Title: The Bone Season (The Bone Season #1)
Author: Samantha Shannon
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication Date: Tenth Anniversary Edition, 2023
Format: Hardcover
Length: 533 pages

Read if you like: supernatural dystopia, clairvoyance-driven magic, criminal underworlds, morally ambiguous characters, alternate histories, urban fantasy, diverse cast

Rating: 

You know that feeling when you pick up a book and you can tell within the first chapter that it’s going to become an all-time favourite? That’s how I felt about The Bone Season. From the beginning of this book, I was completely hooked on the premise, the magic, the universe, and the characters, and I struggled to put it down whenever I was reading.

I haven’t read the original editions of these books, choosing to wait instead to read the tenth-anniversary editions that I knew were coming, but regardless, it’s clear that Shannon is a fantasy master. This book was everything I wanted it to be and then some. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series and easily count this as one of my favourite reads of 2024 thus far.

The Book Synopsis: The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

The year is 2059. For two centuries, the Republic of Scion has led an oppressive campaign against unnaturalness in Europe.

In London, Paige Mahoney holds a high rank in the criminal underworld. The right hand of the ruthless White Binder, Paige is a dreamwalker, a rare and formidable kind of clairvoyant. Under Scion law, she commits treason simply by breathing.

When Paige is arrested for murder, she meets the mysterious founders of Scion, who have designs on her uncommon abilities. If she is to survive and escape, Paige must use every skill at her disposal – and put her trust in someone who ought to be her enemy.

The Review

This book left me mildly speechless. I’ve been looking forward to reading it for ages and it did not disappoint.

Shannon is an incredible world-builder. I loved the premise of this society where various clairvoyant abilities have emerged over generations and instead of contributing to progress and being celebrated, it leads to the downfall of monarchy and the persecution of anyone in possession of these powers. There was so much detail, so much history and nuance to this wonderfully magical and complicated society that I was immediately entranced. It was a bit dense, but it was also fascinating to see the way that core aspects of the world or players were only revealed in full as the book went on. There was enough that was familiar about the world (being set in a futuristic, horrifying version of London), and enough familiar magical concepts, that I could still make my way through until the concepts were more fully flushed out in the plot. I loved seeing everything unfold and learning the true depth of the magic being described and of Paige’s impact on her surroundings.

Speaking of which, Paige was a fantastic female lead. She comes into her own very slowly and methodically, through a lot of trauma and challenge, but it’s so satisfying to see her throw her criminality to good use and eventually take a stand for what she believes is right, not just what she believes will help her survive. By the time I got to the end I was rooting for her so hard I couldn’t stop reading; I was transfixed by her character growth and arc and wanted to see it through. 

The pacing of this book was perfect as well. There’s a lot of detail that needs to be covered but it’s done in a manageable way, and I loved the way that the information built as it went so by the end, you had a pretty full picture of the society, the magic, and where the plot was headed. The heavy action interspersed throughout kept me thoroughly hooked as well, and there were more than a couple of really heart-pumping scenes where I couldn’t stop turning pages. 

I won’t talk much about the romance, because ultimately it was only a more minute aspect of the whole of this story, but I will say that the slow burn was utterly brilliant. I love that I have no idea where, if anywhere, it’s going from here, and I loved that it was somehow always an undercurrent, but never an actual focal point. 

This series is my new obsession. I wish I’d read it when it was released ten years ago, but I’m also grateful to get to take advantage of the fully revised versions. I see why this series is such a classic for so many and I can’t wait to continue.