Samantha Shannon’s The Bone Season was a book I knew I wanted to dive into, but it took a while to fully commit. However, when I finally fell into it, it wouldn’t let me go. With its intricate worldbuilding, emotionally charged character arcs, and a relationship that crackles with tension, this novel is a powerful beginning to a series I’m deeply invested in.
Set in a reimagined 2059, the story introduces us to an alternate future where clairvoyants (people with abilities) are hunted, imprisoned, and criminalized by the oppressive Scion regime. Shannon’s world is dense, but in the best way: it’s layered with political structures, a unique magical system, and an underground society of voyants just trying to survive. The city of Oxford—secretly used as a prison colony—is chillingly atmospheric, and the presence of the otherworldly Rephaim adds an eerie vibe to the story.
Rather than dumping exposition, Shannon filters this world through Paige’s perspective, meaning we often learn things as she does, sometimes imperfectly. It adds realism and momentum, and it’s refreshing to see a complex world unfold at a human pace.
Paige is a protagonist I’ve enjoyed rooting for. She’s sharp, resourceful, and intensely loyal, but she has her moments when I want to shake some sense into her. At the beginning, she’s confident in her ability to survive within the criminal underworld of Scion London, but when she’s captured and taken to Oxford, everything changes. Her journey is one of adaptation and quiet rebellion, but it’s also one of internal transformation. Paige is constantly pushed to confront what freedom, identity, and trust really mean in a world designed to break her.
Her growth is especially compelling because she never loses her edge. She learns to be strategic without compromising her core values, and her resilience is a steady, glowing thread throughout the entire book.
And then there’s Arcturus Mesarthim: her keeper, reluctant ally, and perhaps something more. Their relationship starts fraught with power imbalance and suspicion, but Shannon crafts their dynamic with incredible care. Rather than rushing into romance, the bond between Paige and Arcturus is slow-building, rooted in mutual observation, quiet moments, and a gradual unraveling of guarded truths.
There’s a dignity and patience to Arcturus that makes him feel both otherworldly and deeply human. Paige’s instinct to resist him is justified, but as she begins to understand his own constraints within the Rephaim hierarchy, their connection starts to shift.
The Bone Season isn’t a light read, but it’s a fun one. It asks you to invest in its many complexities, and in return, offers a story full of grit, imagination, and a touch of tenderness. Long story short, I’m anxious to continue the series… my copy of The Mime Order is waiting!