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The Bone Season
(The Bone Season #1)
by
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 chan ...more
It is raining the day her life chan ...more
Paperback, 496 pages
Published
April 24th 2014
by Bloomsbury UK
(first published August 20th 2013)
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Community Reviews
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Start your review of The Bone Season (The Bone Season, #1)

At first, I found the world a little confusing but as I got more into the book it's became clearer. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was phenomenal! Great at accents!
3.65 stars!
...more
3.65 stars!
...more


I really, really wanted to like this book. It sounds stupid but I actually feel slightly guilty at how disappointed I was with it and I think the main reason is because the author is a British student of the same age as me and, as soon as I learned that, I really wanted her to succeed. I really wanted Shannon to be the next J.K.Rowling, as some are calling her. I really wanted her debut to take me out of this world and leave me desperate to get my hands on the next installment. However, I ju ...more

Aug 20, 2013
Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
ya,
sci-fi,
glbt,
uk,
high-school,
boring-main-character,
try-hard,
alternate-universe,
aliens,
why-do-i-hate-myself
In short: the publisher's overblown hype set this book up for judgment and failure, but the book itself provided the rope.
I hate hype. The thing about hype is that it---unfairly, at times---sets the bar up so high that there is really nowhere to go but down. This is true especially in the case of such a young author. You throw in the name Bloomsbury, and the "seven book series" bit, and the J.K. Rowling comparison surely comes. It certainly sets standards extremely high, unrealistically high, th ...more
I hate hype. The thing about hype is that it---unfairly, at times---sets the bar up so high that there is really nowhere to go but down. This is true especially in the case of such a young author. You throw in the name Bloomsbury, and the "seven book series" bit, and the J.K. Rowling comparison surely comes. It certainly sets standards extremely high, unrealistically high, th ...more

ALL SPOILERS ARE HIDDEN
This book is disgusting. My skin was crawling with revulsion while I read it.
The first part - the first three chapters - were already upsetting me. It's an alternate reality England. 200 years ago, some humans started becoming clairvoyant. It's unclear whether this was triggered by something or if it was something that always existed, hidden from the sight of amaurotics (her word for non-clairvoyants). Paige is a clairvoyant, and clairvoyants are hunted, tortured and kille ...more
This book is disgusting. My skin was crawling with revulsion while I read it.
The first part - the first three chapters - were already upsetting me. It's an alternate reality England. 200 years ago, some humans started becoming clairvoyant. It's unclear whether this was triggered by something or if it was something that always existed, hidden from the sight of amaurotics (her word for non-clairvoyants). Paige is a clairvoyant, and clairvoyants are hunted, tortured and kille ...more

this was recommended to me after i finished reading the grishaverse books (as something similar), and honestly, i cant really agree with that comparison. but that doesnt mean this isnt entertaining in its own right.
i was a little overwhelmed at first - there is SO much world building, and so quickly, that it kind of feels like i was being thrown into the deep end with really no idea about what was going on. but eventually the story became easier to get into. the world is just so fascinating tha ...more
i was a little overwhelmed at first - there is SO much world building, and so quickly, that it kind of feels like i was being thrown into the deep end with really no idea about what was going on. but eventually the story became easier to get into. the world is just so fascinating tha ...more

May 06, 2012
Steph Sinclair
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
People looking for a more complex novel with intricate world building
Recommended to Steph by:
myself 'cause I'm awesome
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
The Bone Season is easily the most hyped book of 2013, surpassing even the conclusion of the Divergent series, Allegiant. As the first in a seven book series, it's already been optioned for a movie and did appear on the New York Times Bestsellers list its debut week. But when I heard the magical words "the next J.K. Rowling" my interest, along with many, was instantly piqued due to my severe lack of will-power. But like any book surrounded by a massive amount of hype, the ...more
The Bone Season is easily the most hyped book of 2013, surpassing even the conclusion of the Divergent series, Allegiant. As the first in a seven book series, it's already been optioned for a movie and did appear on the New York Times Bestsellers list its debut week. But when I heard the magical words "the next J.K. Rowling" my interest, along with many, was instantly piqued due to my severe lack of will-power. But like any book surrounded by a massive amount of hype, the ...more
![destiny ♡⚔♡ [howling libraries]](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1557144778p2/15335689.jpg)
reread update — May 2020:
I loved this even more the second time, and I can't wait to finally continue the series! ♥
original review — July 2017:
This was the Life & Lit book of the month for July, and while I honestly didn't know what to expect and wasn't feeling particularly enthusiastic about starting this series, I was shocked by how much I loved th ...more
I loved this even more the second time, and I can't wait to finally continue the series! ♥
“This was what my spirit longed to do, to wander in strange lands. It couldn't stand being trapped in one body all the time. It had wanderlust.”
original review — July 2017:
This was the Life & Lit book of the month for July, and while I honestly didn't know what to expect and wasn't feeling particularly enthusiastic about starting this series, I was shocked by how much I loved th ...more


