Reviews

The Dawn Chorus, by Samantha Shannon

jules44's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

My favorite installment of this series so far. Getting a deeper glimpse into Paige’s suffering and resilience fleshed out much of what I was missing through the beginning of the series. 

kittenscribble's review

4.0

A little novella that deals patiently and unsparingly with Paige's PTSD from being held and tortured; it makes a realistic bridge between the books where she engineers her release and when she plunges into action again. Does not stand alone well, relying as it does so heavily on preceding events, but I can see why it would have been cut from the main series - it's much more slow and contemplative than the tense pacing of the main books.

ofclumsywords's review

dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

raqreads's review against another edition

4.0

1. The Bone Season | ★★★
2. The Mime Order | ★★★★
3. The Song Rising | ★★★★

“Let the storm into you, Paige. Hold it inside. See yourself as a force of nature, vast enough to defeat a god, and carry that image for all of your days.”

The Dawn Chorus is a novella that bridges the gap between The Song Rising and The Mask Falling. Starting right after the ending of the third book and alternating between the present and some flashbacks of moments that took place behind the scenes of the first book, Samantha Shannon has written a powerful short story that heavily deals with themes as PTSD, torture, aquaphobia and drug withdrawal.

It broke my heart reading about what Paige was dealing with. It was painful to read at times because it felt so realistic, which makes me want to applaud Shannon for how well-written those scenes are. But the author not only wrote a heartbreaking novella, but indulged us with some cute scenes of Paige and Warden.

I really enjoyed this extra content and I highly recommend it to every fan of The Bone Season series. I think it deals with important themes and also that may include some possible clues for the next instalments. Now all that’s left is to sit, wait and count the days until The Mask Falling comes out.

“Same puzzle, wrong pieces. It was as if we were both spun from glass. As if holding on too hard would fracture us both.”

P.S.: I'm not English, so if you see any mistakes let me know so I can correct them, please.

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berethnara's review

4.0

expanded a on bone season and also took us into the mind of Paige recovering w Warden i liked it a lot

jhynes2824's review

emotional funny hopeful tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

beauteafulreads's review against another edition

5.0

Paige and Warden in their early days in Paris after the events of The Song Rising.

Trigger warning as Paige deals with psychological trauma following abuse and torture.

I loved this deep dive into Paige's mind and how she is faring after the horrors of the first 3 books. I really appreciated experiencing a character beginning to piece their mental health back together.

Bonus points for fluffy Paige and Warden as well as a bit of domestic Warden and some further insights into unseen events of book 1.

Loved this new little installment of The Bone Season series.

jasallbooked's review

Maybe by finishing this I will finally pick up The Mask Falling.

pixelski's review

4.0

I didn’t realise how much I’d forgotten the events of The Song Rising until I read this novella and it helped bridge the gap. I like how this dealt with PTSD; it showed that Paige is still human despite everything she’s achieved. I think I’d really glorified her in my mind and this brought me back to reality. I do wish there were less flashbacks to the past and more moments in the present.
Warden though, his calm, his patience and his willingness to understand. What a man. He’s such a constant and reassuring presence.
I don’t think I’m ready for The Mask Falling.

almaylu's review

4.0

‘If you are not here, and I am not me, and none of this is real,’ was the tranquil reply, ‘then I cannot think how this conversation is taking place. We seem to have entered the realm of metaphysics.’

The darkness tempted me to trust it. It knew my weaknesses. Only Arcturus Mesarthim would have snuck a word like metaphysics (whatever that meant) into his attempt to calm me down.