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chasinggrace's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
The best book in this series by far. However - that does not mean it does not have its faults.
First of all: for an “author’s preferred text,” this was riddled with grammatical errors. Missing punctuation was rampant, there were repeated lines, missed indentations…I was floored by the lack of fine tuned editing, and disappointed for the author. Imagine going through a whole reprint a decade after publishing a book, just for there to be at least a dozen editing errors. Anyway.
Paige fucking infuriated me throughout this book. For the first 150 pages, I was BEGGING anyone else to be the FMC. Her decision-making was asinine, her communication was horrendous, and being inside her brain was miserable. Did she redeem herself by the end? Yes, and thank God, or else I don’t know if I could continue with this series.
And don’t even get me fucking started on the Paige/Warden dynamic in this book. I wanted to throw this novel off a cliff every time they interacted.
The political intrigue reached its peak in this story. I loved following the gang as they traversed Great Britain, and I’m truly excited to follow “Flora” to France.
First of all: for an “author’s preferred text,” this was riddled with grammatical errors. Missing punctuation was rampant, there were repeated lines, missed indentations…I was floored by the lack of fine tuned editing, and disappointed for the author. Imagine going through a whole reprint a decade after publishing a book, just for there to be at least a dozen editing errors. Anyway.
Paige fucking infuriated me throughout this book. For the first 150 pages, I was BEGGING anyone else to be the FMC. Her decision-making was asinine, her communication was horrendous, and being inside her brain was miserable. Did she redeem herself by the end? Yes, and thank God, or else I don’t know if I could continue with this series.
And don’t even get me fucking started on the Paige/Warden dynamic in this book. I wanted to throw this novel off a cliff every time they interacted.
The political intrigue reached its peak in this story. I loved following the gang as they traversed Great Britain, and I’m truly excited to follow “Flora” to France.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, and Classism
ceruleanshelves's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
‘If anyone has any other ideas, let’s hear them.’
‘Burn it down?’ Maria said hopefully.
This was what I got for trying to build an army out of criminals.
so far this was the fastest, shortest, and most action packed of the series. the reveal in the beginning was crazyyyyy 🤯 and this was such a ride with more twists and turns. i'm starting to understand why the fandom always jokes paige can't catch a break 😭
‘You’re not a born killer.’
‘Killers can be made.’
She was adamant that any organisation that labelled one group of people as evil would eventually do the same to others. That to treat any one person as less than human was to cheapen the very substance of humanity.
(Might as well die with caffeine in my veins.)
i can barely focus on writing a review for this bc all i can think about is immediately starting the next book. all the details in this and new turns to the story are solidifying samantha shannon as one of my fav new authors of 2024 (and ever).
i'm truly awed by her ability to not only tackle the complicated machinations of military and politics in this dystopian plotline, but the worldbuilding of fantasy (rephs and clairvoyants) with such meticulous details, and throw in real life influences and histories of countries, cultures, language, etc.
i'm so hyped for book 4 🏃🏼♀️➡️
When you dream of change, it shines bright, like fire, and burns away all the rot that came before it. It’s swift and inexorable. You cry for justice, and justice is done. The world stands with you in your fight. But if there was one thing I had learned in these last few weeks, it was that change had never been that simple. That kind of revolution existed only in daydreams.
The only way to survive is to believe you always will.
‘Someone once told me we were all puppets; that I should know who was holding my strings. Right now, I don’t think I have any idea.’
‘We all have our strings,’ Warden said. ‘A dreamwalker should know better than most that all strings can be cut.’
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Vomit, Police brutality, Death of parent, and War
Minor: Genocide, Xenophobia, and Alcohol
barda's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I just adore this book. It's set out very much like an action movie, which some readers weren't a huge fan of, but I loved the tense atmosphere that the faster-paced book made. And of course, I still love all the characters (I would let you commit arson Maria), and the further worldbuilding this book does of cities outside London.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug use, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent, and War
Minor: Sexual content and Alcohol
luciiee's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Genocide, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, and Fire/Fire injury
alexandramue's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Murder, and Classism
foxonabook's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, and Grief
Minor: Physical abuse and Slavery
oliverlang's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Hate crime, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
eleanora's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cursing, Vomit, and Trafficking
Minor: Medical content and Alcohol
stwriter92's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
As you can see, I started reading The Song Rising immediately after finishing The Mime Order. However, it did take me quite a while to read it, as I have been preoccupied elsewhere. I finally finished reading it this morning over a cup of tea and....
