Showing posts with label the bone season. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the bone season. Show all posts

Wednesday, 11 June 2014

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

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Warning: Spoilers! (duh.)

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.



I found the blurb of this book to be very confusing as to the plot. The concept is actually more simplistic than that. At some point, many people become Clairvoyant and in many different ways can communicate with the Aether (or the spirit world shall we say) this increased activity causes a tear to other worlds allowing 2 kinds of being through. The Rephs, who "protect humans" by kidnapping the clairvoyants and using them as slaves and soldiers and The Buzzers who The Rephs fight off. 

This concept confused me as we were thrown straight into the world and rest assured this is high fantasy, but once I found my bearings, I moved through the world easily. Paige is a Celaena Sardothien comparison worthy protagonist. She works for the Mob (Seven Seals) and is basically kept alive on life support so her spirit can wander the Aether and keep lookout during jobs. I mean awesome right, but then after she kills an underguard she is kidnapped by Reds (The soldiers of The Rephs) and taken to Oxford where she has to embark on two tasks to become a Red or fail and live in the slave city in squalor. Of course Nashira the leader of The Reph's is corrupt and plans to steal Paige's power - Dreamwalking as they call it is very rare. 


This book is everything you want it to be. The love story with Nick was so heartbreaking because even though he was older I was still rooting for them, and then knowing he loved Zeke was not only a shock plot twist but also bittersweet. I wanted to Nick to be happy, he was into guys, I had no idea but then he was confiding this in a girl who'd loved him since she was 9 years old. I mean ouch! Then we have Warden, I hated him, I hated him so much at first and slowly as Paige's opinion changed so did mine, I didn't want to like him and find him endearing but I did, and man that kiss. That is my all time favourite book kiss ever! And she was stood watching them the creepy devil! This romantic part is probably about 50 pages of the 500 page book all in all. 


This book really had some beautiful themes of slavery, unity and freedom. It ends like you feel a book should not with a fizzle but with a bang. With books like these, you expect a battle, an ass kicking, exploding stage, characters you love dying battle. And my god Shannon delivered, it is such a strong ending. And it just left me wanting more. 


I may have already pre-ordered the next book.



I did do my fair share of complaining about how long this book is.  I do feel it could be more concise because sometimes we aare literally listening to Paige think and in retrospect, the things she was thinking doesn't seem that relevant, but maybe it will be in future books, who knows. Also great news...this is a 6 part series! I mean, JACKPOT!

This is a stunning debut and the cover and hardback are beautiful and the story is enthralling, I kept trying to put it down but just kept grabbing it back up again. It was genius, much love for The Bone Season!

 Happy Reading!







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Monday, 2 June 2014

June TBR

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My TBR list for June contains following on from series I started in May as well as continuing series I started a while ago and have had new releases. I also have a book recommendation and a TBR Jar pick. So lets get started.


Bottom to top, I picked The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon. 
  
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.

I picked this up knowing nothing about it after the author did a live stream event with Sarah J Maas, and yes, I am an advertisers dream. The concept seems really interested and I am super excited to try a book I probably wouldn't have picked up if I'd just seen it in a store. Strong heroine, crazy new world, I don't see what I could dislike about this book.

Next we have The One by Kiera Cass. Admittedly I started this end of May and it is the final book in a trilogy I have followed throughout. Loved the first one and hated the second one. I am honestly finishing the  series out of a terrible loyalty.

The Selection changed America Singer's life in ways she never could have imagined. Since she entered the competition to become the next princess of Illéa, America has struggled with her feelings for her first love, Aspen--and her growing attraction to Prince Maxon. Now she's made her choice . . . and she's prepared to fight for the future she wants.

Third is the third (ha) book in the Percy Jackson series. Percy Jackson and the Titans Curse by Rick Riordan. I know nothing about what happens here on in and I am super excited to find out. Percy is delightful and I don't see what could go wrong currently.

IT'S NOT EVERYDAY YOU FIND YOURSELF IN COMBAT WITH A HALF-LION, HALF-HUMAN.

But when you're the son of a Greek god, it happens. And now my friend Annabeth is missing, a goddess is in chains and only five half-blood heroes can join the quest to defeat the doomsday monster.

Oh, and guess what? The Oracle has predicted that not all of us will survive...

  
Enter More Than This by Patrick Ness I bought this simply due to the John Green quote on the cover. I've read atleast one chapter from all my TBR books and I feel like I will enjoy this. I'm not like crazy excited for it because it looks bloody huge but hopefully I'll love it and it'll be worth it. 

A boy drowns, desperate and alone in his final moments. He dies.

Then he wakes, naked and bruised and thirsty, but alive.

How can this be? And what is this strange deserted place?

As he struggles to understand what is happening, the boy dares to hope. Might this not be the end? Might there be more to this life, or perhaps this afterlife?


And now a recommendation and lend from my twin. The summer I turned pretty by Jenny Han is apparently a lovely, summery read so I will bite the bullet and give it a go. It's not the type of book I would normally go for, I've even seen it in shops and avoided it. But I trust her judgement.

Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer--they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one terrible and wonderful summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.

I also have a couple books on my Kindle for this month including:

Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor (I refuse to have the first two in paperback and the last one in hardback so I will wait) Super excited though, I love this series and will be sad to see it end.

Frozen by Erin Bowman, and the novella Stolen. I loved the first book and can't wait to carry on. I adore Bree. Just love her so much.

So hopefully that will be enough to keep me busy this month. 
Let's crack on.
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