❝Knowledge is dangerous. Once you know something, you can't get rid of it. You have to carry it. Always.❞
Wellllll. This one is a bit tough to rate and review. It was a great book BUT it definitely had its "huh???" moments. Let me start off by saying that this world is DENSE. Holy crap. I cannot put a finger on this worldbuilding. It's like I get it, but I don't. You read it and you're like WHAT IS GOING ON, but it just flows anyways even with a big question mark floating above your h ...more

Um . . . .

I can't even begin to explain the stuff in this book. You will have to read it or read some other review. But, I freaking loved it! How? I don't know, I'm weird that way. Note: There is a glossary in the back to help with the book. I should probably have studied it but it's all good!
Paige gets taken by these people things and is turned into a slave. She gets the better person thing as her master. His name is Arcturus but he's called Warden. I liked him. Yeah, he was a slave owner but ...more

I can't even begin to explain the stuff in this book. You will have to read it or read some other review. But, I freaking loved it! How? I don't know, I'm weird that way. Note: There is a glossary in the back to help with the book. I should probably have studied it but it's all good!
Paige gets taken by these people things and is turned into a slave. She gets the better person thing as her master. His name is Arcturus but he's called Warden. I liked him. Yeah, he was a slave owner but ...more


TW : Slavery
If I had to describe my relationship with The Bone Season in one gif :


① The narrative is choppy and bounces constantly between different subjects without transition. The author is young and it shows : the information about the world is shared rather clumsily through infodump and awkward flashbacks when it suits the author to do so. I didn't complain in the beginning, because I was interested in knowing more about the world. When it went on during the whole book, though? TOO MUCH. I ...more

I nearly died trying to get through this. Even marking it as 'read' is a push, since I hardcore skimmed the last hundred pages.
It was a chore: so boring I felt like a weary, dry husk as I laboured over every indecipherable page. It falls into exactly the same trap as Truthwitch, which is to wallop the worldbuilding at the reader, and just keep on walloping, info dump after info dump until it feels like reading a textbook - and yet still nothing is explained.
It was just impossible. The Scion, S ...more
It was a chore: so boring I felt like a weary, dry husk as I laboured over every indecipherable page. It falls into exactly the same trap as Truthwitch, which is to wallop the worldbuilding at the reader, and just keep on walloping, info dump after info dump until it feels like reading a textbook - and yet still nothing is explained.
It was just impossible. The Scion, S ...more

Aug 05, 2017
Caz (littlebookowl)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
owned
Really like the concept, such a fascinating world and characters. There were some times where a lot of information is given at once, but definitely enjoyed it.

This book was so addicting, yet so unnecessarily long for me! Which is even more absurd to say, because so much of this world building was difficult to comprehend; you'd think that the extra length would be helpful, but it wasn't. Like, this chart saved my life:

You see this chart before chapter one, but you don't realize how much you actually need this chart until all these different clairvoyant names start getting thrown at you, and it is the only reference you have to help you not feel complet ...more

You see this chart before chapter one, but you don't realize how much you actually need this chart until all these different clairvoyant names start getting thrown at you, and it is the only reference you have to help you not feel complet ...more

