ARC Review: The Song Rising by Samantha Shannon

*** This is the third book in a series so if you have not read The Bone Season and The Mime Order be careful of potential spoilers. Also, what are you waiting for? That series is amazing! Here is my review for the first book. You should read it. ***

Title: The Song Rising Series: The Bone Season #3 Written by: Samantha Shannon Published: March 7, 2017 by Bloomsbury (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: The hotly anticipated third book in the bestselling Bone Season series – a ground-breaking, dystopian fantasy of extraordinary imagination. Following a bloody battle against foes on every side, Paige Mahoney has risen to the dangerous position of Underqueen, ruling over London's criminal population.  But, having turned her back on Jaxon Hall and with vengeful enemies still at large, the task of stabilizing the fractured underworld has never seemed so challenging.  Little does Paige know that her reign may be cut short by the introduction of Senshield, a deadly technology that spells doom for the clairvoyant community and the world as they know it . . .

*** I received an advance copy of this

I have been waiting over two years to read this book. The ending of The Mime Order was incredible and a total plot twist and I couldn't wait to find out more and what would happen next. The Song Rising was a great next installment in a series that I am absolutely loving, despite it being a little bit of a bridge book for me.

The thing that made me fall in love with this series and the reason I still love it is the world. It's such a unique and interesting world that combines elements of fantasy and science fiction into one. In previous books we got to explore much more about the magical system here, and the clairvoyant powers that basically all of the main characters have. I love seeing them in action, especially Paige's which is super badass, but they weren't really the focus of this book. This book was much more about the societies of the world. In the beginning we got to explore more of the Syndicate while seeing Paige as Underqueen, but the real good stuff was the second half of the book where we learned more about Scion and how they are able to control everyone, especially the voyants. I'm all for political intrigue and it was a really interesting element to an already interesting world.

I also totally love the characters in this series. I loved Paige Mahoney from the start and I fall more and more in love with her with every passing book. The thing I like so much about Paige is that she is not your typical "Strong Female Protagonist TM." Yes, she is brave and selfless, and yes she preforms amazing and surprising feats of strength in the face of all kinds of adversity. But Paige is not perfect. She does things wrong, she makes mistakes, and she faces all kinds of consequences for her actions. In this book she is incredibly vulnerable and because of that I have more respect and adoration for her, especially because she came out of it stronger. I love a reluctant hero, I love a female protagonist who isn't just tough. It makes for a more likable and well-rounded character and I love that about Paige.

But Paige is not the only great character here. There are so many fantastic and complex secondary characters. First let's talk about the good guys. I know so many people are huge fans of Warden and I have to say, he's growing on me. I still don't really ship it (don't hate me!) but Warden is a great ally for Paige and I find him totally interesting and want to learn more and see more. I also feel the same way about Nick but I have more of an emotional attatchment to Nick. Here we learn even more about his past and it was so interesting and it made me love him even more. But the real strength of the characterization here is in the villains. Oh man, there are some amazing villains here. So many odious and devious characters. First and foremost, Nashira Sargas. We see the full extend of Nashira's planning and her attempt for control here and it is amazing. But the most brilliant character is Jaxon Hall. Finding more about Jax and his past was everything I hoped it would be and more. He was in rare form in this book and I loved it. But all the characters here are really fantastic.

And while I did really enjoy the plot of this book it didn't really blow me away. It was definitely interesting and really built to a thrilling conclusion but it honestly took it's sweet time to get there. I think my problem is that the first half of the book was totally different from the second and I just didn't love the first half. There was some good stuff towards the beginning but then the characters went on a travel monologue. And you know how I feel about travel. Now don't get me wrong, the travel here was fine, it had a purpose and we learned a lot along the way plus there were action moments but it just didn't hook me until it got to the third act. And by that point I was so emotionally invested I had to keep reading to find out what would happen next. But I think in general this book felt a little bit like a bridge book. There are three more books in this series and it felt a little bit like this one needed to wrap up things that happened in the first book and set up things that will happen in later books.

On the whole The Song Rising was a really good read with a fascinating world, complex characters, and an engaging plot. It did feel like were some things about the plot development and pacing that I didn't love but I did really enjoy the book. I think on it's own I don't think it's perfect but as part of the series I think it's a good addition.

I give The Song Rising by Samantha Shannon 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. If you are a fan of this series you have to pick this book up. It's a good addition to the series and you learn so many more amazing things. And if you haven't read this series and you like fantasy, science fiction, and/or dystopia you must check this series out. I'm such a fan!

