It is the year 2059. Several major world cities are under the control of a security force called Scion. Paige Mahoney works in the criminal underworld of Scion London, part of a secret cell known as the Seven Seals. The work she does is unusual: scouting for information by breaking into others' minds. Paige is a dreamwalker, a rare kind of clairvoyant, and in this world, the voyants commit treason simply by breathing.
But when Paige is captured and arrested, she encounters a power more sinister even than Scion. The voyant prison is a separate city-Oxford, erased from the map two centuries ago and now controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. These creatures, the Rephaim, value the voyants highly-as soldiers in their army.
Paige is assigned to a Rephaite keeper, Warden, who will be in charge of her care and training. He is her master. Her natural enemy. But if she wants to regain her freedom, Paige will have to learn something of his mind and his own mysterious motives.
The Bone Season introduces a compelling heroine-a young woman learning to harness her powers in a world where everything has been taken from her. It also introduces an extraordinary young writer, with huge ambition and a teeming imagination. Samantha Shannon has created a bold new reality in this riveting debut.
Industry Reviews
"[A] galvanic debut... dynamically and shrewdly imagined...a dazzlingly brainy, witty, and bewitching tale of outrageous courage, heroic compassion, transcendent love, and the quest for freedom...the first in a thoughtful fantasy series by a brilliant young writer." - "Booklist (starred review)" "A dark and exquisitely rendered fantasy unlike anything out there. "The Bone Season "is a must-read." --Kami Garcia, coauthor of the Beautiful Creatures series"[A] magical dystopic tale." --"Redbook""[A] dazzlingly brainy, witty, and bewitching tale of outrageous courage, heroic compassion, transcendent love, and the quest for freedom...the first in a thoughtful fantasy series by a brilliant young writer." - "Booklist" (starred review)"Truly extraordinary and thrilling." --Andy Serkis"A richly imagined debut." --"Publishers Weekly""For those who like their dystopian science fiction multilayered, philosophical, and complex"." -- Kirkus Reviews""Samantha Shannon is a hugely inventive talent. With "The Bone Season", she's hit the ground running" --Susan Hill, author of "The Woman in Black""" A TODAY SHOW BOOK CLUB PICK!"Truly extraordinary and thrilling." - Andy Serkis"[The Bone Season] invokes both the political tyranny of George Orwell and the bucolic mythmaking of J.R.R. Tolkien." - "USA Today""This book is definitely your new crack, full of juicy worldbuilding and heroic weirdness." - Io9.COM"Intelligent, inventive, dark, and engrossing enough to keep me up late to finish...There's a distinct Margaret Atwood wash to Shannon's dystopian universe, and echoes of Anthony Burgess's "Clockwork Orange" in the colorful lingo." - NPR.org"A dark and exquisitely rendered fantasy unlike anything out there. "The Bone Season" is a must-read." - Kami Garcia, coauthor of the Beautiful Creatures series "[A] dazzingly brainy, witty, and bewitching tale of outrageous courage, heroic compassion, transcendent love, and the quest for freedom...the first in a thoughtful fantasy series by a brilliant young writer." - "Booklist" (starred review) "Rad" - "Vanity Fair""" A dark and exquisitely rendered fantasy unlike anything out there. "The Bone Season" is a must-read.--Kami Garcia, coauthor of the Beautiful Creatures series "Truly extraordinary and thrilling." --Andy Serkis"[The Bone Season] invokes both the political tyranny of George Orwell and the bucolic mythmaking of J.R.R. Tolkien." --USA Today"This book is definitely your new crack, full of juicy worldbuilding and heroic weirdness." --Io9.COM"Intelligent, inventive, dark, and engrossing enough to keep me up late to finish...There's a distinct Margaret Atwood wash to Shannon's dystopian universe, and echoes of Anthony Burgess's Clockwork Orange in the colorful lingo." --NPR.org"A dark and exquisitely rendered fantasy unlike anything out there. The Bone Season is a must-read." --Kami Garcia, coauthor of the Beautiful Creatures series"[A] dazzingly brainy, witty, and bewitching tale of outrageous courage, heroic compassion, transcendent love, and the quest for freedom...the first in a thoughtful fantasy series by a brilliant young writer." --Booklist (starred review)"Rad" --Vanity Fair Truly extraordinary and thrilling. Andy Serkis [The Bone Season] invokes both the political tyranny of George Orwell and the bucolic mythmaking of J.R.R. Tolkien. USA Today This book is definitely your new crack, full of juicy worldbuilding and heroic weirdness. Io9.COM Intelligent, inventive, dark, and engrossing enough to keep me up late to finish...There's a distinct Margaret Atwood wash to Shannon's dystopian universe, and echoes of Anthony Burgess's Clockwork Orange in the colorful lingo. NPR.org A dark and exquisitely rendered fantasy unlike anything out there. The Bone Season is a must-read. Kami Garcia, coauthor of the Beautiful Creatures series [A] dazzingly brainy, witty, and bewitching tale of outrageous courage, heroic compassion, transcendent love, and the quest for freedom...the first in a thoughtful fantasy series by a brilliant young writer. Booklist (starred review) Rad Vanity Fair" Truly extraordinary and thrilling. "Andy Serkis" [The Bone Season] invokes both the political tyranny of George Orwell and the bucolic mythmaking of J.R.R. Tolkien. "USA Today" This book is definitely your new crack, full of juicy worldbuilding and heroic weirdness. "Io9.COM" Intelligent, inventive, dark, and engrossing enough to keep me up late to finish...There's a distinct Margaret Atwood wash to Shannon's dystopian universe, and echoes of Anthony Burgess's "Clockwork Orange" in the colorful lingo. "NPR.org" A dark and exquisitely rendered fantasy unlike anything out there. "The Bone Season" is a must-read. Kami Garcia, coauthor of the Beautiful Creatures series [A] dazzingly brainy, witty, and bewitching tale of outrageous courage, heroic compassion, transcendent love, and the quest for freedom...the first in a thoughtful fantasy series by a brilliant young writer. "Booklist (starred review)" Rad "Vanity Fair""
