Honestly, I bought it on a whim when there was an online sale because it sounded marginally entertaining. I’m still surprised that I bought it. This is not my usual choice of book when I have other options. Even the description on the Barnes and Noble website sounded off color to me. I re-read it just now and it still takes me by surprise that I chose to read this book. That being said, some of the best things in life come as a surprise.
However, when I started on chapter one I very nearly put it down and left it there. We all have books like that on our shelves. Ones we have started that didn’t pull us in and we never picked them up again. For some reason I kept going on this story. In case you haven’t caught the clue, the first couple chapters are tough to get through. The author has stated that this book is the first in what is going to be a seven book series. As with setting up the premise of any book, especially what is going to be such a long series, a lot of information is thrown at you quickly at the beginning.
That is my only real criticism. Those first few chapters made practically no sense to me on the first read and it took some dedication to get through them. Words are being thrown about that you don’t understand the significance of and you can’t quite figure out what the main character is. But, on the second read through of the book, once the “set up” information waterfall made more sense the rest of the book seemed richer and more enthralling. That’s saying quite a bit since I pretty thoroughly enjoyed it the first time.
Once you get through that beginning gush you are in for a treat. The world Samantha Shannon paints is so very alive. Some people in that world have special gifts. Gifts that make them different. Gifts that make them targets for the government. They are the voyants. These voyants are hated and persecuted and murdered for being what they are, and it isn’t their choice to have been born that way. Our main character, Paige Mahoney, is one of these voyants.
This is a story of a thoroughly and completely corrupt government. A government controlled by a group from the outside. They are the face of the government and merely puppets to the otherworldly creatures behind the curtain. You follow the underbelly society of voyants and villians and their struggle for survival. As Paige meets these creatures, these monsters, and is thrown into this pocket society that they have created, you begin to understand how far down the rabbit hole she has gone. Shannon’s world is rich in detail, full of intrigue, and really makes you feel. That’s something I always want from a book. I want it to make me feel and so many that I pick up don’t.
I truly don’t think anything I can say can do this book the justice it deserves so I will leave you with this quote from The Bone Season:
“Knowledge is dangerous. Once you know something, you can’t get rid of it. You have to carry it. Always.”
Now go read the damn thing.
Please, check out my reading blog at literaryweaponry.wordpress.com