Have you read The Song Rising? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Waiting on Wednesday: The Song Rising by Samantha Shannon

A weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine

Title: The Song Rising Series: The Bone Season #3 Author: Samantha Shannon Published: March 7, 2017 by Bloomsbury (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: The hotly anticipated third book in the bestselling Bone Season series – a ground-breaking, dystopian fantasy of extraordinary imagination Following a bloody battle against foes on every side, Paige Mahoney has risen to the dangerous position of Underqueen, ruling over London's criminal population. But, having turned her back on Jaxon Hall and with vengeful enemies still at large, the task of stabilising the fractured underworld has never seemed so challenging. Little does Paige know that her reign may be cut short by the introduction of Senshield, a deadly technology that spells doom for the clairvoyant community and the world as they know it…

Why I'm Waiting:

This is another waiting on Wednesday that should not be a surprise if you have read any of my most anticipated books of 2017 posts or have been a follower for awhile. You probably then know that I am a huge fan of this series, particularly the most recent book in the series, The Mime Order, which came out about two years ago. I have been anticipating this book since then, since before then because I read an ARC at the end of 2015.

But if you didn't know, I am so in love with these books. I'm a huge fan of the science fantasy world that is created and the paranormal elements. There is a lot going on here and I love that about it. It's so complex and interesting. Not to mention the plot development. It's so thrilling and full of action. And these characters. I love Paige so much. And Jax. Oh man, Jaxon Hall is so fascinating and I need to know more about him. I need to know EVERYTHING about him.

But seriously guys, even if I wasn't a fan of this series I would have seriously would have needed this book in my life because of the way that The Mime Order ended. Samantha's cliffhangers are ridiculous and while the last one wasn't a total cliffhanger oh my god it was a crazy ending and I need to know what is going to happen next.

Not only do I have an e-ARC from Netgalley that I need to read but I have of course preordered a copy of this book because I am that excited to read it. I actually preordered the collectors edition because it matched the original covers (and I hate the redesigns) plus it's signed! Two weeks ago I said that A Conjuring of Light might be my most anticipated release of this year but this might beat it out just barely. I feel like I have been waiting so long for this book and I am so eager for it.

What about you? What are you waiting for this Wednesday? Are you waiting on The Song Rising along with me? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Crossing Over: Hard to Categorize Genre Fiction

It's time for this month's edition of Crossing Over. If you're not familiar with Crossing Over it's a feature where I recommend an adult book with crossover appeal based on a YA book that is similar. It's basically an if you liked, then try but for crossover books. I'm trying to make this a more regular thing where I pick the books based on that month's theme but this is my freebie month so instead I'm doing one that I have been trying to make work for months now and it hasn't because they're two different genres but similar books.

The Falconer by Elizabeth May  
Read My Review / Add to Goodreads

Despite being set in the 19th Century, The Falconer has a very futuristic appeal! It combines lots of different elements of things that I love including a strong and complex female protagonist, steampunk and SciFi-esque technology, and fantasy elements like pretty nasty fairy-like supernatural creatures that most people in the world don't even realize exist. And while our protagonist is pretty kickass she doesn't have to do it alone, she has help from a sympathetic fairy who knows what he's talking about. Unlike a lot of people I don't really ship this ship but it didn't spoil the book for me. Plus, this book is so action-packed that the romance doesn't pull focus. But be prepared it has a really mean cliffhanger ending that cuts off right at the climax.

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
Read My Review / Add to Goodreads

Despite being set in the future, The Bone Season has a very 19th Century feel! It combines lots of different elements of things that I love including a strong and complex female protagonist, science fantasy that includes technology but also a magical system that's superpoweresque, and fantasy elements like pretty nasty fairy-like supernatural creatures that most people in the world don't even realize exist. And while our protagonist is pretty kickass she doesn't have to do it alone, she has help from a sympathetic creature who knows what he's talking about. I also don't really ship this ship but it is growing on me. Plus, this book is so action-packed the romance doesn't pull focus. But be prepared it has a cliffhanger ending that cuts off right after the climax.

These are two really engaging and action-packed novels that are basically fantasy but are so hard to categorize. They not only have crossover feel in the way that they will appeal to fans of both YA and genre fiction but they also cross genres so they're good books if you are trying to explore a type of book you don't often read.