“Bone used to mean good, or prosperous. From the French, bonne...that’s why they named it: the Good Season, the season of prospect. They see it as collecting their reward...Of course, the humans see it differently. To them Bone means that: bones, starvation. Death.”
What an incredible debut fantasy! The world building was so intricate, it took a while to make sense of everything, and even then new stuff was still being introduced throughout!
Paige is a clairvoyant, a member of an elite group of ...more
What an incredible debut fantasy! The world building was so intricate, it took a while to make sense of everything, and even then new stuff was still being introduced throughout!
Paige is a clairvoyant, a member of an elite group of ...more

Curse you Samantha Shannon!!! You go and create this amazingly original book, and then make me wait for the rest?! I'm not going to make it. If you need me to *ahem* check the future books for...something...I'm more than willing. Jus'sayin. Now on to the book review!!
All clairvoyance was prohibited, of course, but the kind that made money was a downright sin. They had a special term for it: mime-crime.
This story is incredibly original (for me), and really intense! Though I real ...more

First read in March 2015
Fantastic is an understatement.
The Bone Season absolutely blew me away. Such a fantastically written book, with a gripping plot, amazing characters and original setting and ideas. I flew through it, despite the rocky beginning - there’s quite a lot of information presented, which can make it difficult for the reader to connect, but once you get pass that, you will not want to put this book down. It’s imaginative, it presents a fresh setting and it’s a riveting read.
The ye ...more
Fantastic is an understatement.
The Bone Season absolutely blew me away. Such a fantastically written book, with a gripping plot, amazing characters and original setting and ideas. I flew through it, despite the rocky beginning - there’s quite a lot of information presented, which can make it difficult for the reader to connect, but once you get pass that, you will not want to put this book down. It’s imaginative, it presents a fresh setting and it’s a riveting read.
The ye ...more

Updated Review
After reading this for a 3rd time I have to raise my rating to 5 stars. It's such a great start to a series. It moves quickly but still develops the characters so well. It's exciting, emotional, intriguing. All around a great time and a series I will continue to return to again and again. Has to be 5 stars.
Original Review
"The Bone Season" is remarkable. It is unique. It is a work of an extremely talented young lady (she's only 22 years old! What?!). And it is the start to a series ...more
After reading this for a 3rd time I have to raise my rating to 5 stars. It's such a great start to a series. It moves quickly but still develops the characters so well. It's exciting, emotional, intriguing. All around a great time and a series I will continue to return to again and again. Has to be 5 stars.
Original Review
"The Bone Season" is remarkable. It is unique. It is a work of an extremely talented young lady (she's only 22 years old! What?!). And it is the start to a series ...more

There’s a lot wrong with this book
I heard lots of praise about this book prior to reading it. It is supposed to be some kind of novel that is representative of female fantasy novelists, and the rising popularity of them. Apparently this novel is leading the charge for women writers claiming the fantasy genre. Well if that was true, which it isn’t, then this charge is a lost cause because this novel is incredibly average. Not to mention the fact that the actual forerunner of female fantasy writi ...more
I heard lots of praise about this book prior to reading it. It is supposed to be some kind of novel that is representative of female fantasy novelists, and the rising popularity of them. Apparently this novel is leading the charge for women writers claiming the fantasy genre. Well if that was true, which it isn’t, then this charge is a lost cause because this novel is incredibly average. Not to mention the fact that the actual forerunner of female fantasy writi ...more

Original Read: January 1st - January 8th, 2016
Re-read: March 1st - March 19th, 2017
My original rating and thoughts still stand. This book starts out slow and confusing, even after my 2nd time reading this, it's still a bit confusing. But I love the world that Shannon has built in this series and I'm so excited to get to The Song Rising to see what else she has in store for this series.
On to book 2....
************************
Original Review:
4.5 Stars
**This will probably be long and confusi ...more
Re-read: March 1st - March 19th, 2017
My original rating and thoughts still stand. This book starts out slow and confusing, even after my 2nd time reading this, it's still a bit confusing. But I love the world that Shannon has built in this series and I'm so excited to get to The Song Rising to see what else she has in store for this series.
On to book 2....
************************
Original Review:
4.5 Stars
**This will probably be long and confusi ...more

