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stwriter92's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I hate Jaxon Hall. I mean, I already knew I hated Jaxon Hall, but I hate him even more now, which I did not think was actually possible.
The general set up of The Mime Order was the aftermath of what took place during The Bone Season. Paige Mahoney, newly escaped from the penal colony of Sheol I, must now try and convince her fellow voyants of the threat that looms over them all, casting a shadow far larger, darker, and more lethal than Scion’s. However, Paige is faced with disbelief and disrespect at every turn. When the Underlord turns up brutally murdered along with his lackeys, the mime-lords and mime-queens of London must choose a new leader. In the Archon of Westminster, Nashira (or Nashita, as I typo-ed her and now call her) pulls the threads of her spider’s web to make her little flies dance. When the Rephaim come back, Paige must strike a bargain to fight for the safety and the freedom of every voyant in London.
I’ll start off with what I liked about this book. I loved the fact that it started off exactly where The Bone Season ended: on the train back to London. Getting a better look at the politics of the syndicate was also fascinating to me. Meeting the different mime-lords and mime-queens gave me a better understanding of why the syndicate was the way that it was.
However, I did feel like the book had a lot of unnecessary fluff. It was very slow at the beginning, though granted it did pick up later on. I do think that about a quarter of the beginning could have been cut and it would have made no real difference. I also felt like the chemistry between Paige and the Warden was just…not there? I already felt like it was a bit forced in The Bone Season, but it felt virtually non-existent (at least to me) during The Mime Order. The only time I saw a semblance of chemistry between them was any time the golden thread was brought into the scene. Apart from that, there really was nothing there. If anything, I feel like it’s more of a Stockholm Syndrome sort of thing than anything else.
However, that ending. I do not envy the people who read this book as soon as it came out, only to realize they would need to wait to have that cliffhanger resolved.
I’d give this four stars and I, thankfully, don’t need to wait two years like some of the previous readers have had to for the third book. I have it right next to me and will be starting on it after a short nap.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Gore
linkdoesread's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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
5.0
I'm going to need a while to process the mind-bending madness that Samantha Shannon just laid on me! If you haven't read The Bone Season books you really have to!
This is the second book in the series and picks up moments after the first book ended.... (Pause here for spoilers!)
Paige, some survivors and the Seven Seals have made their way out of Sheol 1 on a stolen train. The relationship between Jaxon and Paige is broken possibly beyond repair. Warden is missing and everything seems impossible. Enter a whole bunch more tension and plot!
The central focus of this book is Paige bringing the tyranny of Scion and the actions of the Rephaim to light for the public to rise and take a stand - but to save the lives of millions of voyants she's going to need the help of the Unnatural Assembly - they, however, are too focused on squabbling and making money. Fighting from every angle Paige is hunting down the truth and entering a battle she has to win. Long live the Mime Order!
This is the second book in the series and picks up moments after the first book ended.... (Pause here for spoilers!)
Paige, some survivors and the Seven Seals have made their way out of Sheol 1 on a stolen train. The relationship between Jaxon and Paige is broken possibly beyond repair. Warden is missing and everything seems impossible. Enter a whole bunch more tension and plot!
The central focus of this book is Paige bringing the tyranny of Scion and the actions of the Rephaim to light for the public to rise and take a stand - but to save the lives of millions of voyants she's going to need the help of the Unnatural Assembly - they, however, are too focused on squabbling and making money. Fighting from every angle Paige is hunting down the truth and entering a battle she has to win. Long live the Mime Order!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Slavery, Violence, and Blood
the_literarylinguist's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Blood
Moderate: Death, Self harm, and Murder
Minor: Cursing
sarahholliday's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.5
One of the reasons this series is so enjoyable is the ability to see Shannon's writing develop from book to book.
The Bone Season will always be my "favorite" in the series because it's where I fell in love with a new author, but I do love the way in which Shannon continues to expand the universe without making it too big or overwhelming.
The Mime Order is infuriating and frustrating in the best possible way, and it's wonderful to see Paige further develop into a competent, passionate leader.
The Bone Season will always be my "favorite" in the series because it's where I fell in love with a new author, but I do love the way in which Shannon continues to expand the universe without making it too big or overwhelming.
The Mime Order is infuriating and frustrating in the best possible way, and it's wonderful to see Paige further develop into a competent, passionate leader.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, and Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism and Gore
unfiltered_fiction's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
In this sequel to The Bone Season, Samantha Shannon shows a tangible improvement in the quality of her writing. Page's story opens up to the world of Scion London, giving the reader a vivid and compelling backdrop for the narrative. Shannon's worldbuilding is stronger in this novel than her first, and her characters remain excellent, although they don't develop a huge amount between the end of The Bone Season and the end of this book, with some even regressing a little.
Elements of the writing remain knotted - a couple of dialogue passages I had to read several times to be sure that I understood what the characters were implying to one another, which detracted from the pace of the writing. The plot is also a little lopsided, building up to a cliffhanger which is very easily predictable and therefore not very effective at all. It feels a little haphazard, as though Paige simply lurches from event to event rather than there being a strong arc with very little strategy for a long time. The story doesn't truly get going until the final section of the book, which is a little long to wait, especially when this is already a sequel.
However, there is an evident maturation of Shannon's world and her way of representing it. The politics of the syndicate are fascinating; fight scenes are written very, very well; it was fabulous to get to know the Dials better. Subplots were very compelling, and laid the foundations for some really exciting things later in the series. Despite its flaws, I really love this series. I think it's a fascinating world, an excellent concept, and a story that is truly epic - albeit with some faltering in the telling.
Elements of the writing remain knotted - a couple of dialogue passages I had to read several times to be sure that I understood what the characters were implying to one another, which detracted from the pace of the writing. The plot is also a little lopsided, building up to a cliffhanger which is very easily predictable and therefore not very effective at all. It feels a little haphazard, as though Paige simply lurches from event to event rather than there being a strong arc with very little strategy for a long time. The story doesn't truly get going until the final section of the book, which is a little long to wait, especially when this is already a sequel.
However, there is an evident maturation of Shannon's world and her way of representing it. The politics of the syndicate are fascinating; fight scenes are written very, very well; it was fabulous to get to know the Dials better. Subplots were very compelling, and laid the foundations for some really exciting things later in the series. Despite its flaws, I really love this series. I think it's a fascinating world, an excellent concept, and a story that is truly epic - albeit with some faltering in the telling.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Suicide, Police brutality, Trafficking, and Grief
Minor: Animal cruelty and Confinement
deerestdoe's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- 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, Emotional abuse, and Violence
Minor: Alcoholism and Torture