The Bone Season (Tenth Anniversary Edition)
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The Bone Season (Tenth Anniversary Edition) Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 4,297 ratings
Editors' pick Best Science Fiction & Fantasy
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A lavishly reimagined and revised tenth anniversary edition of the first novel in the sensational Bone Season series, by the New York Times bestselling author of The Priory of the Orange Tree.

Welcome to Scion. No safer place.

The year is 2059. For two centuries, the Republic of Scion has led an oppressive campaign against unnaturalness in Europe.

In London, Paige Mahoney holds a high rank in the criminal underworld. The right hand of the ruthless White Binder, Paige is a dreamwalker, a rare and formidable kind of clairvoyant. Under Scion law, she commits treason simply by breathing.

When Paige is arrested for murder, she meets the mysterious founders of Scion, who have designs on her uncommon abilities. If she is to survive and escape, Paige must use every skill at her disposal – and put her trust in someone who ought to be her enemy.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

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  1. Listening Length
    18 hours and 38 minutes
  2. Author
    Samantha Shannon
  3. Narrator
    Alana Kerr Collins
  4. Audible release date
    August 22, 2023
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
  7. ASIN
    B0CDXSWPFV
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 18 hours and 38 minutes
Author Samantha Shannon
Narrator Alana Kerr Collins
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date August 22, 2023
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B0CDXSWPFV
Best Sellers Rank #7,915 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#193 in Paranormal Fantasy (Audible Books & Originals)
#419 in Action & Adventure Fantasy (Audible Books & Originals)
#648 in Epic Fantasy (Audible Books & Originals)

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
4,297 global ratings
Damaged
4 Stars
Damaged
Was really looking forward to this book but was disappointed in the quality. The inside cover has a crease in it and it looks like it was not stuck on properly. This does not affect the reading but for a tenth anniversary version, I expected better quality.
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Top reviews from the United States

kayla.the.librarian
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Book Well Worth the Hype
Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2013
Verified Purchase
I have no idea why, but one day I decided that I absolutely must read The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon. I don’t exactly recall reading the synopsis or paying much attention to the hype, but one day I couldn’t stand it anymore and preordered the audiobook. I downloaded it the morning it was available, but since I was listening to an audiobook for review, I had to wait to read it. It was brutal because all I could think about was the book that I had found myself obsessing over.

Once I FINALLY began reading, I was immediately drawn into the world in The Bone Season. I was afraid my longing would work against the book (my expectations being so high and all), but it was all that I hoped for. Paige Mahoney was an interesting and tough heroine who would not back down, and the world-building was awesome in every sense of the word, both literal and slang. I want to go ahead and let it be known that I disagree completely with many comparisons made about the book and some other popular novels because too many publishers and reviewers try to compare a writer who is capable of genius world-building with Rowling and anything gritty with The Hunger Games. I mean, maybe the scale of the series may be comparable to the others, but there really isn’t much in the way of other similarities. Samantha Shannon and The Bone Season are forces to be reckoned with on their own.

The world-building and the sheer size of this imaginative, alternate England is what made the book for me. In 1857, there was some sort of event that supposedly created clairvoyance. Paige Mahoney and the people she works with under the radar are all clairvoyants who must keep their talents hidden. To be clairvoyant – called Unnatural – is against the law in Scion London, and bad things will happen. I’m not an expert on paranormal and astrology, so I learned a lot in this novel. (I can’t tell you where what Shannon created and what is a commonly held belief regarding these things meets.) The other races and mythology are woven together very well, and I swear to Bob there will be spoilers if I gush too hard. Just exploring SciLo was a treat in itself and something I hope I get more of in the next books in the series. Sheol I and the æther were also well-done and fascinating.

As for the characters, there are a lot because The Bone Season is a fairly long book. We have the Seven Seals that the series will be supposedly featuring, but they didn’t get as much time on the pages as I expected. Paige, of course, was a badass Voyant that was stronger than everyone imagined. There are other Voyants and amaurotics (non-clairvoyant humans) with her in the penal colony, Sheol I, ran by the Rephaim, but only Liss really stood out to me. I guess it was because I came to a lot of conclusions about her, that all ended up being VERY wrong. Oh, the Rephaim! Well... I don't want to say too much about them because it was interesting to find out about them in the book. (I'm being difficult, aren't I?) Anywho, I will say that Warden is my new book boyfriend. He is such a complex character, and he's very tall. I like tall men.

