A review by bookishsamurai
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? Yes

5.0

This is the fourth book in The Bone Season series, and it's a fantastic continuation of the world Paige has been navigating since The Bone Season. If you’ve been following along, this book really digs deep into her character after The Song Rising and the intense choices she’s facing about how to move forward.

The world-building is as captivating as ever, with Paige constantly dealing with new threats (our girl cannot catch a break!), alliances, and the ever-growing tension between Paige the person and Paige the UQ. The stakes are huge, personally for Paige and for the London syndicate. What really stood out in this book is how much Paige’s internal struggles take center stage - her growth is really evident, and you feel every moment of it. Samantha Shannon did an incredible job of making Paige's trauma such a big part of her in the immediate aftermath, as it happens usually. 

There’s also a lot more exploration of the relationships in the
Paris syndicate
, and new characters and elements are introduced that really take the overall complexity of the story to the next level. While the pacing is a little slow at the beginning, there is a good reason for it, and it adds to the depth of character development that Paige goes through in that time. 

The writing is engaging, with plenty of tension and those gut-punching emotional moments that keep you hooked. By the time you reach the end, you’ll definitely be breathless for what happens next. It’s a brilliant book to add to the series, and another reason why this series has become my adult favorite! 



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