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A review by unfiltered_fiction
The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon
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