Since I did listen to the audiobook, I suppose I should tell you about the best parts about. Alana Kerr, the narrator, had a beautiful voice and did a great job with the large cast of characters. I loved to hear her speak as Paige because her very slight Irish accent was so lovely. I didn't realize it until well into the book how much the audiobook helped me through all of the Victorian phrases and obscure names. I've read reviews where many people have had trouble getting past these things, and I barely noticed them. I loved listening to Kerr's performance of The Bone Season, and I hope that she will be doing the other books as well.

The Bone Season is definitely a book well worth the hype, and one that I will be rereading before the next book in the series releases. Both author Samantha Shannon and voice actress Alana Kerr are now on my auto-buy list. I recommend this to anyone who likes alternate history, the paranormal, and colossal world-building. Though this is an adult novel, I think it is fine for older young adults. Again, if you've made it this far in the review - JUST READ THE DAMN BOOK ALREADY!
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Christina
4.0 out of 5 stars Highly Detailed & Cinematic Novel Written by a Promising Author
Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2013
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This book has received a lot of hype, including a six-figure deal for only three books out of a projected seven book series, a seven-figure movie option deal, and an editorial letter at the front of the e-galley (which also emphasizes the aforementioned items). Samantha Shannon has also been called the next J.K. Rowling.

Hype makes me wary, and quite honestly, I think calling anyone the next J.K. Rowling is setting the bars too high. I went into this novel already knowing of these claims--which turns on my critical side--and though I think some of hype is a bit much, this was a highly detailed and cinematic novel written by a promising author.

Ten Likes/Dislikes:

1. (+) Paige, the protagonist - Paige is the kind of strong, smart, confident, sassy & sarcastic heroine that you want to root for as she learns more about herself and her power. She defends the weak, which is an interesting contrast to her being from a syndicate and being highly mistrustful and cynical. It's always interesting to see who she will pair with, choose to trust, and who she cast off (she's highly judgmental of people's intentions). She's fire, fierce and bitter, but also achingly vulnerable, with the usual desire to be seen as a sum of all her parts. Her government tells her that she's unnatural, she hides what she is from her father, her mime-lord (syndicate leader) prizes her for her ability, and now she's been subjugated to another race--who will see Paige for who she is?

2. (+/-) The beginning - The weakest part of this novel, I would say, is the beginning. I really loved the voice, but with the info-dumps and the somewhat clunky writing, I honestly considered putting down the book at several points. I'm glad I didn't obviously--and it's not hugely bad. It's on/off, engrossing at turns, then back to info-dumping. I felt this way for maybe the first 80 or so pages.

3. (+) World-building - Although I loved the world, there are a lot of English slang words and terms which are not always properly explained as they're introduced, such as the link between the aether and the dreamscape. Of course there is an extensive glossary at the back and a map at the front to refer to, but whenever I read e-galleys, I find it hard to switch back and forth between the text--obviously, this is not going to be an issue when you have the physical copy of the book, and the world-building pays off in the end. This is a highly detailed and developed world. There are many different classes of powers across a spiritualist world that are differentiated by their relationship to the aether. This is reminiscent of the nineteenth century when there were followers of the occult who believed that the aether was a fluid-like substance that flowed through everyone, except that the aether in this world is a way of sensing others and messing with other people's lives, dreams, and minds (also reminiscent of Inception in a way). People who have powers based in the aether are called (clair)voyants; those who don't: amaurotics, and their government is Scion. The politics of this world as Scion clashes with the way the syndicates operate and the way Oxford and the Rephaites work is fascinating. It's also quite a treat to see how those powers work as the voyants are trained for the Rephaite army, and as you learn more of the Rephaite world and how they managed to twist the voyants into submission. Another thing that was particularly fun to explore was Paige's power, and her ability to access dreamscapes, the place in the mind where memories are stored and people feel safest. Basically, even though I'm not sure I have a handle on all the different terms, this world was just plain wonderful and easy to slip into the further you read.

