A review by sophiesmallhands
The Mask Falling by Samantha Shannon

adventurous dark emotional inspiring 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

 The Bone Season is an incredibly ambitious series, combining not only a steampunk/dystopian/not-so-distant-future United Kingdom but also a complex “magic” system with many fantasy elements. I admit, I feel like there are some pacing issues with the first two books. These were resolved in the 3rd book and we were absolutely flying in the 4th book! 
 
The Mask Falling picks up almost immediately after the events of The Song Rising, with Paige being spirited (see what I did there?) to Paris to recover from her brush with Scion and begin her new role as an agent for the mysterious Domino program. The narrative balances some excellent character-based story with Paige finally being able to slow down and heal herself and think about what she wants from this life rather than just the constant fight for Unnaturals. 
 
When we do start getting into the plot-driven elements, it’s like Shannon has taken the best parts of all her previous books and slipped them seamlessly into this one; there’s heist, political gang intrigue, a prison-break and heart-break! 
 
I thoroughly look forward to the next three instalments of the series, whenever they may be published! 
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