Why I Should Have Read The Bone Season Earlier + GIVEAWAY
Guess what I’m here with!
A no spoiler book review for The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon + A GIVEAWAY FOR IT!! (Stick around to the end of this for it!) This book
had been gaining so much buzz in the book blogging and bookstagramming
community and I finally picked it up after being told to read it forever!
ALSO, if you're looking around my blog a little like whhaaaa, yes, thank you for noticing! I gave my blog a makeover!!!!1!! It had been a while since I had recoded my blog and it was high time so I decided to change things up a little! I am quite pleased with it and I wanna know what you think so leave me some feedback in the comments!
ALSO, if you're looking around my blog a little like whhaaaa, yes, thank you for noticing! I gave my blog a makeover!!!!1!! It had been a while since I had recoded my blog and it was high time so I decided to change things up a little! I am quite pleased with it and I wanna know what you think so leave me some feedback in the comments!
I’ll admit I was a little hesitant because I had heard this
was difficult to get into and I don’t tend to reach for adult fiction because
it’s such an intimidating genre but I did it and I have no regrets!
Also can we talk about how beautiful the hardcover is? GAH I
am in love! I love the red naked book and it’s literally the most vibrant
colour I have ever seen! *insert heart eye emoji*
I am also going to be reading the next two books in the series
very soon so make sure to stay tuned for those reviews coming your way in the
future! THIS REVIEW IS SPOILER FREE.
Let’s begin!
Book: The Bone Season
Series: The Bone Season
About the book.
Series: The Bone Season
Author: Samantha Shannon
Pages: 466
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication date: 20 August 2013
Publication date: 20 August 2013
Synopsis: The year is 2059. Nineteen-year-old Paige Mahoney is working in the criminal underworld of Scion London, based at Seven Dials, employed by a man named Jaxon Hall. Her job: to scout for information by breaking into people's minds. For Paige is a dreamwalker, a clairvoyant and, in the world of Scion, she commits treason simply by breathing.
It is raining the day her life changes for ever. Attacked, drugged and kidnapped, Paige is transported to Oxford – a city kept secret for two hundred years, controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. Paige is assigned to Warden, a Rephaite with mysterious motives. He is her master. Her trainer. Her natural enemy. But if Paige wants to regain her freedom she must allow herself to be nurtured in this prison where she is meant to die. (source)
It is raining the day her life changes for ever. Attacked, drugged and kidnapped, Paige is transported to Oxford – a city kept secret for two hundred years, controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. Paige is assigned to Warden, a Rephaite with mysterious motives. He is her master. Her trainer. Her natural enemy. But if Paige wants to regain her freedom she must allow herself to be nurtured in this prison where she is meant to die. (source)
Genre: Fantasy
Recommended for: Anyone 14+
My thoughts.
{ WRITING }
Let me just begin by saying this is a hard book to get into!
The first 50-100 pages are tough. I didn’t really know what was going on but I pushed
through and it was worth it, let me tell you that much! The beginning is info-dumpy
but you should try and refer to the glossary at the back with the meanings of
lots of terms used in the book. At first I didn’t really know what half the
words meant and I was googling them until I stumbled upon the glossary at the
back and let me tell you, it is SO helpful.
I thought this book was quite well written! It had a very
good rhythm and was really able to paint the picture well. I often find myself
slipping into a state of confusion when reading action packed books similar to
this one because there is always too much going on and it isn’t explained all
too well BUT Shannon did not do that! Her explanations were clear and it was so
easy to picture what was happening!
The writing also created and upheld tension very well! I was
absolutely hooked and it was impossible to put this down once you got into it!
{ IDEA + PLOT }
I went into this book not knowing too much about it because
the blurb was quite vague and it worked SO well. This is one of those books
that is best to discover on your own and not know too much about it going in.
It was not at all what I was expecting and I loved that!
The world was so richly imagined but at the same time,
maintained its simplicity without becoming overly intricate and confusing. The world
building was absolutely glorious. It was so layered and once you got into it,
you were in.
The concept was so well thought out and unlike anything I’ve
ever read before. It’s dystopian without that repetitive cheesiness. It’s cold,
hard, ruthless and just brilliant. You find yourself invested in the characters
and story and before you know it, you’re on the edge of your seat, gripping on
for dear life because D A M N.