4. (+) Romance - Wow, this relationship may be one of my all-time-favorites. It is slow-burning, and may be one of the better developed hate-turned-something else relationships (I know the summary says he's her captor, but he never acts like her master, so I never saw him that way, though Paige does treat him hostilely). It takes a long time for both Paige and Warden to learn to trust (and be open with) each other, and to overcome their racial prejudices of the other. All the while they are completely and wholly themselves. They have separate lives (somewhat--since Paige lives with him), separate motives, separate attitudes, but you root for them together as you see that they fit well as a team. The tension is perfectly executed, their relationship complex and satisfying.

5. (+) Themes - This book is ultimately about empowerment. It asks: how much is your freedom worth to you? What do you think you're worth? If everything were taken away from you and you were branded a number, treated like filth, what parts of you would be left? What is the price of your survival? Your humanity? How many trials can your relationships go through before they dissolve?

6. (+) The Plot - There aren't a whole lot of major twists, but those that are there are wonderfully developed and surprising, and the rest of twists shine in the action-filled plot, battle and training scenes alike. The story is always moving forward, whether the characters are being developed (Paige's memories), the world is being developed (daily life at Oxford), or the actual story is being developed (one girl fighting for her freedom and belonging). Since the world is insulated with so many details and there is a large character cast, the plot is quite exciting, tension-filled, and unpredictable.

7. (+/-) The Characters - The main difference I see from the Harry Potter comparison is that J.K. Rowling had a way with getting at the heart of a character, all the characters, no matter how pivotal a role they played. While there is some hint at what motivates some of these characters, I wasn't very attached to a lot of the side cast. They're not as developed as I would have hoped (such as her Oxford friends, Julian, and even some of the syndicate). I think my main objection would be that too many characters were introduced in this first book--at least, that some of them could have been taken out in favor of developing the others more fully. BUT note: this wasn't badly done. I just thought, in light of the highly detailed world and other complex relationships, that the character cast as a whole could have used a bit more work.

8. (+) The Writing - There were definitely parts that needed more polishing. Sometimes it was a bit repetitive. But the further I read, the more engrossed I became in the world, because the writing became much, much smoother and had huge cinematic potential. Samantha Shannon is talented, and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel.

9. (+) Pacing - It's really hard to ensure that a 480-page book remains well-paced and engaging, but Shannon does her job well. The pace never relents, the action always continuing and building to a stunning conclusion.

10. (+/-) The Cover - While the cover is highly symbolic and representative of the book, I can't help but think that I would pass right by this book in a store, especially if I had heard nothing about it.

While I do think that there were a few areas that could have been polished more, the beginning in particular with the various info-dumps, this novel was extraordinary, compelling, utterly absorbing. It's like Inception meets Divergent meets Days of Blood and Starlight meets a futuristic, nineteenth century London (aka if you're a fan of any of those: read this!) Mental and spiritual battles (and training) abound in a dystopian setting with a highly detailed fantasy hierarchy that challenges you to think about the price of freedom. Definitely recommended.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Alberto
5.0 out of 5 stars Otra gran novela.
Reviewed in Spain on November 25, 2023
Verified Purchase
Me encanta este escritor. Otra vez una historia apasionante :)
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Giorgio Leonardi
5.0 out of 5 stars Bel libro e ottimo venditore
Reviewed in Italy on October 28, 2023
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Il libro è molto bello, c'è stato un problema con la consegna , ho contattato il venditore che, gentilissimo, me ne ha inviato una seconda copia regolarmente consegnata. Bravi e gentili
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Bruna
5.0 out of 5 stars New Favorite Series
Reviewed in Brazil on January 31, 2015
Verified Purchase
I LOVE THIS!
I can't even. Shannon has developed an amazing world and what is probably the most unique book I have ever read.
It is not quite fantasy, not quite paranormal and not quite dystopia, but a wonderful mix of these with some alternate history thrown in the mix.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars It more than met my expectations!
Reviewed in Canada on September 25, 2013
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I think the author did a fantastic job! I am an avid reader of science fiction and fantasy. I did not find that the author seemed young in her writing (I am almost 50 year old woman). Its hard to believe that the author is young as she has a mature way of writing. After the first few chapters, I kept reading it until I finished it. The only con is that I will have to wait another year to get the next book in the series!
4 people found this helpful
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Buechermonster
5.0 out of 5 stars Grandioser Reihenauftakt: Tolles Setting, packende Atmosphäre, spannende Charaktere
Reviewed in Germany on December 29, 2014
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Der Roman “The Bone Season” der jungen Engländerin Samantha Shannon gilt als die Fantasy-Überraschung des Jahres 2013 und die Autorin wird von vielen bereits mit Harry-Potter-Autorin Joanne K. Rowling verglichen – immerhin sind in Shannons Buchreihe auch sieben Bände vorgesehen und diese werden sogar im gleichen Verlag wie die Rowling-Werke verlegt. Für eine 22-Jährige ein ganz schöner Erwartungsdruck, dem der Debütroman aber nach weitestgehend einheilliger Kritiker- und Lesermeinung durchaus gerecht werden kann. Somit war natürlich auch ich sehr neugierig auf den Auftaktband, ließ mich aber von dem vielerorts als sehr kompliziert beschriebenen Einstieg in die Geschichte noch eine Weile abschrecken – und wer einen Blick auf die der Handlung vorangehende Aufzählung der Charakterklassen wirft, wird vermutlich erst einmal ein wenig erschrecken: Hier wird man nämlich mit nicht weniger als rund 50 verschiedenen Bezeichnungen erschlagen, von denen man 90% wahrscheinlich noch nie zuvor gehört hat. An dieser Stelle am besten schnell weiterblättern und sich ins kalte Wasser stürzen, denn so schlimm wie befürchtet ist der Einstieg in Shannons futuristisches Szenario bei weitem nicht.

