The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon follows Paige Mahoney, one of the many clairvoyants who are criminalized and imprisoned by the government. Set in a traditional dystopian setting, the novel follows standard story beats of the protagonist rebelling against the oppressive puppet government. While I enjoyed the novel greatly, it can at times be a slog to get through dense chapters of the story. The author has built a complex world with a steep learning curve, and for reading the book through once, many details can become confusing. Since The Bone Season is set as the first book of a trilogy, this makes sense, but oftentimes there are hints of the narrative that feel unnecessary or confusing because the reader has not been exposed to the importance of a certain section of the world. Despite this, my overall perception of the book was positive, and it ended off in a satisfying conclusion that set up further books to come. The story explores themes of trust and portrays lessons about how families can be chosen more often than assigned. I’d recommend the story to someone seeking a read in the dystopian-fantasy genre, but I would strongly warn that a large amount of patience has to be given to the author to set up their enriching world.
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