This was a great book and I really, really enjoyed reading it. The world Samantha Shannon has created is a very interesting one and I loved how it was a little more complex than your usual YA fantasy world. Once I'd gotten into the book, it was a very gripping and quick read and I quickly became fond of most of the main characters.
So overall, this was a really enjoyable read but especially towards the end of the novel, many parts felt like they were just a mixture of popular other YA books like ...more
So overall, this was a really enjoyable read but especially towards the end of the novel, many parts felt like they were just a mixture of popular other YA books like ...more

Aug 23, 2013
Jack Truong
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
pure-crap,
young-adult
To say that this author is the next JK Rowling is like saying I'm the incarnation of Tolkien on steroid.
Brace yourself, this review is gonna be ugly. I wish the system had allowed me to rate a book lower than 1, because I don't simply 'not like it'. When I finished reading, I wonder if the people at Bloomsburry were on Floxy when they decided to publish this book. It is BORING. There is nothing new or ground-breaking here. It's just the same old ideas stuffed in a lackluster plot and contrived s ...more
Brace yourself, this review is gonna be ugly. I wish the system had allowed me to rate a book lower than 1, because I don't simply 'not like it'. When I finished reading, I wonder if the people at Bloomsburry were on Floxy when they decided to publish this book. It is BORING. There is nothing new or ground-breaking here. It's just the same old ideas stuffed in a lackluster plot and contrived s ...more

Edit: So, it's only been a few days - I think just two days actually - and I can't stop thinking about this book. The characters. The world. So good. So damn good!
I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK.
I went into this with no expectations at all and not knowing what it would be about, and I think that's definitely the best approach, and holy hell, I loved every minute of it! Books that I find difficult to put down or give me heart palpitations are always, of course, great and memorable reads for me.
Here's the ...more
I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK.
I went into this with no expectations at all and not knowing what it would be about, and I think that's definitely the best approach, and holy hell, I loved every minute of it! Books that I find difficult to put down or give me heart palpitations are always, of course, great and memorable reads for me.
Here's the ...more

May 20, 2013
tthepageturner
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
favourites,
series-in-progress
The Bone Season is a highly original and engaging read.
The Bone Season has been classed as an ‘Adult’ book by the publisher, but it definitely has crossover appeal. It features characters that are 18+, touches on adult themes, and contains curse words (not much.) As someone who is over the age of 18 I would love to see more books like this, as it offers the best of both worlds – not YA, but not quite adult either. When I first heard the term 'New Adult' this is what I thought it would be. I was ...more
The Bone Season has been classed as an ‘Adult’ book by the publisher, but it definitely has crossover appeal. It features characters that are 18+, touches on adult themes, and contains curse words (not much.) As someone who is over the age of 18 I would love to see more books like this, as it offers the best of both worlds – not YA, but not quite adult either. When I first heard the term 'New Adult' this is what I thought it would be. I was ...more

GUYS!
WHAT A BOOK! ah, I still can't believe that something this awesome had escaped my knowledge!
this book is amazing and I am so jealous of the world that Shannon has created! truly, truly a masterpiece.
if you're a fan of awesome fantasies & glorious world building then this is the book for you!
seriously, read this book!
it's a bit hard to start but after 50 pages, you get it. and I would recommend listening to the audiobook because there were so many words that I would have mispronounced. l ...more
WHAT A BOOK! ah, I still can't believe that something this awesome had escaped my knowledge!
this book is amazing and I am so jealous of the world that Shannon has created! truly, truly a masterpiece.
if you're a fan of awesome fantasies & glorious world building then this is the book for you!
seriously, read this book!
it's a bit hard to start but after 50 pages, you get it. and I would recommend listening to the audiobook because there were so many words that I would have mispronounced. l ...more

WOW. So happy I finally picked up this book! It's sat on my shelf for a couple of years and I wish I'd read it sooner!
I read this in 2 days. If that doesn't show how much I enjoyed it...
Being book one of a fantasy series (with lots of hard to pronounce names) it took me a little while to feel like I understood what was really happening. There were also a few parts where info was dumped pretty heavily, but it wasn't too bad. I'm really intrigued by this new world and I don't feel like I've ever r ...more
I read this in 2 days. If that doesn't show how much I enjoyed it...
Being book one of a fantasy series (with lots of hard to pronounce names) it took me a little while to feel like I understood what was really happening. There were also a few parts where info was dumped pretty heavily, but it wasn't too bad. I'm really intrigued by this new world and I don't feel like I've ever r ...more

The world building was clunky, the language a mess, the characters flat, but it wasn’t bad as such. I enjoyed some parts of it more than others, but mostly I read this because I know what the author can do. Priory of the Orange Tree was outstanding, so I’m hoping the story and this world develop and I’ll get to enjoy them more with every book.