Im Prinzip lässt sich die Welt im Jahr 2059 wie folgt darstellen: Es gibt verschiedene Arten von Hellsehern, die auf unterschiedliche Wege in die Gedanken oder Träume von anderen Menschen eindringen können. Aufgrund dieser Fähigkeit werden diese Begabten von dem Sicherheitsunternehmen Scion unterdrückt und verfolgt, sodass die Gejagten weitestgehend aus dem Untergrund agieren und auf kriminelle Weise ihr Geld verdienen, indem sie sich einem der verschiedenen Syndikate anschließen – so wie die Protagonistin Paige Mahoney. An den verschiedenen Einteilungen wie “Soothsayers”, “Mediums”, “Augurs” oder “Clairvoyants” hält man sich besser nicht zu sehr auf, um gleich zu Anfang einer großen Verwirrung zu entgehen. Verhältnismäßig leicht fällt es, sich von der schon auf den ersten Seiten sehr intensiven Atmosphäre einnehmen zu lassen. Schon direkt zu Beginn wird ein überall präsentes Gefühl der Bedrohung aufgebaut und die prekäre Situation der Hauptfigur ist sofort verständlich: Ein falscher Schritt und die Exekutierung durch die Regierung ist nahezu unvermeidlich. Noch beklemmender wird die Stimmung, wenn sich der Schauplatz von den Straßen Londons in die Strafkolonie “Sheol I” verlagert und sich Paige mit weitaus schlimmeren Geschöpfen als den Sicherheitskräften Scions auseinandersetzen muss. Hier hat Samantha Shannon wirklich einige sehr beeindruckende und teilweise auch sehr beängstigende Charaktere geschaffen, die aber nicht plump als böse, sondern erstaunlich differenziert dargestellt werden – vor allem die Figur des “Warden” habe ich als sehr faszinierend und interessant empfunden. Gerade die “Beziehung” zwischen ihm und Paige wird dadurch zu einer hochspannenden Angelegenheit, die für mich zu einer der großen Stärken der Handlung zählt.

Da “The Bone Season” wie erwähnt der Auftakt einer 7-teiligen Reihe ist, verwendet Shannon verständlicherweise natürlich recht viel Zeit auf die Beschreibung ihres Settings und die Einführung der Charaktere. Das heißt aber nicht, dass die Geschichte selbst langweilig oder mager ausfallen würde – das Buch ist zu keinem Zeitpunkt auch nur ansatzweise langweilig und fesselt bis zum packenden Ende, das natürlich wenig überraschend mit einem kleinen Cliffhanger endet, aber dennoch einen guten Abschluss dieses ersten Bandes bietet. Gerade für den ersten Teilabschnitt einer derart umfassenden Reihe fällt der Schluss sehr dramatisch aus und schraubt die Erwartungen für die kommenden Bücher ganz schön in die Höhe – das macht es umso ärgerlicher, dass der zweite Band “The Mime Order” kürzlich erst von Oktober 2014 auf Januar 2015 verschoben wurde.
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