This book was also seriously scary. It was dark and brutal
and had me honestly terrified to death not only for the characters but for me
too! I was downright terrified that I’d end up in the same situations as the
characters, which sounds silly when you say it, but that’s how good the book
is!
I’m not going to say anything about the plot because like I said,
it’s best to go in blind, other than just go in expecting a wild ride because
that’s exactly what you’re going to get!
{ CHARACTERS }
I personally loved the
characters! I though Paige was such a badass! She doesn’t take no for an
answer, she’s headstrong, sometimes overly reckless and most of all, she cares
for others, which I find so rare in badass heroines surprisingly. I felt that I
could connect with her character quite well even though we have nothing in
common!
Warden, I feel I am less
qualified to comment on without spoiling things. So I’ll just let you guys read
it and then we can discuss it (or if I do a discussion spoilery post for TBS).
I also loved the side, minor
characters because even though they weren’t a huge part of the book, they still
managed to matter and seem like real people rather than additions for the sake
of the story line.
{ FINALLY… }
I thought this was such an excellent read! It was action
packed and adventurous and I cannot wait to read the next two books (and then
cry because I have to wait for the rest of the four books to come out!). This
was honestly very surprising for me because I hadn’t expected to enjoy it as
much as I did but I am so glad I read it!
OVERALL RATING:
★★★★½
★★★★½
GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Have you read The
Bone Season? What did you think? Or are you planning to?
35 happy thoughts
Yeah, I found this one hard to get into too because of the world that you're just dumped into but I'm glad I stuck with it since it ended up being an enjoyable read. The sequels are so much better though so you need to read them soon :)
ReplyDeleteIt is a really enjoyable read, I totally agree! And yay, that's great news! I plan on getting around to them very soon! <3
DeleteAmazing review (and beautiful photographs)!!! I read The Bone Season a year ago and really enjoyed it... and now I'm reminded that I need to continue this series. I hope you enjoy the rest of the books as well :)
ReplyDeleteEmily @ Reader Rising
Thank you so much Emily! That's incredibly kind of you! And I will be reading the rest of the books very soon so fingers crossed I do enjoy! Thanks for reading and commenting! <3
DeleteI absolutely love this series! It took a while for me to read book one because it felt so imposing but I regret not having read it sooner as well Anisha. The storyline of a young girl who rises up in the face of adversity and takes on an oppressive regime who wants to eradicate the lower class. I love Paige but Warden is beginning to annoy me. I'm so glad you enjoyed this one too Anisha <3
ReplyDeleteYES OMG SO GLAD TO MEET ANOTHER FAN! It was very imposing since it's a)huge and b) also huge and c) kinda hard to get into but I'm glad I did it nad it was so totally worth it!
DeleteOH MY GOD, the naked book IS absolutely stunning! That stark red is soooo beautiful <3 I'm pretty bad with books where the first 100 pages are slow... That's the reason I DNFed Strange the Dreamer, actually ^^ However, I'm glad to hear that this book gets amazing and picks up after 100 pages. Maybe I'll check out the audiobook for it :) Wonderful review, as always!
ReplyDeleteBrittany @ Brittany's Book Rambles
OOOH the audiobook of this I've heard is highly recommended so hopefully you enjoy that Brittany! Thanks for reading and commenting <3
DeleteGreat review, and I love all your pictures!!! I have had this on my TBR for quite a while, but I am a lot less likely to read it if I don't own it.
ReplyDeleteSam @ WLABB
Thanks so much for reading and commenting Sam!
DeleteI'm so glad you liked this book, Anisha!
ReplyDeleteI read it a few years after it was released, mainly for the same reasons as you. I don't tend to gravitate towards adult fiction, especially adult fantasy, but The Bone Season reads more like YA to me.
When I first started reading I didn't know there was a glossary and all the info-dumping was scaring me so much, haha. But once I realised that there was a quick and easy way to understand all the lingo then I enjoyed it a lot more.
I can definitely say that The Mime Order is just as good as TBS! I really liked The Song Rising, as well, but not quite as much as the first two - it didn't have the same feel to it, and there wasn't enough Warden, haha.