2.5 Stars
Buddy Read January 16, 2015 with Annette, Athena (Shardbearer), Michelle, Shandra, Kristen, Kerry, Jamie, Julie, and Andrew at Buddies Books and Baubles
I can definitely see why so many people have enjoyed this story. I enjoyed it too, not a huge 5 star kind of enjoy but enough that even though I’m giving it a 2.5 stars I am going to read the next book.
Now any other series starting with a 2 star I might not continue with but there is a ton of potential and this is her first book I expec ...more
Buddy Read January 16, 2015 with Annette, Athena (Shardbearer), Michelle, Shandra, Kristen, Kerry, Jamie, Julie, and Andrew at Buddies Books and Baubles
I can definitely see why so many people have enjoyed this story. I enjoyed it too, not a huge 5 star kind of enjoy but enough that even though I’m giving it a 2.5 stars I am going to read the next book.
Now any other series starting with a 2 star I might not continue with but there is a ton of potential and this is her first book I expec ...more

Jun 13, 2014
Giselle
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2013,
5-star,
beautiful-covers,
genre-dystopia,
genre-fantasy,
signed,
from-gift,
own,
genre-romance-slow-burn,
age-adult
Paige is an unnatural who works for one of the mimelords in the future where London is plagued with people who can hear, speak and converse with spirits. She is different from the rest and having that ability makes her valuable enough to be kidnapped. Her captors take her to a place where she didn't know existed and there she will find a world that she never knew existed.
I don't even know how I was going to write this review, but alas it was easier than I thought it would be. I found it refreshi ...more
I don't even know how I was going to write this review, but alas it was easier than I thought it would be. I found it refreshi ...more

“Do you trust me now?”
“Should I?”
“I cannot tell you that. That is trust, Paige. Not knowing whether you should trust at all.”
“Then I trust you.”
Enjoyed this book thoroughly! Loved the world building :D Towards the end, Im fawning (and low-key going gaga) over this precious relationship between Paige and Arcturus ;)

Onwards to The Mime Order! #excited ...more

Jun 30, 2020
Anca-Daniela Spataru
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
4-stars
Just waiting for the adaptation already 😃😃
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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YA Buddy Readers'...: The Bone Season (The Bone Season #1) by Samantha Shannon - Restarting January 11th 2021 | 78 | 290 | 13 hours, 0 min ago | |
Crazy for Young A...: The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon→ Start Date: January 2, 2019 | 10 | 16 | Jan 07, 2019 06:13PM | |
your thoughts on the book? | 4 | 22 | Apr 28, 2018 09:51AM | |
Mentor Texts: Mentor Texts | 1 | 9 | Apr 08, 2018 02:25PM | |
#FanaticalBird Bo...: The Bone Season Buddy Read | 2 | 11 | Apr 08, 2017 08:33PM | |
The Bone Season S...: PROS: The Characters | 18 | 54 | Jan 31, 2017 10:44PM |
Samantha Shannon studied English Language and Literature at St. Anne’s College, Oxford. The Bone Season, the first in a seven-book series, was a New York Times bestseller and the inaugural Today Book Club selection.
Her next novel, The Priory of the Orange Tree, was published in February 2019 and became a New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller. Her work has been translated into twenty-six lang ...more
Her next novel, The Priory of the Orange Tree, was published in February 2019 and became a New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller. Her work has been translated into twenty-six lang ...more
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The Bone Season
(7 books)
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“Knowledge is dangerous. Once you know something, you can't get rid of it. You have to carry it. Always.”
—
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