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ceruleanshelves's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
"Go to hell."
"I already exist on a level of hell."
"Exist on one that isn’t near mine."
this was lit. 2010s ya dystopian vibes of red queen + shatter me with early 1900s SOC + peaky blinders and some macabre fantasy horror elements and more intricate worldbuilding of the locked tomb.
i know throwing all those titles out there sounds like this might be a pale imitation of some of them or a trope-built book, but it's not. it firmly stands on its own feet.
But there was no normal. There never had been. Normal and natural were the greatest lies we had ever created – we humans, with our little minds.
while this is a bit slower paced and there can be some cumbersome worldbuilding, i found myself really intrigued and invested in paige's story and this world. there's an interesting blend of real history and cultural references into this, and i found the blending of the above mentioned elements to be very creative in making a unique setting.
i love the idea of the mime crime and i can't wait to see those politics play out more in the future, as well as the mysterious and elusive origins of the rephaim and their enemies, the emim.
and ARCTURUS. I NEED MORE ARCTURUS 😩
‘Run, little dreamer.’
this is the first time in a WHILE that i've gotten to get into an established series with 0 info or spoilers, and i'm definitely keeping it that way while i catch up. seeing as it's going to be 7 books i'm soooo excited to see what the overall journey for paige and this world will be!
"I want to remind them that if you leave one spark aglow, it can still burn everything down."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement and Xenophobia
Minor: Addiction, Child death, Gore, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and War
tomoshiekah's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Slavery, and Violence
literarydumpling's review against another edition
adventurous
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? Yes
5.0
This is technically a reread, as I read the original copy back in 2017, however my memory is shocking so I'd largely forgotten some of the finer details, but I have REALLY enjoyed my reread.
The book is more polished, and the world is still as rich as ever. The map's glow-up is amazing, the little flower illustrations each chapter, perfect; and not to mention there is an extended section for a glossary, people of interest, and orders of clairvoyance that you can refer to throughout the book that (I think) doesn't give away any spoilers.
I was enthralled throughout this book. The pacing was perfect and I couldn't stop reading as each chapter had so much happening. There is, granted, a lot of world building initially but once you get through a large chunk of it, things start falling into place a lot more, and you can see the thought and care Samantha Shannon has put into the revised edition.
I really enjoy reading sci-fi/fantasy/speculative fiction and this is no different. What's better is that because the book is in a distant-slash-not-so-distant future, Paige has some KILLER lines and slang that you can understand and give you a bit of a laugh! She's unrelenting, she's sassy, she's all kinds of her own person, and you can see how this is an asset and a flaw to her.
Without going on and on, the fantastical elements are well-executed, and have engaging and curious characters that you want to keep track of. You can tell there is a greater and richer world beyond this first book and I cannot wait to read The Mime Order. After all, Scion: there's no safer place.
The book is more polished, and the world is still as rich as ever. The map's glow-up is amazing, the little flower illustrations each chapter, perfect; and not to mention there is an extended section for a glossary, people of interest, and orders of clairvoyance that you can refer to throughout the book that (I think) doesn't give away any spoilers.
I was enthralled throughout this book. The pacing was perfect and I couldn't stop reading as each chapter had so much happening. There is, granted, a lot of world building initially but once you get through a large chunk of it, things start falling into place a lot more, and you can see the thought and care Samantha Shannon has put into the revised edition.
I really enjoy reading sci-fi/fantasy/speculative fiction and this is no different. What's better is that because the book is in a distant-slash-not-so-distant future, Paige has some KILLER lines and slang that you can understand and give you a bit of a laugh! She's unrelenting, she's sassy, she's all kinds of her own person, and you can see how this is an asset and a flaw to her.
Without going on and on, the fantastical elements are well-executed, and have engaging and curious characters that you want to keep track of. You can tell there is a greater and richer world beyond this first book and I cannot wait to read The Mime Order. After all, Scion: there's no safer place.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Cursing, Sexual content, Torture, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Confinement
prettylightsandcitynights's review against another edition
Felt like there was a lot of scrambled thinking or steps being jumped without a lot of explanation. I couldn't connect with the characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Genocide, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Colonisation
Minor: Child death and Sexual assault
lonny05's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and War
limeta's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? Yes
5.0
Honestly this book will always have my heart. The main female character Paige is so similar to me. I understand her in the way that ablot people don't.
When I was little I also didn't know where I belonged, because I was different from other kids, now that I'm older I embrase it and I turned it into something good.
I can't wait to pick up the second book, and this book will be rereaded again, again and again.
When I was little I also didn't know where I belonged, because I was different from other kids, now that I'm older I embrase it and I turned it into something good.
I can't wait to pick up the second book, and this book will be rereaded again, again and again.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
kirstym25's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Slavery, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual assault and Kidnapping
beckyyreadss's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? Yes
4.0
I wanted to read this book because I enjoyed the Priory of the Orange Tree and wanted to read more of Samantha’s work, with these series being released with an author preferred text, I decided to jump right in. I enjoyed this book, and it was a perfect start to the series, I just wanted more again.
The year is 2059. For two centuries, the Republic of Scion has led an oppressive campaign against unnaturalness in Europe. In London, Paige Mahoney holds a high rank in the criminal underworld. The right hand of the ruthless White Binder, Paige is a dreamwalker, a rare and formidable kind of clairvoyant. Under Scion law, she commits treason simply by breathing. When Paige is arrested for murder, she meets the mysterious founders of Scion, who have designs on her uncommon abilities. If she is to survive and escape, Paige must use every skill at her disposal and put her trust in someone who ought to be her enemy.
I usually struggle with fantasy books due to the world building and the characters and the terminology. But like The Priory of the Orange Tree, I didn’t struggle with this book. It was like slowly sinking into a marshmallow and I loved it. I’ve started to love how big these books are and how the author structure these books. I love the slow burn that happens in this book and how you can see that the characters aren’t trying to trust each other but they need to trust each other to survive. I loved the love story brewing and how Paige went from being this scared and timid young girl to a kick ass woman who stood her ground and is leading the rebellion.
Just like The Priory of the Orange Tree, the only thing that stopped this being a five-star read for me was every big reveal and big twist was sort of anti-climax, I was just waiting for the reaction to be Holy Mother of Mary and it just didn’t happen, it was just sort of crept in and then we moved on. Plus, I would have loved for this to be dual POV or even multiple POV with Warden and Jaxon having their own chapters, especially towards the start of the rebellion.
Overall, this is a kick ass debut and a pretty good first book in this series that I will be carrying on with.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Slavery, and Violence
Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Kidnapping
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Drug use
kmedusa's review against another edition
I just did not connect with the characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Slavery, Kidnapping, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
brotestantethic's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Magical!! Fantasy readers who loved Harry Potter as children, but who now want something more grown (and unproblematic) will absolutely love this book. Shannon is a master of world building and story telling. I fell in love with the characters of this book, and despite its size and wordiness, it is a quick read. This certainly makes fantasy reading less daunting and more accessible. I wasn’t expecting to root for the main love interests, but I couldn’t help myself by the end. Only knocked half a star for some clunkiness and convenient solutions which at times drew me away from the story. Other than that this is a stunning first installment, and I have already ordered the rest of the series!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Slavery and Xenophobia
Minor: Sexual assault