Have you read The Falconer and/or The Bone Season? What did you think? What historical fiction crossovers do you like? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

ARC Review: The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon

Title: The Mime Order Series: The Bone Season #2 Author: Samantha Shannon Published: January 27, 2015 by Bloomsbury (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Paige Mahoney has escaped the brutal penal colony of Sheol I, but her problems have only just begun: many of the fugitives are still missing and she is the most wanted person in London. As Scion turns its all-seeing eye on Paige, the mime-lords and mime-queens of the city’s gangs are invited to a rare meeting of the Unnatural Assembly. Jaxon Hall and his Seven Seals prepare to take center stage, but there are bitter fault lines running through the clairvoyant community and dark secrets around every corner. Then the Rephaim begin crawling out from the shadows. But where is Warden? Paige must keep moving, from Seven Dials to Grub Street to the secret catacombs of Camden, until the fate of the underworld can be decided. Will Paige know who to trust? The hunt for the dreamwalker is on.

*** I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley (Thank you Bloomsbury) for an honest review in return. This fact has not changed my opinion. ****

*** This review is  for the second book in a series and may contain mild spoilers for The Bone Season. You should check that book out before reading this review. But it is spoiler free for The Mime Order.***

I read The Bone Season (my review) in April and really liked it. It was one of those really hyped books that if you take it on it's own merit and don't compare it to other books you will enjoy it. While I wasn't completely blown away, I did find it creative and entertaining. So going into The Mime Order, I didn't have the highest of expectations but I was still really excited. But I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by how good The Mime Order was. It was a huge step up and it kept some of the things I liked about The Bone Season, like the world and plot-development, and changed some of the things I didn't like. such as the world-building.

First and foremost when it comes to this series, Samantha Shannon has created an utterly captivating world. What I loved about the first book was the combination of mythology, technology, and fantasy to create something wholly new and interesting. And like all good fantasy, it has a "magical system" that has clear rules and is rooted in logic. But not only that, but the magical system is cool (for lack of a better word). In this book we get to see so many more clairvoyant powers in action. In the first book we got to see a lot more of the lower orders like using tarot cards or objects to communicate with spirits. Here we got to see things like spirits possessing you, trapping spirits, and using spirits against others (there's a lot more with spirits). Every time a person would use the aether and/or uses their clairvoyant powers it was so fascinating to me. But in terms of the world in this book we also got to learn more about the Rephaim and their history and spend more time in Scion London.

And surprisingly, even though the world was expanded and elaborated, the world-building wasn't frustrating. I felt like in The Mime Order, you get less bogged down in the world and it doesn't feel as needlessly complicated. Unlike the last book. there wasn't a lot of info-dumping and explanation. They werethose moments, but on the whole they were banking on the fact that we understood the world. And despite the fact that I wanted a cheat sheet and reminder about a lot of things, I didn't feel overwhelmed by the world. And I actually really liked learning more about the London Syndicate. The culture of the underground clairvoyants and mobsters was so interesting to me. It definitely had much more of the dystopian feel than the previous book. There was a lot more political intrigue and it felt more like it was about the evils of society than the evils of a particular antagonist. And while the conflict that was created in the first book was still there, it was in the periphery. Things were more big picture here and it really worked.

The fact that you get less bogged down in the world of this book, also enables you able to spend more time getting to know the characters. And boy did this book have some truly amazing character development. The main character Paige is a fantastic and well-rounded character. I liked Paige in The Bone Season, I found her to be brave, selfless, and sassy. But in The Mime Order she is truly badass. Right from the beginning she shows how smart and tough she is and how much she cares about others. As you keep reading she just gets more selfless and becomes such an amazing leader. I cheered for her success and was right there for her during her failures. But even more than that, I loved to see her develop and learn more about her powers. But Paige is not the only interesting and well-rounded character. I'm a huge fan of all the Seven Seals and loved getting to learn more about the extremely odious Jaxon Hall. I also really liked learning more about Warden and the Rephaim. The development of all the characters was so fantastic in this book.

But with less emphasis on the world-building, there was also much more of an opportunity for plot-development in this book. I loved the mystery and intrigue in The Bone Season. I spent a lot of the book with "huh face" wondering what it all meant or would mean, and that did not go away in this book. From the very beginning The Mime Order took off with so much action and adventure wrapping up the last book. And then from there things slowly build to a thrilling conclusion with tons of action and mystery along the way. Again I really loved the fact that the book did a great job wrapping up the specific storyline designated for this book, and set things up for the series to continue. But oh boy that cliffhanger! I was trying to figure out the major twist and I thought I had it but boy was I wrong and shocked by that reveal! But I love being shocked. The plot of The Mime Order definitely had me on the edge of my seat anxiously awaiting what would come next.

