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nolalee's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Drug use, Sexual content, Vomit, Medical content, and Trafficking
martinatan's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Didn’t think I could end up disliking a book so much almost entirely due to its last 100 pages.
I didn’t have too much interest in the plot setup in the first place, was mostly interested in how the world building would turn out. Evidently, worldbuilding still depends on interesting and complex character motivations to feel realistic and satisfying, and this story does not have such characters. I’m disappointed that the protagonist’s relationships with male characters could be so predictable and hollow.
The wrap-up of this book was a rushed mess. I found myself so uninterested in the final showdown because it felt breezed over, and had no satisfying emotional climaxes concerning the protagonist’s relationships with any others. The progressions of some of these relationships made very little sense and mainly seeking to fulfill tropes and set the stage for -dramatic and unnecessarily sarcastic dialogue.
The romantic subplots were on the whole lacking in depth and developed poorly, I feel likethe interspecies relationship could have been at least explored by acknowledging the taboo of it. Maybe it was left unsaid on purpose. Maybe this whole series was set up as a kink fulfillment for the author. Anyway it’s not the kind of fulfillment I was looking for. I wish the world could be explored in some other story where societal relationships and combat/technology are more integrated with the magic system.
I didn’t have too much interest in the plot setup in the first place, was mostly interested in how the world building would turn out. Evidently, worldbuilding still depends on interesting and complex character motivations to feel realistic and satisfying, and this story does not have such characters. I’m disappointed that the protagonist’s relationships with male characters could be so predictable and hollow.
The wrap-up of this book was a rushed mess. I found myself so uninterested in the final showdown because it felt breezed over, and had no satisfying emotional climaxes concerning the protagonist’s relationships with any others. The progressions of some of these relationships made very little sense and mainly seeking to fulfill tropes and set the stage for -dramatic and unnecessarily sarcastic dialogue.
The romantic subplots were on the whole lacking in depth and developed poorly, I feel like
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Sexual violence
Moderate: Child death, Death, Blood, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation
lauramcc7's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Blood
Moderate: Drug use
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual content
thewildmageslibrary's review against another edition
4.0
Okay I didn't know what to expect from this book, but wow it delivered! Can't wait to read more about Paige and her friends!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Medical trauma, and Murder
Moderate: Confinement, Drug use, Sexual content, Slavery, Blood, Kidnapping, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Body horror
queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
4 ⭐ CW: violence, slavery, murder, sexual assault
The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon is the first book in the Bone Season series. This book was not quite what I expected it to be, but I enjoyed it quite a lot anyway. It was fascinating learning about all the different types of clarivoyants.
We follow Paige Mahoney, a dreamwalker in the London underground clarivoyant gang, the Seven Seals. In this world, London has been taken over by the Scion regime, which has outlawed being a clarivoyant and has forced those who are to be extremely marginalized. The only voyants that seem to be doing okay in this world are the ones who work for Scion and arrest and attack other voyants. When Paige is captured, she is taken to Sheol I, a penal city for voyants run by otherworldly beings known as the Rephaite. What Paige finds is slavery and inhumane living conditions and horrific abuses.
This was such an in depth and complicated book. The world building was just so much. Luckily it came with its own glossary so I didn't have to Google words every five minutes lol. The beginning was a little slow at first, but things picked up once we got to Sheol I and we start learning about the Rephaite and the Emim. There is just a lot of information packed into the beginning.
I loved Paige's growth as a dreamwalker and learning about the different types of clarivoyants and their abilities. The character growth between Paige and Warden was excellent and complex. There were themes of don't judge someone just for what they are, instead get to know them and not assume. Survival is more important than defiance. Although romance wasn't the main point of the book, I though Shannon did a great job of depicting unrequited love and the experience aspecs have of trying to have sex but not really wanting it. Paige is definitely on the ace spectrum somewhere.
You all know I love a good revolution story, and this is just the beginning of a big one! Definitely looking forward to the rest of the books.
The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon is the first book in the Bone Season series. This book was not quite what I expected it to be, but I enjoyed it quite a lot anyway. It was fascinating learning about all the different types of clarivoyants.