That ending.
Well, not really an ending. So many things happened all at once at the very end of this book and I felt like I was holding my breath throughout my entire reading experience as the stakes seemed to climb exponentially higher with each passing chapter.
I feel like I had to wrestle with my own understanding of and, at times, disdain for the human race and human nature as a whole. Paige herself comes to this realization towards the end, realizing that she "had been naïve. I had thought of Nashira Sargas as purely evil, purely sadistic--but she knew more about us than we did. We had given her the tools to bring us to our knees" (p. 312).Nashira had seen the hatred present in all humans and had decided to wield it as a weapon, to make humanity fall upon their own sword. However, Paige counters this when she tells Nashira, "That's what humans do. We make. We remake. We build, and we rebuild. And yes, sometimes we paint with blood, and we tear down our own civilations, and it might never stop. but if we're ever to unlearn our darker instincts, we have to be free to learn better ones. Take away the chance for us to change, and I promise you, we never will" (p. 312-313).
As the good Samwise Gamgee once said, "There's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo, and it's worth fighting for." So it is with Paige Mahoney and the Mime Order. She sees the filth of the world, the true, horrible, disgusting underbelly of humanity, and she still sees something worth saving. I think that this is the difference between Paige and Jaxon (who I still hate so, so, so much). Jaxon views the rest of humanity from a pedestal, looking down on the rest of his species and choosing to side with another in order to keep humanity in line. Paige, however, is the voice of free will. She places more faith in the human race and, in so doing, becomes an emblem and a rallying cry. She becomes everything Jaxon could have been, had he not been overcome by his selfish need to constantly save his own skin.
One could look at Paige Mahoney and see many different things. A fearless queen. A leader of a ragtag group of nobodies. A menace. A savior. A human. A battle cry. Turns out, she is all of the above.
I can't wait to see what happens in the fourth installment of this series!
That ending.
Well, not really an ending. So many things happened all at once at the very end of this book and I felt like I was holding my breath throughout my entire reading experience as the stakes seemed to climb exponentially higher with each passing chapter.
I feel like I had to wrestle with my own understanding of and, at times, disdain for the human race and human nature as a whole. Paige herself comes to this realization towards the end, realizing that she "had been naïve. I had thought of Nashira Sargas as purely evil, purely sadistic--but she knew more about us than we did. We had given her the tools to bring us to our knees" (p. 312).
As the good Samwise Gamgee once said, "There's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo, and it's worth fighting for." So it is with Paige Mahoney and the Mime Order. She sees the filth of the world, the true, horrible, disgusting underbelly of humanity, and she still sees something worth saving. I think that this is the difference between Paige and Jaxon (who I still hate so, so, so much). Jaxon views the rest of humanity from a pedestal, looking down on the rest of his species and choosing to side with another in order to keep humanity in line. Paige, however, is the voice of free will. She places more faith in the human race and, in so doing, becomes an emblem and a rallying cry. She becomes everything Jaxon could have been, had he not been overcome by his selfish need to constantly save his own skin.
One could look at Paige Mahoney and see many different things. A fearless queen. A leader of a ragtag group of nobodies. A menace. A savior. A human. A battle cry. Turns out, she is all of the above.
I can't wait to see what happens in the fourth installment of this series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Police brutality
Moderate: Death of parent
distilledreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book was shorter than the last, and while I enjoyed it, it’s also left me genuinely unsure of where this series is going to go next. Paige’s role in the revolution has definitely changed as our gaze shifts from SciLo – the alternate-universe Scion London – to a more global view.
The conclusion still packed a punch though. Shannon’s characters are all shades of morally grey and the way they handle decisions feels realistic as they attempt to confront corruption amidst confusion. While this book remains dark, there is just enough hope and perseverance left in Paige’s bleeding heart for the future that kept me captivated and my emotions on tenterhooks.
The Song Rising continues the precedent set by the previous books as a fast-paced, page-turner as Paige leads the syndicate and their brittle alliance with a subsect of the Rephaim. It remains primarily plot-focused, but I hold on to the hope that there will be more character exploration as our setting shifts to go alongside Paige’s (slight) character growth in this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Death of parent