However, despite that fabulous plot development, the pacing of The Mime Order was a bit of an issue for me. This book is not a quick read, it's an investment. And while every one of the 528 pages did feel important, it still felt long. Mostly it felt like it was a bit of a slow start. I'm not sure if it was because I was just trying to get back into the swing of things or because after a huge opening scene, things really slowed down then didn't really start to pick up until about two-thirds of the way into the book. It had some great action-packed moments but it still didn't really hook me until then. But when it did hook me, I didn't want to let it go.

I give The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon a 9 out 10

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. Fans of Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Dystopia should check this series out. I think it has real crossover appeal so if you are worried about this being an adult series, don't worry, check it out. If you are looking for a book with a creative and interesting world with some great character development than this series is definitely worth your time. I cannot wait to see where it will lead because this was a huge step up for me.

Have you read The Mime Order? Did you love The Bone Season and are anxiously awaiting this book? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

One more thing before you go. Thanks to Audible, I have a preview clip of the audiobook of The Mime Order. If you are a fan of audiobooks this is the perfect book for it. It has tons of action, a captivating world, and vivid world-building. The narrator does a great job of capturing all the character's unique voices. Check it out!

Book Review: The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

Title: The Bone Season Series: The Bone Season #1 Author: Samantha Shannon Published: August 2013 by Bloomsbury Amazon Goodreads Synopsis: 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.  The Bone Season introduces a compelling heroine—a young woman learning to harness her powers in a world where everything has been taken from her. It also introduces an extraordinary young writer, with huge ambition and a teeming imagination. Samantha Shannon has created a bold new reality in this riveting debut.

There is so much hype surrounding this book. It was heralded as the next Harry Potter, the next great Fantasy series. People have raved about its creativity and brilliance. I had to read it to see if it lived up to the hype. And while I'm not entirely sure it lived up to Potter standards it was incredibly inventive and entertaining. 

What made this book so unique was the world that Samantha Shannon has created. She did an excellent job of combining supernatural elements from mythology and religion with futuristic elements of technology. It starts off incredibly interesting and reads like a science fiction novel with the combination of supernatural powers and technology as we learn about what life is like in London and the criminal underground. But then very quickly things get more like a fantasy story as Paige is kidnapped and ends up with a group of terrifying supernatural beings. But they were so interesting and intriguing. I spent so much of the book with "huh face" wondering what was going on and what it all meant. The "magical" system in this book was very cool as well. Pretty much all the characters had clairvoyant powers but they were all different. Many of them are things that we think about like being able to read cards use objects to communicate with spirits but then there were other powers like influencing dreams. There's this whole hierarchy and interesting names for what people can do. It's all very complicated and very interesting. 

But that being said, the world-building in this book was its greatest strength but also its greatest weakness. Now don't get me wrong, this world is absolutely amazing, so intriguing and mysterious, but in terms of its execution it was so much info dumping. I was often so overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the information I was learning. It seemed like every chapter was another massive explanation about what was happening in this world and how it got to be that way. It was more confusing then it needed. Sometimes less is more. I mean there are supposed to be six more books in this series, do we really have to show our hand right away? 

But it still brilliantly introduced an exciting new series. It was an exposition kind of story with so much mystery and action that I was intrigued and entertained from beginning to end. The plot developed and shifted at this crazy hectic pace that was so wonderful. There was so much action to the story. I was worried for the safety of the characters at the same time as I was curious to see where everything would lead. It definitely felt like an action story with battle scenes and bloody fights. The best part was that unlike a lot of books which are planned series, The Bone Season didn't leave me on a cliffhanger. It set up the series but reads like its own independent book.

What it also did really well is introduce lots of amazing and complicated characters. I loved Paige, our MC and protagonist. She was brave, tough, and sassy but she also cared more than herself. She's a great hero for the story. But the book was littered with characters that walked the line between good and evil. More than one character surprised me with where their true alliances lay and the surprises actions that they took throughout different parts of the story. They kept me guessing as much as the plot. 

I give The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon an 8 out of 10 

Comparisons to other enormously successful series have been recklessly thrown at this book since the very beginning but that it's unfair to compare this book to those. My suggestion is not judge it against any other series and just read it on its own merits. It is a book with an interesting and complex world, an action-packed plot, and complicated characters that will keep you guessing. If you're a fan of Dark Fantasy and/or Science Fiction then check out The Bone Season. 

Have you read The Bone Season? What were your thoughts? Do you agree with mine? Leave me a comment and join in the conversation, books are always better when you talk about them. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!