We follow Paige Mahoney, a dreamwalker in the London underground clarivoyant gang, the Seven Seals. In this world, London has been taken over by the Scion regime, which has outlawed being a clarivoyant and has forced those who are to be extremely marginalized. The only voyants that seem to be doing okay in this world are the ones who work for Scion and arrest and attack other voyants. When Paige is captured, she is taken to Sheol I, a penal city for voyants run by otherworldly beings known as the Rephaite. What Paige finds is slavery and inhumane living conditions and horrific abuses.
This was such an in depth and complicated book. The world building was just so much. Luckily it came with its own glossary so I didn't have to Google words every five minutes lol. The beginning was a little slow at first, but things picked up once we got to Sheol I and we start learning about the Rephaite and the Emim. There is just a lot of information packed into the beginning.
I loved Paige's growth as a dreamwalker and learning about the different types of clarivoyants and their abilities. The character growth between Paige and Warden was excellent and complex. There were themes of don't judge someone just for what they are, instead get to know them and not assume. Survival is more important than defiance. Although romance wasn't the main point of the book, I though Shannon did a great job of depicting unrequited love and the experience aspecs have of trying to have sex but not really wanting it. Paige is definitely on the ace spectrum somewhere.
You all know I love a good revolution story, and this is just the beginning of a big one! Definitely looking forward to the rest of the books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Torture, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Sexual content
bookishchef's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Okay. So.
Up until about 60-70% of this book, I was ready to give it five stars.
I absolutely loved it.
But then it slowly but steadily started shitting the bed.
1. The gold cord plot point thing came out of nowhere and was never really explained. It just seemed like a convenient plot device that did not feel like it belonged in the grim world the author has created.
2. The rebound turned SA scene was completely unnecessary, and seemed like a weird attempt to bestow the main character with more trauma than she already had (and make her be pitied by Warden and the reader).
3. Loss of virginity being described as "an uppercut to the stomach". I hate this trope so much. No, having sex for the first time does not feel like dying. It might hurt (for many people it does not even do that). But it won't feel like being torn in half god dammit.
The average period cramp feels way way way worse unless you have a medical condition like vaginismus.
4. The main character falling in love with her captor/slave master does not sit quite right with me. Even if he treated her nicely, that is still a weird power inbalance that should never lead to a relationship.
5. Teenagers falling for century old creatures just makes me roll my eyes at this point. It weirds me out a bit, and it has been done so so so many times at this point.
Maybe I could deal with it if both characters seemed to be at the same level mentally, but Warden is practically a deity compared to Paige. Not immortal, but infinitely more intelligent and quite obviously so so so much older (and not to forget, her literal owner). From the way he behaves, to the way he speaks: it has middle aged man dating teenager vibes.
So yeah. This was a fun but very mixed bag. I ordered book 2 when I was about 60% into the book because I was sure I would love it at that point. But now that love has become a begrudging like.
I enjoyed this book for the most part, but some things cannot be unseen once you see them.
Up until about 60-70% of this book, I was ready to give it five stars.
I absolutely loved it.
But then it slowly but steadily started shitting the bed.
2. The rebound turned SA scene was completely unnecessary, and seemed like a weird attempt to bestow the main character with more trauma than she already had (and make her be pitied by Warden and the reader).
3. Loss of virginity being described as "an uppercut to the stomach". I hate this trope so much. No, having sex for the first time does not feel like dying. It might hurt (for many people it does not even do that). But it won't feel like being torn in half god dammit.
The average period cramp feels way way way worse unless you have a medical condition like vaginismus.
4. The main character falling in love with her captor/slave master does not sit quite right with me. Even if he treated her nicely, that is still a weird power inbalance that should never lead to a relationship.
5. Teenagers falling for century old creatures just makes me roll my eyes at this point. It weirds me out a bit, and it has been done so so so many times at this point.
Maybe I could deal with it if both characters seemed to be at the same level mentally, but Warden is practically a deity compared to Paige. Not immortal, but infinitely more intelligent and quite obviously so so so much older (and not to forget, her literal owner). From the way he behaves, to the way he speaks: it has middle aged man dating teenager vibes.
So yeah. This was a fun but very mixed bag. I ordered book 2 when I was about 60% into the book because I was sure I would love it at that point. But now that love has become a begrudging like.
I enjoyed this book for the most part, but some things cannot be unseen once you see them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Slavery, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Classism
Minor: Animal cruelty, Gun violence, Torture, and Police brutality
cleo_wylde's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Gore, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, and Colonisation
Moderate: Sexual content
always_chloe's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I REALLY LOVED THIS
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content