I hope you enjoy the next two books as much as this one!
I am so excited for the next two! It's so good to hear they are just as enjoyable because I absolutely hate when a series gets worse as it progresses and it's so good to hear this isn't one of them! AND YES, I feel there should have been a note at the front saying there is a glossary at the back, or better yet, the glossary should have been at the back!
DeleteThanks so much for reading and commenting Chiara <3
I just finished The Bone Season. I totally loved it and I am beyond excited to read the other books. It took me a bit to get into but once I got into it, I just fell in love.
ReplyDeleteYeah it does take a while to get into it but it's so worth it when you do!
DeleteI have had this book sitting in my TBR for so long, but I'm still yet to read it. I think the problem is that I don't know much about it. I can completely understand that some books you need to go into without knowing anything major, but there's nothing about what I do know about this book that makes me want to read it. It's so vague! And so it just doesn't grab me. I'll give it a go at some point, but I can't say when exactly, haha! But your review definitely has me thinking that might be a little sooner than I would have expected. Great review, Anisha!
ReplyDeleteAha, that's totally fine Jo! I wouldn't have gone for it either if I hadn't heard from some very trusted people about how amazing it was because vague descriptions don't appeal to me either unless I know the author's work or a trusted blogger recommends it! Thanks so much for reading and commenting Jo! :)
DeleteI have a hard time with rough beginnings so thank you for mentioning that and how it is worth it to continue. I own the first two books but haven't gotten around to reading them yet. I'll have to give them a go soon!
ReplyDeleteI do hope you enjoy them Sara! Yes, the beginning is a little tough but it's so worth it at the end!
DeleteAHH, you've made me so excited to read this series, Anisha! I need to pick it up soon. <3
ReplyDeleteMegan @ http://wanderingsofabookbird.blogspot.co.uk/
Thank you so much Megan! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
DeleteThis is a series that I still need to read! I have found myself taking a long time to get into a few books lately, so I know exactly where you are coming from. I am glad that you were able to get past the beginning and enjoy it. Also, your blog looks so pretty!! :)
ReplyDeleteOH MY GOSH THANK YOU SO MUCH <3333
Deleteoh man, killing me here. Hearing you say you really loved this.. Its one of my top 10 to read this year. I keep hearing the writing is really good so I'm excited :D
ReplyDeleteI HOPE YOU ENJOY IT AS MUCH AS I DID LILY!
Delete1. I love your blog makeover! Super chic, cute and clean. Bravo!
ReplyDelete2. Kudos to you for pushing through the first 100 pages despite it being a bit blah. I'm glad you ended up liking it :) Will definitely have to check it out!
Thank you so much! And OMG yay hope you enjoy it!
DeleteI am new to your blog, and really looking forward to reading this! It sounds amazing! Thanks so much for the chance!
ReplyDeleteNo problem Maria! And welcome! <3
DeleteAhhhhh, I must admit I'd kind of forgotten about this series! I was really excited when it came out, but just never got around to reading it. With there being so many more coming, I may wait awhile more so I can do a big binge, but I'm glad to hear the first one is so good! Plus it's good to know to work through the beginning. :) Wonderful review!
ReplyDeleteRachel @ Paper Cuts
I HOPE YOU DO READ IT! IT'S SO GOOD! and aww thank you!
DeleteExcellent review! I, too, tend to get intimidated by adult fiction, so I'm glad you had a great experience with this one! Definitely moving it up my TBR. :)
ReplyDeleteYay glad to hear that Brianna! <3
DeleteYeah me too! And Celaena is a pretty badass character!
ReplyDeleteAGREED WITH YOUR REVIEW - I LOVE THIS SERIES SO SO MUCH (As you already know!) and AAH I'M SO GLAD YOU DID TOO.
ReplyDeleteI think your blog is SO DAMN PRETTY, I especially love how the scrolling down works (I'm not sure how to describe it, but it's not the normal scroll?)
I hope you dive into the rest of the series ASAP because it is FREAKING AMAZING!
Aditi @ http://athousandwordsamillionbooks.blogspot.in/
YES OMG I DO KNOW! And thank you so much Aditi that's so kind of you! <3
DeleteLeave me a comment below! And feel free to leave your website URL so I can come visit!